Top 10 Fitness Trends

Ask Men had a good article on the fitness trends that are taking hold this year. Below is the top ten list that I agree with most of the trend and has affected my current fitness routine.

10. Mainstream Creatine Use
Creatine, an energy shuttle found naturally in meat, has been scientifically proven to help improve muscle size and strength in individuals of all ages, as well as many clinical populations. This is extremely important given that improvements in muscle mass boost metabolism, which results in increased fat burning while at rest. As meat quality decreases, most people aren’t getting sufficient creatine from their diets and can benefit from use of this inexpensive supplement. Contrary to popular belief, proper creatine use (and protein use for that matter) is not detrimental to kidney or liver health in individuals that don’t already have some sort of organ damage. Along with some other supplements on this list, a small jar of creatine will inhabit the cabinets of an increasing proportion of the population in 2009.

9. Slideboards
Slideboards are 6 to 8 foot sheets of a slippery material with two stops at each end of the sheet. Compared to bikes, elliptical machines and treadmills, slideboards are extremely cheap, as they can be built for about $50.00 and purchased for only a few hundred dollars. Slideboards are great for training the lateral musculature of the hip (which is drastically under-trained in almost all populations), high-intensity interval training, strengthening the lower body and core musculature, and promoting good posture. Slideboards can also be used for several unique, highly functional muscle-strengthening exercises, such as reverse lunges, diagonal lunges, hamstring curls, and miniband-resisted push-ups. As a more fun, more functional, more effective training tool than any other machine, slideboards will begin to enter the homes of people everywhere in 2009.

8. Planking and Glute Training
Front planks, side planks and glute bridges are the most effective form of core training. These exercises have been found to activate core musculature to a greater extent than more traditional exercises (like sit-ups and crunches), reduce the likelihood and reoccurrence of lower back pain, train the core’s true functions of generating spinal stability and trunk stiffness, as well as improve the posture and aesthetic appeal of the midsection. These results-oriented exercises will dominate the programs of both athletes and the mainstream public in 2009.

7. Foam Rolling
Have you ever felt like no matter how much you stretch, your muscles just aren't responding? Well, foam rolling could be your solution. For less than $25 (sometimes as low as $5), you can get a round 3-foot-long, 6-inch piece of stiff circular foam that will last for years. By rolling your legs and upper back along the foam roller, you can improve the length and quality of soft-tissue (muscle) by breaking up restrictions, knots and adhesions. This process, termed "self-myofascial release," can make your muscles more responsive to stretching and leave you feeling noticeably better after only a few minutes of work. It’s cheap, it doesn’t require much time and it delivers huge benefits, which means that foam rolling is something you are going to see a lot of in 2009.

6. Smart Carbohydrate Diets
Right to the point, high carb diets have teamed up with wide-spread inactivity to make type 2 diabetes (previously adult-onset diabetes) a huge threat to health and livelihood. The amount of carbohydrates needed by most people is directly proportional to the amount of medium-to-high intensity activity they perform. Since most people don’t perform much, if any, of this type of activity, most individuals should probably be consuming 30% to 40% of their calories from carbohydrates -- all of which should come from fruits and vegetables. All non-fruit and vegetables sources of carbs should be consumed within 60 minutes of training to help facilitate recovery. As rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity remain high, more people will turn to this “smart carbohydrate diet” to improve the way they look and feel.

5. Mainstream Fish Oil Use
Fish oils are a super supplement that everyone should be taking. With high doses of two important omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, fish oil supplements have a range of benefits: They decrease total cholesterol, increase HDL (good cholesterol), decrease body fat, decrease inflammation (and symptoms from inflammation-related disorders such as arthritis), and decrease the risk of many cancers. In short, with two of the top causes of death being cancer and heart disease, fish oil use will prevail as the go-to supplement to improve health and quality of life for people of all ages.

4. Mainstream Protein Powder Use
Once thought of as an unnecessary supplement only for “meat heads,” protein powder will make an entry into mainstream use. Why? High-quality protein is extremely lacking in most diets, which is important in either adding and maintaining muscle mass or losing fat -- high-protein diets continue to out perform high carb diets in terms of fat loss. Protein powders add to the quality of delicious meal replacement smoothies, which more people will rely on for a quick breakfast as work schedules become busier than ever.

3. The Fall of Crunches and Sit-Ups
The time has come for crunches and sit-ups to see their way out of everyone’s training programs. Crunches and sit-ups strengthen non-functional movements: movements that you never use in everyday life. They can also lead to a number of undesired postural changes contributing to lower back pain and breathing impairments. Contrary to popular belief, these exercises do not improve the visibility of a six-pack. As people become frustrated with back pain and a lack of results, more people will turn to core stability training in the form of planking and bridging.

2. Body Weight Circuits
Body weight circuits involve performing a series of four to 10 exercises for various parts of the body, one after another, then repeating through the circuit two to three times. For instance, someone might perform a circuit involving reverse lunges, chin-ups, front planks, squats, side planks on each side, push-ups, glute bridges, and mountain climbers, for either eight to 10 reps or 20 seconds each. Similar to interval training, body weight circuits will help people shed fat, while also improving muscle strength. With a tight economy, body weight circuits will be big in 2009 as people look to save money and time, yet still look to improve their health and well-being through training.

