How to Stay Well in Winter

By Dr. Jason Fowler

Simon and Garfunkel [and later, The Bangles] had it right. Winter light is hazy - it's more diffuse. The sun is lower in the sky and the sun's rays reach the Earth at an angle, losing much of their power. And of course, there is less sunlight during each 24-hour day of winter than during the rest of the year.

All these facts make it more important during winter to ensure you are getting your daily dose of sunlight. Humans depend on sun exposure to satisfy daily requirements of vitamin D.1 Vitamin D deficiency is classically associated with loss of bone mass, and is also associated with rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 1 diabetes.2

Humans need sunshine. It's not just a matter of aesthetics or a personality quirk like being a sun-worshipper. In Southern California and the rest of the Southwest there's plenty of sunshine all year round. Everywhere else in the United States, though, direct sunlight is much harder to find.

Humans also need exercise. And, as time is a precious commodity for all of us, it makes sense during winter to exercise and get your daily dose of sunlight at the same time.

Doing aerobic exercise outdoors perfectly fulfills our requirements. Walking, running, and cycling get us out into the fresh air and sunshine. If you're used to riding a stationary bike or walking or running on a treadmill at home or at the gym, winter is the time for you to take it outside.

Your bones will benefit greatly by increased contact with direct sunlight. And, interestingly, your entire body will benefit from your new outdoors focus. Machines such as treadmills and stationary bikes are great - they make it easy to exercise. But there's a big difference in terms of overall benefit when you're actually riding a real bike up a real hill or running on a real surface that changes configuration on almost every step.

The difference relates to proprioception3 - your body's response to physical changes in three-dimensional space. Bottom line - the more overall use you make of your body, the more you will benefit. Exercising outdoors provides whole-body training in ways machines never can.

The need to actively seek out sunshine during winter creates a wonderful opportunity to broaden our exercise horizons. Make sure to dress appropriately and to wear UV-protecting sunglasses.

Many affordable brands of high-performance sportswear are available that wick moisture away from your skin and provide good insulation. Layering is the way to go. You can remove layers as you get warmer. Wicking-and-insulating caps and gloves are also available. It is better to be a little too warm than a little too cold.

Be sure to consult with your chiropractor about the most effective forms of exercise for you. He/she will be able to help you design a customized exercise program that works for you.

1Holick MF: Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr 80(6):1678S-1688S, 2004 2Mohr SB, et al:The association between ultraviolet B irradiance, vitamin D status and incidence rates of type 1 diabetes in 51 regions worldwide. Diabetologia 51(8):1391-1398, 2008 3Buccello-Stout RR, et al: Effects of sensorimotor adaptation training on functional mobility in older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 63(5):P295-300, 2008 - 17273

About the Author:

For more information on health please contact Dr. Jason Fowler www.lakestlouisdc.com

Holiday Survival

By Dr. Jason Fowler

The day after Thanksgiving is a milestone of sorts in America. It reminds us of just how quickly the year has gone by- and how close we are to the holiday season. This realization- coupled with the fabulous sales at major department stores and malls everywhere- helps make the day after Thanksgiving our biggest shopping day of the year. And until we flip the calendar over to a new year, the chaos just does not let up.

"Our bodies have the capacity to do a little more than we normally do," says Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association's (ACA) Council on Occupational Health. "But our bodies do not adapt very well to doing a lot more than we normally do. Since the added demands of this season can stress the capacity of our bodies, we need to do everything we can to help ourselves. Eat right, drink plenty of water, stretch, exercise and take a few minutes to slow down and reflect on what the season is all about."

So relax and enjoy the holidays! Dr. Bautch and the ACA encourage you to consider the following tips to help keep you and your loved ones healthy, happy and safe this season.

Treat Holiday Shopping As An Athletic Event Stay hydrated! Drink eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water a day. (Coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol are diuretics/dehydrators. Don't substitute them for water.) On shopping days, you may need to drink even more water. Be sure to stretch before and after a long day of shopping. When you are stressed-out, your muscles are less flexible than usual. Wear shoes with plenty of cushioning in the soles to absorb the impact of walking on those hard shopping mall floors. According to recent studies, 60% of women report wearing shoes that are uncomfortable. Make sure the clothing you wear is as comfortable as possible. It is a good idea to wear layers, because you may be going from a cold environment (outdoors) to a warm environment (indoors). Leave your purse at home. Wear a light fanny pack, or if necessary, a light backpack instead. Pack only those items that are absolutely essential (driver's license, credit card, etc.). If you start to feel some pain, nip it in the bud. Apply an ice bag to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two. "During the holiday season, we're running at absolute maximum capacity, which can lead to stress and even depression," says Dr. Bautch. "Why do so many people become depressed around the holidays? We need to stretch and stay hydrated to increase our capacity, so we are not overwhelmed by the activities of the season."

