Biceps Day!!

Chances are, the very first time you entered the gym, you went through the arms workout. Its obvious because everybody wants a great looking arms as they are the most visible part of our body. Whatever be the goal, the concern is are you really getting most out of your arms training?

To get the best out of it, it is very important to learn about the arm muscle anatomy, how they work, how they move and so on.

So here is a brief on the anatomy of the arm muscles(talking only about biceps here!):

Biceps is the double headed muscle that lies in between the shoulder and the elbow in the anterior portion. Biceps is basically formed up of two sets of muscles they are Biceps brachii and Brachialis.

Brachii is located at the frontal part of the upper arm between shoulder and elbow. It assists the elbow motion( mostly curling motion).

Brachialis is a small muscle located over the lower portion of the upper arm that connect the bottom half of the bicep to the forearm. It helps in elbow flexion.

Barbell Curl




Hit the 3 sets of barbell curl( 1st set 12 reps, 2nd set 10 reps, 3rd set 8 reps) in the beginning of the biceps day. Barbell curl enhances the growth of biceps.

- Stand straight with your chest out and hold the barbell with shoulder wide grip such that the palm faces forward.
- Curl the barbell  upward and forward keeping your upper arm steady.(make sure that only your upper arm is moving).
- Squeeze the biceps as much as possible when you are curling.(make sure the bar is at shoulder level)
- Slowly bring the bar back to its starting position.

Well i forgot to mention earlier,  increase the weight you are lifting in each set. make sure the final 8 reps set is heavier than the initial 12 reps set.

Watermelon- Beat the heat!!

One thing I love about summer isssssss Watermelon!!!! Beside the heat, its the watermelon seeds that bothers me during summer. For me, the secret behind 'beat the summer heat' is refreshing watermelon.

Watermelons are tender, warm season fruits. They can be grown anywhere given the temperature is warm. This sweet tasting juicy reddish fruits is composed of above 90% of water.  This the reason that watermelons help to combat the scorching sun and provide refreshment.

Watermelons are rich in vitamins, minerals and organic compounds. The vitamin components comprises of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6. The minerals such as calcium, magnesium and large amount of potassium are present in them. Besides, the very important fiber, protein, thiamine, niacin and a wide variety of carotenoids can be found in a watermelon.



The health benefits of watermelon are:

- Hydration
Since watermelon is composed of above 90% of water, it keeps the body hydrated.

- Prevent muscle soreness
Watermelon helps to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery time in athletes because of presence of amino acid L-citrulline.

- Prevent Heart Strokes:
The magnesium and potassium components of watermelon helps in reduction of blood pressure and body temperature.  This definitely helps in preventing the serious heart strokes.

Leg Day!!

Ever been taunted of 'Chicken Legs'?  Nightmare eh?? Thats what happens if you are too lazy to hit the legs. My suggestion-  Make leg your best day!!

Before I begin lets go slightly through legs anatomy.

It comprises of 3 set of strong muscle fiber:

-Quads
There are 3 sets of quads(Rectus Femoris, Vastus Laterallis, vastus Mediallis).  These muscle sets extends all the way from hip to the knee wrapping the femur from the front. their basic function is for extension and flexion when hip is extended.

-Hamstrings
Hamstrings exists as a group of semitendinosus, semimembranosus, bicep femoris muscles.  These extends from buttocks to the knee in the back side of the thigh. It assists in movement of knee and hips.

-Calves
Calves are the group of two sets of muscles fiber namely gastrocnemius, soleus. They are located in the back portion of the lower leg. They are the diamond shaped muscle people refer to as. They assists the movement of ankle.

Barbell Squat



-Hold the barbell up in your traps with chest out and head facing forward.
-Keep distance between your legs.
- Bend your upper body downwards keeping your lower legs(below knee) still. You can as well move your knees forward. Anyways, the goal is to keep the torso as upright as possible.
- Make sure when you are down, the body weight is on the front of the heel.
- Take the reverse for upward motion.

Why Oats??