1. High Intensity Interval Bike Riding
High-intensity interval bike riding involves alternating all-out sprints with periods of rest or light pedaling. For instance, eight cycles through 20 seconds of sprinting and 40 seconds of rest would be an appropriate training program. This type of training has been scientifically proven to increase fat and weight loss, as well as increase aerobic capacity in a superior manner than steady-state aerobic training. This trend should be huge for our increasingly busy society -- it means better results in less time. As an added bonus, bike riding decreases the load to the joints compared to running, which means you won’t be as achy afterwards and will be less likely to suffer an injury.

Stud or Dud

Bruce Willis

Top Ten Games in HD

Ask Men has an article on the best games in high definition. Ever since the advent of Blu Ray the games have gotten better and better since they can utilize the full spectrum of graphics that 1080p can provide. I must admit that I have only played a few of these games so I’m taking Ask Men at their word. So if you’ve got the system why not try these games on….

10. Madden NFL 10


9. Call of Duty: World at War


8. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune


7. F.E.A.R. 2


6. UFC 2009 Undisputed


5. Halo 3: ODST


4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots


3. Crysis


2. Killzone 2


1. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Little Stress Killers

MSN had an interesting article on men’s little stresses. It stated that men had a number of little stresses that if added up could be a serious health and wellbeing concern. MSN listed the top six reasons little stresses and gave some good general ways of diffusing the stress and some tips. Go give the complete article a read here.

1. Insecurity
Not surprisingly, paying bills, managing debt and sticking to a budget scored highest of all the stressors in our survey. But guess what? It's not about the money, says Thomas Miller, Ph.D., a University of Kentucky psychologist and the author of Handbook of Stressful Life Transitions Across the Lifespan. "Much financial stress actually has to do with uncertainty—about your money situation, yes, but that really means your job. Not knowing specifics about where you stand eats at you like acid."

2. Hair loss
More than half the men in our poll felt stressed about their images, and many specified hair loss as the mane, er, main culprit. They're not alone: A 2005 Mayo Clinic Proceedings review cites multiple studies showing that male pattern baldness negatively affects men's feelings of attractiveness and body image. "For those guys who are feeling judged by their hair loss, the stress is very real," Good says.

3. Exercise
How's this for a bitter irony: Exercise is a well-known stress buster, yet nearly a third of the men in our poll rated sticking to an exercise program a 7 or higher on a 10-point stress scale. First, you stress about missing a workout or not exercising at all. Second, as you attempt to carve out time to exercise, your stress skyrockets as you cram in all the other things you need to accomplish that day. "That struggle may affect how and what you're eating," Miller says, "and now your food intake becomes a stressor."

4. Co-managing the cash
Financial stress can be much worse for men when they're in a relationship, because a man's view of the situation is often different from a woman's. "Sometimes the views are diametrically opposed," says Jay Zagorsky, Ph.D., an Ohio State University economist. His research, published in the Journal of Socio-Economics, found that men tended to report much higher values for assets, such as a home or car, while women inflated debt totals. (Estimates of income and net worth varied, too.) This also shows that couples often don't know how much money they have, or won't talk about money honestly, Good says. "They refuse to address it because it's awkward or embarrassing or there's so much baggage that they don't want to bring it up," he says. Stress builds until the two of you collide over something like spending habits or large purchases. Then it explodes.

5. Your team
One in four men in our poll rated watching their team lose a 7 or higher on the stress scale. Research shows that the deeper our dedication to a team or a player, the more likely we are to transform emotional reactions into hostility—and that anger takes a toll on your health big time. You rip open the sofa pillow, your day turns sour and friends and family hide. Miller, who's also a sports psychologist, knows the feeling: He's a Cincinnati Reds fan.

6. Morons
One guy summed up the problem in two words: "stupid people." Simply living your life means dealing with inconsiderate people, crappy service and the general cloggers of society's arteries. Remember, Miller says, you can't influence them: "You see that these people aren't making the best decisions and think you can do better. As a result, you feel less in control, and that's a serious hidden stressor."

Stud or Dud

Clive Owen

There ARE jobs out there

Pssst... if you haven't heard, the unemployment rate in Detroit has climbed over 30%. That's kind of amazing if you step back and look at the big picture. So Zotime is looking out for others and passing out some job leads. It's time to move to Bermuda. Not only is it a beautiful tropical island nation, but apparently they have plenty of jobs to go around. Why else would you see this...

Do you remember these guys?

Well now their doing this....

These are the same four Uighur detainees that were release from Gitmo in June and are now in Bermuda. They just took jobs working on a golf course. Somehow, 30% of Detroiters can't find jobs but these guys can.

Wendall Brown, chairman of the board of trustees for Bermuda's public golf courses said that "They have been offered a temporary position at Port Royal until the Grand Slam. There are still special projects that we need to do like cleaning up and beautifying the course ... All four of them have been given a job there. It's on a temporary basis. Two of them speak fairly good English."

You see, so apparently the only real requirement is that you speak English and no prior experience or high school degree is required.

Top Ten Turned On Countries

According to a Durex sex survey, only 53% of Americans have sex once a week. 55% of British and 59% of Canadians admit the same which rank near the bottom of the survey. Check out the complete list of who's in bed the most at Durex.com and find out how is satisfied the most as well.

10. Mexico – 71%
9. Switzerland – 72%
8. Spain – 72%
7. Malaysia – 74%
6. Italy – 76%
5. Poland – 76%
4. China – 78%
3. Russia – 80%
2. Brazil – 82%
1. Greece – 87%

S. P. I. T. N.

What the heck happened to K Fed. Apparently he is sick of people calling him the biggest looser so now he is eating his way to try to win the title instead....

Stud or Dud

Mike Rowe

Stud or Dud

Carter Oosterhouse