My 2 BEST Bodyweight Exercises for Fat Loss & Metabolic Conditioning! Nick Tumminello Fitness | Baltimore MD Personal Trainer | Sports Performance & Bodybuilding

Bodyweight training is one of my favorite training concepts because it’s simple, versatile, very functional and can be done anywhere & anytime!

When it comes to using bodyweight training for fat loss or for metabolic conditioning to increase work capacity. In my mind, there are no better bodyweight training exercises than Sprints and Burpees w/ a Star jump!

Both Sprints and Burpees w/ a Star jump share two common qualities, which make them fantastic for accelerating metabolism and building a body that won’t quit! Those two qualities are:

1. They’re both high intensity!

and

2. They both use every muscle in your body!

Put simply, the more muscle worked and the harder they’re worked, the more calories you burn both during and post workout!

In fact, that’s the entire concept behind my Strength Training For Fat Loss & Conditioning DVD, which is the most comprehensive resource on the market today for metabolic workout protocols - Displaying over 100 creative bodyweight, barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, Cable/Band exercises in a multitude of metabolic combinations, complexes and circuits all guaranteed to drastically reduce body fat and increase work capacity!

From now until July 31st (tomorrow) at 12 midnight, You can get the Strength Training for Fat Loss DVD and all of my other DVDs at 32% off when use the discount code provided at my 32nd B-day SALE page.

How to do the Burpee to Star Jump exercise!

I doubt you need an explanation of how to perform sprints. But, if you do, here it is: Run as fast as you can either in a straight line for 20-100yds or back and forth between two cones (shuttles) for a total of 150-300yds.

We all know that sprints are an incredible metabolic workout. Now, what if you’d like to get sprint like effects from your workout, but don’t have the space to run sprints or the weather conditions prevent you from going outside?

No, problem! Just do a few sets of about 10-15 reps of a Burpee to Star Jump. Check out the video below of myself and Pro Figure/Physique athlete Rachel Baker showing you how it’s done!

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There you have it – My 2 BEST Bodyweight Exercises for Fat Loss & Metabolic Conditioning: Sprints and Burpees to a Star Jump.

If you can get outdoors, hit those sprints! If you’re indoors, the Burpees to Start Jump are a great option! Either way, you’ve got no excuse not to get after it, burn some extra calories, get that body moving functionally and those lungs pumping heavily, whenever and wherever you are!

Wikio

Nutrition et santé : Le baobab, une plante à usages multiples et à grande capacité antioxydant !

