Balance Pose of the Week: Circus Cannon Pose

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Top 11 Bodybuilding Machine Exercises

Some say that using a weight machine should be done early, but what they say, they do not know the effectiveness of using a weight machine.

Having effective workouts to transform your body, it is important that you put in place between the different exercises. So if you use compound exercises each time, then you should surprise your body with an effective force device to build more muscle mass. training 
The workout machines we will focus on in this article will be some that are very effective for your different muscle groups and some that a lot of successful bodybuilders love using.

Bodybuilding Machine #1 - Chest Press:  

The chest press is a lot like the bench press and is great for your chest muscle, triceps and shoulders.

Bodybuilding Machine #2 - Butterfly  

The butterfly can be seen as the machine version of chest flyers and is also found in almost every gym around the world.

Bodybuilding Machine #3 - Lats Pulldown 

This is a great exercise for your lat muscle and it is recommended that you pull the bar down in front of your face and not behind it.

Bodybuilding Machine #4 - Close Grip Pullback 

This is another great exercise for your back area. A lot of bodybuilder recommends using the close grip bar with this one, but you can use the wide grip as well.

Bodybuilding Machine #5 - Preacher Curl Machine 

This machine targets your biceps in an isolated way. Focus on keeping your elbows still and only curling your forearms.

Bodybuilding Machine #6 - Shoulder Press Machine 

Another great substitution for shoulder press without free weights. Focus on keeping your back straight and your abdominals tucked in.

Abdominal and Lower Body

#7 - Dip Machine 

The dip machine is also awesome for your triceps. It is important that you keep your elbows as close to your body as possible with this exercise.

#8 - Abs Crunch 

The abs crunch machine is a great way to put resistance on your abdominal workout. But really focus on only using the abdominals and you will soon see the difference.

#9 - Leg Press 

This is an awesome substitution for the squat. It targets your lower body and your gluteus in a great way.

#10 - Seated Calf Raise 

The calf muscles should not be overlooked and this is a great exercise to target those muscles.

#11 - Leg Curl Machine 

You can find a standing and sitting leg curl machine, but switch it up to keep it exciting.

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Best Bicep Workouts For Size

For people who decide to embark on a muscle work out program, one of the main areas many like to focus on is the biceps. Located in the upper arm, they are an easily noticeable part of the body. Biceps of a good size show that you are on the top of your game as far as working out goes, and there are five main workouts that can be performed to ensure you have sizable biceps

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Accommodations Needed!

by Nina

Vincent's Bedroom in Arles by Vincent van Gogh

Since my post last week about our 2015 Yoga for Healthy Aging intensive from August 3 to August 7 (with an additional half day on August 8 for teachers who want certification), I’ve received many inquiries from people outside the area who are planning on attending or who are considering attending, and who need information about places to stay near Namaste Berkeley. This is very exciting, and because I want all these people to have a great experience, I very much want to help them find comfortable, not-too-expensive places to stay in Berkeley or North Oakland.

So far, I’ve been sending these people a list of hotels that Namaste Yoga Studio recommends along with links to airbnb and vrbo. But what I would really love to do is find local friends of our blog or friends of our friends who have an extra room in their house that they would like to rent to an intensive attendee for the week.

So today I thought I’d ask for some help. If you have a room in your house you’d like to rent to an attendee or if you have a friend in the Berkeley area who does short-term room rentals of this kind, please let me know, so I can compile a list of options for our out-of-town visitors. 

Send me a message via the Contact Us page, send a message via our Facebook page, or leave a comment on this post.

Note about Registration: Unfortunately, we cannot register you for the intensive. You need to register through Namaste Berkeley, the yoga studio where the intensive will be held. You can register online here. Scroll down this page to the orange words "Sign Up" and click there. Or, you can call Namaste Berkeley at (510) 665-4300.


Thanks so much!

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Creatine Supplements: Good or Bad?

Creatine is one of the most widely used sports supplements, right behind whey protein powder. Layman people and athletes both have experienced an improvement in their body composition and exercise performance from taking creatine supplements. It is considered an alternative to eating meat for getting creatine, since meats like beef and herring contain high amounts of it. You might think that bodybuilders could just eat beef to get their creatine and protein in one shot without needing supplements. The problem with that comes with the high amounts of calories and fats they would have to endure to get those extra amounts of creatine. By taking it in supplement form, they won't pack on any calories or fat from it. In fact, if you get the powdered supplement then it will be odorless and tasteless, which is great for mixing with just about any drink.

