Spur your triceps growth

In general, you must first build triceps mass before you can refine it, says Matt Malotki, who holds an advanced certification from the National Academy for Health and Fitness. "If one of your primary training goals is to add mass to your triceps, it's a good idea to train them first in your workout," he says. "When you train them after chest or shoulders, you've already partially exhausted them, so you aren't able to target them as effectively for mass building." Malotki suggests training triceps before biceps or back over the course of the next eight weeks, during your mass-building phase (see workout, page 40). He recommends the following exercises:

* Triceps press-down. "This is an excellent warm-up exercise to pump blood into the triceps," Malotki says. "Keep your weight moderate and your reps high."

* Close-grip bench press. "This exercise is one of the best mass builders, as it allows you to use a decent amount of weight and target the triceps at the same time," Malotki says.

Form is crucial. "Often, people let their elbows travel out way too far. This can cause injury and reduces the effectiveness of the exercise." Instead, keep your elbows in close to the body to keep most of the stress on the triceps. "When you bring the bar down, don't bounce it off your chest. Press the bar up with a controlled but explosive movement. At the top, hold the peak contraction, forcing your triceps to contract."

Malotki recommends keeping the weight moderate to build the triceps. "When you go too heavy with the weight, you tend to recruit chest and shoulders and reduce the amount of work your triceps do."

* EZ-bar triceps extension.

According to Malotki, this exercise is also a capable mass builder. "My preferred method is to perform them leaning against an incline bench set at 10 to 15 degrees below vertical. Sit against the seat, then scoot up so that the bar can extend over the top of the bench." Lower the bar until your elbows are bent to about 90 degrees, or until you feel a good stretch in the triceps. "It's important to include at least one overhead movement when you work triceps, because this allows for a greater triceps stretch than other positions," Malotki says.

* Dip. "This is a good triceps mass builder and finishing movement, but dips can be a little tough on the shoulders if you have rotator cuff problems," Malotki cautions. Focus on using your triceps in this exercise. "Keep control and avoid using momentum. Lower yourself slowly, and feel the stretch in your triceps. Press back up and contract your triceps without locking out your elbows."

You won't be able to perform as many reps with this technique, but you'll build your triceps much more effectively.

Dakota Mitchell, American College of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer, adds his suggestions on how to bring out that coveted horseshoe.

* Emphasize isolation movements. "Isolation movements such as press-downs allow you to stay focused on your triceps," Mitchell says. "They involve a single joint--the elbow--and help prevent your shoulders and chest from assisting, forcing your triceps to do the work."

* Use unilateral movements. "Including one unilateral [one-arm] movement is important for increasing detail. You're able to squeeze the muscle out more efficiently when you target one arm at a time," says Mitchell. "When you're using both arms at the same time, it can be hard at first to get a really good contraction, because you tend to focus more on the load-bearing aspect of moving the weight. When you use one arm, you can really focus and even watch it to get visual cues."

Bonus: As you master the detail-enhancing methods of using one arm, you'll see more bilateral benefits. "A good exercise for stimulating both arms is rope press-downs, because you have to use both arms equally," Mitchell says. "With rigid bars, you tend to favor your stronger side."

* Include an overhead movement. Overhead triceps movements are important for creating definition. "I really like single-arm overhead extensions for targeting and developing the long head of the triceps," Mitchell notes.

* Use a slow and deliberate pace to a full contraction. Mitchell says that a slower pace will really stimulate your triceps fibers. "Combine that pace with full contraction. Make your triceps work as hard as possible with a moderate weight, and you'll really bring out the detail."

MALOTKI'S EIGHT-WEEK
MASS-BUILDING ROUTINE

EXERCISE           SETS    REPS

Warm-up sets *        2   15-20

Close-grip bench
press               4    8-12

EZ-bar triceps
extension         3-4    8-12

Dip                   3      15

* Perform two sets of triceps
press-downs with a light weight,
or do two sets of close-grip bench
presses, whichever you prefer.

MITCHELL'S SIX-WEEK
DETAIL-ENHANCING ROUTINE

EXERCISE               SETS    REPS

Warm-up sets *           2    15-20

Single-arm
overhead extension     3    12-15

Press-down               3    12-15

Rope press-down          3    12-20

* Perform two sets of triceps
press-downs with a light weight.

HOW TO GET BUILD UP

1. Weight Train

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of "free weights" like barbells and dumbbells, machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips.

For anyone trying to gain muscle, several things must be done. One is to train with heavy weights. By heavy I mean a weight that is challenging for YOU. The average guy in the gym usually works with a weight he can lift for 10-15+ reps. For mass gaining purposes, this is too light. Using an appropriate weight, you should only be able to do 4-8 reps. That's it! Using heavy weights and low reps puts your muscles and nervous system under much more stress than using lighter weights for many reps. This added stress causes the involvement and stimulation of more muscle fibers, which will cause rapid muscle growth.

For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight exercises. This is not to say that you shoud not use machines or bodyweight exercises, but they should not be the focus of your training. To get an effective, muscle blasting workout, you must stimulate the most muscle fibers as possible, and machines do not do this.

The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift. The more stabilizers and synergists worked, the more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift. On the other hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost no stabilizer assistance. Click here for my favorite mass building exercises..