Adansonia digitata est probablement le plus connu des arbres Africain. Le baobab africain est un arbre à la longévité exceptionnelle, surtout présent au Sénégal. D’une croissance lente, on trouve des spécimens qui seraient âgés de près de 2000 ans. Originaire d’Afrique, l’Adansonia est un arbre au tronc massif ; adulte, il est reconnaissable à son tronc renflé pouvant atteindre une circonférence impressionnante, parfois 10 m. L’appellation du genre Adansonia tire son origine du nom de Michel Adanson, qui le décrit de manière approfondie pour la première fois en 1768 à la suite d’un voyage au Sénégal. Le baobab est une plante à usages multiples.
Quelles sont les caractéristiques du baobab ?
Le baobab d’Afrique, comme son nom l’indique est originaire d’Afrique. Il croît essentiellement dans les zones arides, les savanes, les régions côtières, à proximité des habitations, du niveau de la mer jusqu’à 1200 mètres d’altitude. Il possède une croissance lente et irrégulière à cause des périodes de sécheresse. Son bois est fibreux et non ligneux. Les fibres, molles et spongieuses, servent à stocker de l’eau d’où le nom vernaculaire de « arbre bouteille ». Le baobab africain pourrait être classé dans les plantes succulentes. Le baobab africain, dont les plus vieux spécimens auraient plus de 2000 ans est un arbre sacré pour plusieurs peuples africains. Cet arbre croît de préférence sur les terres légères et sablonneuses ou parfois calcaires. Ici au Sénégal, on retrouve de très beaux peuplements aux environs de Dakar, de Thiès et dans la région de Kédougou. Ailleurs on le rencontre le plus souvent près des villages ou des anciens hameaux, mais plus rarement dans la brousse soudano guinéenne.
Composition chimique des différentes parties du baobab
La feuille de baobab est riche en protéines et minéraux (calcium, fer, potassium, magnésium, manganèse, phosphore et zinc). Avec 9% de mucilage, la feuille de baobab contient aussi des tanins catéchiques et de la vitamine C. La pulpe du fruit contient elle, 30% de matières pectiques, des sucres ; des acides organiques, notamment de l’acide citrique, malique, du calcium, des vitamines et des aminoacides. Elle est très riche en acide ascorbique (vitamine C, 2500 à 3000 mg/kg), soit à volume égal 6 fois supérieure à celle contenue dans une orange. L’acide ascorbique a un rôle extrêmement important du point de vue nutritionnel et thérapeutique, par exemple comme solution au scorbut. La pulpe contient aussi des quantités importantes d’autres vitamines essentielles telles que la Thiamine (vitamine B1), la riboflavine (vitamine B2) ou encore la niacine (vitamine B3 ou PP). Le goût acidulé de la pulpe est dû aux acides organiques tels que l’acide citrique et l’acide tartrique. Si l’on devait comparer cette acidité à l’un de nos fruits, elle est un peu plus marquée que pour celle des raisins secs. Ces acides sont par exemple utilisés par les peuples pasteurs d’Afrique pour faire coaguler le lait. Dans 100 g de pulpe du fruit du baobab, il y a 75,6% de glucides, 2,3 % de protéines et 0,27 de lipides et permet d’obtenir 300 mg de vitamine C. Enfin, elle contient des fibres dont la quantité peut atteindre 45 g pour 100 g de produit, composant essentiel du régime alimentaire. On comprend pourquoi de nombreux groupes pharmaceutiques ont depuis quelques années renforcées leurs recherches sur la pulpe de baobab.
Le fruit contient de petites graines comestibles au goût acidulé que consomment aussi bien les humains que les singes (d’où son appellation pain de singe). Les graines du baobab sont riches en phosphate.
Aspects nutritionnels et économiques du baobab
Bien qu’il semble surtout servir de repaire aux oiseaux, le baobab peut être également très utile à l’homme : ses feuilles, transformées en farine, la pulpe de ses fruits ainsi que ses graines sont très nourrissantes, car elles contiennent de nombreux oligoéléments et vitamines. Son écorce offre des fibres très solides pour confectionner des cordes. Grillées, les graines de baobab peuvent remplacer le café. Riches en phosphate, elles sont aussi utilisées pour la fabrication de savon et d’engrais. La pulpe des fruits frais ou séchée (pain de singe) est utilisée pour la confection de boissons. Les jeunes pousses et les racines des jeunes plants sont consommées comme des asperges. Il faut dire que la pulpe du fruit de cet arbre africain renferme deux fois plus de calcium (380 mg/100g) que le lait demi écrémé. Elle dope deux fois plus que le jus d’orange, avec près de 190 mg de vitamine C pour 100g (contre 50 mg). Sa capacité antioxydant flirte avec celle du jus de raisin. Elle contient quatre fois plus d’énergie que la banane : 387 kcal pour 100g (contre 87 kcal). Au Sénégal, la poudre de feuilles de baobab séchées ou « laalo », riches en calcium et en fer, est incorporée aux céréales ou aux sauces, notamment lors de la préparation du couscous de mil. A Dakar, la glace au « pain de singe », le nom donné à la pulpe blanchâtre entourant les graines du fruit de baobab, fait fureur. Conditionnée en poudre, la pulpe est utilisée comme arôme dans les pâtisseries, comme complément alimentaire pour les femmes enceintes et comme médicament antifièvre. Ce nouveau commerce pourrait créer plusieurs milliers de nouveaux emplois. Enfin, dans certaines parties d’Afrique, la pulpe de baobab est brûlée pour fumiger les insectes qui parasitent le bétail domestique. Les écorces servent à la fabrication de corde d’instrument de musique, cordages, liens, filets, nattes, teinture rouge.
Quelles sont les vertus thérapeutiques de l’Adansonia digitata ?
Partout en Afrique, les différentes parties du baobab – racines, tronc, écorce, feuilles, pulpe, graines – sont exploitées à des fins thérapeutiques, nutritionnelles et dans la pharmacopée traditionnelle africaine où le baobab entre dans la préparation de nombreux remèdes, tout particulièrement pour les problèmes digestifs mais aussi pour ses vertus anti-inflammatoires. Ses feuilles ont des vertus médicinales éprouvées : on y trouve de la gomme et du mucilage, très efficaces pour lutter contre la dysenterie. Elles sont diurétiques, diaphorétiques, toniques et généralement utilisées contre la fièvre, la diarrhée, la dysenterie, les coliques, le lumbago ou l’ophtalmie, le ver de Guinée, les infections urinaires. Leur efficacité dans le traitement de l’asthme est aussi prouvée. Les écorces fébrifuges traiteraient le paludisme, l’inflammation du tube digestif, la carie dentaire, le rachitisme, l’anorexie et le lumbago. Les racines fortifiantes sont indiquées dans le traitement du paludisme. La pulpe du fruit cicatrisante et fortifiant pour l’enfant, traiterait la diarrhée, la dysenterie, l’inflammation de l’intestin et du foie. Les fibres rouges emménagogues sont utilisées pour traiter l’aménorrhée chez la femme. Les graines galactagogues sont considérées comme remèdes dans le traitement de la carie dentaire, la gingivite, le paludisme, la rougeole et la gastrite. La sève est indiquée pour stopper la carie dentaire. La gomme utilisée comme désinfectant pour les blessures, demeure efficace dans le traitement des maux de dents.