Creatine supplements come in powder, liquid and capsule form. It is not recommended that you take the liquid or capsule forms because they can be unstable in your system and tougher for your body to break down into the bloodstream. Therefore, always go with the 100% pure creatine powder with no fillers or additives. You will find that pure powder is actually a lot cheaper than other supplements with additional ingredients added into the mix. All you have to do is mix a small amount in with a drink and you are good to go. Some nutritionists will recommend that you mix it with fruit juice because the sugars and carbohydrates in the juice will help you absorb it better in your system. It all depends on your diet.

During your first week of taking your powdered creatine supplement, you should have about 15-25 grams of it each day. This is what is known as the loading phase. During this phase, you want to get your muscles saturated with creatine. This will help your body absorb it better in your system as time goes on. Then for each following week, you will only need to take around 5 grams per day to keep your muscles saturated with it. Also, you need to have at least 70 grams of carbohydrates for every 5 grams of creatine that you take each day. So during the loading phase of the first week you will really need to load up on your carbohydrates. But make sure you don't overdo it on the carbs. If you are taking the creatine with juice then try to watch how many carbs you are getting in your meals. If you eat a lot of carb filled foods then just use water with the supplement.

Creatine is best known for giving people more strength. Bodybuilders care about two things; burning fat and gaining muscle. If the supplement is taken at the right dosages, then you will start to have more energy in the gym and bigger gains in your muscle mass. Then you will be able to lift heavier weight and help grow your muscles at the same time. Scientific studies have proven this to be true in people who have been tested. The creatine enhances protein synthesis in the muscles, which allow them to rebuild faster and get bigger. Critics of creatine supplementation often say it is unhealthy because it increases the risk of kidney disease and liver damage. These outcomes were only found in scientific cases where rats were tested with it. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that it happens in humans. However, it is recommended that humans with existing kidney and liver problems avoid taking creatine.

Creatine is not a miracle supplement. It isn't like taking steroids where you would see results after a few days. Creatine takes time to work into the cells and muscles of your body, so you won't see muscle gains within the first few weeks. But eventually, the gains will show up but you have to consistently exercise while regularly taking the supplement. If you just drink creatine and avoid going to the gym then it will never make you more muscular. You have to do the work too.Article                                                          Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8805692

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Preparing for Knee Replacement Surgery

by Shari

Deciding to undergo a total knee replacement (TKR) surgery is not an easy decision to reach. There are many factors that lead us to undergo this elective surgery. Most often it is because our quality of life is poor and we become frustrated with what we are unable to do. Also, having chronic pain can be very wearing and there comes a point when we really can’t tolerate it anymore. 

It is at that point that we agree to have this surgery (see Knee Replacements and Yoga). Because many of us are pro-active in our health care and expect to be equal partners with our health care providers, we’ve been asked to write about how best to prepare for this surgery.

In general, when you consider practicing yoga for a specific condition or goal (which is when it crosses over into yoga therapy), for best results you should be global in your approach. Just muscle strengthening for a particular joint (knee) is not enough, as I will discuss below. So I’m going to break down pre-operative preparation into three basic categories.

Preparing for Emotional Health

The first area to consider is your emotional health and wellbeing. Setting your intentions is very important. Being able to do visualization, meditation, and basic breathing (pranayama) for stress management is critical pre-operatively. Practicing these skills so they become habitual will set the scene for a successful surgery and post-operative recovery. See The Relaxation Response and Yoga for information about using yoga to manage your stress.

You can also prepare spiritually for your upcoming surgery. Start by honestly confronting your own fears and emotional responses to having the surgery. Imagine what life will be like post operatively. The essence of yoga is cultivating equanimity in the face of difficulty. You might not always like what you have to accept but to surrender to it fully is how you can come to grips with difficult decisions.

So commit to your decision to undergo Knee Replacement Surgery as you would to any other form of work or practice (see Tapas: Working with Dedication). Choosing this surgery and doing the work to accept and fully believe in the success of the surgery sets your neural immunological system for success in a good surgical outcome. Your brain, emotions and belief systems are all part of your inherent healing mechanisms.

To address your psycho-emotional health pre-operatively, you can also examine your current sleep habits. Healthy sleep is imperative both pre-operatively to prepare us for the surgery as well as in the post-operative period.

