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		<title>The Blood Type Diet Review</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/blood-type-diet-review.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:58:31 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Diet and Nutrition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blood type diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peter d'admao]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the diet solution]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The blood type diet is based on the believed principle that a person’s specific blood type has effects on their diet and the overall way their consumed food is processed. The man behind the diet, Dr. D’Adamo, also believes that a person’s blood type also determines their vulnerability to certain medical illnesses. Although there are many critics of the diet, there are also many proponents of it as well. Because the blood type diet focuses on the restriction of certain types of calories as well as the inclusion of exercise, it is generally thought to be a good guide for those interested in moderate weight loss. The specifics of which foods are allowed and what type of exercises are advised [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The blood type diet is based on the believed principle that a person’s specific blood type has effects on their diet and the overall way their consumed food is processed. The man behind the diet, Dr. D’Adamo, also believes that a person’s blood type also determines their vulnerability to certain medical illnesses. Although there are many critics of the diet, there are also many proponents of it as well. Because the blood type diet focuses on the restriction of certain types of calories as well as the inclusion of exercise, it is generally thought to be a good guide for those interested in moderate weight loss. The specifics of which foods are allowed and what type of exercises are advised depend entirely on the blood type of the person following the diet.</p>
<p><strong>Type O</strong></p>
<p>According to D’Adamo, people who have type O blood flourish on animal proteins, and have a need for intense levels of physical activity or exercise. Although type O’s can effectively digest proteins because of their naturally higher levels of stomach-acid content, the consumption of dairy and grain products is a little more troublesome for them.</p>
<p>The restriction of grains, legumes, breads, and beans while first starting the diet is advised, and this restriction typically results in an initial weight loss. The main reasons that type O’s gain weight is because of the gluten that is found in wheat germ and products. The gluten interferes with a type O’s ability to efficiently process insulin, in addition to slowing the metabolic rate as well. Another main reason that type O’s gain weight is their naturally unstable thyroid process and low levels of thyroid hormones. Because of this, it is advised by the diet to avoid any foods that inhibit thyroid hormones such as brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage.</p>
<p><strong>Type A</strong></p>
<p>The blood type diet recommends that people who have type A blood consume only vegetarian foods. According to D’Adamo, type A’s are more inclined to have medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Because of this, the blood type diet recommends that people who have type A blood get their nutritional needs from foods that are in as natural a state as possible. People who are type A and start the blood type diet will notice some initial weight loss due to the restriction of meats.</p>
<p>Because type A’s have a low content of stomach acid, they generally have problems digesting meat and most dairy products. When they do consume meat, they typically experience sluggishness and low energy levels. Because of their low acid content and general aversion to meat, type A’s must receive the majority of their nutritional needs through vegetables. Vegetables and certain fruits give type A’s the minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that their body’s need in order to properly function.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Type B</strong></p>
<p>The blood type diet mentions that people who have type B blood are more resistant to the common medical conditions that plague the other blood types such as cancer or heart disease. Although they may potentially be more resistant to those illnesses, they are more prone to develop certain disorders of the immune system such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.</p>
<p>The general diet that is laid out by the blood type diet plan for type B’s is for the most part well-balanced and wholesome, including a large variety of food types and groups.</p>
<p>For people who have type B blood, the foods that are direct factors in weight gain are corn, lentils, peanuts, sesame seeds, and buckwheat. Corn and buckwheat are two of the main factors in weight gain by type B’s. Because these foods have certain lectins that effect the overall efficiency of bodily metabolic processes, they can cause fatigue, hypoglycemia, and fluid retention. The gluten that’s found in wheat products can also cause complications for type B’s as well.</p>
<p>Type B is the only one of the blood types that can fully ingest the wide range of dairy products without complications. They also flourish on fish that are considered to be “deep ocean”. There are however certain foods that type B’s should avoid according to D’Adamo; Chicken, shellfish, peanuts, tomatoes, and certain types of seeds should all be restricted.</p>
<p><strong>Type AB</strong></p>
<p>According to the blood type diet, people who have type AB blood benefit the most from following a diet that is well balanced but properly portioned.</p>
<p>Type AB’s do not generally metabolize meats very well because of low stomach acid levels, so portion control is very necessary. Also, chicken is not a recommended source of protein for type AB’s. This is due to the lectins that are found in chicken which are known to be the root cause of blood and digestive tract irritations.  A good meat supplement for people who have type AB blood is tofu. Although nuts, seeds, legumes and beans can be eaten by type AB’s, it is advised by the blood type diet to do so in moderation and with caution.</p>
<p>D’Adamo advises that type AB’s can consume dairy without any major complications, but should do so sparingly to avoid the excessive production of mucus. Also advised by D’adamo is the consumption of grains and vegetables. Because people who are type AB have immune systems that are naturally weak, they will benefit from the high content of phytocheicals  found in vegetables.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>The blood type diet advises that people should make their dietary choices based on which blood type they are. The diet’s creator, Dr. D’Adamo, believes that peoples weight and overall health are directly related to their blood type and correlating nutritional choices.  For further information on the Blood Type diet we recommend a look at <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/the-diet-solution-review.html">The Diet Solution</a>, a program based on the most efficient elements from the Blood Type Diet.</p>
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		<title>The Blood Type Diet</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-blood-type-diet.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-blood-type-diet.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:54:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diet and Nutrition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blood type]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weight]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[An Introduction To The Blood Type Diet It happens all the time, you and a friend decide to go on a diet together and try to shed some extra pounds. The diet starts off well enough, but as time goes on you begin to notice your friend losing more and more weight while you are losing less. You might even begin to start gaining some of the lost weight back again. You may wonder why it happens like this, but in the medical community it is a well known fact that diets do not work the same for every person. In order to achieve success when attempting to lose weight, a diet must be individually suited and tailored around an [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>An Introduction To The Blood Type Diet</strong></p>
