THE BEST ARM EXERCISES
Are well-toned arms the latest must-have body part? First Lady Michelle Obama's shapely arms caused a sensation in February after she showed them off in sleeveless dresses in her official White House portrait and during her husband's first address to Congress.
According to news reports, Michelle Obama stays in shape with three 90-minute exercise sessions each week, sometimes hitting the gym at 4:30 a.m. to make sure she doesn't miss a workout.
If you're ready to get your own arms buff enough to go bare, what are the best arm exercises for strengthening and toning? WebMD asked fitness experts to share some of their tips for building stronger, tighter arm muscles.
The Benefits of Upper Body Strength
Arm toning and strengthening exercises are important throughout life, says Dan Agresti, exercise physiologist and owner of ProActive Health and Fitness in Denver. And the benefits go way beyond looking good in a tank top.
Life is a lot better when you're strong," says Agresti. "It's fun to know I can do just about any task."
Having upper body strength also helps us combat the physical pitfalls of our culture.
"We live in such a flexed-posture society, says Lori Incledon, athletic trainer and author of Strength Training for Women.
Being hunched over the computer, in front of the TV, and at the steering wheels of our cars takes a toll, she says. The shoulder girdle becomes stretched, the chest muscles get tighter, and we set ourselves up for decreased range of motion and potential injury.
"We're never going to be able to reach for the cup on the highest shelf anymore" if we don't balance out our muscles with exercise, says Incledon, of Chandler, Ariz.
Arm Toning Tips: The Whole-Body Prescription
As we all know by now, you cannot spot-reduce an area. So we need to think about the bigger picture. "The emphasis should be on the entire body -- and cardio and diet," says Mark Nutting, fitness director at Saco Sport & Fitness in Saco, Maine.
Diet and nutrition are a huge part of the equation, says Agresti. If you work the arms and don't see results, look at your whole program: "Underneath that fat is the most beautiful set of arms you've ever seen," he says.
Nutting, Agresti, and Incledon all use multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises for their clients, so they work more muscle at one time, thus increasing the calorie burn.
"We need to train the body the way it was designed to work," says Agresti. Otherwise, "there's not a lot of crossover into the real world."
You need to use some sort of resistance to really strengthen the upper body and tone the arms, whether it's weights, bands, machines, cables, grocery bags, or your own body weight.
You also need to be willing to push yourself a little, says Agresti.
"If you want to tone and shape your arms, you have to use a bigger weight," Agresti says. "I don't think women tend to push themselves with sufficient weight and to the level of effort and fatigue necessary."
It's all about motivation, says Agresti. "Could you have done more? For $100,000 could you have doubled the reps?" If your response is 'You bet,' he says, you're cheating yourself.
Bulking Up?
Women sometimes ask if the workouts will lead to too much bulking up. If you feel a little bigger at first, it may not be your imagination.
"When you first start lifting, there's a big influx of carbohydrates and water to that area," as your body attempts to protect itself from something it's not accustomed to, says Incledon. "It's a beginner thing. At first, you'll get a bit more of a bulky feeling, but after a month, the body regulates."
Another reason you may look bulkier is because you're building muscle under a layer of fat. Once the fat comes off, the bulkiness gives way to the lean muscle underneath.
And you don't have to treadmill yourself to death to shed that layer of flab, says Incledon.
"It's a myth that the only way you can affect body composition is by cardiovascular exercise," she says. In a sense, "anything you do that is exercise is cardiovascular, because you have to work your heart and lungs to lift a weight."
If you're crunched for time (and who isn't?), work smart: Do exercises that use lots of body parts at once, minimize rest periods, and work to fatigue.
4 Multi-Tasking Arm Exercises
Try these four multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises from Agresti, Nutting, and Incledon to develop beautifully toned arms and upper body strength.
1. Push-up/Tricep Push-up
* Prepare: Start on your hands and knees, fingers spread, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Extend one leg back to rest on your toes, then the other, forming a straight line from your heels to your shoulders. Keep the butt and ab muscles tight, the ribs knitted together, and the shoulders sliding down the back. Be sure the neck is in line with the spine (don't hang your head or jut your chin out.)
* Perform: Bending the elbows, slowly lower the body as far down as you can while maintaining proper form. Then, straightening (but not locking) the arms, come back to the starting position. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* For a challenge: Do the push-up with the elbows pointing back and close to your sides to emphasize the triceps.
* Working muscles: Pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), triceps.
