Peaked, stuck, leveled out in progress & muscle gains?

Have you been working out for several months or longer, and now feel like your muscle gains and/or progress has landed on a plateau somewhere?

Yeah, I'm talking about the feeling of being stuck, peaked, leveled out or whatever you want to call it...

A lot of people encounter this "peaking out" dilemma, and it is actually perfectly normal. Unfortunately, when some people get stuck in progress while trying to build muscle or achieve certain physical fitness goals, they often lose interest or just throw their hands up and quit working out altogether.

...But before I say anything else about this subject, maybe you need to ask yourself, "what are my goals?" Maybe you're fine with your current level of fitness and would like to spend more time on other things, perhaps even go out and have some fun - ha!

Anyway, many times when a person experiences these "plateau effects" and seem to be stuck in progress, they either need to take some time off, change their routine or completely alter the type of exercises they have been performing. For example, several years ago, I felt that I was tired of lifting the same ol' weights, doing the same boring bench presses and exercises, and was having to drag myself into the workout room because it got to where I dreaded lifting all that heavy weight. So, I decided to buy a Power Tower and started to build muscle without weights (pull-ups, dips, etc.). When I needed extra resistance, I would simply use a weighted vest. Now, after using the Power Tower for a few years, I'm about ready to start lifting heavy weights again and now I wished that I wouldn't have sold my damn weight bench to begin with! Ha-ha! But that's just an example, as changing the routines and exercises often temporarily rescues people from the "muscle building plateau" status.

Taking a break can also be great... Don't worry about losing muscle mass during your transitory hiatus; plus, if you've been working out for a few years, try to remember the points that were being made in the post "the mystery of muscle memory," as this should help you rest assured that your body will have no problem gaining what little muscle you may have lost during your period of inactivity.

When you do feel "leveled out" or whatever, this may also be a good time to become quicker & more flexible with the muscles you already have. Being bulky isn't everything; in fact, many folks find that it slows them down and actually hurts their overall level of physical fitness. However, not everybody has the same goals, but I'm just saying that it might be a good idea to get out there and utilize your muscles in more natural movements as opposed to basic lifting, curling, pressing, etc. You know, things like calisthenics (dips, pull-ups, etc.), shadow boxing, martial arts, various types of stretches, manual labor that replaces automatic gadgets (like chopping down trees with an axe instead of using a chain saw, using a push mower instead of a riding mower), and so on...
Speaking of boxing and martial arts, you may also be interested in my "picking out the right heavy bag / speed bag stand" entry, in addition to the "body opponent heavy bag" post.

Personally, I think some people may just need a little additional motivation. For example, when I used to feel stuck or in a rut, I'd just look at some motivational posters for my workout room, and alter the way my weight room looked by buying bikini posters, pictures of barely clad women, etc. Yep, throw in some nice visuals along with some motivational music, and you may be well on your way to new physical fitness goals that will free yourself from that "peaked" feeling you're suffering from.

Update (2024): Wow! After coming back to this post 13+ years later, I realize that it was nothing more than an internal link job that was self-promoting prior blog posts. I think I'll just start over, and properly address the "peaked, stuck, leveled out in progress & muscle gains" nonsense:

#1) If you really feel that way, there are many things you can do to jump-start yourself into new gains. For one, try harder! However, one of the easiest ways to tackle this (if you're lifting free weights) is to buy those expensive micro weights. They come in .25, .5, .75, and 1 lb. plates. It is like a sneaky way of slowing pushing yourself more, albeit incrementally, but it all adds up.

#2) Find your sticking points, weak spots, etc. For example, if you are constantly failing on the bench-press after a certain number of reps, notice what area feels like it gives out first. Is it your chest, triceps, front delts? Once you pinpoint your weakness, do separate, isolated exercises for those areas. On the same note, it may not be as easy for bodyweight exercises (that involve a multitude of muscles - primary, secondary, stabilizers, etc.) like pull-ups. Often times what fails first is due to a lack of support from your other muscles, and so on. For example, if you strengthen your rear deltoids, your biceps and lats wouldn't have to work as hard during the pull-up. Many times, it really calls for a total body self-analyzation to combat these moments when you really feel stuck in progress.

#3) Are you at a slight deficiency in caloric intake or energy during your workout? Maybe you need creatine, ginseng, extra calories (for energy), more fat (for hormones), additional protein (for building muscle), or something? It is well worth a look, when concerning why you are stuck in a plateau or have apparently leveled out in progress. If making gains are not happening anymore, you may want to assess your workout, as well. What I mean by that is simply the query of "are you more or less on a maintenance workout routine or is it geared for progressive gains?" It is easy to be content with what you have already accomplished, but are you really done with your fitness goals? Does the plan you have really encompass constant progress?

#4) If your body is really acting stubborn, you could also integrate heavy half-reps, cheat movements, etc., to tease your body into exerting more force. Yeah, well, form isn't always everything, but those shocks you can give your central nervous system when trying wilder, bolder alternatives can really pay off. Now, I don't mean to go too crazy and blow your back out; I'm just saying that there are options to break past those stagnant times of no gains. You can even add "static holds" into the mix, which are also great at strengthening your tendons, for example.

#5) If all else fails, just try the other stuff I mentioned in the original post above...

---End of Update

---End of Post "Peaked, stuck, leveled out in progress & muscle gains?"


Older Post: "Creatine is a waste of money - for most people!"

Health Benefits of Beer + Natural ways to help symptoms of alcohol withdrawal

This will now be a 2-part post since I've recently deleted an old website of mine and decided to combine the related articles before I start adding the stand-alone content amid multiple blogs, etc.

Part 1: "Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal..."

Of course, if you're suffering from alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it usually means that you've been abusing alcohol in such a way, that your body has become too accustomed to it; this can lead to many other problems down the road - not just health related, either. However, not everybody who suffers from alcohol withdrawal symptoms end up with a chronic problem, as many folks are just going through bad times, get too caught up into the "party scene," or just have occasional bouts where they crave massive amounts of alcohol, binge drink, etc.

At any rate, this post is not about finding you mental help for your current addictions, psychological assistance to combat personal problems, nor is it recommending "alcoholic anonymous" sessions; it is mainly about finding natural ways to help fight the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol - if you do have this liquefied debacle.

Personally, I'm a big beer drinker and I've been drinking alcohol for at least 15 years with at least 14 of those years being on a daily basis. But during that time, I have had my moments where I would get involved with the "hard stuff" and especially vodka, so I know all about the temporary withdrawal symptoms (when you overdo it for an extended period of time) and how problematic they can be - when it comes to fighting the symptoms, nervousness, jitters, etc. It totally sucks, no doubt about it, but for me, the easiest way to "fight" the withdrawal symptoms was to quit drinking hard liqueur straight out of the damn bottle like some lunatic who is seeking a higher octane fuel supply. Ha-ha!

I'm glad I haven't had this withdrawal problem in a long while, but when thinking about some of the posts I have written over the last several months, many of the supplements I have mentioned, really do help calm the nerves, fight withdrawal symptoms that relate to the central nervous system - along with many other helpful benefits.

This entry is simply going to be a "resource link post" that will provide links to the pages where I have promoted certain natural supplements (no prescription drugs) that will help the individuals who suffer from drug-related withdrawal symptoms (like alcohol), and perhaps will ease people into the quitting stage or if anything, just calm them down a bit and improve their overall sense of well-being...

Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal:

Update: I forgot to mention in the post above that most alcoholics have low levels of magnesium in their body. I highly recommend that a person suffering from withdrawal symptoms supplement with magnesium during the process to help calm their nerves, improve central nervous system health, etc.  Also, one of the links below is about Korean Ginseng. I would definitely take American Ginseng for withdrawal problems over the other because it has a more calming effect.  You can read more about that, here: "Hot or Warm - Korean/Panax vs. Cold or Cooler American Ginseng" I haven't did a post over it yet, but sunflower lecithin also seems to help with nerves, as well.  There are loads of products out there that may help, but when I originally wrote this post (which was over 10 years ago), I just threw out some quick links to get started because I had so many other websites I was working on at the time.

---End of Update

* Health Benefits of Taurine

* Korean Ginseng Extract

* Why I use Coral Calcium...

* Magnolia Extract - Fight Stress & Calm Down

* Now, if you're looking for a natural way to help cleanse and/or detoxify your liver from all of the hardcore drinking, visit: http://perpendicularity.org/blog/2010/05/03/liver-detox-milk-thistle/ [Link is no longer active, but it has now been combined into this post, here: https://health-fitness-guru.blogspot.com/2011/01/natural-ways-to-detoxify-your-liver.html

* If you're feeling in better spirits, have no withdrawal issues whatsoever, actually try to drink alcohol in moderation, and are also curious about some of the positive effects that can be attained from this delightful substance, visit the blog post "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol." [Link is no longer active, but it is now Part 2 of this post.]

Cheers!

Related Post: Grapefruit is not good for Detox or certain Medications

---End of Part 1: "Natural ways to help fight symptoms of alcohol withdrawal..."

Part 2: "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol – Cheers!"

Original Post Date: 5-4-2010

At times, I’m guilty for imbibing beer like it is some sort of Gatorade or form of medicinal liquid enhancement. But, for the ones who do drink sensibly and moderate, there is many health benefits to be gained. Cheers!

Beer comes in many forms, such as: ales, lagers, bitter, stout, and wheat beers…

As the image above illustrates, jovial & fun, public beer drinking…

The Health Benefits of Drinking Beer!

The standard rule of moderation for alcohol is usually in the range of 1-2 daily drinks for females, and 2-3 drinks per day, for the males. I mean ‘drinks’ as a unit. One unit equals 1 – 12 oz. beer, roughly 6 oz. of wine, or 1 oz. of 100 proof liqueur. Personally, I look at moderation as being of a slightly higher quantity, but everyone has a different body and chemistry therein, so drink at your own discretion.

Health Benefits of Beer…

Obviously, beer helps relax the body. The hops found in beer, with or without the alcohol, relaxes the stomach. Hops is also considered to have anti-cancer properties. This has led many to believe that even if you’re consuming non-alcoholic beer, it still poses excellent health benefits.

Moderate consumption of alcohol is good for the mind and nerve cells, as this helps prevent dementia – in your later years.

Merely drinking 1 or 2 beers a day, has also been shown to reduce the risk of having high blood pressure.

Beer contains potassium, magnesium, selenium, chromium, silicon, and several forms of B vitamins. See, you can tell ’em you were just drinking for B vitamins & trace minerals…try that as an excuse, the next time you over-indulge. Ha-ha!

Beer is made of all natural ingredients, which is always a good thing.

Alcohol, in all forms, helps raise the good cholesterol (HDL).

Alcohol is well known for its ability to help prevent blood clots.

Beer does contain a fair amount of antioxidants & polyphenols from the hops and the cereal grains that are found within this blissful beverage.

Beer enhances digestion by stimulating the body to release extra pancreatic enzymes and digestive acids, etc.

The alcohol in beer and in other wines & spirits, reduces your chance of developing kidney stones and also minimizes your chances of developing gallstones.

It is an established fact, that alcohol dilates the blood vessels, hence (temporarily) improving blood circulation.

Moderate consumption of beer helps prevent osteoporosis – due to it boosting bone-density effects (from the silicon in beer) on the body.

Moderate usage of alcohol helps reduce the risk of suffering from a stroke.

Alcohol from beer, wine, spirits, etc., helps prevent heart attacks and cardiovascular diseases when used in moderation.

This is very apparent, but in case you didn’t know: alcohol can elevate the chemical serotonin (happy hormone) when consumed within limits. I think this can also apply to when you exceed the limits, as well, but the fallout sort of contradicts the happy – when you wake up the next day; especially if you wake up beside someone who doesn’t look as appealing as they did the night before.

Beer is often used as marinades in cooking, helps tenderize meat and adds flavor. It is also used in batters to make hush puppies and, hey, have you ever heard of beer battered chicken? Yummy!

There are many drinking games a person can play when consuming alcohol with friends, but most likely, this would put a person past what is considered moderate… fun-fun!

Alcohol, of whatever type, is great for awkward first dates, or tense situations… as the relaxation effects of beer and/or alcohol transpires, this also brings lowered inhibitions and free-flowing speech – which makes everything that much more easier.

Interesting tidbit: This is something I learned about beer today, as I already knew of the health benefits, years ago. But listen to this, a quote from Wikipedia:

“Beer is one of the world’s oldest prepared beverages, possibly dating back to the early Neolithic time period or 9000 BC, and it's even recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.” Wow! I didn’t know that it went that far back. You can call it the “antiquity of alcohol,” I suppose.

On the other hand, if you’re like me, and drink too much of this healthy stuff on a regular basis, exceed the “recommended level of moderation” and feel the need for liver protection…visit my page: Milk Thistle – Liver Detox.

Cheers!

---End of Part 2: "Health Benefits of Beer & Alcohol – Cheers!"

Side Note: You know, I've already combined these posts together so I will just let it be, but it might seem a little odd to have a post about withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, then almost promoting that very same substance just below it; ha! I don't know, it made sense at the time...

---End of Post "Health Benefits of Beer + Natural ways to help symptoms of alcohol withdrawal"

Build the stubborn Latissimus dorsi muscles (Lats) with Pull-ups!

Depending on your genetics, body type and/or build, the Latissimus dorsi, also known as "Lats," may be a very stubborn muscle group for you - when it comes to building it up. There are several exercises you can perform that are aimed at working the Lats, but to me, none of them seem to be more effective than the basic pull-ups and chin-ups - that is, if you're in decent enough shape to even pull your own body weight, but we'll get to that in a moment.

The Latissimus dorsi is the widest muscle of the back. If you'd like to see a quick diagram for a visual refreshment, look below:

If you're able to build your Lats up and proper development takes place, this is the muscle that will give you that V-Shape or V-like taper to your upper torso, and especially when viewing from the back. It sort of gives you that explosive look, and makes you appear broader than what you really are. If you combine expanded Lats with bulky shoulders, even a smaller framed person can start looking wide. Throw in some well-developed trapezius muscles, and you really will be ready to sport that "tank top" this year...

Okay, now back to the main subject: If you are a beginner or have trouble lifting your body weight, pull-ups may not be for you - at least not at the moment. [Edit (2024): You can also perform assisted pull-ups with bands. I've never used this method, but for the ones that can't perform pull-ups, they are a great tool to get you on the onramp towards total bodyweight pull-ups. Just search the web for "assisted pull-up bands" or "exercise bands." The higher resistant bands provide more assistance and vice versa. The bands simply take some of the body weight off the lift to make it easier.

