BEST and WORST AB/CORE EXERCISES

OK folks... Here is a pretty clear article I found on what ab exercises are good and which ones are not so good.... It confirms my belief that those silly infomercials about contraptions that claim to give you a GREAT ab workout are... well... false. Click the link or copy and paste into your browser to read more. ENJOY!

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/abdominalcorestrength1/a/Best_Ab_Ex.htm

GLYCEMIC INDEX CHART OF FOODS - WHY SO IMPORTANT?

I found this article on the 'net detailing the glycemic index of various foods. As you may or may not already know, the lower the glycemic index of a food, the more slowly the carbs are released into your blood stream, and the less blood sugar or insulin is released. Insulin is a storage hormone in the body, therefore, the LESS insulin that is released, the LESS carbs/fats is stored. Choosing lower GI foods will create a lower insulin response, more effectively regulate blood sugar levels, and keep you more satisfied and less hungry throughout the day. Read on for the skinny...

Glycemic Index List of Foods

The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how fast a carbohydrate triggers a rise in circulating blood sugar-the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. A low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a dramatic spike. A list of carbohydrates with their glycemic values is shown below. The book, The New Glucose Revlolution Complete Guide to Glycemic Index Values, contains the most complete list I know of. The first list contains some foods not found in the list from The University of Sydney. Combining the information in both list can assist you greatly in making the proper selections. These list was collected from the glycemic index database compiled by The University of Sydney and other sources. This list is only one criterion for selecting the proper foods to meet your nutritional needs. There are foods on the list that may be "low glycemic" but at the same time be a poor choice because of other criteria such as sodium content, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and other issues. We are presenting this list as an aid in making better selections. It is your responsibility to make sure the selections meet all of your nutrition goals. Generally speaking, the lower the glycemic index the better for diabetics and people trying to lose weight. There are what on the surface seem to be apparent contradictions. For example, white rice is generally considered to be a high glycemic food, yet there are several white rice entries in the low glycemic list. There are also many good choices that have not as yet been tested and added to the University of Sydney database such as, avocado and artichoke, which are both widely, known to be good choices in most nutrition plans. many of those foods are found in the first list. This list gives us many food choices we may not normally think of and this list can give us options that we may not have considered.

Low-Glycemic Index Foods: Less Than 50 Intermediate-Glycemic Index Foods: 50 to 70 High-Glycemic Index Foods: More Than 70 Artichoke <15 Asparagus <15 Avocado < 15 Broccoli <15 Cauliflower <15 Celery <15 Cucumber <15 Eggplant <15 Green beans <15 Lettuce, all varieties <15 Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened <15 Peanuts <15 Peppers, all varieties <15 Snow peas <15 Spinach <15 Young summer squash <15 Zucchini <15 Tomatoes 15 Cherries 22 Peas, dried 22 Plum 24 Grapefruit 25 Pearled barley 25 Peach 28 Canned peaches, natural juice 30 Dried apricots 31 Soy milk 30 Baby lima beans, frozen 32 Fat-free milk 32 Fettuccine 32 * M&M's Chocolate Candies, Peanut 32 Low-fat yogurt, sugar sweetened 33 Apple 36 Pear 36 Whole wheat spaghetti 37 Tomato soup 38 Carrots, cooked 39 * Mars Snickers Bar 40 Apple juice 41 Spaghetti 41 All-Bran 42 Canned chickpeas 42 Custard 43 Grapes 43 Orange 43 Canned lentil soup 44 Canned pinto beans 45 Macaroni 45 Pineapple juice 46 Banana bread 47 Long-grain rice 47 Parboiled rice 47 Bulgur 48 Canned baked beans 48 Grapefruit juice 48 Green peas 48 Oat bran bread 48 * Chocolate bar, 1.5 oz 49 Old-fashioned oatmeal 49 Cheese tortellini 50 * Low-fat ice cream 50 Canned kidney beans 52 Kiwifruit 52 Orange juice, not from concentrate 52 Banana 53 * Potato chips 54 * Pound cake 54 Special K 54 Sweet potato 54 Brown Rice 55 Canned fruit cocktail 55 Linguine 55 Oatmeal cookies 55 Popcorn 55 Sweet corn 55 Muesli 56 White rice 56 Orange juice from frozen concentrate 57 Pita bread 57 Canned peaches, heavy syrup 58 Mini shredded wheats 58 Bran Chex 58 Blueberry muffin 59 Bran muffin 60 Cheese pizza 60 Hamburger bun 61 * Ice cream 61 Kudos Whole Grain Bars (chocolate chip) 61 Beets 64 Canned apricots, light syrup 64 Canned black bean soup 64 Macaroni and cheese 64 Raisins 64 Couscous 65 Quick-cooking oatmeal 65 Rye crispbread 65 * Table sugar (sucrose) 65 Canned green pea soup 66 Instant oatmeal 66 Pineapple 66 Angel food cake 67 Grape-Nuts 67 Stoned Wheat Thins 67 American rye bread 68 Taco shells 68 Whole wheat bread 69 Life Savers 70 Melba toast 70 White bread 70 Golden Grahams 71 Bagel 72 Corn chips 72 Watermelon 72 Honey 73 Kaiser roll 73 Mashed potatoes 73 Bread stuffing mix 74 Cheerios 74 Cream of Wheat, instant 74 Graham crackers 74 Puffed wheat 74 Doughnuts 75 French fries 76 Frozen waffles 76 Total cereal 76 Vanilla wafers 77 Grape-Nuts Flakes 80 Jelly beans 80 Pretzels 81 Rice cakes 82 Rice Krispies 82 Corn Chex 83 Mashed potatoes, instant 83 Cornflakes 84 Baked potato 85 Rice Chex 89 Rice, instant 91 French bread 95 Parsnips 97 Dates 103 Tofu frozen dessert 115