2. Reverse Plank Pull-up
* Prepare: Using an assisted machine like the Smith machine at your gym, set the bar about midway up and stand under it. Using a palms-up grip, grab the bar, aligning your shoulders with your wrists. Then walk your feet out away from you until your body is in a reverse plank, hanging in a straight line, with your heels on the floor.
* Perform: Bending your elbows slowly bring your body up to the bar and straightening your elbows, lower back down. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* For a challenge: The lower the angle of your body, the tougher the exercise. Beginners should work at a higher angle off the ground.
* Working muscles: Latissimus dorsi (back), deltoids, biceps.
4 Multi-Tasking Arm Exercises continued...
3. Bicep Curl/Shoulder Press Combo
* Prepare: Holding a pair of free weights or standing on an exercise band and holding it with the palms face up, stand tall with feet hip-width apart, abs tight.
* Perform: Lift the weights or band toward your shoulders (flexing elbows), turn the palms to face out and continue pushing the weight or band over your head in a fluid, continuous motion. Then reverse the motion, bring the weight down to your shoulders with the palms out, then turning them to fully extend the elbows, bringing the arms to the starting position.
* For a challenge: Chances are, you can use more weight while doing this combination move, so try it. Try not to rest between each repetition. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* Working muscles: Biceps, deltoids, triceps.
4. Tricep Dips
* Prepare: Sitting with your hands on the edge of a sturdy bench, fingers pointing toward you, slowly walk your feet out in front of you and take your bottom off the bench.
* Perform: Slowly lower and lift your body weight, being sure to fully extend the arm and maintaining perfect posture throughout (do not roll the shoulders in). Whether your knees are bent at 90 degrees (easier) or legs are straight out (harder), be sure to lower yourself straight down (keeping a 1-inch gap between your back and the bench for the entire range of motion) and not in a swinging motion toward your feet. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* Challenge: Try this with one heel stacked on the other.
* Working muscles: Triceps, deltoids.
понедељак, 19. октобар 2009.
субота, 17. октобар 2009.
Nice ass in 7 steps
It’s always behind you—but your backside can affect whether you are fashion-forward, fit and toned, or looking out-of-shape and lumpy-dumpy.
Evolutionary design:
The size and shape of your behind is part of your physical condition and it does influence your sexual appeal. Throughout most of western history, women were expected to be curvy, soft and voluptuous, characteristics that are harbingers of fertility. With the advent of jogging and highly competitive sports, today our ideal of beauty and fashion for women may be thin, toned and tall; and for men, muscled, toned and strong. But whatever your subjective preference may be, Paul Sorace, a trainer from New Jersey says that, “At the very least, 99% of the women I train want to work with the glutes.”
STEP 1
The Dream:
Are we realistic in thinking about having round, chiseled and lifted derrieres or is this just a pipe dream? In reality, a large part of our shape is inherited and depends on our family genes. And, unfortunately there is no such thing as "spot-reducing" so if your backside is too big, you are probably big all over.
The Plan:
But there are things we can do to tone, lift, and camouflage our butts to look great in clothes and to feel more fit overall. To begin, alternate doing Pilates (core-building exercises), Yoga (balance and stretch workouts), strength-training (read this as weight-lifting) along with a dose of ballet barre (targeted stretching). Two or three times a week with any of these with a rest in between is optimum.
STEP 2
May I Suggest:
First warm up by working-up a sweat aerobically.
The glutes are large motor muscles and every time you take a step, you use glutes. Consequently, walking is great and, if you can tackle hills or take the incline on a treadmill, even better. Hiking is another workout that requires leg energy and really eats the calories. Experts say that a 140-pound person can burn about 390 calories an hour hiking. Another great glute warm-up is biking, which uses every muscle in your thighs, hips and butt. Running just naturally propels those legs and makes you feel good, eliminates stress. Not everyone can kickbox, but complex punches will target your abs as well as your trunk.
Stair machines, and arc or elliptical trainers are great butt-shaping equipment and, for variety, don’t forget in-line skating.
Tip: Walking backwards helps to target those rear end muscles (try walking backwards uphill!)
STEP 3
The Best Exercises:
In order to physically exercise these muscles, you need to apply strenuous resistance throughout the full range of motion of your hip joint—from a fully flexed position to a fully extended position that covers an arc of up to 165 degrees. Certain machines will do this but freehand exercises with no equipment, using just the force of gravity against your muscles will do the same thing; and you can do them privately and cheaply.