Another method to build up your ability to perform pull-ups are "dead hangs," "holds" and "half reps." You can perform dead hangs by simply hanging onto the bar for as long as you can. You can execute the "holds" at other points of the movement, but it is best to get to the top of the bar (without resting your chin on it) and try to hold as long as you can before letting go. This will definitely give your stubborn latissimus dorsi muscles a sting. The half reps are good at getting rid of sticking points you may be having with the pull-up. You have two options with the half rep, as in, which half? You can just rep from bottom of movement to the midway point as quick as you can or from the top of the bar, only go halfway down then quickly back up. Never underestimate half reps, as they can build you up in a hurry, and you will be executing full-range reps in hardly any time at all. ---End of Edit]

If you'd still like to work your Lats without pull-ups, you can always use the Cable Lat Pulldown machine and the pulleys used for arm rows, etc... that is, if you own an exercise machine or have a gym membership, etc. And if you don't have access to any of this bulky equipment, there is still hope, as you can still use dumbbells or a barbell for bent-over rows and so on. [Edit (2024): Actually, if you have an existing Power Tower or Power Rack, etc., attaching a cheap pulley system is no problem at all in today's world. They sell these attachments fairly cheap on Amazon nowadays.]

I'm just not a fan of bent-over rows or the rowing motion in general. I mean really, if you want to perform this particular motion to build up the Latissimus dorsi muscles (in hopes of widening your back), none of these cable pulleys or dumbbell rows would compare to getting in a small boat with paddles or a canoe weighted down with passengers and rowing the thing around a lake for hours and hours, several days a month. Ha-ha! But seriously, rows work well for some people, I'd just prefer the paddle boat if I resorted to using the rowing motion in general, that's all. I must say, though, rows seem to be better at thickening the back muscles as opposed to widening them, although they can do both. BUT, the Lat Pulldown exercise and the Pull-ups using a weighted vest, seem to work better at widening this particular area of the back.

[Edit (2024): Speaking of rowing machines, they do sell some really nice ones these days. However, the good ones are fairly pricey. I bought a cheaper (maybe around 120 dollars?) row machine a while back, but it just didn't have enough resistance to do anything for muscle building. I suppose one could still use it for a warmup or, if you rowed fast enough, for cardio. Maybe those machines are mainly for people just trying to burn calories? So as the years have passed, my opinion on rowing hasn't really changed that much, but at least I gave one of those machines a try. Ha!]

As for the Cable Lat Pulldown exercise, since you can manually adjust the weight, it is great for the beginners who can't do enough pull-ups to amount to a workout and also for the advanced bodybuilders who find the pull-ups to be less than challenging. However, I can remedy that minor problem for the advanced folks, by recommending that you execute your pull-ups & chin-ups while training with a weighted vest.

...Unless you have something out in the yard that resembles a pull-up bar or you have built one yourself, you may also be interested in buying a Power Tower, as I mentioned in my post: "Gain Muscle Mass & Power without weights." Of course, there are other cheaper chin-up/pull-up alternatives on the market, but the Power Tower also provides you with the opportunity to do other bodybuilding exercises in addition to pull-ups, such as: dips, leg lifts and push-ups on slightly inclined bars.

Anyway, good luck building this, what I call, "stubborn muscle group," no matter what method you decide to use. And if you are successful at bulking up your Latissimus dorsi area, you'll be proud of that V-shape figure that comes along with it. Now, go build those damn Lats...

---End of Post

Put the "Tank in the Top" by building the Deltoids & Trapezius Muscles

As the temperature rises and the weather improves, many of y'all weight-lifting champs and/or physical fitness fanatics may like to sport your sexy bods and muscular stature by wearing "tank tops" this year. Well, unfortunately, many of you will strive to fill out those tank tops to the best of your ability and fail miserably during the process.

This post is just a quick reminder, as to what to focus on when it comes to putting the "tank" in the "top" of those, uh, "tank tops." Ha!

When it comes to looking your best in that particular choice of attire, working/pumping/training the deltoids and the trapezius muscles to the fullest, is your best bet. Believe it or not, a lot of people who train hard, workout with weights and/or strive for higher levels of physical fitness, are not even familiar with common anatomic terms. So, with that being said, in case you don't know, the deltoids are the shoulder muscles, and the trapezius muscles are right beside the neck and also extend from the back of the neck and down the middle region of the upper back.

Since the trapezius muscles are spread out, I'll provide an image below to help clarify the actual location of this often-neglected muscle group:

By looking at the image above, you may be thinking, "how does working the trapezius muscles (aka "traps") help me look good in a 'tank top' or whatever, when they look more like minuscule back muscles?" Well, that particular image shows the trapezius muscle group from the rear, but really, it is all about getting that bulge beside your neck, next to your shoulders, that you will see from the front. If you train hard and build up some big deltoids, what better to compliment them by setting down some good muscle bulk right beside them, next to your neck? Ya know, it sort of gives you that bulldog, thick neck, upper-stack-heavy type of "chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out" sort of look. Yeah, the nice guy look... Ha-ha!

Anyway, I've already briefly wrote about building up your deltoids on a post I did a few months ago, and you can check that out here, if interested: "Simple ways to Build Powerful Deltoids."

What makes this even more simple, is that one of the main exercises I promoted for building up your deltoids also works the trapezius muscles out, very well. If you're wondering, this simple exercise that is best performed with individual, heavy dumbbells, is called "arm raises." It is where you slowly (or quickly) raise and lower the weight/dumbbell that you're holding from your sides or in front of you, up to shoulder level, then back down to your side or in front of your hips (starting position). I prefer the lateral raise (from the sides) because to me, the side motion works more of the deltoid and trapezius region than it does from the front. These types of lifts also work the outer portion of your forearms, which is always a plus.

Update: Something I forgot to mention on this post, which is another often neglected area, is the rear deltoids. By developing your rear delts, it will help give your shoulder that "capped" and/or more of a 3-dimensional look. My favorite exercise for rear deltoids is the seated, bent over, rear delt raises. You can alternate one arm at a time, but I find that doing both at the same time works best; plus, it also works the upper trapezius muscles. Pull-ups hit the rear delts as well, but the rear delt raises really target them more, in my opinion. ---End of Update 

Of course, there are many other muscles that you may want to focus on when it comes to looking good in a "tank top," but the point of this post is to simply state that the true "tank in the top" mostly comes from an impressive set of deltoids and the neck-bulging trapezius muscles. Hell, if all you mainly got is big arms and a muscular chest, a tight tee-shirt may be more complimentary for you as opposed to a tank top. ...But those sexy beach babes who have a fetish for men in tank tops, might make you focus more on other muscular focal points besides arms & chest, such as what I mentioned prior... Okay, I have to stop right here... Ha-ha! That sounds a bit too funny for me, even after writing that little sentence about beach babes. I'm the modest type who would rather stay fully dressed in public and couldn't care less how I look in a tank top because I will be too busy taking her top & bottom off, and would much rather show my "bedroom muscle" to the ladies in private besides my deltoids, biceps, triceps, pectorals, latissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles; but then again, I'm trying to give advice on this health blog while I keep my composure at the same time. Damn, I'm confused now... LOL!

At any rate, enjoy the nice weather while it lasts and have fun with whatever you do!

---End of Post

Weight Gainers & Protein Shakes

Even though the majority, at least here in America, are either overweight or obese, the need for buying weight gainers is still in high demand. Personally, I'm not a big fan of weight gainers (high-calorie powders used to make drinks for weight gain), protein shakes or creatine supplements (waste of money, in my opinion), but what doesn't appeal or work for some, may work like a charm for others.

The need for using weight gainers usually fall into two categories or reasons: 1) The individual who is thin but works out regularly and still has trouble gaining mass; 2) The hardcore bodybuilder who needs an easy way to add extra calories to help maintain their current muscle bulk or to achieve even more muscle mass. 