Plan Frequent Breaks Into Your Shopping Day During a day of heavy shopping, most people should take a break every 45 minutes. Those with less stamina may even need to take a break every 20-30 minutes. If you work in a physically demanding job where you are accustomed to being on your feet most of the day, you may be able to get away with taking less frequent breaks. If possible, obtain a locker. Lockers can help cut down dramatically on how much you have to carry around. You can take a load off by scheduling trips to your locker into your breaks. If your mall or shopping center doesn't offer lockers, try to plan trips to your car. Do not carry around more than is absolutely necessary at one time. When taking breaks, try to eat light foods. A salad and some fruit is a much better option than a burger and fries. Skip the coffee break! Coffee and sodas contain caffeine and sugar, which add even more stress to your body. Pass on the designer coffee at the java stand and keep drinking water. "We actually need to eat better than normal during the holiday season," explains Dr. Bautch. "On average, people gain five to six pounds during the holidays. And heart attacks occur more often during the holidays as well. Eating a heavy meal and then running out on an exhausting shopping trip can be very dangerous."

Shopping With Children If at all possible, DO NOT bring a child or children along on a holiday shopping trip. Most children simply do not have the stamina for such an event, and you and your child will only become frustrated with one another. Do not add this type of stress to an already stressful situation. Try to split "child duty" up with a spouse or another parent. They'll watch your kids while you shop, and vice-versa. "Shopping with children is just a bad idea," says Dr. Bautch. "If your hands are loaded with shopping bags, you may not be able to hold your child's hand, which could increase the chances he or she might wander away from you. Take whatever steps necessary to not have to bring your child along."

Wrapping Your Gifts Since there is no "ideal" position for wrapping gifts, the most important thing to remember is to vary your positions. For example, try standing at a table or countertop for one package, sitting on a bed for another, sitting in a comfortable chair for another, etc. Do not wrap packages while sitting on the floor. Wrapping packages while sitting on a hard floor can wreak havoc on your posture, and should be avoided. Always stretch before and after you wrap gifts. "When wrapping presents, it is a good idea to 'stretch the opposites,'" says Dr. Bautch. "In other words, if you are leaning forward when wrapping your gifts, stretch backward when you are done. - 17273

About the Author:

For moreinformation on nutrition please contact Dr. Jason Fowler Dr. Jason Fowler

Is There Such a Thing as a Fitness Plan Which Reduces Excess Body Fat While Keeping the Muscle?

By Josh Wintrop

Have you experimented with a variety of exercise programs, weight loss products, diet plans, and pricey exercise equipment throughout the years? Were you able to reach any of your weight loss goals through their use? In reality, the majority of these weight loss products will only produce short term results, which may be the source of the problem. If your goal is not only losing the extra weight, but maintaining that weight loss for the long term, then a "lifestyle change" is actually what will be required to help you realize success.

Now, when looking for this type of a weight loss program, there are a few things that you need to take into consideration. Another benefit of going for a weight loss plan which burns the fat while feeding the muscle is that it is a generally healthier way to lose weight.

Is it possible to find a program that achieve your long term goals for weight loss, through fat burning and feeding your muscle? Absolutely! Selecting the right weight loss program is important, because as we have discussed, many of these programs will provide only water weight loss. Losing weight in this manner is not a healthy solution, and you will find that your results will only be temporary. In order to gain permanent results, the type of program that you will need is actually one that concentrates on fat loss.

Let's compare methods that involve losing fat with those that target the loss of water weight. Fat-burning weight loss programs help you to lose weight due to excess fat slowly and will allow you to achieve results that can be maintained for the long term.

When you participate in programs that promise rapid weight loss, you will lose lean muscle mass and fat along with a lot of water weight. Weight loss programs that target the loss of fat, not weight due to water, will also help you to develop additional lean muscle tissue while you are losing fat.