If you are working out at home, make sure you check out this site for some greate home fitness equipment.


2. Eat More Calories

The most important thing that I cannot emphasize is that you need to eat to gain weight. You need to eat like you�ve never eaten before. If you are not eating enough calories, you will NEVER gain weight, no matter what you do. In order to build new muscle, you must eat more calories than your body burns off, creating what is called a caloric surplus. To gain mass, you should strive to eat around 18-20 times your bodyweight in calories. The extra calories will be used by your body to repair muscle tissue that is damaged during the heavy workouts, and to build new muscle.

Now, when I say eat, I do not mean just anything. All calories are not created equal. In other words, some types of calories are not equal to others for gaining muscle. For example, if I said that you need to eat 2,000 calories per day to gain weight, and you eat 4 bags of potato chips each day, do you think you would gain muscle? Not likely. The majority of your weight would be fat. Why? Because potato chips, like most processed junk food, contains empty, totally nutritionless calories. These foods do not provide you with the correct nutrient breakdown essential for gaining muscle.


3. Eat More Protein

Without protein, your body will not be able to build new muscle. Years ago, a higher carbohydrate and lower fat diet was the rage, recommended by professional bodybuilders and trainers. They claimed that this was the only way to eat for muscle gain. Unfortunately, the only people gaining muscle on that type of diet were a genetically gifted few. The rest just got fat.

Carbs serve mainly as energy for the body, while protein provides the necessary amino acids to build and repair muscle. For muscle growth, carbohydrates are not as essential as protein and fats. High quality protein, which the body breaks down into amino acids, should be the center point of all your meals. There are many studies that show intense exercise increases demand for amino acids, which support muscle repair and growth.To build muscle, you should try to get at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Whether you believe it or not, the fact is: High protein diets build more muscle when incorporated with intense training. Low protein diets do not. Period. Only protein can build muscle. Carbohydrates and fat cannot.

Here is one of the protein supplements that I recommend.


4. Eat More Often

To gain weight, you will be eating a large amount of calories. Unfortunately, your body can only assimilate a certain number of calories at each meal. For our purposes, eating three meals per day is not beneficial. If you had to eat 3,000 calories per day, then you would end up eating 1,000 calories at each meal. The average person can only use a portion of those calories. The excess will be stored as fat or removed from the body.

To enable your body to actually assimilate and use the 3,000 calories you will ingest, you have to reduce your meal size and increase your meal frequency. Splitting your calories into smaller, more frequent portions will enable food absorption and utilization of nutrients . I always eat six meals each day, evenly spaced out at three-hour intervals.

My goal is to provide my body with constant nourishment throughout the day. So if it typically takes about 2.5 hours to digest most meals, want to be eating another meal just as my last meal is leaving my stomach. I do this because my body is constantly in need of nutrients to repair itself. I do a lot of damage during my workouts and completely stress my system. My body is trying to "adapt to the stress," but in order to do this, it needs consistent fuel.

If I ate only three meals per day, then my body would be without nutrients for about six hours between each of those meals! This is unacceptable for skinny guys. Without food, your body will quickly begin to breakdown muscle tissue for energy.


5. Eat More Fat

If you want to gain muscle mass, you must eat enough dietary fat. Dietary fats play an essential role in hormone production, which in turn is responsible for growth and strength increases. I have never gained muscle on a low fat diet, though many people still believe that eating fat makes you fat. This is absolutely false. In fact, there is a very popular muscle gain diet that been around for years, called the "Anabolic Diet" that requires you to eat only fat! Butter, bacon, and heavy cream are all on the menu. Though quite extreme, this diet does work.

Most people are overweight because of a diet high in simple carbohydrates, not from eating fats. If your diet is too low in fat, your body will actually make a point to store any fat it gets, because it doesn't know when it will get more. A low-fat diet will also lower testosterone levels, something we do not want when trying to gain weight. Studies have shown that dietary fat has a direct relationship with testosterone production. An increase in dietary fat intake seems to bring on an increase in testosterone levels. The inverse is also true. A decrease in dietary fat intake is usually accompanied by a decrease in free testosterone levels.

However, you don't want to increase your intake of saturated fats. Saturated fats are what cause disease and coronary problems. Though you will always have some saturated fats in your diet, your main focus should be to increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs).

EFAs are unsaturated fats that are necessary for thousands of biological functions throughout the body. Because they cannot be manufactured by the body, the must be provided by your diet. These fatty acids not only help increase testosterone production, but they also aid in the prevention of muscle breakdown, help to increase your HDL level (good cholesterol) and assist in hormone production. To get your recommended amount of EFA's, I recommend supplementing your diet with either Udo's Perfect Oil Blend (which combines omega- and omega-6), or Cold-Pressed Flaxseed oil (which is mostly omega-3).


6. Drink More Water

To make sure that your muscles stay hydrated, you must drink plenty of water. Dehydration can happen easily if you train hard. A dehydrated muscle, takes longer to repair itself than one sufficiently hydrated.

Drinking a sufficient amount of water not only increases your vascularity (more visible veins), but it will also help to quickly remove toxins from the body. Protein generates metabolic waste products that must be dissolved in water. Without enough water, the kidneys cannot efficiently remove these wastes.