I don't have much to say about reason #2 because if you're seriously into bodybuilding and you have a lot of muscle mass, you really are going to have to consume a lot more calories to maintain your beast-like structure. Even though, consuming large amounts of calories can easily be achieved by diet alone, the convenience of gulping down massive amounts of calories from these flavored milkshakes, makes it tempting if you have the money and desire to do so. 

When it comes to reason #1, I have to disagree with the use of weight gainers. People who are naturally thin, slim, whatever, don't have the same metabolism nor do their organs function the same as the ones who can easily gain weight just by overeating. These are the type of people who can eat all day long and never seem to gain weight or very little. For the most part, you'll just be straining your digestive organs trying to process and rid the body of extra calories that it doesn't want, evidently. However, if you have this particular body type, there is still hope and you can "bulk up" over time (be patient) without the use of steroids or growth hormones. You have to make your body produce muscle by working hard and getting enough protein to ensure proper muscle repair & development, which has nothing to do with consuming mass quantities of food or weight gainers, for that matter. People with high metabolisms or the ones who stay slim no matter what they eat, often have a totally different rate of digestion, levels of enzymes, and a less efficient nutrient absorption rate - when compared to people who seem to get more out of their food, gain weight easily, and so on. Most people want to blame it on individual metabolism alone, but there is really a lot more to it than that. 

Anyway, people who have trouble gaining weight would be better off adding a little more meat and/or protein to their diet and adjust their weight lifting to "less reps and more weight," not "more reps and less weight." Aerobic exercise is definitely not your answer, but it is excellent for your cardiovascular health. Anyway, you need to train your stubborn little body and make it understand that you need more mass to withstand all this heavy weight you lift on a regular basis. But, if you're still seeking weight gainers, feel free; knock yourself out. I'm just saying that if you must purchase and/or choose between weight gainers or protein shakes, you'd be better off with the protein drinks because, in my opinion, you'll waste your money on the weight gainers. 

Once again, for the serious bodybuilders that have no trouble gaining weight or that have a lot of muscle mass to maintain - and you have the extra money to spend - weight gainers may be just for you. Maybe I'm old fashion, but a balanced, healthy diet with a few extra servings of meat & potatoes is my idea of "weight gainers." Although maybe I'm biased when it comes to my views on protein shakes (whatever happened to eggs?) and weight gainers... Especially since I've always been fairly lean with an athletic build, so the need for weight gainers would clash with my sexy, pimp-style body... Ha! 

Update (2024): As time went by, I ended up regularly buying protein powders, as they make for great meal replacements and post workout solutions. If you work a lot, are short for time, etc., and need a meal replacement, it's a great option. However, I wish there were more options out there that used real sugar as opposed to the artificial crap. Even the so-called "natural" Stevia leaf extracts are known to possibly disrupt hormones and/or act as an endocrine disrupter if used in excess and, well, something doesn't seem overly natural about a substance that tastes sweet that isn't, to say the least. Sure, you can buy pure protein powder, but that stuff tastes like, well, not very good. Anyway, from there, I eventually added Collagen Peptides in powder form, as well. 

To make it short, I only buy the stuff that simply mixes easily & quickly with a spoon & water. Currently, the concoction I'm using is one serving of the brand 'Levels' grass-fed whey protein with one serving of the brand 'Double Wood' Collagen Peptides (Type 1, 2, and 3) with one to two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Sometimes I'll also add a bit of beet root powder into the mix. Let me tell you, that is one healthy meal replacement. I think adding the oil into it also helps satiate your hunger for a bit. ---End of Update

---At any rate, if you're interested in browsing through a big selection of Protein Shakes, click the image (affiliate link) below: ---If you're interested in browsing through a fine selection of Weight Gainers, click the image (affiliate link) below: Random Blog Link: "How to Estimate your Max Bench Press Lift" 

---End of Post "Weight Gainers & Protein Shakes"

Health Benefits of Taurine

A few years ago, I got to noticing this ingredient popping up in a lot of energy drinks. I knew that Taurine was an amino acid but was curious as to why it would be listed on energy drinks. In less words, I was wondering what the whole "Taurine Craze" was about. However, I'm not a fan of energy drinks for many reasons, with one being that most of the people who I see drink them, are usually the ones who are tired and lazy half the time - but that has nothing to do with the amino acid I'm talking about in this post, since most of those type of drinks that claim to have ginseng and other special ingredients, often only have trace amounts and just rely on the sugar and caffeine to give them their "kick" or energy boost. Anyway, that's beside the point... 

---The Health Benefits of Taurine:

 

Taurine is a "free" type of amino acid, as it is not a structural protein, and it roams freely throughout the blood and tissues. In the human body, the highest concentration of this amino acid is found in the eyes and heart. 

Taurine plays an important role in brain, eye, and heart health, among many other facets of human health and increased well-being. 

Taurine is thought to strengthen your heart muscle and to lower blood pressure, in addition to having many other cardiovascular benefits. 

Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid, and it increases and/or helps with liver function, increases bile production which aids in fat digestion and the removal of toxins, and lowers cholesterol via the bile release. Taurine is also known to help detoxify the body, which this would also parallel with the enhanced liver function, obviously. 

Taurine has antioxidant properties and can have anti-inflammatory effects. It has been used to help treat alcoholism, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, and several other psychological ailments. 

Taurine has shown to have benefits for people who have Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. 

I have read that Taurine helps reduce the amount of lactic acid in the body and, if true, this would be great for the ones who have a lot of physical exertion, workout regularly, etc. 

---What are some natural sources of Taurine? 

Taurine is found in abundance within certain exotic types of seafood. It is also found in a variety of meats, fish and other common seafood, eggs, and milk. Basically, if you're a strict vegetarian who refuses to eat meat and you would still like to take advantage of the health benefits of taurine, you will have to take pill supplements, protein powders, or start downing energy drinks that contain this amino acid albeit those types of drinks usually have a lot of unhealthy sugar, etc. The body does make a fair amount of taurine, but the major source of this particular amino acid still comes from your diet. So, whether you eat a lot of meat or not, you may still want to purchase this beneficial amino acid in supplement form... 

Click the Image Below (Affiliate Link), to Browse through a large selection of Taurine:

Related Blog Post Links: Health Benefits of Vinegar and the Health Benefits of Lycopene. 

---End of Post

Captains of Crush - 3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers...

This will now be a 2-part post since I've recently deleted an old website and I'm combing the pages that were related to each other, along with adding the rest of the content amid multiple blogs, etc.

Part 1: "3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers..."

As I mentioned before on the "methods for building powerful forearms" post, the use of hand grippers is an excellent way to improve hand & forearm strength. Besides the fact that they are great for stress relief, if you buy the right kind of grippers, you can develop crushing, bone-breaking grip power in a relatively short period of time. However, when I say, "the right kind of grippers," I'm not talking about the cheap pairs you often find in the sporting good section of common retailers.

Most hand grippers on the market are, for the most part, only good for stress relief and at best, you may encounter a slight increase in grip strength if used excessively. If you're serious about gaining grip power and building powerful-looking forearms, I recommend "Captains of Crush." If you'd like to read more about those particular grippers and are also possibly interested in ordering these high-quality hand grips, visit the blog page "Build Forearm & Hand Strength - Captains of Crush." [Link is no longer active, but it is now Part 2 of this post.]

Anyway, the 3 basic ways to use hand grippers are: 

1) the standard grip motion that involves squeezing the gripper until it totally closes, then quickly release the hand grip, and then squeeze again; repeat process until the desired number of reps are met.

2) involves the upside-down grip; you'll perform the same action as described in method #1, but it will work the forearm somewhat differently since the points of pressure will be different. Fluctuating between the standard grip and the upside-down grip will give you a more complete lower arm workout. 

