The 7 Best Barbell Exercises For A Strong Core

Attack Your Core
It’s true that "abs are built in the kitchen." But as with any muscle, abs are built in the gym, too. You still have to blast them with intense exercises to create the stimulus for growth and definition. Yet the common ab exercises guys use to target their core— situps, stability ball crunches, etc.—leave much to be desired.

By using a barbell, however, you’ll be able to easily add resistance to each core exercise and intensify your training for more hypertrophy. Also, because you’re moving a weight with your arms while keeping your torso stable, you’ll attack your core from a variety of angles that are impossible with traditional core exercises.

Add any of these seven best barbell core exercises to your workout and take your ab routine to the next level. Don’t be surprised if you’re painfully sore the next day.

Landmine Rainbow
The landmine lets you use a barbell as a lever to unlock a different array of exercises as the weight twists and turns. With a landmine rainbow, you attack your core by moving your arms in an arc while keeping your spine and ribcage stable.

How to do it:
Place one end of a barbell in a landmine. At the other end, stand facing the landmine, grab the other end with your arms extended, and start with the barbell end about eye-level. Twist the barbell to one side without turning your hips or shoulders and keeping your arms as straight as possible. Alternate sides. To make it harder, add weight by sliding small plates on the end.

If you don’t have a landmine, just place a folded-up towel in the corner of a wall and wedge one end of a barbell there.

Barbell Rollout
With rollout exercise, the farther you extend, the more you strengthen your abs. Using a barbell lets you descend close to the ground and even adds resistances as you roll back up. It’s also harder than an ab wheel because you have to control a wider weight.

How to do it:
Get on your knees and grab a barbell with 45-lb. plates. Push your hips forward, keep your arms straight, and go as low as you can without letting your ribcage flare out—keep your hips straight and squeeze your glutes the entire time. To make it harder, use shorter plates or heavier plates.

Barbel Side Bend
Target your obliques with side bends. By using a barbell instead of dumbbells, you’ll spike the intensity on your sides because there’s more weight and the level arm is longer—it’s harder to move a seven-foot long bar than dumbbells held at your sides.

How to do it:
Hold a barbell behind your neck like on a back squat. Stand with legs about hip-width apart and bend your torso to the side, trying to get the barbell almost vertical. Alternate sides.

Barbell Straight-Leg Situp
This isn’t your old-fashioned situp that shortens your hip flexors and rolls your shoulders forward. With a barbell straight-leg situp, you need to rise by keeping your torso rigid and neutral.

How to do it:
Lie on your back with your legs straight, holding a barbell overhead with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your arms straight, keep your chest out, and lift your torso until you’re sitting straight up. Keep your legs extended throughout and do not let your back round forward.

Zercher Squat
No squat variation blasts your core like a Zercher squat. (Don’t be surprised if you feel it there more than in your legs.) Because you’re holding the weight right in front of your body, your core will work like crazy as you stay tall and avoid collapsing forward.

How to do it:
Start with a barbell in the crook of your elbows, with your hands held together in front of your chest. Stand shoulder-width apart with your toes slightly out. Squat down by sitting back, spreading your knees, and keeping your weight on your heels. Once your hips are below parallel, drive through your heels and rise. Keep your lower back flat and your shoulder blades squeezed together throughout.

Barbell Overhead Carry
Weight carries are a must-have exercise in any strength program. They build bulletproof conditioning as well as phenomenal core strength and endurance. The overhead carry amplifies the intensity on your abdominals and obliques because they have to fight to control a higher center-of-gravity.

How to do it:
Hold a barbell overhead with your hands much wider than shoulder-width apart and your elbows locked. Don’t let your ribcage flare out and don’t let your lower-back arch excessively. If you get tired, slowly lower the weight onto your traps. To safely move the weight overhead, do a push press.

Single Arm-Landmine press
Overhead presses are an underrated exercise that carves your abdominals. When the weight is fully extended overhead, your core must brace hard to stabilize your entire torso and connect your upper body to the ground. By pushing with one arm, however, you’ll spike the stability challenge to get more core work.

How to do it:
Place one end of a barbell in a landmine. At the other end, stand facing the landmine, grab the other end with one arm and hold it near the same shoulder. Drive the barbell overhead without twisting. Finish all your reps on one side and alternate. To make it harder, add weight by sliding small plates on the end.

If you don’t have a landmine, just place a folded-up towel in the corner of a wall and wedge one end of a barbell there.

How to Treat Back Spasms

Back spasms send many people to the doctor and emergency room each year to deal with the excruciating pain and sometimes fear. While serious medical conditions can cause back spasms, a herniated disc or sports injury for example, often it results from muscle misuse and/or sedentary living.

Things You'll Need

• Ice pack
• Heating pad
• Chair
• Pillows
• Physician recommendations

Treat back spasms with cold initially, such as a ice pack, to limit swelling and blood flow, both which produce increased pain following an injury. Cold may help for future muscle spasms as well, especially if a heating pad fails to provide relief. Otherwise, switch to a heating pad and use this on the surrounding muscles if the back spasms continue.

Rest as much as possible during the first two to three days, if needed, to allow the muscle injury to heal. Try to maintain some mobility, however, unless directed otherwise. Though painful, walking a minute or two several times a day will help prevent other muscles from tightening due to disuse.

Elevate your legs to treat back spasms and take pressure off of the back. The best position for many sufferers is to lie on the floor with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and the lower legs resting on a chair seat. Other measures include elevating the legs on pillows or placing the feet on a foot stool while sitting, elevating the knees above the pelvis. Poor pelvic alignment can make one more susceptible to back spasms.

Talk to your physician or pharmacist about over-the-counter medications that you can take to treat back spasms. Most patients will do best with an anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or naproxen, but some individuals may be directed to take aspirin or acetaminophen. If medical treatment is sought additional medications such as muscle relaxers may be recommended.

Try gentle back and leg stretching exercises designed for back strain as you improve, unless this aggravates the back pain. One effective exercise involves laying on the floor with the knees bent and the soles of the feet placed on the floor. Grab a knee and pull it gently towards the chest, hold for five to 10 seconds and release to the original position, then switch to the other knee. Repeat five to 10 times on each side. Note that exercise is best started some days into the healing process, when pain is less severe, or when the doctor recommends.

Use distraction and relaxation techniques to treat back spasms and reduce suffering. Whether it is meditation or reading, keeping your mind off of the back pain can help you relax, breathe effectively and promote healing.

How to Build Arm Muscle (4 steps)

Building arm muscles takes regular, high-volume, weight-training workouts that target the biceps, triceps and forearms. High-volume weight-training workouts feature a high number of exercises, sets and reps. Even though your focus here is the muscles in your arms, your workouts should contain compound, multi-joint exercises that work other muscle groups in addition to isolation exercises that specifically target the arm muscles.

Scheduling Your Arm Workouts
In a muscle-building weight-training program, allowing your muscles enough rest is as important as the workouts themselves. Therefore, to give your arm muscles adequate time to fully heal between workouts, schedule just two arm-focused workouts into your training regimen every week. Spread out your workouts throughout the week so that there are two to three days off in between, such as a Monday and Thursday routine.