7. Take a Multi-Vitamin

There are many supplements and specific muscle gain enhancing products that I recommend using in my book, but I have to remember that this is only the 10 most important elements of a successful mass program. So, I have to keep this brief and to the point. All of the other products will help, but they are not essential. So, I will only touch on two vitamins supplements.Multi-Vitamins and Antioxidants.

If you want to gain muscle, you must make sure that you are not deficient in any vitamin, mineral or trace element that your body needs. I know many people are going to disagree with me, but I believe that in this day, we absolutely need to supplement our diet with vitamins and minerals. I know that those who are against using vitamins are going to say that if we "just eat a balanced diet. . . ", You know the rest.

Well first, eating a balanced diet is easier said than done. America is the most overweight country in the world. Most people don't even know what a "balanced" diet is. Balanced with what? Experts will continue to spout, "eat a balanced diet," while Americans feast on nutritionless fast food and sugar.

Second, not only do our bodies have to deal with the ever-increasing external stresses of everyday life, they also have to combat nutrient-depleting exercise. Food today is, for the most part, nutritionless - almost totally void of the body strengthening vitamins and minerals it contained one hundred years earlier. Instead, we now ingest over-processed, fiberless meals, and under-ripened vegetables grown in barren, over-farmed soil, laden with pesticides.

How healthy can that be? If you want to ignore the facts and continue on about "balanced diets," fine. It's your decision. But I, for one, eat a balanced diet, and I still take a multi-vitamin supplements.

Many mult-vitamin manufacturers try to put "everything" in their product, but it's not necessary. At minimum, your multi-vitamin should contain the USRDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E, K and the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, selenium, and possibly iron (for women). Men should find a multi-vitamin without iron. You typically get more than enough iron from your food. Extra iron is needed only for menstruating women.

It should also contain other essential nutrients like biotin, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum and pantothenic acid.

There are some vitamins and minerals that are best taken separately. Vitamin E, vitamin C, folic acid and calcium are best taken at higher dosages. Many proponents of multi-vitamins cite that taking that many vitamins and vitamins together causes negative interactions because they compete with each other for absorption. For example: magnesium, zinc, and calcium compete for absorption; copper and zinc also compete for absorption.

But think about this for a minute. This is no different than eating different foods at the same time, as most people do. The vitamins and minerals in the foods compete also. Competition is expected and the body is designed to handle that. Here is a good multi-vitamin that I use.


8. Take Antioxidants

An antioxidant like Vitamins A, C, E, Glutathione, Glutamine, and Selenium are essential in preventing free radical damage, which is accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. Antioxidants protect other substances by being oxidized themselves. Here's a good antioxidant blend that I also use.


9. Rest More Often

Rest is the most overlooked "skinny-guy secret". If you don't rest, you won't grow. Simple as that. Your body does not build muscle in the gym, it builds muscle while resting!

The key to successfully gaining weight is eating enough calories, training hard and then resting. No diet adjustments will make up for lack of rest. If you train hard in the gym, then you should be resting your muscles as much as possible. If you do not give them time to rest and repair, you will not grow. Period.


10. Be Consistent

O.K., so you want the secret to gaining muscle mass fast? Well, here it is: CONSISTENCY.

You can have the best diet, the best training schedule, join the best gym that has the best equipment, but without consistency it's all worthless.

Over the past 3 years, I've talked to hundreds of people who have successfully transformed their physique. Though most of them trained in totally different ways, there was one common denominator that appeared throughout each success story:

Day in and day out, they followed their pre-determined plan, consistently, without fail.

You must find the determination and drive within yourself to consistently put one foot in front of the other and see this through. If not now, then when?

"You never know what you can do, until you try to do more than you can." - Tony Blauer


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Think that this is too complicated or inconvenient?

Sometimes guys will complain to me about the perceived inconvenience of following a specific plan. I can see it�s easy to make excuses, after all, I used to do the same thing.

Don't get caught up in this. The truth is, the hardest part any training routine is getting started. You've got to break your old habits and make new paths for yourself. Remember that saying, �Do what you've always done, and get what you've always gotten�.

READ IT AGAIN!

Before I really learned the right way to gain muscle, I trained sporadically. I worked out when I felt like it. One week I might have trained five days, while another week I would train once or twice. As far as my routine was concerned, I did whatever seemed interesting at the time. Never keeping track of my sessions or planning my routines. I had been a member of a popular health club for 8 years, yet I had managed to gain not one pound of muscle. I tried all the popular "weight gaining" products at the time. Very expensive stuff like Cybergenics, weight gainer powders, Boron, amino acid tablets, etc. The list goes on.

Needless to say, none of it worked. I began to give in to the fact that I just could not gain weight. "It's because I have a fast metabolism", I was told. I had been thin my entire life, and I would have done just about anything to gain weight. For years I did not know what it felt like to weight more than 138 pounds. I was even underweight as a child.

After I was born, I had to remain at the hospital for an extra seven days because of my weight. Understand, this was not just some overnight problem for me my lack of size had plagued me my entire life. In my teen years, I took up the martial arts in hopes of learning to defend myself against the much larger kids at school. Too ashamed of my appearance, I was rarely seen without my shirt in the summer time. To thin, I was not allowed to play sports in high school or college.