Lean athletes who are able to maintain the proper weight, can do so because they have extremely small amounts of body fat and their bodies are composed of mainly lean muscle. A plan that concentrates on fat burning has the added advantage of being a healthier method of losing weight while feeding your muscle.

There are several things to take into account when choosing a plan for weight loss. It's important to ascertain that the author has thorough knowledge of the subject. You can gain some insight into the effectiveness of the weight loss and exercise program by browsing online reviews and feedback from previous users.

Finally, you want the weight loss plan to be reasonable and one that you will be able to follow for the long term. These considerations are very important, because your objectives for a weight loss program are to lose excess weight and establish a long term lifestyle that is beneficial to your overall health, and the best method to use getting there involves burning off fat and developing more lean muscle mass in the process. - 17273

About the Author:

Visit Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle to find more information about burning fat while feeding the muscle.

What Can I Do When A Prescription Drug Like Plavix Causes Easy Bruising?

By Carolyn Cooper

Walking around with major bruises on your arms or legs is no-one's choice, but this is exactly the situation you may have to deal with if you are taking the prescription drug Plavix. Although Plavix is a drug that can be prescribed for a number of different situations, but severe bruising is for many an unpleasant side-effect. While people's daily routine has not become anything different, they often find that normal bumps during their normal daily life can subject them to significant bruises, which often have a hard center. Though these bruises are generally harmless, they are visually ugly, and you need to learn why the easy bruising is taking place.

The first thing that you should do is understand what Plavix is and what it has been specifically designed to do. This drug is defined as a blood anti-coagulant. It was created to help prevent your blood from clotting, and it is frequently prescribed to people who have had a recent heart attack or stroke and, therefore, have a higher chance of developing potentially harmful blood clots. Some people who have particular heart or circulatory conditions may also have Plavix prescribed to them. Even though easy bruising is a generally recognized side effect of this drug, the bruising easily is generally considered an acceptable trade-off because the bruising easily is usually only a visual issue.

Plavix helps your body prevent serious blood clots by thinning your blood. When the blood is thinner, it will be much less likely to clot, but thinner blood is the primary reason that you will be more likely to bruise easily. While taking Plavix, you probably will end up bruising more frequently than you think you should, but you should realize that the bruising is not causing any real damage to your body. When you bump into things, the resulting minor injury does create a small bit of bleeding beneath the skin. With Plavix your blood is thinned and does not readily clot, which allows more blood flow to the injured area and the resultant bruising is much more dramatic than it otherwise would be.

There may be means to mitigate the bruising effects of Plavix, but it was prescribed to you for a specific reason. Talk with your doctor to see if any of the prescription alternatives to Plavix will lessen your tendency to bruise easily.

Some people will note that the bruises will tend to come and go, depending on the concentration of the drug in your body, while other people will choose to see about getting more vitamin K in their diet, which can help strengthen blood vessels.

A great way to overcome your easy bruising is to not wait to treat bruises only after they appear. Following the unique, daily, all natural supplement program from Bruises Be Banned can help you reduce bruising easily or actually prevent bruising altogether before the bruising takes place. - 17273

About the Author:

Carolyn Cooper is recognized as a well known expert on bruise treatment through a combination of her educational experience in nutrition and her real world expertise with natural supplements for athletes, ranging from children to the pro ranks. Get a free Special Report on bruising causes and see what she's done to get us beyond the heartaches of easy bruising and prevent bruising

Strong Six Pack Abs Diet

By Chris Love

Would you like to be the one who is always been recognized in the public with the fully flat abs and muscular body? Would you not be feeling as the most luckiest person if you happen to see the girl you like the most, like your muscular body? Are you roaming around for finding the right gymnasium that would help you to burn and develop muscles? All these questions can be easily solved by making use of the sex pack abs diet on a daily basis which would easily help you in training the people for body building.

What typicality stops you from not making use of the gym? Why didn't you spend some time for your physical fitness and health? Do these questions make you feel which is supposed to be a humorous sentence? Whatever may be the case, we have selected from 4 - 5 applications so as to start with the initial step.

The most important thing about the six pack ab diet is that your body is compatible with it. Using the six pack ab diet is not that big of a deal. There are some easy tips that you should follow regarding the six pack ab diet listed below.

