Trapezius Exercises For Size and Strength

How many times have you noticed a person walking on the beach with a huge upper back and shoulders? You may have also noticed how some guys can fill the neck out on their t-shirts with mounds of muscles. This is the muscle that you are noticing and it is called the trapezius. Trapezius muscles can be difficult muscles to work, because it is difficult to isolate the muscle. However, the right kind of exercises will lead to significant improvements in terms of size and strength of the trapezius muscle.

First, you need to understand where the trapezius is located and what kind of activity or movement it performs. It is located on the top of the upper back and allows you to shrug your shoulders to the sky and also slightly helps with raising the arms to the side.

To properly work the trapezius you must know the specific angles to work the muscle with the exercises. By working the trapezius in many different angles you will develop the muscle to its fullest extent and before soon you will notice that you are the guy everyone is admiring. So let's learn how to work the muscle.

As with any exercise program you should always have a good warm up for at least 10-15 minutes of light cardiovascular work to get the heart pumping and blood flowing before the trapezius exercises.

Start with a weight you can handle easily. You can use dumbbells or a barbell with the proper weight. The key to the exercises are to do proper form and perform at least three sets with each set consisting of 8-12 reps.

Shoulder Shrugs: It's a simple exercise that all you have to do is shrug their shoulders while holding a barbell or dumbbells. Make sure the palms of your hands are facing you while gripping the weight.

Upright Rows: Start by standing in a comfortable position with the weight in front of you resting in front of your thighs. Your palms should be facing you while holding the weight. Pull your hands up to your chin and keep your elbows laterally. Be careful to ensure that at the top position your elbows are higher than your hands so you work your trapezius and do not hurt yourself.

Behind The Back Barbell Shrugs: Stand in a comfortable position with the barbell behind your back. Grip barbell with palms facing up to the sky. Now shrug your shoulders to raise and lower the weight slowly.

Finally, make sure you have the correct weight for your exercises to work the trapezius muscle to its full potential. It will take some time for the muscle to grow, but keep with it and, as always eat the proper diet to allow good muscle recovery. Try it and before long your trapezius muscle will burst out of your shirt and making heads turn.

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The Perfect Beginner's Bodybuilding Program

It's important when you're doing any kind of bodybuilding program that you make sure it's something that will work with you and fitinto your lifestyle. Also, when just starting out, it would be ideal to first make and achieve small goals and work your way up to much larger goals. If you're aiming to grow Hulk Hogan's muscles in a few months time, then you can be pretty sure that's not gonna happen. You need to be realistic about what you can achieve and at the same time set really high attainable goals for yourself. Here's a sample program that should work well for just about anybody.

A Good Sample Bodybuilding Program For Beginners:

Monday: Chest 

Tuesday: Legs 

Wednesday: Triceps and Abs

Thursday: Shoulders

Friday: Back  and  Biceps

Bodybuilding programs that you will find useful should involve not just exercises but also your diet, stretching, motivation and other changes in your lifestyle. Building up muscles is a big achievement and like all big achievements, you're going to have to make a few sacrifices to get them. Be aware that to perfectly adapt the program, your lifestyle will be changed immensely. Not only that but your energy will increase and your overall level of health as well.

There are many bodybuilding programs to choose from. There are tape sets, workout DVD's flooding the market today, but in my opinion online bodybuilding eBooks are the way to go. Not only do they contain more information than you expect but they are also much, much cheaper. When looking for the best bodybuilding programs, your best bet would be reading up on our reviews to see which program is right for your body type.

Keep in mind that the best bodybuilding program would be one that would continuously give you the motivation to stick to your routine. You might also want to look for one that offers a 60 day money back guarantee. If they are confident in their product they will offer this. Compared to hiring a personal workout trainer, getting yourself a Bodybuilding eBook would not only teach you more about bodybuilding but would also provide you results that are a hundred times better than a personal trainer. The reason why is you will learn and stay motivates with a bodybuilding eBook as opposed to a trainer whom you look to for motivation and knowledge. Motivation and Knowledge need to come from you, not your trainer. Remember bodybuilding eBooks are programs that offer more than just a gym workout plan, it's a comprehensive guide to changing your entire life.