When I speak, I speak from first hand experience. I am not some guy who is naturally athletic, or genetically gifted. I had always been thin, and I would still be thin if I had listened to everyone around me telling me why I couldn't gain weight.

You can do it too; I'm not that special.

Weight Gain Tips

Michael D.

I was never really skinny, I was always just average or something about there. I was about 170 at 5'11" when I started 2 months ago. I am now 183 lbs. but even more impressive is that my body fat has gone down from 16% to 13.5% which means my gains are all muscle. People are starting to notice, expecially people i haven't seen in a while.

I had started weight lifting programs several times but always gave up because I never saw any improvements. Looking back, I now know that the reason I wasn't seeing results was because I wasn't eating right and because I was probably training too much. The funny thing is that I spend much less time lifting now and my results are incredible. I truly wish this site had been here about 5 years ago and pounded some sense into my head.

Tips

My routine is really basic. I do a full body routine MWF, doing 2 sets of 6-8 reps of each of the following exercises, modified from one of the sample routines.

Squats
straight leg deadlifts
calf raises
Bench press
bench dips
military press
bicep curls
pull-ups
crunches (with added weight)

That usually takes me just a little bit over an hour to do. Pretty soon I plan to switch to a split routine but I will continue this way as long as I see results. The only supplements i use are whey protein and creatine. I make sure I get at least one gram of protein for every pound every day and I make sure I eat at least 3,300 calories a day. That's it.

My tips for others are to read this site. This site is about getting good results for the average guy. As an average guy you need to have a good diet, you need to train right and you need to rest. Trying to do those routines in the magazines won't work and taking a million supplements won't work. I've been there and done that. if there is one thing I would say you should pay special attention to it is the dieting. Doing the workouts was never hard for me but keeping to the diet was. I started out trying to eat 3000 calories a day and at first I had trouble getting there. But I stayed at it and it got easier. Once you start eating more, you start getting hungry more. Don't give up too quick.

Hairstyle and Eyewear Secrets

If you've ever struggled with trying to find the right hairstyle (and I think most women have at some point in their lives), you're about to discover how easy it really can be! If you've given up on your hair you're about to read some encouraging information. You see, just like choosing the right style of glasses, the right hairstyle is based on one key principle: the shape of your face. That's it.

6. The Triangular Face: has a dominant jaw line and narrows at the cheekbones and temples.

7. The Heart Shaped Face: the face is widest at the hairline and temples and narrows to a small chin. The opposite of the triangular face.

Now that we've covered the characteristics of the different face shapes...

Let's Get Started!

As we discuss this further we'll talk about some do's and don'ts for hairstyling and picking out the proper eye wear.

The Round Face: The goal of the person with the round face is to lengthen it. This can be done by adding height and fullness at the crown. Layering will help to achieve this. An off centre part will help to make the face appear longer. The rest of the cut should stay close to the side of the head to avoid adding more fullness.

Length: A round face can wear a shorter cut but hair should be swept back. Or a cut longer than the chin will also work.

Avoid: Hair that's chin length with a rounded line, like a bob. This will only make the face appear even more round. Bangs cut straight across the forehead and short crops. Also avoid a centre part. It tends to accentuate the roundness.

GLASSES: The best shaped frame for the round face is a rectangular one. This frame contrasts the round face, making it appear thinner and longer. Frames with clear bridges make close-set eyes appear further apart. Frames with higher, coloured temples will lengthen the appearance of the round face.

The Square Face: The goal of the person with a square face is to soften it. Hair with lots of waves and roundness will help to achieve this. If your hair is straight you may want to consider a soft perm to offset the straight lines of your face. Layers and wispy bangs work well. Off centre parts and height at the crown will help to elongate the face.

Length: Short to medium length hair works best for this shaped face. Long hair, straight bangs and centre parts tend to emphasize the square features. Just make sure your cut ends just above or a little below your chin.

Avoid: Centre parts and hairstyles ending at the jaw line.

GLASSES: Look for frames where the lower part is curved with some weight on top as well. Centred temples are desirable. Look for a frame wider than the widest part of the face. This will soften the angular appearance of the square face. Stay away from rectangular frames.

The Oval Face: Most any hairstyle looks good on an oval face. The goal is not to hide your features. Slicked back styles also work very well. Length: You can wear short, medium or longer styles.

Avoid: Remember not to cover up your balanced features with your hair.

GLASSES: Look for frames that will maintain the balance of your oval face. Frames should be as least as wide as the broadest part of your face. You can wear round, square or rectangular shapes. Avoid frames with low or "dropped" temples. This will detract from your face's natural features.

The Diamond Face: You also have balanced features so you can wear a variety of styles. If you are going with a shorter style make sure you have weight in the nape area to help balance your high cheekbones and delicate chin.

Length: You can wear short, medium or longer styles.

Avoid: Hiding your features with your hair.

GLASSES: Select a frame that will accent the forehead and jaw and draw attention away from the temple. Choose frames that are decorated along the top. Rimless frames are also nice. You can wear glasses with geometric or oval shapes to minimize the distance between your temples.

The Oblong Face: The person with the oblong/rectangular face wants to make it appear fuller. Try to create fullness at the sides of your face. Layers will help to achieve this and to add softness to the lines of your face. Try off centre parts and wispy bangs to shorten the appearance of length.

Length: Short to medium lengths work best.

