VIDEO: Blast your Pec's w/ new soreness by doing this 1 simple trick to your Chest Press workout

The pectoralis major attaches to the upper bone of the arm, called the humerus, and is divided into two parts. The clavicular head makes up the upper part, and the sternal head makes up the lower part.

The muscle fibers of the pectoralis end in a flat tendon, which is inserted into a groove called the intertubercular sulcus, in the upper humerus located in the upper arm.

The pectoralis major controls various actions in order to move the shoulder joint:

• Clavicular head flexes the humerus, as in throwing an underhand ball

• Sternocostal head adducts the humerus, as when flapping the arms

• Pectoralis major medially rotates the humerus, as when arm wrestling

• Pectoralis major keeps the arm attached to the trunk

 

3 Exercises to Help you Develop a Better Butt..

There’s no denying it but "the butt" is having one of its moments. Look on any fitness page and you’ll find a myriad of articles on how to get a toned, firmer and bigger butt. Whatever your booty goals are you’re probably tired of hearing of squats! Despite the many exercises available to work your glutes, squats seems to crop up time and time again as the ultimate glute exercise despite the fact they work your legs equally and even predominantly unless you have your form down! So below we’ve listed three killer exercises to target your glutes specifically.

SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIDGE ext.

This is an amazing move for working your glutes as well as your hamstrings; with no equipment required, there’s no reason this shouldn’t be in everyone’s workout arsenal! All you need is a flat surface… simply lie on your back with your feet flat and knee bent, arms resting at your side with palms down to give you stability, then extend one leg at a time and lift up into a glute bridge. Make sure to squeeze your glutes as you’re lifting up and hold for a few seconds at the top of the bridge before lowering.

     

DONKEY KICKS

Another killer glute move with no equipment required! Donkey Kicks work all three of the major groups, Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius and Gluteus Minimus so they are the ultimate move to lift and sculpt your butt! Your starting position should be a tabletop position with your hands placed below your shoulders and your core engaged. Then using alternate legs squeeze your glutes and kick your leg up behind you in the air keeping your legs bent at a 90-degree angle the whole time. To make it more challenging you can add ankle weights!

BARBELL HIP THRUSTS

Barbell Hip Thrusts are the best for building size and strength because of the full hip extension motion which most glute exercises don’t use! This is the primary function of the Gluteus Maximus, so when an exercise uses this movement this allows you to fully engage your glutes.

5 TIPS TO REACH SINGLE DIGIT BODY FAT

DRINK MORE WATER

Water is the medium in which most cellular activities take place, including the transport and burning of fat. Drink at least 1 ounce of water per 2 pounds of body weight a day (that's 100 ounces for a 200-pound person). Keep a 20-ounce water bottle at your desk, fill it five times a day, and you're set.

INCREASE VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION

Vegetables are nutrient-dense, meaning they pack maximum nutrition value with minimal calories, leaving you more full on fewer calories. You should aim to consume five servings a day of veggies, whether as a snack, on a sandwich or on the side of a chicken breast.

                                                  EAT 5-6 MEALS A DAY

Dieters often decrease the number of daily meals in an attempt to reduce calories—a big no-no. If you eat six meals a day versus three with the same total calories, you can lose more fat because more meals burn more calories. An efficient way to implement this into your routine is to calculate how many calories you want to consume per day, and spread them evenly across 5-6 meals.

INCORPORATE HIIT TRAINING

Spend at least three days a week doing HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Apply this to any form of cardio that you like, such as running, spinning, stair-climbing, jumping rope, elliptical training or rowing. Start your workouts with a light five-minute warm-up, then alternate back and forth from high to low intensity. Finish with a light five-minute cool-down.

                                                         HAVE A BREAK

When you’ve been dieting for an extensive period of time, some sort of metabolic decline is inevitable. Leptin and various hormones including testosterone will decrease and as a result affect your results.