Starting With Compound Lifts
Compound lifts require movement at multiple joints and therefore work numerous muscle groups. For example, chinups require your shoulders and arms to move and therefore build strength and size in your latissumus dorsi, which handle movement at your shoulder joints, and your biceps brachii, which control movement at your elbows. Start your workouts with compound exercises since they are most effective at bringing about muscle gains. First choose an Olympic lift -- like hang cleans and push jerks; these are compound exercises that heavily involve muscles in your legs, hips and torso, but the muscles in your arms help guide the barbell. Next, add two to three compound exercises that work just the upper body. Choose from dips, close-grip pushups and close-grip bench presses, which work your chest and shoulders and challenge your triceps to straighten your arms and your forearms to stabilize your wrists. You can also include chinups and close-grip, underhand pulldowns, which recruit your latissimus dorsi in your back and place a significant load on your biceps and forearms.

Isolating the Arms
Once you’ve finished your compound lifts, move onto isolation exercises that specifically target your biceps, triceps and forearms. For your biceps, choose from barbell biceps curls, dumbbell biceps curls, cable curls and dumbbell incline curls. Focus on your triceps with lying barbell triceps extensions, overhead dumbbell triceps extensions and standing cable triceps pushdowns. During each biceps and triceps exercise, keep your elbows in a static position as you either straighten or bend them. Work your forearms with wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, hammer curls and wrist rollers.

Significance of Volume
Workouts designed for building muscle are different than ones that focus on developing strength. Muscle-building training requires high-volume workouts, which mean sessions should consist of numerous exercises that are done for multiple sets for a relatively high number of reps. Pete McCall of the American Council on Exercise recommends doing three to five sets of eight to 12 reps of every exercise and resting just 45 seconds in between each set. Use a weight that makes finishing the reps within each set challenging. For example, if you're unable to do eight reps, you should lighten the weight. If you can do more than 12 reps with relative ease, you should bump up the weight slightly.

3 Basic Exercises for Energy

Instant wake-up
Cardio—even a 15-minute walk—gets your blood pumping and moves oxygen through the body. New York City personal trainer Jen Cassetty also recommends these moves anytime you feel yourself fading. Do two sets of 10-12 reps each.

Morning bend
Stand with feet shoulder-width, knees slightly bent, hands behind head. With your back flat, bend forward until your back is parallel to the ground, keeping weight in your heels and hips. Return to standing.

Wall angel
Stand against a wall with spine touching it from shoulders to hips, then raise arms parallel to floor. Keeping arms and back against the wall, rotate arms upward as far as you can, then down to starting position.

Side crunch
Sit on a chair or bench with hands behind head. Press elbows straight back to stretch your chest and open your lungs, then bend sideways at the waist to crunch to your left. Come back up and repeat crunch to the right. That's one rep.

3 R'S Of Workout Recovery Nutrition

The principles of post-workout or recovery nutrition can be quite simple and easily be accounted for in a client’s custom nutrition plan. These principles include providing energy to replace muscle glycogen stores, helping to maximize the repair of muscle damage, and sufficiently replenishing any fluids and electrolytes lost during training.

Simply put, you need to help your clients follow the three “R’s” of recovery—refuel, rebuild and rehydrate. These are the cornerstones of post-workout and recovery nutrition. They are also essential for maximizing the training effect, which can have different applications depending on the type, intensity and duration of the activity. Here is a brief overview of the three R’s of recovery, followed by sample recovery diets for three specific workouts.

1. REFUEL
Nutritional recovery starts by refueling with glycogen or carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide the body and brain with the fuel needed to recover and ultimately adapt to the training session.

Current data indicates that after a workout the muscle cells’ ability to begin rebuilding and replenishment peaks at about 15 minutes and declines by as much as 40 percent within 60 minutes.

Researchers report that immediate intake of carbohydrates results in a 300 percent increase in muscle glycogen at two hours and a 135 percent increase at four hours.

2. REBUILD
The next step is rebuilding cells by focusing on the protein and amino acids required to help maximize muscle repair. Even a simple cardio session results in muscle breakdown, so protein is an essential component for all post-exercise nutrition.

In a 2010 review published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition Exercise and Metabolism, researchers noted that the consumption of 20 grams of protein, or an equivalent of 9 grams of essential amino acids, can maximize muscle protein-synthesis rates during the first hours of post-exercise recovery.

However, the amount of protein needed in the post-workout period is often overestimated. There are certain levels of protein that are needed, but more doesn’t always mean more muscle or better recovery.

Depending on the type and intensity of exercise, and the total calories of course needed for recovery, a range of 0.3 to 0.5 grams per kg of bodyweight, or a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein, is recommended.

3. REHYDRATE
The final step is rehydration. Adequate fluids help regulate body temperature and blood pressure, and transport energy and nutrients throughout the body.

That is why it is essential to allow the body to achieve balance and maintain the process of recovery by replenishing any fluids lost during activity.

Cramping and muscle fatigue can often keep clients from sticking to a workout plan. By rehydrating and replenishing sodium, they’ll be able to reduce these post-workout symptoms.

To learn more about how you to calculate how much water your clients should be drinking, check out this Evolution Nutrition blog on hydration.

Now that you’ve had a chance to skim over the three R’s, let’s put them into practice using three different workouts.

STEADY-STATE CARDIO RECOVERY NUTRITION
Goal: To rehydrate and replenish electrolytes, while maximizing post-exercise calorie burning

Recovery Snack Options: Whole-wheat crackers, fresh fruit with high water content and cheese

6 whole-wheat crackers
1 medium apple (sliced)
2 slices non-fat cheese

Nutrition: 278 Calories / 43g Carbohydrate / 13g Protein / 6g Fat

POST-WORKOUT YOGURT PARFAIT
¼ C nonfat yogurt
½ C whole grain cereal
½ C fresh strawberries (or other berry)

Nutrition: 270 Calories / 62 g Carbohydrate / 10g Protein / 2g Fat

Guidelines: Fluids and electrolytes can be consumed immediately after and should be equal to about 16 to 20 ounces of water/fluid for every pound lost during the steady-state cardio. If bodyweight loss cannot be measured, a good rule of thumb is to drink 1 cup immediately after exercise, and 2 to 3 cups of fluid over the next few hours of recovery. Wait 20 to 30 minutes before you start to replenish energy stores with carbohydrates, proteins or fats, but listen to your body and eat if you feel like you need to fuel.

WEIGHTLIFTING RECOVERY NUTRITION
Goal: To maximize the “anabolic window” or recovery phase 30 to 45 minutes after the workout

Recovery Snack Options: Pita bread with hummus and black bean spread.

½ whole-wheat pita (large)
2 T hummus
2 T black bean spread

Nutrition: 261 Calories / 46g Carbohydrate / 8g Protein / 5g Fat

OATMEAL PROTEIN POWER
½ C cooked steel-cut oats
1 T shaved almonds
2 T protein powder

Nutrition: 287 Calories / 40g Carbohydrate / 16g Protein / 7g Fat

Guidelines: As with any workout, carbohydrates are essential to recovery post-weightlifting. To successfully rebuild muscle, special attention should be paid to how much protein is being consumed.

