It's good to be king

You can see that their fearless leader is the only one with a smile. Everyone else appears less than overjoyed. Images like this make me wonder, what happens after the photo was taken and Kim Jong Un see the fear and tension on their faces?

And if this wasn't enough to demonstrate their expressions and the total control of their very lives...

Kim Jong Un bans Christmas, makes North Korea worship grandma

6 Biggest Blunders To Avoid While Trying To Add Mass Offseason

Did you fail at last year's attempt to add muscle during the winter? Here's what you got wrong—and how to do it right.

There's a school of thought that says it's pretty hard to blow an offseason attempt to build mass, that it should be a slam dunk. Lift heavy and eat, well, everything in sight, and you can't help but grow, the thinking goes.

Yet gaining size offseason is anything but a slam dunk. Numerous mistakes can be made. I should know; I made many of them early in my lifting career.

Don't make the same mistakes I did. And to avoid them, you need to know what they are. With that thought in mind, here are the six biggest blunders you don't want to commit this winter as you attempt to beef up your physique.

Blunder 1: Following A Dirty Bulk

"You are what you eat" may be an old cliché, but it's an appropriate one when discussing a clean versus dirty bulk. Consume all the processed, fat-laden, sugary foods you want, including most fast-food options, and you can rest assured the gains you make won't be the kind you had in mind.

The idea of devouring every food in sight, a strategy popular among bodybuilders in past decades, meant large bodyweight swings in which indiscriminate amounts of body fat were added along with muscle. Not only can that cause health issues, but it's not particularly attractive, unless you enjoy having to turn sidewise to squeeze through a doorway.

The clean bulk has gained popularity because its followers typically look good year-round. They also don't have to undertake long-term, intense leaning-out phases after the bulks. Still, a clean bulk requires a more discerning approach to what you're eating. The emphasis becomes natural, unprocessed, whole foods that contain fiber, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as lean cuts of meat low in saturated fat.

You should also avoid sugar-sweetened products that are quickly digested and oftentimes lower in nutrients. Calorie-loaded sauces and dressings should also be avoided.

Blunder 2: Starting Your Workouts With The Wrong Exercises

If you're a regular on this site, by now we've beaten into your head the importance of doing squats, bench presses, and deadlifts first in your workouts, when your energy levels are highest and fatigue has yet to set in. Multijoint exercises should form the foundation of your training. They are exactly what their name suggests: more than a single pair of joints are working in unison. More joints in motion mean more muscle groups are activated.

For example, when you do a bench press, the elbow and shoulder joints are both engaged. The muscles that attach to them—in this case, the pecs, front delts, and triceps—are all working in unison. What's also important here is multijoint movements have been shown to better trigger the release of testosterone and growth hormone. These anabolic hormones play an important role in muscle protein synthesis and growth.

Don't think you have to avoid single-joint exercises altogether, especially considering arm, hamstring, and shoulder workouts rely almost exclusively on them. Just make sure they're not the "meat and potatoes" of your workouts. In most cases, they should be done after all your heavy multijoint work is completed.

If you're looking to build mass, you might even consider training for strength or doing an offseason powerlifting cycle. Those kinds of workouts rely on heavy, multijoint movements while also dialing intensity and volume to maximize strength building. Adding more strength can go a long way toward increasing muscle size when you're back on a scheme to build muscle. You'll be able to use heavier loads for more reps.

If you're looking for recommended programs as a place to start, here's a smartly designed, six-week muscle-building program and another geared for strength. 

Blunder 3: Forgetting About Total Calories

In the past, you were told to consume an extra 500-1,000 calories a day to support gains in mass. This measurement ends up being imperfect, because it doesn't account for body weight, age, activity level, height, weight, and other factors. For a more exact measurement, here's an easy-to-use calculator to help you estimate your total daily calories. Be sure to click on Muscle Gainz to account for the extra calories to support growth.

What makes this calculator especially appealing is that it suggests a marker that won't overshoot or undershoot your daily totals (at least for most people). Your goal may be to add size, but you want those gains be more muscle than fat. To that end, your daily caloric surplus should amount to a weight gain of 0.5-1.5 pounds each week, equaling 2-6 pounds a month. Doing so any faster likely means you'll add significant amounts of body fat, so you want to set realistic expectations on how fast you should be gaining weight.