Adhering to a strict diet becomes increasingly difficult and fat loss always seems to be slower than expected. Not to mention, the psychological component of continued dieting becomes a serious burden. The solution is to take 2 weeks to eat at roughly maintenance. Leptin and testosterone will skyrocket. In addition, you will get that psychological relief. Finally, when you go back to your diet it will feel easier than before and fat loss will resume as expected.

SOURCE

SPECIAL REPORT from WebMD: 6 Ways to be Happier

No. 1 

Give Thanks 

Happy people aren’t smarter or richer than their peers, but they are more grateful and often have these characteristics. 

No. 2 

Focus on Physical Activity 

You don’t need to run marathons to reap the benefits of exercise. Even short workouts release certain brain chemicals that create feelings of joy and contentment. 

  

No. 3 

Eat Feel-Good Foods 

While there’s no "happiness diet," some foods -- like Thanksgiving turkey -- can give your mood a lift and may help ward off depression. 

No. 4 

Snuggle Up 

Touching and hugging can release your body’s natural “feel-good hormone.” Plus, sex and intimacy can boost your self-esteem and happiness, among other health perks. 

No. 5 

Give Back 

As little as 2 hours of volunteering a week can give you that happy glow known as the “helper’s high.” 

No. 6 

Tune In 

Listening to music can provide an emotional pick-me-up, but choose wisely. Some songs may bring you down. 

SOURCE

3 Steps to Improve Your Bench Press Max...

Improve your bench press max

1. Bench press negatives
If you don’t know what a negative is, it’s the lowering phase of an exercise. In the case of the bench press, it’s lowering the weight to your chest. Negative training involves very heavy weights (up to 1.5 times your 1 rep max) and simply lowering the weight slowly down to your chest and having 2 assistants lift it back up for you. Negative training is highly underestimated and can have a dramatic effect on your upper body strength and your 1 rep max.

2. Power up your triceps
Tricep strength has an enormous impact on your bench press performance. You need to hit your triceps hard with big exercises like close grip bench press and skullcrushers. Don’t waste your time with cable machines, stick to heavy dumbbells and barbells.

3. Eat like there’s no tomorrow
If you want to get bigger and stronger you have to eat like you have the appetite of Ronnie Coleman! You should eat up to 7 meals per day and each meal should contain a good serving of protein (in various forms) and complex carbohydrates. This is essential for increasing your bench press. If you’re not eating enough calories per day, don’t expect to do any additional pounds on your bench press.

Break through Your Progress Plateau's w/ any of these 4 Fitness Tips!

Does it feel like no matter what you do in the gym, you just aren't moving forward? Nothing is more frustrating than hitting a progress plateau, but sadly, it’s something that virtually every gym-goer will face at some point in his or her fitness career.

Things were going along great and then results just seemed to come to a halt. You haven’t changed anything, so why aren't you seeing the results you want?

The reason is precisely this: You haven’t changed anything.

Remember, the whole point of your workout is to get your body to adapt to a training stimulus. This means your body builds itself up so that you can comfortably do what you are asking of it. This is the process of progression. So once adaptation has taken place, if you continue to do the same thing over and over again, you aren’t giving your body anything further to adapt to—thus, it maintains the status quo.

Here are four ways that you can help get unstuck from that plateau, and start seeing results again:

Change Your Rep/Weight Scheme

Think the only way to progress is to add more weight? In some cases, this isn’t the best solution. You might be at a sticking point where you just can’t lift any more weight, but yet the weight you currently lift isn’t challenging enough. What then? It’s time to adjust your rep range. If you were doing sets of 8 reps, try doing sets of 10 or 12 reps. You may even need to decrease the weight slightly as you do this, but that’s fine. The increased rep range is going to provide a new challenge for the body and something it needs to adapt to.

Utilize Drop Sets

Drop sets are another great way to get through a strength plateau. Can’t get to that next level? Try this for two to three weeks and then see if you can progress. To perform drop sets, start with your normal standard set using the regular weight you lift. Then, immediately after the first set is done, drop the weight by 5 or 10 pounds. Perform a second set. Once that set is done, drop the weight one more time and then perform as many reps as you can on that third and final set. This should bring you to the point of full exhaustion, upon which you can rest before repeating a second time through. Just avoid doing any more than two drop sets per session, as they are highly taxing on the body.