3) is what I call the "squeeze & hold method," and it's an excellent way to finish off a hand & forearm workout. You simply squeeze the gripper shut with a firm grip, then hold the gripper closed for as long as you can. You can also use the very similar "hold & release method" if you desire, which is basically the same concept except you will hold the gripper closed for a preselected amount of time before releasing it, then continue to repeat the process until the desired amount of reps. 

Although I have already gave a link to what I consider to be the best hand grippers on the market (Captains of Crush), if you'd like to browse through a large selection of hand strengthening devices and grippers, click the image (affiliate link) below:

---End of Part 1: "3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers"

Part 2: "Build Forearm & Hand Strength - Captains of Crush"

When it comes to strength training, most people think upper body. Well, having a crushing grip along with forearms of steel, is often overlooked by the fitness trainee albeit they are just as important, if not more. Luckily for me, I’ve always had strong hands and forearms since I was a teenager. Hey, people can’t blame it all on the excess jerking and pulling I did in the past that, well, never mind... Ha-ha!

But anyway, these mighty grippers are not your typical hand grippers, and they usually can’t be found at common retail stores, like, in the sporting goods section of Wal-Mart, for example. Captains of Crush (CoC) is the best built gripper I’ve ever seen; and it currently has 10 levels of strength (Update: They now have No. 0.5 that is not mentioned here.), as shown below:

1) No.1401 CoC Guide c. 60 lb.

For beginners, seniors, rehabilitation, and easy warm-ups.

2) No.1402 CoC Sport c. 80 lb.

For teenage athletes and strong guys who like light warm-ups.

3) No.1250 CoC Trainer c. 100 lb.

For anyone who is ready for serious grip training…

4) No.1251 CoC No. 1 c. 140 lb.

They say most people who lift weights can’t close this gripper. I’ve tested this one in public and, believe it or not, most people couldn’t completely close this particular hand grip!

5) No.1251.5 CoC No. 1.5 c. 167.5 lb.

This is great if you’re in between levels 1 & 2.

6) No.1252 CoC No. 2 c. 195 lb.

As their website says, “success here means you’ve got a grip to brag about. If someone’s life or your sport depends on your grip strength, conquer this gripper.” Well, I was barely able to close this gripper without any prior forearm & hand strength training.

7) No.1252.5 CoC No. 2.5 c. 237.5 lb.

You’re on your way to the famous No. 3.

8] No.1253 CoC No. 3 c. 280 lb.

Certifying on the Captains of Crush No. 3 Gripper is the most widely known and highly respected feat of grip strength in the world! Of course, closing a No. 4 would be the most respected, but I'm being realistic here.

9) No.1253.5 CoC No. 3.5 c. 322.5 lb.

Wow!  You’re almost there!

10) No.1272 CoC No. 4 c. 365 lb.

Certify the No. 4 and you have proven yourself on the final exam for crushing grip. Very few people in the world have ever done so, but if you can close Captains of Crush hand grip #4, you are one bad dude!

Buyer’s advice: Most people should probably start out on the CoC Sport or the CoC Trainer gripper and buy the tougher grippers as you need ’em.  Personally, I just bought the Trainer and the #1, #2, #3, and the #4.  Let's just say, I stopped progress after being able to close the #2 gripper and the Mighty hand grip #4 will never need to be took out of the package!

Shopping (Affiliate) Link:  

Click Here for the Captains of Crush Hand Grippers

---End of Part 2: "Build Forearm & Hand Strength - Captains of Crush"

Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image via Amazon.com

---End of Post "Captains of Crush - 3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers..."

Can you use a push mower instead of a riding mower?

Well folks, at least where I'm from, it is that time of year again where everything is growing, blooming, thriving, stinging, biting, and life is in full swing. This is also the time of year when many people dread mowing their yard, for whatever reason, although most humanoids today use a riding mower - even for the small jobs! 

I have several peeves when it comes to other people and their mowing philosophy, but two of them really stand out. Number one, is the lawn mowing lunatics who mow their yard every two days (thanks to the good ole riding mower) - due to an obvious obsessive compulsive disorder, among other things. You can read all about what I think of those certain individuals, on another blogspot blog of mine, here: http://anti-dolt.blogspot.com/2010/05/lawn-mowing-lunatics-obsessive.html 

My second peeve about other people when it comes to mowing, is the ones who have tiny yards or even normal-sized yards, but refuse to use a push mower because they are too lazy. I'm not talking about the individuals who are disabled, old, or have huge yards. 

This post isn't a rant, but it is aggravating to watch people who are overweight, out of shape, lazy or whatever, refuse to exert any physical effort whatsoever, but then talk about how they wished they were in better condition or health. WTF? 

This is a very simple question, and if answered right, many individuals might actually get a little exercise this year. Can you use a push mower instead of a riding mower? Can you? Do you enjoy being lazy? Have you gave up on life and just feel like being lethargic is the best path to take in life? Think about it... I really think some people should sell their damn riding mower, go buy a push mower, get a little exercise this year and quit whining about cutting the grass or how they sweat too much in the hot sun. For some folks, mowing the yard is about the only time they will do anything outdoors each year, which is not a very healthy lifestyle - to stay indoors 24/7. 

I'm not your mother nor am I your physical trainer, but have any of you "less-than-motivated" people ever thought about getting a little more active? I know, technology, computers and other convenient technological advances out there can make a lot of us lazy or less active at times, but some people would be surprised at how much better they would feel if they moved around more and/or did more stuff outdoors. 

Other benefits to push mowing a yard besides using a riding mower, is the fact that it saves gas. The smaller motor on a push mower doesn't have to work as hard, especially because it is lighter and it doesn't have to carry your dependent ass around the yard, and just takes way less gasoline per job as opposed to the big, expensive riding yard machine that many of you have become fond of. In my opinion, push mowing a yard also allows a person to think about a lot of things and sort of temporarily clears the mind, almost medicinal at times, as you constantly go through the rhythmic patterns of mowing back & forth, left & right... 

Anyway, I know that most people in general are going to do whatever they want, no matter what they are aware of, told about, or whatever. But if one person could read this post and say, "you know, I really do need more exercise and I really don't need a riding mower for my yard," and actually sell it and start using a push mower this year, it will be worth the ramble. At any rate, just dropping a link down to my "lawn mowing lunatics" post, still made this entry worth writing. Ha-ha!

 

Okay folks, now try getting off your backside a little more this year and, if you get really motivated and have the land space, you may even want to put out a garden and grow your own food, as well. Enjoy the nice weather, while it's here... 

---End of Post "Can you use a push mower instead of a riding mower?"

Can't Hear? How to help Loosen & Remove plugged Ear Wax

This will now be a 2-part post since I've recently deleted an old website of mine and I'm in the process of combining related articles, moving content amid multiple blogs, etc. Actually, this would have been a 3-part post, but I forgot to copy one of the pages before I deleted that site. Anyway...

Part 1: "Can't Hear? How to help Loosen & Remove plugged Ear Wax"

Original Post Date: Sometime during the year 2010

I've always had an abundance of ear wax and have never given it much thought, until recently.  It is not anything to be proud of, but medical science tells us the gooey junk is necessary and it actually protects our ears.  Well, a few weeks ago, at the onset of a sinus/head cold, my right ear started acting up.  It seemed like there was water in it or something, but nothing ever came out.  I did, however, notice that I couldn't get any wax out of it anymore, while cleaning it.  I thought it might relate to the sinus condition and I didn't give it much further thought.