Doesn't sound interesting but Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods for you. It is very healthy breakfast option to gain the strength and energy to survive the hectic morning schedule.

Oats are cereal grain that can be grown even in very difficult  soil condition where other crops are unable to prosper.  Though it is not very popular for it taste or state, it is highly nutritious fiber grain.

Oats are the rich source of fiber which helps in muscle building.  Oats also contain beta- glucan which is a lipid lowering agent. Besides, oats contain a wide range of nutrients like fiber, vitamin E, fatty acids, etc and minerals like manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus,  copper etc.


Some of the amazing benefits of oats are:

-Prevent constipation
Oats are the rich source of soluble and insoluble fibers. Fibers are responsible for effective bowel movements that ultimately prevents constipation.

-Lowers Cholesterol level
Oats is popular for beta- glucan that plays very important role in maintaining the cholesterol level of the body.  Once the cholesterol level is maintained, it minimizes the risk of heart strokes, blood clots etc.

-Energy production
Oats are highly enriched with magnesium which is key to energy production. The high level of magnesium nourish the body's proper use of insulin and glucose.

-Control blood sugar level
The complex carbohydrate and high fiber slower down the conversion of complex food to sugar component and beta- glucan delays the fall in blood sugar level before the mean and rise after a meal.

Chest Day

Of all the days, I love chest day the most. I personally  feel chest's workout is more fun than others. Doesn't mean that you  only hit chest hard and skip the rest.

Before beginning with the workout, let us first go thoroughly through chest anatomy.

Human chest is composed of two sets of muscle fibers; pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. These muscle start at the clavicle and insert at the sternum and he armpit area. The chest functions with contraction and relaxation of these muscles. The main function of chest is to assist the arm motion.

Barbell Bench Press


I thought about some really good tips to share with you guys about bench press because bench press is one of the popular exercise for hitting chest. Bench press is a must workout for monster chest.

- Lie down on a flat bench keeping an arc on the back.
- Grab the barbel just outside your shoulders.
- As you perform the movement, bring the barbell down all the way to your sternum(middle chest)
- Now while you press the bar up, push through your arm and feet so its more than your arms going up and down and then push through your core.
- While you are pressing; from the starting position, breath in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your chest.
- Take a slight pause and push out the bar breathing out slowly.

Try three sets of barbell bench press, first with 12 repetitions, 2nd 10 reps and 3rd with 8 reps in the beginning of chest work out. This sure helps in significant growth of the major pectoralis ultimately giving you huge chests!!

Fruit of the Angels- Papaya

Papaya, my favorite, once considered exotic, they are now available in the market throughout the year. Columbus must have loved it dearly; that must be the reason he called papaya 'Fruit of Angels'.  Deliciously sweet with a vibrant color, papaya is one of the popular fruits all around the world.

Papaya grow in tropical climate. They are oval or pear- shaped fruits weighing about 1-2 pounds. Their flesh is rich orange color and is heavenly soft, butter- like consistency with a musky taste. The core of papaya is an empty cavity surrounded by black round seeds encased in gelatinous-like  substance. 

Besides the taste, papaya is has very high nutritional value.  Basically, the fruit contains an enzyme called papin that has greater role in protein digestion. It is considered that ripe papayas have higher concentration of papin than that of unripe papayas. Besides papin, papaya is rich source of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, B, carotenes, pantothenic acid and minerals like copper, potassium, magnesium etc. 

 

Some of the health related benefits of papaya are:
- Promote Digestive health
The nutrients of papaya are very helpful in prevention of colon cancer. Papaya stimulates in production of digestion enzymes.

-Boost Immune System
Papaya's carotenes triggers the production of Vitamin C and A in body that are responsible to strengthen the body immunity agains antigens.

-Asthma Prevention
Beta-carotene contents of papaya lowers the risk of developing asthma in people who consume papaya.

-Skin
Papaya promotes faster wound healing and  prevent infection in burned areas.  Papin enzymes are considered very good for the skin.