Combine Yoga With a Weight Training Log

The primary reason that stress management activities work are that they break the normal chain of events that lead to stress. If you do not take time away from your work and life responsibilities to exercise your body and mind, stress will result. If you keep a weight training log, it will help you get more benefit from your activities.

Yoga is an excellent example of a beneficial stress management activity. As little as 15 minutes per day of Yoga exercises expels the tension that is stored in neck, shoulders and back muscles, not to mention all of the stress that is stored in our mind!

You don't have to climb a mountain to meet a Yoga guru. In fact there are many outstanding Yoga books and web sites that can teach you all that you need to know. Practiced correctly, Yoga is both a body and mental exercise.

There are some basic Yoga exercises that are excellent for stress management. The most basic is called Savasana although some people spell it Shavasana. Either way, it has the slightly scary nickname of the "corpse pose". Don't let the name scare you though because the only thing it will kill is stress. As you recognize reduction in stress, keep your weight training log up to date.

This exercise teaches you to become very still and to systematically let every inch of your body relax until the stress just melts away. Amazingly, you'll discover that while you are concentrating on relaxing your body, your mind is relaxing at the same time.

Once you have melted away the stress, the next classical Yoga exercise, or meditation, concentrates on what is called your "chakras". Your chakras are energy concentrations, or centers, that are between your tail bone and the top of your head. Chakras are positioned right above your tail bone, immediately behind your navel, immediately below and behind your ribcage, in the center of your chest, in your throat, your forehead center, and immediately above your head.

These areas are thought to control your entire being. By using Yoga as part of your stress management activities you clear the stress form these areas and free your body and mind from the damaging effects of stress. Your weight training log will help you stay on track with your Yoga activities.

There are many stress management books that focus on Yoga as a stress management exercise. Yoga is easy to learn and can be mastered over a lifetime. If you make a serious effort to use Yoga some of the benefits are near instantaneous. Try Yoga as a stress management exercise, together with the maintenance of a weight training log and success is surely yours.

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How Yoga Can Help Athletes Improve Performance

Many athletes are now using yoga to supplement their regular exercises and improve their performance. Yoga can help with many things from helping your back, improving your balance, increasing your flexibility, and strengthening your core. Whether you play golf, basketball, or tennis, you can get a lot more from your plays by starting yoga.

Most athletes probably think that their regular training is enough. After all, many athletes put a lot into their training and workouts. It's hard to believe that something like yoga can make a difference. However, the reality is that yoga has many benefits no matter what kind of physical activity you engage in.

Many famous athletes attribute yoga for staying healthy. Professionals in basketball, tennis, football, baseball, and hockey use yoga to stay fit and prevent injuries. If you do a simple search for athletes that use yoga, you'd be surprised how strongly they recommend yoga for sports.

The main focus of yoga is breathing. Yoga can teach you how to breathe deep and more effectively. This can give you that extra edge while playing a game. While others are worn out during a game, you can keep going as a result of effective breathing. Breathing technique is often ignored in the majority of sports but can make a big difference in stamina and endurance.

Yoga for athletes also makes sense because yoga focuses on your core. It helps build your mid-section which is important in physical activity. Your core is what gives you strength and balance to the rest of your body. It has a direct effect on your back, upper body, as well as legs. As a result, your whole body will be strengthened and you'll even get more out of your regular training.

Most people will probably think that yoga is not a great solution for athletes because it doesn't help build muscle. But yoga actually does help your muscles - it helps you build functional muscles. Most weight training focuses on your biceps, legs, chest, back, and shoulders. What yoga does is it helps build strength throughout your whole body. It targets multiple muscle groups at once and also targets many parts of your body that isn't worked out with conventional exercises.

Rather than the physical appearance, you will build body strength in your arms, legs, and your core. Your muscles are also used in combination rather than in isolation. That means that you will be used to using all your muscles in a functional manner. All sports require that you use your muscles in unison. That is why yoga is a great training tool to get your body used to this type of workout.