Avoid: Longer styles tend to drag the oblong face down, making it appear longer. Also avoid straight hairstyles and centre parts.

GLASSES: Choose frames with equal top to bottom depth and decorative or contrasting temples. Avoid frames that have too much weight on the bottom. They tend to make the face appear even longer. Round or square frames work well but make sure they don't extend beyond the widest part of the face.

The Triangular Face: Choose styles that are fuller at the temples and taper at the jaw. Lots of layers will help you to achieve this. This style will help to balance your prominent jaw. Off centre parts work best for you. Also hair can be tucked behind ears, still working to achieve the fullness at the temple area.

Length: Shorter hair works best to help balance the prominent jaw line. If wearing long hair, make sure it's pulled back at the nape.

Avoid: Centre parts, longer hairstyles that have fullness at the jaw- gives the appearance of extra weight in the face.

GLASSES: Look for a frame that is slightly top heavy. Decorative accents on top of the frame will draw attention away from the wide jaw line. A frame that has no lower rim is an excellent choice.

The Heart Shaped Face: Chin length styles work best. This creates a more balanced look, adding fullness where you need it most. An off-centre part is a good choice. Wispy bangs and soft layers swept forward work well. If you have a dramatic heart shaped face (high cheekbones) make sure you have weight in the nape area to help balance the look of the dramatic cheekbones and delicate chin.

Length: Chin length works best.

Avoid: Short, full styles-they emphasize the upper face, making the chin look even narrower. Height at the crown- makes the chin look narrower and longer. Avoid severe looks.

GLASSES: An excellent choice is light coloured or rimless frames with low temples. Frames that are wider at the bottom will also help to balance the face by drawing the eye away from the wider temple area.

Now that we've covered off what hairstyles and glasses work best for each particular face shape, don't be afraid to make some changes to your image. If you're not sure where to start, start small. Maybe start by styling your hair differently or changing your frames.

If you're ready to make some big changes, talk to your stylist about what kind of cut you want. You've got the right information now. Don't rely on your stylist to choose the appropriate style for you. Good luck and have fun!

Copyright 2006 Donna Lewczuk

Natural Hair - Get Creative With Homemade Recipes

Do you wear your hair natural? No lye? As many will tell you, once you make a change to go natural your hair regimen must also change. This frequently includes an adjustment to the types of products you use on your coils. A number of your old stand-bys may no longer lend you the same results on your kinks as they did on your straight hair.

Product junkies will agree -- you can spend hundreds of dollars testing out the numerous products available on the market, many of which are supposedly intended for natural hair use. However, breaking the bank is really not necessary for a healthy, strong and shiny natural. You already have key ingredients in your own kitchen and bathroom! Creating your own hair recipes not only saves money, but allows for a more intimate relationship with your hair -- you can gain a much better insight as to what your hair craves, prefers, or rejects with your at-home experiments. Get creative! There are a few simple rules to follow to find your perfect concoctions: * Don't mix too many things at once. Start out with simple recipes, say, mixing one main ingredient and adding a small amount of another. It's much easier to determine what worked and what didn't when your ingredients list is limited.

* Create two-ingredient mixes and try them until you find a mix that works well on your hair. If it's a "perfect" mix, continue using it! If it's a "pretty good" mix, retry the recipe with the same main ingredient then alter the secondary ingredient until you reach perfection. You may find you need to reverse the amounts used, making the main ingredient the secondary ingredient.

* If there is one particular ingredient you find most always works well on your hair, make it a staple for your hair recipes, adding it as a standard part of all your recipes.

* Alter the way you apply the mixes to your hair. Try dousing your hair with your Super Yogurt Surprise while your hair is drenching wet in the shower. Does it work well this way? Try another time by making it a bit more liquidy and spritz it on your dried hair with a spray bottle. Perhaps your hair responds better to this application.

* For ingredients, a general rule of thumb is if it's ok to ingest, it's probably ok to apply to your hair as well. Pureed fruit, honey, apple cider vinegar and many more items are great additions to homemade hair recipes.

* Take note of what works for you and how it worked. Some recipes may be better for clarifying while others make for great deep conditioners.

* Search and compare! If you're a little timid about applying egg whites to your hair, make use of resources available to you before doing so. Search the Internet for your particular ingredients. You just may find others who have tried the same type of recipe and enjoyed success or experienced a nightmare.

* Go beyond your kitchen! Many cities have well-stocked health food and natural stores with a huge selection of ingredients to boost your hair recipes. Experiment with essential oils (a few drops go a long way!), xanthum gum (a thickener, also known as xanthan), as well as conditioners and leave-ins you won't likely find at department stores and drug stores.

Remember, a recipe failure is a good thing. It lets you know what your hair simply does not respond to well. The worst likely thing that can happen with the use of your homemade products is the need to wash your hair again, so get creative!

Toppik: A Product That Provides Thicker Hair Instantly

I recently had the opportunity to learn about a fascinating hair product known as Toppik.

This product is designed to offer thicker, fuller hair instantly. How? Toppik adheres to the hair shaft to give hair a fuller, thicker appearance.

There are a lot of people out there that have thin or thinning hair and it is not just men. Many people do not realize that thinning hair is a problem for many women as a result of pregnancy, menopause just to mention a few. What is most exciting is that this great product can make a huge difference for the people that have this problem, they are very easy to use, and if used properly they are completely undetectable."