For example, in a sitting position, an ordinary soccer ball can do some of the things a machine can. Simply sit comfortably on the floor with your legs out in front of you, your hands providing support extended behind, palms flat, fingers extended. Place the ball between your knees and while squeezing your glutes, also squeeze the ball between your knees. Count to ten slowly and repeat. Do as many repetitions you can until you fatigue. (This can also be done sitting in a chair.)
STEP4
The Frog:
Another exercise to target those areas of resistance is "the frog." It's just like its name. You assume a frog position by squatting down. Make sure that your knees are not pitched forward over your toes. You can balance using the tips of your hands. Now jack your hips in an up and down motion s-l-o-w-l-y and in a controlled way using your thighs and glutes to raise and lower your rear end. This is done deliberately and with caution. You will develop quite a heat but do as many as you can to fatigue. (There is a YouTube video link below to show you proper form.)
STEP 5
Warmed-up:
Now that you are warm, you can work on the target toning exercises that rely on gravity and working your own weight against itself. The best are squats, ball squats against the wall, and sumo squats.
Basic squat: squat as if you were sitting in a chair but before you hit the "seat" bring yourself back up (you can use a chair to begin). Keep a flat back. Repeat with deliberation. The addition of small weights held in each hand will augment this exercise later on.
Lunges: (one version)
Standing front and back lunges and stepping lunges are great too (concentrate on long steps no farther than 90 degrees). Do this: Try lunges using >steps< and you will help to protect your knees. Stand a foot or so in front of a set of steps. Pick the third step as your target. Lunge forward placing your arch and heel area on the top of the step; push and then return the leg. Do the other side. Alternate and work both hips and legs until fatigued.(Correct form with the stepping variety is key.)
STEP 6
The bridge:
The bridge is a hard exercise, really defining your booty against gravity. To begin, lay down on your back. Bend both knees and place feet flat on the floor with a wide stance no larger than your hips. Now slowly lift your vertebrae off the floor and arch your back using your glutes to help pull you up. (It looks like a backward bend at completion.) Repeat as often as you comfortably can.
Wall walk:
Another old-fashioned version is to use the lower half of your body to >walk up the wall.< Lay in front of the wall, feet facing. Scooch up until your legs bend. Lay back down. Now using your feet, walk up the wall using both legs until you are extended; your shoulders will support you on the floor. At the top, walk back down.
Other good exercises to lookup and try: hip lifts, prone ball leg lifts, and side leg raises. For correct form: videos and examples of these exercises can be found in the links below.
STEP7
Inner Thighs:
Don't neglect the inner thighs as toning the inside of your legs helps to support the rest of your behind. A great exercise for this is the crab. (For this you will need to purchase an exercise band.) Tie the band around both ankles. Now squat slightly and take four steps to the right, extending the band tautly. Your step should be at least a full 12-inch step. Feel the slight pull on both the inside and outside of your thigh. Now take four steps to the left to complete the move. Do as many sets of these as you can before you tired.
feel
Evolutionary design:
The size and shape of your behind is part of your physical condition and it does influence your sexual appeal. Throughout most of western history, women were expected to be curvy, soft and voluptuous, characteristics that are harbingers of fertility. With the advent of jogging and highly competitive sports, today our ideal of beauty and fashion for women may be thin, toned and tall; and for men, muscled, toned and strong. But whatever your subjective preference may be, Paul Sorace, a trainer from New Jersey says that, “At the very least, 99% of the women I train want to work with the glutes.”
STEP 1
The Dream:
Are we realistic in thinking about having round, chiseled and lifted derrieres or is this just a pipe dream? In reality, a large part of our shape is inherited and depends on our family genes. And, unfortunately there is no such thing as "spot-reducing" so if your backside is too big, you are probably big all over.
The Plan:
But there are things we can do to tone, lift, and camouflage our butts to look great in clothes and to feel more fit overall. To begin, alternate doing Pilates (core-building exercises), Yoga (balance and stretch workouts), strength-training (read this as weight-lifting) along with a dose of ballet barre (targeted stretching). Two or three times a week with any of these with a rest in between is optimum.
STEP 2
May I Suggest:
First warm up by working-up a sweat aerobically.
The glutes are large motor muscles and every time you take a step, you use glutes. Consequently, walking is great and, if you can tackle hills or take the incline on a treadmill, even better. Hiking is another workout that requires leg energy and really eats the calories. Experts say that a 140-pound person can burn about 390 calories an hour hiking. Another great glute warm-up is biking, which uses every muscle in your thighs, hips and butt. Running just naturally propels those legs and makes you feel good, eliminates stress. Not everyone can kickbox, but complex punches will target your abs as well as your trunk.