Diabète de type 2: les noix aideraient à contrôler la glycémie

20 juillet 2011 - Manger des noix tous les jours pourrait aider les personnes diabétiques à mieux maîtriser leur glycémie, selon une étude¹ menée par des chercheurs de l’Université de Toronto auprès de 117 adultes atteints de diabète de type 2.

Pendant 3 mois, les participants devaient consommer chaque jour un muffin, un mélange de noix (75 g), ou une demi-portion de noix et de muffin. Les noix, non salées, comprenaient despistaches, des noisettes, des pacanes, des noix de cajou et de macadamia, ainsi que des arachides. Il était conseillé aux participants de les intégrer à leur diète habituelle, en les consommant à la place de certains aliments riches en glucides.

À la fin de l’étude, les chercheurs ont constaté que la portion complète de noix permettait de réduire le taux d’hémoglobine glyquée (un marqueur qui reflète le taux de sucre dans le sang (la glycémie)), contrairement au muffin ou à la demi-portion de noix.

Autre constat : le nombre de participants ayant atteint une concentration d’hémoglobine glyquée inférieure ou égale à 7 % (la limite visée en cas de diabète) était plus élevé dans le groupe consommant des noix que dans celui mangeant des muffins. Enfin, les noix aidaient aussi à réduire le taux de « mauvais » cholestérol (cholestérol LDL) des patients.

Selon les chercheurs, « les noix salées, crues ou rôties à sec ont un effet bénéfique sur le contrôle de la glycémie et sur le taux de lipides sanguins, et pourraient donc être intégrées dans le régime des diabétiques pour contrôler le diabète sans prendre de poids ». Tous les participants suivaient un traitement antidiabète et se sont vu donner parallèlement des conseils pour perdre du poids.

Célia Chabout – PasseportSanté.net

1.Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW et al. Nuts as a Replacement for Carbohydrates in the Diabetic Diet, Diabetes Care. 2011 Jun 29.

10-Year-Old 'Workout Kid' Has Grade Schoolers Sweating And Football Coaches Drooling | ThePostGame

C.J. Senter may or may not be the next Tony Horton or the next Barry Sanders, but he is definitely the next 10-year-old to watch.

Granted, when most people hear "child prodigy," they rightfully raise an eyebrow and wonder who is pulling the strings. Add a workout DVD by a fourth-grader with sculpted muscles to the mix and "cute" can turn to "concerning." But it turns out the story behind "C.J. The Workout Kid" is a lot more inspiring than insidious.

C.J. started working out five years ago when his football coach told him and his teammates to go home over a weekend and get some exercise. He did some push-ups and sit-ups and loved it. Not too long after, he saw a P90X infomercial and loved that too. He's been working out ever since. C.J. does his own routines three times a week, after school and homework, and he's given new names to some old and boring moves, like the burpee, which involves a squat, push-up, and jump. C.J. calls that one the "shredder." He even teaches a class of (mostly older) kids at the gym near where he lives in Locust Grove, Ga.

"It feels great," C.J. says by phone from his Georgia home. "I love staying fit and healthy."

But wait a minute. Research shows kids shouldn't be touching weights until at least age 15.

"I don't use weights," C.J. says.

Not even bench press?

"I don't bench press," he says. "It's not good for kids."

Surely he's on some insane diet, right? His dad feeds him wheat grass and cow brain, perhaps?

"I'm not on a diet," C.J. says. "I eat everything."

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Disbelieving? So is Carlos Senter -- C.J.'s dad. Carlos has spent most of his son's life in shock, ever since C.J. somehow climbed out of his crib -- at seven months old.

"It was two, three o'clock in the morning," Carlos says, "and boom! My wife would go look in his room and here he comes, crawling out. He would go into the refrigerator, too."