That also means learning how to count calories, at least in the short term, until you can better eyeball them. I realize this can be a time-consuming pain in the butt, one you'd rather not have to deal with. However, you wanted to know the biggest blunders, and arbitrarily eating more foods is as big as they come!

Blunder 4: Maxing Out All Your Training Variables

Being hypermotivated is a great way to begin a mass phase...until it's not so great. It's easy to think maxing out all the training variables will get you to your goal faster.

Yet all too often, that's a counterproductive idea, especially if any of these apply to you:

• You do more exercises in your body-part workouts, thinking more is better.
• You take every set to muscle failure.
• You train more days, to ensure you're not missing an opportunity for growth.
• You combine elements of strength training with high-volume bodybuilding, thinking you'll get the best of both worlds.

Looking back, it's hard not to say many of us pushed the overtraining envelope a little—or a lot. In my day, I'd never heard of concepts like active rest, deloading weeks, or cycling workouts, and looking for them on a search engine like Google wasn't an option.

Temper your enthusiasm by smartly manipulating growth variables rather than stepping on the gas pedal for all of them at once. Getting the hang of it is part art and part science, but it pays to keep learning and trying out new ideas on yourself. You be the judge of what works!

Blunder 5: Failing To Keep Track

Even if you're supplementing with ginkgo biloba, I doubt you remember everything you did on your last shoulder day, including weights, sets, and reps. Or whether you were trending toward a plateau or solidly progressing from one month to the next.

Winging it may have worked in the past—and for beginners, just about anything works, at least for a while. But as you progress, gains become increasingly more difficult to achieve. When you're faithfully avoiding the blunders listed above, the anabolic "on" switch should be primed for an uptick in muscle protein synthesis, so expect to see progress.

How do you know for sure? The easiest way to see those gains is to record them, noting incremental increases in strength or other adjustments you've made in your training. If you're carefully noting your exercises, loads, and volume, you more precisely measure your exercise performance and make the necessary adjustments as needed.

Seeing gains over time is witness that your body is adapting to the overload. That's an incredibly important concept, relating to progressive overload. As you gain strength and size over time, you must continue to challenge yourself in the gym. Once you can do 225 pounds on the bench press for 10 reps, don't get comfortable. Instead, shoot for 12 reps, or increase the load by 5 percent. Those are the kinds of decisions best made by logging your workouts and making planned increases so you don't slip into a comfort zone—or equally bad, have no idea what you should be doing next.

But logging your workouts isn't the only place you'll want to measure your success. Another is the bathroom scale. As mentioned earlier, keeping track of your weight gains—which should be 2-6 pounds a month to ensure they are mostly gains in muscle—is the best method of ensuring you're not gaining weight too fast or too slow.

Either way, adjusting your daily total calories and macros would be called for, but you'll want to have it recorded to know for sure.

Blunder 6: Failing To Account For Recovery

You've been told to train hard, but not too hard. To eat more, but not too much. In that sense, success is something of a balancing act. One more pillar in your quest to gain muscle is to remember that the process also requires time, smart pre- and post-workout nutrition, and other recovery factors.

Your gym efforts are the stimulus necessary to begin the muscle-building process. But it doesn't end there. Consider what you eat and how well it supports that stimulus in not only building muscle via today's workout, but also in storing nutrients for tomorrow's session.

The concept of recovery is pretty broad, because it includes elements in addition to nutrition and post-workouts meals, like the role of supplements, warming up and cooling down, sleep, days off, the use of foam rollers and massage, and the degree of your physical efforts outside the gym. 

What's more, you're likely going to have to deal with greater degrees of delayed-onset muscle soreness, one of the most obvious signs you had a challenging workout. Clearly, it's difficult to begin your next training session if you're still really sore from the last one. Besides, lingering soreness can affect your quality of life.

Broadly speaking, if you're pushing your body hard in your workouts, you'll also want to optimize your recovery process. In that sense, everything you do and eat outside the gym is also important in your offseason mass-gaining plan!

In Honor of Carl Sagan on the 20th Anniversary of His Death

In my humble opinion, Carl Sagan was one of the most brilliant and far thinking human this world has ever had the privilege of knowing. It's hard to believe it has been 20 years since he died. Fortunately for us and the state of our technology, we have preserved his image and the discussions he gave us for consideration. The tone, cadence, and delivery of of his conversations made them that much more fascinating. Here is just a sample of them. I encourage you to listen to them, seek out and read his books, and examine the knowledge he was trying to get us to absorb. There is so much more for us to know. Carl Sagan is gone, but you are still here and can make a difference. How will you use it to benefit the people around you?

