The Ultimate Smoothie Selector at 10:32 AM

Smoothie Recipes

Boost your brain, build muscle, and help your heart -- with a blender

BRAIN BOOSTER SMOOTHIE

The berries here aren't just super food for your brain; they offer an important cancer-fighting bonus.

1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 c fresh or frozen raspberries

1 c pineapple OJ

1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 c ice

BERRY BERRY SMOOTHIE

Using all unsweetened fruit, this recipe delivers an antioxidant whallop without the sugar.

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries

1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries

3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 cup soy milk or 1% milk

MEMORY AID SMOOTHIE

This low-calorie smoothie is a good source of fiber, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Blueberries in particular contain compounds that can help prevent cataracts, cancer, constipation, and memory loss.

1/2 c orange juice

1 pint nonfat vanilla or peach frozen yogurt

2 1/2 c sliced peaches

3/4 fresh or frozen blueberries

MUSCLE BUILDER SMOOTHIE

This mix features the brawn-building power of protein from both peanut butter and whey.

2 Tbsp peanut butter

1 banana

1/3 c whey protein

1/2 c fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt

1 c fat-free milk

BETA BLAST SMOOTHIE

This smoothie is a muscle-rejuvenating, beta-carotene-filled, orange-colored wonder.

3 small ice cubes

2 apricots (sliced and pitted)

1/2 papaya (frozen in chunks)

1/2 mango (frozen in chunks)

1/2 cup carrots

1 tablespoon honey

HEART HELPER

The fiber from the fruit teams with the artery-protecting antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats of the peanut butter to keep your ticker tickin'.

1 banana

1/2 c raspberries

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1/2 c nonfat chocolate frozen yogurt

1 c fat-free milk

KICKSTARTER SHAKE

This recipe helps produce wake-up chemicals in the brain.

1 c skim milk

2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate

1 c strawberries

1 kiwifruit

SMOOTH OPERATOR

The yogurt aids digestion, while the mango and juice boost immune response.

1/2 c pitted cherries

1/2 c mango

1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt

1 c pineapple OJ

1   c ice

MOOD MAKER

An all-fruit smoothie, packed with carbs to boost your serotonin levels. Add a handful of flaxseeds for an extra dose of mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids.

1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 c fresh or frozen mango

1 c pineapple OJ

1 c ice

BETTER BREAKFAST

Less than a minute and you're drinking a better breakfast.

1 banana

1 peach (cut up)

1/4 c orange juice

1 c ice

Why Use These Ingredients?

Peanut butter

Packed with protein, manganese, and niacin, peanuts can help stave off heart disease and, when eaten in moderation, promote weight loss.

Fat-free milk

All the calcium and protein, none of the fat.

Blueberries

The huge amounts of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, in blueberries have been shown to slow brain decline and reverse memory loss.

Low-fat vanilla yogurt

A cache of calcium and digestion-aiding probiotics in every scoop.

Raspberries

An antioxidant powerhouse bursting with fiber, manganese, and vitamin C, these berries will keep your heart and brain in top shape.

Fat-free chocolate frozen yogurt

Calcium, phosphorus, and none of the guilt.

Pineapple-orange juice

OJ has vitamin C, and pineapples contain bromelain, a cancer-inhibiting, inflammation-reducing enzyme.

Cherries

In addition to their vitamin C and fiber content, cherries have been linked to reducing arthritis pain.

Bananas

Heavy on potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6, bananas do wonders for your heart and provide good carbs to keep you full and energized.

Whey protein

Its essential amino acids help pack on the muscle -- making whey the best friend of athletes and gym rats.

Frozen mangoes

To their stock of vitamins A and C, mangoes add a healthy dose of beta-carotene, which helps prevent cancer and promotes healthy skin.

Ice

A little H2O never hurt anyone

Spread 'em! at 2:46 PM

These peanut butters are heart-health powerhouses

Peanut butter isn't just kids' stuff, says Mary Ellen Camire, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Maine's department of food science and human nutrition. In addition to the protein a spoonful delivers, PB packs vitamin E and cholesterol-regulating monounsaturated fats, and "might even help curb your appetite," says Camire. Here's how to make the most of it, with or without jelly.

It may reduce your risk of coronary death

People who eat nuts or peanuts four times a week may lower their risk of dying of coronary heart disease by 37 percent, compared with people who seldom or never eat nuts, according to a review in the British Journal of Nutrition. Eating peanut butter may lower bad LDL cholesterol while maintaining good HDL cholesterol, the authors say.

It may help prevent Alzheimer's disease

Adding 22 milligrams (mg) of niacin to your daily diet may decrease your risk of developing Alzheimer's. A tablespoon of peanut butter contains about 2 mg. In a study, those who consumed 22 mg daily of this B vitamin had a 44 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's compared with those who consumed 13 mg, say researchers from Rush University Medical Center.

It's rich in antioxidants

Roasted peanuts contain about 22 percent more antioxidants than the uncooked variety and about the same amount of cell-protecting substances as strawberries, according to researchers at the University of Florida.

It may help you stay slim

If you eat nuts at least twice a week, you're about 30 percent less likely to gain weight than someone who never or rarely eats nuts, according to a study in the journal Obesity.

Best of the Best

Forget Jif. We tested more than 50 varieties for nutrition, texture, and taste. Our winners:

Best Organic: Once Again American Classic Creamy

Many organic and natural peanut butters vacuum moisture from your mouth. Once Again's variety delivers a rich, mellow texture that doesn't hang your tongue out to dry.

Per 2 Tbsp: 190 calories, 7 grams (g) protein, 15 g total fat

Try it on: your next burger. Slather it on a grilled patty and top with spinach and red onion for a double-fisted dose of protein. onceagainnutbutter.com

Best Smooth: Teddie Old Fashioned All Natural Smooth

This was one of our taste testers' favorites across all categories. Teddie has a deep, nutty flavor and spreads evenly and easily. Better yet, it offers a solid nutritional profile.

Per 2 Tbsp: 190 calories, 8 g protein, 16 g total fat

Try it on: a grilled steak. Mix 1/2 cup with minced ginger, the juice of a lime, a can of coconut milk, and a teaspoon of hot sauce for an Asian BBQ sauce. teddie.com (for distributors)

Best Crunchy: Sunland Valencia Peanut Butter Crunchy

Sunland's stuff is made exclusively with Valencia peanuts, which aren't imported--they come only from Texas and New Mexico.

Per 2 Tbsp: 200 calories, 9 g protein, 15 g total fat

Try it on: celery. Spoon a dollop into a bowl and top with golden raisins. Dunk sticks for a La-Z-Boy snack that satisfies a craving for something sweet and crunchy. sunlandinc.com

Best sweet: P.B.Loco Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough

The combination sounds like a gut bomb, but it's actually a healthy alternative that satisfies your cravings without subjecting you to a sugar rush.

Per 2 Tbsp: 190 calories, 6 g protein, 15 g total fat

Try it on: ice cream. Nuke peanut butter in a glass bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring until the peanut butter drizzles from your spoon. It's better than a sugar slick of chocolate syrup. pbloco.com

Best spicy: Peanut Butter & Co. The Heat Is On

This spread contains chili powder, cayenne pepper, crushed red peppers, and paprika.