Start your morning with a cup of milk, one full egg and dates. This would be the best possible morning breakfast which is sure to keep you healthy and fit on a long run.

Secondly, for the six pack ab diet you should always make yourself ready both mentally and physically before starting. This program consists of different ways food is available and which food would help fight some problems and develop your fitness in some way.

Because of the lack of interest and the emergence of multimedia applications many people could use the online gym development and the muscle development videos. From one person to another the way you handle things will drastically change similar to how TV channels and TV's themselves have changed.

All you need to do from here is just maintain your body and make the best decisions. Be sure that your six pack trainer is connected with you and makes good guidelines and functions. - 17273

About the Author:

Learn more about Truth about Six Pack Abs program. Stop by Chris Love's site where you can find out all about Truth about Six Pack Abs program and what it can do for you.

Hints That Will Aid In the Building Of Muscle

By Ricardo d Argence

Depending on where you look there is a lot of great information out there on how to build muscle up. However what follows are a number of tips that can really aid you in terms of stacking on muscle mass. Here they are:

Green tea is effective in helping build up muscle mass because it stops the enzyme that inhibits nor-epinephrine, and so you can have raised levels of this muscle-building hormone that can also help you lose some weight. It is also packed with antioxidants that are good for your general health and will help your body recover after workouts.

Take on board healthy fats. These are crucial for correct working of many parts of the human body for example the heart, brain, production of energy and the regulation of hormones too. Great sources of this are: oily fish, natural peanut butter, avocado, and oily dressings.

Ingest casein protein. This type of protein takes a greater length of time to digest so therefore it creates an ongoing release of protein. This is great news if you consume it just before retiring to bed as your body can then use it to build muscle up whilst you sleep.

As soon as you wake up, consume 20 grams of protein right away. When you wake, immediately drink a whey protein shake. This will help stop the catabolic state of your body that you may have been in while sleeping and it will give you a good start for achieving your protein goal for the day.

Try using dropsets on parts of the body where you have trouble in growing. This intense method will help produce growth in very hard to grow muscle groups.

Firstly, complete your set as you would normally and when you have pushed out your final rep lower the weight by around 20 percent and perform more reps, then decrease the weight once again and do more reps.

Do these steps as often as you can bear, but know that the next day you will feel significant soreness in your muscles as well as a burning feeling too.

Drink much water. Do not underestimate the advantages of keeping your body well hydrated during the day. Water is needed for many reactions in the body; especially ones that help build muscle.

Continue learning about muscle building. There are several new techniques and strategies to try to build up your physique. Test different strategies to see what works best for you and what does not, and stick to the best methods.

By trying some of the above mentioned weight gain hints you can build up muscle much faster than you have before. If you want to look lean and ripped, we greatly recommend trying burn the fat build the muscle e-book. Best of luck! - 17273

About the Author:

Stop wasting your time, effort and money on B.S. "Miracle Programs" that don't deliver results! Learn the honest truth revealed by a genuine Body Building expert and finally start noticing the gains you want. Visit us if you want to read more Fitness Articles

Bodybuilding Tips, How Can I Achieve A Huge Look

By Ricardo d Argence

A healthy exercise routine should include weight training to build healthy muscles, even if you are not a bodybuilder. Your reason for working out may be to get healthy or to improve muscle definition. Whatever your motivation, these tips will help you to achieve your aims.

Protein is essential to building muscle, without enough protein, you could lift weights forever and not build any new muscle. However, the question has always been how much is enough? The problem is that many of the best protein sources, such as milk and red meat, are also high in fat which you don't want.

The basic rule for serious bodybuilders is to consume at least a single gram of protein for each pound of body weight. That means if you weight 170 pounds you should be eating 170 grams of protein every day in order to build muscle mass. If you're worried about that fat content, choose skim milk and low-fat protein sources such as fish and chicken over red meat.

Some exercise and weight lifting buffs almost become addicted to working out. You can see them in the gym almost daily doing their routines. While that dedication may seem impressive, they could be doing their bodies more harm than good. The reason is that medical research is showing that building muscle isn't all about the exercise.

You also have to give your muscles a chance to recover after straining them in this way. That recovery includes taking days off between training sessions, replacing fluids after workouts, and eating well-balanced meals with sufficient nutrients.