RECOVERY NUTRITION FOR HIIT (CARDIO AND WEIGHTLIFTING) 
Goals: To replace energy stores within 30 minutes after workout and to repair muscle tissue

Recovery Snack Options: One post-workout drink that is equal to about one-quarter of total carbs needed for recovery (e.g., 12- to 16-ounce fruit smoothie made with water, skim milk or a non-dairy milk alternative and protein powder) AND one workout snack

POWER FRUIT SMOOTHIE
1½ C skim milk (nonfat)
½ C frozen berries

BANANA AND PEANUT BUTTER ON A RICE CAKE
½ banana (small)
½ T peanut butter
1 multigrain rice cake

Nutrition: 297 Calories / 47g Carbohydrate / 16g Protein / 5g Fat

Guidelines: Because HIIT has a higher work rate, more fluids are used and more fuel is burned. That means both will need to be replenished in higher rates than in the other two workouts. HIIT’s combination of cardio and weightlifting requires an initial liquid recovery snack, which can be consumed first or closely followed by a nutrient dense meal or snack. Post-workout, a 3:1 ratio is a good standard to use with carbs and protein (e.g., 30 to 40 grams of carbs with 10 to 15 grams of protein).

5 Simple Daily Strategies To Supercharge Your Energy

Early mornings, late nights, commitments, demands, responsibilities and expectations can make us feel like we're a sponge that has been squeezed dry of one of our most precious resources: energy. When we walk around feeling like this day after day, it negatively affects almost every aspect of life. From our health and careers to our relationships, when we have no more energy to give, the going gets tough.

So when the going starts to get tough, how do we get going again? 

Energy has physiological, neurological and even psychological components. It is also a carefully regulated economy within our lives. If we're constantly spending energy, we need to have some strategies to earn and replenish it as well. All spending and no earning is a failing formula in any arena.

With a few simple daily steps in our demand-laden, busy, stressed-out life, however, we can replenish our energy bank account and actually earn more energy to spend on the things that are most important to us.

What would you do with more energy? 

Here are five simple steps you can take every day to ensure that your energy economy ends up in the positive column, so you can do more of the things that feed your soul.

1. GO TO BED AND GET UP AT THE SAME TIMES EVERY DAY
From a physiological standpoint, sleep is the ultimate energy recuperator. The relationship between going to sleep at night and waking up in the morning used to be simple—when the sun went down, the darkness would trigger the brain to release sleep hormones and neurotransmitters. When the sun came up, the light would trigger wake-up hormones and neurotransmitters.

With this natural, consistent balance of sleeping and awaking, our ancestors had the energy they needed to hunt, gather, build and do anything else they needed to do. Today, our sleep cycle is more dependent on evening television programming than the sun. Artificial light convinces our brain that it is daytime whenever we want it to be. Instead of the sun deciding when we go to sleep and wake up, we have to regulate this ourselves.

As mentioned, falling asleep and waking up are largely affected by hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. When the sun was our sleep regulator, these chemicals "learned" when to be released. With this learned consistency, we would get sleepy at bedtime and feel alert after waking up in the morning.

We no longer rely on the predictable sun, so it's up to each individual to go to bed and wake up at consistent times so the sleep and waking hormonal and neural processes learn when to do their thing. The more consistent we are, the more efficient the process works. The better we sleep, the more we recuperate our energy.

2. MOVE MORE 
Humans are perpetual motion machines. The process of getting enough of the good stuff in and the bad stuff out of our brain, muscles and other cells relies heavily on frequent movement throughout the day. Research suggests most Americans are completely sedentary for up to 15 hours per day, independent of sleep. It appears this level of inactivity may be as risky to our health as smoking cigarettes.

When you move, you aid in driving blood circulation, which gets more oxygen and glucose to the brain and energy-producing “engines” of the cells (the mitochondria). You also stimulate areas of your brain in charge of coordination, which can also help keep you out of the midday fog. Go ahead and stand up right now and lift your arms above your head. Stay standing for about 10 seconds. You will actually notice a change in your energy even in that short amount of time.

Try to create a work/home environment where you are able to stand up and move frequently. Try parking farther away from destinations, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and standing up for at least a few minutes every 30 to 45 minutes.

Even something as simple as standing up can drive more oxygen and glucose to create energy, so imagine what exercise can do for your energy levels. Every day, do 20 minutes of something that elevates your heart rate—dancing, running, swimming, hiking, jogging, or anything else you enjoy doing.

3. EAT SMALLER MEALS FREQUENTLY
While eating frequent small meals does not appear to play as large a role in weight loss as once believed, this simple daily habit can create a drastic change in your energy levels.

The brain uses glucose (blood sugar) as its food. When it doesn’t have enough, or when there is too much, we get tired, foggy, lazy and unfocused. Think about your level of energy when you’re really hungry, then consider how your energy levels are after a large meal.

Unfortunately, many American’s have developed the habit of not eating breakfast and then consuming a large, high-calorie lunch, a few high-sugar, high-fat snacks, and a large dinner. With this “feast or famine” level of blood sugar supplied to the brain, it makes it difficult to create consistent energy levels.

Start each day with a balanced breakfast that includes protein, fat, carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. About three hours later, have a small snack with a similar nutrient profile. You’ll be less hungry for lunch and more apt to make better choices when you’re not voraciously hungry. Another balanced snack after lunch and before dinner curbs the pre-dinner and even post-dinner snacking, while decreasing the likelihood you’ll overeat at dinner.

Fruit, nuts, shakes and other snacks are easy to prepare and carry with you.

4. STOP MULTITASKING AND INSTEAD CREATE TIME CHUNKS
The more tasks we split our energy between in a given period of time, the poorer our performance on each of the tasks will become. In addition, we use our energy inefficiently when we try to do many things at once, so we end up spending quite a bit of energy with a very limited return on our investment.

Instead of attempting to do multiple tasks at once, create a clear time frame to focus on one thing. This could be as short as a few minutes or it could be hours. Most people will find a “sweet spot,” during which they can apply maximal focus without going off course. If you have to keep up with multiple demands, you may need to create short time chunks. This way, you can use your energy effectively and efficiently on one task, do it well, then move to another task and repeat.

Many successful people have learned to use time chunks for meetings, email, projects, hobbies and other work or leisure tasks so they can get the largest return for their investments of time and energy.

5. GRATITUDE
When we’re flying through each day, trying to keep up with the constant demands being thrown at us, it’s easy to slip into “the sky is falling, whoa is me” mode. When we’re stressed, our brains work differently. We tend to only see what’s in front of us and we lose scope of a bigger picture.

While it’s true that things can go very wrong, there are always things that are going very right,  but this can be tough to remember when the going gets tough.

When you let your fight-or-flight brain completely take over for long periods of time, you squander your energy levels and drain them quickly. Something as simple as taking five minutes a day to write down a short (or long) list of things you are thankful for can help turn off, or at least turn down, the fight-or-flight brain. This realization that there are positive things in your life despite negative events can help boost your mood, energy and even performance.

Try one or all of these simple, energy-exploding strategies every day to refill your energy tanks and live an extraordinary life.

