A: You should be doing both because your grip (wide versus close) together with the type of movement, affects which part of your back is trained.
Many guys focus on the “vanity muscles” – the chest, biceps and triceps – and fail to build the muscles of their back, leading to an imbalance which leaves you with slumped shoulders and poor posture.
Your back is comprised of several muscles including the large, triangular-shaped trapezius muscles (or traps) in your upper back, the rhomboids which lie beneath them, two large muscles on the outer edges called the latissimus dorsi (or lats for short), and the erector spinae in your middle and lower back.
Generally speaking, the lats are emphasized when a wide grip is used in exercises such as the Lat Pull-down and Pull-ups. When you use a close-grip, you tend to emphasize the rhomboids and traps as your elbows remain close to your body. If you want to create a “V” shaped torso, incorporating wide-grip Lat Pull-downs into your routine is a must.
Use a variety of exercises (movements), angles and grips to effectively hit all the muscles of the back. Some of the best exercises include the Lat Pull-down, Seated Cable Row, Bent-Over Barbell Row, Straight-Arm Pull-down and Reverse Cable Flye.
Raspberry Almond Power Shake
Here’s a great post-workout protein shake:
1 scoop protein powder
1 cup almond milk
½ cup raspberries (or substitute other berries)
½ cup ice
Mix in blender until creamy!
Calories: 202
Protein: 26 grams
Carbs: 20 grams
Fat: 5 grams
SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS (WITH PALMS IN)
Photo: Michael Humpleby demonstrates the Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Palms In).
Grab a pair of dumbbells and position them, with a palms-in grip, at shoulder level. Drive the weights up and overhead, extending your arms fully. Gently lock your elbows and pause for a few seconds before returning to the starting position in a controlled manner. Use a spotter or trainer if you are using heavy weights.
Photography by TobysPhotos.com.
Peter Jackson is a fitness and nutrition coach and the owner of Push Fitness and Club One CrossFit in Oakland Park. He welcomes your questions at Peter@PushFitnessFTL.com.
]]>Many dermatologists will tell you that hormones are responsible for most of the cases of acne. This is true, but the foods you eat have a major impact on your overall health and the way the brain functions to send these hormones through the body.
The hormones involved are called androgens or male sex hormones. These hormones prompt the skins oil glands to enlarge and produce excess sebum (the oily substance that lubricates the skin). With this surge of androgens the body also stimulates hair growth, which in turn increases the shedding of keratin (a protein in hair), resulting in a clogged pore. This clogged pore then forms a whitehead or closed comedo. Sometimes the pores and glands become infected with bacteria that usually inhibits the skin, thus causing the most severe case of acne–cystic acne. Cystic acne can be hereditary and past down from generation to generation.
There are certain foods and lifestyle choices that can cause this skin disease. Salt is a major contributor to acne and should be avoided in large doses. These large doses can cause a flare up and provoke a more deleterious case of acne. Heavily cured meats should be avoided during bouts of breakouts. Another food that should be used in moderation is kelp supplements. Kelp is mainlyused as a salt substitute and can cause severe cystic acne.
High doses of B vitamins are also linked to acne. Red meats have lots of vitamin B6 and B12, portions should be cut back or used in moderation to the standards of the food pyramid plate. High doses of vitamin A can cause dry and flaking skin that can bring acne to the surface. Self-treating acne with supplementation can have a very adverse effect. Constant over-exposure to the sunlight can exacerbate conditions of acne as well. Sunbathing and the heavy use of tanning beds while covered in tanning oils can cause breakouts to occur. Steroid use is a lifestyle choice that features acne as a side effect. Using steroids of any kind for whatever reason without a doctors prescription is a bad choice all the way around, especially for your overall health.
There are also many ways to prevent and combat acne’s evil grip on your skin. One is having a diet consisting up to 50% fruits and vegetables. Eating fresh fruits and vegetable that have higher concentrations vitamins A and C tremendously improve skin health. Whole grains and cereals with B vitamins and zinc helps lower acne incidences. Lean cuts of meats like chicken, fish, pork is recommended in the fight against this skin disease. Portions of these lean cuts of meat should be 4oz or less if eating only three meals per day. When treating or preventing acne, try not to scrub abrasively or use harsh chemicals that dry out the skin.
Choosing to have a proper diet, regularly exercising, keeping stress low and getting an adequate amount of sleep will be your best defense against this troublesome skin problem. Good nutrition; clean skin.
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Relationships: Whether we like it or “not,” we are the product of them, born into them and our lives defined by them. The word almost sounds soothing to the ears. Even the individual words that combine to form the new word—“relation” and “ships”—seem happy and smooth-sailing. But, just wait until you are onboard.
Our primary relationships (with our parents) help to form our personality and our attitude towards our other life connections. Many mental health professionals, me included, believe that a turbulent and rough relationship with our parents sets the tone for the other relationships developed along our personal journey.
If you are involved in a good relationship, everything is hunky-dory. There is little conflict and the boat ride progresses easily to its destination of bliss and satisfaction.
