Challenge Nutrition : Semaine 4 !

Challenge Nutrition : Semaine 4 !

Bienvenue dans la 4e et dernière semaine de ce challenge nutrition :) !! 

Pour celles et ceux qui n'ont pas pris le challenge depuis le début, vous pouvez commencer maintenant et le prendre en cours de route, ou commencer à la semaine 1 !

Pour celles et ceux qui n'ont rien lâché depuis le début : bravo ! 

Cette semaine est la dernière ligne droite !
Si vous avez craqué par ci par là, ne culpabilisez pas, la vie ne nous a pas fait pour que nous soyons parfaits tout le temps, et ce challenge n'a pas cet objectif non plus pour vous.

L'objectif était avant tout de vous montrer qu'il n'y a pas besoin de changements drastiques dans l'alimentation pour voir des résultats, qu'il s'agisse de votre santé, de votre énergie ou de votre corps (en perte centimétrique ou en kg).

L'objectif était aussi de vous montrer qu'il n'y a pas besoin de dépenser des fortunes en nourriture exotique pour suivre certains régimes à la mode ou les promesses de certaines aliments magiques, qu'il n'y a pas non plus besoin de se gaver de viande du petit déj au coucher pour suivre les recommandations d'un médecin radié, ni de compter les points de chaque pomme ou abricot grignoté tout au long de votre journée.

Manger des aliments simples, variés, en quantité suffisante est la clé la plus simple et la plus efficace pour obtenir le corps souhaité et gagner en plus en énergie !

Si on résume ce challenge, voici en quoi il consistait : 

• La semaine 1 consistait à consommer une quantité suffisante de protéines par rapport à notre activité et notre poids. En effet, sans tomber dans l'effet Dukan, on est très souvent en carence, carence qui va provoquer envie de grignotage, baisse d'énergie, et du mal à atteindre la satiété longtemps.

• La semaine 2 consistait à supprimer le blé (voire carrément le gluten pour les plus courageuses !) de votre alimentation. Le blé est responsable chez la plupart des gens de ballonnements, digestion difficile, fatigue, envies de grignotage...

• La semaine 3 consistait à ajouter une portion de légumes verts à chacune de vos journées, afin d'apporter une bonne hydratation de votre corps, des nutriments essentiels et une aide au drainage favorisant l'élimination de la cellulite.

• Et pour la semaine 4, comme vous avez pris déjà de très bonnes habitudes, je vous laisse le choix parmi 2 alternatives :

- ajouter des bonnes graisses à votre alimentation
- supprimer totalement le sucre industriel
...ou faire les deux :) !

Voici donc les deux défis de la semaine 4 : vive les bonnes graisses, et à bas le sucre ! 

OBJECTIF DE LA SEMAINE 4 : PLUS DE GRAISSES, MOINS DE SUCRES !

POURQUOI :

En effet, de plus en plus les recherches en nutrition ont démontré que ce n'était pas la graisse, mais le sucre qui nous faisait grossir.
Les régimes type Weight Watchers ont fait beaucoup de mal en diabolisant les lipides. 
Or toutes les graisses ne sont pas mauvaises, et si protéines et glucides sont essentiels à notre équilibre, les lipides le sont tout autant !
Encore une fois, en supprimant totalement les lipides type "je cuisine sans matière grasse", on se prive non seulement d'un élément essentiel pour l'équilibre de notre corps, mais en plus on ne comprend pas pourquoi on n'arrive pas à se débarrasser de ces kilos résistants ou de cette cellulite ! 

Parce que bien souvent cuisiner sans gras est motivé par une envie de perdre du gras justement, et bien...vous avez tout faux :)

Le sucre industriel, vous l'avez sûrement supprimé au courant de la semaine 2, en arrêtant les produits contenant du blé, car ils sont bien souvent blindés de sucre.
Vous pouvez facilement trouver le sucre en le lisant sur les étiquettes des aliments, qui indiquent le nombre de grammes glucides dont le nombre de grammes de sucre.
Et bien c'est ce sucre inutile qui nous fait gonfler, qui provoque des pics d'insuline et va ainsi nous faire stocker de la graisse.

Chez les femmes un excès de sucres se remarque souvent par la graisse logée au niveau abdominal !