While sleeping may seem like the antithesis to the weight lifting, you won't build muscle without it. That's because many of the bodily processes that go on do so while you are sleeping. The reason is simple, your body can redirect energy resources to these other tasks because it's not being used for anything else.

Muscle development depend on multiple processes, one of those is protein synthesis. Your body needs enough time to complete these processes, so you need to make sure to get the recommended amount every night. Make sure to sleep for at least eight hours every night.

Lifting weights and other compound movements help build muscle more effectively than other types of exercises that focus on only one part of the body. Nevertheless, you require knowing how to carry correctly to get the accelerated muscle building paybacks.

Basically, what you need to do is choose weights to lift that feel heavy for you. That doesn't necessarily mean you want to get the heaviest on the rack. It just means that you need to feel the muscles working when you lift that weight if you're going to really benefit from your efforts. If you're new to bodybuilding, lifting heavy might mean using a 20 pound weight. - 17273

About the Author:

Are you sick and tired of being weak and flimsy? Let us take you by the hand with the best muscle building workouts to pack on pound after pound of ripped, firm muscle weight in the shortest period of time possible. Visit us if you want to read more Bodybuilding Articles

Body Building Tips You Can Use!

By Ricardo d Argence

In the last 30 years, the world has changed radically. And along with those changes, our attitudes about life and our lifestyles have changed dramatically, too. More emphasis seems to be placed on looks and outward appearance than every before. Everyone is very concerned with looking good!

It used to be said that, "First impressions are the last impressions." That seems to be even more true today than when it was said in years past, because these days everyone wants to make a perfect first impression. That means they want to look their best all the time and also have the perfect body. And that means that suddenly everyone is focused on exercising, getting healthy, and creating beautiful bodies.

What is body building? Body building is something which has always been something of a passion for most males and now definitely a few females. Almost every male is fascinated by the prospect of toning up his muscles and building up his strength and then flaunting these to the world and gaining appreciation.

The process of body building involves strengthening and pumping up the muscles utilizing specific techniques. Then body builders enter competitions where judges evaluate their bodies and muscles for specific attributes and overall aesthetics. Body building became popular about 30 years ago, and during that time, many individuals took up body building as a profession.

If you're interested in body building, here are a few tips that will help you develop your muscles. First, you'll want to include weight training in your regime. However, you should know that weight training for body building needs to be very specific and should be focused.

Excessive weight training can actually damage muscles. Therefore, weight training must be properly planned and regulated to avoid damage-sometimes irreparable damage-and build muscles rather than tear them down. Specific exercises using specific techniques help prevent excessive stress on any individual muscle group, and timing is also important.

The right nutrition. Another very important characteristic for a body builder that needs to be taken care of is nutrition. Eating right is highly integral to the success of any body builder and placing too much emphasis on a particular type of foods will prove detrimental to body builder's chances of making it big.

Body builders need to concentrate on the intake of carbohydrates as foods rich in carbohydrates can really be helpful to the muscles and can aid muscle growth and are a great source of energy. Foodstuffs rich in fibrous substances are also encouraged as part of the diet for a body builder as the fibres really strengthen the muscles and help in rapid recovery in cases of torn muscles or muscle pain.

Dietary supplements are also advised for body builders and these supplements give the body extra energy and also provide muscles with the right kind of nutrients which are essential for their growth. - 17273

About the Author:

Stop wasting your time, effort and money on B.S. "Miracle Programs" that don't deliver results! Learn the honest truth revealed by a genuine Body Building expert and at last start noticing the gains you want. Visit us to read more Muscle Building Articles

How To Get Thin Arms-The Psychology Of Long Term Motivation

By Katherine Crawford M.S.

Figuring out how to get thin arms will not happen overnight. While there are certain approaches that are more effective than others, you will still have to put forth some degree of effort over a period of time.

Unfortunately, this is where most thin-arm hopefuls fall off the wagon.

After all, most women can start a fitness program, but few can actually finish it. If only motivation could be bottled up and sold in a can. Unfortunately, it resides in a much more complicated and elusive place: your mind.

So without further ado, here are 4 tips for staying motivated when learning how to get thin arms:

1. Have a daily routine. It's absolutely critical that you have a daily routine of mental exercise. You shouldn't address motivation once it begins to fade, by this time it's too late. Preventing is far easier than curing.

