Which MuscleWhich Equipment

If you are a newbie to the gym, all the equipment may look confusing. Now I am sure over time, you can watch others use the equipment and get the hang of how to use it but not necessarily will you know when to use it. In other words which muscle group are benefiting.

You see, most workouts consist of focusing on one muscle at a time. Generally you should not do one exercise for chest, followed by an exercise for legs and then followed by an exercise for back. It just doesn?t maximize the intensity of your workout. You should perform the entire workout on a given body part or muscle group before moving to the next.

Okay, so which exercises hit which muscle groups? I will detail that out below but keep in mind this is a shopping list that you choose. Also, this list is not all encompassing. I sure I could add a dozen more exercises but I will just list some of the basics. Also I will not list the machines for the specific muscle groups below. The machines are self defining. BUT you should add some of those machines to your routine.

Chest

• Flat Bench Press-Barbell
• Incline Bench Press-Barbell
• Decline Bench Press-Barbell
• Dumbbell flies with flat, incline or decline bench
• Standing Cable Crossover Flies

Back

• Wide Grip Pull Ups using body weight (hands forward)
• Wide Grip Seated Cable Pull down
• T bar rows
• Bent over barbell rows
• Seated Cable Row
• One arm dumbbell rows

Shoulders

• Seated Bench Barbell Presses
• Seated Bench Dumbbell Presses
• Side lateral flies-Dumbbells
• Front Alternating flies- Dumbbells
• Seated bent over (chest on legs) flies ?Dumbbells
• Barbell Shrugs
• Dumbbell Shrugs

For a more complete listing of muscle groups,exercises and pictures go to http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com/article195.htm

Scott Jameson is a bodybuilder and trainer for over 30 years. He has a passion for bodybuilding and helping other achieve this success. He regularly applies the techniques in this article. See more of his articles at http://www.bodybuildingprogramzone.com

If you want to more information on a Bodybuilding Program - Check out the Zone, the site with a passion for you to succeed.

This article may be reproduced on your website provided you acknowledge Scott Jameson as the author and must show link

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Why Are They So Important

While health experts argue the benefits of some health supplements, the evidence continues to mount in favor of fish oil. Fish and fish oil supplements supply us with the Omega 3 fatty acids that are needed for heart and brain health. Even the American Heart Association strongly endorses the use of fish oil for cardiovascular health. Why? Because those with diets rich in Omega 3 fats are less likely to have high blood pressure or irregular heart rhythms, and are less likely to die from heart attacks or strokes.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also beneficial for brain health. The human brain is more than sixty percent structural fat. But, the type of fat needed for the brain to function properly is Omega 3 fatty acids. According to recent research, decreasing your intake of Omega 6 fats (primarily vegetable oils) along with increasing Omega 3 fatty acids, reduces the risk of depression, aggressive behavior, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia and lowers your risk of developing Alzheimer?s. Other current studies with Omega 3 fats have shown benefits with regards to cancer, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and other health related conditions.

Of course we all know that there are good fats and bad fats. Any artificially produced fat, called transfats, are not good for us and saturated fats should always be kept at a minimum.

But there is a type of fat called EFA?s (Essential Fatty Acids) that are not only good for you but essential for normal growth and development. Furthermore, your body can?t manufacture them, so you must get them from your diet. Essential Fatty Acids are polyunsaturated and are grouped into Omega 6 and Omega 3?s.

Although both types of Omegas are essential for health, experts agree that our diet ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids is greatly unbalanced. While our ancestor?s diets consisted of a diet ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 of about 1:1, our modern dietary habits now reflect a ratio closer to 20:1 to 50:1.

According to Dr. Donald Rudin, author of Omega 3 Oils, fatty acids are the main structural components of every cell membrane in the body, and therefore influence every process in the cell. He concludes that a balanced intake of essential fatty acids is necessary for both healthy cell function and a sense of well-being.

The permeability of the cell depends on the essential fatty acids. This allows nutrients into the cell and toxins to escape. When we rely on other fats to do the job required of Omegas 3 fats the structure of the membrane of each cell becomes stiff and unable to remain healthy enough to do its job.