<p>It happens all the time, you and a friend decide to go on a diet together and try to shed some extra pounds. The diet starts off well enough, but as time goes on you begin to notice your friend losing more and more weight while you are losing less. You might even begin to start gaining some of the lost weight back again. You may wonder why it happens like this, but in the medical community it is a well known fact that diets do not work the same for every person. In order to achieve success when attempting to lose weight, a diet must be individually suited and tailored around an individual.</p>
<p>Dr. Peter D’Adamo is the author and creator of <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/the-diet-solution-review.html">the blood type diet</a>. Publishing the book in 1996, he outlined a diet that is based on peoples specific blood types. His theory is that every blood type has certain antigens that have control of specific bodily functions (such as the digestive or immune systems). When antigens find foreign particles that have entered the body, they assess them as either threats or friendly, and let them through or attack them accordingly. The theory laid out by D’Adamo is that the antigens found in the blood react the same way when dealing with foods, assessing them as either threats or tolerable. So in theory, knowing your blood type will help you determine the foods that are most suited for your body.</p>
<p>When selecting healthy and lean foods over processed or fatty foods, it is probable that you will see various positive side effects such as an increases in energy level and weight loss. Like many other weight loss diets, the blood type diet advises against eating fatty foods and recommends daily physical activity. Because of this, a lot of people have experienced some level of success with the diet. Most doctors are in agreement that because the blood type diet plan encourages you to stay away from harmful foods and advises you to perform daily exercise, that it is generally a good diet. However, many are critical of the claims that it makes about the link between digestion and blood type.</p>
<p>There is currently a lack of research and support for the blood type diet. No solid evidence exists that can link digestion and blood type, and the limitation of certain food groups in your diet can have a negative effect on your body. The reason that some people can find success with the blood type diet is not because of its scientific claims, but because it changed their eating and lifestyle habits.</p>
<p><strong>The Basics Of The Blood Type Diet</strong></p>
<p>In order for one to start the blood type diet they need to know what their blood type is. If you don’t know your blood type than it is required that you find out before starting, because it will determine your specific food plan. You can find out what type you are by having a test done at your doctor’s office. In order to follow the diet and see the potentially positive results from it, you need to know your blood type.</p>
<p>After you find out which type of blood you have, all you have to do is simply eat the foods that the blood type diet has deemed appropriate for your body. Dr. D’Adamo also provides lists of foods that each blood type should avoid as well. It’s important to note that there is not a lot of talk about portion control in the blood type diet, but it’s best to eat in moderation.</p>
<p><strong>Exercise &amp; The Blood Type Diet</strong></p>
<p>Daily exercise and physical activity are a big part of the blood type diet. If you are doing the diet for weight loss and health reasons, than it is probably one of the most important parts of reaching your desired goal. Just as the diet claims that certain foods work better with specific blood types, it also claims that certain exercises are better for the different types of blood as well.</p>
<p>People with type A blood are advised to perform calming and mind balancing exercises. This could include doing activities such as walking, yoga, pilates, and meditation.</p>
<p>Those with type B blood are thought by Dr. D’Adamo to have strong immune systems and do well with moderate intensity exercises. These could include activities that require cardiovascular exertion as well as mind concentration, such as swimming or tennis.</p>
<p>Those who are AB blood types have a complex mixture of A and B blood in their body. So the appropriate exercises would be a mix between the already mentions activities of A and B blood types.</p>
<p>People who have type O blood are advised in the blood type diet plan to perform intense levels of cardiovascular exercise. Anything that raises your heart rate, such as contact sports, is recommended.</p>
<p><strong>Blood Type Diet Foods</strong></p>
<p>As is the case with the majority of diets today, there are a lot of food limitations in the blood type diet.  This is even more so in this type of diet, due to the restrictions of entire food groups depending on your blood type.</p>
<p>Those with type A blood will certainly experience a major change in lifestyle habits. The diet recommends that people with this type of blood consume a primarily vegetarian diet, with little to no meat or dairy intake.</p>
<p>People who have Type B blood can probably enjoy a little more freedom than the other blood types on this diet. Dr. D’Adamo believes that people with type B blood have bodies that are more adapted than others, which makes their blood more accepting of most food groups. Although they can generally eat any type of food, it is advised that people with type B blood stay away from overly processed foods, and try to enhance their diet with a mixture of carbohydrates and protein from various sources.</p>
<p>Because AB blood is comprised of both A and B blood types, Dr. D’Adamo says in the blood type diet that the best approach to take is to eat mainly vegetarian foods. The inclusion of lean protein sources is also recommended, while dairy intake is not.</p>
<p>The most common type of blood is type O. Dr. D’Adamo believes that people who are type O should have a diet primarily made of meat, while also including vegetables and fruit. A lot of the foods that compliment type A’s should be avoided by type O’s, says Dr. D’Adamo.</p>
<p>If you already know the type of blood you have or have found it out, you can conduct your own research to determine which foods you should be eating that compliment your specific blood type and are in accordance with the blood type diet. There are many blood type diet food lists that are on the internet as well as blood type diet recipes too. When choosing to start a new diet plan, it’s essential that you consult with your doctor first.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s been a few attempts to simply the blood type diet, the most well known being <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/the-diet-solution-review.html">the Diet Solution</a>, a diet we actually review here.</p>
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		<title>3 Unique Veggies That Fight Abdominal Fat?</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/vegetables-that-fight-fat.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/vegetables-that-fight-fat.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diet and Nutrition]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[A surprising way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat&#8230; by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist Author &#8211; The Truth about Six Pack Abs I bet you didn&#8217;t know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very unique phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat. Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat&#8230; Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, plastics, cosmetics, etc can react with your hormones and make [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>A surprising way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat&#8230;</strong></p>
<p><em>by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist<br />
Author &#8211; <a href="http://www.truthaboutabsprogram.net">The Truth about Six Pack Abs</a></em></p>
<p>I bet you didn&#8217;t know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very unique phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat.</p>
