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Day 3: Cardio Cardio Cardio Only Day 4: Back/Triceps/Calves Exercise 1 Dumbbell Pullover 2 warm up sets of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (increase weight between sets) Exercise 2 Close-Grip Pulldown 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 3 One-Arm Dumbbell Row 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 4 Wide Grip Cable Row 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 5 Barbell Deadlifts 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 6 Triceps Pushdown 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 7 Lying Triceps Extensions 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 8 Seated Triceps Press 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 9 Calf Press on Leg Press 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 3 rest-pause sets to failure Desired weight (10-15 sec rest between sets) Exercise 10 Seated Calf Raise 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 6-8 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets

Day 5: Delts/Traps/Abs Exercise 1 Dumbbell Shoulder Press 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 warm up set of 8-10 reps, 1 working set of 6-8 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 2 Side Lateral Raise 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight (1 min rest between sets) Exercise 3 Low Pulley Delt Raise 1 set of 6-8 reps to failure Each arm Exercise 4 Reverse Dumbbell Flyes 1 warm up set of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight Exercise 5 Barbell Shrugs 1 warm up set of 12-15 reps, 2 working sets of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight Exercise 6 Upright Row 1 warm up set of 12 reps, 2 working sets of 8-10 reps to failure Desired weight Superset 1 Knee Ups 3 working sets to failure Crunches 3 working sets to failure Superset 2 Cable Crunch 3 sets to failure Decline Reverse Crunch 3 sets to failure .mainheader h1 { position: relative; color: #ffffff; line-height: 115%; vertical-align:bottom}.mainheader h1 span { background: url(http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2009/maingrade.png); background-repeat: repeat-x; position: absolute; display: block; width: 480px; height: 31px; } .subheader h2 span { background: none; filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2009/maingrade.png', sizingMethod='scale');}.subheader h2 { position: relative; color: #ffffff; line-height: 115%; vertical-align:bottom}.subheader h2 span { background: url(http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2009/maingrade.png); background-repeat: repeat-x; position: absolute; display: block; width: 445px; height: 31px; }Get A Printable Log Of Day 5. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/printlog2.php?firstname=Steve+Cook&name=Day+5%3A+Delts%2FTraps%2FAbs&num_exercises=18&Exercise[]=Exercise+1&Sets[]=0&Exercise[]=Dumbbell+Shoulder+Press%2C+1+warm+up+set+of+10-12+reps%2C+1+warm+up+set+of+8-10+reps%2C+1+working+set+of+6-8+reps+to+failure+&Sets[]=3&Exercise[]=Exercise+2&Sets[]=0&Exercise[]=Side+Lateral+Raise%2C+1+warm+up+set+of+10-12+reps%2C+1+working+set+of+8-10+reps+to+failure+&Sets[]=2&Exercise[]=Exercise+3&Sets[]=0&Exercise[]=Low+Pulley+Delt+Raise%2C+6-8+reps+to+failure+&Sets[]=1&Exercise[]=Exercise+4&Sets[]=0&Exercise[]=Reverse+Dumbbell+Flyes%2C+1+warm+up+set+of+10-12+reps%2C+1+working+set+of+8-10+reps+to+failure+&Sets[]=2&Exercise[]=Exercise+5&Sets[]=0&Exercise[]=Barbell+Shrugs%2C+1+warm+up+set+of+12-15+reps%2C+2+working+sets+of+8-10+reps+to+failure+&

Motivation is key! My Motivation comes from a deep love for weights and to see how far I can push myself everyday in the weight room. I want to be the best I can genetically be. As healthy and as strong and lean as possible. I sometimes have to remind myself not to overdo it. As I've gotten older I realized how important recovery is. Ultimately I want to be the next Steve Reeves... I want a body that is appealing to the masses. My goal is to have the perfect balance of size, shape and symmetry.

While good quality supplements can make a difference (especially when dieting) they aren't an excuse to have poor nutrition and sleep habits. By taking the right supplements for your goals and in the right amount, one can achieve results faster than without supplementing. It's important to know exactly what you are putting into your body. Follow the instructions...just because some is good doesn't mean more is better!