The primary sources of Omega 6 fats are canola, soy, corn, safflower and sunflower oil. These oils are overabundant in the typical diet, which explains our excess Omega 6 levels. Omega 3 fats are typically found in flaxseed, walnuts and fish.

The Omega 3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish, such as tuna, salmon, trout and mackerel consists of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Omega 3?s in the form of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) can be found in flaxseed and walnut oils, and seaweed. However, the body must convert ALA to DHA and EPA to derive the heart & brain healthy benefit. This conversion however, is often difficult for some people to make. Therefore getting your Omega 3 fat acids directly from cold water fish or fish oil supplements may be your best bet.

Omega 3 fatty acids?An important addition to True Healthy Living Now!

Due to personal health issues we have been researching health & fitness for the last five years. The information we have obtained has helped us and our family members get off pharmaceutical drugs and regain a level of health we had never known. Please visit us at http://www.truehealthylivingnow.blogspot.com.

Ulnar Neuropathy: Sane Treatment of a Crazy Bone

Do you remember what it felt like when you banged your elbow on a hard surface and it sent shocks through your forearm and into your little finger? Not too pleasant, to be sure. But on the plus side, the unpleasantness was merely temporary and, for the time being, you remembered not to do that again.

The part of the nervous system responsible for this annoying symptom is the ulnar nerve, a peripheral nerve-bundle whose individual nerve-fibers originate in the spinal cord where it passes through the neck. The nerve-fibers run most of the length of the arm, including through the ulnar groove which you may know as the funny bone or crazy bone.

Some people experience a more persisting impairment of the ulnar nerve called ulnar neuropathy. With -pathy as the medical suffix meaning illness or impairment, an ulnar neuropathy means an illness or impairment of the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve is vulnerable to injury or pinch in the ulnar groove for more than one reason. First, instead of being surrounded by soft, cushioning muscles and tendons, it is sandwiched between a layer of skin on its exterior surface and nothing but hard bone on its interior surface. Second, when the elbow bends, the ulnar nerve stretches because it has to take the long way around the elbow.

Like a telephone cable containing numerous wires, the ulnar nerve-bundle contains many individual nerve-fibers, some of which tell the muscles what to do and others of which carry messages back to the spinal cord and brain about sensations experienced by the skin and other tissues. So when the ulnar nerve is injured, both motor and sensory symptoms are possible. Most of the muscles of the hand receive their marching orders via the ulnar nerve, so when the ulnar nerve is out of whack, there can be weakness in hand muscles. The muscles that spread the fingers and those that straighten the middle joints of the ring and little fingers are often affected. Damage to the ulnar nerve also causes changes in sensation. The ring and little fingers can become numb, and so can the heel of the hand.

The ulnar nerve can come to harm in more than one way. For some people the problem might result from leaning on their elbows too much. This can compress the ulnar nerve within the ulnar groove. Granted, many people lean on their elbows without damaging their ulnar nerves, but like most things in medicine, an ulnar neuropathy is usually caused by a combination of factors, and it is likely that some people are more vulnerable than others based on their particular anatomies. Of course, rearranging one's anatomy, as for example from a preceding elbow fracture, may also put one at risk for an ulnar neuropathy.

Another way to injure the ulnar nerve is by over-stretching it. In the author's clinical practice a thin, young lady with loose elbow-joints who worked as an emergency medical technician injured her ulnar nerves repeatedly while lifting heavy patients. For her, it was a problem that wouldn't go away, and she eventually changed professions.

Although, as discussed, the ulnar nerve at the elbow is especially vulnerable to injuries, it can also come to harm by getting compressed or pinched by nearby abnormal tissues. The usual culprits are tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, cysts and scars.

Sometimes, an ulnar neuropathy is the leading symptom of a polyneuropathy, meaning that all the peripheral nerves in the body are somewhat impaired, but the ulnar nerve is the first one to cause symptoms noticeable to the affected individual. Polyneuropathy is not the result of injury, but can be seen in a variety of illnesses, including diabetes, alcoholism and also on an inherited basis.