COMMENT : 

Ce qu'on entend par "bonne graisse", ce sont les fameuses graisses insaturées :
- avocat
- olives
- huile : d'olive, de raisin, de coco ... 
- noix : noix, noisettes, noix de macadamia, amandes, noix de cajou, noix de pécan, ...
- beurre : de cacahuètes, d'amandes
- graines : de tournesol, de chanvre, de sésame, de courge
- poisson gras : saumon, thon, sardines, maquereau ...

Au quotidien : 

Cuisinez avec de l'huile de coco. C'est délicieux en plus ! Et les qualités de l'huile ne s'altèrent pas avec la chaleur, contrairement à l'huile d'olive.
Assaisonnez vos salades avec de l'huile d'olive ou de raisin.
Pour le goûter, piochez une poignée de noix plutôt qu'un gâteau.
Mangez régulièrement des poissons gras.
Pensez à ajouter à votre bol de flocons d'avoines les graines de chanvre, courge, tournesol..

En bref, n'ayez plus peur de consommer des lipides, ils ont tout bons ! 
Oubliez vos préjugés, et vous verrez le bien qu'ils peuvent faire à votre corps et votre ligne :) 

En ce qui concerne le sucre, vous avez sûrement déjà éliminé une bonne partie des mauvais sucres en éliminant le blé.
S'il vous en reste encore (en dehors de votre journée plaisir), c'est le moment d'essayer de les supprimer, vous ne vous en sentirez que mieux !

Mais il arrive qu'à certaines périodes du mois, on ait juste envie de se ruer sur le pot de nutella malgré toutes nos bonnes résolutions... Si vous savez que ca va vous arriver, n'essayez pas de l'ignorer, et essayez plutôt de composer avec, en vous préparant un jour à l'avance un bon dessert qui satisfaira vos envies tout en limitant les dégâts !! 

Je suis fan de l'excellent blog Chocolate Covered Katie, un ptit bout de femme qui assume son amour pour le chocolat et en montrant comment l'intégrer à une alimentation saine !
Ce blog est plein de recettes délicieuses, de variantes de bombes caloriques tout en conservant le goût d'interdit qu'on aime tant !

Jessica Smith a aussi compilé quelques recettes pour faire face aux jours où on a juste envie de se ruer sur le sucré.

LE CHALLENGE

1) Intégrez des bonnes graisses à votre alimentation quotidienne !! Seul moment où la consommation de graisses même saines est déconseillé : après votre séance de sport.
Pour le reste, oubliez vos préjugés, et sachez qu'en allant vers les graisses insaturées vous allez vers un corps plus sain !

ET/OU

1) Supprimez les sucres de votre alimentation, en conservant bien sûr votre journée plaisir hebdomadaire !
Non seulement il existe plein d'équivalents délicieux, qui vous feront découvrir de nouvelles saveurs, mais en plus le sucre agit comme une drogue, donc moins vous en consommerez, moins vous en aurez envie ! Et rien de plus satisfaisant que de se rendre compte qu'on est libéré de cette addiction au sucre !

2) Cette semaine 4 c'est la semaine de l'apothéose, la dernière ligne droite, si vous aviez un peu lâché le wagon c'est le moment de s'y raccrocher ! On finit en feu d'artifice !

• On ajoute les bonnes graisses et/ou on supprime le sucre
• On veille à consommer assez de protéines
• On supprime le blé 6j/7
• On consomme un grand verre de légumes verts tous les jours
• On ne boit que de l'eau 
• On s'octroie une journée plaisir, zéro culpabilité, une fois par semaine !

...et on fait le bilan à la fin de la semaine !!

Bonne semaine à toutes et tous !!

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Hex Bar Deadlift vs Barbell Deadlift : Which One is Better

The deadlift is the most popular compound movement and rightfully so since it’s become the ultimate test by which we measure our strength. Even though the most common method of doing deadlifts is by using the classic Olympic barbell, a majority of people nowadays are taking up deadlifting with a hex bar, that is shaped in the form of a hexagon and you should position yourself inside of it. It also goes by the name of “trap bar”, because a lot of gym goers use it to do shrugs.

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Why use a barbell ?

99% of the time deadlifts are executed with an old-fashioned barbell and it is a valid method. That’s the method used in powerlifting meets and it is the way the professionals execute them.