<p>Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat&#8230;</p>
<p><strong>Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat</strong></p>
<p>Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, plastics, cosmetics, etc can react with your hormones and make your body store excess abdominal fat.</p>
<p>These <strong>harmful chemicals</strong> are known as xenoestrogens.</p>
<p>Xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) that have an estrogenic effect in your body.  Excess exposure to these can cause hormone balance disruptions for <strong>both</strong> men and women. So if you thought this article was just for the guys, these chemicals can wreak havoc in the body for both guys<strong>and</strong> gals.</p>
<p>These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems (including cancer risks in the long term).</p>
<p><strong>So here&#8217;s where this specific class of vegetables comes in handy&#8230;</strong></p>
<p>One of those cool tricks that I teach my clients that hire me for nutritional counseling is the use of cruciferous vegetables to help fight against stomach fat.</p>
<p>Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, cabbage, etc. contain veryspecific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://truthaboutabsprogram.net"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3301" title="truthaboutabscover" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/truthaboutabscover.jpg" alt="" width="130" height="150" /></a>And by fighting against these belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals, this is just 1 more step in helping you to win the battle against abdominal fat!</p>
<p>So there you go&#8230; just another excuse to do what mom always told you and eat more broccoli and cauliflower!</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve really learned to like brussells sprouts in the last year too&#8230; Melt a little grass-fed cheese on them and some garlic and they&#8217;re great!</p>
<p>I&#8217;m going to show you at least 12 other specific foods, teas, spices, etc that help to combat the xenoestrogens and can help you to burn abdominal fat faster inside the resource on the next page&#8230;</p>
<p>For more information on fat burning , visit  <em><a href="http://www.truthaboutabsprogram.net">The Truth about Six Pack Abs</a></em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>The Top 10 Fat Burning Weight Loss Foods</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/best-fat-burning-weight-loss-foods.html</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:58:32 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Diet and Nutrition]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[By Tom Venuto. What does a guy with 3.7% body fat eat?Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest. It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs. That&#8217;s why I&#8217;ve created 4 separate &#8220;top 10&#8243; lists of healthy weight loss foods to feed your muscle and burn fat. Of course, I can&#8217;t tell you what YOU should eat because I don&#8217;t [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>By Tom Venuto.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong></strong><strong>What does a guy with 3.7% body fat eat?</strong>Anytime the topic of discussion in my blogs, articles or newsletters has turned to my own personal grocery shopping list, there has always been a spike in interest.</p>
<div>
<p style="text-align: left;">It seems that many people are not only curious about what foods a natural bodybuilder eats to maintain single digit body fat, but they also want to be taken by the hand and told exactly what foods to eat themselves while on fat-burning or muscle building programs.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>That&#8217;s why I&#8217;ve created 4 separate &#8220;top 10&#8243; lists of healthy weight loss foods to feed your muscle and burn fat.</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><span id="more-3594"></span><span style="color: #444444; font-weight: normal;">Of course, I can&#8217;t tell you what YOU should eat because I don&#8217;t know your likes and dislikes, not to mention whether you have any intolerances, allergies or foods you don&#8217;t eat for ethical reasons, etc.</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">What I CAN do is show you what I eat, which has helped me keep my body fat under 10% all year round and peak in the low single digits when I want to get cut for competitions or photo shoots.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Exact quantities and menus are not listed, just the individual foods, and of course my food intake does vary. I aim to get as many different varieties of fruits and vegetables as possible over the course of every week and there are a lot of substitutions made, so you are not seeing the full list of everything I eat, only what foods I eat most of the time.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Sensible carb reduction</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I also want to point out that while I don’t believe that extreme low carbs are necessary or most effective when you look at the long term, research has shown that there are some definite advantages to a low to moderate carb and higher protein diet for fat loss purposes. These include reduced appetite, higher thermic effect of food and “automatic” calorie control.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Personally, I reduce my carb intake moderately and temporarily prior to bodybuilding competitions. Specifically, it’s the foods that are on the starchy carbs and grains list that go down during the brief pre-competition period when I’m working on that really “ripped” look.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I keep the green and fibrous veggie intake very high however, along with large amounts of lean protein, small amounts of fruit, and adequate amounts of essential fats (&#8220;LEAN, GREEN and MARINE!&#8221;)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Satisfying your personal preferences is important</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">This list reflects my personal tastes, so this is not a prescription to all readers to eat as I do. It’s very important for compliance to choose foods you enjoy and to have the option for a wide variety of choices. In the past several years, nutrition and obesity research &#8211; in studying ALL types of diets &#8211; has continued to conclude that almost any hypocaloric diet that is not completely “moronic” can work, at least in the short term.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">It’s not so much about the high carb &#8211; low carb argument or any other debate as much as it is about calorie control and compliance. The trouble is, restricted diets and staying in a calorie deficit is difficult, so most people can’t stick with any program and they fall off the wagon, whichever wagon that may be.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I believe that a lot of our attention needs to shift away from pointless debates (for example, low carb vs. high carb is getting really old… so like… get over it everyone, its a calorie deficit that makes you lose weight, not the amount of carbs).</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Instead, our focus should shift towards these questions:</strong></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>How can we build an eating program that we can enjoy while still getting us leaner and healthier?</li>
<li>How can we build an eating program that helps us control calories automatically?</li>
<li>How can we build an eating program that improves compliance?</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: left;">Here are the lists of foods I choose to achieve these three outcomes. This eating plan is not difficult to stick with at all, by the way. I enjoy eating like this and it feels almost weird not to eat like this after doing it for so long.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Remember, habits work in both directions, and as motivational speaker Jim Rohn has said, “Bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with and good habits are hard to form but easy to live with.”</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">These are listed in the order I frequently consume them. So for example, if oatmeal is on the top of the list, it means that is the food I am most likely to eat every single day.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>My 10 top natural starchy carb and whole grains</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">1. Oatmeal (old fashioned)<br />