Diagnosing an ulnar neuropathy starts with the story of the symptoms and a physician's examination. The physician might subsequently order nerve conduction testing which looks at the nerve and muscle electricity, and can determine the degree of impairment. Moreover, nerve conduction studies can also evaluate other nerves to see if the ulnar nerve is the only one impaired, or merely one of many.

What if a simple injury to the ulnar nerve at the elbow is diagnosed? What can be expected? Fortunately, the peripheral nerves have some capacity to heal themselves. So if the degree of nerve impairment is not too severe, conservative treatment is called for. Unfortunately, there are no conservative treatments that have been studied by good, randomized, controlled trials, a form of evaluation in which the outcome of a treated group of patients is compared to that of an untreated group. Randomized, controlled trials are the gold standard for deciding whether or not a treatment is effective, so in this case all we have to go on is clinical judgment and observation.

A typical conservative treatment consists of putting a sport-pad (not a medical brace) on the elbow with the foam covering the ulnar groove. This accomplishes two things. First, if the elbow gets leaned on, then the nerve is still protected. Second, a well-fitting pad also prevents excessive elbow-bending (including during sleep) that overstretches the nerve and re-injures it. In addition, eating nutritious, well-rounded meals, together with vitamins, gives the ulnar nerve the building-blocks it needs in order to make the best possible recovery.

If the nerve injury is severe, or fails to respond to conservative treatment, then surgery might be beneficial. When the nerve is tied up in scar tissue or compressed by nearby abnormal tissues, a simple release operation might suffice in which the nerve is freed up. Otherwise, in a procedure called anterior transposition the nerve is transferred out of the ulnar groove so it is out of harm's way from leaning on the elbow, and also gets to take to the short way around when the elbow is flexed.

Neurosurgical researchers at Radboud University Nijmegen in The Netherlands conducted a randomized, controlled trial of patients with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow in which half the patients received simple release surgery and the other half received anterior transposition. In this study there was no difference in outcomes between the two surgeries. About two-thirds of the patients in each group obtained an outcome that was considered either excellent or good. However, there were more complications in the patients receiving the anterior transposition procedure, so the results of this study favored the simple release approach.

(C) 2005 by Gary Cordingley

Gary Cordingley, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist, teacher and researcher who works in Athens, Ohio. For more health-related articles see his website at: http://www.cordingleyneurology.com

A Radiant Complexion in 5 Simple Steps

A healthy, radiant complexion is nourished from the inside out by eating a balanced diet and drinking lots of water. How much your complexion glows also depends on how you take care of it; first with proper cleansing and moisturizing and second by not smoking and avoiding stress and sun exposure.

If you follow the steps below regularly, which will take less than 5 minutes a day, the results will be noticeable.

1.Cleansing: It is important to use a cleanser that is formulated for your skin type in order to get the best results. While a regular soap maybe great on the rest of your body your facial skin needs extra care.

*Dry skin feels very tight and dry all over. Choose a creamy cleanser formulated for dry skin. The rich emollients will leave your skin feeling clean and soft. Also use extra emollient moisturizers and cleanse twice a day.

*Normal skin is neither dry nor oily. Choose a cleanser and moisturizer that have balancing moisture formulated for normal skin. Even though your skin feels great, to keep it looking radiant, cleanse and moisturize regularly.

*Combination skin is dry with oiliness in the t-zone - the forehead, nose and chin. To take care of this type of skin you?ll need products that both moisturize and prevent oil buildup.

*If you notice that by noon your skin has become oily, then you have an oily complexion and will need oil control products that will keep your skin fresh longer and prevent oil buildup.

2.Exfoliate: To deep clean, condition and remove dead skin cells, exfoliate twice a week using a facial mask or scrub. A creamy scrub or mask that moisturizes and hydrates the skin is best for dry to normal skin types. Combination and oily skin types need a mask that deep cleans and controls oil.

3.Toner: Toners remove the last traces of cleaners and restore skin to its natural pH balance. Those with dry skin should avoid toners with alcohol.

4.Moisturize: All skin needs a good moisturizer to keep the natural oils balanced and skin looking fresh. Dry skin needs extra moisture, normal skin needs a balancing moisturizer and oily skin needs an oil-free moisturizer.