Carlos can't quite figure out how his son got to be so fit. He says his relatives put on muscle easily, but not this easily. C.J. has an older brother and a younger sister who don't really love sports as much. And Dad isn't exactly chiseled like Terrell Owens. In fact, he admits C.J.'s work ethic has shamed him and his wife into getting into better shape.

"He doesn't really eat candy," Carlos says. "I have no idea why."

And for that matter, Carlos has no idea why his son doesn't have an attitude. "This kid will score a touchdown, take the football to the ref and act like nothing ever happened," Carlos says. "If it was me, well, I probably would be a little different."

But as much as the "Workout Kid" routine is working -- C.J.'s DVDs are in so much demand that his dad hired a PR rep -- Carlos says he gives most of the DVDs away for free and the primary objective is to help kids get off the couch.

C.J.'s primary objective has always been the same thing: make it to the NFL. He's a running back and safety, modeling his game after another C.J. -- Titans speed demon Chris Johnson.

C.J.'s already been named MVP for the state of Georgia as an 8-and-under, and last year he played in the 10-and-under group as a 9-year-old. Carlos says that the team run by former NFL running back Jamal Lewis expressed interest in having C.J. commute to Atlanta to join up, but the drive was simply too far.

High school coaches are already aware of C.J., but Carlos, who runs a local barber shop, insists on not looking too far ahead.

"As long as he's happy," Carlos says, "I'm happy."

C.J. does seem happy, even though he's a little bit tired of when kids come up to him at school and ask, "Are those your real muscles?"

The next generation of Atlanta prep football players is about to find out

Wikio

The New Rules of Strength Training

by Bret Contreras – 7/18/2011

I've just received word that I've been appointed the new President of the Strength Training Industry.
As your leader, my first order of business is to address what I consider to be the greatest challenge facing the industry today: the widespread acceptance and proliferation of biomechanically dangerous exercises.
We've allowed strength training to become a "risky" or "dangerous" business, attracting an unsavory mix of foolish, hardcore, Jackass-inspired thrill seekers who preach lifting ridiculously heavy weights in a chalk-dusted frenzy. Their unwanted influence needlessly injures thousands of well-intentioned exercisers that just want to enjoy a refreshing workout and follow a healthy lifestyle.
I can say with confidence that it doesn't have to be this way. And thanks to my newly acquired authority, with just a stroke of a pen I can render strength training as safe or safer than the stationary bike, lawn bowling, and Chinese checkers, current gold standards of exercise safety.
The following is a list of banned exercises that shall not be performed again, along with a brief explanation.

Upright rows

Abducting your arms over 90 degrees combined with severe internal rotation will shred your shoulders like Grandma's 4^th of July coleslaw.

Behind the neck press, behind the neck pulldowns, and behind the neck pull-ups

The "high five" position characterized by shoulder abduction and extreme external rotation is an injury waiting to happen. While you grind away at your rotator cuff, inducing tendonitis, you'll also be stretching out the ligaments and anterior capsule, leading to permanent elongation, hyperlaxity, and instability.
While you're at it, why not jam the bar into your spine and damage a cervical process? Might as well multi-task, right?

Squats

All squatters have round lumbar spines and posteriorly-tilted pelvises when they go deep, and if their poor discs could talk, they'd be screaming bloody murder. The low bar position wreaks havoc on the shoulder joints, and the ACL, PCL, and patella take a beating during the descent. Too heavy a weight leads to excessive forward lean, exposing the lumbar spine to injury.
Worse, the lift requires dangerous levels of intra-abdominal pressure and can lead to rectal prolapse, a condition where the walls of the rectum protrude through the anus and become visible outside the body. Good luck riding your bike home from the gym after that happens.

Bench press

The barbell puts the wrist in a fixed position that can damage the elbows and shoulders, while the powerlifting style low-back arch will hammer the posterior elements of the spine. Going deep overstretches the delicate shoulder ligaments, and the scapulae can't move naturally as they're pinned against the bench. Not to mention, the scapulae will be permanently abducted and the shoulders internally rotated, which over time can lead to a Neanderthal-like posture.

Military press

Ignore that the head is dead smack in the path of the barbell and just focus on the fact that the delicate acromions can't handle the load. Furthermore, the typical kyphotic posture will massacre the shoulders and cause spinal hyperextension.

