Working Abs
1) Concentrate on true ab exercises, in which the ribcage and pelvis squeeze together, rather than on hip flexor movements.
2) Train abs at the end of your workout
3) Training abs every other workout is sufficient.
4) Try to do at least two sets of a crunching movement (for upper abs) and two more of a reverse crunching movement (for lower abs). As you get more advanced you will find you can do a few more sets.

A host of theories have been developed to explain why it is one of the simplest muscle groups to train (countless books have been written on the subject). However, the function of the abdominals is simply to help stabilize the torso and to draw the ribcage and pelvis together in a “crunching” movement. Therefore, any true abdominal exercise has to be, given the nature of the muscles involved, some kind of crunch. Anything else is not a primary abdominal exercise.

People tend to make two mistakes regarding abdominal training. Instead of pulling the ribcage and pelvis together, they think the function of the abs is to lift the entire torso, as in a traditional sit-up. Or they believe the abdominals are connected somehow to the legs, so they try to train abs by lifting their legs into the air in a conventional leg-lift.Both of these exercises,primarily work a set of muscles called the iliopsoas or hip flexors, which attach at the lower back, cross over the pelvis and insert at the thigh. When you do sit-ups or leg-lifts, instead of your abs flexing through a full range of motion, they function instead as stabilizers. Your abdominals can get very tired doing this, but you don’t get the kind of washboard abdominal development that most people hope for from this kind of training.

While hip flexor exercises tend to strain the lower back, real abdominal exercises are one of the main therapies for lower back problems. When you do true crunches you strengthen the abdominals in opposition to the lower back muscles and help relieve them of excess stress and strain.

Get back to the basics..........crunch those abs!

The Diabetes Conspiracy:What You Need to Know

• As men grow older, their levels of the essential androgen hormone testosterone decline dramatically. This phenomenon has been termed andropause, or the male equivalent of menopause.

• Decreasing testosterone levels have been linked to age-related health ailments such as erectile dysfunction, muscle wasting, and, perhaps most notably of all, diabetes.

• Restoring youthful levels of testosterone may help avert diabetes, helping aging men decrease their reliance on diabetes medications. Clinical experience
shows that testosterone therapy helps improve blood sugar control, boost energy levels, support sexual health, promote wound healing, and restore a more youthful appearance.

• Many people, even leading doctors, are unaware of testosterone’s many benefits. Not only is testosterone effective in offsetting age-related changes, it is also inexpensive and safe. Drug company profits would plummet if testosterone therapy was more widely used to treat aging men.

• All men over the age of 35 should have their levels of testosterone—along with blood lipids, glucose, and prostate-specific antigen—tested to assess their overall well-being and to determine whether they may benefit from testosterone replacement therapy.

Metabolic Syndrome: What Is It?

Metabolic syndrome is not a disease in itself. Instead, it's a group of risk factors -- high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and abdominal fat.

Obviously, having any one of these risk factors isn't good. But when they're combined, they set the stage for many problems. These risk factors double your risk of blood vessel and heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. They increase your risk of diabetes by five times. But the good news is that it can be controlled, largely with changes to your lifestyle.

Metabolic Syndrome: The Risk Factors

According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, there are five risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome.
1--Large Waist Size
For men: 40 inches or largerFor women: 35 inches or larger
2--Cholesterol: High Triglycerides (150 mg/dL or higher)
3--Low Good Cholesterol (HDL)-For men: Less than 40 mg/dLFor women: Less than 50 mg/dL
4--High Blood Pressure (130/85 mm Hg or greater)
5--Blood Sugar: High Fasting Glucose Level (100 mg/dL or higher)

To be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, you would have at least three of these risk factors.

As you may already know, I am a big proponent of resistance training. It suprises me that even in the fitness craze that we are in, a lot of people still have a misconception that weights will make you look like the Hulk. This concept is entirely untrue. Weight training is so important to maintain a healthy, toned physique.

Cardio is great, but should be used in conjunction with resistance trianing. Case in point: an overweight person who relies on cardio alone will burn calories, and perhaps lose weight, but they will only be a smaller version of their former self.........still holding a lot of bodyfat and not much lean muscle.

Resistance training gives your body true shape, builds strength, and also maintains bone density. If you have limited time in the gym, do your weight training first and follow it with cardio! Don't forget to eat clean!