The Cardio

I've been meaning to write this email for a long time. Today I'm going to give you the story of how I solved the problem of getting an efficient and effective fat loss program finished in 45 minutes. Essentially, how I invented Turbulence Training.

And then I'll end with a sample TT workout for you...

But first, let's take a trip down memory lane to the winter of 98-99. I was but a lowly grad student, studying the effects of androstenedione (the supplement taken by the might Mark McGwire during his record-breaking home run quest in '98).

In my study (which was published in the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology for any science nerds like myself out there), we had guys use the supplement and go through a couple of weight training sessions. By February of '99 I was stuck in the lab, analyzing the blood samples using some fancy radio-active isotopes.

And when I say stuck in the lab, I mean STUCK. I'd get there at 7am, and record my last data point at 11pm. Sixteen hours of mad science. And if I wasn't there, I was downstairs in the medical library, studying papers on testosterone and training.

Now coming from a very athletic background, this sedentary lifestyle didn't sit well with me. But there I was, studing for a degree in Exercise Physiology and left with no time for exercise. Or so I thought.

Fortunately, I actually had a 50 minute window once per day of "down-time" while the lab's gamma-counter analyzed blood samples.

That left me 50 minutes to get to the gym (5 minutes across campus) and get a workout in the remaining 40 or so minutes. I knew that if I applied my studies to the workout, I could get maximum results in minimum time.

As a former athlete, I knew that I had to find a way to stay fit and to avoid the fat gain that comes with working long hours in a sedentary environment. And I also had to stay true to the high-school bodybuilder I once was, so there was no way I was willing to sacrifice my muscle to one of those long-cardio, low protein fat-loss plans that were popular at the time.

Instead, I had to draw on my academic studies and my experiences working with athletes as the school's Strength & Conditioning Coach.

I knew that sprint intervals were associated with more fat loss than slow cardio, and I knew that you could also increase aerobic fitness by doing sprints (but you can't increase sprint performance by doing aerobic training).

So clearly, intervals were (and ARE!) superior to long slow cardio.

I had seen first hand the incredible results of sprint intervals in the summer and fall, as the athletes made huge fitness improvements and shed winter fat in a short time using my interval programs. I knew that intervals had to be the next step in the evolution of cardio.

The biggest benefit of intervals? A lot of results in a short amount of time. I knew that I only had 40 minutes to train, and therefore I could only spend 15-20 minutes doing intervals.

Now onto the strength training portion of the workouts. I knew that a high-volume bodybuilding program wasn't going to cut it - I just didn't have time. But in the past year I had read so many lifting studies, that I knew exactly what exercises I needed to do to maximize my lifting time in the gym.

Those exercises were standing, multi-muscle, movements such as squats, presses, rows, power cleans, and plenty of other standing single-leg exercises. I knew that those exercises would bring me far more results than those people sitting on machines would ever achieve.

And I also knew that I had to lift heavier than the average Joe or Jane Gym-goer lifts. I just knew that doing lighter weights and high-reps wasn't going to cut it. And a research study from 2001 later showed that I was right - when women did 8 reps per set, they had a significantly greater increase in post-workout metabolism than if they did 15 reps per set.

So I had my plan. Bust my tail over to the gym, through the cold, dreary Canadian winter afternoon, and do a quick but thorough warmup (specific to my lifts - none of that 5 minutes on the treadmill waste of time).

Once I got through the warm-up, I did as many sets as I could in the remainder of the 20 minutes for strength training.

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How Much Sleep Do You Need?

 

We sleep for about a third of our day, and whether you love catching those z's or you wish that you didn't have to bother with it, you can't deny that we need it. Sleep gives your bodies a chance to heal and rest, and though the necessity for sleep still isn't fully explained, it is abundantly clear that without it, many problems start mounting up. If you live a busy life, there is a good chance that you are shorting yourself on sleep, but for many people this can be a difficult thing to really understand. What counts as enough sleep, and how can you be sure you are getting it?

The first thing to think about is what determines how much sleep you need. Chances are, you know someone who looks refreshed after about five hours of sleep and someone else who still looks groggy after nine. What creates this difference in people? Your need for sleep can be influenced by several different factors, including genetics, the quality of your sleep, how much sleep you've gotten the previous night and whether the activities you have conducted during the day are conducive to helping you get to sleep.

Exercise, for example, can affect your sleep a great deal. You'll find that if you tire yourself out a good hour before you head to bed that you sleep a little more soundly, but if you finish a long run and then try to fall into bed, your adrenaline will keep you up for another hour. Similarly, the amount of light you have seen during the day and whether or not you have been drinking caffeine or alcohol can go a long way towards determining what kind of sleep you will get.

Experiments were performed to see what people would sleep if they were kept in a "timeless" environment, one where they didn't have access to clocks or watches. In this condition, almost all participants eventually regulated themselves to a sleep cycle which lasted around eight hours. Assuming that every human being needs about eight hours of sleep, the sleep debt occurs when you end up getting less.

People are very different and one way to figure out how much sleep you specifically need, try getting a solid eight hours of sleep every night for a week. Make sure that you don't drink caffeine or smoke, which will influence your natural inclinations. Then, at the end of the week, don't set the alarm and find out how long your body wants to sleep. If you end up sleeping for nine or ten hours instead of rising after eight, there is a good chance that you need a bit more than eight hours of sleep a night.

Making sure you get the right amount of sleep can be very important when it comes to your own health and mental acuity. If you go too long without sleep, your reflexes will be very dulled and there is a good chance you will start to experience mood swings. If you constantly find yourself feeling grumpy and groggy and experiencing a constant run of low-grade illness, this is an indication that your sleep might be problematic! 

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Manage Stress

Stress can do a lot of things to a person. The one thing that it should never be allowed to do though is control a person's life. Most people who are unable to handle the stress associated with everyday life tend to find themselves avoiding the things that at one point made them happy. You do not have to completely change the way you live in order to reduce or eliminate stress from your life, but it is important for any individual trying to handle stress to remember to actively take steps to reduce it. Here are a few ways to better handle stress and still be able to live your life:

1. Disorganization is a major source of stress for most people. Missing a meeting, forgetting an important date, or showing up late for an event can easily cause anyone to stress out. To avoid this, find yourself an organizer (daily, weekly, or monthly) to help you keep track of all the things that have to be done. Instead of trying to remember, you will have an easy way of tracking the things you need to do.

2. Be aware of your stressors and triggers. If certain places or situations tend to increase your stress levels, try to avoid them or try to find a less stressful time to visit them or participate in them. This doesn't mean avoid the mall, it just means to go to the mall when it isn't as crowded.

3. Make some time for yourself. An hour a day reading a book or listening to some soothing music can be the perfect remedy for relieving stress. Some people even find sweeping and washing dishes to be great stress-relieving activities.

4. Minimize the time you spend with stressful people. Some of these individuals are simply trying to pass their stress onto others. You are only playing into their hands by arguing with them or trying to beat them at their own game.

5. Consider the actual benefits of some of today's technological wonders. Cell phones and computers have made people's lives easier, but they also add to people's stress. Constantly having to answer the phone and check your email can interfere with the other aspects of your life. Make it a point to establish a cut-off point or time when cell phones and email will be declared off-limits.

6. If you are in a management or leadership position, don’t take on every task yourself. Be willing to delegate tasks and responsibilities to others and let them stress out for a change.

7. Certain foods have been shown to increase stress levels. That morning cup of coffee might help get you through the morning, but in the end, it can also contribute to increasing your body's levels of cortisol, which is a hormone known to be associated with stress.

8. If a trip to the gym is too stressful, consider an alternate way of exercising. Working-out does not have to be an exercise in stress. A nice walk is good for both the body and the mind. A simple walk is just as good as an intense weightlifting session when it comes to helping relieve and reduce stress.