TOPPIK is for people with thin hair. It is, simply put, microscopic fibers made out of a keratin base, that when shaken onto the thin areas stick to the hair shafts as well as filter down to the scalp. It even transforms the thin, colorless vellus hairs to looking thick and full.

It is not a cream, spray or cover-up. What is even more amazing is that it does not blow out in the wind, run in the rain or run with perspiration and it is undetectable. Toppik simply washes out with shampoo.

This is also great for people who have had a transplant and do not want the scabs to show and is perfectly safe to use after the transplant with the doctors permission.

Toppik can also be safely used in conjunction with Minoxidil and Rogaine. It is affordable, works in seconds, adds texture and, best of all, it takes off years and restores self-confidence.

Toppik is available in seven colors and backed by a thirty day money back guarantee.

Couvre alopecia masking lotion is a product that is often used in conjunction with Toppik. This is terrific for people that have excessively thin hair where the Toppik simply is not sufficient and generally works best in conjunction with Toppik. This product is also undetectable and will not even come out when swimming.

You can order Toppik products directly on the Web. Go to your favorite search engine and type in Toppik.

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FEEL HEALTHY AGAIN. GET GOOD HEALTH

Tired of Not Feeling Healthy?

Our health is important and we all know this, but we live in a society where we seem to have "no time" for anything. Between work, family and friends there seems to be little time at the end of the day for us. Or so we feel anyways. The sad thing is that because of our go-go lifestyles our health is at risk. I know that when I am go-go-go all the time and can't seem to find a bit of a break for me, my health does suffer. I will feel the stress more to the point where I get a bit depressed. I will grab for food that will fill a "hole" which may give me the energy I need to get through the task at hand, but little to sustain me. When I eat the "crap" food I gain a little weight, become depressed yet again over it, but because I have to "just get there" instead of taking an extra bit of time walking ... I take the car and forget exercise altogether. Can you relate?? If you could take a time-out for yourself every day, you would feel so much more healthier both physically and not to mention mentally and you'll have even more energy. So what do we do?? Well, for starters instead of thinking if we "could" take time-out, just take it! I know, I know easier said than done, but you know, think about what will happen if you don't take it, then where will you be for your family?? The time out will certainly give you the chance to ... Free your mind of the stresses each day - a little time to ourselves helps us better cope with what we go through on a regular basis. If we are less stressed we have more energy and are just better able to deal with the hassles of the day better! Get some exercise - a little exercise even if it's just 30 minutes a day it will go a long way in helping you feel healthy again. More conscious about what you are eating - taking a time out gives us a chance to slow down and think about what we are eating or the diets we choose to go on. What we eat really affects many different areas, like how we feel and how much energy we have to do anything. Weight is more under control - because we are exercising, eating right and have less stress and depression in our lives we have more energy and just feel a lot healthier than we probably have in a long time. Tackle the big D - depression certainly takes a toll and everyone at one time or another experiences the affects of depression. However, if you take the time-out, get exercise, eat right then you aren't depressed over the weight you gain or over the other aspects of your life. You are better able to cope with everything! What you will find throughout this site are ideas, tips, and information that will help you tackle all of these areas that affect us and with help us on our journey to feeling healthy again!

GET HEALTHY BICEPS

Big arms everyone wants them, but how do I get them?

Here are some facts I want you to think about:

1. You work your triceps when you do any pushing movement for the upper body, i.e. Bench press, shoulders, and pushing movements...

2. You work your biceps every time you use a pulling exercise i.e., back and moving weights around the room...

3. If you are doing a work your whole body 2-3 times a week workout and you have 2-3 arm days per week you are actually working out your arms 4-6 times a week. 4-6 times a week is way too much!!!

4. The biceps and triceps are very small muscles and do not need much exercise to grow. In most cases the less the better. You have to remember that they are constantly being worked out from other exercises.

5. Think about your legs for a minute. Do you have a separate leg biceps day, a separate quad day and finally a separate squat day? NO YOU DO NOT! If you do let me know your results. Well some people do with great results.

6. In order to get big upper arms you must workout your forearms and grip. If you cannot hold the weight you wish to lift, then what good is a big biceps? You need large forearms as well. Trust me I have hurt my wrists so many times that I have lost count. If you build up your wrists now, this will lessen the chances further down the road of wrist injuries. A simple test of this can be demonstrated by pinching two 10-pound weights and trying to curl them up. You will find that that is a hard task. Some people can do it with 25 pound disks!!! That is an awesome feat of strength. A person like that can grab you and throw you around. I will explain grip strength down this link.

The main point I am trying to make is, that if you are not getting any gains on your arms then you should cut down the number of sets that you are doing for arms. You must squeeze and focus on your muscles through the whole range of movement. The goal to building muscle is not the number of the poundage you are using. If you have to cheat during you first 3 reps (even just a little bit or at ALL), it is too much weight! During your weekly workout cycle, you find out that your arms are sore before you start your arm workout, then by all means either cut back that day or take the day off. I often skip my arm days, because they are already sore from other things (if it hasn't healed yet then why hamper the healing process). A basic 9 set program or less usually works best, see below:

FOR BICEPS

Straight bar curls = (2 warm up) sets 3 working sets and pyramid up in weight (10-10)-8-8-6(to warm up and work the mid-range of the movement. If you want to get the most out of this exercise, try this. Do not grip the bar hard. Keep a loose grip. This works great.