5.Foundation: This is the last step to even out your skin tone and protect your skin from the environment. Choose a color that is as close to your natural skin tone as possible. Try it along your jaw line for best results and look for a shade that blends with your skin. Foundation shouldn?t be visible.

There are also products on the market that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA?s), naturally derived from sugar cane, olives, milk, fruit and wine. Those products get rid of dead skin cells leaving fresher, newer looking skin. The benefits of using ?age-fighting? creams are reduced surface wrinkles, soft skin and fading of ?age spots?.

Follow this routine and you will be on your way to having healthy, radiant looking skin.

?Copyright 2006 Sheila Dicks

Sheila Dicks is an Image and Wardrobe consultant who helps women feel more confident by dressing to suit their body type. To get tips on how to dress slimmer and find your best styles get a copy of her ebook ?Image Makeover? at http://www.how-to-dress.com or go to http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com to get the Free Report ? 7 Things Your Girlfriends Won?t Tell You About Beauty and Fashion?.

Reiki and the Care of Pregnant Women

The concept of motherhood is extolled in many cultures. It is sanctified and women are expected to feel fulfilled by it. Yet women have an ambiguous attitude towards it. Some look forward to it with joy. Others would rather not have a baby as they feel it would ruin their figure or they are convinced that they would die during delivery.

The more aggressive women would simply dismiss it as unwanted responsibility. The attitude would make all the difference to the way in which the woman handles her womanhood and pregnancy. The attitude would also impact the unborn child in more ways than one.

Reiki clinics are flooded with women who have physical and psychological problems related to pregnancy. Reiki alleviates many of the symptoms of pregnancy such as morning sickness, excessive tiredness and backache. Reiki helps them adjust to the changes in their body and gives them a positive attitude towards the birth of the child. It emotionally supports the mother and makes her aware of the meaning of motherhood. It also helps the fetus grow normally and often delivery becomes easy for those who have had Reiki just before or during the course of delivery. Reiki improves the bond between the mother and child.

Fathers who wish to support their wives through the pregnancy and develop a bond with the unborn child should consider taking a course in Reiki. They can assist the mother nurture the fetus and ensure its psychological and physical well being by giving Reiki to their wives during pregnancy and delivery. Many fathers who have participated in this exercise have excitedly reported that they can actually feel the fetus move towards the energy when Reiki is given. They have also reported that their bonding with the child is better and they feel that they have contributed to the nurturing of the child in the womb.

If you are serious about learning Reiki, check out Discover-Reiki

Case Study

Ms.R did not want to have a baby. She became pregnant by accident and her pregnancy was diagnosed too late to do anything about it. The Doctors refused to abort the fetus as the pregnancy had gone beyond a six week period and her husband was opposed to the idea and refused consent. She therefore, developed a lot of negativity towards the child. She insisted that ?the thing? had taken over her body and was playing havoc with it. ?The thing? was constantly moving around and making her uncomfortable, queasy and the laughing stock of all her friends. She refused to go out of the house till she could get ?the thing? out of her body and be free of its influence! She would scream at her husband and hold him responsible for the predicament she finds herself in. In the extreme she would threaten to kill ?the thing? by piercing her abdomen with a sharp instrument.

Her husband was very worried and desperate. He did not know how to convince her that the baby was a blessing and would bring joy into their lives. He wanted the child and was afraid for his wife. He tried talking to her, convincing her of his love and that the child would bring them closer. She refused to listen. Her mother tried talking her out of her skulks to no avail. She hated the baby and refused to regard it with any kind of open mindedness. When Mr.R had finally given up hope of improving the situation he heard about Reiki from some of his colleagues and decided to try it. However, he was not very sure that he would be able to get his wife to visit the clinic.

One day he dropped in after office hours for a casual chat with me. He wanted to know how Reiki worked and whether we were certain it would work for his wife. Fortunately, there was another pregnant mother at the clinic who had come in with a similar problem and had immensely benefited from the treatment. She volunteered information on how it helped her through the most difficult period of her pregnancy. Mr.R was very hopeful at the end of the discussion and promised to persuade his wife to undertake treatment.