Try A New Piece Of Equipment

Sometimes what your workout really needs is a new form of training. If you always lift using dumbbells, for instance, try using a barbell next time you’re in the gym. While it’s a small change, often it’s enough to see results. Switching over to weight machines may also be an option if that’s what you prefer. As long as you’re still stressing the muscle and providing an overloading stimulus, you’ll see results.

Take One Week Off

Finally, the last thing that may be needed to help you get past a plateau is to take one week off entirely. If you are on the verge of overtraining—a state where the body is not quite recovering as well as it needs to between each workout session—this will completely halt your progress as well. Take one week off and don’t be surprised if, when you come back, you feel stronger than ever.

These fast, simple ways should help you get past any progress plateau. Use one of these tricks the next time you’re feeling stuck and frustrated, and not seeing results.

SOURCE

8 Fool-Proof ways to fit in fitness during the busy holiday travel season

Have Fitness,
Will Travel

Fool proof ways to fit in fitness during the busy holiday travel season.

Stay fit on-the-go!

I just e-mailed someone about setting up a meeting and a photo shoot this month or next, and realized that my upcoming schedule may in fact be certifiably crazy. Between now and Christmas I’ll be traveling to San Francisco, Ohio, Delaware, Minnesota, Boston and Chicago. Oh, and maybe Michigan. And Philly. And NYC. When traveling, use running as an to go explore. On vacation/traveling for work? Running’s a great excuse to get out and explore by foot. Luckily, while I still don’t know how to pack without over-packing, or make it out the door when I mean to, I have figured out a few foolproof ways to fit in fitness when I’m on the go.

1. Tour on foot

Whether I’m vacationing or traveling for work, my favorite way to see the place I’m visiting is by going for a run. It’s not a trip to NYC without a loop of Central Park, or a venture to Boston without a jog along the Charles River. But you don’t have to be in a tourist mecca to get a good look at the place you’re visiting. Just head out the door and explore. Prefer a little more guidance? Some upscale hotels are now offering a “running concierge.”

2. Be a fitness tourist

Going to a big city? Get out of your hotel room and check out a workout at a fancy gym you can’t visit at home. Find out what all the fuss is about Soul Cycle in NYC, or show up and hug some people at the November Project in Boston.

3. Put your laptop to work

Not heading to a trendy fitness mecca? Last summer I got to try out some of the latest online workouts for Glamour magazine. And guess what: They work just as well on the road as they do at home.

4. Get in with the locals

Search online for a local running club or cycling group you could catch up with on your trip. Savvy on social media? Take a tip from Men’s Fitness and tweet for a running (or biking or walking) partner.

5. Take advantage of the hotel gym

If you live in an apartment building with a gym and a pool, well, you’re lucky. If you don’t, having one down the hall from your hotel room is pretty amazing. So use it. Do something you don’t usually do at home – like using weight machines or swimming laps.

6. Travel with a band
A hotel gym is great if you’re, well, staying in a hotel with a gym. But you can’t always count on one if you’re staying in a big city on a budget, let alone if you scored a deal on AirBnB (or on a friend’s couch). So throw a rubber resistance band in your bag and consider it your no-excuses way to exercise anywhere, anytime. Bands take up virtually no space, and can work out your entire body. Try this or this to get started.

7. Make like Rocky and grab a jump rope
You might not be able to fit a treadmill in your bag, but I guarantee you’ve got space for a jump rope. Take 10 minutes and knock out a quick session right in your room.

8. Wear comfortable shoes
Okay, so this is good advice all the time, but especially when you’re traveling. You’ll be more likely to go the extra mile (literally), which makes for a better trip and a healthier one, too.

SOURCE:

The 5 Biggest Myth's in the Gym Today...