Whether you employ principles of deep physical relaxation, practice good sleep hygiene habits, or both depends on you. See 5 Tips for Better Sleep for information.

Preparing Your Energetic Body

To prepare your energetic body for surgery, look at your breathing patterns and postural habits. When observing your breathing patterns, notice how you breathe and what you do with your breath when you are fearful or anxious versus when you are safe and relaxed. Observe what happens to your breathing pattern and overall postural holding when you imagine the surgery and the necessary care and work that will follow the surgery. Knowing your typical breathing patterns will allow you to cultivate breathing patterns to promote your sense of safety and relaxation.

To cultivate breathing patterns that promote safety and relaxation, I recommend taking a simple, comfortable position like Savasana and practicing simple Ujaii breathing with no retention or manipulation of the breath pattern.

Learning to identify your physical holding patterns can also aid your physical comfort both pre- and post-operatively. Pain is a stressor and affects you physically, so it is important to practice breathing to relax both your physical body as well as your mind.

Preparing Your Physical Body

Preparing physically for the operation is not just about strengthening your knee muscles; you should give attention to several physical areas, including your core, your hips, your legs, your ankles, and your upper body. And, obviously the way you can do asana will vary from person to person, as some of you can still get down to the floor while others cannot. But if you want to practice supine or seated poses and can’t get down to the floor, trying practicing on a tabletop. (Scoot your butt onto the table and then swing your legs up and onto the tabletop.) 

The key to your preoperative management from a yogic therapy perspective is to consider your entire body. You may be having the surgery on “just your knee” but the effects of the procedure are global in how you will recover and heal.  

Core. For basic core strength, practice Boat pose (Navasana) and variations. 

You can do leg lifts in Construction Rest position (on your back with knees bent and soles of the feet on the floor) or Bridge pose. March by lifting foot leg off of the ground and holding it up for a count of 5, and then repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate until your hips are fatigued.

Hips. To strengthen your hip abductors, price side-lying leg lifts (sometimes known as “clamshell”). If you can lie on your belly, practice left lifts in Locust pose (Salabasana).

Also, lie on your back with pillows under your knees to support them in a bent-knee position, and then, one leg at a time, lift from your heel to straighten your knee.  

Knees. For your problem knee, you can work on cultivating range of motion. You will either be having difficulty bending your knee (flexion) or straightening it (extension). 

If you have problems bending your knee, try sitting on the edge of a chair with your leg stretched out in front of you. Then slowly step your foot backward the chair, gradually bending your knee, as far as you can. You can also try working with Dancer’s pose (Natarajasana), balancing on your good leg and slowly lifting your problem leg behind you in a bent knee position. 

If you have problems straightening your knee, you can work with your leg in Krounchasana (Heron pose), either on the floor or seated on a chair, slowly straightening your upright leg as much as possible. Or, you can sit on one chair with another chair directly in front of you. Bring your problem leg onto the second chair seat so it is fully supported (your foot can be hanging off the edge), and slowly straighten your leg as much as possible, coming into a slight forward bend if desired.  

Ankles. Simple ankle circles are excellent for circulation. 

For ankle flexibility, try sitting on the edge of a chair legs stretched out in front of you and, keeping the soles of your feet on the floor, walk your feet slowly back toward the chair until you feel a stretch on your calves and heel cords. 

To strengthen the calves, practice rising onto your toes in Mountain pose. Start in Mountain pose with your soles of the feet completely on the ground and on an inhalation, rise up onto the balls of your feet. Exhale, and return to Mountain pose and repeat the cycle several times. This will also help cultivate your ability to balance. If it’s not possible to do this standing, you can make the same movements while sitting on the edge of your chair, with your feet on the floor in front of you. 

Balance. Although balance is important to continue to cultivate, standing on your pre-operative leg in traditional yoga balance poses may not be possible due to pain and instability. So try this two-legged balance pose, which is a version of Mountain pose. Start in classic Mountain pose, with your feet parallel to each other. Then step your right heel in front of your left toes, so your two feet are in line with each other. To come out of the pose, step your right foot back to a parallel position with your left, and then repeat on the other side by stepping your left heel in front of your right toes.

You can also work with other aspects of balance and proprioception. Try Mountain pose with your eyes closed, for example. You might not realize how much you use your sight to balance, and removing sight from the equation helps foster other balancing abilities. Add in arm and/or head motions to challenge your balance even further. 