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How Yoga Helps with Medical Conditions: Prevention

by Baxter with Nina

Hygieia by Gustav Klimt

In our post 5 Ways Yoga Can Affect Your Health from a while back, I identified six ways that yoga helps with your health. And although that way of framing how yoga supports good health is still accurate, Nina and I recently realized we could simplify our list of six into a more helpful list of three: 1) prevention, 2) symptom improvement, and 3) as an adjunct to other forms of treatment. Today, I want to discuss what we mean by “prevention.” To put it simply, this means you are using yoga to: 

1. Prevent diseases or conditions from developing.
2. Prevent a disease or condition that you already have from getting worse. 

Now let’s take a closer look at both of these ways you can use yoga for prevention.

Preventing Diseases or Conditions from Developing  

One valuable way you can use yoga for prevention is to promote your overall health in general. Yoga is particularly effective for this because a well-rounded yoga practice that includes an active asana practice, stress management practices, and equanimity practices can help prevent diseases and conditions caused by sedentary behavior and/or chronic stress, such as obesity, heart diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Because a well-rounded asana practice includes active strength, flexibility, balance and agility practices, yoga can also help prevent problems related to being sedentary, including osteoporosis, sarcopenia, balance problems, and falls. And yoga’s stress management practices are good preventative medicine for fostering good emotional and mental health, at the same time they helps foster physical health.

Another valuable way to use yoga for prevention is to focus on preventing a particular disease or condition that you’re concerned about. For example, if you have risk factors for osteoporosis, you can emphasize strength practices to build both bone and muscle strength. Or, if you have cardiovascular diseases running in your family, you can emphasize cardiovascular health practices to prevent the development of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, irregular heart rhythms, and congestive heart failure.

Preventing Diseases or Conditions from Getting Worse 

If you already have a medical condition, depending on the type of condition, you may be able to focus on preventing it from progressing further. Yoga is particularly beneficial for conditions that benefit from working on physical skills, cardiovascular practices, and stress management. In general, some conditions that yoga can help prevent from getting worse include: osteopenia, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, arthritis, diabetes, and high blood pressure. 

Here are a few examples of how it works: If you have sarcopenia of the muscles or osteopenia and osteoporosis of the bones, you can focus on appropriate strength-building practice to hold the condition at bay and in the case of osteopenia prevent it from progressing to osteoporosis and, in some cases, even reversing it somewhat. If you have arthritis, you can focus on flexibility practices to prevent more loss of mobility in your joints, sometimes delaying or maybe even avoiding a joint replacement.

And if you already have high blood pressure, you can focus on lowering your numbers with asana and stress management practices to prevent it from progressing to heart attack, stroke, irregular heart rhythm, or congestive heart failure.

For All Types of Prevention 

Keep in mind that yoga alone may not be enough for the best prevention approach. So you may need to combine yoga with other preventive strategies that your family doctor recommends, such as more aerobic activities or special dietary recommendations. But yoga is a great complement to western medicine. The ultimate goal is your ongoing wellness!

And it is equally important to remember there are no guarantees, and eventually with age and time, we will have to face some serious illness. But it is surely worthwhile to try to delay them in the meantime!

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Back To Basics - Training The Back Slow, Heavy And Raw

Many people are surprised to discover that the back muscle constitutes seventy percent of the total muscle mass in the upper body. Developing that back muscle properly will give you a powerful upper body and an equally powerful look. The important back muscles are the lats, traps, rhomboids, lower back, and spinal erectors. There are a number of exercises that have proven to be great for developing the back muscles. The question is, "What is the best back workout for building up the back muscles quickly?" Several of those most highly recommended are discussed below.

The Deadlifts

The best back workouts must include Deadlifts, They are the quintessential back exercise. No back exercising regimen can be considered complete without including deadlifts. They are outstanding for developing your back muscles, but they also work muscles over the entire body effecting overall muscle gain.

Horizontal Pulling Exercises

These exercises, oftentimes referred to as rows, include cable rows, seated machine rows, dumbbell rows, and bent-over barbell rows. They are excellent exercises for working the upper back, middle back, and the lats. It's tempting to use cable and machines for these exercises, but they should be avoided in favor of free-weight rowing exercises. Dumbbell rows and barbell rows are excellent choices to include in the best back workout.