2. Yams<br />
3. Brown rice (a favorite is basmati, a long grain aromatic rice)<br />
4. Sweet potatoes (almost same as yams)<br />
5. Multi grain hot cereal (mix or barley, oats, rye. titricale and a few others)<br />
6. White potatoes<br />
7. 100% whole wheat bread<br />
8. 100% whole wheat pasta<br />
9. Beans (great for healthy chili recipes)<br />
10. Cream of rice hot cereal</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>My Top 10 top vegetables</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">1. Broccoli<br />
2. Asparagus<br />
3. Spinach<br />
4. Salad greens<br />
5. Tomatoes<br />
6. Peppers (green, red or yellow)<br />
7. Onions<br />
8. Mushrooms<br />
9. Cucumbers<br />
10. Zucchini</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>My top 10 lean proteins</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">1. Egg whites (whole eggs in limited quantities)<br />
2. Whey or Casein protein (protein powder supplements)<br />
3. Chicken Breast<br />
4. Salmon (wild Alaskan)<br />
5. Turkey Breast<br />
6. Top round steak (grass fed beef)<br />
7. Flank Steak (grass fed beef)<br />
8. Lean Ground Turkey<br />
9. Bison/Buffalo (lean game meats)<br />
10. Trout</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>My top 10 fruits</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">1. Grapefruit<br />
2. Apples<br />
3. Blueberries<br />
4. Canteloupe<br />
5. Oranges<br />
6. Bananas<br />
7. Peaches<br />
8. Grapes<br />
9. Strawberries<br />
10. Pineapple</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>Other stuff I eat</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Note: I DO include healthy fats as well, such as walnuts, almonds, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil (supplement &#8211; not to cook with), avocado and a few others.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Also, I do eat dairy products and have nothing against them, nor am I lactose intolerant. I simply don’t eat as much dairy as the rest of the stuff on my lists. When I eat dairy, its usually skim milk, low or non fat cottage cheese, low or non fat yogurt and low or non fat cheese (great for omelettes).</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong>How strict should you be with following these food lists?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I usually follow a compliance rate of about 95%, which means I take two or three meals per week of whatever I want &#8211; stuff that is NOT on these lists &#8211; like pizza, sushi, big fatty restaurant steaks, etc. (contrary to the persistent rumors, I&#8217;m not some cyborg that never enjoys a good restaurant meal&#8230; believe me &#8211; I DO!)</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://1burnthefatfeedthemuscle.com"><img src="http://www.burnthefat.com/img/bffmcov140.jpg" border="0" alt="" hspace="10" vspace="5" width="140" height="190" align="right" /></a>I hope you found this helpful and interesting. Keep in mind, this is MY food list, and although you probably couldn’t go wrong to emulate it, you need to choose natural foods YOU enjoy in order to develop habits you can stick with long term.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">If you&#8217;d like to learn more about fat burning nutrition and what to eat for maximum fat loss, then be sure to take a look at the <strong>Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle nutrition program.</strong> Thousands of men and women call this their &#8220;fat loss bible.&#8221; For all the details, visit: <strong><a href="http://www.1burnthefatfeedthemuscle.com/">BurnTheFat.com</a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">- Tom Venuto</p>
</div>
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		<title>Triple the Taste and Double the Fat Loss?</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/fat-loss-cooking-tips.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/diet-and-nutrition/fat-loss-cooking-tips.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:26:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diet and Nutrition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthandmuscle.com/?p=3554</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you’re someone who’s seeking fast fat loss results, there’s really no escaping the facts., you must be watching each and every thing that you put into your mouth. Often it’s not even the specific food choices that you’re making that are hindering your progress, but rather, how you go about cooking them. Use the wrong cooking techniques and you could be damaging your diet even if the right foods are being included. Fortunately, you can easily see success if you know three little cooking secrets. Dave Ruel,  author of &#8220;Metabolic Cooking&#8221; .who&#8217;s touted as the master chef for building a better body, has come up with three simple yet highly effective cooking strategies that will put some fire back [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you’re someone who’s seeking fast fat loss results, there’s really no escaping the facts., you must be watching each and every thing that you put into your mouth.</p>
<p>Often it’s not even the specific food choices that you’re making that are hindering your progress, but rather, how you go about cooking them.  Use the wrong cooking techniques and you could be damaging your diet even if the right foods are being included.</p>
<p>Fortunately, you can easily see success if you know three little cooking secrets.</p>
<p>Dave Ruel,  author of &#8220;<a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/go/metaboliccooking" target="_blank">Metabolic Cooking&#8221;</a> .who&#8217;s touted as the master chef for building a better body, has come up with three simple yet highly effective cooking strategies that will put some fire back into your fat loss plan.</p>
<p>Now he’s here to share his three strategies with you.  Use these and prepare to see accelerated fat loss you never thought was possible.</p>
<p><strong>Fat Blasting Cooking Strategy #1: Make Good Use Of ‘Thermo Charge’ Ingredients</strong></p>
<p>The first must-do strategy is to start using foods that will boost your metabolic rate, taking fat loss to a whole new level.  Dave explains that not all foods are created equally in terms of the effects that they’ll have on your body.</p>
<p>Certain foods will cause an increase in heat production to take place, causing you to burn more calories after that meal than if they were included.</p>
<p>In addition to that, certain cooking ingredients can help to balance your blood sugar levels more favourably, making it much easier to maintain low levels of hunger all day long.</p>
<p>When that hunger demon isn’t beating you down minute by minute throughout the day, sticking to your diet just got ten times easier.</p>
<p><strong>Fat Blasting Cooking Strategy #2: Use A Simplistic Metabolic Profiling Nutrient System</strong></p>
<p>Are you someone who’s carefully planned out each gram of proteins, carbs, and fats in your diet – right down to the very last calorie?</p>
<p>If you answered yes, Dave has news for you.  He states that putting so much time and effort into such calculations only works against you.  Not only will you feel overwhelmed, but you’ll be miserable trying to stick with such a diet.</p>
<p>Instead, you need an easy to follow approach that delivers the perfect combination of nutrients that your body needs to maintain its energy while maximizing the fat burning processes taking place.</p>
<p>He’s designed such a system he terms, ‘Metabolic Nutri-Profile’.  The best part is that no scientific calculations are required, so you can put that trusty calculator to rest once and for all.</p>
<p><strong>Fat Blasting Cooking Strategy #3: Adopt Plenty Of Variation In Your Nutritional Approach To Fight Metabolic Adaptation</strong></p>
<p>The final cooking strategy that Dave shares as his real secret to maximum fat loss is being sure to add plenty of variety into your diet plan.  A real serious issue for most people on weight loss diets is something called the metabolic adaptation phenomenon.</p>