A couple weeks went by, and my head cold/sinus symptoms were gone.  Periodically, I would wake up in the morning and I couldn't hear out of my right ear the first few seconds.  I would sort of pull on it, open my mouth and it would pop, then everything would be fine.  Well, one day it never popped back, and I couldn't hear out of my right ear for 2.5 days.  Let me tell ya, it is weird walking around with one functioning ear!

On the 3rd day, I had to do something.  I don't like going to doctors unless it is a medical emergency, so I was reading all kinds of stuff online about ear ailments & treatments. I was shocked to find out how many people had ear-related problems.  

After reading for a while, I was pretty sure it wasn't an ear infection since there was no pain or strange looking crap coming out, so I narrowed it down to being plugged with wax.  Hmm, maybe this is why I no longer seemed to have any wax in that ear anymore.  Lucky for me, my girlfriend seemed to be knowledgeable about this subject and she provided the remedies (I wasted all that time online for nothing).  I didn't know people could pour some of the things in your ear, like she did.  Anyway, I'll share the info, in case anyone else has recently woke up with a plugged ear and doesn't know what to do.

Disclaimer: Remember now, I'm not a doctor nor is this professional medical advice, so use your own discretion and/or it is your ears so use your own judgment...

---How to Loosen & Remove Plugged Ear Wax:

This advice will only work for mild to semi-major plugged ears.  Severely packed wax that is deep into the middle ear area, may require a specialist.

If you just want to cleanse your ears, a simple application of Hydrogen Peroxide will work.

In my case, my right ear was so backed up with wax that I temporarily lost hearing out of it, and this is what I had to do.

I laid on my side (the side of my good ear), and she poured a small amount of Hydrogen Peroxide into the affected ear. It will begin to fizz; let it set for a minute.

Although, the doctors and other medical advice you'll find on the web always says "no" to the use of cotton swabs (Q-tips), we used them as well.  In fact, I think most people ignore the warnings, and it should be fine, as long as you don't jab it into your ear like you're trying to reach your brain or something.  Anyway...

After the peroxide set for a minute or so, I took a paper towel, held it over my ear and rolled over so it could drain out.  After that, she began to probe my ear with the cotton swab, but no such luck getting the wax.  The first application of Hydrogen Peroxide didn't work for me, but it began to loosen it, and she could now see a large size chunk that was stuck in my ear.  I thought to myself, oh, now that's why I couldn't hear...   We tried a second application, except this time she used the cotton swab while the peroxide was fizzing.  It was starting to break up, but I still could not hear.  Then a 3rd dose was poured into my ear, and this time, she massaged the area behind the ear and also pulled outward on it while the peroxide was fizzing.  Now, it was really breaking up and a lot of wax was removed via cotton swabs.

At this point, I was frustrated that I still had hearing loss, even though a lot of wax was took out.  Now, here comes some other liquid I didn't know you could pour in your ear: Cooking Oil.  She heated a teaspoon of Canola Oil over the stove, just enough to get it warm. I laid back on my side, and she poured it into my affected ear.  She then put a cotton ball in place, and I got up and went about my business.  I took the cotton ball out an hour later and lightly cleaned the inside of my ear with water.

The oil softens the remaining wax, so it has a better chance of being removed or, in some cases, falling out.  In a couple hours, that is what happened, and my hearing was restored.  I was so relieved that I didn't have to go visit a doctor or whatever.

So, the use of Hydrogen Peroxide, cotton swabs, and cooking oil was all that I needed.  In addition to being able to hear again, I got out of having a doctor bill.

Can't hear out of which ear?  Huh?  Perhaps you need to purge the wax from your ears...

---End of Part 1 "Can't Hear? How to help Loosen & Remove plugged Ear Wax"

Part 2: "Suffering from Common Ear Problems?"

Thus far, this blog has covered several topics related to physical fitness, supplements, vitamins & herbs and healthier ways of living, along with many other health-related subjects. However, there has been no mention of ear health or common ear-related problems, as of yet. I thought of this subject the other day, after viewing some traffic stats for a website of mine. It is a site that covers many topics and is just plain random. Anyway, that's besides the point... What I've noticed over the last several months while viewing traffic stats, is that there are way more people out there suffering with ear problems than I once thought. I currently only have two pages out of my entire site that is related to this topic, but they get hit quite often and with random search queries, keywords or whatever. In a moment, since this health blog has no posts in that area of health, I'll drop down the links for those who may be suffering and/or searching about certain types of ear problems.

It seems like some of the most common ear ailments that I've read about, are the following: ringing of the ears (tinnitus) and frequent problems with ear wax, which can lead to a lot of other symptoms or stem from ear infections and so on.

The problem that I notice a lot with tinnitus, besides the ones suffering with lifelong ear ringing and the misery it must cause in severe cases, is all the scams out there that claim to be a miracle cure for this seemingly common ailment. Man, this junk is almost as bad as the "Male Enhancement" promotions. If you're suffering from tinnitus that is due to ear damage (especially from the excessive exposure to loud noise), there hasn't been a medical cure for it that I'm aware of, yet there are these "cure tinnitus" pills all over the place claiming to do that very same thing (cure tinnitus). I think a lot of people who are actually thinking of buying some of these baloney products with fictitious claims, might need to read a quick blog post that warns about the possible scams out there. You can find it here: "Tinnitus Scams - Be leery..." [Link is no longer active]

Next in line, is for all the ones who have problems with plugged ear wax. Although the body produces it for a reason, some folks have this gooey junk so bad, that they literally end up with temporary hearing loss. This stuff isn't funny, either. You should try walking around with one functioning ear while the other feels like it has water in it. I will say, it has happened to me before, and it just ruined everything because no matter what I was doing, I just didn't feel like myself. In that sense, I would at least classify it as "temporary suffering," to say the least. The following link will provide you with some information that will hopefully help the ones who end up with mild to moderate cases of plugged ear wax and need to find a way to loosen it. This is what worked for me, but I'm not a doctor so if in doubt, use your own discretion and/or go see a professional who specializes in this field. Anyway, you can find the link here: "How to help loosen & remove plugged ear wax." [Link is no longer active, but it is now Part 1 of this post.]

While doing a quick image search, I found this ear picture. I must say, some people have other alternative outlooks when it comes to common ear problems. By looking at the image below, it appears that having a "naked ear" would be a problem... Now that's what I call a styling set of ornamental ears! I take that back... Perhaps they are suffering from something else? Ha-ha! Cheers!


---End of Part 2: "Suffering from Common Ear Problems?"

Image Credit: Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Modified_Ear.jpg 

---End of Post "Can't Hear? How to help Loosen & Remove plugged Ear Wax"

Other Healthy Teas: Hibiscus, Chamomile...