Humility

Man In His Arrogance

A Universe Not Made For Us

We Humans Are Capable Of Greatness

Carl Sagan On Humanity

God: A Reassuring Fable

A Way of Thinking

10 Times Carl Sagan Blew Our Minds

Carl Sagan - The Demon Haunted World (FULL)

Why I No Longer Believe In God (Documentary) Full Movie

This video, in many ways, mirrors my own experiences and reaffirms my own current convictions. I have many friends who still are very religious, but we leave the subject of religion alone and just enjoy the company of each other, without clouding it with our own notions of what is right and true. This is the way it should be. If you value the quality of your relationships and respect the person you care about, leave subjects like religion out of it.

===========================================================

By Michael Malting

Why I No Longer Believe In God

Published on Apr 6, 2014

This is a video I created for my friends and family detailing how and why I went from a deeply religious Christian to an atheist. It's not meant to persuade or "deconvert" anyone but is a detailed description of the step-by-step process which led me to where I am today. Here is the menu:

PART I - Why I Made This Film .................................................... 0:00
PART II - Early Life and God's Calling ......................................... 2:26
PART III - Two Years In The Ministry ......................................... 6:20
PART IV - The Process Begins: 7th Day Adventism ............... 9:06
PART V - The Process Continues: The Bible & Christianity...  27:23
PART VI - The Science of God ..................................................... 44:35
PART VII - Love & Morality ............................................................ 52:45
PART VIII - A New Beginning ........................................................ 1:07:49
PART IX - A Time To Let Go .......................................................... 1:14:33

10 Daily Habits to Increase Your Productivity

by SARAH STEVENSON

A typical chaotic day may have you ping-ponging from meeting to meeting, from your phone to your computer and back again, leaving you feeling like you accomplished very little. How to manage? It’s all in the routine. For Benjamin Spall, co-founder of My Morning Routine (MyMorningRoutine.com), which publishes inspiring routines from people like best-selling authors and successful entrepreneurs, these daily rituals enable us to nurture many habits at once. “We all have something we want to start doing, and it’s through creating a routine (whether it takes place in the morning, afternoon or evening) that we can more easily make this habit, and many more, a part of our life.” Shelby Castile, a licensed therapist, is a firm believer that routines are necessary for a productive, balanced life. “When we put routines in place for ourselves and our families, it brings a sense of security that we all really need,” she says. “When we know what to expect -- and know what’s expected of us -- our decisions get better and our behaviors improve.” Here are 10 daily habits that will keep you focused and productive.

1. HAVE A CONSISTENT BEDTIME
While tough to schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day has many benefits. You begin to set your internal clock to get tired at a certain time and also become energized at a certain time. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the current recommended sleep durations should be seven to nine hours for adults 18 to 64 years and seven to eight hours for adults 65 and over. Set up a bedtime and waking time that will sync with your work schedule or life in general. If you go to bed at 10 p.m. each night, you can wake up around 6 a.m., giving you two hours to get ready and get to work if you are an 8-to-5er. Tweak it according to your own personal schedule so it can work for you.

2. 

REVIEW YOUR GOALS FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

If you’re reading this article, you are probably the type of person who already makes to-do lists. You’ve realized that a full agenda is more manageable when it’s recorded instead of swimming around in your head. You might also enjoy the sense of accountability a to-do list gives you, including the feeling of accomplishment when you are able to check off each task. For Sam Thomas Davies, author of “Unhooked: How to Break Bad Habits and Form Good Ones That Stick,” a powerful, morning ritual is the best way to get what you want because it sets the tone for the rest of the day. Just as important, he says, “I’ve found reading your goals first thing in the morning helps you distinguish the vital few from the trivial many, and makes your highest contribution toward what matters most.”

3. 

MAKE BEING ACTIVE A GIVEN

According to researchers in the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, exercising just 20 minutes each day increases the amount of oxygen that rushes to the brain. This boosts brain functions related to memory and processing. It also greatly increases your brain’s ability to create new neural pathways, speeding up your capacity to get things done. Make it a habit to be active each and every day in order to integrate it into your life -- like showering and brushing your teeth. “Habits in motion tend to stay in motion,” says Davies. “If we start a habit but don’t complete it, we tend to experience intrusive thoughts until we do.” Most people become more productive when certain other activities can go on autopilot; for example, if we thought about breathing all of the time, we’d never get anything done.