9. You can't sleep because you're stressed, and you're stressed because you can't sleep. At some point, it is up to you to make the decision to put away all those things that are keeping you up at night (work, television, food, etc.) and get some sleep, especially since rest helps your body build the energy it needs to get you through the day.

10. Let the machines take over. Actually, just let them help. Today's technology has made it easier for us to complete tasks in the comfort of our own homes. Shopping, paying utilities, sending out mail, and even registering your car can now be done without having to leave home.

There are many things you can do to reduce and even eliminate stress from your life. Whether it means going out for a walk or getting more sleep, the important thing to consider it to be proactive. The stress will not eliminate itself without a little help from you.

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Between Exercise and Youth

Many people often wonder how exercise, something that can feel tiring and essentially involves the hard use of your body, can possibly help you look and feel younger. If you are a little bit reluctant to get involved in an exercise regimen because you think it will leave you feeling more tired than before, take a look at some of the results from a study that was conducted over a span of thirty years.

The Original Experiment

To test the effects of weightlessness on the diet and fitness of astronauts, five twenty year old men were placed on bed rest for twenty days. Their movement was very limited and in this short span of time they experienced loss in the ability of work they were able to do. Also, a decrease in their cardiovascular fitness was also noticed. It took them two months of intense exercise and training to bring them back to their original capacity.

The Follow-Up

Thirty years later, the researchers who ran the first experiment tracked down the original five men, now in their fifties. This time, the men in question were measured in terms of their cardiovascular fitness and their general aerobic capability; the results of this measurement suggested a strong correlation between their current state and the state they were in after twenty days of bed rest while they were in their twenties. Then, they underwent specifically designed training that was tailored to meet their needs, and within six months of moderate aerobic exercise, all five men were restored to the original level of fitness that they had started in, thirty years prior.

Conclusions

Though the fact that the men in question were all healthy to begin with, and had not suffered any debilitating illness in the thirty years between the two measurements should be kept in mind, there is a clear connection between bed rest and lack of cardiovascular health and between health and fitness. The men in this study produced some fascinating results when they showed that a level of youthful vigor could be retained and even regained with regular exercise.

What Does This Mean For Me?

The important thing to remember is that it is never too late to get started. Start small and you'll find that your endurance will increase day to day. There are many different programs of exercise that you can engage in, and with a little bit of tailoring and thinking, you'll be able to find the one that keeps you feeling great! Be patient and think constantly about how the exercise is helping you, and you'll soon start seeing some very impressive results! 

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10 Steps to Help You Get a Great Night's Sleep

1. Make a list of what you need to do the next day, write it all down and keep that paper and pen near your bedside in case you think of anything else you need to do. When you write things down your giving your brain the signal that it no longer needs to think about those tasks.

2. Don't watch television or listen to the radio (especially the news) before retiring for the night - and certainly do not fall asleep with the TV or radio on.

3. Read some inspirational or self-growth material for at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Your goal is to fill your mind with inspirational thoughts before falling asleep so that the last thoughts you have before drifting off are uplifting thoughts - as opposed to the stressful thoughts that most people fall asleep thinking about.

4. Make sure the room that you're sleeping in is as dark as possible - the body is made to sleep when it's dark out - the darker the room the more potential for a deep sleep.

5. Make the room as silent as possible - turn off all electric devices and ask others in the house to be as quite as they can be.

6. Don't eat for at least 3 hours before going to bed. When there's undigested food in the stomach your body is forced to focus on digesting that food rather than being focused on repairing your body and mind - which is what sleep is all about! The body was designed to digest food best while moving - not while laying down.

7. Try to go to bed at approximately 10:00 pm and awake at approximately 6:00 am. In Ayurvedic medicine it's believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for certain activities. Going to bed at 10:00 pm and arising at 6:00 am appears to allow the body to rest the deepest, rejuvenate the most, and gives the person the most energy throughout the day.

8. Don't take drugs or vitamins/herbs that are supposed to help you sleep (unless required by your physician). Most of these artificial sleeping aids do nothing more than deaden your senses - the goal of 'sleep' is to give your body the time and means to repair itself and prepare for the coming day. When you drug yourself to sleep, every system in your body is slowed down, including all those systems that are responsible for repairing you.

9. Make sure that there's a fresh air supply in the room. The air indoors is said to be some of the most toxic air around. When you sleep, you're only able to breath in the air that surrounds you in your enclosed bedroom. Try opening a window (if it's cold outside then just open the window a crack). The fresh air that comes in while you sleep will help your body repair itself because you'll have access to cleaner, more oxygenated air.

10. That day, do 60 minutes of mild exercise. If you don't have time to do 60 minutes in a row, then break it up into 2 - 30 minute sessions, or 3 - 20 minute session, or 6 - 10 minute sessions --- just get a full 60 minutes in. The best exercise when talking about general health and preparing your body for a great night's sleep is "walking".

You can get loads of other great tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle and sleep better from this day forward on my 4 hour www.LivingHealthWeightLoss.com audio program.

I wish you the best night's sleep tonight and every night from this day on.

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"White Foods" - Friend or Foe for a Lean-Body?

I'd like to start a little discussion today about carbohydrates... and in particular, "white foods" as well as potatoes. One reason I wanted to mention this is because so many health and fitness professionals trash talk potatoes about being a bad carbohydrate choice because of the high glycemic index. Some even say such ridiculous things as "avoid any and all white carbohydrates".

Ok, now while I certainly agree that white bread and refined white sugar are two of the worst things we can be feeding our bodies, I definately don't agree with avoiding any and all "white carbohydrates". Now I know all of the buzz lately has been about colorful foods and the protective antioxidants that they contain. They tell you to focus on colors and stay away from white.

It's true that colorful foods are great, but it is a big mistake to specifically avoid white foods! There are plenty of white foods that have specific nutrients that are hard to find elsewhere. Let's look at a few examples...

Onions & Garlic

What about onions and garlic? They are both white and they are chock full of protective phytonutrients, vitamins, and trace minerals that aren't easy to find elsewhere in a normal diet... such nutrients as allicin, quercetin (an important flavonoid), chromium, and other unique anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Cauliflower

Another example of something white that is great for you is cauliflower. Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C, fiber, minerals, and special compounds such as glucosinolates and thiocyanates, which are specifically abundant in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. And a little-known fact is that some of the compounds in cruciferous vegetables help to combat other estrogenic compounds in our food supply and environment and can help prevent excess belly fat. So eat up on that cauliflower!

Mushrooms

Not many people realize this, but surprisingly, even white mushrooms have high levels of unique nutrients and antioxidants. White mushrooms are high in a couple types of antioxidants called polyphenols and ergothioneine.

Potatoes

Now that also leads us to another example - white potatoes (which by the way, can also be found in red, yellow, purple varieties, etc). Many health professionals claim that potatoes are a bad carbohydrate because they are thought to have a high glycemic index. First of all, if you've read Truth about Six Pack Abs book, then you understand that glycemic index is not necessarily the most important factor in choosing your carbohydrates.

While a generalization can be made that most low glycemic index carbohydrate choices will help you lose body fat easier than high glycemic index choices, it is not all that it's cracked up to be. There are many other factors that determine how your body will react-to and process the carbohydrates you ingest, such as glycemic load and also how you combine the high GI food with other foods.

For example, using glycemic load as an example... it is known that watermelon has a high glycemic index. However, the glycemic load of a normal serving of watermelon is just way too low for your body to start packing on body fat just because you ate a high glycemic index fruit. You would have to eat such an enormous quantity of watermelon just to get enough grams of carbohydrates to have any negative glycemic effect, that it is just non-sensical.

Not to mention that watermelon is also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and lycopene. There's just no reason to avoid it simply because it has a high GI. My point is... candy bars, cupcakes, and donuts make you fat... NOT watermelons, carrots or potatoes.