<p>This process is where the body adapts to the diet that you’ve been feeding it and slows the metabolic rate right down so that your calorie burn now matches your calorie intake precisely.</p>
<p>“The body doesn’t want to lose body fat,” explains Dave.  He tells us that unless you’re making sure to trick it into thinking it’s off that diet once in a while, you’re going to hit a plateau – it’s basically inevitable.</p>
<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3571" title="metabolic-cooking-binder" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/metabolic-cooking-binder1-251x300.jpg" alt="" width="251" height="300" />That’s where your cooking strategies come in.  By carefully placing higher and lower calorie days throughout the overall plan, you can see accelerated rates of fat burning and never have to deal with this frustrating process.</p>
<p>So as you can see, fat loss is not as simple as grabbing a calculator and figuring out your total daily calorie intake.  While that may produce some results off the start, if you really want to kick-start your results and make a stark difference in the way you look, you need to use principles that ramp up your rate of fat burning.</p>
<p>Dave also recommends making sure you’re using interesting recipes in your diet so that dietary boredom doesn’t kick in.  If there’s one thing that will take you off your diet quickly, dietary boredom is it.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re interested in creating  better tasting, fat burning recipes, you can find out more in Dave Ruels &#8220;<a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/go/metaboliccooking" target="_blank">Metabolic Cooking&#8221;</a> .</p>
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		<title>What&#8217;s the Fastest Way to Lose Fat?</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/fastestwaytolosefat.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/fastestwaytolosefat.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:14:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training and Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fastest way to lose fat]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/?p=3490</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The FASTEST Way To Lose Fat&#8230;How to Best Combine Weights With Cardio for MAXIMUM Results If you&#8217;re looking to burn fat as fast as humanly possible, you know you have to diet, you know you have to train with weights and you know you have to do cardio. So here&#8217;s the problem&#8230;TIME. Diet is one thing&#8230;everybody has to eat&#8230;but how are you supposed to hit weights AND cardio effectively if you&#8217;ve only got limited time available to you? That answer, according to &#8220;Metabolic Surge &#8211; A guide to Rapid Fat Loss.&#8221; author Nick Nilsson, is a technique called Fat-Loss Circuit Training. Nilsson describes Fat-Loss Circuit Training as a technique designed around the concept of circuit training&#8230;moving from one exercise to [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>The FASTEST Way To Lose Fat&#8230;How to Best Combine Weights With Cardio for MAXIMUM Results</strong></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re looking to burn fat as fast as humanly possible, you know you have to diet, you know you have to train with weights and you know you have to do cardio.</p>
<p>So here&#8217;s the problem&#8230;TIME.</p>
<p>Diet is one thing&#8230;everybody has to eat&#8230;but how are you supposed to hit weights AND cardio effectively if you&#8217;ve only got limited time available to you?</p>
<p>That answer, according to &#8220;Metabolic Surge &#8211; A guide to Rapid Fat Loss.&#8221; author Nick Nilsson, is a technique called Fat-Loss Circuit Training.</p>
<p>Nilsson describes Fat-Loss Circuit Training as a technique designed around the concept of circuit training&#8230;moving from one exercise to another with very little rest between exercises&#8230;with a couple of very unique twists that are designed to get crank your metabolism up FAR more than regular circuit training and help peel the fat off your body FAST.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s also one of the core components of his powerful &#8220;<em><a href=" http://hop.clickbank.net/?handm/betteru&amp;l=400" target="_blank">Metabolic Surge &#8211; A guide to Rapid Fat Loss.</a></em>&#8221; program.</p>
<p>Fat-Loss Circuit Training is very simple once you get the hang of it, and it can be one of THE most demanding styles of training you can do&#8230;it absolutely WILL crank up your metabolism long AFTER your training is done.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re familiar with normal circuit training (with timed, light-weight intervals), put aside any notions you might have of how this works. You will be harnessing the muscle-building and metabolism-stimulating power of intense, full-set weight training while incorporating the great calorie-burning effects of cardio interval training at the exact same time.</p>
<p>This unique combination of weights and cardio into one workout is, quite simply, phenomenal for fat burning.</p>
<p>In order to use Fat-Loss Circuit Training, you will need access to both weight equipment and cardio equipment (and/or benches or stairs), preferably located fairly close to each other.</p>
<p><strong>How Fat-Loss Circuit Training Works:</strong></p>
<p>This style of training is simple&#8230; your rest period for weights will be cardio and your rest period for cardio will be your weight sets.  You will be going back and forth between your weight training exercises and cardio exercise for the ENTIRE workout!</p>
<p>Yes, that means pretty much NO rest the entire time you&#8217;re in the gym!  And even though it sounds advanced, this style of training is that it can very easily be adjusted for ANY level of trainer&#8230;even total beginners.</p>
<p>According to Nick, this particular combination of weights and cardio is very effective for a number of reasons:</p>
<p>- It forces your body to burn calories continuously during the workout.</p>
<p>- It utilizes resistance training and cardio training so you get all the benefits of both in one workout.</p>
<p>- By forcing your body to work like this, you dramatically increase your metabolism leading to increased fat burning long after the workout (more so than either weights or cardio alone).</p>
<p>- It saves time &#8211; you get both your weights and cardio in the same amount of time as your regular workout.</p>
<p>- You will still be able to use relatively heavy weights in your weight training, helping to preserve muscle mass.</p>
<p><strong>How To Do It:</strong></p>
<p><em>Step 1 &#8211; The Set Up</em></p>
<p>For the most efficient workout possible, try to have most or all of your exercises pre-set and ready to go. The less time you spend on preparation during your workout itself, the more effective that workout will be, especially since you want to be continually active throughout the training session. You can use any type of cardio that is convenient and enjoyable to you.</p>
<p>If you are working out in a crowded gym, try to claim an area for yourself and focus on dumbell and barbell exercises while using a Step platform for your cardio training. If you don&#8217;t have access to convenient cardio machines, you&#8217;re going to have to go low-tech, using stair-stepping or skipping rope!</p>
<p><em>Step 2 &#8211; Warm-up</em></p>
<p>Do a few minutes of low-intensity cardio as a warm-up. You may wish to do a few light sets of a few of the exercises you&#8217;ll be working with before you start into the main training session.</p>
<p><em>Step 3 &#8211; Start with 40 seconds of moderate intensity cardio.</em></p>
<p>Your pace should be fairly moderate&#8230;a level that is not easy but is not so challenging that you&#8217;re going to exhaust yourself right away. Go for 40 seconds.</p>
<p><em>Step 4 &#8211; Do a set of weights.</em></p>
<p>Right after you finish your first &#8220;set&#8221; of cardio, go as quickly as you can to your first exercise. Do a set of the first exercise on your program for the day. Do this with NO rest, going from the cardio immediately to the weights. Perform reps until you start to approach muscular failure.</p>
<p>It is very important to note that while this is definitely still intense weight training, DO NOT push yourself to muscular failure. The idea here is load the muscles with volume but not overtax your nervous system.</p>