You may like: Deadlift Everyday to Accelerate Muscle Growth

Why use a hex bar ?

Despite the fact that the most popular and common method of doing deadlifts is by using an Olympic bar, as well as the method in which it is done in competitions, many fitness enthusiasts are surprised to find that executing them with a hex bar is far less stressful on the lower back muscles and that it feels a lot more comfortable.

Is it supported by research?

Numerous studies have examined the difference in biomechanics and strength of professional powerlifters when they deadlifted with a classic bar and a hex bar. They have all come to the conclusion that when participants were deadlifting with a hex bar, they could lift an average of around 50 lbs more in comparison to when they were using the classic barbell. It was further concluded that using the hex bar stresses the lower back muscles a lot less.

You may like: 10 Deadlift Mistakes That Make You Look Like a Newbie

Conclusion

Doing deadlifts with a hex bar is superior to doing them with a standard Olympic bar, especially when you are lifting heavy loads, in regards to the reduced amount of stress on the lower back muscles.

If the gym you are going to has a hex bar and you’ve been using it for shrugs you should start practicing doing deadlifts with it. You will find that you will be able to lift a lot heavier in comparison to a barbell deadlift, (which puts a bigger burden on the leg muscles) which will ultimately lead to a bigger muscle gain in the long-term.

Even if you are a professional powerlifter, you should consider using the hex bar sporadically since it will aid you in going heavier and get stronger in all muscles in the lower body. Plus, if you’ve already given up on deadlifts because you had lower back pains, using the hex bar could be the fix to get you back on the right track.

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Gennady Golovkin Vs Daniel Jacobs 18th March 2017

Daniel Jacobs: I won Fight against GGG by Two Rounds

Daniel Jacobs prevailing on Saturday in taking bound together middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin the separation in a 12-round battle surprisingly, and he likely won over fans while displaying his heart and capacity to box.

gennnady golovkin vs daniel jacobs

The main thing Jacobs didn’t win was the real fight in the ring.

Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) made the eighteenth barrier of his middleweight title yet observed his 23-battle back to back knockout streak arrive at an end as Jacobs satisfied his charging as the most troublesome trial of GGG’s vocation.

At last, Golovkin held tight to guarantee a consistent choice (115-112, 115-112, 114-113) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“I think I won the fight, and I think these fans bolster me on that choice,” Jacobs said. “… I thought I won by two rounds, least. … I felt like I was ahead on the cards, and I had an inclination that I expected to win the last round just to sort of take care of business.”

He proceeded with: “This is boxing. Clearly he’s a greater draw than me, and they need to make that super matchup with him and Canelo [Alvarez], so Daniel Jacobs presumably got X’d out. … I won this battle.”

Golovkin, 34, outlanded Jacobs 231 to 175, as indicated by CompuBox. In any case, it was Jacobs (32-2, 29 KOs) who landed more power shots, 144 to 126.

“I regard Daniel, and he made a decent showing with regards to and clean employment,” Golovkin said. “Regard to my group and every one of the general population that bolster me. Daniel is my most loved contender – spotless, great, quality, great warrior.”

Jacobs, 30, the cancer survivor to win a world title, got up off the canvas in Round 4 after Golovkin handled a couple of clean flush right hands along the ropes.

“After the knockdown, I revealed to him he would need to slaughter me [to thump me out],” Jacobs said. “When I got up, I thought, ‘This is all he has? I got go down and I thought I won the battle.'”

Not exclusively did Jacobs in a split second recapture his legs after the knockdown, he continually changed his assault by changing to southpaw, which on occasion took away Golovkin’s hit and constrained him to think.

Jacobs, whose certainty kept on developing in the center rounds, battled with an awful streak now and again, incorporating driving with his lower arm and hitting both on the break and after the chime. He additionally earned the regard of Golovkin, seemingly the game’s most dreaded puncher, by standing and exchanging now and again within.

“There were ordinarily amid the battle I went toe-to-toe since I knew I could,” Jacobs said. “I am anticipating what’s to come. I think I picked up a great deal of fans. My style is great, I am a fan-accommodating person, and I thought I won the battle.”