Yoga also helps you feel balanced and helps your focus as well. As you know, stress and distraction can affect how well you perform when it has to count. What yoga does is it helps get rid of your stress and allows you to clear your mind. You start to relax and get rid of anxiety so you can focus on what's important at the moment. The mental game is just as important as the physical aspect of sports. That's why yoga can help in this regard.

One of the biggest challenges for athletes is injuries. Injuries happen when athletes strain themselves while they are moving. Yoga is perfect for this problem because it helps increase your flexibility and gives you a better sense of balance. That means that when you are playing any kind of sport, you will be able to move better and cut the risk of injuries significantly.

Another challenge that athletes face is tight muscles and stiff joints. If you play any kind of sports, then you know how it feels after a tough day. It's hard to move your muscles and it starts to ache all over your body. Sometimes injuries can last for a long time and affect your performance. Yoga can help loosen up the muscles and relieve the pain in your joints.

What many people like about yoga is the fact that you don't have to travel to the gym or buy any expensive equipment. You can simply go to the beach and do the exercises at your pace. The only thing you'd probably need is a mat to start doing the yoga exercises. Best of all, you can reap the benefits of yoga even if you're short on time. Even 10-20 minutes can do wonders for your body.

Exercises like the sphinx pose where you lie on your belly and lift your chest from the ground can help your back become more limber. The downward-facing dog is where you lie face down and lift your knees above the floor using your tail bone. This is a great exercise that can improve the mobility of your hips. The warrior pose can help you learn how to balance your body and also loosen up your knees. Of course, there are many other exercises that really help you as an athlete.

As you can see, yoga for athletes has so many benefits. You have to remember that it is not the center focus of training. It should be used as a supplement to the main training the athlete is undergoing. You can say that yoga is almost like the recovery part of training as it relieves stress, gets rid of tensions in your body and prepares your body for extreme physical activity. In conclusion, you should start using yoga if you want to get the most out of your performance.

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Top Five Yoga Exercises to Tone Your Body

To tone your body, you need to have a combination of a healthy diet, cardiac exercises, and strengthening exercises. For many people this means a rigorous regime of jogging and lifting, but that get monotonous over time. But a solution may be closer than you think. Surprisingly enough, yoga entail exercises for toning your body. It also encompasses cleansing exercises that can help you to release the toxins that build up in your system from your diet.

This article elaborates on some yoga postures, which are explained in an easy-to-follow manner.

1. Use the Tree Pose to Strengthen your Oblique at Any Time

The Tree Pose involves you stand on one leg with your other foot tucked in just above your knee and that hip open. Your legs look similar to the number four. Your arms are held in a prayer pose. This exercise is great because it can be done at any time: when you are waiting in a line at the post office, kept your food to heat up in the microwave, or during a phone call in the office. It is a low impact exercise but improves your balance and tones your oblique.

2. Stretch and Strengthen your Back with the Dog Poses

It is easy to forget about our back muscles until they cause us pain. However, working on them will firm your core and help you to shed abdominal fat. The two dog poses - upward dog pose and downward dog pose, concentrate on the back muscles. For upward dog, you have to lie on your mat with your belly on the floor. Then, while placing your hands by your ribs, you lift your body and arch your head and torso back. After holding this pose, you lower yourself back to the mat and go into downward dog pose by lifting your core off the mat in a triangle shape supported by arms and legs.

3. The Warrior Pose Tones your Lower Body

The warrior pose is great strengthening pose for your calves, thighs, and hips. In this you go into a deep lunge and place most of your weight on your bent leg. At the same time you keep your hips protruded towards the back. This creates tension that works that entire area. The warrior pose will also marginally help your arms, as they are held outstretched for the duration of the pose.