Stair machines, and arc or elliptical trainers are great butt-shaping equipment and, for variety, don’t forget in-line skating.
Tip: Walking backwards helps to target those rear end muscles (try walking backwards uphill!)
STEP 3
The Best Exercises:
In order to physically exercise these muscles, you need to apply strenuous resistance throughout the full range of motion of your hip joint—from a fully flexed position to a fully extended position that covers an arc of up to 165 degrees. Certain machines will do this but freehand exercises with no equipment, using just the force of gravity against your muscles will do the same thing; and you can do them privately and cheaply.
For example, in a sitting position, an ordinary soccer ball can do some of the things a machine can. Simply sit comfortably on the floor with your legs out in front of you, your hands providing support extended behind, palms flat, fingers extended. Place the ball between your knees and while squeezing your glutes, also squeeze the ball between your knees. Count to ten slowly and repeat. Do as many repetitions you can until you fatigue. (This can also be done sitting in a chair.)
STEP4
The Frog:
Another exercise to target those areas of resistance is "the frog." It's just like its name. You assume a frog position by squatting down. Make sure that your knees are not pitched forward over your toes. You can balance using the tips of your hands. Now jack your hips in an up and down motion s-l-o-w-l-y and in a controlled way using your thighs and glutes to raise and lower your rear end. This is done deliberately and with caution. You will develop quite a heat but do as many as you can to fatigue. (There is a YouTube video link below to show you proper form.)
STEP 5
Warmed-up:
Now that you are warm, you can work on the target toning exercises that rely on gravity and working your own weight against itself. The best are squats, ball squats against the wall, and sumo squats.
Basic squat: squat as if you were sitting in a chair but before you hit the "seat" bring yourself back up (you can use a chair to begin). Keep a flat back. Repeat with deliberation. The addition of small weights held in each hand will augment this exercise later on.
Lunges: (one version)
Standing front and back lunges and stepping lunges are great too (concentrate on long steps no farther than 90 degrees). Do this: Try lunges using >steps< and you will help to protect your knees. Stand a foot or so in front of a set of steps. Pick the third step as your target. Lunge forward placing your arch and heel area on the top of the step; push and then return the leg. Do the other side. Alternate and work both hips and legs until fatigued.(Correct form with the stepping variety is key.)
STEP 6
The bridge:
The bridge is a hard exercise, really defining your booty against gravity. To begin, lay down on your back. Bend both knees and place feet flat on the floor with a wide stance no larger than your hips. Now slowly lift your vertebrae off the floor and arch your back using your glutes to help pull you up. (It looks like a backward bend at completion.) Repeat as often as you comfortably can.
Wall walk:
Another old-fashioned version is to use the lower half of your body to >walk up the wall.< Lay in front of the wall, feet facing. Scooch up until your legs bend. Lay back down. Now using your feet, walk up the wall using both legs until you are extended; your shoulders will support you on the floor. At the top, walk back down.
Other good exercises to lookup and try: hip lifts, prone ball leg lifts, and side leg raises. For correct form: videos and examples of these exercises can be found in the links below.
STEP7
Inner Thighs:
Don't neglect the inner thighs as toning the inside of your legs helps to support the rest of your behind. A great exercise for this is the crab. (For this you will need to purchase an exercise band.) Tie the band around both ankles. Now squat slightly and take four steps to the right, extending the band tautly. Your step should be at least a full 12-inch step. Feel the slight pull on both the inside and outside of your thigh. Now take four steps to the left to complete the move. Do as many sets of these as you can before you tired.
feel
петак, 16. октобар 2009.
Hips, Butt and Thighs
The exercises below will challenge your hips, butt and thighs in a whole new way. Many of these moves involve using paper plates to add intensity to the moves. As always, check with your doctor if you have any injuries or medical issues and avoid any exercise that causes pain or discomfort. You'll find instructions and tips at the end of the page.
Sponsored Links
Side Lunge Slide
Stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot resting on a paper plate. Bend the right leg while sliding the left foot to the side, torso upright and abs in. Slowly slide left foot back to starting position, repeating 8-12 times. Switch legs and repeat for 2-3 sets.
Lunge Slide
Stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot resting on a paper plate. Bend the right leg while sliding the left foot back into a lunge position, keeping the right knee behind the toe, torso upright and abs in. Slowly slide left foot back to starting position and repeat 8-12 times. Switch legs and repeat on each leg for 2-3 sets.