4. 

DO AN EFFICIENCY CHECK-IN

Castile says, “When it comes to daily routines, consistently checking in with yourself and reassessing what’s working and what’s not working is essential.” If you want to up your productivity, evaluate your most basic daily routines and figure out how to tweak them. Reflect on or journal about the efficacy of each day’s routines until you have a good feel for what you need to streamline. For example: If you prepared your clothes the night before, were you able to accomplish more the next day? If you took a one-hour break at noon, were you able to get more work done in the morning or afternoon? Or do you need to take a later break so you have more morning time to be productive? There is no point in keeping routines that don’t actually help you throughout your day, so decide what is and isn’t working for you.

5. 

KNOW IF YOU’RE AN EARLY BIRD OR NIGHT OWL

While night owls are not as productive early in the day, they may be able to accomplish a ton later in the afternoon. Meanwhile, early birds can burn through paperwork bright and early, but tend to slow down as the day draws on. “Doing what works for you doesn’t mean doing what you want, when you want,” says Spall (http://benjaminspall.com). “When we figure out when we’re most productive, we’re on the road to improving the quality (and quantity) of our output.” Be aware of when you have the most energy and take advantage of that time. If you’re a morning person, you may want to frontload more of your to-do list early in the day so you don’t have as much to do when you’re losing energy.

6. 

DESIGNATE NO-TECHNOLOGY TIMES

New technological advances have offered us an incredible jump when it comes to productivity. However, at times the daily digital revolution can be a huge impediment. Try setting aside specific times throughout the day when you turn your phone on silent and don’t check it. Another strategy to combat tech “time sucks”: Decide on periods throughout the day during which you’ll check your emails and respond to them. That way you won’t let them float in throughout the day to pull your attention away from the time-sensitive work in front of you. And rethink your shutdown time at night. Shelby says, “I consistently advise my clients to remove technology from their evening routine altogether. My motto is: ‘Anything after 8 can wait!’ Most people are surprised at how much more fulfilled they feel and how much more they actually get done!”

7. 

DO NOT MULTITASK

It turns out we’re all not the champion multitaskers that we thought we were. Research that Stanford University professor Clifford Nass performed found that even high multitaskers who are consuming information and using various types of technology aren’t great at ignoring irrelevancy, which should be an important component in multitasking. “It turns out multitaskers are terrible at every aspect of multitasking,” he told PBS in a 2009 interview. More evidence has emerged in recent years pointing to the fact that our brains can’t handle the overload of multitasking, especially when it comes to learning something new. To be more efficient, take time to focus on a specific task that you know will require a vast amount of attention. And while you’re at it, don’t put off the big tasks to get the small ones done and “out of the way.” That’s not strategy, it’s procrastination.

8. 

PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE

Ever get up five minutes late and spend the rest of your day catching up? On those days you hit every red light, your clothes are still wet because the dryer went off too early and the coffeemaker breaks. Try preparing for the next day the night before and you may suddenly feel like you are 20 minutes ahead instead. The night before, pack your lunch, chose your clothes, set the coffeemaker on a timer and have all your supplies waiting for you by the door. You will then have time to sit at every red light (even though when you’re on time it seems like you hit green lights all the way)!

9. 

START OFF CALM

Starting off your day on the wrong foot can wreck the whole day! But starting each day in a calm, peaceful way can even mend waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Castile states, “I often suggest my clients begin their day with a morning meditation or self-affirming exercise.” Spend a couple of minutes setting a positive intention for your day, and create a mantra like, “I see the value of each person I come into contact with” or “I choose happiness.” Furthermore, Spall suggest that you use “waking up as your cue to get out of bed and start doing some light stretching, followed by some push-ups, before transitioning into your favorite yoga pose. Or you can use waking up as your cue to grab a book from your bedside table and read 10 pages before popping on the kettle and starting breakfast.” Start off calm and you can’t go wrong!

10. 

TAKE REGULAR BREAKS

In a study published in the Journal of Cognition, subjects were asked to remember numbers in their mind for periods of time. As the clock ticked on, subjects significantly declined in their ability to remember the numbers. However, when the researchers asked the subjects to recall the numbers in shorter increments of time, they were easily able to recall them. Researchers suggest that doing work in smaller bouts of time while integrating rest between tasks will increase a person’s productivity level. There are very large bodies of research that also support taking actual lunch breaks that consist of relaxing, walking in nature and quiet solitary time away from your desk. When you “go go go” without stopping to relax, you deplete your mind’s and body’s ability to be at their best. So do yourself a favor and make it a habit to take little breaks throughout your day, even if it’s just taking a 20-minute walk around your building at work.