Per 2 Tbsp: 190 calories, 8 g protein, 16 g total fat

Try it on: chicken satay. Brush chicken with peanut butter thinned with lime juice and soy sauce, and grill. 

Go Creative with PB

At Spread, a San Diego restaurant for the health conscious, peanut butter is a standard ingredient. (Handmade spreads are its specialty.) Here's its Rose Salted Basil Forbidden Fried Rice.

What you'll need:

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 cup assorted diced vegetables

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds

4 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 1/2 cups cooked black or brown rice

For the sauce:

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic

1/2 onion

2 tsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp Spread Rose Salted Basil peanut spread ($12, spreadtherestaurant.com)

1/2 cup cilantro

Salt to taste

How to make it:

Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan on medium high. Add vegetables, onion, and garlic; sauté until the onion is translucent. Add eggs, scramble them, and add the rice. Combine sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve on your vegetable-rice entrée. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

5 Foods with Stealth Health Powers at 1:56 PM

Iceberg Lettuce

Conventional wisdom suggests this salad staple is nutritionally bankrupt. But as it turns out, half a head of iceberg lettuce has significantly more alpha-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant, than either romaine lettuce or spinach.

Mushrooms

This fungi's metabolites—by-products created when mushrooms are broken down during digestion—have been shown to boost immunity and prevent cancer growth, report researchers in the Netherlands

Vinegar

Scientists in Sweden discovered that when people consumed 2 tablespoons of vinegar with a high-carb meal, their blood sugar was 23 percent lower than when they skipped the antioxidant-loaded liquid. They also felt fuller.

Red-Pepper Flakes

A Dutch study found that consuming a gram of red pepper flakes—about half a teaspoon—30 minutes prior to a meal reduced calorie intake by 16 percent. Plus, new research suggests its active ingredient, capsaicin, may help kill cancer cells

Full-Fat Cheese

This dairy product is an excellent source of casein protein—one of best muscle-building nutrients you can eat. What's more, Danish researchers found that even when men ate 10 ounces of full-fat cheese daily for 3 weeks, their LDL ("bad") cholesterol didn't budge

8 Foods that Pack on Muscle at 1:54 PM

Eggs: The Perfect Protein

How they build muscle: Not from being hurled by the dozen at your boss's house. The protein in eggs has the highest biological value—a measure of how well it supports your body's protein needs—of any food, including our beloved beef. "Calorie for calorie, you need less protein from eggs than you do from other sources to achieve the same muscle-building benefits," says Volek.

But you have to eat the yolk. In addition to protein, it also contains vitamin B12, which is necessary for fat breakdown and muscle contraction. (And no, eating a few eggs a day won't increase your risk of heart disease.)

How they keep you healthy: Eggs are vitamins and minerals over easy; they're packed with riboflavin, folate, vitamins B6, B12, D, and E, and iron, phosphorus, and zinc.

Almonds: Muscle Medicine

How they build muscle: Crunch for crunch, almonds are one of the best sources of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E—the form that's best absorbed by your body. That matters to your muscles because "vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that can help prevent free-radical damage after heavy workouts," says Volek. And the fewer hits taken from free radicals, the faster your muscles will recover from a workout and start growing.

How many almonds should you munch? Two handfuls a day should do it. A Toronto University study found that men can eat this amount daily without gaining any weight.

How they keep you healthy: Almonds double as brain insurance. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that those men who consumed the most vitamin E—from food sources, not supplements—had a 67 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those eating the least vitamin E

Salmon: The Growth Regulator

How it builds muscle: It's swimming with high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids. "Omega-3's can decrease muscle-protein breakdown after your workout, improving recovery," says Tom Incledon, R.D., a nutritionist with Human Performance Specialists. This is important, because to build muscle you need to store new protein faster than your body breaks down the old stuff.

Order some salmon jerky from www.freshseafood.com. It'll keep forever in your gym bag and tastes mighty close to cold-smoked cow.

How it keeps you healthy: By reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Researchers at Louisiana State University found that when overweight people added 1.8 grams of DHA—an omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil—to their daily diets, their insulin resistance decreased by 70 percent in 12 weeks

Yogurt: The Golden Ratio

How it builds muscle: Even with the aura of estrogen surrounding it, "yogurt is an ideal combination of protein and carbohydrates for exercise recovery and muscle growth," says Doug Kalman, R.D., director of nutrition at Miami Research Associates.

Buy regular—not sugar-free—with fruit buried at the bottom. The extra carbohydrates from the fruit will boost your blood levels of insulin, one of the keys to reducing postexercise protein breakdown.

How it keeps you healthy: Three letters: CLA. "Yogurt is one of the few foods that contain conjugated linoleic acid, a special type of fat shown in some studies to reduce body fat," says Volek

Beef: Carvable Creatine

How it builds muscle: More than just a piece of charbroiled protein, "beef is also a major source of iron and zinc, two crucial muscle-building nutrients," says Incledon. Plus, it's the number-one food source of creatine—your body's energy supply for pumping iron—2 grams for every 16 ounces.

For maximum muscle with minimum calories, look for "rounds" or "loins"—butcherspeak for meat cuts that are extra-lean. Or check out the new "flat iron" cut. It's very lean and the second most tender cut of beef overall.

How it keeps you healthy: Beef is a storehouse for selenium. Stanford University researchers found that men with low blood levels of the mineral are as much as five times more likely to develop prostate cancer than those with normal levels

Olive Oil: Liquid Energy

How it builds muscle: Sure, you could oil up your chest and arms and strike a pose, but it works better if you eat the stuff. "The monounsaturated fat in olive oil appears to act as an anticatabolicnutrient," says Kalman. In other words, it prevents muscle breakdown by lowering levels of a sinister cellular protein called tumor necrosis factor-a, which is linked with muscle wasting and weakness (kind of like watching The View).

And while all olive oil is high in monos, try to use the extra-virgin variety whenever possible; it has a higher level of free-radical-fighting vitamin E than the less chaste stuff.

How it keeps you healthy: How doesn't it? Olive oil and monounsaturated fats have been associated with everything from lower rates of heart disease and colon cancer to a reduced risk of diabetes and osteoporosis.

Water: The Muscle Bath

How it builds muscle: Whether it's in your shins or your shoulders, muscle is approximately 80 percent water. "Even a change of as little as 1 percent in body water can impair exercise performance and adversely affect recovery," says Volek. For example, a 1997 German study found that protein synthesis occurs at a higher rate in muscle cells that are well hydrated, compared with dehydrated cells. English translation: The more parched you are, the slower your body uses protein to build muscle.

Not sure how dry you are? "Weigh yourself before and after each exercise session. Then drink 24 ounces of water for every pound lost," says Larry Kenney, Ph.D., a physiology researcher at Pennsylvania State University.

How it keeps you healthy: Researchers at Loma Linda University found that men who drank five or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day were 54 percent less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack than those who drank two or fewer

Coffee: The Repetition Builder

How it builds muscle: Fueling your workout with caffeine will help you lift longer. A recent study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that men who drank 2 1/2 cups of coffee a few hours before an exercise test were able to sprint 9 percent longer than when they didn't drink any. (It's believed the caffeine directly stimulates the muscles.)

And since sprinting and weight lifting are both anaerobic activities—exercises that don't require oxygen—a jolt of joe should help you pump out more reps. Skip it if you have a history of high blood pressure, though.

