GYM FOOD HEALTH ON MAX

What You Need to Know: Squatting with the feet straight forward requires more mobility, but it is  NOT  the most effective foot placement for squats for most individuals. During the squat, the entire lower extremity, including the thigh, lower leg, and foot should be in a straight line to optimize loading potential. The squat involves moving the barbell in a linear path. Attempting to willfully externally rotate the hip or shove the knees out beyond the line of the foot to create torque during the movement complicates the lift and wastes energy,  leaving pounds on the platform . The optimal squat foot placement will vary depending on the individual’s stance width, hip anatomy, and lift variation. The vast majority of professional squatters, both powerlifters and Olympic athletes, squat with  SOME  degree of toe out. Why shouldn’t you? Optimal foot placement for squats is imperative, as it serves as a vital base of stability. However, it seems as if there ar...

  Vitamin A Studies have found that vitamin A can keep the immune system from being overactive and causing inflammation. 1  Vitamin A is available in two forms: Beta-carotene is a provitamin that is converted into vitamin A in the body, and  vitamin A  is an antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals. Diets rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A can help to reduce inflammation. Food Sources Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, dandelion, kale, collard greens, spinach, and a wide variety of leafy vegetables. B Vitamins People with low vitamin B6 will often have high levels of  C-reactive protein , another compound responsible for inflammation, especially in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. 2 To reduce inflammation and increase vitamin B6, try consuming foods high in B vitamins, including kale, bell peppers, mushrooms, cantaloupe, tuna, and poultry. One study found even low doses of  folic acid  (also know...

Fat and muscle in the neck area It’s ideal to have a thick neck that’s caused by muscle instead of fat. A thick neck should be the result of built-up muscle mass that comes from proper physical activity and a  healthy diet . You can tell the difference between fat and muscle by how it looks and feels. Fat on the neck will be softer to the touch, and the skin will be looser. A muscular neck will look and feel strong, especially when it’s flexed. Having excess fat in the neck area is associated with certain risks, especially if it’s due to obesity. If you have a thick neck, you may have more narrow airways in the throat. This can increase your risk of  sleep apnea . According to this  2010 study , larger neck circumferences are associated with increased cardiometabolic risks. This research indicates that upper-body fat may be a unique pathogenic fat depot. Further studies are needed to expand upon these findings. Neck fat can be caused by being overweight or obe...

If your body was a country club for supplements, you'd see glutamine everywhere: chilling by the pool, hobnobbing with directors, and playing entirely too much tennis. As the most abundant amino acid in the body, glutamine can be found in muscle tissue, plasma, and in nearly every animal product you ingest. On average, it constitutes a little more than five percent of the amino acids found in animal-derived protein sources such as meats, dairy products, and eggs. That may not sound like much, but make no doubt: Glutamine is critically important to a wide range of bodily processes. Something this important has to be an "essential" acid, right? Not exactly.  Glutamine  is considered "conditionally essential." This means your body can produce enough to meet its needs under normal circumstances, but not always. In other words, you need to consume dietary sources of glutamine under certain circumstances when your body is under extreme duress. As a supplement, glutami...

  Overview Even after we stop growing, adults still need growth hormone. Growth hormone is a protein made by the pituitary gland and released into the blood. Growth hormone plays a role in healthy muscle, how our bodies collect fat (especially around the stomach area), the ratio of high density to low density lipoproteins in our cholesterol levels and bone density. In addition, growth hormone is needed for normal brain function. A person who has too little adult growth hormone will have symptoms that include: A higher level of body fat, especially around the waist Anxiety and depression Decreased sexual function and interest Fatigue Feelings of being isolated from other people Greater sensitivity to heat and cold Less muscle (lean body mass) Less strength, stamina and ability to exercise without taking a rest Reduced bone density and a tendency to have more bone fractures as they get older Changes in the make up of the blood cholesterol. People with adult growth hormone...

  Your leg day workout is crucial in achieving a symmetrical, good looking physique. Ready to grow? Here’s your mass-building leg workout! It’s all too common for people to skip a leg day. Because… well… leg workouts are hard, and then there’s the all too familiar “waddle” that comes in the days to follow. But here’s the thing… when you hit your legs hard enough to make them grow, the rest of you usually gets bigger, leaner, and more muscular, too! This all-around muscle-building leg workout is built around the best exercises for quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Hit it with everything you’ve got once a week, and it will be enough! Ready to build and toughen up those chicken legs? Let’s get to work! Just remember: if you are looking to build your dream physique, you have pay some attention to ALL muscle groups! You can dial in your entire training week with Vince’s other Ultimate workouts: Monday:  Ultimate Chest & Triceps Tuesday:  Ultimate Back & Bicep...

The back has a (potentially confusing) number of groups, including an overall extrinsic layer that mainly moves the upper extremity and helps with breathing, plus an overall intrinsic layer, tasked with moving the spine itself. Inside each of these main layer divisions are more layers and/or muscle groups. The  superficial layer  contains muscles with which you may be familiar like your lats, rhomboids or  paraspinals  (just to name a few). But when we get into the intrinsics, and especially the deep layer of the intrinsics, we may be talking about muscles you haven't heard of before. Let’s unpack. The Deep Intrinsic Layer Muscles The deep intrinsic layer belongs, as the name suggests, to the overall intrinsic layer. (The other intrinsic layers are the superficial and intermediate.) Also as the name suggests, the muscles in the deep intrinsic layer are the ones located most closely to the spine, when you compare them to the other back...

To build a solid upper chest , you’ll need to work out with purpose. The best upper chest exercises take into account the movement of the arms and position of the body. If you’ve had trouble building a complete chest, then this is an article you must read. This post breaks down the anatomy and benefits of working the upper chest, plus tips and tricks that will have you achieve a chest that Superman would be jealous of. Read on for the best 12 upper chest exercises and how to program them into your workout. WHAT IS THE UPPER CHEST? The upper chest is a portion of the pectoralis major called the clavicular head. The muscle fibers in the upper chest run along a different angle than the lower chest or sternocostal head. Due to the structure and function of the upper chest, you will need to perform exercises that are tailored to stimulate it. Put simply, you will want to perform upper chest exercises that involve some degree of shoulder flexion and horizontal shoulder adduction....