Fitness Articles of the Week #7

Every weekend I publish a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week. Here are my favorites.


How I Lost 25 Lbs. in 3 Months

This is my own personal essay of how I lost 25 lbs. in three months while doing the Transformation Challenge from Bodybuilding.com. This goes through my exact routine, my diet and the supplements I used while on the program. How could I not mention it in my weekly roundup? 😉


Hack Your Muscles: Comparing the Best Post-Workout Beverages

What should you drink after a hard workout? Maybe milk, maybe cherry juice. Many people choose sports drinks and flavored waters. This article also discusses the use of cherry juice and even beer. Personally, I drink a protein shake with L-glutamine and creatine.


Athletes Get Faster Recovery With Weird Yoga Exercise

I’m not sure I care for the sensationalist title of this article because if you think the seated twist is weird, you probably think any yoga move is weird. Anyway, I’ve seen a few videos from Julie Downey and they’re always good, despite that she takes FOREVER to get to the point. Check out this video on doing the seated twist which Julie claims to help increase respiratory capacity.


3 Massage Therapy Benefits That Helps Exercise Recovery

For a long time, massage has been used to aid in recovery after hard workouts. Some studies say they are beneficial and others claim them to be pointless or to even have a negative impact on recovery. This article was written by someone with tons of experience, so I definitely suggest reading it.


Going Meatless – Post from Raul of VegLatino

This is an interesting interview with a Raul, a long-time vegetarian since 2006. He discusses how and why he became a vegetarian, the myths of meat being a nutritional requirement and finding things to eat when you’re on a meatless diet.


Do You Think Liposuction Will Get Rid of That Fat Forever?

This study shows that people who have had a liposuction procedure eventually see fat return within a year, which is redistributed to other areas of the body. The cosmetic shape benefit is usually retained, but liposuction is not a weight loss procedure.


Sitting is Not Bad For You

The news and the internet has been chock-full of information lately about how sitting all day can increase the chance of heart attack, so it’s nice to see an article on the other side of the coin. This article says that you shouldn’t stay in one posture all day, sitting or standing. Sounds like good advice to me.


6 Reasons Yoga’s Great for Guys

There are some great points in this article. I love yoga personally, but I always hear from my friends about how they don’t think it’s worth adding to their routine because it won’t build muscle or make you stronger. How wrong they are.


Get Rid of That Stitch in Your Side with This Three Minute Fix

Don’t you hate getting a side-stitch in the middle of a good run? Here are some quick tips to fix it. One method that I use that wasn’t mentioned and has seems to work for me is changing my breath to inhale/exhale opposite of the leg that was hitting the ground previously. It’s just something I heard a long time ago and started to do.


Joy’s Recipe Revamp: Banana Bread

Mmm, nutritionist approved banana bread. I can’t wait to make this one.


10 surprisingly healthy treats

If you have a sweet tooth and need some healthy options to keep you away from fatty desserts, check out these 10 recipes. These all look delicious.


Gym In a Bag Review (Minimalist Home Gym)

This is an awesome idea, but this official version is too expensive. They are selling the “Gym in a Bag” for $90, but I bet you could put this together with the stuff you need for less than $50.


No Blender? No Worries! 5 Novel Uses for Protein Powder

If you’re not the type of person who likes to drink their protein, consider using it in your food instead. I’ve actually made variations of two of the recipes in this article; protein pancakes and protein fruit dip. Both are awesome and tasty!


Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness by Robert Cheeke Review

I’m definitely considering switching to a vegan lifestyle sometime in the future, but I want to do lots of research first to make sure I have a supplement and nutrition plan in place to make sure I stay as strong as possible. This review looks like it has pointed me in the right direction for one of the first books I should be ordering.

Fitness Articles of the Week #6

image courtesy of nate steiner

Every weekend I publish a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week. Here are my favorites.

Another Side of Tilapia, the Perfect Factory Fish

This is very important information that anyone who’s eating Tilapia needs to know. I hate the taste of all seafood but because of the perceived health benefits and bland taste, I started eating tilapia a few months ago. Then I started doing some research and found out all I needed to know about tilapia farming to make the decision to stop eating it. Farmed tilapia pretty much loses most nutritional value and isn’t worth the purchase.


