Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 4 of 21)

      Spring-Clean Your Diet

      March 27, 2009 /

      Men’s Fitness.com helps you get the crap that has been accumulating in your fridge since winter.

      Things to Trash:

      High-calorie dips, spreads, and condiments
      Bye-bye, nacho cheese sauce, French onion chip dip, blue cheese dressing, and mayo. In their place, swap a couple of varieties of salsa, vinaigrette dressings, and mustards, and other low-carb steak, barbecue, and cocktail sauces that are free of added sweetners.

      Fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt
      It’s typically more sugar than anything else. Instead, stick with sugar-free, plain variety (mix in your own fresh fruit and nuts for flavor), or Greek, which is loaded with extra protein.

      Extra Beer
      Sure, you need one . . . maybe two . . . some nights. But unless you’re having a party, only chill a couple at a time. If the beer isn’t there, available and cold, you’ll be much less likely to overdo it on a nightly basis.

      Things to Stock up On:

      Lean proteins like chicken or turkey breast, fresh fish, and red meat
      Buy in bulk at a wholesale grocery, split the family-size packages into smaller bags or containers, and freeze smaller servings to save money.

      Lots and lots of produce
      Strive to eat things with one ingredient, the food itself. Broccoli. Spinach. Apples. Get it? Buy precut veggies to save time on prep. But only buy what you can eat one week at a time. Otherwise, the excess is bound to go to waste.

      A giant water pitcher
      Get yourself a good water filter and keep it topped off at all times to prevent you from using those wasteful plastic bottles. Every time you pour a glass, top off the filter so you have cold water at arm’s reach when you’re thirsty.

      Click here to check out things that you need to clear from your pantry, as well as things to stock it with.

      Cholesterol, Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition

      America?s Unhealthiest Restaurants

      March 25, 2009 /

      YAHOO! Health handed out grades for the unhealthiest restaurants and some might surprise you:

      D-
      On the Border
      On the Border is a subsidiary of Brinker International, the same parent company that owns Chili’s and Romano’s Macaroni Grill. It should come as no surprise then that this chain is just as threatening to your health as its corporate cohorts. The overloaded menu offers appetizers with 120 grams of fat, salads with a full day’s worth of sodium, and taco entr?es with an horrific 960 calories?and that?s the calculation without rice and beans. Border crossing is a decidedly dangerous enterprise.

      SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Border Smart Menu highlights four items with fewer than 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. Those aren’t great numbers considering they average 1,800 mg of sodium apiece, but that’s all you’ve got to work with.

      D-
      Baja Fresh
      It’s a surprise Baja Fresh’s menu has yet to collapse under the weight of its own fatty fare. About a third of the items on the menu have more than 1,000 calories, and most of them are spiked with enough sodium to melt a polar icecap. Order the Shrimp Burrito Dos Manos Enchilado-Style, for instance, and you’re looking at 5,130 mg sodium?that’s more than 2 days’ worth in one sitting!

      SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Unless you’re comfortable stuffing 110 grams of fat into your arteries, avoid the nachos at all costs. In fact, avoid almost everything on this menu. The only safe options are the tacos, or a salad topped with salsa verde and served without the belly-busting tortilla bowl.

      D-
      Baja Fresh
      It’s a surprise Baja Fresh’s menu has yet to collapse under the weight of its own fatty fare. About a third of the items on the menu have more than 1,000 calories, and most of them are spiked with enough sodium to melt a polar icecap. Order the Shrimp Burrito Dos Manos Enchilado-Style, for instance, and you’re looking at 5,130 mg sodium?that’s more than 2 days’ worth in one sitting!

      SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Unless you’re comfortable stuffing 110 grams of fat into your arteries, avoid the nachos at all costs. In fact, avoid almost everything on this menu. The only safe options are the tacos, or a salad topped with salsa verde and served without the belly-busting tortilla bowl.

      Read the entire article, here.

      Cholesterol, Diets, Foods products, Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Boost Your Metabolism

      March 20, 2009 /

      Men?s Fitness.com details a couple ways to help give your metabolism a boost.

      WaterDrink More Water
      When researchers measured people’s metabolic rate before and after downing about 16 ounces of water, they found a rise in calorie-burning capability. The water had a lasting effect as well: Even after 30 minutes, drinkers were using 30% more calories than those who stayed dry.

      Eat, Then Sweat
      You must eat to get lean. Digesting food and absorbing and storing nutrients requires energy. Severely restricting calories dials back your metabolic rate. Plus, starving yourself eventually drives your body to break down muscle tissue to satisfy energy needs, further lowering calorie-burning. Boost the burn by working out just after eating a meal or substantial snacks.

      And Eat Again
      Divide daily calories into three meals and two snacks. Research suggests men who eat more frequently throughout the day are leaner than those who consume meals at irregular times.

      Pack in the Protein
      Protein keeps you fuller longer. Plus, your body uses more calories digesting protein than it does breaking down carbs or fat. High-quality protein from foods such as eggs, lean meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy also ups levels of the amino acid leucine in your body, which is essential for maintaining muscle and burning calories.

      Consider Caffeine
      A Harvard study of more than 19,000 men found those who got 200 milligrams of caffeine a day (the amount in four cans of cola or eight ounces of coffee) were less likely to gain weight over a 12-year period than those who didn’t. Caffeine helps stimulate fat use, especially during exercise.

      To check out more nutrition articles from Men?s Fitness.com, click here.

      Nutrition, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Test your strength with the Deadlift

      March 16, 2009 /

      Men?s Fitness.com put together a strength test using your one rep max for the deadlift exercise.

      HOW IT’S DONE
      Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, your toes facing straight ahead. Squat down and grab the bar with an outside-shoulder-width, palms-down grip [1]. Keep your lower back in its natural arch, and drive your heels into the fl oor and push your hips forward, lifting the bar as you rise until it’s in front of your thighs [2]. Reverse the motion and return the bar to the fl oor. That’s one rep.

      THE TEST
      Estimate your deadlift one-rep max?the most weight you can lift for one rep?and compare it to the calculations below.

      Your 1RM (one-rep max) is…
      ? Less than your body weight = Damn, you’re weak
      ? 1.25 x your body weight = You’re average
      ? 1.5 x body weight = You’re pretty strong
      ? 2 x body weight = You’re a beast!

      A 200-pound guy who can deadlift 300 pounds for one rep is pretty strong. If your number falls in the weak or average categories, see below for tips on how to bring it up.

      Click here to see MF.com?s guide to deadlifting more weight.

      Exercise, General fitness, General training, Legs, Men's Health and Wellness, Power lifting, Specific workouts, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

      Rolling Triceps Extension

      March 11, 2009 /

      Men’s Fitness.com breaks down the rolling tricpes extension and why it’s ideal for building arm size and strength.

      Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on a bench with your arms locked out above your chest [1]. Bend your elbows until the dumbbells touch your shoulders, then “roll” your shoulders back so that your elbows go beside your head and you feel a stretch in your triceps and your lats. Reverse the motion by contracting your lats and triceps simultaneously to pull your arms forward and lock out your elbows [2]. That’s one rep.

      Why It Works Essentially a combination of the lying triceps extension and pullover, the rolling extension allows you to use more weight as a result of the involvement of the lats. Perform the exercise for 10-12 reps, as going too heavy for low reps can be stressful on the elbow joint. Do not explosively lock out your elbows. “This is best used at the end of your workout,” says Ferruggia, “as a finisher after dips or bench presses.”

      Arms, Bodybuilding, Exercise, General training, Specific workouts, Weight training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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