Up until recently, the last time I did a back bridge was in a junior high PE class. This winter I am doing a routine that incorporates a mild version of the back bridge, called the hip bridge. As soon as I added in hip bridges, I knew this is the exact exercise that my body was looking for. My back has been injured for 20 years and my lower spine has a tendency to lose the healthy natural curve and flex forward a bit. Things like sitting at a desk for a lot of the day just add to the problem. This past week I have been researching back bridges and possibly incorporating this exercise into my routine permanently. But they are kind of controversial.

[This picture doesn’t have a lot to do with this post, but people keep telling me that Rain from Ninja Assassins got in great condition […]

Original post by admin

It’s a message fitting for the season and one that gives a whole new meaning to the adage, to give is to receive. Acts of generosity, research shows, don’t just lead to emotional satisfaction; they actually promote physical health and healing. It’s more than good karma of course.
There’s evolutionary rationale to the warm fuzzies we get when we exercise our altruistic muscle. It behooved our ancestors to get along well and exhibit cooperation within their tribal groups. Even as the scale of social community expanded over time, a confluence of cultural motivation and genetic incentive appear to have still favored “pro-social” behaviors. We’re designed to be socially conscious and collaborative creatures. Not surprisingly, physiological incentives to support this orientation have been selected for over time.

As a recent New York Times article highlighted, volunteering and other generous acts won’t cure a disease, but they can help people with serious conditions cope […]

Original post by Worker Bee

For years & years, we have been told that caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, etc) are diuretics and that they dehydrate us and that they do not count towards those magic 8 glasses of water we are all supposed to drink each and every day.
And for years & years, I thought this was a colossal line of B.S.
And I was right.
According to this study & that study, there is no valid scientific support for the suggestion that consumption of caffeine-containing beverages as part of a normal lifestyle leads to fluid loss in excess of the volume ingested or is associated with poor hydration status.
Therefore, there would appear to be no clear basis for refraining from caffeine containing drinks in situations where fluid balance might be compromised.

So, the next time someone tells you that you shouldn’t drink coffee because it will dry you up like a California Raisin, send them over to […]

Original post by healthhabits

The basis of Tabata Training is 4 minutes of intense interval training/circuit training. What you are doing is taking an exercise we'll use sprints as an example here.
Sprint as hard as you can for 20 seconds
Walk for 10 seconds
Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 sets.
So what you have is a total of 4 minutes workout time.
Tabata Training can be done with a number of different exercises the idea is to use an exercise that gets the whole body involved or at least the major muscle groups.Tabata Training can be done with Barbells, Dumbells, Kettlebells or just Bodyweight exercises. I'll give you some other exercises and routines to try in a minute but first let me give you some background and how Tabatas work.
Tabata Training was developed by Izumi Tabata (imagine that) at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. They did a study on […]

Original post by WP-AutoBlog Import

The basis of Tabata Training is 4 minutes of intense interval training/circuit training. What you are doing is taking an exercise we'll use sprints as an example here.
Sprint as hard as you can for 20 seconds
Walk for 10 seconds
Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8 sets.
So what you have is a total of 4 minutes workout time.
Tabata Training can be done with a number of different exercises the idea is to use an exercise that gets the whole body involved or at least the major muscle groups.Tabata Training can be done with Barbells, Dumbells, Kettlebells or just Bodyweight exercises. I'll give you some other exercises and routines to try in a minute but first let me give you some background and how Tabatas work.
Tabata Training was developed by Izumi Tabata (imagine that) at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. They did a study on […]

Original post by WP-AutoBlog Import

Earlier today, I came upon this online ad.

Wow!!!
Paul got ripped in 4 weeks…without killing himself in the gym or dieting.
However did he do it?
I have to know….Must follow link…to this site….

Double Wow!!!
It gets even better….a FREE super supplement used by hollywood actors to get ripped in 4 weeks without killing themselves in the gym or dieting
It almost seems too good to be true.
But, Paul looks like an honest guy, so I click through to check out the secret to his success…Muscle Might

Triple Wow!!!

The World’s #1 Selling Muscle Building Supplement
A Risk Free Trial
A Chance at a $1000 prize

and I can get ripped in 4 weeks without killing myself in the gym or dieting

Sign Me Up!!!
But wait, maybe this offer is too good to be true.
Perhaps I need a little cooling off period.
This feels like one of those impulse purchases I have been hearing about….
(30 minute cooling off period…imagine the theme from […]

Original post by healthhabits

Among the questions I get from MDA readers are those that ask about timely diet trends – you know, the latest regimens highlighted in the media or promoted by high profile stars and athletes. Some are bookstore blockbuster plans like The Zone, while others are the latest celebrity diet du jour. As my wife and – well, everyone who knows me – can tell you, I’m always up for talking, debating, deconstructing, and fully dissecting any version or concept of diet under the sun. (Thankfully, my wife at least finds it endearing after all these years.) But it’s a treat when a diet trend comes up I can actually find common ground with. Take this question from reader Jim.
Dear Mark,
I saw something this week about a “feast or famine” diet. From what I get, people alternate eating a small amount and eating as much as they want. I’m still […]

Original post by Mark Sisson

 
Even if you’re interested in getting lean and cut and not “big”, you might still want to put on mass to reach your potential. Taylor Lautner is a great example of this, putting on a lot of mass yet still managing to look lean and muscular and not “huge”.
The question then becomes not why you want to put on mass but how. This is especially pertinent to “hard-gainers”, who find that no matter how much they eat, they’re just not able to put on mass, even just to go from skinny to lean. That’s where GOMAD, or a gallon of milk a day diet, comes in.
Understanding GOMAD
The GOMAD diet is in many circles considered the answer to the hard-gainer problem. GOMAD, or gallon of milk a day, has largely become popular due to Mehdi at Strong Lifts, who recommends it.
The idea is simple. By supplementing whatever you eat with a […]

Original post by rafael@thefitnessadviser.com (Rafi Bar-Lev)

This workout is dedicated to the “skinny-fat” cardio guy at my gym…you know who you are.
It’s a simple HIIT workout that is guaranteed to have you sweating buckets and burning mega calories.
THE WORKOUT
Cardio equipment of your choice (I recommend an exercise bike, but an elliptical or Versa Climber are acceptable alternatives)

10 min steady state cardio at 60% of maximum perceived intensity

10 min of alternating duration (Wave) sprints

Sprint #1: 10 sec sprint / 50 sec rest
Sprint #2: 15 sec sprint / 45 sec rest
Sprint #3: 20 sec sprint / 40 sec rest

Repeat for 10 sprints

5 min steady state cardio at 60% of max intensity

Beginners are now finished….go home and rest
However, if you think you can handle some more HIIT, please feel free to do another:

10 min of alternating duration sprints – same as above
5 min steady state cardio at 60% of max intensity

And now, go home…seriously.
Note: HIIT sprints are designed to […]

Original post by healthhabits