How Often Should You Lift Every Week? New Research Reveals the Answer

by Ali Eaves

Here’s the right number of times to hit the gym to maximize muscle growth!

If you want the most gains, you should train each muscle group twice a week, according to a new review in the journal Sports Medicine.  Scientists analyzed 10 prior studies that compared muscle growth in people who trained each muscle group once, twice, or three times per week over a couple months. They found that when you work a muscle twice a week, it grows more than when you train it once a week.

You might be thinking, “duh.” But check this out: That’s keeping the total number of sets and reps you do each week equal. Doing three sets of biceps curls on Monday and three sets on Thursday will make for bigger biceps than if you do six sets on Monday. 

Scientists aren’t sure why this is the case, says study author Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., an assistant professor in exercise science at Lehman College. But here’s the theory: Lifting triggers growth in a muscle for a window of time that lasts about 48 hours, Schoenfeld says. When that window is over, you’re no longer building muscle—unless you train the muscle again, which will spur growth for another 48 hours. 

That growth will accumulate over time, so the more frequently you put your body into a muscle-building state, the bigger your muscles will be. That’s only up to a point, though. In studies where people spread their sets over three days per week, they had similar gains to people who trained twice a week. Scientists aren’t sure why this is the case.

Schoenfeld’s recommendations: If you split your training into upper-and lower-body days, do two upper-body days and two lower-body days per week.

10 Common But Avoidable Training Mistakes

The right movements with the right weights and reps is the foundation for any good program. But there are lots of things (big and little) that can come between a good plan and good results.

You've done your research and designed a program that'll get you just the results you want. You have a powerful exercise lineup, you've perfected your reps and sets, and you understand your optimum rest periods. Now all you have to do is put in your gym time, follow your program, and wait for the results.

But even after all your careful planning, you might be making mistakes that'll reduce the effectiveness of your workouts and keep you from getting the results you want.

We asked a group of ultra-fit Cellucor athletes to discuss some of the workout mistakes they see people making. You may be aware of one or two, but some of them might surprise you.

1. Not Understanding Your Goal

You've found the workout your favorite celebs swear by. You're convinced that if it works for them, it'll work for you, right? Not so much. "Sometimes, when I see people doing specific movements in the gym, I'll ask them what they're training for," explains fitness model Craig Capurso. "A lot of them don't have any goal at all. But even if they do, I can see that they aren't performing the right exercises, reps, sets, or combinations to get the results they're looking for."

Capurso recommends making sure you have a plan that will help you reach your goals—not someone else's. Follow another person's program and, yes, you'll see results. They just might not be the results you want.

2. Neglecting Your Warm-Up

When asked to name the biggest mistakes she sees people making in the gym, trainer and fitness model Alex Silver-Fagan says without hesitation that starting cold is right up there. "It may seem like a nuisance, but taking time to properly warm up, mobilize your body, and activate your muscles will lead to a workout that's productive, efficient, and safe," she says.

Silver-Fagan recommends spending 5-10 minutes on the foam roller, doing dynamic stretching, and using bands to help activate the muscle fibers. Don't view it as wasted time, she says. Think of it instead as time that will help you achieve maximum performance.

3. Always Sticking To The Same Rep Scheme

Lots of people get into a rut, says CrossFit athlete Eric Botsford, never doing any less or any more that they did at the last workout. It's understandable, because experts talk all the time about shooting for a specific rep range. But Botsford says it might be time for a change.

"So often in programming, athletes tend to get stuck on the same number and the same movements," says Botsford. "But if you can keep your muscles guessing by switching up your moves and reps, you'll really start to see maximum progress."

Next time you hit the gym, try adding some movements and pushing up those reps a little more. You have to lighten the weight or take some time to learn a new exercise. But by introducing your body to a whole new type of training stimulus it hasn't had a chance to adapt to, you can get more results in the same amount of time.

4. Allowing Rest Periods To Drag On

After you finish a set, do you walk over to the water fountain and grab a drink while chatting up a fellow gym-goer? If so, you could be sabotaging your results. "The number one mistake I see people making is resting too long between sets," says fitness model Jordan Edwards. "You have to keep your heart rate elevated if you want to burn far more calories."