2. Don't rely on motivational speeches. Motivational speeches are great for getting you fired up for short periods of time. But the afterglow fades quickly. If you want lasting motivation, you have to modify your thought processes.

3. Write it down. Dealing with motivation-crushing thoughts within the boundaries of your head is like trying to hoard a vicious pack of fruit flies. You have to keep some type of physical log in order to deconstruct and eliminate them.

4. Do a reality check. Most times, you will greatly overestimate how hard something is. The best way to keep this effect in check, is to log perceived levels of effort and actual levels of effort. Before doing a task write down how hard you think it will be. Then, once completed write down how hard it actually was.

Now keep in mind that no matter how much you infuse your mind with motivation when learning how to get thin arms, you will face setbacks. It's simply impossible to maintain absolute dedication to a singular goal for extended periods of time. The key here is to accept the setback and bounce back as quickly as possible. - 17273

About the Author:

Sought after writer, Katherine Crawford M.S., a Harvard exercise expert and former arm fat refugee, teaches women how to lose arm fat. Uncover how to get sexy arms by visiting her blog about toned arms right now!

How to Get Six Pack Abs Fast

By Chris Love

To be frank and honest, six pack abs cannot come up so easily. It certainly needs some expertise guide and motivation so as to develop a complete muscular body. With the aid of a proper trainer and a motivating factor, it is easy to start with the exercises required to make yourself feel fit and perfect.

There are certain easy and effective tips which makes one to feel that he or she is ready to go on with the six pack abs fast development document. Some of the easy to implement Six pack abs fast can be obtained only when the person is first of all very keen and targeted towards the body fitness and muscle development.

Exercise type 1: You just have to simply lie on your floor wherein your arms are placed across your chest. After then, you just need to tighten your abs and also to curl your shoulders. You got to hold this position for about 4 - 5 seconds continuously.

Exercise type 2: In this type all your need to do is to simply lie flat upon the floor and simply raise the legs very slowly well up to the angle of 90 degrees and then down. You just have to repeat these steps wherein it says that the one who needs a muscular body and to develop six pack abs fast need to simply follow all these steps without analyzing ,such upon anything.

Exercise type 3: This type of exercise is very commonly called as the "Bicycle" You just need to lay upon your back simply with your hands just behind the head and then bring your knees up to a very easy normal 90 degree angle. You then just have to pump the legs to and fro which gives the same feel when you get addicted to it.You must forget doing several crunches, as the exercises ab work outs can be effective only if i start to eat on a routine basis and make sure that i`m not making mistakes using the word document.

The first thing you will need to do is find out if you are comfortable enough for doing several exercises and work outs. You should always make sure that you know how your body is going to react to the changes and movements you make, this is why this is so important. Your doctor will be the only one that will be able to help to if you are one who's body is not compatible with the exercises and methods. you should make sure everything is good regarding your health by consulting a doctor.

All that one needs to do as such is to gather information about the gyms in and around the city and join the best possible one. By this way, it would become rather easy for you to make your job easy and make the mission of six pack abs fast and easy. Just follow the given food items and make sure to see the change in a week. - 17273

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on how to get six pack abs fast, then visit http://www.abuffbodynow.com/ to find the best advice on how to get six pack abs fast for you.

New Trap Exercises to Build Huge Trapezius Muscles Fast

By Klint Newton

How many times have you witnessed someone trying to do shrugs with an unreasonable amount of weight. I have seen guys trying to use 110lbs dumbbells in each hand. This doesn't seem effective and is quite frankly rediculous. There are many exercises that can work your "traps" or Trapezius muscles, other than extreme weight shrugs.

If you don't mind looking like a fitness model (which I agree isn't that bad), then don't worry about your traps. I happen to think they are what sets the body builder look apart from the body of a fitness model, among other things. No wonder people work so hard to get huge traps.

Your trapezius muscles sit on your shoulders and span from the edge of your shoulders all the way to your neck.

Your traps are not just used to lift things, they are a means of communication, they send a message. They are what send the signal that you are truly serious about weight training. Big traps can be an awe inspiring sight, they can also be downright scary. They set the men apart from the boys, or more importantly, the fitness models apart from the body builders. What kind of message are your traps sending?