Golovkin could climate storms by depending on his hit, which he outlanded Jacobs by a wide edge of 105 to 31. In any case, in spite of cornering Jacobs on occasion as the assailant, he was never again ready to place him stuck in an unfortunate situation with power shots.

“This is boxing. I am a boxer and I regard his group,” Golovkin said. “This is boxing. I require the choice. I wasn’t believing that I required the twelfth round to win the battle. This was my first test at 12 rounds. I required a quality battle not only the twelfth round.”

Golovkin, who went ahead to lose the last round on two of the three scorecards, repeated his plan to confront Canelo Alvarez in a superfight in September.

“Obviously I am prepared to battle Canelo,” Golovkin said. “Obviously I need that battle. I resemble a creature for that battle. I will [also] give Danny Jacobs a possibility for a rematch.”

“We have conceded to a great deal of focuses and a ton of focuses are as yet remarkable,” said Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler of K2, in regards to his arrangements with Alvarez’s promoter, Golden Boy.

Loeffler, who had planned to convey Golovkin to his local Kazakhstan in June for a title unification session against England’s Billy Joe Saunders, said those arrangements are still open to question.

“We need to perceive how Gennady is feeling one week from now and we need to perceive what the results are out there,” Loeffler said.

Golovkin and Jacobs featured a four-battle primary card that likewise incorporated a dazzling surprise misfortune by maybe the best pound-for-pound warrior in the diversion, junior bantamweight title holder Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

article originally  :  hboxing.com

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Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer Guide

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the lung and chest lining and/or the abdomen after prolonged exposure to asbestos. There are three different kinds: pleural, peritoneal, or or pericardial mesothelioma. The difference between the three is where the cancer is located. Pleural mesothelioma victims have cancerous cells in the lungs, pericardial mesothelioma patients have cancerous cells in the the pericardium area of the heart, and peritoneal mesothelioma patients have cancerous cells in the linings of the abdomen.

If you or a loved one suffer from mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, orasbestosis, you may qualify for substantial compensation. Currently, there is over $30 billion in asbestos trust funds, awaiting those who’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos illness. We invite you to fill out our form today for a free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information about top mesothelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file an asbestos trust fund claim, and much more.

Who is Affected?

As with other types of mesothelioma, malignant mesothelioma typically affects people who have worked around and have had prolonged exposure to asbestos, and although the ages will vary, victims are typically males around 60 years of age.

However, children and spouses exposed second-hand to asbestos run the risk of developing the disease. For example, if a wife washes the clothes of her husband who just spent the day working around asbestos, small asbestos fibers may make their way into her lungs, causing the same damage as it would to someone who worked around asbestos for years.

This type of asbestos exposure is rare, but it’s important to remember that anyone who has had any contact with asbestos runs the risk of getting this cancer.

Symptoms

As aforementioned, the average age of malignant mesothelioma victims is around 60. This stems from the fact that it usually takes 20 to 50 years to properly diagnose the disease. As such, symptoms of mesothelioma usually don’t occur for decades after asbestos exposure and usually start out as if the victim is suffering from a common cold or the flu.

Typical symptoms include the following:

• Chest pain that starts out light and increases in severity over time
• Cough and hacking
• Fatigue and lethargy
• Shortness of breath
• Fever

As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe, including:

• Unusual weight loss
• Extreme bloating and abdominal pain
• Swelling in the arms and face
• Sweating profusely
• Difficulty in breathing and swallowing
• Chest pain becomes much more pronounced

Testing

When testing for malignant mesothelioma, physicians will normally use chest x-rays and a chest CT, along with a biopsy in order to remove fluids and tissues in the lungs to check for asbestos fibers. Blood tests are also administered and a thorough medical background and work history are reviewed, including times you’ve been exposed to asbestos, will be completed.

Per the American Cancer Society (ACS), when a chest x-ray is performed, physicians look for unusual fluid buildup in the lungs as well as any calcium deposits and changes in the shape of the lungs. This is the first indication that the patient may have this cancer, but other tests must be conducted before a final diagnosis is made.

When performing a CT scan, physicians are able to gather a more in-depth look at the lungs via cross-sectional images. This will allow them to pinpoint and determine the exact location of the cancer.