4. Flatten Your Abdominal Muscles with the Plank Pose

To tone your stomach and promote weight loss in that area, yoga offers a series of poses known as planks. As you hold yourself up in a plank you use all your core muscles to keep your body upright. A plank pose can either be done with your chest facing the ground or the side. In a standard plank, you hold your body in a way as if you are about to begin pushups. In a side plank, you balance on the side of your feet and hand and keep your core upright at the same time.

5. Firm Your Core with the Boat Pose

The muscles of your abdomen, hips, and lower back constitute your core area. The boat pose engages them all. Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Put your hands behind your hips and lean back into them. Then lift your legs off the floor to a 45 degree angle. Once there, pick up your hands and extend them beyond your knees. Use your core muscles to keep your back erect and balancing on your tail bond. After three repetitions of 20 seconds each, you should feel all the muscles in your core working hard.

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Mystical Beast: I Meet a Manticore or Manticora

I was cleaning out the garage when I heard a voice from under my workbench. The voice was like a small trumpet or pipe, or a pipe and small trumpet, or like something I had never heard before. The voice said, "Please don't hurt me."

I said, "Come on out of there creature with the weird voice."

I took my shotgun down from the wall just in case it was big but had a small voice.

The critter bounded out from under my workbench and prostrated itself in front of me. It said, "Please get me a bowl of cereal. I'm dying of hunger and thirst."

It's head was that of a bearded man but the body was something else. I said, "Did your father marry a lioness?"

He said, "Of course not! The cereal?"

I headed for the kitchen to get the cereal. I tried to stay away from his tail. His tail looked like it might be harmful, sort of like the posterior of a scorpion.

I grabbed a large bowl, poured half a box of my precious Wheaties® into it, and then a half-gallon of fat-free milk.

My wife came in the kitchen and said, "Got a big day?"

I said, "I can't talk to you now. I've a weird creature to feed."

She said, "A weird creature other than you?"

She followed me into the garage.

That was this morning.

The last time I saw my wife she was first breaking Jamaican Asafa Powell's world record for the men's 100 meters of 9.77 seconds, and then Roger Bannister's record of 3:59.4 for the mile run. See http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4703166 and http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0112924.html

I think it was the creature's three layers of teeth that got to her.

Well, she'll be back.

While the weird critter was slurping down the cereal, I went to my computer to see if I could find a site with a Weird Creature Field Guide.

At http://www.eaudrey.com/myth/ I found Dave's Mythical Creatures and Places.

I scanned down the category list. It was not under the following categories:

"Biblical Beings- Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Tetramorph, and others..

"Serpents & Dragons- Dragons, Amphiptere, Amphisbaena, Basilisk, Chimera, Cockatrice, Hydra, Gorgon, Wyvern (also Lindworm), and others...

"Winged Beasts-Caladrius, Gansas, Griffin, Goose Tree, Hippogriff, Martlet (and Bird of Paradise), Opinicus, Pegasus, Peryton, Phoenix, Roc, and others...

"Land Beasts- Bonnacon, Bunyip, Cerberus, Gulon, Ibex, Lamb Tree, Mantygre, Mermecolion, Musimon, Salamander, Su Unicorn, Yale, Yppotryll, and others...

"Sea Creatures- Devil Whale, Kraken, Nereid, Mermaid, Scylla, Siren, Sea Bishop, Sea Monk, Sea Horse, Sea Lion, Sea Serpent, Siren, and others..."

Although I had an interest in the Tetramorph, the Wyvern or Lindworm, the Peryton, the Yppotryll, and especially the Siren, I had to move on to:

"Part-Human creatures- Centaur, Harpies, Ipotane, Lamia, Manticore (and Catoblepas and Leucrocuta), Moon-Woman, Satyr, Sphinx, and others..."

There I found the Manticore or Manticora, the creature eating my Wheaties®.

I went back into the garage to tell this creature he was a Manticore or a Manticora.

The bowl was empty, not even a drop of milk was left on the floor of the garage.

He was gone! Not even a note!

I kicked myself. Why didn't I get my lariat around that creature before I went for the cereal?