PROTEIN PANCAKES ANYONE??

GOOD MORNING!!! Here is a recipe I found for protein pancakes made with oats and oat flour. To make oat flour, simply grind oats in a blender or food processor until it becomes a flour-like consistency. I'm going to try these too today... let me know what you think!

I WILL be spreading a tablespoon of my flax-fortified peanut butter on mine ;-)

Ingredients:

1 cup fat free milk (or water)*

3/4 cup oatmeal (uncooked, quick or regular oats)

3/4 cup oatmeal flour

1 tsp baking powder (optional)

1/4 tsp salt (optional)

4 large egg whites

1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

Try these modifications:

Blueberry pancakes: Add ¼ c blueberries (fresh or thawed) to recipe and omit cinnamon

Oat-Nut pancakes: Add 1 ½ tbsp diced pecans, walnuts, or almonds to recipe.

Whole Grain pancakes: Replace quick oats with hot multigrain cereal. Prepare as directed.

High protein pancakes: Add 1-2 scoops vanilla protein to batter, increase water.

Directions:

Heat milk (or water) until hot, stir in oats and set aside. Beat egg whites into a stiff foam with hand mixer or blender and reserve. Mix remaining dry ingredients together and stir in oatmeal/milk mixture. Fold in egg whites until mixture is well blended. . Spray pan with nonstick spray and cook pancakes until browned on both sides.

*Depending on how long you've let the oats sit, you may need to add a little extra water to the batter to thin it out. It will still be thicker than regular pancake batter

Nutritional Information for 5 Pancakes:

Per Serving: Calories- 313 Carbs- 48.8g Protein- 19.5g Fat- 4.5g Fiber- 6.3g

NEW DOUG SMITH PHOTOS March '10

Just had the pleasure of shooting with Doug Smith over Arnold Weekend in Columbus (3/5/10) and have received a couple of the shots back... take a look!