Deadlifts

A perfectly named exercise. The deadlift will create numerous disc herniations and permanent elongation of the spinal ligaments due to a slumped posture. Weak glutes encourage lumbar flexion and posterior pelvic tilt to initiate the lift, and lumbar hyperextension and anterior pelvic tilt to finish. Just imagine, a single exercise that can create flexion and extension intolerance in one fell swoop!
Increasing or decreasing the load doesn't improve the safety profile one iota. Heavy deadlifts over stress the CNS, leading to permanent downregulation of key brain chemicals and eventually mental retardation, while high rep deadlifts can lead to cardiac arrest.

Good mornings

If you bumped into an extra terrestrial at the gym and asked him to put a heavy bar on his back and bend over with it, he'd likely start laughing hysterically in that cute way benevolent aliens do before shooting you in the face with a phaser. It's sad that even aliens have more common sense than meatheads.

Reverse hypers and back extensions

Most people's hips don't work correctly, so they move at the spine and not the hips. Down low, they flex the spine to make up for crappy hamstring flexibility, and up top hyperextend the lumbar spine to make up for weak glutes. Why not just foam roll on the freeway and get it over with?

Glute ham raises

Nobody does this exercise properly. Weak hamstrings require anterior pelvic tilt to try to improve the length tension relationship, which puts the low back into hyperextension and annihilates the posterior elements of the lumbar spine.

Lunges, Bulgarian split squats, step ups, pistols, and single leg RDL's

All single leg exercises lead to SI joint pain and sciatica. Crappy hip stability causes the knee to move all around in the frontal and transverse planes, obliterating the patellofemoral joint. Any PT who prescribes a single leg movement is a shill for the knee replacement industry.

Hip thrusts, barbell glute bridges, and single leg hip thrusts.

Whoever thought up these abominations is a serious douchebag. Since weak glutes can't do the job, the pelvis will anteriorly tilt and the low back will hyperextend, thereby taking a jackhammer to the posterior elements of the lumbar spine. Furthermore, the weak glutes will fail to exert a rearward pull on the femur, leading to anterior hip pain as it jams forward in the acetabulum.
If you still choose to perform these hare-brained movements, maybe you should consider the other exercisers using the facility. Unless you have an Airex pad to place under the bar, too much pressure is placed on the abdomen, resulting in volcanic eruptions of explosive diarrhea.

Dips

Extreme shoulder extension combined with external rotation will inevitably lead to anterior capsule dysfunction. Dips are for dipshits.

Push-ups

Push-ups are too hard on the wrists and elbows, and if the feet are elevated to make them more difficult you risk hyperextending the neck. Due to most lifter's obsession with the bench press, the serratus anterior and trapezius fibers often don't fire and can't properly stabilize the scapula so once again the shoulders take a beating.

Leg presses and seated rows

These exercises require too much hamstring flexibility, leading to severe lumbar rounding under heavy loads and eventually herniated discs. Moreover, machines place the body in unnatural fixed positions that can lead to faulty motor recruitment in as little as six workouts, and walking like Frankenstein's monster in twelve.

Bent over rows

I get it. Since the ribcage can serve as a trampoline in the bench press to max out at 225 lbs., it would be silly to only row 95 lbs. So you pile two plates on each side of the bar, round the back to 30 degrees, and start performing upright rows to the belly.

Chin-ups and pull-ups

Supinated chins over stress the biceps tendons, while wide grip pull-ups over stress the shoulder joints. To make the exercise easier lifters hyperextend the low back and shrug the shoulders to account for weak lower traps.

Sit-ups, side bends, and Russian twists

Sit-ups will induce compressive and sheer loading on the spine, leading to compromised neural function, mindless incoherent babbling, and eventually holding up homophobic signs at Michele Bachmann campaign rallies.
Since the hip flexors are already tight from sitting, you should never, ever try to strengthen them. Twisting sit-ups combine lumbar flexion and rotation, which is akin to a Mike Tyson right uppercut - left hook combo.
The spine was meant to stay in neutral your entire life and should never be moved. For this reason, side bends and Russian twists are out, along with getting out of bed, tying your shoes, sitting, and picking up loose change off the ground.

Shrugs, farmer's walks, and all loaded carries

Most lifter's upper traps already dominate their lower traps. You should never, EVER, carry anything heavy or even take a plate or dumbbell out of the rack or your traps will become perpetually imbalanced.

Pullovers, flyes, lateral raises, barbell curls, and prone rear delt raises

Single joint exercises in the stretch position such as flyes and pullovers are hard on the shoulder joint, and lateral raises, unless performed in the scapular plane, will destroy the shoulders.
Barbell curls over stress the biceps tendon and the bones of the lower arm.
Prone rear delt raises require hyperextending the neck while lying prone on an incline bench, which can cause amnesia, aneurisms, or stroke.
Let's not forget the most important point, that single joint lifts aren't functional. Even though they may look like movement patterns seen in swimming, tennis, and strongman, don't let your eyes fool you! There's zero functional transfer to the real world.

