Build Your Traps And Fortify Your Form

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To build your traps, you must understand that it’s not only for the sheer anatomical aesthetic that it brings, but it helps provide good body functions as well.

Build your traps the right way

It is important to understand that the traps not only supports shoulder girdle and developing the yoke, it also aids in most exercise pulls and balances loads. The traps also increase stability of the entire shoulder structure.

Barbell Shrug

Also known as the most classic of all routines that provide for a good and strong trap physique.

Stand with the legs apart shoulder width and knees slightly bent while creating a solid support base. Grab a moderately loaded barbell using a double overhand grip with the arms pointed straight down. Avoid moving the hands closer together or more wider apart to prevent stressing the shoulder joints.

As you look straight ahead, shrug the weight straight up towards the ears. Make sure not to circle, rotate or row the shoulders and squeeze hard at the top for one count and return under control for a stretch without dropping the weight off your shoulders.

Dumbbell Shrug

This exercise allows you to alter the movement of the pressure to develop different areas of the traps. Start with the dumbbells slightly in front of the thighs and as the weight is lifted, rotate the dumbbells slightly to the sides and the weight is raised.

Squeeze the weight back up simultaneously and return it the same way in the opposite direction to avoid letting go of the weight. Ensure that you always keep complete control of the movement and avoid bouncing or skipping the weights to avoid injuries.

Clean

Cleans are equally important as the shrugs if you need to up the ante on developing traps strength and structure. Using hang cleans and power cleans can give you the most benefits that fit the bill. If you want to add more power, increase your overall upper body strength.

Pull a loaded barbell with strength and accuracy to stimulate fast-twitch muscle fibers and create new neural pathways to support other lifts in the process of building the traps.

Barbell Upright Row

This is also considered as the multi-joint shoulder developer that stimulates all three deltoid heads and is also a good traps builder. This movement is dependent on the hand placement and angle of the pull, where the upright row becomes the crucial part for the exercise arsenal.

Take a grip shoulder width or slightly wider than shoulder width to prevent any injury. Pull straight up with the elbows high and avoiding too much weight to prevent deteriorating the form.

Dumbbell Upright Row

Begin the movement with the dumbbells situated in front of the thighs and raise it up straight with the elbows high and the hands just in front of the body. Then squeeze the deltoids and the traps at the top just before returning back with full control.

Face Pull

Grab a rope attached to a cable pulley. Pull the rope from a high pulley and maintain it at eye level all throughout the routine. As you pull closer to the face, split the rope handles to squeeze the deltoids and traps.

Resistance bands can also work if you do not have a pulley apparatus when working out at home.

Just use light to moderate weight as you start and make sure you master the mechanics of the exercise before putting in more weight.

Kettlebell Front Swing

Make sure to drive the weight up using the hips and aim to stabilize your weight with the shoulder area using the traditional kettlebell swing. This will help stimulate your upper back, deltoids and traps.

Planning your traps workouts

Here are some good tarps workout routines that can be suited to your level, so make the most of it and have fun.

Beginner Trap Program

Intermediate Trap Program

Total Trap Punisher

Do the circuit with a 60 second rest after each circuit. Aim for 3 to 5 circuits.

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Alwheys Good®

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Our great tasting whey protein cookie was inspired by our search for a good, clean, alternative protein snack – that’s when our whey protein cookie was born. The cold processed whey protein in our cookie retains crucial amino acids and nutrients, making it a “good for you” cookie, while the combo of our other natural ingredients make it delicious. Alwheys Good® is a mother-daughter company with a mission bigger than just baking, as a portion of our profits are donated to Spinal Cord Injury research and related charities. – S & J

• Undenatured, non–GMO whey protein from grass-fed, hormone-free cows can improve immune health.
• Cold processed whey protein from raw milk only gets pasteurized once at the end of the production process, boosting maximum absorption and retention.
• Cold processing retains crucial amino acids and nutrients for cellular growth and repair, and promotes glutathione levels.
• One time pasteurization gives it a higher protein profile compared to most whey protein, which is pasteurized twice.

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Body Fortress

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Body Fortress^® provides the core of every athlete’s regimen: Premium Whey Protein Powder to help build muscle, High Performance Creatine to increase power, strength and recovery, 100% Pure Glutamine to fuel your muscles, and Advanced NOS to support Nitric Oxide Synthesis.*

Body Fortress^® Supplements are premium alternatives to overpriced bodybuilding supplements. Sports products you need, at a price you can afford.

Body Fortress^® Supplements are Manufactured According to cGMP Standards as Required for All Dietary Supplements.