Front One-Legged Squat
Stand on a step or small platform. Lift left leg out in front of step and bend the right leg, bringing the toe of the left foot to the floor. Touch the floor lightly and keep the knee of the bent leg in line with toes. Straighten the right leg and repeat 8-12 times. Switch legs and repeat for 2-3 sets.
Chair Squat
Stand in front of a chair with feet hip-width apart, abs in and torso straight. Slowly bend your knees and lower and until you're almost touching your butt to the chair. Hold for 2-3 seconds, knees behind the toes, and straighten. Repeat for 12-16 reps, 2-3 sets.
Heel Drops with Leg Extension
Stand on step or platform with left leg on the step, right leg hanging off the side. Bend the left leg and lower the right foot towards the floor (a few inches). Straighten the left leg and bring the right leg out to the side, foot flexed, in a leg extension. Repeat 8-12 times, switch legs for 2-3 sets.
Hip Extension
On a flat or inclined step or platform, lie facedown with hips on the edge of the step, legs straight out behind you with toes resting lightly on the floor. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings and straighten the legs until they are level with the hips. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and lower letting toes lightly touch the floor. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.
Exercise tips and instructions:
* For Beginners: Do one set of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise with light weight or no weight 2-3 times a week, with at least one day of rest between workouts
* For Intermediates: Do 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise using light-medium weights, 2-3 times a week with at least one day of rest between workouts.
* For Advanced: Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise, using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of setps, 2-3 times a week with at least one day of rest between workouts.
четвртак, 15. октобар 2009.
Top 8 Most Effective Ab Exercises
Abdomen
Abdomen in humans and other vertebrates, portion of the trunk between the diaphragm and lower pelvis. In humans the wall of the abdomen is a muscular structure covered by fascia, fat, and skin. The abdominal cavity is lined with a thin membrane, the peritoneum, which encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, and gall bladder; the pancreas, kidneys, and urinary bladder are located behind the peritoneum. The abdomen of the female also contains the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. The navel, or umbilicus, an exterior scar on the front of the abdomen, marks the point of attachment of the fetus to the maternal organism before birth. In insects, crustacea, and some other arthropods, the term abdomen refers to the entire rear portion of the body.
Bicycle Exercise
Want to know the most effective ab exercises? The following ab exercises are the results of the American Council on Exercise's study to determine the most effective ab exercises. While ab exercises won't spot reduce fat from the belly, strong abs are important for keeping your body healthy and protecting your spine. For more about flat abs, visit my Abs Page for articles, workouts, FAQs and more.
Ab Rocker
The Ab Rocker (or roller) is number 9 for targeting the rectus abdominis. To do it right:
1. Sit on the Ab Rocker and grab the bars in each hand.
2. Contract the abs and rock forward, originating the movement from the abs rather than using momentum.
3. Release and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
4. Go slowly to reduce momentum. Try to focus on the abs rather than pushing with the arms.
The Bicycle exercise is the best move to target the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise. To do this exercise correctly:
1. Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-16 reps.
Captain's Chair Leg Raise
The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors. To do it right:
1. Stand on chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
2. Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
3. Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
4. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
Exercise Ball Crunch
The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and comes out number three for working the rectus abdominis. To do it right:
1. Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn't roll).
5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Vertical Leg Crunch
The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominis and the obliques. To do it right:
1. Lie face up on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
2. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
3. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Long Arm Crunch
This move, ranked 6th in the ACE study, emphasizes the upper part of the abs. To do it right:
1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Reverse Crunch
It may seem like the reverse crunch is for the lower abs but, remember, the rectus abdominis is one long muscle, so you can't separate upper from lower. To do this move right:
1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they're bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed.
3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
5. It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.
Full Vertical Crunch
In a full verticul crunch, you really work the abs by involving both the upper and lower body. To do it right:
1. Lie on your back and extend the legs up towards the ceiling.
2. Place hands behind your head (lightly cupping it) and contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. At the same time, press the heels towards the ceiling, creating a 'u' shape with the torso.
4. Lower down and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Plank on Elbows and Toes
The plank exercise ranked number 10 in the ACE study and is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. To do it right:
1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
Abdomen
Abdomen in humans and other vertebrates, portion of the trunk between the diaphragm and lower pelvis. In humans the wall of the abdomen is a muscular structure covered by fascia, fat, and skin. The abdominal cavity is lined with a thin membrane, the peritoneum, which encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, and gall bladder; the pancreas, kidneys, and urinary bladder are located behind the peritoneum. The abdomen of the female also contains the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. The navel, or umbilicus, an exterior scar on the front of the abdomen, marks the point of attachment of the fetus to the maternal organism before birth. In insects, crustacea, and some other arthropods, the term abdomen refers to the entire rear portion of the body.