A week later, Mr and Ms R visited the clinic together. It was obvious from the expression on Ms R?s face that she was a reluctant visitor. She was about five months pregnant at that time and very weak and irritable. She was pale and had dark circles under her eyes and there were worry lines cracking up her forehead and corners of her eyes. She held herself very awkwardly and gave an impression that she was trying to pull in her stomach and hide her pregnancy. Her feet were swollen, but she had squeezed them into an over tight shoe in defiance of the swelling. On the whole she appeared uncomfortable, sick and dispirited. I felt that the usual pep talk may not help in her case.

As I was wondering about alternate approaches, Mr.R volunteered ?Madam my wife has decided that she will take up your offer and help you with your patients in this clinic. She says she can type up your cases and generally potter around for a week and see how she likes it.? He accompanied this with a wink. I took up his cue and welcomed her and told her how hard pressed we were for help. We would be very grateful to her for whatever help she can extend. The expression in Ms.R?s face lightened slightly. She said a little diffidently, ?I thought he was bringing me to some kind of clinic for a checkup. He keeps doing that all the time these days. I am fed up with Doctors and clinics. I don?t mind helping you. It will keep my mind off this ?horrible thing? that is destroying my life.? Mr.R looked very distressed. I quickly told him ? Please do leave Jane with us. We will have plenty of work for her. You can pick her up on your way from work. We will take care of her.?

Ms.R spent the next few days with us. Her husband would drop her off in the morning and pick her up in the evening. Initially, she was very diffident with us. As we continued to be friendly and cheerful, she relaxed and accepted us as her friends. We never spoke to her about her reaction to the pregnancy or her attitude to life. We appeared to accept her as she was. This made her feel at home. We gave her the task of gathering basic bio data from the patients and categorizing them according to the problems. We told her to sit in the visitor?s room and chat with the patients who came in so that we could get information about the psychological make up of the patient. She enthusiastically took up the task of questioning the patients with a predefined set of questions. She faithfully recorded their replies and sometimes even identified factors that could be the cause of some particular reaction on the part of the patient.

As the promised week slipped into the next, we could see that she was getting interested in all that we were doing. She asked us if she could continue coming. We expressed our gratitude and told her how helpful she was. She was very pleased and informed her husband that she liked the work and would continue to come for some time.

As the days passed her curiosity got the better of her and she asked some of the attendants on what Reiki was all about and even wondered what it felt like to have Reiki done to you. She began questioning the patients as they left the clinic on their experience with Reiki. At the end of the second week she came to me with a request that she would like Reiki done to her?just to see what it felt like. I agreed and immediately started the treatment. At the end of the session, she was very quiet. When she got ready to leave, I asked her curiously what she thought of Reiki. She said honestly ?It was very nice. I feel very energized but confused?. ?Confused? Why?? I asked. She thought for a while and replied ?I don?t know. I feel peaceful and more positive about life. I was so depressed about my pregnancy and could not think that life would ever be the same again. Now I am not so sure. It will not be the same I know, but I feel ready to accept the change. It is all very strange. Does Reiki do that to you?? So I explained ?Reiki is a positive energy. It does help you getter a better perspective on life and a greater grip on situations. I am glad you enjoyed it. Would you like to continue this treatment for some time? It will help you over the physical problems of pregnancy.? She said she needed time to think about it.

The next day when she came in, she said she would like to try the treatment for some time and see how it impacts her physically. We agreed and registered a slot for her on the busy schedule of the day. What followed is history. Her attitude to her pregnancy gradually underwent change. The child ceased to be ?the thing? and became ?My baby?. She enjoyed the sensation of the baby moving within her. She even began looking forward to the day when the child would be born and she would hold it in her arms. At the end of the month she was thinking up names for her baby. The rest of the pregnancy was spent calling him (she was sure it was a boy) Mark. He soon acquired an identity in her life and she would greet her husband joyfully every evening with reports on what Mark had done to her today. Mr R was overjoyed at the change Reiki had brought into their lives. He could not thank us enough. He enrolled himself and his wife for the first degree and spent the rest of her pregnancy sharing wonderful ?Reiki moments together?. Ms.R comes to the clinic often to help us out. Mark now two years old, accompanies her sometimes and is completely spoilt by everyone at the clinic and is given complete license to do what he pleases. We all feel a bond with the child who acquired an identity and personality in the clinic. Ms R and her husband are part of our team and will rush over to the clinic whenever we need additional hands.