How it keeps you healthy: By saving you from Michael J. Fox's fate. Harvard researchers found that coffee drinkers have a 30 percent lower risk of Parkinson's disease than nondrinkers.

Creatine: Side Effects, What it is, What it Does at 1:30 PM

Why is creatine such a big deal? What are the side effects? Risks? Men's Health answers your creatine questions and helps you decide if it's the supplement for you

Want to get bigger and stronger -- and get that way faster?

Creatine works. Lifters know this, professors know this, the marketers who sell the stuff know this.

But nobody should put anything in their body without weighing the benefits and risks first. That goes for everything from beer to marshmallows to the amazing amino acid called creatine.

It's not anything scary. It's not a Barry Bonds starter kit.

Creatine -- typically bought in flavored powders and mixed with liquid -- increases the body's ability to produce energy rapidly. With more energy, you can train harder and more often, producing faster results.

It's as simple as this: "If you can lift one or two more reps or 5 more pounds, your muscles will get bigger and stronger," says Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma.

Research shows that creatine is most effective in high-intensity training and explosive activities. This includes weight training and sports that require short bursts of effort, such as sprinting, football, and baseball.

There is less support to indicate that creatine improves endurance performance and aerobic-type exercise.

One thing is almost certain: If you take creatine, you'll gain weight.

It'll happen quickly, says Paul Greenhaff, Ph.D., professor of muscle metabolism at the University of Nottingham in England. While the initial gain is water (about 2 to 4 pounds in the first week of supplementation), subsequent gains are muscle due to the increase in the workload you can handle.

Because creatine is an "osmotically active substance," it pulls water into your muscle cells, which increases protein synthesis, Kerksick says.

Studies in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that muscle fibers grow when a person takes creatine.

The catch: This only happens if you take advantage of the boost in energy and hit the gym. Otherwise, it is just water weight.

Nobody argues with any of this. But there are some questions about creatine that lots of guys have.

Will creatine mess with my kidneys?

Researchers are constantly studying creatine -- for effectiveness and safety. That's why many trainers and health experts support the use of creatine: Studies indicate it's safe.

"Creatine is one of the most-researched sports supplements out there," Kerksick says. "And there's no published literature to suggest it's unsafe."

Greenhaff has been studying creatine for about two decades, and says he never encounters the cramping that is sometimes reported. "I'm not saying people don't experience cramps, but I don't believe it can be very common," he says. "If there were any major adverse side effects, we would have seen them by now."

But there have been anecdotal reports of kidney damage, heart problems, muscle cramps and pulls, dehydration, and diarrhea, in addition to other negative side effects. The key word here: anecdotal.

Some of these conditions can be caused by consuming too much of certain vitamins, says Tod Cooperman, M.D., president of ConsumerLab.com. "Too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, and too much iron may lead to stomach problems," he says.

To be safe, he recommends using creatine only if you are healthy and have no kidney problems. That's because your kidneys excrete creatinine, a breakdown product of creatine.

So there's no downside?

Not so fast, Biceps-Brain. If you can get big without it, there's no reason to use creatine.

"I feel it would be better for no one to use creatine even though it's shown to increase some strength and muscle mass," says Jim King, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

"I wouldn't recommend doing anything that would show minimal improvement and possible risk. Weigh the negatives and the benefits before you try it."

Kids under age 18 should avoid creatine, King says, because few studies have been done on children using creatine as an exercise enhancement.

There have been reports of overexertion causing torn muscles. That can mean permanent damage. "Children are still in a growing phase, and we're not sure what impact creatine may have on muscles and bones as they grow," he says. "I feel very strongly that middle and even high schoolers shouldn't use it."

Will it transform me?

Here's one thing all the experts can agree on: It's impossible to say.

Creatine has different effects on every individual. Some people just don't respond to creatine -- it's a genetic thing.

You should know in about a week -- if your training volume increases, it's working for you. If not, you're probably a "nonresponder" -- taking the powder isn't going to help you.

Diet is important. Meat, especially herring and beef, has high levels of creatine, so vegetarians usually see a greater response, while those whose diets are highly carnivorous may see less change.

Of course, a healthy diet is key to anyone's muscle-building plan. "If your diet is junk, there's no point in adding creatine," Kerksick says. "It's better to eat good sources of carbohydrates and lean protein."

In the end, creatine alone will not make you a bigger man.

"Only when combined with exercise does it improve the quality of training," Greenhaff says. "You still have to do the work."

What kind of creatine should I take?

Powder is the way to go. Studies show that liquid creatine and creatine ethyl ester (CEE) are unstable and break down in your blood system. Don't bother with them.

Kerksick recommends 100-percent pure creatine powder. Some companies add electrolytes and other ingredients, but tests indicate those do little to improve performance.

"Save money and buy creatine powder and [mix it with] fruit juice," Kerksick says.

Fruit juice? That's right -- the sugar in the juice raises insulin levels, which helps increase creatine uptake into the muscle.

You need about 70 grams of simple sugars for every five grams of creatine, Greenhaff says. He suggests looking for a drink or supplement with 60 grams of carbs per 100 grams of product.

To ensure your body maximizes the benefits of creatine, buy the best stuff you can afford. It's your body -- this isn't the time to get cheap.

You'll know the powder is of poor quality if it's hard to dissolve and there's residue at the bottom of your glass after you drink it. You want the powder in your muscles, not in the glass. If this happens, try a different brand.

You can also check ConsumerLab.com, which writes reviews on creatine products and other muscle supplements every 3 years.

7 Perfect Fitness Foods at 3:45 PM

Don't let your hard work in the gym go to waste. The food you eat doesn't just give you energy - it fuels your muscles, helps you burn fat, and even boosts your cardiovascular health. Chow down on these 8 power foods before and after your workouts, and you'll see results in no time.

Pineapple and Papaya

Good for: Muscle recovery

Both of these tropical fruits are loaded with bromelain and papain, enzymes that not only help break down proteins for digestion but also have anti-inflammatory properties to speed up your post-workout recovery.

Salmon

Good for: Cardiovascular fitness

Australian researchers found that cyclists who took fish oil for 8 weeks had lower heart rates and consumed less oxygen during intense bicycling than a control group did. The fatty acids in fish oil need to become incorporated into muscle and heart cells to have an effect, and that takes weeks of consumption-so either take fish oil pills each day, or try to eat fish rich in fatty acids multiple times a week to see similar results.

PB&J or Pasta With Meat Sauce

Good for: Muscle building and repair

The perfect post-weight training repast has about 400 calories, with 20 to 30 grams of protein (to build new muscle) and 50 to 65 grams of carbohydrates (to repair old muscle). Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or a small bowl of pasta with meat sauce fits that formula.

8 Ounces of Chocolate Milk

Good for: Hydration

The best sports drink may come from a cow. British researchers found that milk does a better job than water or sports drinks at rehydrating the body after exercise. Why? To begin with, milk has more electrolytes and potassium. The addition of chocolate gives milk the perfect balance of carbs, protein, and fat for speedy muscle recovery

Coffee

Good for: Pain relief

University of Georgia scientists revealed that taking a caffeine supplement (equal to two cups of coffee) after exercise reduces muscle soreness more than pain relievers can. Caffeine blocks a chemical that activates pain receptors.