As a bodybuilder, your workouts are designed to promote hypertrophy, or muscle growth. According to Marc McDougal of Bodybuilding.com, to promote hypertrophy you should perform two warm-up sets. Your repetitions should be in the four to six range.

The amount of weight you should use in your warm-up sets is based on percentages of the weight you plan to use in your working sets.

For example, if you plan to use 200 pounds for 10 repetitions in your working sets, use 50 percent of that weight for your first warm-up set. Your second warm-up set should be 80 percent of 200 pounds, or 160 pounds.

If you are gearing your workouts for increasing your strength, you will be working toward improving your one-repetition maximum lift on various exercises. Consequently, you will be lifting relatively heavy weight with fewer repetitions. In this case, perform between three to five warm-up sets. Increase the weight on each warm-up set, and perform between one and six repetitions.

Avoid performing your repetitions during your warm-up sets too quickly. If you perform your repetitions too quickly on a cold muscle, you risk injuring yourself. The repetitions should move through a complete range of motion at a slow and controlled tempo.

For example, if you plan to do work sets of three repetitions with 250 pounds, the weight you use for your warm-up sets would be percentages of 250 pounds. Your first warm-up set would be 50 percent of 250 pounds, and you would perform five repetitions.

I defeated my skinny genetics just after college and I am about to show you four tips that helped me climb from a 149 pound weakling to a rock hard 190 pounds in six months.

f you are underweight, then your first step to gaining weight is to understand that you must play by a different set up rules. I have said this before and will say it again,

You must think outside the box and give up the excuse of being a "hard gainer." It is time to stop listening to all the naysayers who have told you that is impossible to gain weight because of your genetics. Regardless of what you have been led to believe, you do have the potential to build an impressive physique that turns heads and even intimidates!

Double It Up: One of the most practical steps you can take is to double whatever you are currently eating in the kitchen right now. If you are eating one chicken breast per meal, then cook up two.

Live Your Life Around Food: Sure, you know that you must eat every 2-3 hours, but how well do you execute? Set your clock on a countdown timer to go off every 2 and 1/2 hours so that you reinforce the habit of eating literally not a second late for each meal! Don't turn off the damn beeper until you start chowing down.

se BIG Eating Equipment: If you want to bulk, then you have to eat like Hulk. Do you think Hulk eats out of a small plate, or a small bowel, or a small cup? If you are aiming to get big and huge, you are going to require large amounts of food, most likely close to double of what you are currently eating.

Never Train Hungry: How many times have you woken up, whipped up a protein shake and than headed off to the gym? Or maybe you had a long afternoon and missed a few meals and then attempted a weight training workout after work? I thought this was common sense to avoid, until a few of my skinny clients confessed that they were showing up for their workouts having only eaten a piece of fruit and some crackers within the entire day!

. Eat Nutrient Dense Foods: Focus on caloric-rich foods that are loaded with nutrients. Avoid foods with empty calories, which means there is little or no nutrient value in the calories you are eating. Why would you consume a 500-calorie plus meal that is loaded with fat and sugar which does nothing but make you feel sluggish and soft? Instead, eat a high caloric meal loaded with slow releasing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Carbohydrates: Oatmeal Rice Breads Yams Beans Potatoes Fruits Veggies

Proteins: Steak Chicken Lean beef Cottage cheese Whole milk Eggs Salmon

Fats: Olive oil Flax oil Avocados Nuts Peanut butter

Extras (high calorie cheat food): Ice cream Raisins Dried fruit Trail mix

Drink A Carb & Protein Drink While You Workout: How hard is to sip on a calorie-rich drink during your weight training sessions? Simply mix up a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein with one liter of water and you instantly have a few extra hundred calories per day. Now have an extra workout drink before your workout and extra workout drink after your workout and that's easily an extra one pound per week. Only use this technique if you are weight training at a very high intensity.

Live The Motto, "Never Stop Eating" Did I hear you say, "But I'll throw up if I eat all day?" Maybe... Is it necessary? Of course not. But this is a part of pushing your body's threshold.

Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day—not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something disciplined and good for you

Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.

Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn’t be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier—especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep.

