One out of every three men in the U.S. suffers from high blood pressure. High blood pressure can impair blood flow and thus be really bad for your heart and all circulatory functions. Potassium can help and studies are showing that guys getting more of the nutrient have a much easier time keeping their blood pressure levels within a healthy range. The best natural sources of potassium include spinach,potatoes,lima beans,squash,cantaloupe,tomatoes,bananas,peaches,kiwis and yogurt.

1. Stand with feet at shoulder width and hold the bar at shoulder level.

2. Quickly dip your hips and use the resulting stretch reflex to reverse momentum.

3. Come back up and press the bar powerfully overhead.

4. As you are about to lock out the press, bend your hips to absorb the force and   then extend them so you return to an upright position.

 5. Lower the bar back to shoulder level.

**Start with low weight and find your comfort level**

The Workout

1. Four-way Plank on elbows. Hold 40 seconds on each side.

2. Side Plank: Bring hips up and down x 30 reps on each side.

3. Core Rotation Circuit: Rotate 180 degrees with outstretched arms, right to left and left to right.

    a) High to low chop x 10 reps each side

    b) Middle chop x 10 reps each side

    c) Low to high chop x 10 reps each side

4. Ab Wheel Rollout 2 x 15

5. Windshield Wiper: Bent Knees 2x 15 each side then Straight legs, hips flexed 90 degrees 1 x 8 each side

Intermittently cutting carbs is a more effective way to drop body fat percentage than cutting calories. There was a recent 4 month study done in the U.K. in which researchers found that subjects following an occasional carb restriction (extremely low inatke 2 days per week with NO restriction on fat & protein intake) lost an average of 9 pounds of fat, compared with 5 pounds lost by those following a standard calorie restricted diet. Carb-cycling gets a boost from this data.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine followed 50 obese adults enrolled in a 10 week weight-loss program. After an initial weight loss of about 26 pounds, participants experienced a shift in hormone levels that influence appetite. Individuals had more food urges due to these hormones, which led to about 11 pounds regained after a year. 80% of obese dieters fail to maintain weight loss.

Greek researchers have found that after smoking just 1 cigarette, the airway tissue concentration of nitric oxide increases by 26% and fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels decrease by 15.6%. This extra nitric oxide in the airways can have negative effects that compound over time.

Studies show that most metabolic indicators, including body-fat percentage, blood sugar, VO2 max, and insulin levels are actually unaffected by the drop in temperature. Further research has determined that your body is actually more likely to use fat as an energy source in order to counterbalance decreased activity levels during the winter months. Cross-country skiing and skating are some cold outdoor activities that can burn calories and keep you active during the winter months.

Military Push Ups

• 1

  Place your toes and hands on the floor, making sure your back and arms are straight. Keep your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart and tighten your abdominal muscles.

• 2

  Inhale as you lower yourself to the floor, stopping as your elbows reach a 90-degree bend. Keep your body from touching the floor.

• 3

  Exhale and push yourself away from the floor. Don’t lock your elbows, and don’t bend your back.

• 4

  Repeat several sets.

Benefits:

Green tea contains compounds called catechins, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) , the primary active ingredient responsible for the tea’s thermogenic action. Although green tea also contains caffeine, it’s major fat burning effect comes from EGCG’s ability to inhibit an enzyme that breaks down norepinephrine, the neurotransmitter involved in regulating metabolic rate and fat burning. Green tea also helps reduce the risk of certain cancers and provides numerous other health benefits, including enhanced joint healing. Drinking green tea is a great idea, but research shows that the catechins are better absorbed from the extract than from the tea.

Dosage:

500mg of green tea extract,3x daily before meals

 Benefits:

Garlic benefits heart health, aids fat burning, lowers the catabolic hormone cortisol, boost testosterone levels, increases nitric-oxide (NO) levels and aids muscle recovery.

Dosage:

200-1,000 mg of a garlic supplement with your pre-workout shake.