Bicycle Exercise
Want to know the most effective ab exercises? The following ab exercises are the results of the American Council on Exercise's study to determine the most effective ab exercises. While ab exercises won't spot reduce fat from the belly, strong abs are important for keeping your body healthy and protecting your spine. For more about flat abs, visit my Abs Page for articles, workouts, FAQs and more.
Ab Rocker
The Ab Rocker (or roller) is number 9 for targeting the rectus abdominis. To do it right:
1. Sit on the Ab Rocker and grab the bars in each hand.
2. Contract the abs and rock forward, originating the movement from the abs rather than using momentum.
3. Release and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
4. Go slowly to reduce momentum. Try to focus on the abs rather than pushing with the arms.
The Bicycle exercise is the best move to target the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise. To do this exercise correctly:
1. Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-16 reps.
Captain's Chair Leg Raise
The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors. To do it right:
1. Stand on chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
2. Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
3. Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
4. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
Exercise Ball Crunch
The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and comes out number three for working the rectus abdominis. To do it right:
1. Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn't roll).
5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Vertical Leg Crunch
The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominis and the obliques. To do it right:
1. Lie face up on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
2. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
3. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Long Arm Crunch
This move, ranked 6th in the ACE study, emphasizes the upper part of the abs. To do it right:
1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Reverse Crunch
It may seem like the reverse crunch is for the lower abs but, remember, the rectus abdominis is one long muscle, so you can't separate upper from lower. To do this move right:
1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they're bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed.
3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
5. It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.
Full Vertical Crunch
In a full verticul crunch, you really work the abs by involving both the upper and lower body. To do it right:
1. Lie on your back and extend the legs up towards the ceiling.
2. Place hands behind your head (lightly cupping it) and contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. At the same time, press the heels towards the ceiling, creating a 'u' shape with the torso.
4. Lower down and repeat for 12-16 reps.
Plank on Elbows and Toes
The plank exercise ranked number 10 in the ACE study and is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. To do it right:
1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.
среда, 14. октобар 2009.
Acai berries
Today lot of people are taking Acai berries or some of its supplement on a regular basis and that shows they are getting benefit of that. Although it takes variable time for the benefits to come in front. In some people the Acai berry gives the result early while in others it takes time. There are many other weight loss pills into the market and you can read all reviews. Although there are many reasons to take Acai Berry or its supplement for some particular purpose but it also shows some other benefits so that people continue to take it. This shows apart from some purposes which are desired, it shows other benefits also. As there are many reasons to use Acai Berry but two are very important.
The other main reason to use Acai Berry is the other small benefits which body observes like it make over all bodies junk of the body that it has to deal with.We would suggest you to go for Vital Acai as this is the best into the market.
Why apple is not so healthy
Many people think that fruit diet is one of the best for them. They are getting hungry and they are trying to keep their body slim. I'll write my oppinion about this, and why morning apple is not good for your stomach and your health.
First when you are hungry you need a little bit more tasty food, which is not grizling your stomach and you will feel better. That is why I hate some fruit and other diets. The apple in the morning when you are hungry is good for your teeth, but not good for stomach, because it contains some acids which are making you feel much more hungry. You may also break your health with this. Better just take one biscuit and you will feel much better.
Boiled eggs
One of the most used food without fatties is boiled eggs. Many people prefer such a diet, and some of them even took some proteins made from albumen, which dose contain of more than 50 egg's white. It is absolutely good for your health and absolutely good for your fitness.
I made one diet from boiled eggs, хard - baked bread, fish and a little chiese. This dish gives to your body a lot of power with only a little fatties.
You can try this, but this is only one dish at least 2 hours before training.
A little word about healthy food
I can teall a lot of healthy food and this blog will turn to one of many that will tell you how to pretent your health from any fat foods. That is right. The grease is the most harly product that you body can pull down. That is what make you feel and look fat. But this give you a lot of power and you become strong. In fact every product is important for your body, but if you take more grease that your body can pull down you will have not efect from the fitnes, and your muscles will develop and stay under the fatties.
Carbohydrate are the product that don't give to you good power but they are easiest product thet your body pull down. SO they are also important for youjr health and your body but not only.