When you exercise at about the same time every morning—especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time—you’re regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes. That’s beneficial because:  Your body’s not “confused” by wildly changing wake-up times, which means waking up is much less painful. (You may even find that you don’t need an alarm clock most days.) Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc. Your metabolism, along with all the hormones involved in activity and exercise, begin to elevate while you're sleeping. As a result, you’ll feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake up.  Many people find that morning exercise has a tendency to regulate their appetite for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes appetite), they also choose healthier portions of healthier foods.  People who consistently exercise find, sometimes to their great surprise, that the appointed time every morning evolves into something they look forward to. Besides the satisfaction of taking care of themselves, they find it’s a great time to plan their day, pray, or just think more clearly—things most of us often don’t get to do otherwise.  Exercising first thing in the morning is the most foolproof way to ensure that other things don’t overtake your fitness commitment, particularly if you have a hectic family life. (It’s so easy to wimp out in the evening, when we’re tired or faced with such tasks as rustling up dinner and helping with homework.)  More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.  Non-morning people can always trick themselves in the a.m. Having trouble psyching yourself up for a sunrise jog? Do what I did—tell yourself that you’ll still be so fast asleep that you won’t even remember—much less mind!  

Exercise 6 - Upper Arms, Shoulders and Back Standing with feet slightly apart, grasp your weights and bend at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor. Extend your arms towards the floor with palms facing outwards. Lift your arms out to the side, keeping them straight, until parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Exercise 5 - Shoulders and Upper Arms Stand with feet shoulder width apart and arms raised straight up above your head, grip your weights with your palms facing behind you. Slowly bring your arms forward and down, without bending at the elbow, until level with your shoulders. Lift back to starting position and repeat.

Exercise 4 - Back and Shoulders Stand with feet shoulder width apart and arms by your sides, gripping the weights with palms facing outwards. Making sure your movements are slow and concentrated, tense your shoulder and upper back muscles, then slowly "shrug" them up and down.

Exercise 7 - Upper Arms, Shoulders and Back Standing with feet slightly apart, position your arms straight down in front of you almost against your body - with your weights almost touching. Bend your elbows and lift your weights towards your chin, bringing your elbows out to the side, in line with your shoulders. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Exercise 8 - Arms and Chest The classic push up. With your hands shoulder width apart place your palms on the floor. Stretch out your body with either your knees on the floor, or if you're feeling ambitious, your toes - so you are supporting your body weight. Keeping your back straight and using your arms lower yourself gently toward the floor until you are hovering just over it. Push yourself slowly back to your starting position and repeat. Remember - don't lower yourself to the point where you come into contact with the floor, it'll be much harder to push back up.

Exercise 9 - Arms In a sitting position with your back straight, relax your arms in line with your body. Grip your weights with your palms facing upwards and curl them up towards your shoulders, then back down again. Repeat. Keep your torso still and back straight, let your arms do the work.

Exercise 10 - Forearms Holding your weight with your arm outstretched in front of you, tilt your wrist up and down repeatedly. Try doing this with both an overhand and underhand grip on your weight. Do one arm at a time.

It is common to want to increase your weight lifting weight. Stepping up to the next level depends on several factors, primarily your routine and your capability. Below are some suggestions on how to enhance your workout. Keep in mind that if you intend to increase your weight lifting weight you will be susceptible to gaining bulk and strength as opposed to sculpted toning and increased flexibility.

3. Add Some Extra Fuel There is a reason why so many weightlifters consume formulated shakes, bars and supplements. Whether it is protein, amino acids or a multivitamin, these products can enhance power and strength. The only way to find out what is best for you is by trial and error. Start with a good protein shake and take note of any improved capability when increasing your weightlifting weight. If it works, then continue using it. If it does not work then try another formula. Speak to your doctor before attempting any muscle building program. Certain formulas can affect people in different ways.

4. Balance Your Routine If your routine favors specific muscle groups over others, increasing weightlifting weight will always be a challenge. For example, when the biceps are at their peak and the triceps are trying to catch up, not only will your balance be compromised but you will also risk potential injury. Understanding your muscles and how they work will do wonders for your workout. Look up images and descriptions of the musculoskeletal anatomy and take note of the intricate levels of muscle tissue. Becoming familiar with muscle actions will create a picture in your head during your workout that will remind you of a properly balanced routine. When the muscles are within the same power capability, then you should be able to increase your weightlifting weight accordingly.

