This isolation exercise helps build strength in you triceps as you pull on the pulley with the use of just one arm. This exercise can be done by beginners and it is a great way to target a weak arm.


Photo: lululemon athletica

Be sure to perform your stretches and warm-ups before you do this exercise. Place enough weights on the machine that does not cause too much strain on your muscles but still heavy enough to challenge your arms. You may need to adjust the weights differently if one arm is weaker than the other. Stand directly in front of the high-cable pulley machine and use a single handle attachment. Balance yourself by placing one foot forward and the other foot back. Hold the handle and position your arm upper arm close to your side with your lower arm flexed to chest level. Your elbow must be in an acute angle and also kept close at your side. This will be your starting position.

Breathe out as you pull on the handle until your arm is fully extended at your side. Keep your arm close to your body and maintain your upper arm in a stationary position. Do not lean forward when you pull the handle and do not bend your knees either. Your body must be kept straight at all times to isolate the action on your triceps. Hold the contraction for a second once your arm is fully extended. Breathe in as you slowly return to starting position while resisting the force of the weights.

Repeat with the number of recommended reps in one arm before going back to the other, alternating sets as you go.

Written by Stacy Allen from the P90X Push Up Stands Store, your #1 online shop to Get Insanity From shaun t.

Home cooks are discovering to a world of cuisines. Our society's growing consciousness about the impact of our actions on the planet's health and well-being is being felt in the kitchen. Increasingly, the trend in recipes and cooking revolves around finding ingredients that are produced locally. Home cooks are recognizing that fruit and vegetables grown in other states and other countries gobble up energy to package and transport them to market. This leaves a big carbon footprint - a consequence that a growing number of families wish to avoid. As a result, shoppers are seeking out fresh food and produce that is locally grown.


Photo: atlnomad

For some, this means regularly visiting farmers markets; for others, it means inquiring about the source of fresh food at the grocery store. Many others have the desire to take steps toward finding recipes and cooking with fresh produce and other ingredients, but aren't sure where to begin. Thank goodness for the Internet! For those ready to take the first steps, there is an abundance of information available on the Web.

Armed with this information, shoppers can learn how to buy fresh produce, discover the types of produce that are in season, read articles about fresh food, and find recipes to prepare everything from delectable fresh fish, seafood, and meat dishes to delicious vegetable courses and dessert treats. Moreover, home cooks are discovering that cooking with locally grown fresh foods opens the door to a world of cuisines - literally.

Today's recipes and cooking trends put a global twist on fresh ingredients. If you're in the mood for Asian food, for example, you don't have to dine out. Instead, you can use the Web to research Asian food culture and find recipes that are easy to make at home. Likewise, resources for French food, German food, Italian food, and Mexican food are only a few mouse clicks away. Vegetarians and those who are health-conscious are truly embracing these recipes and cooking trends.

In the past several years, natural and organic foods have been finding their way onto grocery store shelves, and stores that specialize in fresh and natural foods are now a staple in virtually every city. Whether you adhere to a raw food diet or are simply trying to cut back on butter or sugar, you can more easily find the foods that you need. At its best, cooking is an adventure. It's fun to experiment with different herbs and spices, and to prepare your favorite foods in a new way.


Photo: marantzer

Combining local, fresh foods with global recipes and cooking techniques is a great way to keep your cuisine interesting and tasty. No one would argue that eating only locally grown foods can be a challenge. After all, it would be difficult to find fresh fish and seafood if you live in the desert, or unearth a source for locally churned butter if you live in a fishing village.

By the way, with the plethora of information about recipes and cooking that is available on the Web, putting a global twist on local ingredients can put the adventure back in dining. Just keep in mind that perfection needn't be the goal, even incremental changes in the way we think and shop will help the planet.

These days, we're seeing more and more instances of a variety of autoimmune disorders. Diseases like MS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and a host of others seem to be on the rise. Some say that it's merely due to better diagnostic tools; and others say that it is environmental factors: pollution and the foods we eat that are leading to more people being hit by these maladies. In response to this, many people feel that a raw diet, one that shuns the processed foods, the refined sugars, the high fructose corn syrup, and other additives is the key to good health. Now, an important point to remember here is that the diet is not necessarily made up solely of raw foods. The goal of the diet is for you to eat the foods in as close to their whole state as possible. That means either eating them as they are, or using boiling or steaming to prepare them.



Photo: sheknows.com

In every instance, you want to avoid foods that are highly processed. So, if you want to eat rice, as an example, go with brown rice as opposed to white rice. In terms of what food you'll want to eat, here's just a partial list of foods that are okay to eat on this diet: whole grain cereals, legumes, fermented soy products, fruits, vegetables, sea vegetables - like seaweed, brown rice, soba noodles, all types of beans, and tofu. You may have noticed a lack of meats listed; this is deliberate. By and large, a raw diet does not include meats; only fish and other seafood are allowed. This diet believes in the concept of properly combining your foods.

The belief is that this ensures that your food digests properly. The phrase often used is calling it the: yin and yang of the digestive process. So, a key aspect of this diet is that you do not eat too many yin foods. This means not overloading your meals with too much of the following: peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, beets, avocados, and eggplant. Here again, you can see the heavy vegetarian aspects of this diet.

In addition, you need to not partake of beverages that have stimulants like caffeine. So, don't drink a lot of soda or coffee. Instead, certain teas and lots of water are the best drinks. Another to remember about this diet is how you eat each meal. Keep your portions small, and you must chew your food well; this is most helpful in aiding your digestion. Not only does it break the food up into small manageable amounts for your stomach and intestines to handle, but it thoroughly drenches the food in saliva, the first step in digestion. So, when looking to determine what sort of portions you want for your meal, make about half your meal of whole grains, and that includes brown rice.


Photo: notionsandcurios


This is especially important if you have an allergy to gluten, as rice doesn't have that. Next, you'll want about a third of the meal to be vegetables. Beyond that, some beans and legumes can be about ten percent, and then five percent for some kind of soup. To round things out, toss in some nuts, fish, juices and seasoning as you see fit. You really want to avoid red meat as much as possible. If you really like meat, and want some, at least aim to buy local, and thus avoid those with chemicals. In fact, when it comes to all of your foods, try to get only local produce. Follow these guidelines, and you'll see a real improvement in the state of your overall health.