<p><em>Step 5 &#8211; Go right back to the cardio.</em></p>
<p>Immediately go back to the cardio and do another 40 seconds of moderate-intensity cardio.</p>
<p><em>Step 6 &#8211; Repeat this cycle for the duration of the workout.</em></p>
<p>You will be going back and forth continuously between cardio and weight training exercises, using the cardio as the rest period between your weight sets. What this means is that over the course of your workout, you&#8217;ll be burning calories via cardio and weights AND you&#8217;ll be working your muscles with intense, heavy weight training as well. It&#8217;s tough training but very effective!</p>
<p>To give you an idea of what this looks like, here is a sample run-through:</p>
<p>40 seconds cardio<br />
1 set of chest<br />
40 seconds cardio</p>
<p>1 set of chest<br />
40 seconds cardio</p>
<p>1 set of chest</p>
<p>40 seconds cardio</p>
<p>1 set of back</p>
<p>40 seconds cardio</p>
<p>1 set of back</p>
<p>As you can see you, you&#8217;ll do all your sets for your first body part (with cardio in between, of course), then move to your NEXT body part and do all the sets for that bodypart.</p>
<p>As you improve your cardio capacity, you can increase the intensity of your cardio training between sets. Also, this Fat-Loss Circuit technique can be used with nearly any form of cardio exercise as long as it&#8217;s convenient to go back and forth with the weights. The real key here is to maintain activity for the entire workout.</p>
<p>Nick also suggests keeping your workouts to no more than 45 minutes at the very most when doing this type of training. It&#8217;s a very demanding form of training as you&#8217;ll be working every major energy system in your body.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ebook2502.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-3493" title="ebook250" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ebook2502.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="340" /></a>This is a KILLER training style that will get your metabolism cranking while helping preserve muscle mass&#8230;EXACTLY what you need when you&#8217;re looking to lose fat as fast as humanly possible.</p>
<p>Is this method of training for you?</p>
<p>Before making that decision  educate yourself on the latest research in the field by picking up a copy of Nick Nielsons remarkable book <a href=" http://hop.clickbank.net/?handm/betteru&amp;l=400" target="_blank">Metabolic Surge &#8211; A guide to Rapid Fat Loss.</a></p>
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		<title>One-Arm Bench Push-Ups for Building Muscle in the Chest</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/one-arm-bench-push-ups-for-building-muscle-in-the-chest.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/one-arm-bench-push-ups-for-building-muscle-in-the-chest.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:31:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick Nilsson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training and Exercise]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthandmuscle.com/?p=3354</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Push-ups are a staple bodyweight exercise for the chest and for good reason&#8230;they work. But one of the BIG problems with the push-up becomes apparent as you get stronger&#8230;you&#8217;re limited by your bodyweight for resistance. That&#8217;s where the One-Arm Bench Push-Up comes in. This is a simple variation of the push-up that&#8217;s going to give you two major benefits&#8230; 1. It puts more tension on one arm, similar to a regular one-arm push-up, only focusing more on the chest than on the triceps, like regular one-arm push-ups do. 2. It puts a great stretch on the other non-working pec as you&#8217;re coming down into the push-up. 3. You&#8217;ll be able to use more resistance than just plain bodyweight because the [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Push-ups are a staple bodyweight exercise for the chest and for good reason&#8230;they work. But one of the BIG problems with the push-up becomes apparent as you get stronger&#8230;you&#8217;re limited by your bodyweight for resistance.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s where the One-Arm Bench Push-Up comes in.<span id="more-3354"></span></p>
<p>This is a simple variation of the push-up that&#8217;s going to give you two major benefits&#8230;</p>
<p>1. It puts more tension on one arm, similar to a regular one-arm push-up, only focusing more on the chest than on the triceps, like regular one-arm push-ups do.</p>
<p>2. It puts a great stretch on the other non-working pec as you&#8217;re coming down into the push-up.</p>
<p>3. You&#8217;ll be able to use more resistance than just plain bodyweight because the tension of your bodyweight is more focused on one side at at time, making this exercise more effective for building muscle mass.</p>
<p>Okay, so that&#8217;s 3 benefits&#8230;</p>
<p>In order to perform this one fully, you&#8217;ll need to be able to do at least 15 to 20 normal push-ups, though if you really wanted to, you could potentially do these on your knees, too.</p>
<p>For this, you&#8217;ll need a bench or a chair or even just stairs&#8230;basically anything you can set your other hand on that&#8217;s about a foot and a half off the ground or so. I&#8217;m using just a regular flat bench.</p>
<p>Set one hand flat on the bench and the other hand on the floor a little ways away from the bench. Keep your body stiff and straight.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/11.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3355" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/11.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>Now lower yourself down, like you would in a regular push-up.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/21.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3356" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/21.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>As you can see, my left side is getting the brunt of the load, which works the left pec more. My right arm is being placed in a great pec-stretch position every single time I come down to the bottom.</p>
<p>The other good thing is that this stretch position is done against resistance (because that pec is also supporting your bodyweight). As you push up, that right pec will also contribute to the movement somewhat, so it&#8217;s not a true one-arm push-up where the whole load is on one side.</p>
<p>You get two type of work in one shot&#8230;then you switch arms. Same exact execution.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/31.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3357" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/31.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/4.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3358" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/4.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>The second side you do, you&#8217;ll not get as many reps since you&#8217;ll already be fatigued from the first. It&#8217;s fine to take your regular rest period between sides, if you want, in order to keep things more even.</p>
<p>And while this looks like a lot like a one-arm push-up off the floor, it actually hits the chest MUCH better because you don&#8217;t have to set your hand in the middle of your base of support to perform the exercise. The &#8220;normal&#8221; one-arm push-up is a great exercise but it works more tricep than chest. This variation turns the focus to chest.</p>
<p>This is also a great push-up variation for when you&#8217;re travelling for a couple of reasons&#8230;first, you get more resistance and second, that stretch helps counteract the inwards-pulling position you tend to acquire while travelling (sitting for long periods in a plane or car).</p>
<p>Overall, it&#8217;s a great way to increase the intensity of your bodyweight chest training using very little equipment!</p>