Power cleans and jump squats

People can't clean worth a piss these days, and the wrists take too much of a pounding over time. Jump squats jar the entire body upon landing.

Pallof presses, cable chops, cable lifts

These exercises require simultaneous contraction from all the core muscles, which clamp down on the spine and create enormous compressive loads. This leads to vertebral issues and severe constipation that cases of Metamucil can't cure.

Crunches

Since I'm President, I've decided to eradicate the terms "lumbar flexion" and "posterior pelvic tilt" from the Kinesiology textbooks, and the rectus abdominus will now be referred to as "The Muscle Whose Name Cannot be Mentioned." (TMWNCBM for short.)
Before you roll onto your back and start crunching, realize that the lumbar spine only allows for 20,000 flexion cycles. When you hit this number, all five lumbar discs herniate immediately and you begin writhing in uncontrollable spasm.
Even if you're way shy of the 20,000 limit, with every single rep your athleticism and ability to walk upright while chewing gum decreases by .02%. You do the math.
Crunches destroy the workings of the pelvic floor musculature, resulting in you pissing yourself uncontrollably every time you laugh or sneeze, or whenever the fighter jets do a fly-over on opening weekend.
Furthermore, crunches are linked to glute dysfunction. It doesn't matter if you're sprinting or hip thrusting, crunches override those signals and extinguish their effects. The result is now you can't walk, run, or jump properly.
Worse, this glute dysfunction can lead to erectile dysfunction. Since the glutes no longer function properly, thrusting becomes impossible, and even the most accommodating partner is bound to start laughing hysterically at such anemic displays of ass drive, resulting in the "little general" shriveling like over-cooked linguini. This psychological catastrophe can embed itself deep into the brain, resulting in permanent erectile dysfunction.
Finally, crunches can lead to AIDS and other STD's. Many lifters who perform crunches become so horribly kyphotic that they can't attract a mate through conventional means, leading to encounters with prostitutes and other ladies of ill repute. This significantly increases their exposure to AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis, certain politicians, herpes, and other single-guy buzz kills.

The New Rules to Strength Training

What's the deal? Has Contreras sold out?
Hell no! I wrote this article to make a point. If you know enough about anatomy, physiology, and strength training, you could make a case for why every exercise in the book should be avoided. Conversely, you could also make a case for why every exercise in the book should be performed.
Without further ado, here are President Contreras' actual new rules to strength training:

• An exercise is judged by how it is supposed to be performed, not by how the jacktards screw it up.
• If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.
• There are no contraindicated exercises, just contraindicated individuals. Learn how your body works and master its mechanics.
• If you can't perform an exercise properly, don't do it. If an exercise consistently causes pain, don't do it. If an exercise consistently injures you, don't do it.
• Earn the right to perform an exercise. Correct any dysfunction and become qualified with bodyweight before loading up a movement pattern.
• There exists a risk-reward continuum and some exercises are safer than others. It's up to you to determine where you draw the line. Don't bitch about your lack of progress or poor joint health as you lie in the bed you made for yourself.
• Exercises performed poorly are dangerous, while exercises performed well are beneficial. If you use shitty form, you'll hurt yourself. It's only a matter of time.
• If you display optimal levels of joint mobility, stability, and motor control, you'll distribute forces much better and be able to tolerate more volume, intensity, and frequency.
• Structural balance is critical. You must strengthen joints in opposing manners to ensure that posture isn't altered. If your posture erodes due to strength training, it means that you're a shitty program designer.
• Body tissues adjust to become stronger to resist loading. The body is a living organism that adapts to imposed demands.
• Your training will be based on your needs, your goals, and your liking. Different goals require different training methods. The loftier your goals, the more risk entailed.
• There are two type of stress: eustress and distress. Keep yourself in eustress and you'll be okay.
• If you believe an exercise will hurt you, it probably will.
• Injuries in the weight room have more to do with poor form and poor programming than the exercise itself. Exercises are tools. You are the carpenter. A good carpenter never blames his tools.
• Rather than drift along with popular trends, it's more fruitful to learn how the body works, which will allow you to understand the pros and cons of every exercise and make educated decisions in your programming.