How stupid can I be?

Sadly, I went back to my computer and added the Manticora to my listing of Weird Creatures I've Seen in the Field.

I didn't even get his name.

This afternoon, I had one of my grandiose visions. I decided that if I put a bowl of tempting Wheaties® in my garage, the critter would return.

I got out my camp cot, a flashlight, and my lariat.

If that bugger comes back tonight, I will have him in my grasp.

copyright©2006 John T. Jones, Ph.D.

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How to Draw a Cat

A cat, besides being a favorite pet, is also a well sought after subject amongst artists. Drawing a cat proportionately can be tricky. Although they vary in color, size, and poses, their fundamental structure remains constant. In fact, famous author James Thurber once wrote, 'cats sit fat and walk thin.' We simplify the task of drawing a cat by breaking down its shape into simple geometrical shapes to form a simple outline first and spruce it to perfection later.

Things you will need:

1. Pencil
2. Eraser
3. Canvass/Paper
4. Colors ( optional)
5. Paint Brush (Optional)

Easy & simple steps to draw a cartoon cat:

1. Basic Outline - The basic structure of a cat in a sitting pose will involve -
i. Head - Draw a circle for the cats head.
ii. Body - Draw another circle or oblong shape right below the small circle we drew for the cat's head.
iii. Ears - Draw two conical shapes on the either side of the cat's head. The pointed side of the cone needs to be away from the head.
iv. Legs - For the front legs, draw two elongated 'U' shaped curvy line starting from the left end of circle we made for the cat's body and ending at the right side of the circle. For the back legs, towards the lower end of the circle draw 'C' shaped lines on the either side, for its thighs.
v. We can now, fair out & darken the basic shape of the cat and erase any supporting and guiding lines.

2. Enhance Features - Outline the cat's outer shape with fuzzy lines to give it a fluffy and puffed up look.
i. Eyes - Draw two ovals for the eyes and another two smaller sized circles for its pupils.
ii. Nose - Draw a small triangle below the eyes.
iii. Mouth - Right below the nose draw a small 'W' with soft edges.
iv. Whiskers - On the either side of the cheek draw dots and then make the curvy lines of varied lengths for its whiskers.
v. Tail - Draw a curvy line starting from the lower end of the cat's body and use your creative mind to shape its twists and twirls.

3. Shading/Coloring - This step will provide your drawing with the all the needed delight and punch.
i. Ears - You can draw another set of small triangles in the ears and darken it or color it a dark grey.
ii. Nose - The nose can be colored pink or light brown in case you are using colors or otherwise darken it and make some very fine dots.
iii. Feet - The toes and toe nails of the front feet need to be outlined and shaded
iv. Whiskers - A few whiskers can be darkened. They should be kept lighter towards its end.

Since every cat is unique, you can make your exclusive marking and distinctive expressions to make it look happy and joyful.

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Killer Avatar Movie Toys to Know About

The latest movie project of James Cameron promises to be the most thrilling and spectacular movie that you have ever seen before in your life. It is of course, The Avatar Movie. And like most high budget and extremely popular movies, there are a lot of Avatar movie toys being manufactured that children and collectors want to reenact battle scenes seen in the movie.

And I shouldn't forget to mention that the faraway planet in question is called, Pandora. It is inhabited by strange and fascinating creatures that can become violent too. And there are indigenous humanoids that are 12 feet tall, blue skinned, with a tail and glow in the dark. Well, most of the creatures found in Pandora glow in the dark and you will find that a lot of the Avatar movie toys also can glow in the dark too! But I'm getting ahead of myself here...

You will also find action figurines as well as the mechanical toys of the marines that were sent in by the mining consortium to subdue and conquer the Na'vi people so the mining operation can continue unabated.

