ABS Workout

Beginner Workout

Exercise 1: Plank on elbows

Assume a pushup position, but with your elbows bent and your weight resting on your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Now brace your abs as if someone were about to punch you in the gut. Hold for 30 seconds. Rest 30 seconds, and repeat once.

Exercise 2: Mountain climber with hands on bench

In pushup position with your hands on a bench, brace your abs and slowly lift your left knee toward your chest. Pause 2 seconds, lower it slowly, and then raise your right knee. Alternate for 30 seconds, rest 30, and repeat once.

Exercise 3: Side plank

Lie on your left side and prop your upper body up on your left forearm. Raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from ankles to shoulders. Now brace your abs and hold for 30 seconds. Roll over onto your right side and repeat. Rest 30 seconds, and do 1 more set.

Intermediate Workout

Exercise 1: Plank with feet elevated
Use the guidelines for the beginner version of the exercise, but with both of your feet on a bench. 

Exercise 2: Mountain climber with hands on Swiss ball

Follow the beginner instructions, but place your hands on a Swiss ball instead of a bench.

Exercise 3: Side plank with feet elevated
Do this the same way as the beginner version, but with both of your feet on a bench.

Advanced Workout

Exercise 1: Extended plank
Do the beginner version, but place your weight on your hands, which should be positioned about 6 to 8 inches in front of your shoulders. 

Exercise 2: Swiss-ball jackknife

In pushup position with your feet on a Swiss ball, raise your hips and pull the ball forward. Do 2 sets of 15 reps, with 30 seconds of rest.

Exercise 3: Single-leg side plank
Do the beginner version, but once you're in position, raise your top leg and keep it raised for the duration of the set.

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Think About Healthy Diet and Brain

The Mediterranean Diet and Brain Function

We already know the Mediterranean diet does amazing things for the heart. Now, research confirms that a menu full of fish, fruits, veggies, nuts, and olive oil and low on processed foods, red meat, and dairy also keeps the brain firing full-tilt – as long as you really stick to it.

In a new study of 17,500 people – the largest trial ever to evaluate how food impacts brainpower – the more closely participants followed the Mediterranean diet, the better their memory and thinking abilities. Those who adhered to this style of eating had a 19 percent less chance of developing cognitive problems than those who maybe ate the occasional apple or salmon fillet, but mostly chowed on less-healthy grub.

"The Mediterranean diet offers many nutrients that are crucial to brain health," says Dr. Dennis Goodman, director of integrative medicine at New York Medical Associates, which was not involved in this study. "Most important are the high-quality, healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, olive oil, fatty fish such as wild-caught salmon, grass-fed beef, and pastured poultry and eggs. This diet has the correct ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which is vital for optimal brain function. It's also full of antioxidants, which reduce inflammation and thereby improve brain function."

Remarkably, these results were consistent across all study participants, regardless of age, race, demographics, and other health issues – except for one caveat: People with diabetes didn't glean the same brain benefits from the Mediterranean diet. The researchers aren't exactly sure why, but they have a few theories. For one, according to lead study author Dr. Georgios Tsivgoulis, issues that usually go along with diabetes, such as hypertension and other vascular complications, may block the diet's potential brain benefits. "These factors have been documented as the strongest predictors of dementia among diabetics, and they may have overshadowed the association of adherence to the diet and cognitive impairment in our study," Tsivgoulis says.

Besides all the brain and heart perks, the Mediterranean diet is packed with foods that actually taste great, fill you up, and don't deprive you of certain nutrients. That's a far cry from past "healthy" diets – Atkins, anyone? – that were too limiting and therefore tough to stick to. But since many components of the Mediterranean meal plan are higher in calories and even fat (although it's good fat), Goodman says to make sure you're not exceeding your recommended daily caloric intake, which is about 2,500 calories per day depending on your height and weight.

Melaina Juntti

Source : Mens Journal

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Build Chest Workout

MOVE ONE - Barbell Incline Chest Press

3 Sets x 6 Reps

> Lie down on the incline bench and make sure your upper chest is aligned with the barbell.
> Using a pronated grip (palms facing forward) that is wider than shoulder width, unlock the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
> As you breathe in, come down slowly until you feel the bar on your upper chest.
> After a 1-second pause, bring the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out and push the bar using your chest muscles.
> Lock your arms in the contracted position, hold for 1-second and then start coming down slowly again.
> Repeat for desired reps.

MOVE TWO - Flat Dumbbell Flye

3 Sets x 10 Reps
> Begin on a flat bench with dumbbells on your knees. Lean back on bench and drive dumbbells up.
> With a slight bend of your elbows, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
> Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and exhale. Hold the contracted position for 1-second.
> Repeat for desired reps. Rest 90 seconds and repeat the remaining 2 supersets

MOVE THREE - Flat Dumbbell Chest Press

 3 Sets x 6 Reps
> Lie on a flat bench with dumbbells and rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you.
> The dumbbells should be just to the sides of your chest with your upper arm and forearm creating a 90 degree angle.
> Be sure to maintain full control of the dumbbells at all times. This will be your starting position.
> Then, as you breathe out, use your chest to push the dumbbells up. Lock your arms at the top of the lift and squeeze your chest, hold for 1-second and then begin coming down slowly.
> Repeat for desired reps.

MOVE FOUR - Incline Cable Flye

3 Sets by 10 Reps
> To get yourself into the starting position, set the pulleys at the floor level (lowest level possible on the machine that is below your torso).
> Place an incline bench (set at 45 degrees) in between the pulleys, select a weight on each one and grab a pulley on each hand.
> With a handle on each hand, lie on the incline bench and bring your hands together at arms length in front of your face. This will be your starting position.
> With a slight bend of your elbows (in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon), lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
> Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and exhale. Hold the contracted position for a second.
> Repeat for desired reps. Rest 60 seconds and complete the remaining 2 supersets.

MOVE FIVE - Dumbbell Decline Chest Press

3 Sets x 8 Reps
> Lie down with a dumbbell on each hand on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
> Once you are laying down, move the dumbbells in front of you at shoulder width.
> Once at shoulder width, rotate your wrists forward so that the palms of your hands are facing away from you. This will be your starting position.
> Bring down the weights slowly to your side as you breathe out. Keep full control of the dumbbells at all times.
> As you breathe out, push the dumbbells up using your pectoral muscles. Lock your arms in the contracted position, squeeze your chest, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly.
> Repeat for desired reps.

MOVE SIX - Decline Push Up

3 Sets x 10 Reps
> Lie on the floor face down and place your hands just inside shoulders-width while holding your torso up at arms length. Move your feet up to a box or bench. This will be your starting position.
> Next, lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
> Now breathe out and press your upper body back up to the starting position while squeezing your chest.
> After a brief pause at the top contracted position, you can begin to lower yourself downward again for as many repetitions as needed. Rest for 45 seconds then complete the remaining 2 supersets.

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