Vertical Pulling Exercises

These exercises include recognized favorites underhand chin-ups, overhand chin-ups, and lateral pulldowns. The most effective of these pulling exercises has proven to be the basic wide grip overhand chin-ups, especially for building up your lats.

Shrugging Exercises

These exercises, which include barbell shrugs and dumbbell shrugs, are superb for working the often forgotten upper traps. These are usually performed at the end of a back workout routine, and should usually include a high number of repetitions.

Putting It All Together

Traditionally, the best back workouts include four exercises that are often grouped together into a routine that has proven for many to be excellent for building muscle mass very quickly.

* Wide Grip Overhand Chin-ups: Two sets of five to seven repetitions
* Deadlifts: Two sets of five to seven repetitions
* Bent-over Barbell Rows: Two sets of five to seven repetitions
* Barbell Shrugs: Two sets of ten to twelve repetitions

This routine, properly followed, will undoubtedly move you quickly toward building a strong powerful back with impressive lats and traps.

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The 2 Best Workout Routines to Build Muscle

If you're trying to build muscle mass and strength, you probably spend a good bit of time thinking about your routine. Thinking is great and all, but you need to stop stressing, stop worrying about the details, and get to work on a program that produces results! Here are the two best workout routines to build muscle. Pick one, stick to it, and grow!

1. Powerlifting for Mass and Strength

A lot of beginner bodybuilders and weight lifters think that heavy lifting and bodybuilding are too entirely different pursuits. This is completely wrong! Sure, professional lifters and experienced bodybuilders use different training styles, but they did basically the same things to build heaps of muscle mass and strength to boot.

If you want big legs, get a big squat! If you want a thick chest, strengthen your bench press! Wide back? You'd better be tugging some serious weight on pull-ups, rows, and deadlifts. It really is that simple. Some skinny guys try to get bigger with light weights and a big pump or burn, but the experienced guys know that a STRONG lifter is a MUSCULAR lifter, period.

So, what's a good powerlifting routine to build muscle mass? Since you're focusing on strength first and foremost, you want to organize your lifting into different days based on different lifts. You'll have a squat day, bench press day, deadlift day, and military press day, in that order. You can arrange them basically how you want throughout the week, but never train more than two days in a row.

On each day, start with the main lift. Warm up gradually and thoroughly, and then do two main sets. The first work set should be from four to six reps. For the next set, drop the weight a bit and get eight to ten reps. Both of these sets should be done until you can't do another good rep! Keep solid form but make sure you really strain!

After the main lift, do three to four more exercises that target similar muscle groups. On your deadlift and squat days, you mainly want to do legs exercises like leg presses and lunges, as well as movements for abs and calves. On the bench and military press days, do other types of presses - dips, dumbbell presses, incline presses, it's all good! Then, do a couple of exercises for your upper back. These include all different types of pull-ups and rows.

Overall, you simply need to make sure you are getting stronger from week to week on each exercise you do. Keep a detailed training log so that on any given day in the gym, you can look at the numbers you've got to beat!

2. Bodybuilding Training for Bodybuilding Muscle

Okay, so getting stronger builds muscle, but is a powerlifting routine the only way to train? No, there are tons of other good workout routines to build muscle! As long as you're getting stronger and thoroughly working all of your muscles, you're going in the right direction.

Most bodybuilders train with a routine called a "body-part split." Instead of organizing their training around certain lifts, they arrange it according to body parts. This type of routine is typically a bit more time consuming, as well as more demanding in terms of recovery. If you've got some extra time to spend resting and eating, this program might help you build muscle as fast as possible!

Training five days per week, you want to organize your training into chest day, back day, legs day, shoulders day, and arms day. This is a good order to use for each week of training, as it allows for proper recovery of each muscle group.

On each day, you want to pick one or two exercises where you'll really try to push big weights, getting stronger week after week! For instance, when you train legs, you'd want to focus on getting stronger on squats and stiff-leg deadlifts. On chest day, you'd want to push big weights for the incline bench press and dips. Really, the exercise choices are up to you, but make sure you use free weights and really challenge yourself. Don't wimp out and choose the leg press over the squat, lazy!