So let's get into specifics here. The first Avatar movie toy I want to talk about is the most popular one, the Avatar RDA Scorpion Gunship. This neat Scorpion Chopper has 24 points of articulations (moving parts) with dual firing projectiles, 4 spinning blades and rotating gun barrels. It is packed for action and is sure to please any child (or collector) that wants to enact some of the actions seen in the Avatar movie. However, I have to warn you, the Avatar toys don't come with the figures. Those are sold separately. It is a little irritating that you need to buy one more thing to make the set complete. But I can see it from the manufacturer's point of view too. It is better to offer a wide range of figures and then have the fans pick out the one they like to match with their toys.

Having said that, onwards to the next Avatar toys! The next two toys are the fierce and dangerous creatures of Pandora. The first is the Thanator creature. This is a very strange looking creature that has six legs, 9 inch fangs and a face only a mother could love. Truth be told, it is probably much safer to get the toy instead of showing up on Pandora for the simple reason. You will still be alive.

And I also wanted to mention that most of the genuine Avatar toys, if not all of them, come with i-Tags which allows the owner access to their "virtual" toy on a special website that allows you to vicariously live through them on the virtual Pandora. I think this is a super idea that is going to make owning one or more of these toys much, much more fun.

The second creature that you may want to get is the flying creature that is all claws and teeth, the Leonopteryx. This is a pretty large toy, over 20 inch wing-span and can carry any Avatar figurine on it.

The next cool Avatar movie toy I wanted to tell you about is the RDA Combat Amp Suit that the solders get into to fight the denizens of Pandora. It has lots of articulations and can fire multiple projectiles. It can hold any Avatar figurines (so I'm told but check to make sure). And of course, you get that i-Tag so you can activate your virtual toy in the virtual world of Pandora on the Internet.

Another toy is the winged creature that is also fierce is the Mountain Banshee creature. This is the animal the Na'vi warriors bond with as a rite of passage.

I want to talk about three more toys and then you can check them out. The next Avatar toy is the RDA Combat Grinder Vehicle. This is a very cool toy that is based on the armed land vehicle that travels over rough and uneven terrain. It has cool weapons and is capable of going at high speeds. Yes, you can put in an Avatar figurine and yes, you get an i-Tag too so you can explore the wild and woolly planet of Pandora.

The next to last toy is the Dire Horse creature (or Direhorse). In real life on Pandora, this horse is big as an elephant, has six legs and has two antennae. They run very fast and can turn on a dime. But don't worry, you don't have to master the art of riding one of these huge creatures. You can get the toy instead! And sure, figures can ride them and you get an i-Tag along with this Avatar toy too.

The last toy I wanted to discuss with you is the RDA Jake Sully action figure. Jake is on a wheel chair because he cannot walk. But that won't stop him from using the Avatar Program to become mobile and whole again in the wonderful adventure of a lifetime on Pandora.

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Fiction: An Exercise in Various Beginnings

I love to exercise, not in a gym, but in fiction writing. Since I'll be exercising, I'll start stretching with a few beginnings.

Nobody knows more about the importance of beginnings than fiction writers, because the beginning of any narrative is the part that hooks the reader from the start. Not each beginning is suitable for any one piece, and some beginnings become passé after decades of overuse; nevertheless, it is a good idea to take a look at the few types of beginnings used in fiction.

At this time, applying the same storyline, I'd like to write a few exercises. Each exercise will be for a different type of a beginning.

Beginning with the setting:


The city of Bern snuggles into a U shaped arm of the river Aare, extending its reach to the other sides by historical bridges and railways. Surrounded by densely wooded areas and mountains, Bern is not a crowded city, except for tourists. At 1800 feet altitude, as the highlight of the Bernese-Oberland region, the city ticks to the tune of a modern civilization, although still cuddling its centuries-old astronomical clock tower at the east gate right around the marketplace where one can buy Swiss goods at a much lower price than at the imported price anywhere else.