Upper Body Strength. Because your arms will typically have to bear more weight after your knee replacement (because you can’t fully bear weight on the leg with the new knee replacement), working on upper body strength in advance will help you be more mobile after the operation.

To build upper body strength, try the chair version of Upward Plank pose. This helps build the muscles you’ll need for walking with crutches or a walker post-operatively.

You can also work with either full Plank pose or the version on the forearms, which build both upper body and core strength.   

Standing Poses. Depending on your pain levels, full weight bearing may be limited for you and not causing pain or further joint deterioration is important. So learning to be flexible in how you do your standing poses is key. Rather than giving up these poses temporarily, you can continue to practice your standing poses with the aid of a chair. For example, you can do Warrior 2 pose with your pelvis on a chair seat, the bent front leg to one side of the chair and the straight leg stretched behind you on the other side. Other standing poses, including Warrior 1, Extended Side Angle, and Triangle pose, can be done in the same manner. 

Inverted and Restorative Poses. Supported inverted poses like Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) are great for reducing swelling in the legs both pre- and post-operatively, as well stress management. However, you may not be able to get down to the floor to set up for and practice this pose. In this case, the easiest way to do Legs Up the Wall pose is on your bed, with your legs supported either by the headboard or the wall. Figuring out how to do this pose pre-operatively is a good idea because it will really help with edema management post-operatively.

For Savasana and reclined restorative poses, again, even if you have trouble getting up and down from the floor, you need not give up these important poses. One option is to practice these poses on a tabletop. Another option is to practice the poses on a firm bed that is not the one you usually sleep in.

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7 Best Muscle Building Exercises

When you are trying to build muscle mass you want to do the best exercises. This will allow you to build muscle the most efficiently, using the exercises that have the best ability to help you build muscles. In this article we outline which muscle building exercises give the best results in the shortest time.

1. Squats

This is the best exercise to build lower body muscles fast. In order to do these properly, you need to make sure to go down just above parallel. This will help build muscles in your quads, and help give you big legs. It is very important you do the squat properly, having your back arched, chest up and head back. If you are new to squats, you should practice the movement without weights first just to get a feel for it.

2. Deadlifts

Deadlifts help build a lot of muscles in your body. These include the upper and lower back, upper legs, the arms, and the abs. This is really a great exercise for your back. If you try and do it later in your workout, as your muscles are already pumping you can emphasize your back muscles. You can do deadlifts with your legs in a narrow stance, or in a sumo stance. As with squats, it is important to have the proper form and keep your back arched, or you can injure your back.

3. Bench Press

This helps build muscles in the upper body, and is the best exercise to build the chest area. A lot of people try to lift too much weight, and end up having bad technique. This means that they are not getting the full effect they could be getting from their exercises. Rather than trying to lift more weight, lift a comfortable amount of weight and concentrate on your technique, lifting slowly and purposely. This way you can add weight every few weeks as your muscles grow, and get the most efficiency from the exercise.

4. Chin Ups

This helps build up the muscles in the lats, upper back, triceps and forearms. This si probably the best exercise for building the back and arm muscles together, but is quite demanding on the body. Start with a normal grip, and then try to work your way to a wide chin grip. The wide chin grip helps to target your lats and back more.

5. Military press

This is a great upper body workout, especially for the shoulders and upper arms. It really is the best workout if you are trying to get a powerful and wide shoulder look. You can do these by pressing the weight behind or in front of the neck. Again make sure to do it properly, so that your lower back and buttocks and kept pressed against the back of the seat.

6. Straight Leg Deadlifts

These are like normal deadlift, but help workout your hamstring more. Try to stick your buttocks out more when lifting the weight, bending only at the hips. When you pull the weights up, flex your hamstrings (this helps emphasize and define your hamstring muscles).

7. Bent Over Row

This is a great exercise to build muscle in your lats, upper back, and shoulders. While other exercises help to define the muscle, this exercise is especially good for adding thickness to the muscles.  

                                               Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1358976

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Featured Sequence: Preparing for Savasana

by Nina

You probably got the message by now that we strongly feel that one of the best ways to reduce chronic stress is to practice conscious relaxation (see The Relaxation Response and Yoga). But with the exception of Supported Inverted Poses, all the other techniques for practicing relaxation that yoga provides require that you either lie or sit still for an extended period of time. And when you’re feeling stressed out or anxious, sometimes the last thing you feel like doing is staying still!