After your main strength movements for each muscle group, you want to pick three or four other exercises and do three to four hard, higher-rep sets of each. These other exercises can be done with free weights, machines, cables, or a combination of those. The most important thing to remember here is to FEEL the muscle work. Perform your reps explosively, but make sure you feel the contraction in the target muscle.

This might sound confusing, so here's a sample workout for your back. You'd start with pull-ups and barbell rows, working up to one or two very heavy sets on each. Every time you train back, you'd try to increase the weights on these. After these "money" exercises, you might also do cable rows, pull-downs, and dumbbell rows, using higher reps and really feeling a pump and burn in your back. This combination of heavy weights and a big pump are a surefire ticket to muscle growth!

                                                                       Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5829742

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Workout Routines for Women - Lift Heavy, Look Fit!

There is a huge misconception in the fitness world that only men should lift heavy weights, and that women should stick to light, "toning" routines. Many women fear they will get big or bulky if they lift heavy. Nonsense! Do you realize how hard it is for MEN to gain muscle mass, even with their testosterone and larger calorie consumption? Nobody, man or woman, will ever get "too big" for their liking on accident.

The truth about workout routines for women is that they should contain mostly heavy lifting! Lifting heavy weights has a variety of benefits for women. First, it helps stimulate the growth of lean muscle tissue. This extra muscle helps create a slim, fit body contour. In other words, it makes you "toned." You can't actually "tone" your muscles with high reps on those little pink dumbbells - you've got to actually build that firm muscle tissue with heavy weights.

The second benefit of lifting heavy weights it that gaining a few extra pounds of muscle can help burn fat. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, which means it's constantly burning calories. Gain some more muscle, and you'll be able to lose fat more quickly or just eat a little more of the foods you like without consequence!

Third, heavy lifting is a type of exercise that "stays with you" all day. Whereas walking, jogging, and other moderate-paced cardio exercises only burn fat while you're doing them, a hard weights workout will keep your metabolism raised and revving at high speed for the rest of the day.

Finally, workout routines for women should contain plenty of heavy lifting because it's fun! Many people complain about going to the gym not because they're lazy, but because it can be so boring. Given the average workout routine, they're right! Hours of treadmill walking and stair stepping combined with long, high-rep sets of light lifting gets old quick.

Lifting heavy provides a new, fun challenge every time you're in the gym! It may seem weird to think about now, but you'll start to get excited about setting a new personal record on the squat or pushing more weight than you ever have on the bench press. Besides, these workouts take much less time, anyway. Get in, have fun, get your work done quickly, and get on with the rest of your day!

Hopefully you can see that workout routines for women should actually be all about lifting heavy weights and getting stronger. Leave the boring cardio routines for people who can't handle some harder exercise! If you get stronger and eat right, you will develop a slim, lean physique.

                                                                Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5829723

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Sitting is the New Smoking

by Nina

Woman Smoking by Kitagawa Utamaro

“Being out of shape could be more harmful to health and longevity than most people expect, according to a new, long-term study of middle-aged men. The study finds that poor physical fitness may be second only to smoking as a risk factor for premature death.” —Gretchen Reynolds, New York Times 

Have you heard the phrase “Sitting is the New Smoking” yet? Because recently I’ve been hearing it more and more often. And although lthough Ram didn’t use it in his recent post The Ill Effects of Prolonged Sitting he did say, “For people who engage in prolonged sitting activities, their risk of heart attack is about the same as smoking.” 

His post cited three different studies that showed the dangers of spending too many hours a day sitting. (That post got me to spend more time standing up at my sit-stand desk!) Then just a week later I read a NY Times article Being Unfit May Be Almost as Bad for You as Smoking about a new study on the longevity of men who were active versus those who were inactive (they measured aerobic capacity to indicate the subjects' general level of activity and fitness). What was special about this study was that it focused on a large group of about 1,000 healthy Swedish men of age 50, and followed them through the rest of their life spans (45 years!). (Many of these types of studies in the past have been done on older people for much shorter periods of time.)

The conclusion of the study Low aerobic capacity in middle-aged men associated with increased mortality rates during 45 years of follow-up was this:

“In this representative population sample of middle-aged men, low aerobic capacity was associated with increased mortality rates, independent of traditional risk factors, including smoking, blood pressure and serum cholesterol, during more than 40 years of follow-up.” 