Also, as i mentioned, food combinations are important in how your body processes the carbohydrates and the associated blood sugar and insulin response you receive. For example, if you mix a high glycemic index carbohydrate with an extra source of fiber, healthy fats, or even certain proteins, many times the blood sugar and glycemic response will be slowed down considerably by the way you combined the food. Again, I talk in detail about this entire topic in my Truth about Six Pack Abs book

Alright, so back to my point that white potatoes are actually a healthy carbohydrate as long as you eat them in the right form... with the entire skin, and please don't ruin them by deep frying them into french fries either! French fries are one of the most evil things ever invented for your health, but only because we ruin them by soaking them in a scorching bath of trans fats in the deep fryer from the hydrogenated oils that are typically used.

Keep in mind that potatoes contain so many vitamins and minerals that the list is way too long to even try. Also, as long as you eat the skins, you get a decent shot of fiber too.

On the topic of potatoes not being so bad after all, I don't remember where I saw this referenced, but I recently saw a particular study that had participants eat something like 7-9 whole potatoes per day for several weeks.

At the conclusion of the study, the potato eaters had actually consistently lost weight! I'd venture a guess that the reason the people lost weight is that they were probably so full from eating all of those damn potatoes, that they actually consumed less calories than normal! An average sized potato only has about 100-120 calories, and I can surely imagine you'd be full constantly from eating 7-9 potatoes each day.

Now I would never recommend going to those extremes, but my point is that an occasional potato is not going to hurt your efforts to get lean, especially if you combine it with some other fibrous vegetables and maybe a healthy fat and some protein. On that note, I have one of my favorite recipes for you, using potatoes.

Geary's Lean-Body Potato Side Dish

• Desired quantity of baby potatoes (I like to use this mixture I found recently at a health food store... it is a mixture of white, red, yellow, and purple baby potatoes)
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 or 2 onions
• a couple cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 or 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• a little salt and pepper to taste (I like using a sea salt instead of normal commercial salt)

Cut the baby potatoes into slightly smaller pieces and place in a steamer until soft all the way through. Slice up the peppers and onions into strips and add with the chopped garlic into a pan with the olive oil. Cook the peppers, onions, and garlic until tender, and then add the steamed baby potatoes. Stir it all together and serve. This is a delicious and healthy side dish that goes great with chicken or red meat.

I hope you've enjoyed this little topic today about potatoes, healthy carbohydrates, glycemic index, and my killer potato recipe idea!

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10 Exercises For People Too Busy To Exercise

As you begin to explore all the possibilities associated with enhancing your mind, body, and overall lifestyle - increasing the amount of exercise you receive on a daily basis is a must! Not only does exercise release completely harmless chemicals into your system, but you're also able to maintain your body weight, sculpt those abs you've always wanted, or shed the extra 'Christmas cookie' pounds.

However - in this day and age - the ups and downs regarding school, family, work, household, money, friends, and extracurricular commitments can make finding the time to squeeze in a bit of cardio seem impossible. In order to reclaim your youthful zest for life and boost your energy levels at the same time - you should definitely take a timeout to consider the many different exercises geared towards people on the go. Below you will find ten exercises you can easily incorporate into your hectic schedule:

1) Take Advantage of Your Chair

Some people spend hours upon hours in their chair at work - often overlooking the infinite exercise possibilities. Work your abs and hips by twisting side-to-side throughout the day. Vary your movements by rotating your neck and rolling your shoulders.

2) Mini -Kitchen Workout

While you're waiting for your water to boil for dinner or have just popped in a microwave popcorn - don't ignore all the exercise opportunities found within your kitchen. Heavy canned goods and liters of bottled water make decent dumbbells for when you're ready to add shape to your arms. Simply grab a can (or bottle) of equal weight in each hand and with arms at your sides - bring both upwards to where your hands meet over your head. Repeat until your water boils or your popcorn is complete.

3) Inner Thigh Crunch

The next time you sit at your desk, tuck a full water bottle between your knees and with abs tucked in - gently squeeze. The tighter the pinch - the more sculpted those thighs and abdominal muscles become.

4) Take the Stairs

Add a twist to this classic exercise tip by taking two steps at a time to really stretch your glutes, thighs, and calves.

5) Elevator Resistance

Did you know that balancing on one leg qualifies as resistance training? Every trip on the elevator can become a motivating exercise when standing on just the right leg when going up and switching legs when going back down. In the end, your quadriceps and hamstrings are forced to work overtime.

6) Maximize Your Driving Time

Make better use of traveling in the car when you take the time to add a little exercise. Try tucking in your ab muscles each time you use your brake. Make sure to hold the contraction until it's time to start moving again. Just imagine the workout you'll receive in rush hour traffic!

7) Work Your Gluteus Maximus

Squeezing your glutes (butt muscles) each time you ride an escalator or elevator can help work out the largest muscle in your body.

8) Countertop Push-Ups

How quick and easy is it to complete 20 upright push-ups using your kitchen countertop, as you finish cooking dinner or simply visit the refrigerator in the middle of the night?

9) Stretch Those Legs

Pull your shoulders back and tuck in your abs, as you make it a habit to rise slowly from any seated position. The ideal amount of time to spend on this mini-exercise is four counts going up and four counts when you return. The longer you take - the harder your leg muscles are forced to work. In the end, your glutes, pelvis, thighs, and abs will certainly thank you.

10) Kick Up Your Heels

At some point in the day - dishes need washing, which creates the perfect entryway to yet another quick exercise. Instead of running the dishwasher, stand at the sink and manually clean the dinner dishes while kicking your legs back (as if you're trying to reach your butt). As a result, you will work the front and back of your thighs, and also get your heart pumping.

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Toning, Light Weights, & High Reps

I guess you could say it is my mission to show people the value of intense strength training for fat loss.

Every month more research comes out to support intense training over slow cardio, and light weights. And each week, in real-life, more and more men and women (yes, women too!) see the benefits of pushing themselves with strength training.

The evidence from research and real-life continues to pile up that you need to put down those light weights and cut out those high reps.

Take really light weights, add in isolation exercises, and repeat for a large number of reps. Do this for 3, 6, or 12 months, and you're guaranteed to have the same physique you have today. This approach just does not work.

You need to step out of your comfort zone with strength training.

Research has shown using a weight that enables only 8 reps per set results in a greater post-exercise metabolism than using a weight that allows 12 reps per set. And this was in women! So lifting challenging weights is not just for men, but also for the ladies.

Another research study showed that a 30-minute, hard total-body strength training session can boost metabolism about 36 hours. You just don't get that from slow cardio or light, "toning" isolation exericses, I'm sorry to say.

But what if you are worried about "bulking up"? Just do one or two sets of 8 reps per exercise, rather than three or four.

Bodybuilders know that high-volume training builds muscle. But if you don't want massive amounts of muscle, just don't do a lot of volume. That's just one of the reasons I don't use bodybuilder workout programs for fat loss. 

Another way to avoid "bulking up" while still boosting your metabolism is to use more bodyweight exercises.

As for exercise choice, say goodbye to biceps curls, hamstring curls, and triceps kickbacks. Seriously, I couldn't think of a more useless exercise for a fat loss program than triceps kickbacks.

Stick to full body movements. Use squats, lunges, split squats, pushups, chinups, rows, etc.

Remember, you don't have a lot of time to workout. So you can't be doing bodybuilding splits from the 80's that call for three exercises for the long head of the triceps, and two exercises for each of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid.

That's just not possible in the real-world. A pushup trains almost all those muscles, and more. It works your abs, chest, triceps, and shoulders. That's the type of exercise that is going to help you get more fat loss results in less workout time.

I train in the concept of a short time frame. That is, anyone that wants to use my programs has less than 3 hours per week to devote to structured exercise. So there just isn't much room for isolation training in that time frame.

But training should be fun too, and adding some curls as a reward for completing a hard workout is fine, but only if you want to. You don't need those types of exercises to get results.