Shed While You Shred: 8 Fat-Burning Workout Tips

These are some great tips, all of which I’ve had to learn during my own journey of becoming physically fit. You should keep all of these tips in mind if you want to burn fat, not just a choice few.


Cable Built: 8 Moves For Massive Muscle

I’m actually not a big user of cable machines, but I have nothing against them. It just seems like more can be done with free weights. I like to change up my routine to keep from being bored though, so these moves will see some rotation in my regimen soon.


Vegetarian Diets Reduce Cataract Risk

Another reason to consider a vegetarian diet. I’m still gonna eat meat for now, but good info nonetheless 😉


Three Good Indoor Bike Trainer Workouts

I absolutely love cycling, but I think “spinning” is the most boring cardio exercise ever. I’ve noticed though that when I do any type of cardio exercise, using a type of plan such as intervel training can make time fly and is actually enjoyable. These three workouts look like they would do that job perfectly.


Does Compression Gear Really Help Recovery & Performance, Or Is It All Just A Silly Ploy To Get Us To Dress Up In Stretchy Pants?

I have a pair of compression shorts that I use when I go cycling and pair of compression pants for cold mornings. I always saw other cyclists wearing them so I started doing some research on benefits and they seemed to work. This article goes through 17 different studies related to performance improvements and compression clothing. Each summary is short so you’ll be able to quickly get the information you need to decide on if you should buy some stretchy pants. I like mine, and never go cycling without them. I also found them beneficial to wear under my workout shorts when taking yoga classes at the gym to prevent any unintentional flashing.


Top 10 Probiotic Foods

Probiotics seem to be gaining in popularity a lot lately but it’s not something that I’ve really picked up on yet. Everything I read seems to suggest probiotics are great. If you’re looking to add some beneficial bacteria to your diet, read this article for some ideas of probiotic foods to add to your diet. I’ll be honest – a lot of these foods don’t sound too appetizing to me. I love yogurt though!


Warrior Blog : P90X Before & After Pictures!

These are some awesome before and after photos from the P90X program.


The Tabata Method, Perfected

I first read about the Tabata method in a Muscle & Fitness magazine several months ago and I’ve been wanting to try it out. The entire workout is only 4 minutes long. It looks simple on paper, but I know that it’s gonna be super-tough.


GAIAM Desk Yoga Neck Shoulder

Rodney Yee is the king of yoga. I actually have two of his DVDs, which I’ve reviewed previously and continue to use regularly. Check out this new series on YouTube to get some great, relaxing stretches that you can do right at your desk.


New Evidence That Caffeine Is a Healthful Antioxidant in Coffee

There are so many conflicting studies about the benefits of caffeine, it’s hard to determine whether or not we should be drinking it. This recent study claims that caffeine is good. I’m not sure myself, but I’m going to continue getting my caffeine fix from my pre-workout formula, N.O. Explode in addition to the occasional cup of tea.


Gym in Spain’s Basque region offers naked workouts

Due to the recession and in hopes of bringing in a new type of customer, Easy Gym in Spain has started offering the option for nudists to come in and workout completely naked. It’s an interesting idea for sure, but I think it’s disgusting.


Scientists: we can make bad fat turn into good fat

This study showed that when a protein called hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) was suppressed in rats, they lost weight, even after being fed a high fat diet. If they can get this to work in humans, it would be huge.


The super-smoothie: Scientists devise blend of 13 fruit juices so good for you it could lower heart disease risk

Sounds like a delicious smoothie if you can find the ingredients.


Is Greek Yogurt Healthier Than Regular Yogurt?

I’ve never eaten greek yogurt or done any research on it so this was a helpful article for me. I’ve heard people say that greek yogurt is disgusting so I’ve never had a desire to buy it, but it looks like it packs quite a bit of protein. Maybe I’ll pick some up this weekend to give it a shot.