And not only was poor fitness/low aerobic capacity second only to smoking as a risk factor for increased mortality, it was actually even unhealthier than high blood pressure or high cholesterol! Yes, the study found that the men who were rated as highly fit but who had high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels tended to live longer than men who were rated as “out-of-shape” but who healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 

And although the study just focused on men (an ongoing problem in scientific studies), the NY Times reported that: 

But “there is no reason not to think” that the rest of us would also share any beneficial associations between fitness and longevity, said Per Ladenvall, a researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, who led the study. Past studies involving women have found such links, he said. 

Perhaps I am preaching to the choir by sharing this information (because you may already be practicing yoga on a regular basis and understand all its many benefits), but for those who are not yet physically active or who have family members or friends who are not active, the takeaway is clear: start being more physically active! The New York Times article concluded by quoting the Dr. Ladenvall saying that even small amounts of physical activity can have a positive effect.

“Encouragingly, if you now are concerned about the state of your particular aerobic capacity, you most likely can increase it just by getting up and moving. “Even small amounts of physical activity,” Dr. Ladenvall said, “may have positive effects on fitness.”

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How to Get Bigger Triceps

A big pair of triceps impressive me more than a big pair of biceps. If someone's got a big pair of tri's it means they're likely bench over 300lbs for reps and that's an impressive feat of strength. If you want to get big triceps then here's the key exercises that you must do:

Close Grip Bench Press

The exercise is literally as it reads. Grab the bar on the bench and move your hands slightly closer together. This will mean that you'll be using more of your triceps as opposed to your pecs to lift the weight on each repetition. This has gotta be one of the best mass builders for the triceps out there. Along with....

Close Grip Weighted Dips

This exercise has been called the upper body squat in the past because it's such an intensive movement. If you can dip your bodyweight + 30kg or more then your triceps will be packing some serious size. Not only will you work out your triceps but you'll also hit your anterior deltoids (shoulder) and your chest - all in one workout! Great stuff!

Skullcrushers

My personal favourite. The morning after I do 3 sets of 8 at skullcrushers my triceps feel like they are about to explode. I love to finish the workout off with a good solid 3 sets of skullcrushers, trying to put the weight up over time. This exercise is great for hitting the outer head, especially if you can do the exercise with an ez bar.

If you can combine all the above 3 exercises into your routine then your triceps will have no choice to grow because of the incredible stimulus you'll be putting them under.

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Featured Pose: Warrior 3 (Virabradrasana 3)

by Baxter and Nina

Warrior 3 challenges your balance very differently than many other balance poses, as you need to resist gravity to keep your body parallel with the floor. Balancing in Warrior 3 is not only a bit more difficult, but it also takes more strength and energy to maintain your balance Keeping your body parallel with the floor strengthens all the muscles along the back of your body, including your buttocks and the backs of your thighs as well all your back muscles from your lower back up to the base of your neck and out into your arms. At the same time, you are stretching your legs, hips, front body and shoulders.

Moving gracefully in and out of the pose takes a combination of strength, flexibility, balance, and agility, so you can use to pose to cultivate all four essential skills. And in general this pose is very stimulating and energizing.

Baxter prescribes this for:

• Improving balance
• Improving hip flexibility
• Building back body strength
• Building upper body strength for those who can’t bear weight on the arms
• Improving concentration and focus
• Energizing the body and mind 

Timing: If you are an experienced practitioner, hold the pose for 1-2 minutes (or until your muscles become shaky). If you are new to the practice, start by holding this pose for 30 seconds, working up to 1-2 minutes over time. Rest for a few breaths afterwards in Mountain pose before moving on to your next pose. You can also practice the pose dynamically. From Warrior 1 position, exhale and come into Warrior 3, then inhale and return to Warrior 1. Repeat 4-6 times on each side. 

Cautions: If you have low back pain, try version 4 or bend your lifted leg. If you experience any other types of pain in the pose, come out and ask your teacher for guidance. 

1. Classic Version

Start by coming into the classic version of Warrior 1 pose. From there, pivot onto the ball of your back foot and tip your torso forward about 45 degrees over your right hip joint. On an exhalation, straighten your right leg as you slowly lift your left leg behind you and bring your torso and arms down to parallel with the floor.