With that in mind, I’ve created this sequence to help prepare you for Savasana. This active, balanced practice will help release held physical tension from your body, allowing you to physically relax when you finally lie down. And by practicing strong standing poses, which you hold for long periods of time, you will hopefully tire yourself out enough so that by the time Savasana comes around, you’ll be glad to lie down!

If you want to practice for a longer period of time, you could really tire yourself out by practicing all the standing poses two times.

Preparing for Savasana

1. Upward Bound Hands (Urdva Baddha Hastasana), 1 minute per side. Start by standing in Mountain pose, with your feet about hips-width apart. Now, interlace your fingers and turn your palms toward your feet. Strengthen your legs, pressing from your hips into your feet. Then, on an inhalation, bring your arms forward and up. Lengthen your spine and lift your collarbones as your lift your shoulder blades. Move your arms toward a vertical position, keeping your head in a neutral position. Once you encounter resistance in your shoulders or upper back, resist the impulse to take your arms further back. To come out of pose, lower your arms forward and down before releasing the clasp of your hands.

To repeat on the second side, change the interlacing of your fingers your habitual, comfortable position to the “other side.” Then repeat the instructions above. See Featured Pose: Upward Bound Hands for more information on the pose and for alternatives.

2. Warrior 2 Pose, 1 to 2 minutes per side. From Mountain pose, step your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees, then, pivoting on the ball of your back foot, shift your left heel back an inch or two to your left so the foot is slightly turned in.

Next, inhale and raise your arms up so they are parallel to the floor, with your palms facing down toward the floor. Keep your shoulder blades relaxed and moving down your back (not sliding up toward your ears) as you raise your arms. Then, on an exhalation, bend your right knee directly over your right ankle while keeping your torso centered over your pelvis (not leaning over your front leg). Allow your hips to rotate slightly toward your right knee but rotate your chest away from your right knee so your chest faces directly forward. Finally, allow your head and neck to turn so you gaze over your right hand.

To come out of the pose, straighten your front leg and turn your feet to parallel while keeping your arms raised. Repeat on the other side. For more information, see Featured Pose: Warrior 2 Pose

3. Tree Pose (Vrksanasana), 1 to 2 minutes per side. Start in Mountain Pose with your feet a bit closer together than usual. Shift your weight onto your left leg and bend your right knee a bit, coming onto the big toe of your right foot. Swing your right knee out to the right about 45 degrees. Then lift your right foot off the ground, and use your right hand to bring the sole of your right foot against your upper, inner left thigh, keeping your right knee turned out. Press your right foot firmly into your left thigh as you press your inner thigh firmly toward your foot your foot. Lengthen your spine up away from the press of your bottom foot into the floor, and see if you can then take your arms out to your sides parallel with the floor. Keep your gaze relaxed and on the horizon in front of you. If you are still feeling steady, take your arms overhead.

To come out of the pose, release your arms and then bring your right foot back into Mountain Pose. Repeat on second side. If this pose is not accessible to you, see Easy Balance Practice for an easier version of this pose.

4. Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana), 1 to 3 minutes per side. From Mountain Pose, step your feet wide apart, about the length of your legs. Then turn your right foot out about 90 degrees and your left foot in slightly, so the pinky edge of your left foot lines up with the long edge of your yoga mat. Inhale and extend your arms out to your sides.

Exhale and bend your right knee toward 90 degrees, making sure your right knee is aligned with the middle toe of your right foot. Then, keeping your front knee directly over your front ankle, side-bend your torso out over your front thigh, and place your right hand on the floor to the outside of the front foot or on a block that is up against your right shin. Try to keep the right and left sides of your chest even with each other.

Keeping your hips stable, rotate your upper belly and chest slightly up away from your right leg. Bring your left arm overhead in line with your back leg and the side of your chest. Then, turn your head and gaze up to look under your left armpit, look straight ahead, or look down at your right foot.

To come out of the pose, inhale as you straighten your right leg and use your left arm to swing your torso back to center, with your arms out to the side. Then, on exhalation, release your arms and turn your feet to parallel. Repeat the pose on your left side. For more information, see Featured Pose: Extended Side Angle.

5. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), 1 to 2 minutes. From Mountain pose, place your hands on your hips and, on an exhalation, begin to bend forward from your hip joints. When your pelvis won’t rotate over your upper leg bones any more, allow your spine to round gently into a full forward bend, as you release your arms toward the floor. If your hands easily make it to the floor, walk your fingers back toward your toes, bringing them in line with your toes if possible. But if your hands fall shy of the floor, don’t force them down; instead place your hands on opposite elbows. Bend your knees a little bit if your lower back or hips feel strain or pain.

6. Triangle (Trikonasana), 1 to 3 minutes per side. From Mountain pose, step your feet wide apart, about the length of your legs. Spinning on your right heel pad, turn your right foot and leg out 90 degrees toward the right short edge of your mat. Next, pivoting on the ball of your left foot’s big toe, kick back your left heel an inch or two towards the left short edge of your mat. After you’ve established your feet, inhale and take your arms up and out to your sides, parallel with the floor. As you exhale, lift up and over your right hip joint to reach your right arm straight out over your front leg. Then, keeping your legs strong, side-bend as you bring your right hand to the floor or to a prop, depending on your flexibility.

Keeping your hips in their new location (don’t let them spin up!), rotate your upper belly and chest around the axis of your spine toward the long edge of the mat and possibly a bit more skyward, as you bring your top arm in line with your bottom arm.

To come out of the pose, keep the strong, grounded feeling in your legs, and then on an inhalation, pivot your hips and torso back to vertical as you use your top arm to lift yourself up and out of the pose. Release your arms to your sides and bring your feet back to parallel.

See Featured Pose: Triangle Pose for more detailed instructions on moving into, being in, and coming out this pose.  

7. Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)1 to 3 minutes. Wish we had some instructions on this pose! But at least I can rest assured this pose is so commonly taught, most of you will have some idea of how to do it. So, for now, from hands and knees position, come up into the classic Downward-Facing Dog pose. If the classic version of the pose is not accessible to you due to injuries or other problems, see Downward-Facing Dog Variations for variations.

8. Warrior 1 Pose (Virabrdarasana 1), 1 to 2 minutes. Starting in Mountain pose, step your feet about three feet apart and place your hands on your hips. Spin your right foot out 90 degrees. Then lift your back heel, pivot on the ball of your foot, and spin your back heel back about four or five inches. Next, rotate your hips and chest in the same direction as your right foot. Don’t force your hips to square with the wall you are facing. Instead, allow your left hip to turn slightly toward your back leg, but square your head and your torso, from the navel on up, with your front foot. Maintain a straight strong back leg throughout.

Now, release your arms to your sides and turn your palms to face each other. Keeping your palms facing each other, inhale your arms forward and up. If your shoulders are tight, don’t worry about your arms being exactly vertical. But do keep your arms parallel—don’t try to bring your hands together. On your next exhale, bend your front knee so it is directly over your ankle joint. Do not lean forward or back, but keep your torso directly over your pelvis.

As you breathe in the pose, encourage your outer outer shoulder blades to lift with your arms, while keeping the upper inner corners of your shoulder blade moving down your back (so the sides of your neck are relaxed and long). Keep your arms active and bring your awareness to your elbows, making sure they are not bent, and reach through both sides of your elbow joints. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds and gradually work up to longer periods of time.

To come out of the pose, inhale and straighten your front leg. Then exhale and release your arms to your sides. Pivoting on the balls of your feet, bring your feet back to neutral as your turn your head and torso to face the long end of your mat. (See Featured Pose: Warrior 3 for more information.)

9. Reverse Namaste (Pashchima Namaskarasana), 1 to 2 minutes. For version 1, start by standing in Mountain pose, with your feet hips-distance apart. Bring your palms together into Prayer position (Namaste) in front of your chest, and press your palms together firmly. Take a moment to assess how flexible your wrists are in this position.

Now bring your arms behind your back, with your fingertips pointing toward the floor and elbows slightly bent. Then move your hands a few inches away from your lower back and spin your fingertips up toward the ceiling. Allow the pinky side of your hands to lightly touch your lower back. At this point your elbows are bent and your upper arm bones are turning in quite a bit. Carefully wiggle and wriggle your hands up along the line of your spine as high as you can comfortably go or until your palms come completely together. If your palms can come together, try to bring the thumb sides of your hands closer to each other (as they tend to get pulled apart).

Stay in the pose for approximately 30 seconds, working up to 2 minutes. To come out of the pose, carefully wiggle your hands down your back at least six inches or so before you release your hands down by your sides.