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		<title>A Simple Tweak to FORCE You To Do Your Barbell Curls Right!</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/a-simple-tweak-to-force-you-to-do-your-barbell-curls-right.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/a-simple-tweak-to-force-you-to-do-your-barbell-curls-right.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:34:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick Nilsson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training and Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[arms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biceps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[curls]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthandmuscle.com/?p=3349</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The &#8220;normal&#8221; barbell curl is obviously one of the most used exercises you&#8217;ll ever see in the gym. It&#8217;s the exercise people think of when they think of lifting weights (except possibly bench press). And (like bench press), it&#8217;s one exercise that is totally misused and abused! THIS little training tweak is going to automatically fix your form on EVERY single rep. Basically, the main problem I see people have with barbell curls in the tendency to hunch forward and curl in a&#8221;vulture&#8221; position. The shoulders come forward, the head might come down a bit, and the arms start in a pre-bent position, etc. Then when the person goes to lift, they lock the biceps and use the lower back [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The &#8220;normal&#8221; barbell curl is obviously one of the most used exercises you&#8217;ll ever see in the gym. It&#8217;s the exercise people think of when they think of lifting weights (except possibly bench press).</p>
<p>And (like bench press), it&#8217;s one exercise that is totally misused and abused!</p>
<p>THIS little training tweak is going to automatically fix your form on EVERY single rep.</p>
<p><span id="more-3349"></span>Basically, the main problem I see people have with barbell curls in the tendency to hunch forward and curl in a&#8221;vulture&#8221; position.</p>
<p>The shoulders come forward, the head might come down a bit, and the arms start in a pre-bent position, etc. Then when the person goes to lift, they lock the biceps and use the lower back to leverage the weight up past the sticking point.</p>
<p>And the reason people do it is to make the exercise EASIER and be able to use more weight.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the thing&#8230;just using more weight doesn&#8217;t mean more biceps growth.</p>
<p>Sure, it might make you feel big and strong but if you want big biceps, letting that happen is a HUGE mistake. The biceps are not a big muscle and simply throwing weight around doesn&#8217;t get the job done.</p>
<p>Now, before I tell you this tweak, I want to be very clear on one thing&#8230;isolated bicep exercises like the barbell curl alone DO NOT make for great biceps. You MUST do heavy pulling exercises as well, like barbell rows, dumbells rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, pulldowns, deadlifts, etc. to really maximize bicep growth.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re ALREADY doing these exercises, THEN you&#8217;ll see more benefits from some select isolation work. In other words, if you want big arms, don&#8217;t focus on arm work&#8230;focus on big muscle work.</p>
<p>So let&#8217;s get to it&#8230;</p>
<p>Here is the normal start position of the barbell curl. The shoulders are in a neutral position. This is fine but what generally happens is on the NEXT rep, when the bar comes down, the shoulders naturally get pulled forward because of the weight.</p>
<p>If you don&#8217;t realize this is happening, you&#8217;ll just naturally get pulled into that position!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3350" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>So here&#8217;s the tweak&#8230;</p>
<p>At the start of EVERY SINGLE REP, you&#8217;ll pull the bar against your thighs towards your body, like you&#8217;re trying to row the bar against your body.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3351" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/2.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>This automatically pulls the shoulders back and straightens out the arms. You can see the difference in body position between the two pictures. In this one below, the shoulders are pulled back and I&#8217;m starting with the biceps at full extension (even a little stretch).</p>
<p>NOW curl up&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/3.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3352" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/3.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>And make VERY sure you do your best to keep your shoulders back as you curl up. You&#8217;ll notice the difference instantly.</p>
<p>And when I say the first time you do this tweak, drop your weight by 30 lbs, I mean it. The difference is BIG. I&#8217;m using a 65 lb barbell here.</p>
<p>The biceps thrive on strict form and tension. If you&#8217;re going to do isolation bicep work, there&#8217;s no point in heaving the weight around and getting nothing out of it.</p>
<p>Use this tweak, tighten up your form, and DO IT RIGHT. You&#8217;ll thank me for it (or curse me for as you&#8217;re doing it <img src='http://www.healthandmuscle.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
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		<title>Single Leg Lockout Partial Squats for Unilateral Power and Athletic Performance</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/single-leg-lockout-partial-squats-for-unilateral-power-and-athletic-performance.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/single-leg-lockout-partial-squats-for-unilateral-power-and-athletic-performance.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:04:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick Nilsson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training and Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leg training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[legs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[single leg training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unliateral]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthandmuscle.com/?p=3342</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is always a huge debate in sports, athletic and bodybuilding training about the benefits of single leg training as opposed to double leg training&#8230;for example, should you do regular barbell squats or are lunges better? Do single leg exercises have greater carryover to sports and athletics or is an athlete better off using an exercises like squats that you can load more heavily in order to build overall strength then use athletic practice to develop specific strength. I&#8217;m not going to get into that whole debate here&#8230;my approach is to do BOTH. They each have their benefits and their place in training. THIS exercise, however, gives you the advantage of serious loading on the target muscles AND doing it [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is always a huge debate in sports, athletic and bodybuilding training about the benefits of single leg training as opposed to double leg training&#8230;for example, should you do regular barbell squats or are lunges better?</p>
<p>Do single leg exercises have greater carryover to sports and athletics or is an athlete better off using an exercises like squats that you can load more heavily in order to build overall strength then use athletic practice to develop specific strength.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not going to get into that whole debate here&#8230;my approach is to do BOTH. They each have their benefits and their place in training.</p>
<p>THIS exercise, however, gives you the advantage of serious loading on the target muscles AND doing it one leg at a time to develop that functional strength we&#8217;re looking for. It&#8217;s also a great core strength workout as the tension is going to be going primarily through one side of your body.</p>
<p><strong><span id="more-3342"></span>It&#8217;s the Single Leg Lockout Partial Squat.</strong></p>
<p>This exercise, when you really load it heavily like I do, should ONLY be done in a power rack. I would also highly recommend getting a piece of squat training equipment called the Manta Ray (click here to read to my full review of the Manta Ray).</p>
<p>Ideally, you should also be familiar with lockout partial squatting with both legs before working with the single leg version.</p>