At the end of the day, how you train is your call. Whether you play it safe or roll the dice, at least you're not sitting on the couch. Pain and injuries have a way of teaching you proper form and programming, and having a large arsenal of exercises is important to prevent boredom and habituation and spark further adaptation. In short, keep learnin' and keep liftin'!
I'm President Contreras and I approve this message.

Wikio

Fats Made Simple by John Meadows, CSCS – 7/11/2011 Our acceptance of dietary fat has come a long way. Just a few short years ago, Fats Made Simple

Fats Made Simple

by John Meadows, CSCS – 7/11/2011

Our acceptance of dietary fat has come a long way. Just a few short years ago, athletes, bodybuilders, and health nuts alike set aside their differences in agreement that every low-down dirty member of the oily "9 calories per gram" gang should be rounded up and hanged at sunset from the tallest tree.
Thankfully, times have changed. Health authorities today accept that monounsaturated fats can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the essential fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) and linoleic acid (omega 6) are required just for life itself. Even the once-vilified saturated fat is now being re-classified as "not so bad after all," considering it's necessary for proper cell membrane function.
It's not just about boring ol' health and wellness, either. According to warrior nerd Dr. Lonnie Lowery, a low fat diet can lead to a 10-15% drop in serum Testosterone and an increase in SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), a protein that binds to Testosterone, rendering it ineffective. So not only is less T being made, whatever's left is being increasingly bound up, gagged, and whisked away to an unmarked government office for "reeducation."
So an extra tablespoon or two of oil is a good little T booster, especially if you're not into fatty cuts of meat or seafood, or swell up like a puffer fish at the very sight of eggs or nuts.
The trouble is, certain fats are better to cook with, while some are better used as a topping. Others have extra nutrients that make them nutritional powerhouses, to borrow an overused phrase.
Let's examine what oils you should be using and why. I'll give each a "squat rack rating" with 4 squat racksbeing best. First, I'll describe the considerations I took in ranking the oils.

Ranking Considerations

Usefulness for Cooking

The more saturated a fat is, the less likely it is to go rancid when used in cooking. Rancidity means that the fat is breaking down chemically due to oxidation and ingesting these fats is the reason we see increased rates of heart disease and atherosclerosis. To avoid eating rancid fats, you should cook with oils higher in saturated fat.
The chart at the bottom shows the percentage of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats in various oils, which should help make choosing a good cooking oil easier. For example, coconut oil would be a good choice for cooking as it's 91% saturated fat, whereas safflower oil shouldn't be used as it's 75% polyunsaturated.
Do not let oils reach their smoke point during cooking. The smoke point is where the oil reaches a temperature at which it starts to break down rapidly. The oil may turn darker in color, get thicker, or even start to stink. Obviously a higher smoke point is best for cooking purposes, but rather than break out the trusty thermometer, just use a more stable oil to cook with.

Usefulness as a Topping

When I say a topping, I mean to add to a shake, drizzle on top of a salad or meal, or just drink like a fatty acid shooter. You can even use that gold-rimmed shot glass you stole from TGI Fridays.
Since you shouldn't cook with highly polyunsaturated oils due to their fragile state and propensity for oxidation, this is the perfect way to get your EFA's – especially if you're not a fan of fatty fish like wild Alaskan salmon. This is also a great way to add monounsaturated fats.

Ratio Rationale

Evaluate the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Cutting-edge nutrition authorities now advise a 3:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats, a radically different approach from the 20:1 ratio found in the typical Western diet. To reach this ideal ratio, oils too heavy in omega 6 should be avoided as they promote an inflammatory environment.
By the way, in case you believe that arterial plaques are mostly saturated fat, here's some fatty facts for you: Over 50% of arterial plaque is polyunsaturated, while only 20% is saturated fat.

Any Additional Powerhouse Nutrients?

This is where you have to look beyond the poly, mono, and saturated percentages. Some oils contain high levels of natural antioxidants, while others contain virtually none. Some strengthen the immune system and promote healthy skin, while others are pro-inflammatory and can lead to degenerative disease.

Note: I'm referring to unrefined oils only! Don't use refined oils as they're put through commercial processes like bleaching and deodorization that strip nutrients and reduce omega 3 concentrations. The chart below only references unrefined oils – refined oils aren't even up for consideration!

Top 6 Oils

So without further ado, here are my top 6 oils and their "squat rack ranking."
Red palm oil. Most pundits say to avoid this oil; I couldn't disagree more. The oil has a very unique, reddish-orange color due to it being loaded with carotenoids including alpha carotene, which is even more cancer protective than beta carotene. To put this in perspective, palm oil has 300 times more carotenoids than tomatoes! Interestingly, even though Vitamin A levels can get too high (which is rare), this isn't true for their precursors, the carotenes.
It doesn't stop there. The Vitamin E in red palm oil contains all the tocopherols and tocotrienols. Evidence continues to mount that the tocotrienols are very powerful antioxidants, possibly even stopping LDL oxidation. You can even cook with this oil as it's very heat stable. I like to add a tablespoon or two onto my eggs in the morning.