But what about the relationships that are rough and tempestuous?
Relationships can provide many benefits. They can offer companionship, security, romance, and support. They can also be riddled with mixed messages, communication breakdowns, disappointments, misunderstandings, and conflict. Some partners have a difficult time expressing their needs to each other. Arguments or disagreement may follow, but they may have positive or negative consequences. I believe that a “fair fight” or “heated discussion” can produce a positive outcome if both parties use this opportunity to resolve that issue.
A negative outcome might include one partner sulking or tuning out the other partner’s concerns. Words of disrespect may be expressed, and the parties stop listening to each other. My experience has been that, no matter what the argument is about, it is typically doesn’t represent the real issue.
Here are some suggestions to find successful solutions to relationship conflict:
It’s important to realize that you may be willing to sever a relationship over an issue that can be mutually settled with ease and calm. Is it worth giving up a great friend, supportive family member, or a loving partner because you weren’t willing to hear their side of things?
Howard M. Cohen, M.S. is a Wilton Manors-based Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern.
]]>I call it “Ken’s Rules of Gym Etiquette.”
Share: If you’re doing multiple sets on an exercise machine, it is common courtesy to let others work in during your rest periods. This may not always be practical, but offer to share whenever you can.
Clean Up: Please don’t walk away from a machine leaving a pool of sweat behind. Always bring a towel with you and wipe the machines down when you’re finished. No one wants to work out in a pool of sweat, least of all somebody else’s.
Leave No Trace: Don’t you just love the person who leaves four million pounds on the leg press machine? Pick up after yourself. Your mother isn’t around to do it for you anymore. Always put your weights back when you’re finished.
Machine Hog: Some gyms have time limits on cardio machines during busy hours. There’s a reason for this, and you should obey these limits. And no, throwing your towel over the display doesn’t fool anyone. We know how long you stay on the treadmill. If you want to do a marathon run, then choose a time when the gym isn’t so busy.
Keep it Down: Most gym-goers I know have seen that particular Guy or Girl. You know who I mean: The one who is pumping away on the treadmill or stepper while screaming into a cell phone. Is that call really that important? Unless it’s an emergency, save your chats for after your workouts.
Cover it Up: I respect the confidence that allows some people to walk around the locker room naked. You know what else I respect? Seeing you wearing a towel after your shower. Try and keep the locker room a comfortable place for everyone. Even though you look great naked, save it for that special person in your life.
What’s that Smell? When you’re headed to the gym, please try and go easy on the cologne and perfume. If someone is reaching for that last burst of speed on the treadmill or pushing for those last few reps, they need oxygen, not the latest designer fragrance. It’s almost, but not quite, as bad as body odor. And while we’re on the subject, please take your gym clothes home and wash them. If you work out more than three times a work, change your workout clothes.
On behalf of everyone at the gym, thanks in advance.
Ken Hunt is an AFI-certified trainer and owner of Steel Gym in New York City, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale. He is currently finishing his new exercise book and is in development for a forthcoming cable TV series.
]]>MONTREAL, CANADA — A new study on the relationship between anxiety and sexual identity reveals that straight men are more likely to suffer from depression and elevated levels of stress than either gay or bisexual men.
The study, conducted by researchers at McGill University, was conducted in order to determine how gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals reacted to the stresses of “coming out,” and if that experience led to a reduction in the levels of anxiety.
The study group included close to 90 men and women who were asked to fill out a comprehensive survey about anxiety, burnout, and depression. To measure their levels of the stress hormone cortisol, the subjects were also administered saliva, urine, and blood tests.
The study authors—whose findings were published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine—say they expected to learn that gays who had come out to family, friends, and co-workers exhibited fewer instances of depression that those who were still closeted.
What surprised them was the finding that heterosexual men exhibit elevated allostatic loads, or overall systemic stress, at levels higher than all other groups. On the index of allostatic load levels, straight men were found to have levels of a third higher than gay or bi men.
“Contrary to our hypothesis, gay and bisexual men had significantly lower depressive symptoms and allostatic load levels than heterosexual men,” the study’s lead author, Robert-Paul Juster, wrote.
]]>Animal trials of the treatment are set to begin this year and if they are successful, the study authors say that a single treatment could replace multiple-drug therapies (“the cocktail”).
In a video statement posted on January 21, the Queensland Institute reported, “Associate Professor David Harrich has found a promising way of stopping HIV from causing AIDS. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is currently treated with a cocktail of drugs to stop the virus from causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). But there is no cure or vaccine.”
Harrich, whose research is published in the current issue of Human Gene Therapy, told reporters that the treatment is a way of “fighting fire with fire.”
HIV works by entering and killing a person’s T-cells, which results in a collapse of the immune system. Doctors now use drug therapy to help prevent the virus from developing into AIDS. But many patients must take dozens of pills a day for the rest of their lives. A person successfully undergoing the therapy would still have HIV, but the virus would remain latent, allowing a patient to maintain a healthy immune system, and preventing it from mutating into AIDS. It could also mean an end to drug therapy—and its often excruciating side effects.