Incline curls = 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-8 (to stretch out the biceps)

Preacher curl = 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-8 (to work the lower and upper range)

FOR TRICEPS

Tricep push downs = (2 warm up) and pyramid up in weight (10-10)-8-8-6(to warm up and work the whole range)

One arm triceps extensions = 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-8 (to stretch and work all 3 heads)

Skull crushers (lying triceps extensions)= 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-6

HEALTHY DIET

Eight Tips for Eating Right

	Choose good carbs, not no carbs. Whole grains are your best bet.
	Pay attention to the protein package. Fish, poultry, nuts, and beans are the best choices.
	Choose healthy fats, limit saturated fat, and avoid trans fat. Plant oils, nuts, and fish are the healthiest sources .
	Choose a fiber-filled diet, rich in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.
	Eat more vegetables and fruits. Go for color and variety—dark green, yellow, orange, and red.
	Calcium is important. But milk isn't the only, or even best, source.
	Moderate drinking can be healthy—but not for everyone. You must weigh the benefits and risks.
	A daily multivitamin is a great nutrition insurance policy. Some extra vitamin D may add an extra health boost.

How to Get to Your Healthy Weight

Introduction

When it comes to nutrition, it's easy to spend a lot of time worrying about what to eat. But how much you eat puts as much of a stamp on your long-term health as picking the right kind of fat or choosing the right mix of vitamins.

How much you weigh (in relation to your height), your waist size, and how much weight you've gained since your mid-20s strongly influence your chances of:
Related Articles

Many Paths to Successful Weight Loss: The latest study showing that a low-carb or Mediterranean diet are just as good as a low-fat diet for losing weight

An Epidemic of Obesity: A brief look at the rapid rise in obesity over the past twenty years, in the U.S. and abroad

Excess Weight Is Not Good for You: Cutting through the confusion around the latest studies on obesity and disease risk

Defensive Eating: Strategies to defend against over-eating

Can You Be Too Thin?: Understanding the relationship between low body weight and health

* dying early,
* having, or dying from, a heart attack, stroke, or other type of cardiovascular disease,
* developing diabetes,
* developing cancer of the colon, kidney, breast, or endometrium,
* having arthritis,
* developing gallstones,
* being infertile,
* developing asthma as an adult,
* snoring or suffering from sleep apnea,
* developing cataracts, or
* having a poorer quality of life.

Although researchers are quibbling about just how many people die each year as a direct cause of excess weight and what it costs our health-care system, excess weight takes an enormous toll—all the more worrisome, given that we are in the midst of an obesity epidemic.

If your weight is in the healthy range and isn't more than 10 pounds over what you weighed when you turned 21, great. Keeping it there—and keeping it steady—by watching what you eat and exercising will limit your risk of developing one or more of the chronic conditions noted above. If you are overweight, doing whatever you can to prevent gaining more weight is a critical first step. Then, when you're ready, shedding some pounds and keeping them off will be important steps to better health.

How to get healthy in 4 hours a week

Can't turn off the TV? Make better use of time during commercial.

By Karen Collins, R.D.

msnbc.com contributor

updated 12:40 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2006

A Nielsen Media Research report from fall 2006 shows that the average American spends four hours and 35 minutes watching television each day. Each week, television viewing adds up to more than 30 hours — well beyond a part-time job.

Other reports show that national and local commercials now total an average of eight minutes for every half-hour show. So the average viewer is watching 40 minutes of commercials a day, or more than four and a half hours weekly.

Karen Collins, R.D.

A Nielsen Media Research report from fall 2006 shows that the average American spends four hours and 35 minutes watching television each day. Each week, television viewing adds up to more than 30 hours — well beyond a part-time job.

Other reports show that national and local commercials now total an average of eight minutes for every half-hour show. So the average viewer is watching 40 minutes of commercials a day, or more than four and a half hours weekly.

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Television is not necessarily wasted time, as people use it to relax and learn. But lack of time is one of the most commonly reported reasons that people don’t exercise or plan and prepare healthier meals. Perhaps it is worth considering the benefits that the time you spend watching television could bring.

A gold mine of time
If lack of time keeps you from adopting some healthful habits but you aren’t ready to reduce your television-watching time, you might reconsider the way you spend your commercial-watching time. There are several different approaches you could take to make use of this gold mine of time.

First, you could use commercial times to accomplish those health-supporting tasks you never seem to get done. Many people find that one of the secrets to healthier eating is to plan meals ahead. This allows you to grocery shop more efficiently and avoid the stress that comes when you haven’t given dinner a thought until a few minutes before you hope to eat. In the course of an hour of television programming, you could plan close to a week’s worth of meals and perhaps even write the grocery list for a weekly shopping trip.

People often say that they would like to save money and eat better by bringing their lunch to work, but that they have no time to make it. Others say they find no time to prepare the fruit they’d like to have with their breakfast. Commercials offer plenty of time to do these tasks. You could also assemble foods for the next day’s breakfast.