Once in you’re in the pose, focus on keeping your hips even with the floor and reach your arms straight forward, with your head slightly lifted (easier for balance) or aligned with your spine (more challenging) and your gaze slightly forward.

To come out of the pose, bend your right knee slightly, and bring your left foot back and down to floor into Warrior 1 position. From there, release your arms to your sides and straighten your front leg, and turn your feet parallel. Repeat on the left side. 

2. Using the Wall

For those of you who are weak, have balance problems, or are afraid of trying the versions in the middle of the room, this variations is the perfect way to start! It's also an excellent way to warm up for any of the other versions.

Start by coming into Half Downward-Facing Dog at the wall. From there, step your left foot toward your right foot, to the mid point between your feet, and allow your hips to shift a little to the left so more of your weight is on your left foot. Next, keeping your hips parallel with the floor, swing your right leg up and back, in line with your arms and torso.

Once you’re in the pose, focus on keeping your arms, chest, and right leg in a straight line, without letting your chest or belly sag toward the floor. To challenge your balance, try lightening the press of the hands on the wall or come onto your fingertips. 

To come out of the pose, lower your left foot to floor, returning to Half Downward-Facing Dog pose at the wall. Then bend your knees and slowly walk forward to standing upright, about one foot from the wall. Release your hands from the wall and shake out your wrists for few breaths. Repeat the pose on the left side.  

3. Arms Back

If you have shoulder problems or don’t feel strong enough for the classic pose, this version is for you. It’s also easier to balance in this version, so it’s good way to work toward to the classic version, or just to warm up for it. 

Start by coming into Warrior 1 pose with your arms by your sides instead of overhead, From there, pivot onto the ball of your back foot and tip your torso forward about 45 degrees over your right hip joint. On an exhalation, keeping your arms by your sides, straighten your right leg as you slowly lift your left leg and bring your torso parallel with the floor.

Once in you’re in the pose, focus on keeping your hips even with the floor and reaching your arms back along your sides, with your head slightly lifted (easier for balance) or aligned with your spine (more challenging) and your gaze slightly forward. 

To come out of the pose, bend your right knee slightly, and bring your left foot back and down to floor into Warrior 1 position with your arms by your sides. From there, straighten your front leg, and turn your feet parallel. Repeat on the left side.

4. Tilted Part Way 

(sorry, no photo)

If you have tight hips or tight hamstrings and can’t come to parallel with the floor in the full version, or if you want to slowly work your way from the wall version to the full version, this variation is for you. It’s also a good way to warm up for the classic version.

Start by coming into the classic version of Warrior 1 pose. From there, pivot onto the ball of your back foot and tip your torso forward about 45 degrees over your right hip joint. On an exhalation, straighten your right leg as you slowly lift your left leg up slightly as you tip your torso into an angle that’s comfortable for you, creating a long, straight line from your left heel to your fingertips. Once in you’re in the pose, follow the alignment instructions for the classic pose.

To come out of the pose, bend your right knee slightly, and bring your left foot back and down to floor into Warrior 1 position. From there, release your arms to your sides and straighten your front leg, and turn your feet parallel. Repeat on the left side. 

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Free-cycling vs. Recycling Books on Aging

by Nina

In my neighborhood, we’re big into free-cycling. For those of you who don’t know what that means, for us in Berkeley free-cycling means putting things you no longer want or can’t use—clothes, household goods, knickknacks, books, CDs, furniture, etc.—on the sidewalk so that anyone who wants them can simply pick them up and take it home. I’m both a giver and taker (have found some interesting things!), but mostly a giver. I’m so dedicated to this practice, that it almost hurts me to actually just recycle something (or, God forbid, throw something out). In fact, when a friend of mine was downsizing recently due to a divorce and I heard that she was planning to her old books to the dump, I begged her to give them to me so I could “get rid” of them for her by free-cycling them. And indeed as odd a collection of books as it was—old, new, fiction, non-fiction, obscure, common, young adult, super sophisticated.—it only took a matter of days before those hundreds of books were completely gone. 