But remember, isolation exercises are not actually going to burn fat, but they can build muscle and help you sculpt your body. Here's the list of methods that lead to fat loss, in order of importance:

i) Nutrition
ii) Burning calories with interval training
iii) Burning calories due to an increased metabolism from interval training and strength training (with multi-muscle movements)

As long as you understand that nutrition is the most important factor in fat loss, and that strength training is essential for sculpting your body, than you will have realistic expectations of success - based on how well you commit to each process. 

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5 Common Ab Myths

Ab exercises aren't the only thing you have to do in order to get your 6-pack. You also have to work hard on your diet as well, sticking to a fat-burning, muscle-building diet all year round.

Here's a list of 5 common myths about abs.

Myth 1) You don't need to watch what you eat

Diet is first and foremost the key factor when trying to get 6-pack abs. Plan your nutrition in advance, to avoid dietary downfalls.

Myth 2) As long as you do a lot of ab exercises and repetitions, it doesn't matter how well you do them

It is important to do all repetitions with good form. Focus on quality, not quantity. Avoid sit-ups and an excessive number of crunches. Both exercises can damage the lumbar spine in your low back, and crunches are rarely effective anyways.

Myth 3) You can "Spot reduce" the fat on your abs with crunches

No matter how many crunches you do, you won't be able to get rid of your ab fat with crunches alone. You need a good diet and an increase in your calorie burning from strength training and interval training.

Myth 4) Infomercial products will help you get a 6-pack

You've probably seen dozens of ab gadgets on TV, but none are magic bullets. You can't expect anything you order from TV to help you get a 6-pack. You have to do the hard work with nutrition and training to get results.

Myth 5) You must do abs every day

You don't need to do abs every day. Instead, train them twice per week and use non-conventional exercises such as Mountain Climbers and Stability Ball Jackknives to reduce the stress on your low back.

 

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To Getting A Six-Pack

  

Abdominals Are A Muscle, Too!

You want your arms to be bigger, your shoulders to be broader and your chest to be fuller, correct? And what is the solution to making these muscle groups increase in size? High intensity weight training, overload, consistency and a healthy surplus of calories. Starting to sound familiar?

The same goes for your abdominals. Your abdominals are a muscle group that requires the same formula and attention and are not any different. For some reason many consider abdominals to be a 'special' body part that requires a different set of rules and a completely different formula for training. Abdominals were not given a 'secret code' to crack. To get thick, dense abs - those ones that 'pop' out - you must train them with intensity and overload. Here are some practical tips you can apply to your program so that you can be the 'man' or 'gal' at your gym with a ripped and muscular six-pack!

Prioritize By Sequence

If your abs are your worse body part, then why do you keep training them last, at the end of your workout? Which muscles groups will receive the highest priority when you train? The ones done at the start of your workout or the ones done at the end of the workout? Of course, the ones done at the start of the workout while you have the most energy and focus. If abdominals are the muscle group you wish to prioritize, then don't be afraid to disagree with the 'experts' who say "Never train your abdominals first because you'll weaken your core muscles for the rest of your workout...". I completely disagree with this and often reply, "Show me the evidence." The typical response is "Nobody does abdominals first...". That is pure BS. This just supports the notion that many people who work out don't ever question what they hear or do. They want to be spoon fed answers and follow the trends of others without thinking for themselves. I ALWAYS train abdominals first in a workout if they need the highest attention.

Prioritize By Frequency

What's going to receive better results? A muscle group that is trained one time a week or two times a week (assuming you are recovered prior to the second workout commencing)? Of course, the muscle that is trained 2x a week. The more stimulus on a muscle, the more growth. That is why professional athletes are professional athletes. They have conditioned their bodies to such a high amount of stress that they are able to train more frequently. 

How often you train your abdominals is based on the inverse relationship of intensity and volume. The harder you train your abs, the more rest they need. The less intense you train your abs, the more frequently you can train them! If your goal is rehab or injury prevention, then you will be able to train them often with more frequent and lower loads. If your goal is to make your abs more muscular and dense, then a higher load and less frequency would be ideal. If your goal is maintenance, then a medium load and frequency would be ideal.

If building a sexy six-pack is on your 'to do' list for 2008, then start training abdominals 2-4x a week. I will teach you in a moment how to split your abdominals up into two different days based on movement.

Divide Your Abdominals Into Two Separate Workouts

To train your abdominals safely and effectively you must know the basic movement patterns of your abs and train them within all sub-categories:

• Truck Flexion (upper abs)
• Hip Flexion (lower abs)
• Rotation (obliques)
• Lateral Flexion (obliques)

The majority of books and articles you have read revolve the bulk of the ab exercises around trunk flexion that is better known as 'upper ab' exercises. A full sit up is a perfect example of this.

Bill Starr in his 1976 classic 'The Strongest Shall Survive' wrote that the abdominals "...can be strengthened in a wide variety of ways. Sit-ups of all types, leg raises, truck rotation movements all involve the abdominal muscles to a different degree..."

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Enhance Your Health & Metabolism

You cannot expect to improve your metabolism, lose weight permanently, or drastically increase your metabolism without first cleaning out all of the built up “sludge” that may have accumulated inside your eliminatory system/colon.

Skipping this step will make the weight loss/fat loss process far harder, and it will create a destiny for you of achieving only temporary results.

There are 3 initial steps to take for your cleanse to be most effective:

1st…Decide how long you want your cleanse to last. I usually recommend to my personal clients that their cleanse last no less than 1 full day and no longer than 7-10 days. For example, if they have lived a life of eating fast food and little or no physical activity, then their cleanse should last closer to the 7-10 day mark. But if they have lived a healthy! life, eating lots of fresh raw vegetables, exercising regularly, and possibly even doing another type of cleanse every now and then…then you need only follow this cleanse 1 or 2 days in a row (but most of my clients – even those who come to me in excellent condition, usually choose to stay on the cleanse longer than just 1 – 2 days…the average is 3 – 5 days initially, then once a month thereafter they can do a mini cleanse lasting 1 – 2 days).

2nd…Decide what you’re going to consume on the cleanse (this is a great time to get all the junk food cleaned out of your kitchen – give it away, throw it away, just get rid of it – but don’t get rid of it by eating it yourself!!!). After you’ve cleaned out your kitchen, you should stock it with healthy foods, and the only healthy foods you’ll be consuming on your cleanse are plain, fresh, clean water (preferably ‘distilled’ or ‘purified’ water), vegetable juices, and possibly some decaffeinated herbal tea (if you desire it).

The term “vegetable juice”, when used here, refers ONLY to juices that you juice yourself. So get yourself a vegetable juicer and a wide variety of fresh, raw, preferably organic vegetables. Then 2 or 3 times per day juice enough vegetables to fill a glass and drink it down (some people, including diabetics, find it beneficial to water down their juice with 50% water – this simply dilutes the sugar found in some vegetables).

You should add a small pinch of cayenne pepper to a few of your drinks throughout the day – this strengthens your blood, increases circulation, improves the assimilation of nutrients from the vegetable juices into your body, and helps your bowels eliminate the built up waste from your system (which gets rid of any constipation).

3rd…Do some light cardiovascular exercise like walking or bike riding for 20 – 30 minutes each day of your cleanse. Avoid any heavy physical exertion if possible – your goal is to relax and let your system rebuild an! d repair itself during your cleanse. Finally, rent a funny movie and laugh (a lot). When you have a good laugh, your body secretes chemicals that aid in digestion and promote good metabolic health.

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Low Carb Diets

There is no denying the fact that obesity is a problem in this country. Take a look down any street, in any office, in classrooms at school and you will see just how big of an issue weight is. This is part of the reason as to why there are so many diets on the market. It seems that everyone that has ever lost weight thinks they should write and book and promote a product or certain eating strategy. Many of those diets boost eating high protein and low carbohydrates is the best way to loose weight and get healthy. Here are seven arguments as to why you should drop that high protein, low carb diet.

1. Many high protein, low carb diets increase your fat consumption and decrease the nutritionally packed foods that you body needs.