The Queensland research was announced only a day before the publication of a similar potential breakthrough by scientists at Stanford University in California.
According to a paper published on January 22 in Molecular Therapy, the Stanford study “describes the use of a kind of molecular scissors to cut and paste a series of HIV-resistant genes into T-cells.” According to a statement from the university, “By inactivating a receptor gene and inserting additional anti-HIV genes, the virus was blocked from entering the cells, thus preventing it from destroying the immune system.”
Like the Queensland announcement, the Stanford therapy could potentially replace lifelong treatments using the cocktail. In both studies, the researchers were quick to note that the therapies do not represent a “cure” for HIV, but a means to offer immunity to it.
The Queensland and Stanford announcements represent promising developments in the war against HIV/AIDS. Among the most dramatic in recent years was the announcement in 2007 by scientists in Berlin, Germany, who successfully performed a stem cell transplant on Timothy Ray Brown, an HIV-positive man known as the “Berlin Patient” who seemed to be cured of the virus. More than four years later, Brown is reportedly still HIV-free.
]]>PHILADELPHIA, PA — Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an experimental treatment in which mutated HIV cells have been used to “reprogram” patients’ immune systems to be able to kill cells causing acute lymphoblastic leukemia, according to findings presented on Monday, December 10 at a meeting of the American Society of Hematology in Atlanta. The results represent the achievement of years of research into finding a means of enabling a cancer patient’s own immune system to permanently fight off the disease.
Under the treatment, millions of a patient’s T-cells (a form of white blood cell) are removed, and new genes are introduced that allow the T-cells to destroy cancer cells. The treatment utilizes a disabled form of HIV, based on the virus’ ability to introduce genetic material into T-cells.
The new genes reprogram the T-cells to fight off B-cells, which are part of the immune system that leukemia turns malignant. In successful cases, when the altered T-cells are reintroduced into the patient, they multiply and destroy the cancer cells.
Using the same technique, the study authors hope they can reprogram a patient’s immune system to treat prostate and breast cancer.
The researchers say their goal is for the new treatment to eventually replace bone-marrow transplantation, a difficult procedure which is the last option available for many living with leukemia and similar conditions.
Only a dozen patients with advanced leukemia have the received the experimental treatment. Besides the University of Pennsylvania, similar studies are in trials at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City and the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
In the University of Pennsylvania trials, three adults with chronic leukemia treated under the experimental protocols underwent full remissions, with no signs of disease; four adults improved but did not experience complete remissions, one of them being treated too recently to evaluate. Two adults experienced no results, one child improved and then relapsed, and one child has gone into full remission.
]]>The word “moderation” usually comes to mind when we are talking about food and obesity. It sounds like the lose-weight-in-a-healthy-way type of advice, but it does not seem to be connected with other good things in our life. Can you have too much love that will bring pain into your life, or can you have too much kindness? Can you have too much faith and can you be too health-conscious? It seems that moderation is not always needed, isn’t it?
It is difficult to stay moderate in the present world because we have such an abundance of pleasures and opportunities that are so easily accessible. We can eat exotic fruit from all over the world, we can buy a lot of toys for ourselves, we can travel anywhere we want to (well, almost anywhere), we can help people with a touch of a button (donating to charities online), we can pamper ourselves and we can afford so many other things.
We are constantly stimulated with new pleasures that bring happiness into our lives. But what happens when the “high” effect is gone? You need more stimulants to feel good and at a certain point simple pleasures that are available in everyday life do not work anymore. You lose the ability to be happy just because you are healthy and you had a decent day at work.
Here are 6 values of moderation that I find vital for balanced living:
Here are 11 suggestions for achieving moderation:
Adhering to the above tips, could not only help you in achieving moderation in life, but more importantly, make your life better and more fulfilling. A richer, fuller life can be within anyone’s grasp—but only if you are willing to stay motivated throughout your life’s exciting journey. Take action today to reap a rich harvest tomorrow.
Moderation is not always easy but it is vital for balanced living. Moderation requires work and willpower, and it is a constant process of self-growth. I am choosing this path because this is the right road for me. Is it for you?
“Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.” Epicurus
Keep it balanced!
Howard M. Cohen is a South Florida-based Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern.
]]>“The University of Arkansas tennis team of 2012 came out to watch me win,” exclaimed a delighted and grateful Blair, who also serves as Chairman and CEO of Multimedia Platforms, LLC, and who recently celebrated his 48th birthday. Blair says he was especially moved by the respect he was shown “as one of the players who helped build the Razorback program in the mid 80s.”
Blair was ranked in the U.S. Top 5 in Division I college tennis in 1985, and was ranked Top 5 in the U.S. in Junior tennis in 1983. He played professionally during the 1980s, scoring wins over Wimbledon champion Pat Cash at the Tournament of Champions in Forest Hills, NY, among other professionals.
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