This exercise is aimed at the Tricep muscle, and there are a few variations and ways of executing the exercise. The benefits of using this exercise are that you will build up muscle, mass and strength, while at the same time burning off fat!
You can also adjust the weights used to suit personal preference and fitness levels.
The first exercise we will discuss is the Low Cable Tricep Extension.
Choose the weights needed, and position yourself face up on a row machine seat with a rope attached to it. Ensure that your head is facing the attached rope.
Take hold of the rope ends, with your palms facing together in a neutral grip.
Bend your elbows until they are at a 90-degree angle with your upper arms at 90 degrees to your torso.
Tip: Make sure you keep your elbows tucked in and your upper arms pointed towards the ceiling, while at the same time ensuring that your forearms face towards the pulley over your head. This will now become your starting position.
Keep your upper arms and shoulders static throughout the exercise, and as you exhale, stretch your lower arms out until they are vertical and straight. The forearms are the only part of your arms / shoulders that should move throughout the movement. Make your Tricep contract hard for the count of 3.
As you inhale, return slowly to your starting position.
Do the required number of repetitions of the same movement.
Another variation of the same exercise can be conducted while in the sittingor standing position. This will sometimes help to lessen possible back strain, and if you are recovering from a strain or injury, it is a good way to get back into the Cable Tricep Extension exercise.
Use a bench or a seat that has back support. Sit or stand on the seat or bench, and position yourself so that the back support reaches to just below your shoulders.
With the cable bar situated behind your back or neck, take an overhand, narrow grip, with your elbows positioned overhead.
Stretch forearms slowly until they are straight overhead. Lower arms slowly until they touch the back of the shoulders.
Do the required number of repetitions of the same movement.
Tip: In order to maintain full shoulder flexibility, let the rope or cable attachment pull your arm back.
Yet another variation of the Cable Tricep Extension, can once again be performed while standing. This version of the exercise is probably the least aggressive.
Stand facing your rope or pulley equipment, with the desired weights attached.
Taking hold of the bar in a wide grip, with your palms facing downwards, push the bar down until your arms are extended.
Slowly let your arms rise until they reach chest level.
Do the required number of repetitions of the same movement.
These are just 3 ways in which the Cable Tricep Extension can be utilized. There are many more, all of which benefit arm and chest strength.
Posted in Video on May 19, 2012
Video: A good exercise for the core is alternating elbow planks, as demonstrated in this video.
Posted in Video on May 18, 2012
Video: A fitness professional shows how to perform a standing leg with dumbbells.
Now after working out your shoulders the next part of the body that needs extra care is your back. Many men would definitely agree to the fact that they hit the gym not just to lose all those extra pounds but to attain that perfect V-shape body. They strive really hard to get that perfect look. After all, bigger shoulders and a lean V-shape body is every man?s dream.
As read above, the key to real bodybuilding is adding muscle mass to your shoulders to make them look bigger than they really are. The broader the shoulder the leaner you look. Now that doesn?t mean that you just work on your shoulder to get the v shape body you always dreamt of. There are certain exercises that need to be practiced to attain the V-shape body you always wanted. One of the exercises that work on the arms, shoulder as well as back muscle is wider grip lat pull down exercise. When you do wide grip lat pull exercise, it exerts pressure on your biceps and middle back, especially the triangular muscles on either side of the back, thereby helping you build a stronger back and also improve your body posture.
Learn how to perform wide grip lat pull down exercise:
Be it beginners or advanced body builders it is always advisable to start with warm up exercises as it helps you loosen your body muscles and prepare yourself for your main exercises. A warm up exercise mainly includes very light aerobic exercise for 10 to 15 minutes.
Once you are done with the warm ups, sit on the cable station above, which will have a long bar attached, suspended from the cable. Make yourself comfortable by taking a steady position using the pads above your knees. This will help you when you apply effort to pull down the bar. Now grab the long bar attached to the cable, while your palms are facing away from you and while your hands are a little more apart than your usual shoulder width. This will be your starting position.
Now from the starting position pull the bar closer to your chest. Let your shoulders remain downward throughout the movement. When you pull the bar, raise your chest and slightly push your elbows a little forward, forming a curl on your back to separate your lats.
As you exhale, bring the bars close to your chest and press your lats.
Now inhale and slowly push the bar upward, leaving it in the former position, while you get back to your starting position.
Repeat this exercise until the sets are completed. Each set should involve a minimum of 10-12 reps
Benefits:
If this exercise is done properly, then it helps you get a stronger and a broader back and also improves your body posture. If you wish to get a perfect V-shape between your shoulders and your waist then this is the best exercise for you. But remember if done incorrectly then it may hit you very badly instead of helping you get the shape.
More and more teens are presenting as overweight and obese. It is becoming an epidemic that is putting a strain on the medical resources and the life expectancy of many young people. All of which, given the state of the average teenager’s diet, is no surprise. Therefore, finding a free weight loss for teens program has become a regular quest.