Cold Water

Good for: Endurance

Drinking cold water before and during exercise can help improve your endurance. In a British study, cyclists who drank about 30 ounces of a chilled drink in the half hour before riding in a hot, humid environment-and smaller amounts as they rode-were able to bike 23 percent longer than riders who downed lukewarm liquids. Drinking cold water may be the most direct way to reduce core body temperature, so it takes you longer to heat up and slow down.

Green Tea

Good for: Muscle recovery

Brazilian scientists found that participants who consumed three cups of green tea every day for a week had fewer markers of the cell damage caused by resistance to exercise. So drinking a few cups every day may help your muscles recover faster after an intense workout.

Break Your Speed Limits at 3:40 PM

A cutting-edge cardio plan that can push you to the head of the pack in just 9 days

As a man, you can accomplish many things in just an hour a week, based on my observations as a graduate student in exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma. Here's what would not impress me: You watching any reality show with a number in its title. You doing chest bumps with your buddies during a pickup basketball game. You achieving your best score—ever!—on Guitar Hero.

What would impress me is you doing high-intensity intervals as your cardiovascular training. That means alternating between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. In fact, you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than that guy grinding away on the treadmill for an hour. An intelligent man draws maximum benefit from a minimum time investment, and smarts are sexy. So are abs, a benefit of this training style. Researchers at Australia's University of New South Wales found that intervals burn three times as much fat as running twice as long at a moderately hard, steady pace.

But interval training's benefits don't end with heart health, fat incineration, or the preservation of that most precious of commodities, your time. Most sports worth playing involve stopping and starting, not running at one pace, so you'll rule on the court or field. What's more, your muscles will learn to contract more forcefully. Ultimately you'll live longer, too, because intervals elevate the good cholesterol that makes your arteries whooshing streams and not plaque-strewn rapids.

How can stopping and starting during cardio do all that? Pretend you're back (or still) in college, and I'm your hot new teaching assistant. Class is now in session, so pop the lid off your latte and listen up.

Lesson 1: When your muscles contract repeatedly during intense training, they quickly use all available energy. So your body searches for fat. While that's going on, your body is quickly losing its ability to flush metabolic by-products from muscle. Ever heard of the burn? That's a buildup of ammonia and other bad stuff. Along with burning, this waste interferes with your body's ability to contract muscles forcefully. If you don't learn to manage the burn properly, your workout is doomed.

Lesson 2: When repeated bouts of high-intensity intervals are separated by short rest periods, each bout begins with a lack of available energy, and muscles that are already fatigued. "Interval training stresses energy systems in the body that aren't accustomed to being used," says Jeramie Hinojosa, M.S., director of the East Texas Medical Center Olympic Center, in Tyler, Texas. "Blood supply to cells increases, the cells use oxygen more efficiently, and the enzymes that help create energy also increase. This improves fitness." What's more, recovery from interval training forces the body to continue burning fat for energy. This all leads to an increase in postworkout calorie burning.

Lesson 3: There are lots of ways to do intervals. Over time you can adjust your ratio between rest and work, change the intensity of your work segment, or alter the length of the entire session. The new interval program that my university colleagues and I have developed produces truly amazing results, and it's perfect for people who don't like endurance training. As part of an experiment to test the ability of a dietary supplement to flush metabolic waste products from muscle tissue, we put a group of active college students (36 men and 33 women) through 6 weeks of high-intensity interval training on the stationary bike. Instead of the usual 30-seconds-on, 30-seconds-off approach, we had the students pedal intensively for 2 minutes, rest completely for 1 minute, and then repeat that sequence four more times. That's only 10 minutes of training! Even with the warmup and rest periods, they were looking at a 20-minute time investment.

After 3 weeks and a total of nine workout sessions, all 69 participants saw huge improvements. The maximum amount of oxygen they could consume—a measure of cardiovascular fitness—increased 11 percent. What's more, they were able to pedal 12 percent longer and complete 44 percent more work. After 6 weeks, the improvements were even more dramatic—18 percent in fitness, 17 percent in time to exhaustion, and nearly 100 percent in work completed.

To achieve the same results, use this workout chart. Measuring your effort accurately and training accordingly is a key to success. Let's assume you can't roll a metabolic cart up to the exercise bike like a scientist would. Your best bet, then, is to measure your heart rate using a monitor so that you can train at a certain percentage of your estimated maximum heart rate (MHR). (You can either use your own portable version, which attaches to your body, or grasp the handles on the machine. Most will provide a readout.)

Your MHR is 220 minus your age. If you're 28, the magic number is 192 beats per minute (bpm). So the goal for your first session would be elevating your heart rate to about 173 bpm (0.90 × 192) for all work intervals. If you look at your monitor and you're not there yet, push those pedals until you are. After 2 minutes, exercise lightly or rest.

Perhaps you're wondering: Is training at more than 100 percent of my maximum heart rate, like the workout chart suggests, even safe? Yes, because your body will make improvements as soon as you start training intensively. What seemed like 100 percent one week will be a level you can surpass the next.

If you don't own a heart-rate monitor or find one hard to use while you're shifting gears as intervals require, do it the old-fashioned way. Immediately after each interval, place your index and middle fingers on your neck just to the side of your Adam's apple or on the thumb side of your wrist. Once you feel a pulse, count the beats for 15 seconds. Multiply by 4 to determine your heart rate.

Bear in mind that even the lowest training level here (90) is quite intense. By the time you reach 100 or higher, you should be pedaling for your life, basically. You can also switch from the stationary bike to any other apparatus that elevates heart rate, including the treadmill, the elliptical trainer, or a jump rope.

As an avid runner and former college athlete, I wish I had known about high-intensity interval training earlier in my career. Huge gains doing cardio only 15 minutes a day three times a week!

Five Perfect Breakfast Meals at 3:29 PM

 

Breakfast wakes up your metabolism and tells it to start burning fat, decreasing your risk of obesity

Banana Split Smoothie

(number of Powerfoods: 3)

What you need:

1 banana

1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/8 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup 1% milk

2 teaspoons whey powder

6 ice cubes, crushed

How to prepare: Blend until smooth in blender. Makes 2 8-ounce servings.

Calories per serving: 171; Protein: 8 g; Carbs: 33 g; Fat: 2 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 94 mg; Fiber: 2 g

Halle's Berry Smoothie

(number of Powerfoods: 4)

What you need:

3/4 c instant oatmeal, nuked in water or skim milk

3/4 c skim milk

3/4 c mixed frozen berries

2 tsp whey powder

3 ice cubes, crushed

How to prepare: Blend until smooth in blender.

Makes 2 8-ounce servings

Per serving: 144 calories, 7 grams (g) protein, 27 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 4 g fiber, 109 milligrams (mg) sodium

Breakfast Bacon Burger

(number of Powerfoods: 4)

What you need:

1 Thomas' Honey Wheat English Muffin

1/2 teaspoon trans fat-free margarine

1 egg

1 slice low-fat American cheese

1 slice Canadian bacon

Vegetables of choice

How to prepare:

1. Split the muffin, toast it, and add margarine.

2. Break the egg in a microwavable dish, prick the yolk with a toothpick, and cover the dish with plastic wrap.

3. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let stand for 30 seconds. Add cheese, egg, and Canadian bacon to the muffin, then nuke for 20 seconds.

4. Add vegetables to taste.

Makes 1 serving.