Kickboxer's Diet

Most dieters end up regaining lost weight, and then put on some extra pounds as well. Weight cycling can increase your chances for developing hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Kickboxers are able to maintain a healthy weight by accepting their body type, staying active and eating nutritious foods. A kickboxer's diet is balanced and designed to promote muscle toning, increase energy, decrease fat and speed up injury recovery time.

Liquids
Water is the number one most important liquid for kickboxers to drink. Water helps along every single body function. You don't have to drown yourself with water; simply sip water throughout the whole day. Don't wait to drink water until your thirsty. All athletes are well-hydrated, especially before an event. While fruit and vegetable juice isn't bad for you, it's better to hydrate yourself with water and eat whole fruits and veggies. Fat-free milk is a good source of protein and calcium, and can help kickboxers lower their body fat.

Foods
Natural foods are best for kickboxers. Eat plenty of whole-grain cereals, brown rice, whole wheat breads and pastas, beans, lean meats, fish, eggs and egg whites, potatoes, fruits and vegetables. Season food with green pepper, onion, oregano, lemon, garlic and cilantro. It's okay to eat low-fat mayonnaise, cheese and yogurt, too.

Foods To Avoid
Kickboxers avoid tea, coffee, alcohol and drinks with sugar, which are all stimulants that can affect their body's rhythm. If you don't want to completely drop these drinks, reduce and limit your intake. Stay away from sugar and sugary foods, butter, sauces, full-fat foods and any food that has a high sodium content.

Preparation And Meals
Kickboxers eat foods that are grilled, baked, barbecued, boiled, steamed or microwaved. Avoid foods that are fried. Adding oil to your food means you're adding extra calories and saturated fat. Kickboxers eat a large breakfast daily. Lunch is smaller than breakfast, and dinner should be the smallest meal of the day. Kickboxers also sometimes opt to eat several small meals throughout the day. Eating more often can help you to lose weight, since your body stores less fat if it's fed approximately every three hours. Do not eat later than four hours before bed time. Eating too close to your bed time means that the food won't be digested or burnt off.

Kickboxer Mentality
It's important to recognize and respond to your internal cues when you want to eat. It's particularly important for athletes and regular exercisers to tune in to their body's cues. Ignore peer pressure and media images and determine which foods will prepare you for fitness. Think about what you're really craving. Determine if your body wants something hot, cold or room-temperature, crunchy or chewy, and sweet, bitter, salty or spicy. You may need liquid instead of food as well. Tune out all messages that will inhibit your goals of maintaining a healthy weight and being a successful kickboxer.

5 Surprising Benefits of Yoga

If you enjoy yoga, you probably already know it helps with flexibility and strength. But according to recent research, yoga may improve your health (and wallet) in ways you may never have expected.

From helping treat insomnia, chronic stress, anxiety disorders and PTSD to preventing osteoporosis and relieving chronic pain, yoga has a wealth of medical benefits, according to Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, PhD, a leading authority on yoga and mind-body medicine. Khalsa is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate neuroscientist in the sleep disorders program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Yoga practitioners reap medical benefits from "the entire constellation of what constitutes yoga: meditation, exercise and breathing techniques,” Khalsa says. “Yoga practice has them all.”

Here's more on the newer uses of yoga that Khalsa and other experts are hopeful about.

Benefit 1: Better sleep
Yoga, among other mind-body treatments, is effective for people who have trouble sleeping, according to a review of 12 studies in the Brazilian Review of Psychiatry. Another small study also found yoga improves sleep in people plagued by insomnia.

Veronica Zador, a yoga therapist who directs the Detroit-area Beaumont hospital system school of yoga therapy, says that the reason many people can’t sleep is that they can’t put their stress to bed.

“When you learn how to manage stress, you often find you can manage your sleep a little better,” says Zador, one of the few yoga therapists in the country who is part of a medical school. “I teach medically-referred patients how to manage how you breath, which can help you learn how to notice stressful thoughts but perhaps react a little differently.” Slow, deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which calms the body down, she explains. (The vagus nerve helps controls the heart beat, muscle movement and breathing, among other things.)

Benefit 2: Lower healthcare costs
Consider the study of 4,452 patients whose doctors recommended they try a mindfulness based program that included yoga and meditation for their stress-related illnesses. Study director James E. Stahl, MD, director of the Institute of Technology Assessment at Massachusetts General Hospital, compared those patients with some 13,000 patients who did not use a relaxation program. The results? Healthcare use in the yoga/mindfulness group dropped 43 percent in the year following the program, according to research published in 2015 in PLOS One.

Experts say this is partly because yoga triggers the body’s relaxation response, which lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. (Early studies indicate it may even change how our genes react to stress.) “What is important is that we helped people elicit the relaxation response, which you can think of as opposite the ‘fight or flight’ response,” notes Stahl. This means they used yoga and other mindfulness training to develop resilience to stress in their daily lives, he explained.

“It’s pretty clear that consistently eliciting this relaxation response helps your body heal and feel better,” Stahl says. “And when you are feeling and healing better, you are less likely to use health care resources.”

Benefit 3: Osteoporosis prevention
It’s well known that women who do weight-bearing exercises can slow the natural bone loss that comes with aging, since those exercises encourage bones to grow denser and stronger. But until recently, whether yoga could have a similar impact was unknown.

Loren Fishman, MD, medical director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the author of "Yoga for Osteoporosis," used his own money to fund an intriguing study in 800 people. It found that 12 yoga poses performed in 12 minutes of daily yoga not only slowed bone loss, but in some cases helped build bone.

“Three quarters of women with osteoporosis don't take the medication that is prescribed for bone loss,” notes Fishman. “That’s a disaster waiting to happen.” In the study, he found that patients who stuck with a dozen specific yoga poses over a 10-year period also improved bone density in the spine and femur.

Benefit 4: Easing the trauma of cancer treatment
This use of yoga has exploded over the last 10 years, according to Khalsa. “You can’t find a major cancer center that doesn’t have a yoga class,” he says. “It isn’t that yoga cures cancer; it is that modern medicine doesn’t have anything as good for the stress and trauma of a cancer diagnosis and the side effects of treatment: fatigue, ‘chemobrain’ and insomnia.”

A study published in a 2012 issue of BMC Cancer, for example, found that cancer patients or survivors practicing yoga had “large reductions” in distress, anxiety and depression and a moderate boost in their overall quality of life and emotional and social health, along with a moderate decrease in fatigue.

Benefit 5: Relieving chronic pain
A 2013 study suggests that mind-body treatments like yoga may have a protective effect on the nerves involved in pain processing. And research published in Cerebral Cortex in 2014 suggests that that yoga practice improves pain regulation, according to Khosla.

This may result partly by changing our response to pain, according to Zador. She explains that resistance to pain, “which is natural,” often causes a chain reaction that results in more pain. “When we allow certain techniques to reduce our stress and response to pain, we increase functionality,” she says. “This is where yoga can play such a big role with both physical pain and emotional pain.”

How to Get a Six-Pack Without Dieting (5 Steps)

Firm abdominal muscles don't just look great: They protect vital organs and improve your posture. If you want the great look and other benefits of a "six-pack" but don't want to diet, don't worry. You can tone your abs and firm up your flabby belly without cutting calories or going hungry.