Edwards suggests setting a timer to help you keep those rest periods short. Adjust your rests based on your goal, but make sure they are never so long that you lose focus, drop your heartbeat way down, or cool off too much.

5. Going Through The Motions

When you hit the gym, it's important to stay constantly focused on what you're doing. "One thing I see a lot is someone just going through the motions of their workout," says personal trainer Jen Jewell. "Yes, you're at the gym, and that's great. But are you really working it, or are you completing each set without energy and attention—just hitting the rep number because it's part of your plan?"

Jewell recalls how, years ago, she'd walk into the gym, climb on "her" elliptical, and put her mind on autopilot. She'd pass the next 40-60 minutes reading a magazine or watching TV, hardly aware that she was even training. "Do you think I was challenging myself? Definitely not!"

If you feel like your results and motivation have stalled, Jewell recommends doing a self-check and asking yourself if you're paying full attention to your workouts. "You should be challenging yourself and working it with each exercise you do," she says.

If you mentally check out during your workouts, that's a sure sign you aren't on track to maximum success.

6. Using Poor Form

Too often, in their quest to lift as heavy as possible, people let their form slip. "I see this mistake all the time," Edwards says. "People worry too much about getting those 10 big reps however they have to do it. You need to focus on using perfect form to rep until failure."

Remember that an exercise performed without good form is an exercise that's wasted. You have to hit the muscles properly to see positive results.

7. Neglecting Your Lower Body

If you ask trainer Ron "Boss" Everline about training mistakes, he'll point to the legs. "Too many people avoid leg work," he says. "It can be hard and uncomfortable, or they just don't understand which exercises to do or how to perform them correctly."

Take the time to figure out a good leg-training routine, and it'll pay off in the end. Your legs are the foundation upon which you build the rest of your body. With a strong foundation, there's no limit to the results you can achieve.

8. Losing Sight Of The Big Picture

All too often, people forget to look at the big picture. "You need to set goals for yourself outside of the gym," says Botsford. "I mean, it's nice to look great, get sweaty, and lift weight. But what are you doing it all for? What's your greater goal?"

Botsford recommends signing up for a race, playing a sport, or finding some kind of goal that will help keep you stay focused in the gym. If you seem to constantly struggle with motivation, this strategy will help you out.

9. Stopping To Check Your Social Media Pages

Chances are you've seen it before and perhaps you're even guilty of it: Checking your social media feeds between sets. "I understand that rest time can be boring, but the moment you connect to what's going on outside the gym, it's incredibly difficult to get back into your workout," Silver-Fagan says.

Leave your smartphone in your locker, Silver-Fagan says, adding that if you need music for your workout, consider investing in a simple mp3 player that doesn't have internet access.

10. Failing To Show Up

Sometimes the biggest mistake people make is inconsistency. "In the military, we talk about how half the battle is just showing up," says Cellucor athlete Nate Boyer. "It's all about being in the right place at the right time with the right attitude."

Boyer says that his troops may not always know exactly what their mission will be. But they do know one thing: They need to commit to being there and being prepared. You need to bring the same attitude to your workouts. "If you start making excuses for not working out, then you can end up developing bad habits that not only limit your results, but extend into other parts of your life and affect your ability to reach other goals," he adds.

Weights and reps aside, maybe the best way to avoid workout mistakes is just to show up and give it your all. If you can make a commitment like that, then you're on your way to great results—inside the gym or out.

Sports & Workout Injuries: Should You Use Heat Or Cold?

If you've played a sport or worked out, you've slapped an ice pack on a sore knee or shoulder at some point. Learn why cold isn't always the best way to treat an injury. Remember the last time you strained your lower back doing a heavy set of curls? Or that nagging elbow pain that reappears every time you train biceps? Or even that muscle soreness you experienced a couple of days after that monster leg workout? 

Weightlifters, like many other athletes, often suffer injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments, or other soft tissues. Some injuries come and go in relatively short order. Other injuries hang around—they never quite heal and are easily aggravated by further activity. But whether an injury is acute or chronic, it requires quick and proper care if you want to minimize your downtime. Some of the more commonly prescribed treatments are the application of cold and ice (cryotherapy) or heat (thermotherapy). Since these treatment methods don't require a medical prescription and are easily accessible with minimal risks, athletes use them frequently. The question is, which is best for a given injury: heat or cold?