Calories per serving: 300; Protein: 22 g; Carbs: 28 g; Fat: 11 g; Saturated fat: 3.5 g; Sodium: 868 mg; Fiber: 3 g

The I-Haven't-Had-My-Coffee-Yet Sandwich

(number of Powerfoods: 3)

What you need:

1 1/2 teaspoons low-fat cream cheese

1 whole-wheat pita, halved to make 2 pockets

2 slices turkey or ham

Lettuce or green vegetable

How to prepare:

1. Spread cream cheese in the pockets of the pita.

2. Stuff with meat and vegetables.

3. Put in mouth. Chew and swallow.

Makes 1 serving.

Calories per serving: 225; Protein: 10 grams; Carbs: 42 g; Fat: 3 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Sodium: 430 mg; Fiber: 6 g

Eggs Beneficial Breakfast Sandwich

(number of Powerfoods: 5)

What you need:

1 large whole egg

3 large egg whites

1 tsp ground flaxseed

2 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted

1 slice Canadian bacon

1 tomato, sliced, or 1 green bell pepper, sliced

How to prepare:

1. Scramble the whole egg and egg whites in a bowl.

2. Add the flaxseed to the mixture.

3. Fry it in a nonstick skillet treated with vegetable-oil spray and dump it onto the toast.

4. Add the bacon and tomato, pepper, or other vegetables of your choice.

Makes 1 serving.

Wash it all down with 8 ounces of orange juice, and make it the high-pulp kind. More fiber that way.

Per serving: 399 calories, 31 g protein, 46 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (3 g saturated), 6 g fiber, 900 mg sodium

120 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power at 2:30 PM

Here are 120 things you can do starting today to help you think faster, improve memory, comprehend information better and unleash your brain’s full potential.

1. Solve puzzles and brainteasers.
2. Cultivate ambidexterity. Use your non-dominant hand to brush your teeth, comb your hair or use the mouse. Write with both hands simultaneously. Switch hands for knife and fork.
3. Embrace ambiguity. Learn to enjoy things like paradoxes and optical illusions.
4. Learn mind mapping.
5. Block one or more senses. Eat blindfolded, wear earplugs, shower with your eyes closed.
6. Develop comparative tasting. Learn to properly taste wine, chocolate, beer, cheese or anything else.
7. Find intersections between seemingly unrelated topics.
8. Learn to use different keyboard layouts. Try Colemak or Dvorak for a full mind twist!
9. Find novel uses for common objects. How many different uses can you find for a nail? 10? 100?
10. Reverse your assumptions.
11. Learn creativity techniques.
12. Go beyond the first, ‘right’ answer.
13. Transpose reality. Ask “What if?” questions.
14. SCAMPER!
15. Turn pictures or the desktop wallpaper upside down.
16. Become a critical thinker. Learn to spot common fallacies.
17. Learn logic. Solve logic puzzles.
18. Get familiar with the scientific method.
19. Draw. Doodle. You don’t need to be an artist.
20. Think positive.
21. Engage in arts — sculpt, paint, play music — or any other artistic endeavor.
22. Learn to juggle.
23. Eat ‘brain foods’.
24. Be slightly hungry.
25. Exercise!
26. Sit up straight.
27. Drink lots of water.
28. Deep-breathe.
29. Laugh!
30. Vary activities. Get a hobby.
31. Sleep well.
32. Power nap.
33. Listen to music.
34. Conquer procrastination.
35. Go technology-less.
36. Look for brain resources in the web.
37. Change clothes. Go barefoot.
38. Master self-talk.
39. Simplify!
40. Play chess or other board games. Play via Internet (particularly interesting is to play an ongoing game by e-mail).
41. Play ‘brain’ games. Sudoku, crossword puzzles or countless others.
42. Be childish!
43. Play video games.
44. Be humorous! Write or create a joke.
45. Create a List of 100.
46. Have an Idea Quota.
47. Capture every idea. Keep an idea bank.
48. Incubate ideas. Let ideas percolate. Return to them at regular intervals.
49. Engage in ‘theme observation’. Try to spot the color red as many times as possible in a day. Find cars of a particular make. Invent a theme and focus on it.
50. Keep a journal.
51. Learn a foreign language.
52. Eat at different restaurants – ethnic restaurants specially.
53. Learn how to program a computer.
54. Spell long words backwards. !gnignellahC
55. Change your environment. Change the placement of objects or furniture — or go somewhere else.
56. Write! Write a story, poetry, start a blog.
57. Learn sign language.
58. Learn a musical instrument.
59. Visit a museum.
60. Study how the brain works.
61. Learn to speed-read.
62. Find out your learning style.
63. Dump the calendar!
64. Try to mentally estimate the passage of time.
65. “Guesstimate”. Are there more leaves in the Amazon rainforest or neuron connections in your brain? (answer).
66. Make friends with math. Fight ‘innumeracy’.
67. Build a Memory Palace.
68. Learn a peg system for memory.
69. Have sex! (sorry, no links for this one! )
70. Memorize people’s names.
71. Meditate. Cultivate mindfulness and an empty mind.
72. Watch movies from different genres.
73. Turn off the TV.
74. Improve your concentration.
75. Get in touch with nature.
76. Do mental math.
77. Have a half-speed day.
78. Change the speed of certain activities. Go either super-slow or super-fast deliberately.
79. Do one thing at a time.
80. Be aware of cognitive biases.
81. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. How would different people think or solve your problems? How would a fool tackle it?
82. Adopt an attitude of contemplation.
83. Take time for solitude and relaxation.
84. Commit yourself to lifelong learning.
85. Travel abroad. Learn about different lifestyles.
86. Adopt a genius. (Leonardo is excellent company!)
87. Have a network of supportive friends.
88. Get competitive.
89. Don’t stick with only like-minded people. Have people around that disagree with you.
90. Brainstorm!
91. Change your perspective. Short/long-term, individual/collective.
92. Go to the root of the problems.
93. Collect quotes.
94. Change the media you’re working on. Use paper instead of the computer; voice recording instead of writing.
95. Read the classics.
96. Develop your reading skill. Reading effectively is a skill. Master it.
97. Summarize books.
98. Develop self-awareness.
99. Say your problems out loud.
100. Describe one experience in painstaking detail.
101. Learn Braille. You can start learning the floor numbers while going up or down the elevator.
102. Buy a piece of art that disturbs you. Stimulate your senses in thought-provoking ways.
103. Try different perfumes and scents.
104. Mix your senses. How much does the color pink weigh? How does lavender scent sound?
105. Debate! Defend an argument. Try taking the opposite side, too.
106. Use time boxing.
107. Allocate time for brain development.
108. Have your own mental sanctuary.
109. Be curious!
110. Challenge yourself.
111. Develop your visualization skills. Use it at least 5 minutes a day.
112. Take notes of your dreams. Keep a notebook by your bedside and record your dreams first thing in the morning or as you wake up from them.
113. Learn to lucid dream.
114. Keep a lexicon of interesting words. Invent your own words.
115. Find metaphors. Connect abstract and specific concepts.
116. Manage stress.
117. Get random input. Write about a random word in a magazine. Read random sites using StumbleUpon or Wikipedia.
118. Take different routes each day. Change the streets you follow to work, jog or go back home.
119. Install a different operating system on your computer.
120. Improve your vocabulary.
121. Deliver more than what’s expected.