On a long term basis this form of eating will rob your body of essential minerals and vitamins that your body needs for proper functioning.

2. There is no documentation showing that high protein low carb diets deliver the promise of sustained weight loss. While they provide quick weight loss, they have not been shown to help people long term. It is important that you realize that most of the weight you loose initially is water weight, not fat, and the longer you are on the diet the more muscle you will loose.

3. High protein low carb diets are rich in animal products that have not only protein but a lot of saturated fat. Eating large amounts of these foods over time has been shown to increase your risk of several cancers, diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease.

4. As Americans we already eat more protein then our bodies need. This is especially dangerous for people that have any kidney or lover problems. Eating even more protein may worsen their ailment.

5. High protein low carb diets cause muscle loss and fatigue. The body needs glycogen to fuel the body. These diets force the body fluids out as it eliminates your consumption of carbohydrates causing a loss in glycogen and muscle deterioration.

6. Progression of diabetes and diabetic renal disease is also caused by the high protein low carb diets. Your liver and kidneys have to work over time to rid the body of the excess nitrogen that is being produced due to the high amounts of proteins.

7. Weaker bones result form high protein low carb diets. Harvard did an 18 year long study of over 110,000 nurses who ate a high protein diet, those that consumed large amounts of animal protein were shown to have weaker bones then nurses that did not eat a high protein diet.

Loosing water weight, destroying your heart, liver and kidneys as well as weakening your bones should be reasons enough for you to not want to continue your high protein low carb diet. There are healthy alternatives that will not only work at the beginning but will help you loose weight and maintain your lower weight for the rest of your life.

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Seven Mistakes to Lose Fat

1. They fail to consider the consequences of their actions.

Alwyn Cosgrove (one of the top trainers in the business) once told me, "I get my clients to think, "Will this help me or not? Is this a positive step or not?" If you can see that every action that you take is either helping you lose fat or stopping you from losing fat, then you will start to make better choices. So remember that everything you put in your mouth is either for or against fat loss. And every exercise choice you make is either for or against fat loss. "Get that", Alwyn says, "and you're a hit."

2. They neglect to control their insulin and blood sugar levels - 2 key factors in determining whether or not the body fat will come off.

If you eat processed foods you are guaranteed to elevate your insulin & blood sugar levels. If you do that, your body sends the message, "Store fat!", and you won't make any progress. So avoid white-flour based bakery products, sugary drinks, and almost any carbohydrate snack that comes in a bag or a box.

3. They train like it's the 80's.

Yes, I know. Eighties music is popular again. But that doesn't mean ineffective training methods from the 80's like light weights, low intensity steady state cardio, and endless low-intensity ab work should also make a comeback. That type of training should stay buried in the back issues of cheesy muscle magazines. Stick to strength training and interval training for efficient and effective body changing routines.

4. They don't take 30 minutes to plan their next day's food intake.

If you fail to do this, you will set your fat loss efforts back by a minimum of 72 hours. Without a good meal plan, you are left to hunt and gather food in the modern world. And that's a recipe for fat loss disaster. You are bound to eat something processed if you aren't prepared. You will lose the fat burning benefits from yesterday's workout and it will take until the end of the following day to get back on track. An entire 72-hour period wasted.

5. They don't eat enough vegetables.

We can thank John Berardi for making it common knowledge that you should eat fibrous vegetables at every meal to assist your fat loss efforts. By doing so, you'll control your blood sugar and insulin - thus supporting the optimal hormonal situation for fat loss.

6. They screw up their hormones with poor lifestyle choices.

If you are out boozing and staying up late on the weekend, you are shutting down your fat loss and messing up the optimal hormonal environment for fat burning. I will talk a lot more about the optimal hormonal levels for fat loss, as I believe this is the underrated key to building your best body ever.

7. They don't plan and monitor their training sessions.

If you are still going to the gym without a plan, then you are going to have a hard time losing fat. And if you aren't recording your workouts and eating habits, then you aren't losing as much fat as you probably can. To fix this mistake, start by getting on track with strength training and interval training. It's guaranteed to get you lean. 

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Gain Muscle and Lose Fat

Are you ready for my famous "gain muscle or lose fat" chart?

I know this is going to make a few people mad, but it's the truth about whether a guy should lose fat or gain muscle. If he doesn't stick to my recommendations, he won't get the ripped abs and muscles he wants.

I often get scrawny guys asking me how to lose fat, when they have no muscle underneath the fat...they think they will look good if they "get ripped", but in reality, will look like they are starving. They should focus on gaining muscle instead.

This is a harsh lesson in reality, but too many guys are trying to lose weight when the focus should be on gaining muscle.

In fact, through my experience in working with athletes and dozens of men in the gym trying to lose fat and gain muscle, I've come up with a height-weight chart that determines whether or not you should lose weight.

Here's the chart identifying the cut-off weight for muscle building, and the rule below.

5'6" - 140 pounds
5'7" - 145 pounds
5'8" - 150 pounds
5'9" - 155 pounds
5'10 - 160 pounds

And so on. For every inch taller, add 5 pounds. For every inch shorter, subtract 5 pounds.

For example, if you are 5'8", 150 pounds, you should NOT be focusing on losing weight. You need to gain muscle if you want to look good on the beach and have muscle. Focusing on weight loss would be the worst thing you could do. If you do, you'll look like crap, and practically anorexic, to be blunt.

Instead, you must focus on gaining muscle. This will improve the appearance of your body, and take you from a stick-figure to a lean, muscular physique with a better chance of seeing your abs.

And don't worry, you're not going to look huge. At 5'8", a guy would have to be at least 180 in order to be considered "jacked" or "huge".

And the best news of all? Because skinny guys are untrained, simply starting a muscle building program will give them maximum fat loss and muscle gain at the same time. They are going to get the best of both worlds.

To use Turbulence Training to gain muscle and lose fat, simply stick to the weight training workouts only. Avoid the hard interval cardio for at least 4 weeks as you gain muscle, and eat extra calories right after your workout (as well as having a bigger breakfast than normal). These two changes will
allow you to gain muscle and lose fat.

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Addicted to Painkillers

Each year, more than 2 million Americans are given powerful prescription painkillers that contain opiods (sometimes called narcotics) for the relief of pain and discomfort brought on by injury, surgery, menstrual cramps, and even headaches. But a growing number of people taking these medications are becoming addicted to them. And it's not hard to understand why.

Drugs such as Vicodin, Percocet, and Methadone block pain all the way from the nerve endings in the skin to the spinal cord to the brain. Once these drugs reach the brain, they open the floodgates for the chemical dopamine, which triggers feelings of well-being. Dopamine, in effect, rewires the brain to become accustomed to those pleasant feelings.

So when you stop taking the pain-killer, your body will still have a strong craving for the dopamine. This is what makes it so hard to quit. Symptoms of withdrawal can include restlessness, muscle and bone pain, insomnia, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps (which is the origin of the term "cold turkey"), and involuntary leg movements. Better to avoid getting hooked in the first place. Chemical dependency can happen to anyone, and it can easily sneak up on you. Here are 10 things you should look out for if you or someone you know is currently taking prescription painkillers:

1. An increase in usage

As time goes by, the effects of the initial dose will lessen, prompting a desire for stronger or more frequent doses of the prescribed medication. This is a clear indication that whatever amount they have been taking is no longer providing the same level of relief.

2. Personality changes

Changes in a person's normal behavior can be a sign of dependency. Shifts in energy, mood, and concentration may occur as every day responsibilities become secondary to the need for the relief the prescription provides.

3. Withdrawing socially

This is one of the clearest signs of a dependency problem. Spending more time alone and away from friends and family and social gatherings is a cause for concern.

4. Continuing meds too long

Extending the prescription beyond the initial period, especially after the condition has improved, can be the beginning of an endless cycle. The patient may even believe he or she is still in pain and simply needs to stay on the meds for a few more weeks or months. He or she might even express anger toward a doctor who questions the need to renew the prescription.