GOALS Create mini goals. Don't just expect to put on a ton of muscle in one year without checking yourself along the way. Set weight-gain goals every 2-4 weeks and evaluate the results. If you fall short, make an adjustment for the next goal. When you stop setting goals, you stop critical thinking and stop making gains.

MAINTAIN Every 8-10 weeks, take a couple of weeks to prevent a plateau. Don't stop training, but back off a little and let your body recover. Stop trying to get stronger and don't push sets to failure. After two weeks of maintaining your previous gains, go back to 110%. Reduce your calories during this back-off phase as well. This gives your body a break from digesting and utilizing all the food you nee

FST-7 This is the advanced training technique I've used with all my athletes.

Basically, you train that bodypart heavy as you normally would on any given day, keeping the rep range at 8-12, but on the last exercise you perform the 7 sets to finish off that particular muscle, with minimal rest in between to get the best pump possible.

Alternate the first exercise between dumbbells, barbells and machines. Use them all each workout, but change the order and angle. On all chest moves, you must arch your back, throw your chest high and keep your shoulders back. This takes the shoulders out of the movemen

Low-rep flat-bench presses (fewer than eight reps) are a quick way to tear a pec. Use a full range of motion on all exercises. The only exceptions are intensity multipliers used on the last set. When you reach failure, push your muscles further with assisted negative reps or partials. Lean forward on dips to emphasize chest.

Work the angles. There are three sides to the shoulder muscles and countless angles to hit them. Sit, stand, lean; barbell, dumbbell, machine; use them all. Start the workout with a press. Hit the big compound movement while you're strongest. Don't be afraid to work your rear delts near the beginning or middle of the workout. If you always do them at the end they will never grow!

Warm up your shoulders, chest, triceps and rotator cuffs before training. The shoulders are vulnerable to injury. Try seated lateral raises to really isolate the side delts. This is my favorite move to build round shoulders!

BALANCE YOUR PROTEINS: Take in protein of all types from all sources — fast acting, slow acting, whey, casein, egg, fish and animal proteins (beef, chicken, turkey, etc.).

WHERE'S THE BEEF: Beef is great for offseason growth. In addition to the amino acids, you get tons of B vitamins, iron and testosterone-boosting fats.

JUNK IT UP: Don't be afraid to eat some junk food once or twice per week. This boosts your metabolism and gives your body a different type of fuel. Stick to the "clean junk." These are calorically dense, but not super greasy foods. Examples are pasta, burgers, steak, sweet potato fries and cheesecake.

If you want to grow, insulin spikes are your friends. You just have to time them correctly, like breakfast and postworkout. These are the times to have some fast-acting carbs that quickly replenish glycogen stores.

Consume Enough Protein "I eat enough protein. I probably ate around 50 grams today." Now if this sounds like you, we are in some serious trouble. That is unless you are a 60-pound child whose major energy expenditure for the day is playing with your Tonka Trucks. Ok, down to the serious stuff here. If you don't eat optimal amounts of protein, you will never put on the muscle mass that you so much desire. You are also hindering your strength gains as well. If you are going up a weight class and you aren't eating the proper amount of protein, guess what?

have some of my athletes consume between 1.25-1.5 grams of protein per pound when trying to pack on size.

# 5 Maximize Your Carbohydrate Intake

# 6 Bump Up Your Fat Intake

Milk…It does a body good! You should have known this would be on the list. Milk is the drink of all strength champions throughout history.

I knew you would like this one. What true powerlifter wouldn't? Now again, don't get me wrong here. The point is that you should increase you lean meat consumption during a mass phase. Note I said lean meat consumption. This doesn't include bacon, ham, sausage, deli meats, beef jerky, or pepperoni sticks.

There's plenty of science to support muscle confusion's claims, says Matt Heath, a neuroscientist in the school of kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario.

It's about the strategy you employ in order to recruit all the different … motor neurons that ultimately go on to fire off and tell the muscle to contract.

mixing things up does have one benefit that can't be denied, especially when it comes to the often tedious experience of trying to get in shape. “It doesn't get boring,”

Muscle confusion: Hey biceps, you'll never guess what's next

mainly made up of protein. However, p

What is protein? How much protein do we need? Is it possible to eat too much protein?

mainly

Proteins are made up of smaller units called amino acids. Our bodies cannot manufacture nine of the amino acids, so it is important to include all these amino acids in our diets.