For the most part, unless you are allergic to a particular substance, it seems that most teas found on the market are good for you (outside of the potential for pesticides). This isn't going to be a very detailed post; just pointing out the options of finding other healthy teas besides the typical black and green teas. Personally, I like to mix green and black with clover honey and sugar, as I stated in my post: "My favorite tea with clover honey." Now, before I go any further, I am in no way saying that these other types of tea are better for you than the traditional green, white, oolong or black teas, but depending upon your needs, you may find some of these alternative teas to be more suitable for you.
"Hibiscus tea is the infusion made from the calyces (sepals) of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower, an herbal tea drink consumed both hot and cold by people around the world. It is also referred to as roselle (another common name for the hibiscus flower), flor de Jamaica in Latin America, karkadé in Egypt and Sudan, bissap or wonjo in West Africa, sorrel in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, red sorrel in the wider Caribbean, and other names in other regions." [per Wikipedia]

When I drank this red colored tea with sugar, it had a cranberry-like flavor. Besides the good taste, it was also very pleasing to look at (due to the color), when drank out of a glass with ice... This tea naturally contains vitamin C along with trace minerals and is used traditionally as a mild medicine. Hey, this drink is really big in Egypt. For example, it is said to have been a preferred drink of the pharaohs. Anyway, one of the most touted claims about drinking hibiscus tea, is its ability to lower blood pressure - especially if you're suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Speaking of lowering blood pressure, you may also be interested in reading my post: "The Health Benefits of Vinegar." ...Now back to the hibiscus subject: If you'd like to read more about this type of healthy tea and the studies that have linked it to lowering blood pressure, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_tea

Chamomile is a fairly popular tea that is mostly known for its smooth taste and its ability to calm you down. Many people use it as a sleep aid. However, with my experience with it, if you are really riled up or aggravated, it won't be strong enough for a sleep aid. Of course, Chamomile tea is caffeine free. Outside of it being a mild sleep aid, Chamomile tea has loads of health benefits. It is also used to treat sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, acts as a mild laxative and is very healthy for your digestive tract, in general. Chamomile is also an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bactericidal. Studies have shown positive results when it comes to lowering blood sugar, as well. Research with animals suggests antispasmodic, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and some antimutagenic and cholesterol-lowering effects for chamomile. As usual, more research needs to be done.

Side note: If you suffer from ragweed allergies, Chamomile may not be for you since it is a relative of ragweed. 

Outside of white, green, oolong, black, hibiscus, and chamomile teas, there are other healthy herbal teas out there on the market. The brand "Celestial Seasonings" has a wide variety of such things. For example, their herbal "Tension Tamer" tea contains a big variety: Eleuthero, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Ginger, Chamomile, West Indian Lemongrass, Licorice, Catnip, and Tilia Flowers.

So, in between your bad habits and absorption of atmospheric toxins and pollutions, go grab yourself some healthy tea and try to counter some of these negative free radicals. Cheers!

---End of Post "Other Healthy Teas: Hibiscus, Chamomile..."

Male Enhancement Pills do not Enlarge!

I get so tired of seeing silly adverts about "male enhancement." It is so pathetic, hearing about all these claims that taking a few pills can turn a miserable, small penis into some colossal cock. If you're that gullible and have the money, go right ahead and spend a fortune on these male enhancement pills and be sure to drop by upon your success, and leave your testimonials here, in the comment field. Ha-ha!

Personally, I'm glad that I don't suffer from a small penis. However, I can't accredit my currently proud penile status to pills. Hmm, it must have been from all the excess pulling and jerking I did at an earlier age. Perhaps I stretched the sucker... Ha!  

Anyway, this is not the typical post found at the Health & Fitness Blog, but like I mentioned in the past, the 'health subject' covers a lot of topics.

Okay, now back to the subject at hand: If you're seeking methods of penis enlargement, you may find a variety of exercises, pumps, surgery, and pills that claim to help you with this particular anatomic issue. ...By my own personal experience in the past, using your mind along with physical routines, stretches, etc., can actually work - but don't expect to be a mule within days. A slow, semi-steady growth of penile tissue takes a long while to achieve, and I don't recommend anything for your methods of growth either - especially since you may injure yourself during the process if you're careless or too rough and whatnot.

Also, the "I have a really Big One" feat is slightly overrated. Trust me, if you're seriously packing a large pole, many women will find that you are too large for sex and/or there will be certain sexual positions and angles of penetration that you will be limited at - due to the female encountering pain from your manhood. Don't you just hate that, when it happens? For example, the missionary position with the girl's legs up may be very limited if you're going too deep. If you run into too much trouble with your truly enhanced meatpole, you can always be a chubby chaser like me and go for the girls with really big backsides. Oh crap, I'm getting way off subject here...

Now, back to the asinine male enhancement pills that do not enlarge: If they would, like many products have done within this genre, just change the name or claim to be a "male performance enhancer" or a "testosterone booster," then I wouldn't have any problem with it. But what usually happens, they put loads of exotic herbs and whatever else in these pills or capsules, make huge claims, then jack up the price for the suckers with minuscule genitalia to waste their money on. I have a lot of knowledge in health science, fitness, nutrition, herbs, vitamins, etc., so I can simply read the content label and laugh about some of these miraculous claims. Besides, looking at bikini babes and sexy models, should work better than these silly herbal pills, right? Ha!

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking supplements that might enhance your sexual performance. I'm just saying, don't waste your money on bogus products. To cut to the chase and to save a bunch of chatter from me and money for you, in my opinion, a male would be better off just taking a regular supplement of Ginseng Extract and be done with it. From there, you can try other mind over body techniques along with physical routines and hope for the best. Good luck to ya! Oh, I must say, as sappy as it may sound, the quality of the relationship between two people should still matter the most.

Well, I guess some girls just prefer big guns:

---End of Post "Male Enhancement Pills do not Enlarge!"

Related Link: "Increase Seminal Fluid - Enhance Ejaculation"

Use a Weighted Vest for Training

If you're seeking an easy way to add more resistance to your training sessions, a weighted vest may be just what you're looking for... 

I've owned one for a while, although I don't wear it as much as I should - but they are really beneficial to use. I find that a weighted vest is especially helpful for the ones that don't rely on lifting heavy weights, and also for the ones who exercise via a variety of training methods. 

For example, I bought this type of vest to mainly use while I'm working out on my Power Tower. I only purchased a 10lb weight vest, but it was still enough to make my pull-ups and dips more challenging. [Edit: For dips, I ended up buying a lot heavier vests as time went by.] This type of physical fitness gear is really great for the ones who work out without weights and depend on their body weight for the sole resistance of the performed movements at hand. ...See, with the addition of a weighted vest, you no longer have to worry about leveling out or "peaking" in strength, since you can always buy a heavier vest if the exercise becomes too easy. Speaking of that, when you get to the point where pull-ups using additional weight becomes too easy, you have room to brag. Ha! 

Pull-ups, push-ups, and dips on a Power Tower is not all a weighted vest is good for. There are so many uses for these. Some people use them while running, walking or performing daily tasks. They would also be very effective to use during martial arts training or when you are punching on your heavy bag. All of those prior activities while wearing these vests, will help strengthen your torso, abs, back, legs, etc. - due to the added weight. 

Below, I'll provide an image of a typical weighted vest. Most of these they make now, have the option to add or remove the individual weight bars as you see fit. They come in a variety of sizes & weights. I've seen them weigh 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, and even up to 80lbs. Dang, I couldn't imagine running around, training or working out with an extra 80lbs. on my back! But it depends on your physical fitness needs and what type of exercises you'll be using it for, when it comes to picking out the right one. For starters, I'd recommend buying a 10 to 20lb. weight vest. 

If you're interested in browsing through a fine selection of weighted vests, either click the image below (affiliate link) or follow the link under it:

Affiliate Link: 'Click Here' for additional Weighted Vest selections!

Side Note: Upon browsing through the various selections, you may also be interested in ankle weights, wrist weights, weighted gloves, and so on. All of those I just mentioned are excellent training equipment tools that can really enhance a person's physical fitness regime.  

 ---End of Post "Use a Weighted Vest for Training"

Health Benefits of Vinegar

Vinegar is one of nature's natural remedies for a variety of ailments and conditions; along with its tasty attributes, often used in salad dressings, marinade sauce, etc., and its amazing ability to clean stuff, vinegar is truly a very versatile solution. 