Beginning by inserting characters into the setting:


At the east gate of the city of Bern in the marketplace in a tidy corner, Rodolphe's magasin de chocolat or Schokolade Speicher sits facing the setting sun, and across, Mireille's Spielzeugspeicher boasts with all sizes of plush baby bears at its window. Rodolphe sees those brown and gray plush toys with a wary eye. He knows from behind that window, Mireille's husband Karl is watching his every move.


Beginning with the thematic way, which is with a truism, a generalization, or a philosophical idea:


Our greatest deeds we do unknowingly. Like love. Most of us fall in love unknowingly, and that is what exactly happened to Rodolphe in his chocolate store while he watched the plush toy bears from across the street and wondered if Mireille, the owner of the teddy bear store, was as cute and cuddly in bed.


Beginning the factual way; that is, a realistic no-nonsense opening derived from real events:


In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland, produced chocolate that melted on the tongue, creating the fondant. Two centuries later in the same city, his namesake Rodolphe sat in his Schokolade Speicher that faced Mireille's toy store, his neighbor across the street. As he rolled a soft sweet fondant in his mouth, Rodolphe thought of Mireille, her thin waist, her large green eyes, her overly made-up face, her cadenced walk, and her syrupy smile.


Considered to be the most successful by some, beginning through the emotional way, which is aiming for the heart and appealing directly to the reader's emotions:


In the middle of the street in Berne's marketplace, a jealous Karl shot the unsuspecting Rodolphe with a hunting rifle as his traumatized wife Mireille ran about screaming. Rodolphe, the chocolatier, had the reputation of a saint to young and old alike; however, for Karl, Rodolphe was a scorpion who knelt in prayer while raising its tail to kill.


Beginning with action, that is, starting with any significant movement:


Rodolphe, the chocolatier, cocked his head quizzically. Karl, his neighbor, was aiming at him with a rifle. "No!" With the sudden blast of the rifle, Rodolphe dropped to his knees, blotting his damp, chocolate-covered hands on his denim jeans. As Rodolphe's body grew stiff, Mireille ran screaming toward the two men, but she too fell down like a folded cloth and heard nothing else except for the throbbing of the street to the thick, fast beat of her heart.


A medias res (in the middle of things) beginning, which has been in favor during the recent years:


The blast from Karl's rifle brought Rodolphe to his knees. As his blood created puddles on the cobblestone street, the last sound he heard was Mireille's screams before he grew stiff and senseless.


Beginning with a dialogue: (Most readers respond to dialogue well, especially if they sense tension or foreshadowing in it.)


"Karl is screwed up," Mireille said. "This is going to be difficult. Are you sure you want to go ahead with this give and take?"

"Yes," Rodolphe nodded. "You need my fondants. I'm like moonlight on dark water for you." Then, he looked away. "Are you still in shock from last night?"

"It was routine," Mireille shrugged, arranging her plush bears in the window in irregular rows. "Karl always gets like that. He is just jealous. It isn't everyday that he sees me eating expensive fondants."


Beginning with a character's description:


Rodolphe wiggled on the red leather-cushioned stool near the window of his chocolate store, watching the street and Mireille's plush bears, because even at his age, he was still deeply interested in toys. Tall, fat, and ugly with a crooked nose and misshapen smile, Rodolphe was also generous and jolly, except when he espied Karl putting his arms around Mireille. Then, Rodolphe's face pinched with pain and his mouth drew downwards, trembling. Still, all this was before Karl shot him and Rodolphe was pronounced dead by Mireille, though only for a short time. Afterwards, when the medics brought him to life, Rodolphe's outlook changed.


Beginning with the author's voice addressing the reader: Although this method of beginning can be appealing, confidential-sounding, and even effective, it is considered old fashioned and boring. Speaking for me, I hate it, but here it is anyway.


If memory were a movie, dear reader, you would see the marketplace in Berne from above, and in a close-up you would see me, Joy Cagil--the author here, strolling in front of a chocolate store thinking of this poignant and funny story, since a tiny part of my life was spent in Berne. Then, you would have to take my word that in this very store, Rodolphe offered his delectable fondants to Mireille because he felt sorry for the plush bear that Karl, Mireille's husband, had ripped apart.