Take Control. Get Healthy. Stay Healthy

Stayhealthy provides state-of-the-art, medically-validated and FDA cleared personalized health assessment and monitoring tools and information in an on-line environment. We help individuals and organizations take control of their health, reducing costs and enabling people to lose weight and get and stay healthy.

Take Control. Get Healthy. Stay Healthy.

GAIN PROTEIN INSTENTLY AND HET HEALTHY

Real Gains™: Quality Weight Enhancement Formula

Real Gains is an extremely powerful mass-cultivating support formula that was created with you, a hardcore active and athletic individual, in mind. Real Gains has more of what you want and less of what you don't: more calories, more protein, more good fats, more taste, more fiber and far less sugar. You want to gain, muscle mass that is, and the right way to do that is with large amounts of protein, which you will find in every scoop of Real Gains, and by cutting fat intake. Rest assured Universal uses only the finest whey protein and micellar casein available on the market. Universal doesn't skimp on things that are important and neither should you. This Real Gains Protein Complex has a top-notch amino acid profile and instantly mixes into a liquid with no blender required. Large amounts of complex carbs have also been included in every serving since they are an essential part of building and fueling muscle expansion. These carbs are a large source of energy that will support your intensely hardcore weight training routines. Universal has also provided you with inulin, a special dietary fiber that will aid in digesting all of the protein, carbs, and fat you need to get big and stay big. MCT and flaxseed oils are included to aid in hormone production, cell membrane protection and growth, as well as overall daily nutritional needs. Real Gains is meant to be used together with a well balanced diet and hardcore training routine

PROFLEX HEALTH

Proflex Gym Welcomes You

Proflex World Class Gym and Fitness Center first opened it's doors on December 2 1996 in Lagos, Nigeria. Since the opening Proflex has undergone 3 major expansions increasing the floor space available from 8000sq ft to 15000 sq ft.

Proflex is now in our opinion the premier gym in Nigeria. Our workout areas include cardio, aerobics and weights workouts. Proflex offers an environment that is fitness friendly in Lagos, Nigeria.

If you are coming to Lagos Nigeria for a visit or to live, please come and take a look at the fitness, cardiovascular, workout and aerobics facilities Proflex World Class Gym has to offer.

The workout equipment at Proflex is supplied by some of the leading manufacturers in the world including:

• Startrac
• BodyMasters
• Reebok CCS
• Stairmaster
• Concept II
• Technogym
• Tunturi

PROFLEX WORLD CLASS GYM, THE BEST WORKOUT IN LAGOS NIGERIA!!!

Behind Head Should Stretch

escription:
Simple Should Stretch

Equipment Used:

Sport Specific: Badminton, Football (American), Golf, Handball, Hockey, Rock Climbing, Rugby, Snow Boarding, Strength Training, Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball

Muscles Used: Shoulder: Rear (posterior deltoids), Shoulder: Side (medial deltoids), Shoulders: Front (anterior deltoids)

Categories: Stretches

Point your elbow straight to the sky and reach down your back. With assistance from the other hand on the elbow, give a slight push to get the extra stretch. Hold for 10-15s and repeat with other shoulder

GET RID OF DIABETES AND LIVE HEALTHY

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find out what is happening in your area.

To fulfill this mission, the American Diabetes Association funds research, publishes scientific findings, provides information and other services to people with diabetes, their families, health professionals and the public. The Association is also actively involved in advocating for scientific research and for the rights of people with diabetes.

Volunteer with Us - You Can Make a Difference!
There are nearly 24 million children and adults in the U.S. with diabetes who need your time and skills. Make a difference in their lives by becoming a volunteer.

The Association's National Call Center
Over the last year, more than 350,000 people contacted the Association with questions and concerns, or to seek support or direction regarding diabetes and its management.

Annual Report & Strategic Plan
Read our latest Annual Report and 2008-2011 Strategic Plan.

Donations
The money raised by the Association funds research, information programs, and advocacy efforts that support the nearly 24 million children and adults in the U.S. with diabetes.

Whistleblower Program
As a nonprofit organization that generates financial resources from the contributing public, the American Diabetes Association has a responsibility to ensure the proper stewardship of these resources. This site provides a means to report any suspected fraudulent or dishonest conduct related to American Diabetes Association resources.

LOSE FAT FAST

t is possible to lose 20 lbs. of bodyfat in 30 days by optimizing any of three factors: exercise, diet, or drug/supplement regimen. I’ve seen the elite implementation of all three in working with professional athletes. In this post, we’ll explore a variation of the “slow carb” diet as used by Dean Karnazes, an ultramarathoner famed for completing 50 marathons on 50 consecutive days in 50 different states. The most impressive part of this, for me, is that he did so, not with the typical anemic marathoner build, but with a well-muscled mesomorph body.

In the last six weeks, I have cut from about 180 lbs. to 165 lbs., while adding about 10 lbs. of muscle, which means I’ve lost about 25 lbs. of fat. This is the only diet besides the rather extreme Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) that has produced veins across my abdomen, which is the last place I lose fat (damn you, Scandinavian genetics). Here are the four simple rules I followed…

Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates

Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.

Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again

The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:

Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor
Chicken breast or thigh
Grass-fed organic beef
Pork

Legumes:
Lentils
Black beans
Pinto beans

Vegetables:
Spinach
Asparagus
Peas
Mixed vegetables

Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.

Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.

Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day: