Let Sonee Get Your Upper Body in Shape!

This is part one of a series. Check back next Tuesday for more!

Doug Shows Us How To Stretch

Stretching: the Truth

By Lisa Ann Smith
Via Women's Health Magazine

Stretching is like backing up your PC: You know you should do it, but it's easy to blow off. Besides, you never really learned how. Stretch before you sweat? After? Are a couple of toe touches enough? If you're anything like us, you're so confused you may not bother stretching at all.

But that kind of play-and-pray strategy is risky. Unlike your computer, your body doesn't auto-save. You risk losing your range of motion and stability if you skip out on stretching. So we asked experts to analyze the research and give us the real deal.

What we learned: There are three key kinds of stretching. Combine them strategically (yet simply) and you'll prepare your muscles to expand and contract quickly so you can finesse your way around the field, up your flexibility, and promote healing between workouts.

Benefits of Morning Exercise

By by Stephanie Romero

via Families.com

There are some real benefits to morning exercise. There is just something about starting your day off with a good fitness routine that can really set a good pace for the day.

One of the benefits to exercise in the morning is that you get it done. If you are anything like me, putting off fitness

until later doesn't always happen. In fact, most times if I don't get it in right away in the morning, it is very unlikely to happen later. Let's face it, life is filled with interruptions, distractions and so many things to do that it makes sense to first exercise.

When you exercise in the morning you are more likely to stick to a routine. A fitness routine is important to lose weight and get healthy. You also tend to eat better when you have exercised in the morning. Who wants to take the time to put in a good workout or a long walk, only to follow it up with a donut? Many times we are more motivated to eat healthier if we have started off the day on the right foot.

You will also find that you have more energy if you exercise in the morning. It may be difficult initially, getting yourself out of bed but once you do and you exercise, you will feel more energized to take on the day.

Research has also shown that those who exercise in the morning sleep better at night. When you workout later in the day, you cause an adrenalin rush that can be difficult to calm down when it's time to go to sleep.

A final benefit to exercising

in the morning is that it puts you in a better mood. You feel better about yourself and that can create a more positive attitude about life in general. You feel more ready to take on whatever faces you that day.

If fitting in exercise has been difficult, try switching it to the morning and discover the benefits of it. You will be glad you did.

Addition by Subtraction

Via Yahoo Health By By Mark Anders, Men's Health

Standard crunches
Abs are all about body fat. Once you get your percentage into single digits, try doing planks (work up to holding the position for 2 to 3 minutes) and Swiss-ball crunches (start with 10 reps and work up to 30 to 40). "Both are better than the standard crunch for bringing out your abs," says Tom Seabourne, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist and sports psychologist at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant.

Protein
Too much of a good thing can be, well, a bad thing. "Your body can use only so much protein, and then some of it is just converted into fat instead of going to your muscles," says Mike Bracko, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist at the Institute of Hockey Research in Calgary, Alberta. He recommends consuming no more than 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight each day.

Calf Raises
"Squats work all those tiny muscles in and around the calves, so you don't need to use calf-raise machines," says Seabourne. He recommends doing three sets of eight to 12 squats with heel raises. Lower your body with your feet flat on the floor until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Pause, then stand back up and rise onto the balls of your feet.

Jogging
If you're devoting too much time to cardiovascular workouts, it could be compromising your muscle development. When you jog, you use mostly slow-twitch muscle fibers, and the constant pounding seems to have a shrinking effect on your upper-body muscles. It's best to do sprints for your cardio at a track or football field. On a treadmill, after a light 3-minute warmup jog, sprint for 30 seconds, then rest for a minute, and repeat this sequence for 10 minutes.

Curls
"Curls are a waste of time because they isolate a muscle group that's the size of an orange," says Juan Carlos Santana, M.Ed., C.S.C.S., director of the Institute of Human Performance in Boca Raton, Florida. Instead, work larger muscle groups with pulling exercises such as lat pulldowns and rows, both of which also work your biceps. Then do two or three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions of either barbell curls or standing dumbbell curls, says Santana.

Workout Streaks
"I've observed that when people finally take a day off in their weekly strength programs, they start to get stronger and bigger," says Seabourne. That's because muscles grow during rest. Two days a week of strength training per muscle group is all you need.

Rest Between Sets
"Less rest time can sometimes increase the amount of testosterone your body is producing," says Bracko. Try supersets—performing two exercises back to back without rest. For instance, do a set of bench presses immediately followed by a set of seated cable rows. Then rest for 90 to 180 seconds.

Leg Extensions
Switch to body-weight lunges instead. Leg extensions isolate only your quads, while lunges work your quadriceps and butt and force you to stabilize your abs, lower back, and hips.

Bench Presses
Do more pushups, which build core musculature and upper-body strength. Santana recommends limiting your bench presses to three to five sets per week and incorporating six to 12 sets of pushups, including three-point pushups and those in which you wear a weighted body vest, elevate your feet, or hold a medicine ball between your hands.

Chest Stretches Between Sets of Bench Presses
For up to 15 minutes following a static stretch, your muscles and tendons stay stretched and are temporarily weakened, says Bracko. "A doorway stretch done between sets of bench presses actually makes your muscles weaker, so you won't be able to lift as much," Bracko says. Save it for afterward, during your cooldown.

How to do a Dead Lift

What to Do if You Plateau

New Years Resolution Guidelines by Charles Poliquin

1. I will strive to follow the motto “If it doesn’t fly, swim or walk or it isn’t green, don’t eat it!” You will find that it is actually easier to learn basic nutrition principles than to follow a rigid diet plan. Soon these ideas will be incorporated into your daily routine and you won’t consciously think about them anymore.

2. I will meet my protein goal, five times a day. This is of course a general recommendation that depends upon many factors such as lean bodyweight, but the idea is that you want is to try to have some protein in every meal. However, be certain to vary the protein sources so that food allergies don’t result. Organic meats, particularly wild ones such as elk and Wapiti, fish (except tuna) are among the best sources of protein.

3. I will consume only 50 grams of fibrous carbs a day. You will need fibrous carbs such as cauliflower, broccoli and spinach, as this fiber balances a high-protein nutrition program.

4. I will always drink a post-workout shake that fits my body compostion. This drink will do wonders for post-workout recovery – try it once and you’ll be a believer.

5. I will plan a cheat meal every 5 days. Being too strict with your nutrition program increases your risk of failure. However, planning your cheat meals ensures that you don’t go overboard and inhale a gallon of Chunky Monkey ice cream.

6. I will consume vegetables as often as possible. It is rare that I meet anyone who consumes enough vegetables, so strive to have at least one at every meal. As an option, you can substitute a glass of Phyto Px, Primal Red or Primal Greens with your meals – but don’t solely rely on these drinks for your vegetables.?

7. I will avoid all trans fats. This is one nutrition concept that the media got right – there are no safe levels of trans fats.

8. I will avoid all food allergens that I know of. Among the most common allergens are gluten, and dairy products. But this is just common sense – if a specific food makes you ill, then don’t eat it! Better even yet, get your food sensitivities panel done!

9. I will never use artificial sweeteners. None. Not even a little. This means you need to carefully read all the low-carb labels.