So when Brad came home the other day with a stack of books on aging that a colleague of his had left behind, I sorted them into two piles: 1) scientific books about mechanisms of aging that I wanted to keep and 2) mass market books on “how to stay young forever” that I intended to free-cycle. Now if you’ve read our posts about aging you might be able to guess why I didn’t want to keep those stay young forever books. As I said in my post, What is Aging, Anyway? 

“if someone out there tells you they can “stop” or even “reverse” aging—I've heard both claims myself—you should be very skeptical. Because right now with so much unknown about aging, there is no proof that any of these anti-aging solutions are effective (and, in some cases, like overuse of certain supplements or human growth hormones, they could actually harm you).” 

And, of course, the very person who helped me understand the importance of that message and encouraged me to spread it was none other than my husband, Brad (aka Dr. Bradford Wayne Gibson), who for 16 years studied aging as a medical researcher at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

Anyway, after making my two stacks, I checked with Brad to see whether he agreed with my assessment. He gave me the thumbs up, except when I went to take the “how to stay young forever” books outside for free-cycling, he quickly grabbed them away from me. He said, “Oh, no, you don't. I don’t want ANYONE to read those books” and he tossed them all into the paper recycling bin. Whoa. I was shocked for a moment, but then the importance of his action really struck me. Yes, the irresponsible snake oil about aging that is written and published by people out to make a quick buck really does deserve to be reduced to a pulp. 

On Friday the recycling truck took away all the stay young forever books for processing, and one day soon they’ll have promising new lives as fresh, blank paper.

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How Do I Get Six Pack Abs? 3 Mistakes You Should Avoid

You've been asking for awhile, how do I get six pack abs? But have read so much information you have started confusing yourself. Then let me clarify some things and make sure you don't make the same mistakes a majority of people trip over when they want to tone and tighten their midsection. If you're serious about flattening your stomach, then avoid these three traps.

1. Fat burning pills only work until your body becomes used to them and they are dangerous. Anytime you use something to synthetically increase your heart rate and your metabolism, you're asking for trouble. These so called fat burning pills work for awhile, but the minute you stop taking them the weight melts back onto your stomach. When you use a chemical to enhance your body, your pushing it past it's natural ability. Why would you want to take something that is unapproved by the FDA and keeps your heart racing? No one really knows the lingering affects anyways, so stick with natural weight loss.

2. Long bouts of cardiovascular exercise help eliminate belly fat, But once again your body will become used to the endurance level limiting the amount of fat you can lose. And science has proved when you replace fatty tissue with lean muscle mass the body burns fat faster. Stick with weight lifting routines and circuit training.

3. Read the labels on the foods you prepare. Many times the healthy foods we eat are actually disguised junk. Look for high sodium content and high fructose corn syrup. They can make you pack on pound ultra fast. Anything that ends with the three letters ose is sugar in some shape or form.

Avoiding these three mistakes will help you burn fat faster and preserve your health for your journey through life. Flattening your stomach and shrinking your waistline is possible, but you should always choose the natural methods for weight reduction.

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How to Gain Weight For Women

This seems like an odd topic for an article, but we are going to talk about how to gain weight for women. You see even though most are looking to lose weight there are some that need to gain a few pounds. Whether you just want to be healthier or get a little curvier you will find the advice here beneficial. It is also important to know that there are two different kinds or meanings of weight. The first one has a negative connotation. This is where people think weight means fat, when in reality it can mean something totally different. This takes us to our second meaning which is lean mass. This is lean muscle that is healthy and looks great.

Now you will need to start cutting down on your normal cardiovascular exercises. This does not mean cut them out because they are needed for cardiovascular health. It means cut them down because they will keep you too skinny. When learning how to gain weight for women you need to grab the weights and start some resistance training. This is not the bench press 200 pounds type of lifting. You can find many routines that are specific to women. They will help you gain the type of weight that you are looking to add to your frame. Also you should be adding calories to your diet. I suggest starting at 250 extra calories a day and gradually increasing it to 500 more a day. This will coincide with your weight lifting to help you put on the right type of weight.

There are also women specific protein powders that are formulated for women's needs. This can be a very good thing because you want to increase your protein intake to supplement your new workout routine. By following these types you will learn first- hand how to gain weight for women.

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