5. Too much time spent getting meds

There are no lengths to which a chemically dependent person will not go to obtain the drugs they think they need. This can become an all-consuming obsession, including traveling long distances and visiting many doctors. When getting the drugs seems to be the number one priority, the situation is getting out of hand.

6. Habits and appearance changes

A deterioration in physical appearance and grooming - including not bathing or shaving regularly - is a common result of drug addiction. There may be a general look of unhealthiness, such as persistent coughing and red eyes. Sleeping and eating patterns often become irregular.

7. Failure to meet responsibilities

Sudden changes in work or school attendance and a decline in quality of work or grades are common, as well as forgetting to pay bills and missing appointments.

8. Becoming oversensitive

One consequence of using potent drugs is that the body's response to any sort of stimulation is heightened. For example, a person may have an overly emotional reaction to traffic noise or bright lights - possibly including hallucinations.

9. Forgetfulness and blacking out

A person who is suffering from chemical dependency will forget things that have happened and may even experience memory gaps of several hours.

10. Denial and becoming defensive

Presented with even a hint that they may be addicted, those hooked on drugs will vehemently deny it. The harder you push, the more defensive they are like to get. They might even react to simple questions with an angry outburst.

Additional signs of chemical dependency include an inability to relax or have fun, talking incoherently or making inappropriate remarks, and expressing feelings of exhaustion, depression, and hopelessness.

Remember that painkillers are a blessing that can turn into a curse. And that it is a lot easier to avoid becoming addicted than it is to recover from drug addiction. As long as you follow your doctor's instructions (and you have others around you to make sure you do), these prescription medications will do what they were designed to do - and nothing more.

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Back Pain

It's getting to be so bad that by Monday afternoon, you're already tired of being at the office. You're not even thinking as far ahead as Friday. Just getting to hump day is going to be challenge enough.

In reality, it's not the folks you work with who are getting you down - they're tolerable, mostly, although there is that one guy in accounting. Where do they find these people?

It's not even your boss, who, if he knew even half as much as you do, would be a shoo-in for Executive of the Year.

No, the biggest pain in your neck is actually located a bit lower. And it's really what's making working where you do seem a lot worse than it actually is.

Face it. It's your aching back that's sucking the joy out of your nine-to-five existence and making you feel 10 years older to boot.

Sure, you've learned to tolerate the bad coffee, pointless meetings, and lame jokes in the course of your day. But you just can't tough it out when it comes to back pain, which can range from dull, nagging aches to those unexpected twinges that feel like you've been hit with a taser gun.

If it's any consolation, you're not alone. More than 31 million Americans have low back pain at any given time. The bad news about back pain is that it not only lives with you all day at the office but it also comes home with you at night. It may even dog your weekends.


How do you develop pain?

If you are experiencing back pain at the office, you may think that it is coming from all the sitting, standing, and lifting that you have to do. And, indirectly, it does. But it is actually more about how the body has to adapt to all the sitting, standing, and lifting than the activity itself. Let's take sitting as an example.

Because of the amount of time you spend sitting, your body must gradually adapt itself to that position. This happens in a number of ways. The first thing it must adapt to is how the weight goes through your hips and pelvis. Then, there is the way you sit - upright, slouching, or something in between. Most importantly, it's what happens to the muscles while you're sitting. For example, your hip flexors will get tight from being in a shortened position and your butt will get weak and flabby from being in a relaxed state.

That simple combination of tight hip flexors and weak glutes is called a "muscle imbalance." The result of these muscle imbalances will be postural dysfunctions of your pelvis and spine. These imbalances send both your spine and pelvis into abnormal positions, the combination of which can be devastating to a person with a healthy back and catastrophic for a person suffering from any form of back pain.

What can you do about it?

What you must also understand is that your imbalances are the result of what you do in your everyday life - your workouts, sitting, the activities of your job, and your own personal habits. I'm not going to tell you to stop going to work. But what if you changed the way you present yourself at your desk?

Instead of sitting at your desk, try kneeling. I kneel at least 30 percent of the time I spend at my desk. I have a small foam pad that puts me just high enough to type and see the monitor. I sit on a therapy ball - and guess what? I don't sit still like my momma told me to. I move my hips in every direction, which means I'm working on my core balance all day long.

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Improve Your Memory

The investigators said they hope that these findings will help guide the care of patients with chronic pain and encourage the development of skills to offset memory problems.

Here are a few quick tips to improve your memory:

Read out loud
If you want to remember something, saying the words out loud will help burn the information into your brain. If you can turn it into a rhyme, even better.

Write things down
Mental clutter makes it hard to recall data. Use address books, datebooks, and calendars. Jot down notes on more complicated material and reorganize your notes as soon as possible. The physical act of rewriting can help imprint facts into your memory.

Rehearse and review
Go over what you've learned the day you learn it, and review it periodically. Researchers call this "spaced rehearsal," which has proven to be more effective than cramming.

Get your vitamins
Nutrients such as vitamins B, C, and E can nurture brain function. Dietary sources of B include spinach and other dark leafy greens, strawberries, melons, and black beans. Vitamins C and E improve the flow of oxygen through the brain. Good natural sources are berries, sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, green tea, nuts, citrus fruits, and liver. Omega-3 fatty acids - found in cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna - are also associated with improved cognitive function.

Surprise your brain
Another way to help your brain perform better is to stimulate it through novelty. For example, brushing your teeth with your left hand (if you're right-handed) will fire up seldom-used connections on the nondominant side of your brain. Or try "neurobic" exercise, which forces you to use your faculties in unusual ways - say, getting dressed with your eyes closed, taking a course in a subject you know nothing about, or cooking a recipe in an unfamiliar cuisine

The brain maybe affected by pain but you should never let pain control how or what you think about. If pain relief is what you are after you must hold a firm belief that you can achieve your goals and if believe heart and soul and keep you're your thoughts concentrated and coordinated there is no way that you can not achieve what you are after.

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Lower Back Pain

Each year millions of people struggle with lower back pain and unfortunately, many of them unnecessarily.

The reason is most of the treatments that patients with back pain receive only address the symptoms. And while treating the symptoms can provide some pain relief, it is often only temporary. If you want to get lasting relief, you have to look deeper than just the symptom or even the condition.

The two words that are keeping you in pain

If you suffer from lower back pain, or any other physical condition or injury for that matter, I am willing to bet that you have never heard these two words from the mouth of your doctor, physical therapist or other health care provider.

So what are these two mysterious words? Muscle Imbalances.

See, what most people don't realize is that lower back pain is typically a process, meaning it develops over time. While people tend to attach it to an incident like shoveling snow, sneezing or picking up a box, the fact is the problem has been there for months or years but you are just now aware because there's now pain.

Here's what happens...

Over time, various muscle groups in our body become out of balance. One muscle gets stronger while the opposing muscle gets weaker. This imbalance pulls our bones, joints and spine out of alignment. These muscle imbalances force our body to function in a dysfunctional way and this places excessive, uneven and unnecessary strain and wear and tear on our muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, cartilage and spinal discs.

While we can function with the imbalances, it usually isn't long before the body breaks down. A good analogy is to think about your car. What happens when your steering is out of alignment? Your car pulls to one side and the tires wear down unevenly and if you don't deal with the underlying problem, eventually you'll have a blow out. Well the same is true for your body.

The real key to eliminating lower back pain (or any other ache, pain or injury) is to start at the beginning and that means you need to identify and address the underlying cause, which is almost always, muscle imbalances. So if you are dealing with lower back pain, or any other condition, I suggest you make identifying your muscle imbalances your number one priority and once you do, you'll be on your way to lasting relief.

While this evaluation and treatment approach is extremely effective, it is not well known so you will likely have a very hard time finding a health care professional that is trained in this approach. The good news is, there are simple "self tests" you can do on your own to get very good idea of what dysfunctions you have and the underlying muscle imbalances that have created your condition and pain.