Our protein needs depend on our age, size, and activity level.

carry with him throughout his life.

Step 2

write down her plan for meals and snacks

plan a day's worth of food that fits within a healthy diet by helping her write down what she will eat and when she will eat it.

eat often enough to keep her energy up

Step 3

Discuss eating fast food

how to make healthier choices at fast food places by showing him how to look up the nutrition information for the items he usually chooses.

Step 4

Pack your lunch together.

to show her what makes up a healthy lunch that fits into a diet plan

Variety is important

Emphasize the importance of including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean sources of protein.

Step 5

Enjoy family meals together. This can be dinner or breakfast

will begin to understand what goes into cooking a healthy meal.

foods ranging from white rice to buckwheat.

whole grains are generally healthier because they offer more fiber

Examples of whole grains include barley, brown rice, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread.

Unsaturated Fats

Fat calories should make up about ¼ to 1/3 of the calories you eat.

saturated and trans fats can damage your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease

Swap these less healthy fat sources out for unsaturated fats, which are found mostly in nuts, seeds, plant oils and fish.

Lean Proteins

Protein should make up about 10 to 35 percent of your total calories

Fish, seeds and nuts also happen to be high in protein.

choose skinless chicken breast over fried dark chicken meat, replace whole milk with low-fat or skim milk, and choose beans over red meat in tacos, for example.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

get about 1½ to 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day

a glass of 100 percent fruit juice can equal one serving of fruit but you shouldn't fill up on juice because it doesn't contain any fiber.

canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can be healthy alternatives when you don't have access to fresh produce, but avoid the ones that have been doused in salt, sugar, syrup and creamy sauces.

fresh fruits and vegetables can become less healthy if you prepare them in unhealthy ways

MODIFY YOUR ABS ROUTINE. There isn't a specific abs routine that will work better than all others, but changing your abs routine will maximize the results.

UNDERSTAND THE TRUTHS AND MYTHS ABOUT ABDOMINALS. We all have abs. Unfortunately, some of us have to work harder than others to attain visible ones. Doing 1,000 sit-ups per day is not going to make your abs just magically pop out, but getting your body-fat levels very low will allow your abs to appear.

For a male to able to be see his abs, he has to be roughly at 12 percent body-fat and lower. For a female to see hers, she needs to be at roughly 14 percent and lower. If you can get your body-fat to those levels, you will start to see your abs.

A healthy breakfast is the most important meal for a reason - it jumpstarts your metabolism for the entire day. Not just any breakfast, though. Unless you want a muffin top, skip the muffins and opt for protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates. Emphasis on the protein. Can't go wrong with eggs.

BE COGNIZANT OF THE FREQUENCY OF YOUR ABS TRAINING. It is important to train your abs at least three times per week for a beginner and intermediate fitness enthusiast. For the advanced gym guru, train your abs about every other day to build them properly.

DON'T GET SMACKED BY SUGAR, STARCH AND SALT

IMPLEMENT A VARIETY OF CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISES. Cardio helps you lose fat.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. If you believe you can do it, you will do everything necessary in your power to attain that goal. Your mind will help guide your fitness goals and if that goal is to attain great abs, then, provided you do the necessary work, it will happen for you.

Sufferers of exercise bulimia use excessive exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges or simply regular eating, often working out multiple times per day or for three or four hours at a time

Deep down, this disorder has more to do with control than it does the desire to fit into a smaller size of jeans

The scary thing about an addiction to exercise is that it creeps up gradually, usually among everyday people who start exercising, feel good afterward, revel in the calories they're burning, have a desire to get healthier or lose weight, and therefore start believing that more is better

Oftentimes, people who develop an exercise compulsion don't feel like there's anything wrong with what they do

Compulsive exercisers build their lives around working out and are genuinely distressed if they can't exercise as much as they feel they need to (or should be)

Exercise bulimia is similar, but involves eating binges. People who suffer from exercise bulimia often binge on food and then exercise obsessively to make up for it. Exercise becomes a way to control calories, justify eating, and punish oneself for eating too much or eating the "wrong" things.