Make the Most of Your Workout
Some things are beyond question—planetary motion, LeBron James's defense. But when it comes to weight-lifting advice, it pays to be a skeptic. "The gym is filled with false information," says strength and conditioning coach Josh Henkin, C.S.C.S. Here are five weightlifting myths that might be holding you back, and the fast fixes that will have you seeing results again.


MYTH 1: GOOD FORM IS EVERYTHING IN THE GYM

The claim: Performing exercises the way they're intended will maximize results.

The truth: Sometimes cheating can boost your gains. Using a bit of momentum in the lateral raise, for example, increases the torque of your shoulder joint, helping you raise a heavier weight to the point at which your deltoids take over, notes a study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology. "You can achieve a similar effect with biceps curls," says sports biomechanist Bret Contreras, C.S.C.S. Just keep the body English to a minimum.

MYTH 2: SLOW LIFTING BUILDS HUGE MUSCLES

The claim: Deliberate, controlled lifts ensure proper form and accelerate muscular gains.

The truth: Slow and steady is a smart strategy for lowering a weight, but lifting it quickly activates more type II muscle fibers, which have the greatest growth potential. 
Bottom line: "Vary your lifting speed," says Henkin. "In the bench press, for example, pause every 5 inches on the way down, and then push up explosively." Varying your pace will fatigue you faster, so start doing this on the last reps of your final set. (Want more ways secrets to size and strength? Try the Maximum Mass workout to get bigger, faster.)

MYTH 3: IF YOU WANT TO GROW BIG, YOU HAVE TO LIFT BIG

The claim: Heavy weights and low reps (5 or fewer) trigger the greatest increase in muscle mass.

The truth: The sweet spot is 6 to 15 reps, says Brad Schoenfeld, C.S.C.S., author of The MAX Muscle Plan. Lifting a moderate weight in that rep range creates an optimal balance of muscular tension and metabolic stress. That in turn maximizes your protein production after exercise as well as the number of contracting mechanisms within a muscle cell. The result: serious gains in size, strength, and force production.

MYTH 4: RESTING BETWEEN SETS IS CRITICAL

The claim: Giving your muscles a break lets you put your all into every set.

The truth: Staying active between sets boosts performance. "Doing low-intensity, noncompeting moves, called fillers, between sets enhances mind-muscle communication without compromising recovery," says Mike Wunsch, C.S.C.S., director of programming at Results Fitness. Try lateral band walks between lower-body sets and I-raises between upper-body sets.

MYTH 5: POST-WORKOUT SHAKES BOOST MUSCLE GROWTH

The claim: There's a window of opportunity after a workout when muscles are primed to respond to protein.

The truth: That idea is based on a small number of short-term studies that evaluated people who trained after fasting overnight, says Alan Aragon, M.S., a Men's Health nutrition advisor. Your focus should be on total daily protein. "Shoot for 1 gram per pound of body weight a day," he says. Falling short? Down a protein shake whenever it's most convenient for you. (Store-bought shakes can often times be over-priced and low on protein)

10 WAYS MORE SEX CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

From burning calories to cancer prevention, the benefits of an active love life go beyond the obvious. Ready to get some?

It won't take much convincing to follow this general rule, but you should be sure you know it anyway:

the more sex you have, the healthier you'll be.

Not only can it help your general mood (thereby reducing stress), but studies show there are tangible ways sex slows down the aging process, fights disease and even heals wounds. Here, a full breakdown of the ways getting it on can save you a trip to the ER.

1. Sex promotes heart health
A study in the American Journal of Cardiology suggests that men who have sex twice a week have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than men who have less frequent sex. And this was true even after researchers adjusted for erectile dysfunction. Analyzing the health records of 1,165 men who were monitored for 16 years as part of the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, epidemiologists at the New England Research Institutes found that men who had sexual activity once a month or less were at 50 percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease than the men who had sex more than once a week.

"Our research found that a low frequency of sexual activity predicted new cardiovascular events," says Susan Hall, PhD. Hall says a number of possible factors could have contributed to the study's finding: The psychical capacity to have sex might be a marker for overall health, or the physical exercise from sex might directly protect against CVD. Or it might be that men who have regular sex enjoy improved health through stress reduction from a supportive relationship. Whatever the reason, it appears that sex is good for your ticker.