The Best Foods for Healthy Hair at 5:36 PM

Feed your muscles and your mane at the same time

Hit the gym and eat right, and you'll build muscle, burn fat—and have thick, great-looking hair.

"Exercise increases the blood supply to your muscles as well as your hair, which stimulates growth," says Jim White, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "And the foods we eat for muscle also promote hair health."

Just be sure you're eating balanced diet. "Your body has a priority system," says Amy Newburger, M.D., director of Dermatology Consultants of Westchester in Scarsdale, New York. "If it only has a limited number of nutrients, your body sends those nutrients to the cells essential for life. So your hair is one of the first type of cells to go."

ADVERTISEMENT

Keep your hair (and entire body) healthy by including these nutrients in your daily diet.

Protein

You know you need adequate protein to build muscle—and you also need it for healthy hair because hair is made primarily of protein. Low-quality protein can lead to weak, brittle hair or a loss of hair color—but chances are, if you're trying to add or maintain muscle, you already eat enough.

Good sources: Chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, low-fat dairy (cottage cheese, milk, yogurt)

Iron

Low iron levels can lead to baldness, according to a Cleveland Clinic review. Researchers looked at 11 studies on the relationship between iron intake and hair loss, and concluded that treating iron deficiency may help regrow hair.

Good sources: Lean red meat, turkey, egg yolks, dried beans, dried fruit, whole grains

Zinc

Shedding more often? You may need to increase your intake of zinc. Studies show this mineral can affect levels of androgens, hormones associated with hair loss.

Good sources: Oysters, nuts (walnuts, cashews, pecans, almonds), beans, beef, lamb

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

"Omega-3s are known to support scalp help—a deficiency can result in dry scalp and dull hair," White says. And no woman will want to run her fingers through that.

Good sources: Salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, flaxseeds, walnuts

Lignans

In a 6-month pilot study, Taiwanese scientists found that lignans—disease-fighting compounds found in flaxseed—may help slow hair loss. Nine of the 10 men in the study reported modest to much improvement in the number of hairs shed daily.

Good source: Flaxseed. Lignans are found in the flaxseed's shell, so buy ground whole seeds in your supermarket's health-food section. The men in the study consumed 1 1/2 tablespoons a day. Try adding flaxseed to oatmeal or smoothies.

Water

If you have dry hair—or just want to prevent straw-like strands—drink more. "Hair is one-quarter water," White says. He recommends the typical eight glasses a day. Bring a water bottle to work so you don't spend the entire day refilling your mug at the fountain.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, so a deficiency can make hair dry and weak. You likely take in enough C from your diet, as long as you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.

Good sources: Broccoli, leafy greens, green peppers, citrus fruit, strawberries

Biotin

A lack of adequate biotin can lead to brittle hair, but deficiencies are rare, White says. This vitamin will help you have thick hair as well as strong nails. (That may not sound important, but women like guys with nice hands.)

Good sources: Brown rice, legumes, lentils, eggs, Swiss chard, nuts

5 Fast Stress-Busters at 5:34 PM

Take the edge off with these simple diet and lifestyle changes

Try some of these simple tricks when stress leaves you breathing harder than a bunch of frat brothers at a Girls Gone Wild shoot.

Reward your body. Regular exercise or relaxation techniques like yoga and massage will keep cortisol naturally in check by releasing beta-endorphins, brain chemicals that give you a calming effect.

Start strong. A recent study from Wales shows that regular consumption of breakfast cereal is associated with reduced stress and improved physical and mental health. Those who ate cereal daily had lower levels of cortisol. On the Abs Diet, that means oatmeal and bran cereals.

Snuff out the midnight oil. Regularly working overtime may inflate your weight. The stress of a string of 12-hour days can cause a spike in cortisol that stimulates hunger.

Fight with fish. That is, integrate more salmon and tuna into your life. When Swiss researchers fortified men’s diets with omega-3 fatty acids (fats found in fish), levels of cortisol remained unchanged during stress tests. (The placebo group’s cortisol rose by one-third.)

Get up and get out. A recent Australian study discovered that workers whose jobs require more than 6 hours of chair time a day are up to 68 percent more likely to wind up overweight or obese.

Perk Up Your Brain with Vitamin D at 5:43 PM

 

A new study shows higher levels may boost cognitive function

If you feel your mind has been a little sluggish lately, you might want to opt for seafood tonight: New research suggests that vitamin D, which is found in fish, may improve cognitive performance.

After comparing over 3,000 men between the ages of 40 and 79 across Europe, University of Manchester researchers discovered those who had higher levels of vitamin D fared better in a cognitive test that measured how quickly they could process information.

To get your dose, try to eat more salmon and mackerel. The vitamins found in fish can help prevent prostate cancer. Fish is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, healthier fats than those found in meat like beef and pork—and it's full of muscle-building protein. Just two to three servings a week can provide you with health benefits. Read more on what fish to eat and the perks of omega-3 fats.

Fast Track to Flex Appeal at 4:30 PM

Add size and strength while obliterating fat, with this high-velocity, total-body workout.

Man's got to know his limitations." Spend enough time in the gym and you gain an acute appreciation of what Clint Eastwood meant with that immortal line. Eventually, we all run up against the limitations of whatever workout system we're using. Some help make us bigger, some help make us stronger, some help make us leaner, but none seems to do all three at once.

While I agree that it's often more efficient to pursue one goal at a time, the workout system I created for my new book, Huge in a Hurry, allows you to multitask. You'll build size and strength, thanks to the intense challenge to all your muscle fibers from the high-speed reps. And you'll get leaner, thanks to the maximum-effort sets. Try it for four weeks, and you'll see that your limitations aren't really all that limiting.

Your 4-week flex plan

In just three workouts a week, you'll build bigger, stronger muscles while whittling your waist down to size

Directions: Do each workout once a week, with at least a day (48 hours total) between workouts. Instead of performing a specific number of sets, do the total number of reps designated for each exercise—regardless of how many sets it takes you.

Here's how it works: For each exercise, follow the guideline for the amount of weight you should use, which includes a repetition range for your first set. For example, suppose it prescribes four to six reps. You want this to be a challenging weight, of course, so choose what you think is the heaviest weight that allows you to lift at least four reps but no more than six. Then simply do as many sets as you need to complete the total number of reps for that exercise. (If you do fewer reps in subsequent sets, that's fine.)

One more guideline: Perform every rep of every exercise as fast as possible with good form, without pausing at any point. Stop the set if you're slowing down or if your form changes—for example, your range of motion shortens or you need to cheat to finish a rep.

Workout A

• 25 total reps per exercise
• 4-6 rep range, first set
• 45 seconds of rest between sets

1. Chin-Up (or Underhand-Grip Lat Pulldown)

Using an underhand, shoulder-width grip, start the set from a dead hang with your knees bent and ankles crossed behind you [A].

Pull yourself up as fast as possible until your chest touches the bar [B].

If you can't do that many chinupsor don't have access to a chinup bar, do underhand-grip pulldowns on a straight bar with your hands about shoulder-width a part.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on a flat bench. Start with your arms straight, holding the weights directly over your chest [A].

Lower them to the sides of your chest [B], and then immediately push them back to the starting position.

3. Front Squat

Grab a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and place it in front of you across the tops of your shoulders. Now raise your upper arms until they're parallel to the floor, allowing the bar to roll back onto your fingertips [A].