In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in.

Exercise is usually a good thing, but rest and recovery are very important, too

Excessive exercise can weaken the body and cause a host of problems, including: Fatigue Suppressed immune system Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea) in women due to a lack of body fat Reproductive problems Heart problems (such as muscle wasting and rhythm problems) Dehydration Arthritis Osteoporosis Stress fractures and sprains Kidney failure

Getting a Diagnosis

Compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia can affect both men and women of all ages, races, body types and weights.

A doctor may ask if the person is exercising and get the right answer (yes), never knowing the extent to which the patient is actually jeopardizing his or her health by taking exercise to the extreme

A physician may first suspect a problem if a woman stops menstruating due to a drop in body fat, which affects estrogen levels, but the condition may be virtually undetectable in men whose body fat levels can be much lower without creating any health problems.

Treatment Options

Studies have found that sufferers often come from families where food was used as a way of controlling behavior and battles surrounding food were common

Traditional treatments for exercise bulimia include support groups, cognitive behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and/or medication, such as anti-depressants.

Sleep experts say the amount of sleep each person needs is largely dependent on the individual: Some people can get by with only five or six hours. The National Sleep Foundation says adults need seven to nine hours a night.

A study this summer in the journal SLEEP examined the heart conditions of 39 adults, ages 22 to 45, whose heart rates were tested twice — the morning after a 10-hour sleep and then again after five consecutive four-hour sleeps — using a portable monitor.

Many students believe that it's a "rite of passage" to stay up all night during college and that "it's kind of fun," Thacher says.

if you use all-nighters, your GPA is slightly lower on average,

"You can't do your best work when you're sleep-deprived

"It's not common knowledge, because if people understood how much of a difference (getting more sleep) could make athletically," they'd incorporate it more into their lives and not focus solely on nutrition and exercise.

This natural reaction is known as the stress response

But the stress response can also cause problems when it overreacts or fails to turn off and reset itself properly.

But stress doesn't always happen in response to things that are immediate or that are over quickly.

long-term events, like coping with a divorce or moving to a new neighborhood or school, can cause stress, too.

can produce a lasting, low-level stress that's hard on people.

can wear out the body's reserves, leave a person feeling depleted or overwhelmed

weaken the body's immune system

crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go

Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload

a feeling of being constantly pressured, hassled, and hurried irritability and moodiness

stomach problems, headaches, or even chest pain

problems sleeping

sadness or depression

Everyone experiences stress a little differently.

Keep Stress Under Control

Take a stand against overscheduling.

Be realistic.

Get a good night's sleep.

Learn to relax.

Treat your body well.

Watch what you're thinking.

Solve the little problems.

Build Your Resilience

They're cool under pressure and able to handle problems as they come up.

Researchers have identified the qualities that make some people seem naturally resilient even when faced with high levels of stress.

Think of change as a challenging and normal part of life.

setbacks and problems as temporary and solvable.

you will succeed if you keep working toward your goals.

Take action to solve problems that crop up.

Build strong relationships

support system and ask for help

Participate regularly

don't hold your breath, and keep elbows out of your line of vision to keep chest and shoulders open.

take the standard crunch and rotate the spine toward one side as you curl off the floor

"It's really important that the twist comes first because then it's the obliques that are actually getting you up."

Burning belly fat requires the well-known formula: using up more calories than you take in.

work the ab muscles

Bent-over Row

Technique

the question is not so much whether the exercise works as how well you execute.

"Done with good technique, all exercises do what they're supposed to do,"

6. Abdominal Crunches

Crunches can be excellent, but if they're not done correctly, with the back arching, they can actually weaken the abdominals," Petersen says.

The trouble is that poor form can change the whole exercise, putting emphasis or even strain on different areas than intended. This can hurt, rather than help you.

Here's how to do it with good form. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then bend knees and flex forward at the hips. (If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.) Tilt your pelvis slightly forward, engage the abdominals, and extend your upper spine to add support. Hold dumbbells or barbell beneath the shoulders with hands about shoulder-width apart. Flex your elbows, and lift both hands toward the sides of your body. Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position. (Beginners should perform the move without weights.)