2. Doing it burns calories.
Due to its brevity, having an orgasm fries only two or three calories. But the prelude can burn quite a bit more, depending on your weight and the length and vigor of the lovemaking session. For example, a raucous romp uses about 5 METs (metabolic equivalents), a system for gauging the intensity of physical activity. (Sitting quietly, for comparison, is equal to 1 MET.) So, a 190-pound man would burn 413 calories in an hour of vigorous sexual activity. But since the average lovemaking session is about 20 minutes, you're talking about only around 150 calories. Still, that's more than double the caloric expenditure of sitting alone on the couch.

3. Sex is a natural sleeping pill.
As I personally know all too well, orgasm is a rather effective sleep aid for most men.

4. Sex stifles stress.
Research at the University of the West of Scotland shows that sex, like exercise, releases anxiety, lowers stress hormones, and can help people cope with mental pressure for at least a week. In the study, 46 men and women were put in a stressful situation involving speaking and working math problems in front of a tough audience. Participants were also asked to keep a diary of their sexual activity for two weeks prior to the test. Those who had sex were the least stressed out, and their blood pressures returned to normal faster after the public speaking test. "People who had penile-vaginal intercourse did twice as well as people who only masturbated or had no sex at all," says psychologist and lead researcher Stuart Brody.

5. A roll in the hay keeps the doctor away.
People who have sex once or twice weekly have stronger immune systems than people who have sex less than once a week, according to a study at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania by psychologists Carl J. Charnetski, PhD, and Francis X. Brennan Jr., PhD. In their book, Feeling Good is Good for You: How Pleasure Can Boost Your Immune System and Lengthen Your Life, they describe their study in which they took saliva samples from 111 college students and asked them about their frequency of sex over the course of a month. Analysis showed that the saliva of the students who had sex once or twice a week had 30 percent more of the antigen immunoglobulin A (IgA) than the saliva of students who had sex less often. "IgA is the body's first line of defense against colds and flu," says Charnetski. Other studies show that happy relationships are good for health. In one experiment reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh scientists shot live cold viruses up the noses of volunteers. Those who reported having strong ties with lovers, friends, and family were the least likely to catch a cold.

6. Good love is better than a bandage.
Researchers at Ohio State University Medical Center inflicted minor blister wounds on the arms of 45 married couples during 24-hour visits on two different occasions. On the first visit, the couples were prompted to engage in a positive, supportive discussion. Two months later they returned and new wounds were administered, the couples were prompted to argue. Results showed that wounds healed nearly two times faster after the positive interaction.

7. More sex may turn back the clock.
Can having sex keep wrinkles away? British neuropsychologist David Weeks, MD, of Royal Edinburgh Hospital believes so. In a 10-year-long study, he interviewed 3,500 adults in England and the United States, and found that people who reported having sex four times a week looked about 10 years younger than they actually were. Pleasure derived from having loving sex releases hormones, including human growth hormone, that are crucial in preserving youth, he says.

8. Frequent orgasms may protect against cancer.
Several studies have suggested that frequent ejaculation over many years may decrease risk of prostate cancer. In one US study, 29,000 men, ages 46 to 81, were asked their history of sexual intercourse and masturbation between the ages of 20 and 49. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute analyzed the data and determined that the group of men who reported 21 orgasms per month was much less likely to have prostate cancer than men who averaged seven or fewer ejaculations per month. The researchers speculated that several protective factors may contribute: ejaculation may clear the prostate of carcinogenic secretions and the stress-reduction benefit from orgasm may limit potential harmful substances that could trigger cancer.

9. Love longer, live longer.
An Irish study published in the British Medical Journal in 1997 tracked the mortality of 1,000 middle-aged men over the course of a decade and concluded that sexual activity may have a protective effect on health. By comparing men according to age and health, researchers found that men who had the highest frequency of orgasms had a death rate 50-percent lower than men who did not ejaculate frequently. 