Proteins in fact use the best features of previous two products. They are the best way to get weight and will give you enough power for your next training. That is the reason almost everyone who starts training take a large quantity of proteins. I will write more about these products in next issues.
Use Bodybuilding To Lose Weight the Summer!
This guide presents a bodybuilding training routine designed to get you in top shape for the summer with only 3 weekly weight training sessions of 1 hour or less and 3 weekly sessions of cardio of 40 minutes or less. Minimum equipment is required.
Summer Bodybuilding Workouts – Get Lean With Summer Bodybuilding Workouts
How long do your summer bodybuilding workouts need to be in order to get in shape for summer? Unless you are a competitive bodybuilder who needs to perform several sessions of 45 minutes of exercise a day (some sessions of cardio and some of weights) to achieve the results needed for a competition physique, the most you will need to be in the gym for your summer bodybuilding workouts is 3 weight training sessions of 60 minutes alternated with 3 cardiovascular training sessions of 20-40 minutes.
Why Not 2 Hours At The Gym?
Because after 45 minutes to 1 hour of training the muscle building/fat burning hormones of most people begin to deplete while cortisol levels (fat storing/muscle burning hormone) increase.
Bodybuilding Routines
Everything you need to know about the characteristics of a good bodybuilding weight training routine, the differences in training for Body Sculpting vs training for Bodybuilding and the answer on how to lose fat and gain lean muscle mass fast the natural way.
Bodybuilding Arms Workout: Build Your Arms for the Summer With This Arms Workout
When people think of bodybuilding, the first thing that comes to mind is big arms. How many bodybuilders, me included, just started by doing some biceps curls? After all, one of the most common requests bodybuilders get is to flex their arms. And while a great physique is much more than big arms, nobody can argue that all great physiques have equally great arms!
Since I have gotten a lot of requests lately to publish a new arm routine to get the arms ready for summer, I decided to publish one of the latest bodybuilding routines that I have been using to train my arms.
In order to use this routine you will need to incorporate it into a split routine that works both biceps and triceps on the same day. This routine is for intermediate to advanced trainees. If you are an absolute beginner, please refer to the bodybuilding routine presented on my getting started in bodybuilding guide.
Combining The Best Bodybuilding Routines For Achieving Your Bodybuilding Goals
With the New Year upon us, it is time to start revamping our bodybuilding training routines in order to add variety to our training programs. To help you with this, I've listed some of the best routines I used last year and how you can combine them to accomplish your bodybuilding goals in this new year.
Training Routines For Mass Gains
If you are looking to start the new year with a mass gaining phase, nothing beats the 10 Sets of 10 Reps Bodybuilding Training Routine. After 6 weeks or so of doing this sort of high volume training, it is time to switch to a heavier type of workout in order to keep results coming. This is where the 5 Sets of 5 Reps Routine can come into play. Keep in mind that in order to make the best bodybuilding gains, your nutrition needs to match your goal, so please take a look at my Bulking Up Rules for the Natural Bodybuilder in order to learn how to design an individualized diet plan.
This guide presents a bodybuilding training routine designed to get you in top shape for the summer with only 3 weekly weight training sessions of 1 hour or less and 3 weekly sessions of cardio of 40 minutes or less. Minimum equipment is required.
Summer Bodybuilding Workouts – Get Lean With Summer Bodybuilding Workouts
How long do your summer bodybuilding workouts need to be in order to get in shape for summer? Unless you are a competitive bodybuilder who needs to perform several sessions of 45 minutes of exercise a day (some sessions of cardio and some of weights) to achieve the results needed for a competition physique, the most you will need to be in the gym for your summer bodybuilding workouts is 3 weight training sessions of 60 minutes alternated with 3 cardiovascular training sessions of 20-40 minutes.
Why Not 2 Hours At The Gym?
Because after 45 minutes to 1 hour of training the muscle building/fat burning hormones of most people begin to deplete while cortisol levels (fat storing/muscle burning hormone) increase.
Bodybuilding Routines
Everything you need to know about the characteristics of a good bodybuilding weight training routine, the differences in training for Body Sculpting vs training for Bodybuilding and the answer on how to lose fat and gain lean muscle mass fast the natural way.
Bodybuilding Arms Workout: Build Your Arms for the Summer With This Arms Workout
When people think of bodybuilding, the first thing that comes to mind is big arms. How many bodybuilders, me included, just started by doing some biceps curls? After all, one of the most common requests bodybuilders get is to flex their arms. And while a great physique is much more than big arms, nobody can argue that all great physiques have equally great arms!
Since I have gotten a lot of requests lately to publish a new arm routine to get the arms ready for summer, I decided to publish one of the latest bodybuilding routines that I have been using to train my arms.
In order to use this routine you will need to incorporate it into a split routine that works both biceps and triceps on the same day. This routine is for intermediate to advanced trainees. If you are an absolute beginner, please refer to the bodybuilding routine presented on my getting started in bodybuilding guide.
Combining The Best Bodybuilding Routines For Achieving Your Bodybuilding Goals
With the New Year upon us, it is time to start revamping our bodybuilding training routines in order to add variety to our training programs. To help you with this, I've listed some of the best routines I used last year and how you can combine them to accomplish your bodybuilding goals in this new year.
Training Routines For Mass Gains
If you are looking to start the new year with a mass gaining phase, nothing beats the 10 Sets of 10 Reps Bodybuilding Training Routine. After 6 weeks or so of doing this sort of high volume training, it is time to switch to a heavier type of workout in order to keep results coming. This is where the 5 Sets of 5 Reps Routine can come into play. Keep in mind that in order to make the best bodybuilding gains, your nutrition needs to match your goal, so please take a look at my Bulking Up Rules for the Natural Bodybuilder in order to learn how to design an individualized diet plan.
уторак, 13. октобар 2009.
Acne Treatment
Natural Acne Medications
Very briefly: there is a series of events that is responsible, in most cases, for acne; we're calling this the “acne cycle”:
Stage 1: Sebaceous glands, all over your body, produce your natural skin oil.
Stage 2: A type of hormone called “androgen” stimulates sebaceous glands; if androgen becomes elevated (unbalanced), more sebum is produced, starting the “acne cycle.”
Stage 3: It doesn't take much additional sebum to start the cycle. Hair follicles produce more keratin (the basic protein that makes up hair and nails) when there is more sebum around to stimulate them. The combination of extra sebum, extra keratin and the thousands of dead skin cells we shed every minute of the day, blocks your pores. This elevates a natural bacteria called P.acnes. The body senses the elevated bacteria and sends white blood cells to fight it off. The results of all this are pimples, whiteheads, blackheads and, worst case, pustules.
Prescription Acne Medications and Side Effects
Almost all doctor prescribed natural acne medications (and many non-prescription medications) have possible side effects; the medications prescribed for acne problems are no different. Three types of medications are commonly prescribed: oral corticoseteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs that help fight the P.acnes bacteria and the resultant inflammation); antiandrogens (to reduce the androgen production that often starts the acne cycle); and oral contraceptives (to control hormonal changes associated with menstruation, pregnancy, stress, endocrine imbalance, or ovarian disease).
Oral Corticosteroids
Oral corticosteroids may cause weight gain and bone thinning.
Antiandrogens
Antiandrogens may cause irregular menstruation and breast tenderness in women.
Oral Contraceptives
Oral contraceptives have side effects that may include nausea, weight gain, menstrual spotting and breast tenderness.
The important word is “may.” Side effects of any drug are unpredictable and depend entirely on the body reactions of the individual user.
Non-Prescription Medications
The best acne treatment Acnezine for you depends partially on your skin type. If your acne is in an area where you have oily skin, you need a gel-based acne medication. If you have acne in an area of dry skin, a cream-based acne medication is best.
Another factor is how sensitive your skin is. If you have sensitive (easily irritated) skin, you need a product with a lower concentration of the product's active ingredient; i.e., a milder medication. A stronger product could complicate your acne problem by over-drying your skin in the affected area, causing the sebaceous glands to continue overproducing sebum. Proactiv Reviews.
The most commonly used active ingredients in acne medications are benzoyl peroxide and salycic acid. Generally speaking, the products that use benzoyl peroxide are stronger (have more active ingredient) than the products that use salycic acid. The “active ingredient” in a acne medication refers to the chemical in the medication that works to dry up the excess oil (sebum) from your skin; this follows the general assumption that reducing the amount of sebum takes away one of the factors in the acne cycle (discussed previously) and will reduce the problem. The key is the word “reduce.” The object of an effective medication is to reduce the oil to a normal (balanced) level -- not to reduce it to the point where it exacerbates the problem.
If your acne is painful or if it becomes painful when you use an acne medication, you might try using an over-the-counter acne medication, anti-inflammatory medicine like one of the ibuprofen products -- but just until you can get to a doctor. As a general rule: if you are having any problem or discomfort with your acne, go to your doctor A.S.A.P..
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