How Pain Signals Work: When tissue is damaged, nerves send messages to the brain that are perceived as pain. Simultaneously, chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters begin a reflex that may lead to muscle spasms in the surrounding area. These spasms can potentially cause more tissue damage because of decreased blood flow to the area, and that can create more pain. The pain-spasm-pain cycle continues and can increase the degree of pain. It can also decrease mobility, sometimes markedly.

To prevent further injury and pain, you'll need to jump into action. Both hot and cold treatments are effective at reducing pain and muscle spasms. They both stimulate temperature-sensitive nerve endings, inhibiting the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Although both heat and ice can help block the pain-spasm-pain cycle, each provides an opposite effect on tissue metabolism, blood flow, inflammation, edema (swelling caused by excess fluid), the speed of nerve impulses (nerve conduction velocity), and your muscles' ability to stretch.

When and How to Use Cold: Effective cryotherapy should decrease the tissue temperature about an inch or more below the skin by 18-27 degrees F. This causes a narrowing of the blood vessels, and the resulting decrease in blood flow reduces tissue metabolism, oxygen use, edema, and inflammation. Nerve conduction slows down, while tolerance of pain goes up.

Despite its effects on blood flow and inflammation, limited research exists supporting its use in the management of acute injuries or delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Furthermore, there's a lack of evidence suggesting it can be a useful tool in speeding up recovery time.

How to Use: Ice bags, cold packs, frozen veggies, and direct-contact ice massage are commonly used. Finely crushed ice in a large bag or frozen veggies are easy to use and mold to your body's contours. Ice packs also work well and may also mold. Direct-contact ice massage penetrates quickly and deeply, but it isn't suitable for all individuals or circumstances. Icing is typically uncomfortable for the first 3-5 minutes, but it should never be unbearable. Treatment time should last 15-20 minutes; however, direct-contact ice massage should be applied for only 5-10 minutes. Cold therapy may be re-applied every two hours. A thin layer of fabric, such as a pillow case, should be used between the skin and the cold pack.

When to Use: Apply cold within 48-72 hours of acute trauma to any body part except the low back. It can also be used for the management of chronic pain after activity (like a baseball pitcher after the game) and inflammation such as swelling. Do not use cold if you have overly sensitive skin (eczema, dermatitis) or areas of poor circulation. Be especially careful when treating areas with poor blood flow, if you have known cold allergies, or if you have advanced diabetes. A lack of sensation resulting from diabetes-related nerve damage could lead to an excessive application of cold.

When and How to Use Heat: Thermotherapy increases tissue temperature, causing vasodilation, or widening of the blood vessels, which can increase blood flow to the injured area. Research suggests increased blood flow improves tissue healing by supplying oxygen, protein, and nutrients to the site of the injury.

As with cryotherapy, there's limited evidence supporting the claims that heat therapy is effective at improving an athlete's return to participation. But research has shown positive findings on the efficacy of thermotherapy for pain relief in patients with acute low-back pain.

How to Use: Dry heat packs, moist hot packs, or hot baths can be used. Localized moist heat tends to penetrate better and may avoid drying your skin. The heat should be warm but tolerable—not too hot. It's best to maintain a consistent temperature during treatment. It's recommended that tissue temperature reach 104-113 degrees F. Treatment time should last 15-30 minutes, depending on tissue thickness and type of injury.

Areas with thicker tissue, more spasticity, or both may require up to 30 minutes. Heat may be re-applied every two hours. Layers should be used to avoid burning your skin. Alternating between heat and cold has not been shown to be conclusively effective.

When to Use: Apply heat for acute low-back pain (short-term injury), injuries persisting for longer than 72 hours, relief of muscle spasms where inflammation is not present, and menstrual pain. Do not use immediately after exercise except for low-back pain and injuries where inflammation is present. Use special precautions when treating individuals with diabetes, spinal-cord injuries, and multiple sclerosis. Nerve damage from those diseases can lead to the overapplication of heat.

Remember, injuries that continue to prohibit the performance of normal activities should be followed up with a visit to a qualified health-care professional such as a physician, certified athletic trainer, or physical therapist. These injuries must be properly assessed and treated so that they don't worsen. Self-treatment via the use of thermotherapy, cryotherapy, or both is effective for the short term, but not the long term.

Old School Cool: 8 Exercises That Deserve To Be Remembered

The Buff Dudes reach back into the past to find some oldie-but-goodie exercises that are almost gone but shouldn't be forgotten. Get hip to moves like the Zercher squat and the Otis-up.