With this in mind, it is important that any program of weight loss that is going to work has to be one that does not exploit or offer unrealistic goals. Instead a weight loss program that takes into account the growing and changing body and mind of the teenager should always the preferred option.
Without a doubt, any free weight loss for teens program should start with the basics. A close look should be taken at what the teenager is eating on a regular basis and also, how much physical activity the teenager is taking.
As already stated, some teenagers do not have the healthiest of diets. Many of them exist on nothing more than junk food. If this is the case, then the first thing that has to go is that junk food diet. The more junk food that can be cut out of the diet, the more weight is likely to be lost.
Instead a diet made up of fresh fruits and vegetables is what is needed. This might not sound as interesting as a diet of pizza, fries and hamburgers, but the more fruit and vegetables that are eaten, the better the all round weight management and health. Does that mean no more pizza ever? Well no, it just means that pizza, and other considered junk foods, should be eaten sparingly and not eaten as the norm.
The next step towards finding a free weight loss for teens program, is to make sure that there is plenty of regular exercise being taken. That means getting the heart and lungs pumping and working at least three or four times per week for at least twenty minutes at a time. It doesn’t mean that any teen who is not gym orientated or who does not enjoy jogging has to start doing those particular activities. No, any sport or activity that is not preferred, should not be undertaken. Going for a vigorous walk a few times a week is considered adequate exercise. Whatever the exercise taken, it should be done so willingly, only then is it more likely to be continued.
Above all, a free weight loss for teens plan should be realistic and not set the teenager up for failure. Repeated failures are demoralizing and will only result in weight gain. Small, steady progress is always the way to go to see long lasting weight loss.
Posted in Recipe on May 15, 2012
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
1 large sweet red bell pepper
1 small sweet red onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
Minced fresh Italian parsley leaves for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Stab eggplant all over with the tines of a fork. Place on a rack in roasting pan and bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 40 minutes.
Prick onion and pepper all over with the fork as well and place on rack beside the eggplant. Continue roasting for 30 more minutes until vegetables are very soft. Let cool until you can handle.
Remove stem of eggplant, cut in half. Remove as many seeds as possible, then chop. Remove from skin and chop eggplant coarsely and place in a food processor. Cut pepper in half, remove skin, seeds, stem and membranes. Chop and add to the food processor. Coarsely chop onion and add to processor.
Add garlic, lemon juice, oil, black pepper and process until mixture is somewhat chunky. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes to one hour before serving. Garnish with minced parsley.
Do you want to know the quickest way to lose belly fat? You can actually get a firm stomach in just 2 weeks if you follow my program. There are no pills, potions or shakes to buy. In fact, the one thing you will need can be bought for $30 at your local sporting goods store. So, I’m not going to try to sell you anything in this article on the quickest way to lose belly fat.
Central to the routine is a $30 piece of exercise equipment called the stability ball. This is a 18 to 26 inch plastic ball that you use for a variety of exercises. Researchers at Sacramento State University found that people who worked out with the ball had twice the muscle fibers compared to people who actively did crunches. You can calculate then that using a stability ball is the quickest way to lose belly fat.
When you buy your ball, it will come with an instruction manual filled with a variety of exercises. Usually there are diagrams that help illustrate what you are to do. That’s why I’m only going to outline a couple of them here.
The first is called the Ball Curl. You’ll sit on the ball with your hands behind your head. Roll your torso down until your butt is just off the ball and your middle and lower back are on the ball.
The second is called the Pike and it’s one of the more complicated maneuvers you can do with the stability ball. Your should lie on top of the ball and your legs should be together with the ball under your thighs. Keeping your legs straight, contract your abs and lift your hips up toward ceiling, rolling ball to shins. Hold for 1 second, and then lower.
While the ball is central to this plan, it is not the only component. The quickest way to lose belly fat also involves doing 50 minutes of cardio at least three times a week. You want to warm up for three minutes and then alternate between three minutes of regular paced exercise and two minutes pushing yourself as hard as you can. Cool down for two minutes at the end. You can do any kind of heart healthy exercise including walking, running, cycling, or using a cardio machine at the gym.
Finally, you have to reduce your calories. You want to eat 500 fewer calories than you would in order to maintain your weight. A 30 year old man who is 5’10 and weighs 180 pounds needs about 2700 calories to maintain his weight. He should eat only 2200 calories while on this program.
That’s it. In just two weeks of following this program, you will have found the quickest way to lose belly fat. You should have lost an inch from your waist, and lost 5 pounds.
You’ll never wonder again what is the quickest way to lose belly fat.
Posted in Recipe on May 13, 2012
Ingredients
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 2 inch pieces
1 – 20 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained
Directions
In a shallow glass dish, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Stir the chicken pieces and pineapple into the marinade until well coated. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken and pineapple alternately onto skewers. Grill 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until chicken juices run clear.
Posted in Video on May 12, 2012
Video: This exercise works your chest, shoulders, triceps and core.
Posted in Video on May 11, 2012
Video: A personal trainer shows the proper way to do a bicycle crunch.