This doesn't mean you can go on high-calorie binges and still expect to achieve a great-looking six-pack--but you don't have to go on a strict diet to get the abdominal muscles in excellent shape. All you have to do is raise your metabolism through cardiovascular exercise and tone muscle through abdominal strengthening exercises.

Tips

1. Do cardiovascular exercises every day. You should get your heart rate up for at least half an hour a day. Doing this will raise your metabolism. Exercises that can help raise the heart rate sufficiently include biking, aerobics, swimming and jogging. Rowing machines also provide an excellent cardiovascular workout while at the same time toning the arms, legs, back and abdomen.

2. Perform crunches every day. Rest comfortably on your back with your knees drawn up and your feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Place your hands behind your head and, tightening your stomach muscles, lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor. Hold this position for at least one breath. Repeat as many times as you can.

3. Practice side crunches every day. Side crunches are similar to standard crunches, but you will be exercising your oblique muscles (the area of the waist where "love handles" sometimes form). To do side crunches, assume the crunch position, then rest your right ankle against your left knee, as if you are crossing your leg. Lift toward the left knee, bringing your right elbow up to touch the knee if you can. Do as many as you can, then switch sides.

4. Do bicycle crunches every day. Lie on the floor with your hands behind your head. Draw your knees up perpendicular to your belly, and pedal the air as if pedaling a bicycle. Raise your shoulders off the floor and touch your elbow to each knee in turn--in other words, when your left knee is drawn up, your right elbow will touch the left knee, and when the right knee is drawn up the left elbow will touch the right knee. The key to this exercise is to keep your stomach tight and your shoulders off the floor.

5. Practice good breathing techniques. Proper breathing helps strengthen abdominal muscles from the inside out. When you inhale, your belly should move outward slightly. When you exhale, gently pull your abdominal muscles in.

How to Stretch Arm Muscles

Stretching is an important part of exercising and is too often overlooked. Stretching helps to loosen your body and can help prevent cramping and pulled muscles. Stretching also increases flexibility and improves range of motion.

Stretch Biceps
Extend your arm straight out to the side with your thumb towards the ceiling. Your arm should be parallel to the floor. Remember to keep your hand open.

Place the palm of your hand on something stationary, like a doorway or a pole.

Stand with your feet placed shoulder width apart.

Rotate your upper body away from your extended arm without moving your feet. Rotate slowly and don't let your arm fall.

Stop when you feel a stretch in your bicep.

Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds.

Repeat this stretch on your other arm.

Stretch Your Triceps
Extend your arm straight out in front of you with your palm facing the ceiling.

Keep your upper arm extended while bringing your hand back to touch your shoulder.

Bring your entire arm up so that your elbow is pointing to the ceiling. Allow your hand to slide from your shoulder to your upper back.

Reach with your other arm, above and behind your head, and push your pointed elbow back until you feel a stretch in your triceps.

Wait, in this position, for a minimum of 30 seconds.

Switch arms and repeat this stretch.

Stretch Shoulder Muscles
Extend you arm straight out to your side with your thumb towards the ceiling.

Lower your arm, so that your hand is level with the top of your abdomen.

Find a doorway or another stationary object and place the palm of your hand on it.

Rotate your upper body until you feel a stretch through your upper arm and shoulder.

Hold the stretch for at least 30 seconds. Rest before the next stretch.

Reach across your body to just above your hip. Take your other arm and, at the elbow, gently pull your stretching arm. Do not pull your elbow up or down, but across your torso as if drawing a line that is parallel to the floor.

Hold this position for 30 seconds, resting a few seconds before the next stretch.

Reach across your chest and place your hand on your opposite shoulder. If you cannot reach your other shoulder, go as far as you can without serious discomfort.

Use your other arm and gently pull the elbow on your stretching arm towards the shoulder your grabbed with your hand.

Maintain the stretch for at least 30 seconds, and then repeat these stretches on the other shoulder.

How Many Calories Do You Burn During One Hour of Zumba?

Zumba inspires a clublike atmosphere as you shake and shimmy across the aerobics room floor. You get lost in the beat of music, which includes salsa, merengue, reggaeton and hip-hop, while creating a fitter and slimmer you. The number of calories you burn depends on your size and the intensity with which you party. According to the online calorie calculator Health Status, Zumba class burns about 504 calories per hour if you weigh 150 pounds. Larger people burn more; a 200-pound person, for example, burns 720 calories in an hour, while a 130-pound person burns 468 calories. A class that's based more on classic Latin dances such as salsa burns about 321 calories per hour if you weigh 150 pounds.

Hard Data
In a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise, 19 college-age women participating in Zumba while wearing heart rate monitors showed an average burn of 9.5 calories per minute, with burn rates ranging from 5.1 to 15.3 calories per minute. In a less scientific study published in Glamour in 2014, participants wearing activity trackers reported burning 423 to 787 calories in a vigorous one-hour class.

Turn Up the Heat
If you want to burn more calories in class, you'll have to pick up your intensity. Use up a lot of space when you dance -- move forward and back or side to side with gusto and flair. Extend your arms fully as you perform arm movements to capitalize on the calorie-burn potential.

Ten Minute Fat Burning Cardio Workout

It’s sometimes hard to find time to exercise, but it isn't difficult to squeeze a few minutes of activity into even the busiest schedule. Working out for just 10 minutes is doable for most people. To be effective though, you will need to exercise at a vigorous pace to make the most of every minute. A10-minute, fat-burning cardio workout that utilizes high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, will jumpstart your body’s fat-burning process.

Basics of HIIT
While a 10-minute cardio workout doesn’t seem like much, HIIT promotes fat loss in a short period of time. It involves alternating short low-to-moderate intense intervals done at about 30 to 50 percent of your maximum effort; vigorous intervals are performed at 70 to 90 percent of your max effort. This 10-minute workout is flexible in that you can use any cardio exercise you desire, including treadmill exercise, elliptical training, cycling, jogging or running in-place. A benefit of HIIT is that it promotes excess-post exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC, which means your body will continue to burn calories hours after the workout is completed.

Before and After
Due to the vigorous nature of this workout, it’s important to properly warm up and cool down. Spend about two or three minutes doing some light cardio before starting the workout, followed by some light stretching. Cool down after the workout for an additional two or three minutes, then do a final stretch. It’s important to gradually bring your heart rate down following the workout by properly cooling down. Failing to do so could lead to lightheadedness or even fainting.

The Workout
Start the workout with a 25-second fast interval done at near maximum speed followed by a 35-second rest period performed at moderate pace. Repeat this fast-and-slow interval pattern a total of 10 times, which completes your 10-minute workout. Adjust the intensity of the workout to suit your current fitness level, but make sure to challenge yourself for maximum fat-burning results. If you feel faint or completely out of breath during the workout, it’s a sign you may need to lower your intensity level a bit. If the workout seems easy, increase your intensity level.

Tips
Use any of a number of free interval training apps to easily keep track of your intervals, or you can simply use a stopwatch. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout since you’ll be sweating quite a bit. Vary your workouts every week to prevent boredom, such as trying jogging instead of cycling. Push yourself to make the most of your 10-minute workout, but at the same time be safe and wary of signs you’re overdoing it. Check with your doctor before starting this workout if you’re a beginner or have any existing cardiovascular or obesity-related diseases.