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Wellness Programs For Stress Needed In The Workplace

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Wellness programs for stress need to be mandatory in workplaces nowadays as it has been shown to increase risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and even mental problems.

Wellness programs for stress is needed for better physical and mental health

A study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and NPR.Org, reveals that a significant number of working adults in the United States agree that stress is indeed a critical health issue at work.

Although more than half of those who participated in the study say that their workplaces have wellness programs and facilities, only less than half of them participate in it.

Even these are not ordinary programs, but are varied options like weight management, nutrition, diet, gym discounts, quit smoking drives, assistance for support for rehabilitation and disease management programs.

There are also programs that focus on stress reduction and studies show that these programs provide a good support system to help people cope with the pressures of work and the ever-increasing productivity demands of the workplace.

Effects of stress takes its toll on employees

“There’s a recognition that the cost of burnout — either in the form of lower productivity or, in extreme cases, the loss of employees — is more costly” than taking steps to reduce stress, says Diane Domeyer, executive director of the staffing firm The Creative Group.

Still, employers need not be discouraged about the turnout as many industry experts believe that programs like these continue to promote a support mechanism to help prevent incidents the result from stress and pressures at work.

Studies show that there are indeed a lot of health-related concerns that are associated with workplace stress resulting to high employee turnover, absenteeism, low productivity, low morale and low motivation, among others.

Wellness and preventive medicine can help reduce healthcare costs

“Health care costs to a company are now a major issue, whereas it used to be an afterthought,” says Dr. Tim Church, a preventive medicine specialist and chief medical officer for ACAP Health Consulting. “As health care costs continue to skyrocket, it’s the American employers who are taking the brunt of these costs.”

Work-related stress, according to an extensive study by the University of Cambridge points out it can largely impact physical, emotional, intellectual and behavioural issues among people.

These conditions include sleep problems, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and a whole lot of other medical conditions.

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Human Brain Development Helps Combine Life’s Lessons For Living

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Human brain development highlights the significance of learning experiences during the first two to four years and a stage where memories are believed to be short term and quickly forgotten, though not all. This is known as infantile insomnia.

Human brain development in stages

Just like the body visibly takes shape as time moves on, so does the functions of the brain and how it develops from birth up until the stage of full mental functionality, which in fact, does not get fully stimulated until it reaches a certain age.

In a study published by researchers from the New York University’s Center for Neural Science, the researchers aimed their study at determining the various stages of the human brain and its functional development.

“What our findings tell us is that children’s brains need to get enough and healthy activation even before they enter pre-school,” says study lead Cristina Alberini, a professor in NYU’s Center for Neural Science. “Without this, the neurological system runs the risk of not properly developing learning and memory functions.”

Findings were highly promising with lab rats

Focusing their attention on mechanisms of infantile memory among rats, where the researchers examined memories 17 days after birth, which is equivalent to human age of three years. This is also the stage where episodic memories are created and when infantile amnesia is likely to occur.

The researchers believe that this is in fact the stage where adults would be unable to retrieve episodic memories the occurred during this period of infancy.

They also compared this with the rat’s infantile memory at 24 days old and relatively the same period equivalent to roughly six to nine years of human age where long term memories are likely to be retained and recalled.

The memory stimulus ranged from a very mild foot shock when entering a ‘shock’ compartment and a separate ‘safe’ compartment within the same box , with their heads turned opposite the compartment entrance. The lab rats were then made to choose between the two compartments after 10 seconds and the results were telling.

The older rats were able to retain the location of the ‘safe’ compartment and were quick to stay away from the ‘shock’ compartment. However, the younger rats could not tell which one would have been the safe haven for them.

However, regardless of how the younger ones were able to keep a trace of the memory of being shocked through some faint memories of the shock treatment through the neurological response of being able to develop learning through all experiences in early life but were not able to recall how it actually occurred.

“Early in life, while the brain cannot efficiently form long-term memories, it is ‘learning’ how to do so, making it possible to establish the abilities to memorize long-term,” explains one of the researchers. “However, the brain needs stimulation through learning so that it can get in the practice of memory formation—without these experiences, the ability of the neurological system to learn will be impaired.”

They added that the findings of the study will be able to help future research on brain development and learning disabilities.

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Colouring Books Obsession Found To Reduce Stress

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Colouring books obsession has not just become a fad for adults but has also spurred interest among all age groups and gave rise to phenomenal sales in the past few years.

Colouring books obsession taking art to new heights

Data from Nielsen BookScan reveals that the demand for adult colouring books started to surge last year when they reported a staggering volume of 12 million copies sold where there was only 1 million sold back in 2014.