<p>I HIGHLY recommend you start with a lighter weight (like your around 80% of your normal 1 RM on a regular squat, for example) in order to get used to the exercise and how it loads your body before you start moving up in weight.</p>
<p>This exercise is completely safe when you perform it within your own ability level, which is why I recommend starting nowhere the weights that I use when I do the exercise <img src='http://www.healthandmuscle.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  You need to develop the unilateral leg and core strength and stability to be able to handle bigger loads before actually tackling the bigger loads, even if you feel you have the leg strength to push higher.</p>
<p>Do your first trial of these with weights BELOW your 1 rep max for sets of 10 to 12 reps or so. Then see how it feels, let your body adapt and gradually move yourself up from there.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been doing these for a long time and doing partial squats for a long time so I&#8217;m able to push the weight to a pretty substantial level here without any problems (675 lbs/7 plates on the bar in the pics here), doing sets of 6 reps.<br />
<strong>How to Do Single Leg Lockout Partial Squats: </strong></p>
<p>You&#8217;re going to set the rails in the power rack to just below the lockout position of your squat. You only want to hit the top few inches of the range of motion with this exercise.</p>
<p>Get yourself under the bar like you were going to do a regular squat.</p>
<p>Now get your left foot directly under the mid-point of the bar. This is important! You want your working leg to have a directly line of push through the weight.</p>
<p>Your other leg is going to be set out to the side for balance, like the outrigger on a canoe&#8230;it doesn&#8217;t contribute much directly to the upwards movement but is used for balance and support. That other foot should on the balls of the foot, almost like the top position of a calf raise. This will allow it to be more active in helping with balance.</p>
<p>Now you&#8217;re ready to start. Get yourself locked under the bar and make sure you&#8217;re pushing from the HEEL of your foot, not from your toes, on that working leg. That&#8217;ll activate the glutes more strongly, which help power this exercise.</p>
<p>Take a big breath and HOLD IT for the duration of the up and down, until you set that bar back down on the rails. This is a very short movement and you don&#8217;t need to breathe whilel doing it. Breathing will just destabilize your core. We want a rock-solid, fireplug-tight core while performing this exercise because of the unbalanced tension going through your body while doing it.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3343" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/1.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>Push the bar off the rails, straightening your leg, then set it back down. You don&#8217;t need to hold the lockout at the top &#8211; there&#8217;s no real advantage in doing it. Just get it off the rails, straighten you leg then immediately come back down and set it back on the rails again.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3344" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/2.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>Repeat this for all your reps on the first leg then switch to the other leg.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/3.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3345" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/3.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/4.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3346" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/4.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" /></a></p>
<p>Remember to hold your breath all the way up and down and make sure you set your working leg right under the center of the bar.</p>
<p>This is a GREAT exercise for developing serious unilateral strength in the lower body and great core strength for sports.</p>
<p>Even though it&#8217;s relatively lighter than regular lockout partial squats, you can still load it pretty substantially so make sure you do it smartly, starting with sub-maximal weights in order to gauge how your body responds to this type of training.</p>
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		<title>Rack-Rail Leg Raises for DEADLY Bodyweight Lower Ab Training</title>
		<link>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/rack-rail-leg-raises-for-deadly-bodyweight-lower-ab-training.html</link>
		<comments>http://www.healthandmuscle.com/training-and-exercise/rack-rail-leg-raises-for-deadly-bodyweight-lower-ab-training.html#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:59:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick Nilsson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training and Exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ab exercise]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abdominal training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[abs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lower abs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.healthandmuscle.com/?p=3336</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This one is a variation on the classic &#8220;leg raise&#8221; exercise&#8230;the key difference here lies on WHERE you&#8217;re doing the exercise. It&#8217;s not a hanging version &#8211; it&#8217;s actually a fair bit harder than that! With this version, you&#8217;re going to be supporting yourself on the safety rails of the power rack &#8211; it almost looks a bit like the Iron Cross position a gymnast gets into on the rings. So first, set the safety rails on the rack to about the level of the bottom of your rib cage &#8211; you can adjust height any time. I like to set the height so that I can set my hands on the rails while in a standing position, then bend [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This one is a variation on the classic &#8220;leg raise&#8221; exercise&#8230;the key difference here lies on WHERE you&#8217;re doing the exercise.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not a hanging version &#8211; it&#8217;s actually a fair bit harder than that!</p>
<p>With this version, you&#8217;re going to be supporting yourself on the safety rails of the power rack &#8211; it almost looks a bit like the Iron Cross position a gymnast gets into on the rings.</p>
<p>So first, set the safety rails on the rack to about the level of the bottom of your rib cage &#8211; you can adjust height any time.</p>
<p>I like to set the height so that I can set my hands on the rails while in a standing position, then bend my knees to get my feet off the ground. I find this to be easier than trying to jump up in order to have straight legs at the bottom.</p>
<p>The arms should be about 45 degrees at the shoulder.</p>
<p>Set your hands on the rails and hold on! Bend your knees and get your feet off the ground. You will instantly feel big-time tension in the abs and torso because of how you&#8217;re supporting your body in this position.</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3337" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/1.jpg" alt="" width="349" height="262" /></a></p>
<p>Now we add in the leg raise&#8230;</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3338" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/2.jpg" alt="" width="349" height="262" /></a></p>
<p>You can also do it as a knee raise&#8230;</p>
<p> <a href="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/3.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3339" src="http://www.healthandmuscle.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/3.jpg" alt="" width="349" height="262" /></a></p>
<p>I like to start with the straight(ish) leg raise then as I get tired, switch to the knee raise in order to keep going.</p>
<p>This one is BRUTAL because not only are raising the legs (which involves the abs in a movement capacity), you&#8217;re also involving the abs very strongly in a supporting capacity.</p>
<p>Give this one a try in your next ab-training session (do it first, before any other ab exercises &#8211; trust me on this &#8211; you probably won&#8217;t need to do any more abs after a few sets of this).</p>
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