10. Men who have more sex are—surprise—happier!
An Australian survey of 5,000 people showed that married men are 135 percent more likely to report happiness than single men, while only 52 percent of married women are happier than unmarried women. Could it have something to do with the fact that sex is easier for cohabiting couples? According to a national sex survey conducted by the University of Chicago, sexual activity is 25 percent to 300 percent greater for married couples compared to non-married people, depending on age.

SOURCE:

http://www.menshealth.com/sex-md/sex-health-benefits?cm_mmc=DailyDoseNL-_-1093540-_-11022012-_-ImproveHealth-body#ixzz2BQDfg2aS

Power up your brain w/ these 5 Steps for a better breakfast

Does every morning start like a scene out of Zombieland—and you’re the zombie? Skipping breakfast may be to blame. 


A review of 134 breakfast studies conducted by the University of Leeds in the UK found that your memory, problem-solving skills, verbal fluency, and several other measures of cognitive ability all suffer when you miss the most important meal of the day.


New research provides a road map that can help you get the most from your breakfast and your brain every morning.


5 Steps for a better breakfast

1. Protein power. Eating a protein-rich breakfast resulted in a nearly 20 percent boost in brain activity compared to either no breakfast or a breakfast high in sugar, Japanese research shows. That’s because protein, unlike sugar, provides your brain with a consistent energy source, the study says. Eggs are a great source of hunger-quelling protein, not to mention a lot of other good stuff.
2. A "better" source of caffeine. A recent study from the University of Bristol in the UK found that just 20 to 30 milligrams (mg) of caffeine boosts brainpower—regardless of how alert the subjects felt. That’s about 100 mg less than your average cup of coffee. Higher doses didn't provide any additional brain boost. So have a small amount of dark chocolate in the morning. Research has shown dark chocolate improves blood flow and cholesterol levels, and may even help you lose weight. One ounce—or about two 1-inch squares—containing 70 to 85 percent cocoa packs roughly 25 mg of caffeine. (For more great food choices, hit me up and I'll be happy to help)

7 TIPS on what you can do today to get that beach body you've always wanted

Here are SEVEN sizzling hot tips to help you raise your metabolism through the roof, so you'll be lean and sexy and looking great naked before strutting your stuff out on the beach:

1. Supplement your diet with krill oil, whey protein, and a greens booster
This is the magic combination to stoke your metabolic fire. Krill oil helps increase your fat burning powers, whey protein builds lean, sexy muscle, and the greens supplement will keep everything nice and balanced.

2. Train with resistance                                                                                 
Training for strength, either with weights or your own body weight is one of the absolute best ways to transform your body. Lean muscle is what gives your body that sexy shape. Plus, muscle tissue raises your metabolism so that you will burn fat even while you're asleep!

3. Use intervals                                                                                              
Traditional cardiovascular training has been shown to be ineffective for fat loss. Much better is to train with intervals. Intervals are simply periods of higher intensity activity alternated with lower intensity periods. For instance, if you use a spin bike, an interval workout could be 30 seconds pedaling as hard as you can mixed with 30 seconds of easy spinning.


4. Eat breakfast every day                                                                              
Having a nutritious breakfast each and every day is one of the very first things my fat loss clients focus on. It is THAT important for fat loss. Breakfast is your chance to get your day going right, make the most of it.

5. Make sure at least a third of your calories come from fat                         
It might sound strange, but you can't lose fat unless you eat fat. Your body won't release its fat stores until it is sure it will have enough fuel coming in. As a bonus, healthy fats will keep your skin supple, smooth, and glowing. THAT sure helps you look great naked!

6. Hire an expert                                                                                            
Fitness professionals are experts at blasting fat off of their clients as fast as possible. Whatever your situation, they've seen it before and can help you overcome all of your obstacles to success.

7. Get plenty of sleep                                                                                    
A full night's sleep every night will fast-track you on your path of looking great naked! Your body produces fat burning hormones while you sleep, especially if you've been following the 6 previous tips mentioned in this posting.

Get started today and be lean and sexy this summer!