Biopsies are performed by inserting a long needle into the chest and directly into the tumorous area. Physicians are then able to withdraw a sample of the tumorous cells and analyze more thoroughly. If asbestos fibers are found, a diagnosis of mesothelioma usually follows.

Treatments

Unfortunately, there is no cure for malignant mesothelioma, and it is also one of the most difficult forms of cancer to treat. If mesothelioma has moved into a malignant stage, the disease is so advanced that in most cases, it’s impossible to remove.

Therefore, surgery is usually not an option as this stage unless the patient has a mass tumor. Even then, other factors are taken into consideration such as the patient’s age and overall health. This is not to say that all patients with malignant are not candidates for surgery. Some people may still qualify for different types of surgeries that aim to remove portions of the cancer as opposed to the entire tumor.

If the patient does not qualify  for surgery, a combination of mesothelioma treatments can be used, such as chemotherapy and radiation. This works by reducing  the symptoms and helping  the victim live a better life with less pain.

Keep in mind, however, that if left untreated, victims typically pass away within nine months, according to the ACS. It’s imperative to follow up with medical treatment and assistance even though there is no cure, as it can help to prolong your life.

Your age, how long you were exposed to asbestos, general health, and response to treatments will also determine your survival rate. There is also no set rule to life expectancy as each person’s medical history and health are unique. While one person may survive up to a year, another person may go on to live another decade or more.

Side Effects of Treatment

As with anyone who undergoes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation–regardless of the disease–side effects typically follow. It’s important to remember, however, that treatments affect different people in different way, and not everyone will experience the same side effects.

The typical side effects from surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are as follows:

• Hair thinning and hair loss
• Nausea with or without vomiting
• Easily prone to infections
• Bruising and bleeding easily
• Bladder changes–urinating more frequently or less frequently
• Body swelling
• Mouth ulcers
• Anemia
• Constipation and/or diarrhea
• Hard time remembering and concentrating
• Nerve damage
• Pain

Other less common side effects include internal organ damage, hearing loss, excessive bleeding, and blood clotting. All side effects typically stop within a few months after treatment is complete. However, if you have a high fever or just do not feel well, always consult with your physician as soon as possible.

Getting Legal Help

If you’ve been injured by mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, keep in mind that there is a good chance that you’ll qualify for considerable compensation. Don’t forget to fill out our form to get our free Financial Compensation Packet, filled with information on the leading asbestos and mesothelioma attorneys in your area. If you have questions or need additional assistance, contact us at 800-793-4540.

article originally  : mesotheliomalawyercenter.org 

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Hardcore Chest Workout to Get Massive Aesthetic Pecs

Developing big chest is a dream of all the body builders. They make you look impressive, giving emphasis to all the other shredded muscles.
However, massive chest are not something that comes for granted. You need to earn them. It takes dedication, good planning and hardcore approach both in training and in your diet. That is why we’ve decided to share with you our hardcore chest training program that will get your chest pumped like boulders.

PLANNING THE WORKOUT

Before starting with our hardcore chest training protocol, you should be well prepared, as this routine requires all your physical strength. So, make sure that you’ve had a good rest, follow a solid muscle building diet and take a proper warm-up before starting your workout.
Since this chest pumping routine is extremely demanding for your body, you might want to consider taking some supplements in your diet. If you opt to go for this you can include:

• Creatine monohydrate
• BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids)
• Natural testosterone boosters (yes they do work, if they contain these ingredients)
• Pre-workout supplement to get you amped up before the workout

STARTING THE ROUTINE

After finishing your warm-up consisting of 10 minutes on a treadmill and few light bench presses proceed to the following exercises.
Incline barbell bench press (6 sets with 7 reps each)
After doing the incline bench press, you are ready for the next circuit, that consists of repeating several exercises for three times.
A1 – Dumbbell bench press (negatives 8 reps with a 8 second negative)