5-Day Workout Plan to Lose Weight

One of the fastest ways to lose weight and gain muscle tone is to alternate your cardio and weight training workouts. Choose challenging, 45-minute fat-shredding routines to keep your muscles and metabolism guessing. Partner your five-day routine with healthy eating and you'll see results within two weeks.

Select Your Routine
Choosing the right routine is almost as important as completing the exercise. You'll want to do cardio and strength training exercises that will keep you engaged, interested and challenged—otherwise you won't do it. Try a mixture of routines where you train inside the house, outside, at the gym and even in the pool.

Two of the easiest cardio routines are running and speed walking. However, some people don’t enjoy running or have injuries that prevent them from doing so. Other cardio includes rowing, swimming, cycling, aerobic dance, elliptical training and boxing. Because most cardio routines are repetitive, incorporate interval training (also called sprinting) throughout your routine to boost weight loss. Sprinting challenges you to push yourself harder for a specific amount of time, then drop back down to a steady pace for a while before pushing yourself again. Change the length of your training intervals for the best weight loss results.

On the days you aren’t doing cardio, concentrate on strength training. Strength training is important because it conditions muscles to incinerate fat more efficiently. You'll burn more calories even when you're not working out because solid muscle tissue burns up to 50 calories per pound.

Weight lifting is one of the most obvious forms of strength training but you can also explore Pilates, yoga, boot camp training or another cardio routine, such as speed walking with weights.

Five-Day Plan
Your week consists of five days of exercise and two days of rest. Plan to workout two days in a row, take off the following day, then workout the next two days. Take off one more day, then finish with one last strong workout at the end of the week.

You can alter which exercise you begin with, but be sure you always rotate between cardio and weights to allow your muscles to repair between workouts.

Start your week with a 45 minute cardio run outdoors. For the first day, aim to complete the entire run at a brisk but steady pace. Day two is strength training, so try completing a yoga DVD such as Mark Blanchard’s Progressive Power Yoga or lift weights for up to 60 minutes. If you choose to lift weights, the easiest way to hit multiple muscle groups is to use a weight lifting manual, such as The Body Sculpting Bible for Men by James Villepigue and Hugo A. Rivera (the authors have another book by the same name for women). Another way to maximize your workout is to purchase a weight training DVD such as Jackie Warner’s Workout or Jillian Michael’s No More Trouble Zones weight training workouts.

Rest on day three and then begin day four with another cardio routine. You can choose to try either another cardio exercise or and interval workout with the same workout as day one. If you choose to interval train, spend shorter times doing energy burst and longer times at a steady pace. For example, if you are running, run to the point where you can’t carry on a conversation for one minute, and then drop down to a steady pace for four minutes.

Day five is another strength routine. Use the same weights as you did on day two and either do the same DVD or strength workout, or try another strength training workout.

Rest on day six and then do a cardio blast on day seven. This is the perfect day to kick up interval training. Increase your fast paced time to two minutes and keep a steady pace for only three minutes during the entire 45 minute workout. Even though this is the most intense cardio day of the week, you’ll notice that your body is stronger and more capable to handle the intensity. Go back to day one with strength building and continue alternating the days.

Beyond Five Days
A five day routine will kick-start your weight loss process; however, to continue losing weight and toning muscles, you will need to change your routine every few months. It takes approximately four to six weeks for your body to adapt to a workout routine, which means that your muscle tone and weight loss efforts could plateau. Create muscle confusion by trying a new cardio routine or adding more weight to your training program. For example, if you’ve been running for your cardio workout, try cycling or aerobic dance for a few months. Introduce yoga as a new strength routine if you’ve been only lifting weights.

Maintain the same weekly program for another two to three months, and then introduce something new.

Exercises to Get Rid of the Low Stomach Pouch

The lower abdominal "pouch" afflicts even the most dedicated exercisers. According to Ask the Trainer, "Your body likes to store fat in the lower abdominal region. This makes it doubly difficult to reduce the bulge in that area." Getting rid of the pouch takes work. Eating right, doing cardio such as running or biking, and targeting the lower abdominals with specific exercises are keys to shrinking your lower belly. As you perform these exercises, do them properly at your own pace.

V Sit-Ups
Lie on your back on a mat or carpet with your arms extended straight behind your head. Use your abdominal strength to lift both your legs and arms at the same time, keeping your lower back, arms and legs straight. Exhale and slowly lower your arms and legs toward the floor to return to the starting position.

Jackknives
The jackknife can be done with your knees bent or kept straight, whichever is more comfortable for you. Lie on the floor, an exercise mat or a bench if you’re up for a challenge. If you’re on a bench, keep only your upper body (from your hips up) on the bench. Bend your elbows and place your hands behind your head. Bring your knees and shoulders together to complete a “crunch.” Straighten your legs and return your back and shoulders to the ground as you lower your body back into the starting position.

Side Turns
Lie on your back on the floor with your feet straight in the air and your legs as straight as possible. Your legs should form a 90 degree angle with your hips. Straighten your arms on the floor so that they extend straight from your sides. Keep your lower back on the floor throughout the exercise. Flex your abdominal muscles as you turn both legs to the left, moving them downwards toward the floor on your left side. When your legs reach the floor, raise your legs back to the center position. Repeat the exercise while lowering your legs toward your right side.

Leg Kicks
Lie on your back on the floor with your feet a few inches above the ground. Extend your legs as far as is comfortable for you. Begin to move your legs quickly up and down as if you are kicking while you swim. As one leg moves down toward the floor, the other should move up toward the ceiling. Keep your back on the floor. To increase the difficulty, wear ankle weights.

Leg Scissors
To visualize this exercise, imagine the motion of a pair of scissors as they cut. Lie on your back on the floor, again with your feet a few inches above the ground. Spread both legs outward away from your center as far as you can. Bring your legs back together, crossing your left leg over your right. Spread your legs out to the side again, bring them together and cross the right leg over your left. For added difficulty, add ankle weights.

How to Use Water Exercises for Back Pain

Many people with back pain use water exercises for relief and relaxation. By reducing the amount of pressure on the intervertebral discs and joints, the muscles in your back are less likely to become inflamed and painful. When you exercise in a pool, the water helps to support your body weight while you work to increase the strength of the muscles in your back, preventing further stiffness and pain.

Warm up for at least 5 minutes before beginning to use water exercises to manage your back pain. Try to do the same type of movements included in the exercises you plan to perform but at a slower pace. Warming up will allow your body temperature, breathing pattern and heart rate to adjust to the levels needed for aerobic exercise.

Stay hydrated when exercising to reduce back pain. Even though you will be submerged in water the majority of the time, you still need to drink plenty of it before, during and after your workout to keep the muscles in your back from tightening.

Work out in warm water to keep your back as comfortable as possible. The temperature of your pool's water should be at least 80 degrees F when used for aerobic exercise.

Exercise your back muscles by standing against the wall in the shallow end of the pool and performing squats in sets of five. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and a few inches away from the wall, and then slowly crouch down, allowing your back to slide down the wall. Keep going until your knees are bent as if you are sitting down, rest for 5 seconds and then stand once more.