If you attempt version 1 and are unable to turn your fingertips up and keep them together, there may be too much tightness or tension anywhere from your shoulders to your wrists that prevents you from doing this safely. Choose version 2 instead (see Featured Pose: Reverse Namaste ).  

10. Bridge Pose (Setubanda Sarvangasana), 30 seconds to 1 minute. From Constructive Rest position (on your back with knees bent and heels about four inches from your hips), establish the normal, slightly arched shape of your lumbar spine. Then lift your hips straight up as you push down into your feet, like an elevator going up a few floors, maintaining the neutral arch of the lower back. Once in Bridge pose, bring some focus to your arms. Press the upper back of your upper arms (right where your arms meets the shoulders) down into the floor firmly while actively lifting the lower tip of your breast bone up to the sky. Then press your arms, which are lengthening towards your feet, down firmly into the floor as well. This will begin to encourage extension of your shoulder joints. To come down, lower your hips straight down, like an elevator returning to the lobby floor. Rest for a moment in Constructive Rest position, and repeat one more time.

11. Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana), 30 seconds to 1 minute. See Featured Pose: Upward Plank for instructions on how to practice this pose.

Rest briefly in Constructive Rest pose (on your back, with knees bent, soles of the feet on the floor about hip-width apart, and knees dropping in toward each other) and then repeat the pose.

12. Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matseyendrasana), 1 minute per side. Although this twist is one of the most complex to get into, I’m including it in this sequence because from my experience it’s one of the most effective all-over twists I’ve ever practiced. Yes, it just feels so good!

We don’t yet have full instructions on how to practice this pose, so for now I’ll just be brief. But I will say that the best way to get into this pose is to break it down into two phases: first, set up your leg position and, second, move into the twist.

Unless you are very flexible, sit on the edge of a folded blanket or another support, and then bend your knees and place the soles of your feet on the floor. Now bending your left leg even more, bring your left foot as close as possible to your right sitting bone. Then step your right foot over your left knee, with the toes of your right foot a few inches in front of your left knee.

Now get ready to twist to your right. Inhale and lengthen your spine, from sitting bones to the crown of your head. Then, instead of moving from your head, initiate the twist from your lower spine and the portion your abdomen that is just above your navel, while keeping your lower abdomen relaxed. As you move into the twist, bring your left arm either around your right knee or bring your left armpit over your right knee and move your left forearm and hand into an upright position. Allow your neck and head to complete the twist only if that feels comfortable for your neck.

To come out of the pose, release the twist and bring your torso and head back to center. Then, one at a time, step your feet back into your starting position and repeat the pose on the other side.

13. Relaxation Pose (Savasana), 10 to 20 minutes. Practice any form of Savasana you like, either the classic version flat on the floor or any supported variation (see Savasana Variations). The important thing is to be entirely comfortable, so discomfort or pain doesn’t distract you from being able to relax completely. Then chose a mental focus for the practice. A mental focus is crucial because if you just lie there and fret about the past or worry about the future, you won’t trigger the Relaxation Response (and besides a mental focus is what makes Savasana, Savasana and not just lying there). See Savasana (Corpse Pose)for complete information on how to practice Savasana.

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Female Bodybuilding Nutrition Tips

I wanted to share a little about female bodybuilding nutrition. This is fundamentally the most important place to focus your energy. If you're not eating the proper foods at the proper times than you're not going to put on muscle. Bodybuilding is hard enough for women; therefore we need to focus more on our diets.

Tip 1: Increasingly eating protein more often will leave your body with a constant flow of protein to repair muscles. Typically after a 2-4hr period, protein has completely left the system; therefore eating protein every 2-3hrs will leave your body with enough protein to repair muscle tissue consistently all day long.

Tip 2: Don't eat food that is high in carbohydrates and dietary fat. Stay away from this combination of food. High carbs and high fat are a big NO! These include things like French fries from McDonalds or some sweet and sugary dessert.

Tip 3: Before bed, eat high fat and protein food. Well, if you're not aware, dietary fat is a very slow process for digesting. When you're going to bed, you'll probably sleep 8hrs, so you need the protein to last all night. The high fat and protein mix will allow your digestion to slow enough to keep your muscles to have enough nutrition to last the entire night.

These are probably the most important female bodybuilding nutrition tips. Applying just these three will greatly increase your success as a bodybuilder. Remember, that you do need to workout at the gym, but these will make your results from the gym go through the roof.

                                                              Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1069878

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