Start with the dumbbells in top position and lower them to the bottom in steady and slow movement. Here your partner picks up by helping you lift the dumbbells back.
Because in this exercise you practically do only half of the movement, you should choose some more challenging weight.
A2 – Dumbbell bench press (normal lift – 10 reps)
For this exercise choose a 20-30lbs lighter weight than the one used in the previous exercise.
A3 – Dumbbell fast bench press (10 reps)
Choose lighter weights than usual. The key of this exercise is in the explosiveness of your lift. You start at top position doing a 3 seconds negative. Once you get to the bottom position, explode the weights back up. After completing the circuit of exercises take a rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, repeat the same exercises for two more times.
Now, you can continue to the final exercise for finishing your chests. You can either choose to do push-ups, or cable-flies, or both. Do 3 sets till failure. In the case of the cable-flies you should choose weights that allow you ding at least 9 reps.
If you choose to try this hardcore routine keep in mind that it’s very demanding and that sticking to the three above mentioned rules is crucial.  So make sure that you are well rested and thoroughly warmed up before you set off. You might also want to try some natural testosterone booster, as this protocol requires every bit of your energy.
You might feel sore the first time you try it, but with proper recovery you’ll be able to do it once a week on your chest day. A the results will be truly rewarding.
Good luck.

article originally : fitnessandpower.com

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5 Movements to Reverse the Spinal Issues Caused by Excessive Sitting

Every office job or any job in a corporate setting entails a lot sitting for prolonged periods of time. Even though it’s not explicitly stated, sitting is pretty much a job description that many employees have. That’s because their work means sitting for 8 hours per day, 5 or 6 days per week while looking at a computer screen.

Sitting for long periods of time can be the cause for a multitude of health issue like edema, varicose vein, pain in the lower back muscles and many others, that if left untreated can create bigger health problems in the long run. That’s no reason to panic, because we have just the right advice for you that could remedy that in the form of five exercises:
You might like : Sitting Increases the Risk of Dying Early

1. Glute bridges

Lie on your back, bend your knees and keep the feet on the floor. Then, raise the butt and the hips in a way that the body is in a straight line. Hold the position for a few seconds then lower the butt and hips down. You finished one rep. Try doing 4 sets of 12 repetitions. If you find that easy, add additional load and hold it on the thighs while executing the reps. This movement develops the glutes and hips and has an effect on the abdominal muscles as well.

2- Glute bridges

Kneel in front of a wall with your back facing the wall. Put the leg you want to stretch up against the wall with the toes on the actual wall surface. Support on your knee which should be standing right at the base of the wall. Bring the other leg into a lunge position and lift the torso up. The closer your knee is to the wall, the greater the stretch.

Remain in the position for 2-3 minutes. Afterwards, switch legs.

3 - full squat

Photo credit CrossFitMurrayfield.com

With this squat variation you get into a squat position with the feet on the floor, with the back rigid and straight and the but going as low as you can. Something similar to a baseball catcher stance. You are supposed to feel a stretch in the legs, groin and back.

4 - Leg swings

There is a chance you’ve probably seen someone doing leg swings but weren’t sure that they were doing exactly. This exercise is meant for loosening the muscles and stretching them.
It entails holding onto something to keep balance and then swinging the leg in a back and forth motion as high as you can go. You can start doing the swing with each leg one at a time and then side to side. Do 20 swings of both motions.

5. Fire hydrants

This article originally appeared on : fitnessandpower.com                                                   

                                                                                 

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1 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs 6

The pec deck - and similar flye machines - allow you to really bombard your inner chest and get a great stretch on your entire pectoral complex. But, Gunter says, keeping your elbows high and parallel to the floor will allow you to bring the upper pecs into play as well.
                                                                                                 

                                                                                        

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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2 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs 6

Incline dumbbell flyes are a great way to not only add mass to your upper chest but to etch in freaky detail. Gunter does a variation where his palms remain pronated throughout the movement. This version involves the front delts a bit more but, according to Gunter, "facing the palm forward, it gives you even better tension in your upper chest and it stretches the upper pecs."
                                                                                                       

                                                                                           

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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3 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs

"Using dumbbells will give you a completely different kind of tension and range of motion than a barbell," says Gunter. "Make sure that you don't get locked into using the barbell on inclines all the time, or any of your angles for that matter."
                                                                                       

                                                                                    

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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5 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs

Build a chest that's thick and rock solid with these 6 bodybuilder-approved tips.

"If your upper pecs are really lagging, the best way to bring them out is to always start with incline moves," he says. You can do this with a barbell, dumbbells or a smith machine. Starting with incline moves will ensure that these underused fibers are fresh, allowing you move the most weight possible to trigger growth. From there you can move on to flat and decline moves, where you're likely naturally stronger.
                                                                                                   .