Without letting your elbows drop, lower your body by pushing your hips back and bending your knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor [B]. Push your body back to the starting position.

4. Barbell Lying Triceps Extension

Grab an EZ-curl bar or a barbell with an overhand grip, your hands a little less than shoulder-width apart. Lie on a flat bench and hold the bar over your chest with your arms straight [A].

Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows to lower the bar until your forearms are past parallel to the floor [B]. Pause, and then lift the weights back to the starting position by straightening your arms.

Workout B

• 40 total reps per exercise for each arm or leg
• 10-12 rep range, first set
• 60 seconds of rest between sets

1. Dumbbell One-Arm Row

Stand in a staggered stance, your left foot in front of your right. Hold a dumbbell with your right hand and bend at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor. Let your right arm hang straight down from your shoulder, your palm facing your left leg [A].

Pull the weight to the side of your torso [B] and then lower it. Do all of your reps, and then switch to your left arm.

2. Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with your right hand just above and outside your right shoulder. Your palm should be turned toward your head [A].

Push the weight straight up over your shoulder [B], lower it, and repeat without pausing. Do all your reps, and then switch arms.

3. Barbell Reverse Lunge

Hold a barbell across your upper back and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart [A].

Keeping your torso upright, step back with your left leg and lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your left knee nearly touches the floor [B]. Push yourself back to the start. Do all your reps with your left leg, and then repeat with your right leg.

4. Standing Calf Raise

With a dumbbell in your right hand, stand on a step and put your left hand on something for balance. Cross your left foot behind your right ankle, and balance yourself on the ball of your right foot.

Lower your right heel as far as you can [A], and then lift it as high as you can [B]. Do all your reps with your right leg, and repeat the move with your left leg.

Workout C

• 50 total reps per exercise
• 20-22 rep range, first set
• 75 seconds of rest between sets

1. Cable Standing Face Pull

Attach a rope handle to the high pulley cable and grab the ends with an overhand grip. Stand back so your arms are straight and the cable is taut [A].

Pull the rope toward your chin as you rotate your forearms toward your ears [B]. Reverse the motion as you return to the starting position, and repeat without pausing.

2. Push-Up

Assume a pushup position, with your hands slightly wider and in line with your shoulders and your body aligned from ankles to shoulders [A].

Lower your body as far as possible [B], and then quickly push yourself back to the start. If traditional pushups are too easy, elevate your feet using a bench or Swiss ball.

3. Romanian Deadlift

Stand holding a bar at arm's length with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Your knees should be slightly bent [A].

Keeping your back naturally arched, lower your torso until it's nearly parallel to the floor [B]. Immediately raise your torso back to the starting position.

4. Standing Hammer Curl

Holding a pair of dumbbells, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, and turn your palms so they're facing each other [A].

Curl the dumb-bells up as high as you can without moving your upper arms forward [B], and then lower the weights to the starting position.

For more workouts and training advice, pick up your copy of Huge in a Hurry, by Chad Waterbury, available anywhere books are sold.

Download this workout to your iPod here.

15-Minute Workout at 4:28 PM

Work multiple muscle groups with these unique exercises.

Challenge your core with this routine by Jamie Hale, owner of MaxCondition Training. Doing these three compound exercises as a circuit will ignite new muscle growth and boost your metabolism.

Finish as many circuits as you can in 15 minutes, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

1. Dumbbell squat press

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold dumbbells in front of you, your arms bent 90 degrees and palms facing each other.

Squat until your thighs are just past parallel to the floor.

As you stand back up, press the weights above your head, then bring them back to the start position.

Do eight to 12 reps.

2. Single-arm incline row

Holding a dumbbell in one hand, lie facedown on an incline bench and let both arms hang.

Pull the dumbbell up toward your midsection as you keep your elbow close to your body, and then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Do eight to 12 reps. Switch arms and repeat.

3. Turkish get-up

Lie on your back with your legs straight.

Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, your arm straight above your chest.

Stand up, keeping your elbow locked and the weight above you, and then lie back down as you keep holding the weight above you.

Switch hands and repeat.

Do four to six reps on each side.

Expand Your Arms

To help your biceps and triceps grow faster, fitness trainer Jamie Hale recommends a technique known as max stimulation. Its high volume will add size and strength. Here's how to do it.

1. Choose a biceps exercise (such as the barbell curl) and a triceps exercise (such as the close-grip bench press).
2. Select a weight you can lift about eight times.
3. Lift the weight once, and place the bar back on the rack.
4. Rest five to 10 seconds. Repeat the cycle 20 times total for the biceps exercise. Now do triceps.
5. Each week, try to add a small amount of weight to the bar, while still aiming for 20 reps.

Abs in No Time at 4:27 PM

Grab a medicine ball for an intensified crunch workout that will flatten your belly before beach season.

 

Get ripped fast

In these days of bogus infomercials, fat-burning concoctions, and fitness contraptions that promise incredible abs, there's something reassuring about a workout with a medicine ball. The heft of a vintage medicine ball makes us want to put on gray sweats and start heaving it around with the fellas, grunting contentedly. On the other hand, you can take the vintage thing too far. Leather is out; vinyl is in. Medicine balls now have easier-to-grab surfaces, and they come in many sizes and weights. (They still need a new name, though. Medicine?!)

What are you waiting for?

Here's a leave-me-alone, in-a-hurry, 21st-century set of exercises that uses the weight of a medicine ball to blast your belly from top to bottom, and your obliques on the sides—those all-important muscles you use when doing twisting, turning moves in sports. The workout was designed by Jacqueline Wagner, C.S.C.S., a strength coach in New York City. The added weight of the medicine ball will give you a more intense workout than you'll get with conventional crunches.

Use a ball that's light enough so you can do one set of each exercise without straining or arching your back. A good weight for ab workouts is a 4-kilogram medicine ball (just shy of 9 pounds). Start with one circuit and build up to three sets of the circuit. Use a slow, controlled movement for the Double Crunch and Reverse Crunch.

Double Crunch

Starting position: Lie on your back, with your hips and knees bent as shown and your feet off the floor. Rest your hands lightly on your chest. Position the ball between your knees.

The move: Exhale as you lift your shoulders off the floor and bring your knees toward your chest. Grab the ball with your hands and bring it to your chest as you inhale and ...

The finish: Return your shoulders and legs to the starting position. Transfer the ball back to your legs on the next repetition, and keep alternating ball positions for the entire set.

Seated Twist

Starting position: Sit on the floor, your back straight but leaning slightly toward the floor, as if in the "up" position of a sit-up. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees, your heels about 15 inches apart and resting on the floor.

The move: Hold the ball close to your chest, rotate your torso to the left, and place the ball on the floor behind you. Rotate around to the right, pick up the ball, rotate left, and place it behind you.

The finish: Repeat eight to 12 times, then do eight to 12 more starting with a rotation to your right; that's one set.

Hint: Keep your head in line with your torso throughout the movement. Perform this move as quickly as possible.

Reverse Crunch with Knee Drops

Starting position: Lie on your back, hands resting on the floor at your sides, hips and knees bent 90 degrees, and feet off the floor. Position the ball between your knees. Keep your lower back on the floor throughout the exercise.

The move: Contract your abdominals and pull your knees to your chest, then return them to the starting position.