Diary, epistolary (letter-writing), or reflective beginning:


Dear Mireille,

What would you say if you knew I have your diary?

Yes, my dear one, yesterday, when I brought you the fondants, I couldn't help myself to pick it up when I saw the diary near your cash register. At that moment, you had your back turned to me, for you were putting a teddy back on the shelf, which you had knocked down when you saw me enter. I took your diary like a common thief and put it under my vest.

Am I sorry? No, believe me; I am not, although this is not a gentlemanly act. In fact, I am deliriously happy.

I took your diary because I was curious about what went inside your pretty head, but oh what joy, I found out that you had feelings for me.

Is it the chocolate that affects women to melt like cream over fire? Maybe, since I am never sure of my manly charms. But that doesn't matter now, for you have given me a new life and a new brown plush teddy bear for my counter that I will cherish forever and ever.

I am returning your diary so you can write more about me.

Rodolphe


Beginning by asking a question:


Where was Mireille? Spielzeugspeicher's doors were still locked; although it was far later than the usual hour Mireille opened her shop. Had Karl hurt her feelings again by throwing out the fondants in the trash? Or worse yet, at this very moment, was Mireille being forced into Karl's brusque embrace? Rodolphe tapped on the counter with his plumb fingers as he sat wiggling uneasily on the red leather-cushioned stool.

I had a lot of fun playing with these exercises, and you, too, have fun with a few beginnings of your own. Who knows, you may end up with a great beginning that will hold the attention of even the most reluctant reader.

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Build a Huge Chest - 4 Moves to Get Massive Pecs

Summer is around the corner, and Gulf of Mexico oil slicks notwithstanding, people are gearing up for sun, convertibles, beach and fun. That ever potent medley of attractions requires that you get your beach body in shape, and start thinking about the reaction you're going to get when you shuck your shirt and ask that cute girl on the towel next to you to rub lotion on the back. Are you looking good, or not yet quite where you want to be? If so, these chest exercises will help you broaden and deepen your pecs, so that you're looking forward to pulling off that shirt, not dreading it.

Our first move is the standing cable press. Now, you might be used to doing just standard bench presses, but this will challenge you in a whole new way. Set the pulleys of a cable crossover station at chest height and attach handles to each end. Grab the cables and step forward so that the cables are taught, and your arms are in the lowered position of a chest press, elbows high, chest open. Then push forward, bringing the cables together before you, where you hold them for a beat and squeeze your pecs. The benefits? You are using your core muscles to stabilize your position instead of just lying there on a bench, and the cables work your chest from all angles.

Word on the street is that The Rock did these pushups while preparing for the Scorpion King movie. They're called Scorpion Pushups, and but for one simple and killer twist, are like regular pushups. Get in the plank position, arms straight, and then begin to lower yourself into your pushup. As you descend, however, rotate your body so that your left leg lifts up and goes over your right, toe touching the floor, looking like a scorpion tail. Push yourself back up and return the leg. Benefits? The twist torches your core, and puts extra stress on your shoulders and chest.

Another excellent and rarely practiced chest move is a suspended fly. Hang cables from overhead, such that the handles are some six inches off the ground. Grab them and get into a pushup position, arms straight beneath you. Then, slowly, open your arms up to the sides, lowering your chest to the ground. When you feel your chest really begin to stretch and burn, slowly return to the pushup position. Squeeze your glutes and core as you do this, and achieve greater overall muscle burn as well as a fantastic workout for your chest.

Finally, add some instability to your regular pushups by grabbing two small medicine balls and putting one beneath each hand. Perform regular pushups while trying to keep your hands as still as possible, not allowing them to roll or wobble. This need to stabilize will give your shoulders and chest an extra workout, bringing in core and turning regular pushups into an incredible burn.

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Corp Pres - Pt II.wmv

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