Rating:

Coconut oil. Another very misunderstood oil. Early studies concluded that it raised triglyceride levels but failed to mention that the studies used hydrogenated or refined versions.
Unrefined coconut oil is almost all saturated fat, and a great deal of the fat is medium chain triglycerides, which are sent to the liver and converted into quick energy. Interestingly, farmers in the 1940s used coconut oil as a feed, thinking all the saturated fat would help their cows put on weight quickly. It didn't work. The cows were all active and lean, and went on to win "most ripped" at the heavyweight class at that year's Mr. Olympia. Not surprisingly, the idea was deemed a failure.
What I like most about coconut oil is its lauric acid content. This fat, typically only found in breast milk, is a powerful immune system strengthener and is part of the reason breastfeeding is so healthy for infants. There's a huge body of evidence showing lauric acid to be a great anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial substance as well.

Rating:

Macadamia nut oil. This oil is a powerhouse. It has even more monounsaturated fat than olive oil (85%), with a large portion being oleic acid. This is important because that particular fatty acid helps to incorporate omega 3 fatty acids into cell membranes. Experts Mary Enig and Fred Pascatore have documented how these fats lessen the need for EFA's. Lastly, it's also a very stable oil to cook with and can withstand temperatures as high as 410 degrees.

Rating:

Extra virgin olive oil. America's darling, and with good reason. There's a mountain of evidence showing that EVOO raises "good" cholesterol or HDL due to its high amounts of oleic acid. This is my preferred oil for salads, but don't be afraid to just drink it or put it in your shakes. You can cook with it on low heat, although it's not as heat stable as the more saturated fats out there, or even as stable as other monounsaturated fats like macadamia nut oil.

Rating:

Hemp seed oil. This oil actually has the ideal balance of omega 6 to 3 (57% omega 6 and 19% omega 3) and even has GLA in it. Don't cook with it, but feel free to toss it in shakes or on salads.

Rating:

Walnut oil. This oil is a great salad topper. 59% of it is omega 6, 16% is omega 3, so it's not far off from the ideal ratio, either. Unfortunately, it has a really low smoke point, so stick to using it with salads.

Rating:

Honorable mention

Avocado oil. This oil has an extremely high smoke point of 520 degrees and is loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids (70%). However, the taste is a little odd, even for those diagnosed with avocado fetishes.

The Crappy Eight

These oils weren't allowed to participate due to their horrendous omega 6 to 3 ratio. Do NOT consume these oils.

Oil	Omega 6 to 3 ratio	Oil	Omega 6 to 3 ratio
Safflower oil	78 to 1	Peanut oil	34 to 1
Sunflower oil	69 to 1	Pistachio oil	31 to 1
Corn oil	59 to 1	Pumpkin seed oil	20 to 1
Sesame oil	45 to 1	Soybean oil	11 to 1

The Franken-trio

These popular oils were chased out of town by angry villagers armed with pitchforks and torches for having a "Frankstein-ish" genetic manipulation to them.

• High oleic safflower
• High oleic sunflower
• Canola oil

The Raw Stats

Oil	Monounsaturated %	Polyunsaturated %	Saturated %	Smoke Point
Avocado oil	70	10	20	520
Almond oil	78	17	5	420
Canola Oil	54	37	7	400
Coconut oil	7	2	91	350
EVOO	76	8	16	375
Flax seed oil	19	72	9	225
Grape seed oil	17	71	12	400
Macadamia nut oil	85	6	9	410
Peanut oil	47	29	18	320
Hemp seed oil	12	80	8	330
Red Palm oil	40	10	50	450
Rice bran oil	48	35	17	490
Safflower oil	13	75	12	225
Sesame oil	42	45	17	350
Sunflower oil	23	65	12	225
Walnut oil	25	56	18	320

Note: Smoke points can vary based on origin.

Conclusion

We all have our favorite foods, but as you go about your clean-eating ways, don't be afraid to swap in a few other healthy choices from this list. Much the same as with the foods in your diet, a little fatty acid variety will provide you with a broader spectrum of nutrients, so don't get stuck on using just one oil.
I hope you enjoyed this, and maybe even learned a thing or two!

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