Exercises for your Traps

People assume the only way to build traps is to do the classic exercise, shoulder shrugs. It is a good exercise, but it's not the only exercise. Shrugs have been around for ages and are a core move to develop traps. Just as squats are to developing hamstrings, shrugs are a power lift for traps, but there are actually other, more effective ways. Here is a routine that will help devel to develop the traps you desire.

1. Shrugs 3 sets X 10 - 12 reps

These had to be included, they are the key to a successful trap training. Now I know we have all done shrugs before, but I would like to included a few tips. Now I know that when I use the standard shrug form and fully contract my traps, they end up hitting my neck resulting in a limited contraction. If you push your head as far forwardas possible, it will remove your neck from the range of motion and allow your traps to fully contract. Once you have flexed your traps, hold the position for two seconds and slowly release. It is also good to sit on a bench to avoid cheating.

2. Lateral Raises, with Traps Flared 3 X 12-15

This one is tough. First, you need to flare your traps while holding the dumbbells. Next, simply perform a lateral raise. This is just like a normal lateral raise where you lock your elbows and lift the dumbbells directly out to your side to where they are parallel with he ground. The lateral raise usually hits your deltoids, but when you flare your traps it concentrates the movement to them for maximum isolation. Start with 12 to 15 reps and don't use too much weight so that you will maintain proper form and get used to the movement.

3. Bent over lateral raises, with Traps Flared 3 X 10 - 12

The bent over lateral raise is just like the last move but obviously bent over. This is good for hitting the back of your traps which helps you look more built, defined and strong from behind. You will want to bend at the waist at about a 45 degree angle.

These are two unpopular exercises that will really improve your trap building results. You can just add the exercises into any workout, they would be perfect if you do a split and have a "shoulders day."

Throw these exercises into the mix and watch your results go through the roof! - 17273

About the Author:

Learn more about how to gain muscle. Stop by Klint Newton's site where you can find out all about the best way to gain muscle.

Get Hold Of Some Refreshing Ways to Exercise and Build Muscle Fast

By Brad Morgan

When you are trying to build muscle, some exercises are better than others. They can help you maximize the effects of each and every workout.

What are the best ways to build muscle and keep it on?

1. Work complementary muscles with consecutive supersets.

When you are building muscle, long workouts are actually less effective than short, intense ones. To get the most from each and every session, keep them short and hard. Your muscles need to be challenged.

The best way to challenge your muscles is supersetting. This is when you pair two exercises with no rest period in between.

You work two muscle groups consecutively with very short rest periods in between sets. This way, you work more muscle and you reduce the risk of injury because the strain on your tendons and joints is less intense.

Supersets allow you to see results more quickly, in addition to making your workouts more effective, efficient, and safe. You can superset exercises for back and chest muscles, quad and hamstrings, and more. An example is doing tricep kickbacks with bicep curls with no rest in between the two moves.

2. Raise the difficulty level with compound exercises.

Building muscle fast requires very intense, very difficult exercises for the body. The good news is that your workouts are shorter ? only about 35-40 minutes.

To build muscle even faster, use compound exercises. To complete the move, you need to use more than one muscle. Some examples include:

* Pairing a walking lunge with an overhead press

* Making pushups more effective with side planks

* Adding squats to overhead presses

* Adding bicep curls to lunges

* Completing pushups with one armed rows

Compound exercises like these have a lot of benefits: you work on balance and coordination, make sure all your muscle groups are active, and add intensity to your workouts. In addition, you can reduce your risk of injury. And you?ll see more muscle mass.

3. Muscle growth requires rest.

While it may seem counterintuitive, muscles actually require rest for growth, development, and retention. This is why rest is so important in your routine.

Continually working your muscles is counterproductive. If you do daily workouts or work the same muscles everyday, you aren?t giving them a chance to grow. In fact, you are delaying your own results.

The following workout routine is an example that is effective for building muscle:

* Schedule three weekly workout sessions.

* Assign each part of the body one day (shoulders, triceps, and shoulders on day one, back and biceps on day two, and legs on day three).

* Remember to rest in between.

* Get back to work after resting.

This will keep your body in muscle building mode and help you prevent injury to your muscles.

When you add supersets, compound moves, and rest into your workout, you will be able to build muscle fast. These are the most effective means of increasing your workouts' potency. - 17273

About the Author:

Look for top fat loss programs like the excellent cheat your way thin. Another good option is eat stop eat to experience a new way to trim fat.