The rising trend can be attributed to many adults seeing the benefits of de-stressing with the activity and finding it fun and engaging.

Colouring books versus art

While some researchers agree that there are indeed benefits and disadvantages over the resurgence of colouring book activities, they also suggest that it is better to draw than colour to enhance creativity.

Many people often associate early memorable experiences during childhood about colouring books and other childhood pastimes.

But researchers, including some parents, are asking if there are in any educational or health benefits that this popular pastime could offer, considering that no extensive studies have yet been conducted on this.

“I would say that for a child, colouring books are more likely to engage children’s creativity and active enthusiasm,” says Dr. Richard House, a psychologist and book author. “Whereas for adults they are far more likely to have a stress-reducing effect, giving adults a pleasant vehicle for escaping, for a short time at least, from the manic, time-poor lives that we increasingly lead.”

Good stress reducer

“Expressing ourselves through art can significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in our bodies,” says study co-author Girija Kaimal, assistant professor of creative arts therapies at Drexel University.

“One of the things that many adults in the study commented on was that they have had no opportunities to engage in art-making as adults,” says Kaimal. “This is an unfortunate and sad part of our current Western and modern life. We are separated from the everyday arts activities we engaged in when we were a less modernized society.”

The study involved some 39 adult participants with ages ranging from 18 to 25 and were asked to do an activity involving colour, clay modelling or create art collages for 45 minutes.

They discovered that cortisol levels of 75% of the volunteers dropped during the period of the art session, resulting to less stimulus for stress in the brain.

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Foods To Eliminate From Your Diet For Very Good Reasons

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Foods to eliminate from your diet can be a popular breakfast item or a favourite snack that you eat everyday, but it is important to know what these are in order to avoid any of its harmful effects.

Common foods to eliminate from your diet

With the market full of enticing food varieties-  good and bad, it is essential for us to know what the unhealthiest foods in the world are so we can stay away from it and avoid consuming it.

While we think of food as nourishment for our bodies, we also need to know what is good for us and what is not, but in today’s world of food influenced by the demand for innovation and novelty, we often get blinded by what is pleasing to the eyes rather than what is needed by our bodies.

Coloured jellies and sugary candies

Coloured jellies and sugary candies are one of the biggest culprits of non-healthy food in fact, they do not contain any nutritional value at all, causing the body more harm and no good at all.

Made mostly, if not totally, of processed sugar that is known to cause high glucose levels in the blood and trigger obesity, they are also mostly made with colouring agents and flavours from chemical additives that have been known to cause certain allergies or even behavioural issues.

Jellies, on the other hand are also made of sugar and gelatine, which may be sources from questionable products.

Good alternatives for these sweet treat would be dried fruits or edible flowers, or look for organic jellies and candies that are made with consideration to regulated amounts of nutrients for the body as well as made with organic additives and ingredients.

Soda beverages

Soda beverages are also among those that contain large amounts of sugar and could also be harmful to the body and yes…even the ‘diet’ varieties.

While diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners, too much of these additives in the system can result to kidney or even brain issues- disadvantages that far outweigh the benefits.

You can opt for a more natural beverage with natural fruit juices or a  slice of lemon on a glass of iced water, of if you want a soda-like feel, get as little organic sarsaparilla cordial and mix with purified or mineral water on ice.

Vegetable oils

Commonly used for frying food, vegetable oils were thought to be healthy because it has very little to no cholesterols. Having too much vegetable oil in the system can cause you to have more omega 6 fatty acids which can be dangerous and increase the risk of inflammation. Not to be confused with omega 3 fatty acids, Omega 6 needs to be balanced with proper amounts of Omega3 to neutralize the negative effects of Omega 6 in the body.

It has been known to increase risks of heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis , among others.

Processed meats

Processed deli meats like hams, sausages, etc. These cured and preserved cuts of meat have been enjoyed throughout the centuries but should only be taken in moderation.

Loaded with salt, nitrites and sodium nitrates linked with problems in the kidneys, cardiovascular system and high blood pressure. Tests have also shown that these meats also contain chemical compounds that aggravate chronic diseases and may trigger cancer cells in the body.

If taken in moderation, alternative choices could be smoked wild salmon or organic pastrami.

You may start the day with something heavy and filling, but try to steer clear of sweet and sugary cereals. These cereals are loaded with sugar that is enough to boost calories in the body. Some brands were also found to contain Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHA) that are banned in some countries due to its carcinogenic properties.

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