The finish: Lower your knees to the left and return to the starting position. Drop your knees to your right on the next repetition, and alternate sides for each rep.

Provided by Men's Health

The Biggest Health Danger To Men at 5:25 PM

Thirty minutes of exercise a day can significantly lower your risk of major disease.

Nearly 75 million Americans have a potentially life-threatening disease—and 28 percent don't even know it. According to a new study from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), more adults than ever in the U.S. have high blood pressure. In fact, it is now the leading risk factor for heart disease and stroke worldwide. And here's the scariest part: Because it doesn’t usually cause symptoms, by the time some people realize they have high blood pressure (a.k.a. hypertension), it already may have caused significant damage in the form of heart disease, stroke, vision or kidney problems, or, in men, erectile dysfunction.

Men are most at risk to go untreated, according to a recent study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Young to middle-aged men are the most likely to be unaware of the problem, since many don't go to a doctor unless they feel sick. "Because it's not associated with any specific symptoms early in its course, high blood pressure is not something that typically takes someone to a physician’s office," says Dr. Daniel W. Jones, a former president of the American Heart Association and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi. "It just doesn’t get your attention." But it should. There's a reason high blood pressure is called "the silent killer."

LOWER YOUR RISK

As people live longer, their risk of developing hypertension (defined as blood pressure of 140/90 or higher) increases, particularly after age 45. "Overweight and obesity are a big part of the increasing prevalence," says Dr. Jeffrey Cutler, a consultant to the NHLBI and National Institutes of Health (NIH). "The increasing consumption of salt in our diets may be a factor too, because obesity raises a person’s sensitivity to the blood-pressure-raising effects of salt." There are steps you can take to reduce your risk, though, no matter what your age or current health. "In the vast majority of people, a very healthy lifestyle can prevent hypertension," Dr. Jones says.

Lose weight

A study at the University of Padua in Italy found that overweight people who lost between 9 percent and 13 percent of their body weight experienced on average a 6.2-point drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number) and a 3.6-point drop in their diastolic pressure (the bottom number)—improvements that were sustained six years later.

Change how you eat

Some people appear to be more sensitive to salt than others, putting them at higher risk for developing hypertension. Nevertheless, doctors recommend that most people lower their salt intake and increase their potassium. An easy way to do this is to follow the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) plan, which the NIH developed to lower blood pressure without medication. It has less salt, fat, and sugar than the typical American diet and includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy foods, whole-grain products, fish, poultry, nuts, and seeds. The DASH plan is usually the first-line treatment, along with exercise, for people with pre-hypertension—unless they have a chronic disease such as diabetes or kidney problems, in which case they may be prescribed medication, too, Dr. Jones says. It also is recommended for those who have full-blown hypertension and are taking drugs to treat it.

Exercise regularly

Regular exercise can improve your aerobic conditioning, which will result in a healthy drop in blood pressure, explains Dom­enic A. Sica, M.D., a professor of medicine and chairman of clinical pharmacology and hypertension at Virginia Commonwealth University. It doesn't have to be vigorous: In a recent review of 26 studies, researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School's Osher Institute concluded that low-impact exercises such as tai chi can reduce blood pressure. Meanwhile, a study at Syracuse University found that resistance training can lower blood pressure in those who have pre- or stage-1 hypertension.

Get enough sleep

"When you go to sleep at night, blood pressure typically drops 15 percent to 30 percent, and your heart rate can drop as much as 30 percent," says Dr. Sica. The overnight reduction can positively affect your blood pressure the next day. On the other hand, a short or fragmented night’s sleep can produce the opposite effect, increasing blood pressure the next day.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Manage your medications

Several classes of drugs can be used to control hypertension, including diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor antagonists, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and a drug (approved in 2007) that inhibits renin, a kidney enzyme. In many cases, people will require two or more drugs to bring their blood pressure into the normal range. Because various drugs work in different ways, they can have a complementary, often synergistic effect in reducing blood pressure. Plus, if you use more than one, you usually can take a lower dose of each, which can help you avoid some of the potentially unpleasant side effects (such as swelling, flushing, and headaches), says Dr. Sica.

It is important that you stick with the medication regimen outlined by your doctor. If your blood-pressure readings still aren’t getting into the optimal zone, expect to have your prescriptions or dosages adjusted. "Sometimes you need to try different combinations of drugs until you find the one that works for you," Dr. Sica advises.

Monitor yourself

Doctors recommend that people with hyper­tension regularly monitor their blood pressure at home. Blood pressure can vary considerably, fluctuating as much as 30 percent over a relatively short period of time, depending on environmental conditions or what you’re doing, says Dr. Jones. Home monitoring can help you see how your blood pressure shifts throughout the day and is affected by various activities. Knowing what makes a difference can help you get your blood pressure into the target range.

WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN

The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure before it takes a toll is to have regular checkups. Because pressure can vary throughout the day and be affected by whether you are standing or sitting, doctors will often take more than one reading during a single visit.

• Top number: Called "systolic pressure," it measures the pressure within blood vessels as your heart beats.
• Bottom number: This records "diastolic pressure," which happens between beats while your heart is at rest.
• Normal: Under 120/80
• Pre-hypertension: 120/80 to 139/89
• High blood pressure: Over 140/90

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Brain Booster at 1:28 PM

Dark Chocolate

Magnesium and the antioxidant powers of chocolate apparently increase the supply of oxygen to the brain, thus boosting brain power and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Sex

The next time your other half says they are too tired, make sure they know that seven chemical reactions occur in the brain during sex, and all of them are beneficial to your brain.

Cold Meats

Terry Horne's book, Teach Yourself Training Your Brain, suggests a breakfast of cold meats to get the most out of your brain during the day. This despite the advice from the World Cancer Research Fund, which advises against eating any cold meats.

Laughter

Horne's book also encourages readers to achieve a state of BLISS: Body-based pleasure, Laughter, Involvement, Satisfaction and Sex. Laughter is thought to be a natural way to boost levels of serotonin, the hormone which is linked to the prevention of depression and therefore the long-term health of the brain.

Home Work

' Do your homework' sounds rather obvious, but apparently parents should not let children do their homework on their own, as the mind is thought to work better when in a group.

Business Degree

Self-improvement is never a bad thing - and one could always do a business degree to improve the mind.

Oil Fish

The omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish have been linked by numerous studies to increased cognitive function and concentration levels. Some schools even give fish oil supplements to their pupils to improve exam performance.

Exercise

Regular exercise has also been strongly linked to improving brain power. The government recommends that adults do 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day - but it really is a case of the more the better. Protein Protein rich foods such as eggs, chicken and dark green vegetables make the perfect brain-boosting lunch, while carbohydrates are good for an energy-packed dinner

Sleep

According to the Sleep Council, only one in 10 of us say we sleep well and one in five suffers from lack of sleep. Ideally, you should get between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, and not getting enough sleep is known to damage our mental capabilities and ruin concentration

Keep your Mind Active

To keep your brain healthy in old age, the best advice is definitely, start early and keep active. Exercising your brain by doing crosswords or reading books keeps your thinking skills sharp and has even been linked to the prevention of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, though further research is required into this area. Horne's book also recommends that reading out loud is a simple way of enhancing brain power. Classical Music Research carried out in California found that listening to classical music improved performance in exams.