Jesse Cannone is a certified fitness trainer, rehabilitation specialist and co-founder of the Healthy Back Institute. He is recognized expert in the treatment of back pain and has been featured on both television news programs like NBC, radio programs across the US, magazines like Woman's World, Entrepreneur and on leading website like Spine-Health.com, Ediets.com and About.com. Over 32,000 people in 94 different countries around the world have used his "Lose The Back Pain" system to eliminate their pain.

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Degenerative Disc Disease

Degenerative disc disease is not actually a disease at all. It's a term that describes the natural changes the spinal discs undergo as a person ages. Degenerative disc disease usually occurs in the lower back and the neck, though it can take place anywhere along the spine. As a disc degenerates, it may put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, which often leads to pain and may affect nerve function. While everyone will experience these changes in their discs, most people will not have pain.

What causes it?

Spinal discs break down with age, resulting in a loss of fluid that can prevent discs from acting as natural shock absorbers. This fluid loss makes discs thinner and shrinks the gap between the vertebrae. Muscle imbalances - essentially, one set of muscles overpowering another - create "postural dysfunctions" that put abnormal pressure on a disc and cause increased wear and tear over time. Eventually, the weak spot gives way and makes contact with the nerve, bringing pain. Barring trauma, degenerative disc disease does not happen overnight. It takes a long time for a nerve to be put under enough pressure to cause pain.

What are the symptoms?

The most common symptoms are back or neck pain. Many people have no pain, while others with the same degree of disc damage have severe pain that limits their activities. An affected disc in the neck area may result in neck or arm pain, while one in the lower back may bring pain to the back, buttocks, or leg. The pain often gets worse when you bend, reach, or twist. In some cases, there may be numbness or tingling in your leg or arm. Loss of bowel or bladder control is deemed a medical emergency, so you should get to the emergency room as quickly as possible if either of these things happens to you.

How is it diagnosed?

Degenerative disc disease is diagnosed with a medical history and physical examination. During the exam, your doctor should check for range of motion and pain associated with the affected area, as well as any tenderness, numbness, tingling, or weakness. Your doctor should also ask about underlying conditions, such as fractures, tumors, and infection. If this examination shows no signs of a serious condition, imaging tests - such as an X-ray - are probably unnecessary.

How is it treated?

Common treatments include cortisone injections, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), hot packs, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and therapeutic exercises. Surgery is also an option, with the two main goals being to take pressure off the nerve and stabilize the joints.

Why do traditional treatments fail?

Most traditional treatments fail because they simply address the symptoms and do not address the cause of the condition. Your degenerated disc is a physical problem, and it requires a physical solution. There are no pills or injections that can create postural balance in your body, which is what is necessary to reduce the pressure on the nerve.

Which treatments work best?

The principles of Muscle Balance Therapy ™ address both the pain of a degenerative disc and the root of the problem - in other words, what's causing the pressure in the first place. Through strategic body assessments, your individual muscle imbalances can be identified. Once that is done, a very targeted corrective program can be designed for your specific needs.

To learn more about how you can get lasting relief from your Back Pain by using Muscle Balance Therapy ™, we suggest you read the latest copy of our Back Pain Relief Guide, simply Fill out the form below now and you'll receive free instant access.

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Scoliosis

What is it?

Scoliosis is a lateral, or sideways, curvature of the spine, which in its normal state should be a straight vertical line when viewed from the front or back. Viewed from the side, a normal spine curves slightly backward to produce a mild degree of roundness in the upper back area and slightly inward curve in the lower back. When a person with scoliosis is viewed from the front or back, the spine appears to be curved to either side of its normal vertical line.

What causes it?

There are numerous causes and types of scoliosis. Neuromuscular scoliosis is caused by abnormal muscles or nerves. This is often seen in people with spina bifida or cerebral palsy, or in those with a number of conditions that include or lead to paralysis. Congenital scoliosis occurs as a result of a bone abnormality that is present at birth. Degenerative scoliosis is bone collapse due to an injury or illness, previous major back surgery, or osteoporosis (a disease that causes thinning of the bones). The most common type is called "idiopathic scoliosis," and a cause for this has not yet been identified. There is, however, substantial evidence that idiopathic scoliosis is inherited.

Who gets it?

Roughly 2 to 3 percent of American 16-year-olds have scoliosis, although less than one tenth of 1 percent have curves that might require surgery (a curvature measuring 40 degrees or higher). It is not known why, but girls are more likely to have scoliosis than boys. Idiopathic scoliosis, the most common kind, typically affects kids ages 10 through 16, and it usually gets worse as a child grows, though it rarely progresses into adulthood.

What are the symptoms?

Scoliosis does not have symptoms as such, but there are discernable warning signs. These include uneven shoulders or hips, a shoulder blade that juts out, noticeable leaning to one side, or walking with a rolling gait. Persons with scoliosis may experience back pain or tire easily during activities that require excessive chest and stomach movement.

How is your condition diagnosed?

Usually, scoliosis is first observed by a child's pediatrician, a parent, or it is discovered during a routine school screening exam. To establish the presence and type of scoliosis, a bone exam is necessary, as well as an X-ray to determine the extent of the curve.

What are the most common treatments?

Most adolescents who are diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis need to be checked every four to six months, which should include a physical exam and an X-ray. For those with a spinal curve anywhere from 25 to 40 degrees - especially if they have at least two more years of growth ahead of them - bracing is the most common treatment. Braces are designed to stop the progression of the curvature and will occasionally produce a temporary correction. When the brace is removed, however, the curve usually will return to its previous position.

Surgery is often recommended for those with a spinal curve greater than 40 degrees. But surgery will only keep the curve from getting worse; it will not bring the spine back to perfect vertical alignment. During the procedure, metallic implants are used to correct some of the curvature and hold it in the proper position until a bone graft creates a rigid fusion in the area of the curve. Surgery usually involves joining the vertebrae together permanently - which is called spinal fusion. Because fusion prevents growth in the fused part of the spine, another technique may be used for younger children. In this case, a brace is always required after surgery.

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Breast Cancer Detection

How Do I Know if I Have Breast Cancer?

The most effective way to detect breast cancer is by mammography, and a clinical breast exam can complement mammography screening. But medical organizations don't agree on the recommendation for breast self-exams, which is an option for women starting in their 20s. Doctors should discuss the benefits and limitations of breast self-exams with their patients.

Breast Self-Exam
If you decide to do breast self-exam, make sure to go over how to perform it with your health care provider. Premenstrual changes can cause temporary thickening that disappears after the period, so it may better to check your breasts three to five days after your period ends. I If a breast self-exam makes you anxious or you have questions about how to perform it, consult your health care provider.

Look for dimpling or changes in shape or symmetry. This may be best done by looking in a mirror. The rest of the breast self-exam is easiest in the shower, using soap to smooth your skin. Using light pressure, you should check for lumps near the surface. Use firm pressure to explore deeper tissues. Squeeze each nipple gently; if there is any discharge -- especially if it is bloody -- see your doctor.

Any time you find a new or unusual lump in your breast, have your doctor check it to make sure it is not cancerous or precancerous. Most lumps are benign and do not signal cancer. The best test for distinguishing a cyst from a solid tumor is ultrasound; a needle biopsy may also be done. Have your breasts examined by a health care provider once every three years starting at age 20, and every year after age 40.

The American Cancer Society recommends yearly screening mammograms starting at age 40. However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) does not recommend screening for women in their 40s. For women between the ages of 50 and 74, USPSTF experts say women should have mammograms every two years. When you need a mammogram is a personal decision between you and your doctor. If you're over 40, talk to you doctor about when you should begin mammogram screening. Breast lumps can be identified on a mammogram up to two years before they can be felt.

Several tests can help distinguish a benign lump from a malignant tumor. Because malignant and benign lumps tend to have different physical features, imaging tests such as mammography and ultrasonography can often rule out cancer. The only way to confirm cancer is to perform a needle aspiration or a biopsy and to test the tissue sample for cancer cells.

In the event of malignancy, you and your doctor need to know how advanced the cancer is. Various tests are used to check for the presence and likely sites of spread, or metastasis. Cancer cells can be analyzed for the presence or absence of hormone receptors, to find out if the cancer is likely to respond well to hormone therapy. Other tests can help predict the likelihood of metastasis and the potential for recurrence after treatment.

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Breast Cancer Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of breast cancer include:

• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle.
• A mass or lump, which may feel as small as a pea.
• A change in the size, shape, or contour of the breast.
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple.
• A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple (dimpled, puckered, scaly, or inflamed).
• Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.
• An area that is distinctly different from any other area on either breast.
• A marble-like hardened area under the skin.

These changes may be found during a breast self-exam.
Medical organizations don't agree on the recommendation for breast self-exams, which is an option for women starting in their 20s. Doctors should discuss the benefits and limitations of breast self-exam with their patients.

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Depression and Chronic Pain

Living with chronic or long-term pain is a tremendous burden. But when you have chronic pain and depression, the burden gets even heavier.

Depression magnifies pain. It makes it more difficult to cope with everyday living. The good news is that chronic pain and depression are not inseparable. Effective medications and psychotherapy can help relieve the depression and make chronic pain more tolerable.

What is chronic pain?
Chronic pain is pain that lasts much longer than would be expected from the original problem or injury. When pain becomes chronic, your body may react in several ways. Chronic pain may be characterized by abnormalities in brain hormone, low energy, mood disorders, muscle pain, and impaired mental and physical performance. Chronic pain worsens as neurochemical changes in your body increase your sensitivity to pain. Then you begin to have pain in other parts of your body that do not normally hurt.

Chronic pain can prevent sleep and cause you to awaken frequently at night. This lack of sleep results in daytime fatigue and low productivity. The ongoing pain will cause additional irritation and make it difficult to deal with others. If you have to care for children or work full time, chronic pain may make your life seem too challenging. The overwhelming feelings can lead to irritability, depression, and even suicide for those who feel no hope for relief is in sight.

What happens with chronic pain and depression?
If you have chronic pain and depression, you've got plenty of company. Depression is one of the most common psychological issues facing people who suffer from chronic pain, and it often complicates the patient's conditions and treatment. Consider these statistics:

• According to the American Pain Foundation, about 32 million people in the U.S. report have had pain lasting longer than one year.
• From one-quarter to more than half of the population that complains of pain to their doctors are depressed.
• On average, 65% of depressed people also complain of pain.
• People whose pain limits their independence are especially likely to get depressed.

Because depression in patients with chronic pain frequently goes undiagnosed, it often goes untreated. Pain symptoms and complaints take center stage on most doctor visits. The result is depression -- along with sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, lack of energy, and decreased physical activity, which may make pain much worse.

Is there a cycle of depression and pain?
Pain provokes an emotional response in everyone. If you have pain, you may also have high anxiety, irritability, and agitation. These are very normal feelings when you're hurting. Normally, as pain subsides, so does the stressful response.

But with chronic pain, you may feel constantly tense and stressed. Over time, the constant stress can result in different emotional problems associated with depression. Some of the problems individuals with both chronic pain and depression have include:

• Altered mood
• Anger
• Chronic anxiety
• Confused thinking
• Decreased self-esteem
• Family stress
• Fatigue
• Fear of injury
• Financial concerns
• Irritability
• Legal issues
• Physical deconditioning
• Reduced sexual activities
• Sleep disturbances
• Social isolation
• Weight gain or loss
• Work issues

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11 Tips for Living With Chronic Pain

1. Learn deep breathing or meditation to help with chronic pain. Deep breathing and meditation are techniques that help your body relax, which eases pain. Tension and tightness seep from muscles as they receive a quiet message to relax. Although there are many to meditate, the soothing power of repetition is at the heart of some forms of meditation. Focusing on the breath, ignoring thoughts, and repeating a word or phrase -- a mantra -- causes the body to relax. While you can learn meditation on your own, it helps to take a class. Deep breathing is also a relaxation technique. Find a quiet location, a comfortable body position, and block out distracting thoughts. Then, imagine a spot just below your navel. Breathe into that spot, filling your abdomen with air. Let the air fill you from the abdomen up, then let it out, like deflating a balloon.
2. Reduce stress in your life. Stress intensifies chronic pain. Negative feelings like depression, anxiety, stress, and anger can increase the body's sensitivity to pain. By learning to take control of stress, you may find some relief from chronic pain. Several techniques can help reduce stress and promote relaxation. Listening to soothing, calming music can lift your mood -- and make living with chronic pain more bearable. There are even specially designed relaxation tapes or CDs for this. Mental imagery relaxation (also called guided imagery) is a form of mental escape that can help you feel peaceful. It involves creating calming, peaceful images in your mind. Progressive muscle relaxation is another technique that promotes relaxation.
3. Boost chronic pain relief with the natural endorphins from exercise. Endorphins are brain chemicals that help improve your mood while also blocking pain signals. Exercise has another pain-reducing effect -- it strengthens muscles, helping prevent re-injury and further pain. Plus, exercise can help keep your weight down, reduce heart disease risk, and control blood sugar levels -- especially important if you have diabetes. Ask your doctor for an exercise routine that is right for you. If you have certain health conditions, like diabetic neuropathy, you will need to be careful about the types of activities you engage in; your doctor can advise you on the best physical activities for you.
4. Cut back on alcohol, which can worsen sleep problems. Pain makes sleep difficult, and alcohol can make sleep problems worse. If you're living with chronic pain, drinking less or no alcohol can improve your quality of life.
5. Join a support group. Meet others living with chronic pain. When you're with people who have chronic pain and understand what you're going through, you feel less alone. You also benefit from their wisdom in coping with the pain. Also, consider meeting with a mental health professional. Anyone can develop depression if they're living with chronic pain. Getting counseling can help you learn to cope better and help you avoid negative thoughts that make pain worse -- so you have a healthier attitude. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
6. Don't smoke. It can worsen chronic pain. Smoking can worsen painful circulation problems and increase risk of heart disease and cancer.
7. Track your pain level and activities every day. To effectively treat your pain, your doctor needs to know how you've been feeling between visits. Keeping a log or journal of your daily "pain score" will help you track your pain. At the end of each day, note your pain level on the 1 to 10 pain scale. Also, note what activities you did that day. Take this log book to every doctor visit -- to give your doctor a good understanding of how you're living with chronic pain and your physical functioning level.
8. Learn biofeedback to decrease pain severity. Through biofeedback, it's possible to consciously control various body functions. It may sound like science fiction, but there is good evidence that biofeedback works -- and that it's not hard to master. Here's how it works: You wear sensors that let you "hear" or "see" certain bodily functions like pulse, digestion, body temperature, and muscle tension. The squiggly lines and/or beeps on the attached monitors reflect what's going on inside your body. Then you learn to control those squiggles and beeps. After a few sessions, your mind has trained your biological system to learn the skills.
9. Get a massage for chronic pain relief. Massage can help reduce stress and relieve tension -- and is being used by people living with all sorts of chronic pain, including back and neck pain.
10. Eat a healthy diet if you're living with chronic pain. A well-balanced diet is important in many ways -- aiding your digestive process, reducing heart disease risk, keeping weight under control, and improving blood sugar levels. To eat a low-fat, low-sodium diet, choose from these: fresh fruits and vegetables; cooked dried beans and peas; whole-grain breads and cereals; low-fat cheese, milk, and yogurt; and lean meats.
11. Find ways to distract yourself from pain so you enjoy life more. When you focus on pain, it makes it worse rather than better. Instead, find something you like doing -- an activity that keeps you busy and thinking about things besides your pain. You might not be able to avoid pain, but you can take control of your life.

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