       

                                                                                                  

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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6 Remedies for Lagging Upper Pecs

Build a chest that's thick and rock solid with these 6 bodybuilder-approved tips. 

The upper chest is an area that many lifters tend to ignore in their quest for a bigger, thicker set of pecs. The flat bench, admittedly, is incredibly effective at bringing up your overall chest mass because you can handle more weight. But if you're looking for a complete, polished look, then dedicated upper pectoral work has to be a part of your program. Gunter Schlierkamp, a professional bodybuilder, is a big proponent of balanced pec training. While he will also admit that flat benching is crucial for overall chest development, he says that the only way to bring this area up is to attack it with the same ferocity as your other bodyparts. Here are his top six tips for blowing up that upper shelf of your torso.

                                                                                         

                                                                            

This article originally appeared on : muscleandfitness.com

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5 Back Training Mistakes You Aren’t Even Aware You Are Making

The muscles comprising your back belong to the biggest and most complex groups of muscles in your body. If we began to analyze them separately we would see that they are actually two separate groups of several bigger and smaller muscles, like the rhomboids, trapezius muscles, teres major and minor, the lats (latisimus dorsi) and the spinal erectors.

They all act as the primary back movers and stabilizers. Just because of the fact that there are so many muscles makes back training one of the more complex tasks in the gym. The majority of people have absolutely no clue about the multitude of training mistakes they are constantly making. That is why they execute the exercises with a very poor body posture and form. This goes especially for deadlifts and bent-over rows. This epidemic of poor exercise execution leads to injuries to the spinal ligaments and various other very serious injuries. In this article, we present to you the five most common back training mistakes lifters make. You might like : Five Tips to Lose the Stubborn Back Fat Forgetting to retract the scapula and having a loose spine during the lift Scapular retraction and keeping you back arched will allow the spine to be in a neutral position during the execution of any movement. Having a loose spine during exercising will put an enormous strain on the ligaments of the lower back, increasing the likelihood of a back injury tremendously. When you retract the scapula and keep the spine and torso tight and rigid and in a neutral position, you engage the back muscles, putting the ligaments into a much safer and proper position. Spine hyper-extension or extending your back too much This is a very common mistake seen in many inexperienced lifters. It is most commonly seen at the top position of a deadlift, but it can also be seen during back extensions, where lifters often go above the healthy movement range of the joint and expose themselves to the risk of injury. You need to be aware of the fact that hyper-extending your back is not a safe position for the spine, even more so if you add additional load to it. It puts a tremendous stress on the posterior vertebras and can cause slipped discs.

Not incorporating dynamic stretching and exercises for shoulder mobility This might sound a bit counterintuitive at first, doing shoulder mobility exercises on a back day, but stay with us. The answer is actually very simple. The majority of back muscles share a same insertion point in the shoulder girdle. That’s why the lack of healthy shoulder mobility and tightness in the back muscles can ultimately cause serious shoulder and back injuries. Dynamic stretching and mobility exercises will improve the mobility of your joints, their range of movement and promote elasticity in the fascia which will ultimately lead to a diminished risk of injury. Using straps or belts too much If you already haven’t got some medical reasons to use them, using them should never be a standard practice. The reason why belts are used is to create air pressure in your abdominal cavity that will protect the spine while you are lifting relatively heavy loads. Using it every time, though, defeats its purpose in a way since you won’t allow the core to strengthen itself in a proper way, leaving a weak link in the posterior chain. The same goes for straps. Using them too often won’t allow you to strengthen your grip, which is a crucial part of any proper training regimen. Using a grip that is too wide It’s not uncommon to see lifters use extremely wide grip when doing pull-ups, lat pull-downs or bent-over barbell rows, with the false notion that using a very wide grip will somehow widen the lats. On the contrary, pulling like this can lead to a shoulder joint injury. The optimal wide grip is a bit wider than a shoulder-width grip and should serve you well in all pulling movements. You can achieve the desirable wide and thick look of your back with the proper training of the back muscles which can be safely done with the proper pulling grip. You might like : Protect Your Back With This Daily Routine
 This article originally appeared on :fitnessandpower.com .

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