HOME WORKOUT FOR WOMEN!!! EXCELLENT article from www.mybesthealthportal.com

The Ultimate Home Workout for Women

Written by By Jeff Behar, MS, MBA

The following are a few simple exercises that you can do at home that require no specialized other than equipment that you may find around your home that you can do to tone up and look great! The object of the workout should be intensity, so rest no more than two minutes at the end of each circuit before starting the next one. Other tips: Perform 8-12 repetitions of each exercise (resulting in failure at the last rep), and work up to four to six complete circuits. Now before you start, you should warm up properly and stretch. Warm-up exercises and stretching are essential to any workout. Both help prepare your muscles and joints for more intense activity. This helps prevent injury, as well as promoting circulation. Warm-up exercises should be done before stretching. Warm-up exercises increase the temperature of the body, making the muscles more flexible and receptive to strenuous activity. Warming up should slightly increase the heart rate but not to the level experienced during your workout. The warm-up should be intense enough to increase your body temperature but not strenuous enough to cause fatigue. A rule of thumb might be to work hard enough to break a mild sweat. The following home exercises represent a full range of workout activities. The arm, chest, and shoulder exercises emphasize biceps and triceps, among other muscle groups. The abdominal exercises strengthen the core muscles of the body, trimming your waist and improving posture. Leg exercises strengthen the muscles that allow you to run, jump, and climb stairs; these include the thighs, hip flexors, and quadriceps. Push-ups Start by lying face down on the floor with your hands approximately shoulder width apart. You may need to have your knees touch the ground until you can build up enough strength to perform the movement with your legs straight. Push-up until your arms are straight, keeping you back and legs straight. This is the starting position. Lower your body until your chest touches the floor at the bottom, and then return to the starting position. Chair Dips Position yourself between the chairs, supporting your weight on your hands and with your feet out in front of you. Slowly lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the seat of the chairs Hold in lower position before pushing back up until your arms are fully extended again. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions Close Grip Push-ups Start by lying face down on the floor with your hands approximately four to six inches apart. You may need to have your knees touch the ground until you can build up enough strength to perform the movement with your legs straight. Push-up until your arms are straight, keeping you back and legs straight. This is the starting position. Slowly bend elbows and lower body to floor with the chest almost touching the hands. Remain in proper alignment with abdominals held in tight. Exhale on exertion. Return to starting position. Repeat for 8 - 12 times and then return to the starting position. Lunges Wide Stance Begin by standing straight, then step forward with one foot, leaving the other back. Both feet should be directed straight with the toes facing forward. Take a large step. Lower your back knee almost to the floor, and rise up again, concentrating on squeezing your buttocks to push yourself up. Maintain your body in an upright position and avoid leaning forward. Repeat this action to perform several repetitions, then again with the opposite foot forward. Lunges Narrow Stance Begin by standing straight, then step forward with one foot, leaving the other back. Both feet should be directed straight with the toes facing forward, heels no more than 4 inches apart. Take a half step. Lower your back knee almost to the floor, and rise up again, concentrating on squeezing your buttocks to push yourself up. Maintain your body in an upright position and avoid leaning forward. Repeat this action to perform several repetitions, then again with the opposite foot forward. Make sure there is not too great a distance between your feet. Do not allow your front knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down, and stop where your feel comfortable. Step Ups Stand just in front of the step, with your feet about shoulder-width apart. You can place your arms down by your sides or on your hips, whichever is more comfortable. Step up onto the step with one leg in a steady and controlled motion, pulling you up onto the step. Pause momentarily with both feet up on the step. Step down off the step with your opposite foot and then follow with the other foot, returning to the starting position. Repeat this action, alternating the leading leg each time. Repeat for a total of 10 to 20 times per leg. Calf Raise Stand with your toes of one leg on the edge of a step (your other leg should be up, feet back against buttocks. Push up with your toes and get a full extension in a controlled motion. Pause momentarily. Lower back to the stating position. Repeat this action for a total of 10 to 20 times per leg. Squats Position your feet flat on the floor, about shoulder width apart (toes slightly turned out) Keep the abdominals tight and the lower back straight and your head up.If you wish you can hold onto something to give you some support, i.e. a desk. Slowly descend until the thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for a second, then push back up to the starting position Maintain the body in an upright position and avoid leaning forward. Always inhale your breath on the way down, and exhale as you stand up. Single-Leg Lunge This exercise targets the Glutes, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, and Core. Stand in a lunge with left foot in front, knees bent and left thigh parallel to floor. Lean forward from hip, then straighten left leg, extending right leg behind you 45 degrees. Return to start. Complete 10 - 20 reps on each leg. Pigeon Squats Position your feet flat on the floor, about 6 inches apart (toes slightly turned in). Keep the abdominals tight and the lower back straight and your head up. If you wish you can hold onto something to give you some support, i.e. a desk. Slowly descend until the thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for a second, then push back up to the starting position. Maintain the body in an upright position and avoid leaning forward. Always inhale your breath on the way down, and exhale as you stand up. Calf Raise Stand with your toes of one leg on the edge of a step (your other leg should be up, feet back against buttocks. Push up with your toes and get a full extension in a controlled motion. Pause momentarily. Lower back to the stating position. Repeat this action for a total of 10 to 20 times per leg. Chin-ups Note: For this exercise you require suitable overhead support, such as ceiling rafters in a garage or the molding of your doorframe. (There are also commercially available pull up bars that fit within a doorframe available). Stand on a chair or ump up to grasp the bar, with your hands positioned shoulder-width apart and with an underhand grip. Start in the hang position below the bar. Slowly raise your body until your chin reaches the bar level. Pause a moment before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position. Bent Over Row Stand next to a sturdy bed or another flat surface that will provide a good support. Place your left hand and left knee onto the flat surface Hold onto the weight in your right hand. A bag of potatoes or other weighted option can work if weights are not available. Slowly bring the object up to the side of your chest, keeping your back straight. Lower the weight back down to straighten the arm. Repeat this procedure, concentrating on utilizing your back muscles. Switch over and do the exercise with your left arm. Side Laterals Straddle a flat bench and grasp a weight in each hand allowing the dumbbells to hang down at your sides with your palm facing in toward your body. Next, simultaneously raise the dumbbells by bringing the backs of your hands to the ceiling, keeping your arms as straight as possible throughout the movement. Bring your arms to a point that is parallel to the floor, hold for a one-count and return to the start position and repeat for 8 to 12 repetitions. Shoulder Press (use a bag of potatoes or rice for weight if you do not have dumbbells available). Position yourself on a chair to support your back set firmly against the pad. Press the barbells up over your head and return to the start position allowing the barbell to come down in front of you just below your chin. Repeat this movement for 8 to 10 repetitions. Bicep Curls Position two dumbbells to sides, palms facing in, and arms straight. With elbows to the sides, raise one dumbbell and rotate forearm until forearm is vertical and palm faces shoulder. Lower to original position and repeat with opposite arm. Repeat this movement for 8 to 10 repetitions. Continue to alternate between sides. Leg Raises Leg raises place primary stress on the lower half of the rectus abdominis although the muscle fibers of the upper rectus abdominia are recruited as well. Secondary stress is also placed on the intercostal muscles. Because this movement works the hard to work lower abs you want to do this exercise before crunches. Lie on your back on an inclined ab board with your head toward the raised end. Grasp the end of upper bench with your hands to stabilize your body. Bend your leg 15-20 degrees or until you feel your back relax. Use your abdominal muscles to raise your feet in an arc to a position directly above your head. Drop your feet in a return arc until they clear the bench. Repeat until failure (get 15-25 reps). Reverse Crunches Reverse Crunches are a great exercise for working the lower abs. Lie flat on your back with legs extended. Raise your legs into an L position with your abs. You can flex your knees a bit. Lower them to almost floor level and raise again. Keep going until failure. Roll up Crunch Targets: Rectus abdominis (the "six-pack" muscle). 30 percent more effective than the standard crunch because the move challenges your abs through a fuller range of motion, recruiting more muscle fibers. Lie back with legs straight and arms extended above head next to ears. Bring arms forward, tilt chin down, and slowly curl upper body up, reaching hands to toes. Repeat 15- 25 times. Bicycle Crunch Targets: Upper Abdominals, Obliques, And Hip Flexors. Lie back with legs straight and arms extended above head next to ears. Bring arms forward, tilt chin down, and slowly curl upper body up, reaching hands to toes. Repeat to failure. Follow this workout two or three times a week, with at least a day between workouts for recovery and you will look great in no time!