Walk or march in the water for intervals of 10 to 15 minutes without resting. This type of low-impact aerobic activity will strengthen the muscles in your back and abdominals, without putting stress on the discs and joints in your back.

Cool off by walking very slowly through the water for about 5 minutes. This will allow the muscles in your back to readjust to their normal resting states and should prevent any unnecessary soreness.

8 Strategies For Improving Strength

It is a common misperception that the larger a muscle is, the more force it is able to produce.  There is, however, a big difference (pun intended) between a muscle’s size and it’s ability to generate force. Muscles can appear large based on the volume of intracellular fluid, blood and water contained in the tissue. This is commonly referred to as the “pump” that occurs after lifting weights and explains why some incredibly strong weightlifters have a completely different physique than bodybuilders. It also explains why some bodybuilders with large muscles and amazing physiques are not necessarily capable of competing effectively in strength-based competitions like Powerlifting or Strongman.

Bodybuilders train for the specific goal of improving size and appearance, which requires isolation training to focus on increasing a muscle’s size rather than it’s force output. Weightlifters train to maximize the net magnitude of muscle force they can produce. This is a specific skill requiring numerous muscles to work synergistically to contract at the same time. If your clients are interested in improving strength, but don’t necessarily want to experience muscle growth, here are eight things to keep in mind as you design their programs.

1. MUSCLE SIZE IS DUE TO SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY.
Performing a high volume of reps to momentary fatigue produces the response of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which is an increase in size in the fluid-containing sarcoplasm around muscle cells, but not in the individual muscle fibers themselves. Lifting to momentary fatigue fills a muscle with blood that carries oxygen to the muscle to fuel the contractions. It also depletes the muscle of glycogen, which is used to create the ATP to fuel the contractions. Post-exercise, extra blood remains in the muscle to remove metabolic waste, deliver protein to repair damaged tissue, and replenish the glycogen used to fuel the contractions. One gram of glycogen can hold up to 3 grams of water in the muscle cell. As muscle glycogen is restored, it holds additional water in the cell, which can lead to an acute increase in muscle size. This is how a muscle can get larger without necessary becoming stronger. It is simply storing more fluid, which increases the total volume of the muscle cells.

2. MYOFIBRILLAR HYPERTROPHY IS AN INCREASE IN THICKNESS OF THE INDIVIDUAL MYOFIBRILS (MUSCLE FIBERS) THAT COMPRISE A UNIT OF MUSCLE, AND IS THE FOUNDATION OF IMPROVING STRENGTH.
When myofibrils become thicker, there is more surface area connecting individual myofibrils to one another. Strength is based on a muscle’s ability to generate tension. As the surface tension between individual fibers increases, the net result is greater force output from the entire muscle. As a muscle experiences myofibrillar hypertrophy, it becomes thicker and denser, but not necessarily larger. This is why many weightlifters lack the overinflated appearance of their bodybuilding cousins—they are simply using their muscles differently.

3. INCREASING STRENGTH REQUIRES PROPER STIMULATION OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM COMPONENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS.
In the case of improving strength, the goal is to recruit as many fast-twitch (type II) muscle motor units as possible within a specific muscle. This is known as intramuscular coordination. A muscle motor unit is the motor neuron, which initiates the signal for a muscle fiber to contract, and the specific fibers to which it is attached. Increasing the number of fast-twitch motor units that are activated during an exercise can have a significant impact on the total force a muscle can produce. Your muscles shake when you lift a heavy weight because more type II motor units are being “switched on” (as the type I, slow-twitch units fatigue) to shorten their attached fibers and generate the tension necessary to move the applied weight.

4. THE MAXIMAL EFFORT METHOD OF TRAINING IS ONE WAY TO INCREASE STRENGTH BY STIMULATING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE MOTOR UNITS.
This method requires a near-maximal load that can be performed for just one to three repetitions. The Maximal Effort method does not need to be performed to failure; rather, the focus is on moving the weight as fast as possible to maximize the number of muscle motor units recruited. Even though a lifter is pushing as fast as possible, the exercise itself may not be that quick due to the magnitude of the weight. Using the Maximal Effort method requires long rest intervals of three to five minutes to allow both neural and metabolic recovery.

5. THE DYNAMIC EFFORT METHOD OF TRAINING FOCUSES ON THE SPEED OF MOVEMENT TO RECRUIT MORE TYPE II MUSCLE MOTOR UNITS.
Explosively moving a weight requires rapid force production. The nervous system responds by triggering the type II motor units, which can produce a high amount of force in a short period of time. The Dynamic Effort method can use elastic bands and chains to create a variable load that allows the lifter to accelerate as fast as possible all of the way through the movement.

6. THE REPEATED EFFORT METHOD OF WEIGHT LIFTING USES A MODERATE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT PERFORMED UNTIL MOMENTARY MUSCLE FATIGUE.
Muscle motor units are recruited based on the size principle: When a muscle receives the signal to contract, it will recruit smaller type I units first. As the need for force increases, the larger type II units will be called into action. Performing a lift to fatigue at approximately six to eight repetitions is one way to recruit all of the involved fibers within that muscle.

7. LADDER SETS, DEVELOPED BY SOVIET SPORT SCIENTISTS, IS A TRAINING METHOD THAT CAN PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH RESULTS.
It requires a lifter to allow rest within a specific set to focus on maximal muscle motor unit recruitment without experiencing fatigue. A 1-2-3-4 ladder set requires the lifter to perform one repetition and then rest before completing two reps, followed by another rest before completing three repetitions. Finally, finally one more brief rest interval is taken before completing four repetitions in a row. This is considered one set. The amount of rest between reps in an individual set is based on the amount of weight and the speed of movement. The goal of a ladder set is to complete all reps with good form to optimize lifting technique and movement skill.

8. REST
This is a requisite component of success for high-performing strength athletes. The muscles work during the training session, but it’s during the post-training period that the muscles rest, refuel, repair themselves and generally recover to prepare for the next training session. On days when you want to focus on developing max strength, make sure the client has had plenty of time for adequate sleep that night for optimal tissue repair and recovery.

Training to momentary muscle fatigue is a successful method for increasing muscle size. If the goal is to improve muscle strength, however, the training program must focus on achieving successful lifts to recruit and engage as many muscle motor units as possible. This does not always require achieving momentary fatigue. As with any method of exercise, what may work for some clients may not necessarily work for all clients. Identifying what will help your clients achieve specific strength goals will require some trial and error.

6 Standing AB Exercises

Why should you be doing standing abdominal exercises? By changing the position in which you perform an exercise, you change the way your body moves and how the muscles are activated. You can also avoid the neck pain many people experience during floor-based abdominal exercises. Plus, by moving your abdominal workout from the floor to standing, you may be able to avoid unnecessary stresses on the joints and create a more dynamic workout.

Trunk or core exercises should be treated like other muscle groups; which means using proper form and resting 48 hours in between muscle-specific workouts. By training your core every other day, you will be giving your muscle fibers enough time to rebuild and clear out any lactic acid that may have accumulated. Oblique exercises consist of twisting and rotational movements, transverse abdominal exercises support the spine such as planks or core bridges, and rectus abdominis exercises such as crunches or hip flexion movements.