Since this is a health blog, I'll try to mainly concentrate on the potential health benefits of vinegar. If you're interested in the other aspects of this acidic delight, just do a web search about "the uses of vinegar," "cleaning with vinegar," or "cooking with vinegar." Anyway... 

I suppose one of the most commonly used vinegar tonics, prepared as a simple-to-drink concoction, is the 2 tablespoons of vinegar in one cup of water solution. When drank like that, some people add honey or sodium bicarbonate to the mix, to make it more palatable. Personally, I can easily gulp down a cup with 4 tablespoons of vinegar with not much problem albeit I usually go for more water after I'm done; ha-ha! 

Many people, especially health fanatics, try to ingest vinegar on a daily basis. I usually only use it purposely, as a concoction, when I feel that my blood pressure has been up for a while or when I feel like my body is suffering from inflammation due to physical or mental stress. With that being said, one the best health benefits (at least to me) is that vinegar can lower blood pressure and acts as a mild anti-inflammatory. 

Some people use vinegar for insect bites, stings, etc. 

I'm sure many of you have heard about how vinegar is great for the skin when consumed regularly, helps with acne, and so on. 

Now, I can't prove this, nor have I done an extensive study on it, but it is believed by many that vinegar can help detoxify the body by flushing out toxins from the liver and other internal organs, the blood, etc. I'd say that it could help a person detox, but I'm not going to say that it is the best method for a detoxification process. If you'd like to read more about this subject, visit my blog post "Natural Ways to Detoxify your Liver." 

Some people use vinegar while on strict diets that aim to lose weight, as an aid to curb your appetite. Hmm, maybe that's why I've read before that eating pickles suppresses hunger. Interesting... 

The ingestion of vinegar helps with digestion and intestinal functions and is often believed to have the ability to help lower cholesterol - which is very possible. Consuming it during large meals supposedly helps curb the drastic rise in blood sugar, as well, albeit the mechanism behind it involves blocking certain digestive enzymes that convert carbs into sugars - most likely by only a limited/small degree. 

Some people have found that using vinegar can help with headaches, hiccups, arthritis, and other uncomfortable ailments. I've also read where people have found vinegar to be an effective treatment for their warts. Vinegar is naturally an anti-microbial agent that helps kill bacteria, viruses, etc. 

As you can see, there are many health benefits of vinegar, and it has way more uses than what many folks realize. I have loads of this stuff around the house, mainly because I use it to pickle peppers from my garden each year. However, I will say, it seems like the most beneficial form of vinegar is apple cider when compared to white. [Edit: When concerning polyphenols, Balsamic Vinegar is probably the healthiest.] I just have the standard 5% white vinegar for now, since that is what I use for pickling, but I'll probably buy some of the apple cider vinegar in the future, to use for some of the natural remedies - like I mentioned prior. Hey, anything you can use that is natural to replace the use of man-made drugs or chemicals, is always a big plus. 

Well, that about wraps it up. I'm sure there are many other uses and benefits for this substance, but I just went over some of the most common ones I have heard of. Cheers! 

Related Blog Post: Health Benefits of Lycopene

---End of Post "Health Benefits of Vinegar"

Fight Arthritis & Inflammation - Black Cherry Extract

This particular supplement has been around for a while, although, when compared to most other supplements found on the market, the known health benefits of Black Cherry Extract is fairly new. It has proven to be exceptionally beneficial for the ones who suffer from chronic arthritis, inflammation, and occasional bouts of joint pain, etc. It is actually one of those silent remedies that, for whatever reason, hasn't been overly marketed or touted as some miracle pill - for the most part. With the pharmaceutical industries thriving on drug sales, I'm sure many folks would rather you just take your standard, prescription arthritis and anti-inflammatory drugs instead of trying herbal remedies to fight your ailments, but hey, what do I know? I'm not a doctor or anything of the like; I just try to avoid drugs and chemicals the best I can (unless they are recreational or for fun, like alcohol - ha!), so if in doubt, use your own judgement or as they say, "ask your doctor." Blah-blah... 

Anyway, on this post, I'm just going to make a few comments, drop down a couple links that relate to Black Cherry, and stumble right along... Oh, if you're interested in reading more about anti-inflammatory properties, check out the post I wrote here: "Heart Healthy - Anti-Inflammatory Sources" [The link is no longer active since I've recently deleted that website. Although I copied most of the material from that website before I deleted it, the anti-inflammatory post never got copied off. Some of the things listed on that page that was proven useful to fight arthritis & inflammation besides black cherry extract were: Capsaicin (the ingredient that creates the heat in hot peppers), Curcumin / Tumeric, Green Tea, Omega-3, 81 mg. Aspirin, and low-dose alcohol (like what would be found in 1 or 2 glasses of wine, etc.). Of course, there are more anti-inflammatory sources, but those are the subjects I covered in that deleted web page. But that is neither here nor there...]

Before we go any further, you may want to read about the Black Cherry tree. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia: "The fruit is suitable for making jam, cherry pies and has some use in flavoring liqueurs; they are also a popular flavoring for sodas and used in many ice creams. The black cherry is commonly used instead of sweet cherries in order to achieve a sharper taste. It is also used in cakes which involve dark chocolate such as a Black Forest gateau and as garnishes to drinks like cocktails. [As you can see, the black cherries from this splendid tree have many uses outside of its recently discovered anti-inflammatory properties albeit in my opinion, the health benefits from taking the extracts in pill form outweigh any of these prior uses of black cherry.] The timber is also very valuable, perhaps the premier cabinetry timber of the U.S., traded as "cherry." It is known for its strong red color and high price. Its weight per cubic meter when dried is around 580 kg. The wood is also used for cooking and smoking foods, where it imparts a unique flavor." You can read more about the tree itself, here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_cherry

[Image Credit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amerikaanse_vogelkers_bessen_Prunus_serotina.jpg]

Update: Over the years, I've heard more and more comments online about people suffering from gout and even know of a few people personally that used Black Cherry extract (or even simply drink the juice) to treat and cure their bouts of Gout. For those that don't know, Gout is more of a localized, painful arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals accumulate on your joints - usually in one certain area, like the big toe, for example. I'm not going to write a separate post about that condition but just saying that I know for a fact that this stuff has cured some people of that condition. ---End of Update

Anyway, back to the extract that helps fight arthritis and inflammation... I've tried this before, and it really seems to work. You don't have to be arthritic or anything to need or use this supplement. It acts as an antioxidant, thins the blood to reduce inflammation, and regardless of any medical data, it is black cherry concentrate. Many of you know that berries have an amazing amount of health benefits, so really, if you have a few extra bucks, it wouldn't hurt to buy this supplement from a reliable manufacturer. I've only tried the Natural Brand from GNC, 250mg. per capsule. However, I only take it on occasions, when I feel the need.

Speaking of inflammation, it doesn't have to be joint pain. In fact, inflammation can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, etc., in the long run. Many things in life can cause stress hormones to release certain chemicals in the body that often causes inflammation. Hell, a poor diet, having too much acid in the body (lowered PH), mental stress, sleep deprivation, and so on, can all raise the risk of internal or external inflammation. Black Cherry extract is not the only natural solution, either. If you follow the link that I gave a few moments ago (Heart Healthy - Anti-Inflammatory Sources), you'll find a few other alternatives.

Well, enough talk for now. If you're interested in possibly buying some Black Cherry supplements, I browsed through Amazon.com and dug up a search page....

Click the Image (Affiliate Link) Below, to Shop for Black Cherry Extracts: ---End of Post "Fight Arthritis & Inflammation - Black Cherry Extract"

Random Blog Link: "Is a Multivitamin for you?"