Reiki is a gentle energy that brings about transformation of attitudes and even the personality of an individual. Reiki provides the required stimulus to access a different level of awareness and the patient no longer experiences the discomfort and attitudes of the former level of awareness.

If you are serious about learning Reiki, check out Discover-Reiki

Warmest regards,

Peter Tremayne
Learn Reiki In 7 Days! - www.discover-reiki.com

Peter Tremayne has published an ebook - 'Discover-Reiki' written by Reiki Master Stephen Leigh.

The ebook is a simple, step by step guide for anyone wanting to learning Reiki from the comfort of your own home.

What is Botox and What's the Use

Botox is an injectable substance that is a medical grade form of the botulinum toxin, most often used to soften and relax forehead/scowl lines as well as crows feet around the eye area.

Botulin toxin or botox is the toxic compound produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is an enzyme that breaks down one of the fusion proteins that allow neurons to release acetylcholine at a neuromuscular junction. By interfering with nerve impulses in this way, it causes paralysis of muscles in botulism. The toxin is a two-chain polypeptide with a 100 kDa heavy chain joined by a disulphide bond to a 50-kD light chain. It is possibly the most toxic substance known, with a lethal do

Botox is most commonly used to smooth out wrinkles but can be used to help in many other cases. It's been found that botox injections can help children with cerebral palsy from agravating and suffering some other side effects. Muscle tension that often occurs with cerebral palsy has been seen to ameliorate while using botox. A side effect is a dry mouth, but in the case of neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy, where excessive drooling is a problem, this is actually helpful.

It's been found that BT, the botulinum toxin, injected into the prostate reduces the levels of prostate-specific antigen and the prostatic hyperplasia symptoms while being well tolerated. These results have been observed in a preliminary trial that was placebo controlled. The trial went great with no systemic adverse effects or any complications.

The botulinum toxin type A can be deadly, paralyzing muscles needed for breathing, but only very small doses are given in medical or cosmetic treatments.

Botox works by blocking the signal that nerves are trying to pass to the muscles.

For more information on botox treatment or botox doctors please visit : http://www.botox-cosmetic-doctor-center.com

Panic Disorder: Did Charles Darwin Have It?

Charles Darwin, author of the Theory of Evolution, was born in 1809, the son and grandson of physicians. At age 16, he was sent to study medicine at Edinburgh University in Scotland, but he was more interested in beetles than medicine. At age 22, he was invited to join the HMS Beagle for a five-year sail around the earth, where he collected specimens of plants and animals from around the world. He made lots of friends at school, was the life of the party in college, met all sorts of people when he traveled around the globe, and he was an active hiker and camper.

However, in 1837, at age 26, one year after returning to England from his boat trip around the world, he became terrified to meet people because he would develop, in his own words, a sensation of fear accompanied by troubled beating of the heart, sweat, trembling of muscles. He no longer went to parties and began to withdraw from society, he was afraid to meet people, and spend his time entering notes in a special journal. He consulted many physicians who at various times diagnosed him as having bad nerves, tropical disease, arsenic poisoning, intellectual exhaustion, dyspepsia, and suppressed gout.

Today he would be diagnosed as having panic disorder, a condition that usually starts between late adolescence and the mid-thirties. This condition affects an estimated 13 million Americans, manifests itself in unexpected attacks of extreme anxiety, with symptoms including rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating, nausea and dizziness. Some victims feel they are losing their minds or are about to die. Many become so obsessively worried about subsequent attacks that they make major changes in their behaviors, shunning whatever situation may have prompted the panic.

Darwin might never have revolutionized biology with his theory of evolution if he had not suffered from chronic mental illness that turned him into a scholarly recluse. When he died in 1882, he was buried at Westminster Abbey next to another giant named Isaac Newton.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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