You shouldn’t have to feel neck pain to get a great abdominal workout. Gradually strengthen your neck by performing the following standing abdominal exercises and, over time, add one floor-based exercise such as crunches or leg raises.

Begin by completing each movement for 10 seconds; gradually increase by 10 seconds each round. The only equipment you’ll need is a medicine ball with handles or a weight plate for appropriate exercises.

RIBBONS

Start at the right hip and move diagonally over your head to the opposite hip.

TWISTS

Hold the weight in front of you and squeeze the glutes to avoid hip movement.

OVERHEAD LEAN

Extend the arms overhead while slowly leaning the upper body to the right and then to then left.


ONE-HANDED TOSS

Begin in a standing athletic position. Toss the medicine ball from the right hand to the left hand while contracting the abdominals.


RUGBY PASS

Hold the ball in two hands as if you are going to “pass” the ball laterally to someone. Brace your core and pass the ball from the right hip across the body; return to the starting position


SIDE DIPS

Hold the ball in one hand and stand up tall. Place the other hand on your head to help keep your shoulders back. Slowly lean to the side while keeping your torso squared and neck aligned with your spine.

How to Get Rid of Candida in the Stomach

Candida albicans is a type of yeast that lives in the body. In small amounts, it is harmless. However, there are several factors that can encourage candida to flourish, including an excess of refined sugar, or a weakened immune system due to diseases such as cancer. Your body will normally keep candida in check, using healthy bacteria to kill it, however if your body is deficient in healthy bacteria, you may experience symptoms of an overgrowth of candida. Candida frequently affects the digestive system, including the stomach.

Things You'll Need

• Acidophilus supplement
• Acidophilus milk
• Yogurt with acidophilus

Identify possible candida symptoms. Symptoms of widespread candida growth include bloating, gas, fatigue, headaches, cravings for sugar and alcohol, mood swings, diarrhea, vaginitis, depression, sinus inflammation, irritability, low libido, dizziness and earaches.

Restrict sugar as much as possible. Refined sugar encourages the growth of candida. Sources include white and brown sugar, syrups—including corn, maple, and rice—honey, maple sugar and sorghum. If your symptoms are especially severe, you may want to restrict your fruit intake as well, as fruit contains natural sugar that may contribute to candida.

Minimize products that contain yeast, including bread, rolls, pastries, muffins, crackers, bagels and similar products. Not only does yeast encourage candida growth, but these products also typically contain refined sugar as well.

Eliminate alcohol, as alcoholic drinks can contribute to candida problems. It is also beneficial to eliminate or significantly reduce coffee intake, both caffeinated and decaffeinated.

Refrain from taking antibiotics unless you must. Antibiotics destroy the healthy bacteria that grows in your digestive system. Without sufficient “good” bacteria to counteract candida, candida can rapidly multiply and overwhelm your digestive system.

Take an acidophilus supplement every day to encourage the cultivation of healthy bacteria. There are also other acidophilus-enriched food products you can buy, such as acidophilus milk and yogurt. Be sure to check all yogurt labels for the words “live cultures” and “acidophilus.”

Fast-Acting Ab Exercises

One of the most telltale signs of a fit person is the highly coveted six-pack abs.These washboard abs signal lots of time spent in the gym doing crunches and situps – or do they? While it’s true that crunches and situps will help tone your abdominal muscles, doing these alone will not give you the results you want, or as quickly as you would like. For fast results, you need a variety of ab exercises that will work your entire core, as well as a cardio plan that will melt midsection fat to showcase the muscles underneath.

Plank
The plank is a deceptively simple move that will work your core, including your abs, lower back and pelvic muscles. To do a plank, get into pushup position, engage your core muscles and hold the stance for 30 to 60 seconds. You can do a few different variations on this standard plank, including a side plank which works your obliques, or a more challenging version with leg and arm raises. Do a side plank by lying on one side with your feet stacked, and then raising up on the arm closest to the ground. Keep this stabilizing arm straight, then reach toward the ceiling with the other arm. Increase the challenge of the standard plank by raising one leg at a time, or extending one arm at a time forward.

Crunch Variety
Even though crunches alone won’t give you ripped abs, they are still a valuable part of a core routine. In addition to doing traditional crunches, you can also try exercises such as reverse crunches and side crunches to work different areas in your core. Reverse crunches are done by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet in the air. Spread your arms to the side and rest them on the floor. Use your abdominal muscles to bring your knees closer to your chest and lift your hips and butt off the floor. Do side crunches to work your obliques. From a kneeling position, lean to your right side and put that palm on the floor. Put your left hand behind your head and first extend, then raise your left leg to hip height; crunch so the left side of your rib cage moves toward your left hip.

Yoga and Pilates-Inspired Exercises
Yoga and Pilates are both core-centric forms of exercise, so it’s no surprise that a few moves in particular can speed up your ab routine results. Try the cobra, which elongates your abs and works your lower back, too. Lie face down with elbows bent and palms by your chest, then gently raise your head, shoulders and chest off the floor. The hundred is a basic Pilates exercise that is done by lying on your back with your arms extended toward your hips and your knees bent and raised in the air. Lift your head and shoulders off the mat, then pulse your arms and hands in short, up and down movements.

Cardio
Cardio plays another important role in obtaining the desired results for your abs. This type of exercise blasts calories and burns the fat which covers up muscle. No matter how much strength training you do for your abs, if there’s a layer of fat on top of them, no one will be able to see your hard work. Melt the fat away with activities such as running, cycling or swimming for two to three hours per week.

How to Lose Upper-Body Muscle Mass on a Female

Purposely losing upper-body muscle may seem like a strange idea. Nevertheless, some women who’ve built relatively large arm, shoulder, chest or back muscles may wish to reshape their bodies into a more traditional look. Alternatively, a woman who’s built herself up to play one sport -- throwing the shot put, for example -- may need a slimmer physique to succeed at another activity, such as gymnastics. Whatever your reason, you can remain well-toned while reducing your upper-body muscle mass if you do so carefully.

Reduce the length of your workouts. All else being equal, the harder you work your muscles, the stronger and larger they grow. Women’s muscles won’t bulk up as large as men’s muscles, due to insufficient testosterone levels, but they still respond to exercise, or to a lack of exercise. So if you’re performing two sets of your upper-body exercises, for instance, limit yourself to one set to reduce your muscle mass.

Work out less frequently. For example, perform one upper-body workout each week instead of two or do two instead of three.

Lessen the intensity of your workouts. Reduce the amount of weight you lift or find alternate methods of lowering the intensity. If you do standard pushups, for instance, elevate your hands by 12 to 24 inches to make the exercise easier.

Perform high-rep, low-weight sets of your upper-body exercises. Use very light weights and do 80 to 100 reps to increase your slow-twitch muscle fibers and reduce the larger fast-twitch fibers.

Replace some resistance training with steady-state cardio activities. Ride an exercise bike, use a treadmill or perform a similar aerobic exercise that doesn’t build upper-body strength. If you use an elliptical, don’t pull on the resistance handles.

Wait until at least three hours after your workout to consume protein. The lack of post-workout protein will inhibit your muscle growth.