Muscle cars, Steve McQueen, and Zercher squats. What do these three things have in common? They're old school cool—gone, but not forgotten. Well, we're bringing back Zercher squats and seven other old-school exercises, and we're doing it in a big way.

Best Old School Exrcises You're Not Doing

Bust out that Black Sabbath eight track, throw on your Rocky Balboa sweat pants, and let's make old school cool again.

Zercher Squats

If you've never tried a Zercher squat before, you're in for a real treat. Yes, at first this exercise can be an uncomfortable position to squat in. But with practice and the willpower to push through the pain, you'll reap some serious benefits. Here are just a few:

• It increases upper-back activation, including your trapezius, rhomboids, and rear deltoids.
• It works your core overtime to stabilize your spine.
• It's an easier way to get in the full-squat or "ass to grass" position.
• It forces both your quads and glutes to do more work than other squat variations.
• It builds some serious biceps. Since you're holding the barbell in the crook of your arms, your biceps are forced into an isometric contraction, which will increase their strength and size.

How to Perform Zercher Squats - Leg Squat Exercise

Zercher Squat Technique

Step 1: Walk up to a squat rack with the barbell placed about waist high. With your elbows at your sides, place the barbell in the crook of your arms. Flex your elbow joints, clasp your hands together, and squeeze that barbell tight against you like it's your very own "Precious... My Precious."

Step 2: Unrack the barbell and walk back half a step. Keep your stance wide, with your feet pointing outward no more than 12 degrees.

Step 3: Keep your torso upright as you squat down into the bottom position. Your elbows should fall against your inner-thigh area as your knees track in line with your toes. Push through your midfoot, with a neutral chin, until you reach the top position to end the movement.

Bradford/Rocky Press

Knowledge drop: We have Olympic weightlifter Jim Bradford to thank for developing this fantastic exercise. You'll notice immediately that this move works on "time under tension" (TUT), and provides multiple ways to work your shoulders. Here's how and why we like to use it.

• It can double as an excellent mobility drill.
• It's a great shoulder warm-up for heavy pressing.
• It activates all three heads of the deltoids along with the trapezius, rhomboids, and rotator cuffs.

Best SHOULDERS Exercises You're Not Doing!

Bradford Press Technique

Step 1: Walk up to the squat rack with the barbell placed just under your clavicle, or clean the bar if you feel confident enough. Use a grip wider than a typical overhead press (outside shoulder width) to allow for better movement and mobility throughout the exercise.

Step 2: Keeping your forearms vertical, push up the barbell until it reaches just above your head. As the barbell passes the top of your head, start to retract (adduct) the scapula and flare your elbows wide to bring the barbell behind your skull. Slowly drop your elbows to lower the barbell. Lower it only as far as the base of your skull before pressing and pronating (abducting) the scapula to bring the bar to the front and back to the beginning position.

Note: Don't go heavy with this exercise. Keep it light and be safe.

Otis-Up

The Otis-Up is an abdominal destroyer that will add some upper-body work to your routine. Maybe because it's got a foot in both camps, people are quick to dismiss it in favor of something that focuses squarely on one group or the other. But to us, it's another oldy but goody. Here's why.

• It uses spinal flexion through the first half of the movement and spinal stabilization once you reach the top position.
• It hits the abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back (stabilizing at the top).
• Because of the pressing motion, it works on the pectoralis major (sternal and clavicular), deltoids, lats, and more.

How to perform Otis Up - Abs Exercise Tutorial

Otis-Up Technique

Step 1: Lay in a supine position (face up) on the floor with your knees bent and feet anchored.

Step 2: Grab a weight—either a plate, dumbbell, barbell, or medicine ball. Start with the weight at your sternum and the back of your arms on the floor.

Step 3: As you crunch in your abs, flex your spine while pushing your hips and lower back into the floor. At the same time, press up the weight. Rolling your spine off the floor, keep your abs tight and let your shoulder joint extend until you reach the top position.

Step 4: When you're in the top position, your upper trunk should be vertical and your arms at full extension in line with your torso. Reverse the motion to bring yourself back to the starting position.

Drag Curl

The name itself sounds pretty cool and actually explains the movement very well. But are drag curls worth doing? Well, if you want to see growth in a particular muscle group—namely, the biceps—isolate it from other muscles that might help move the load. There are certain ways to really isolate a movement or muscle, and this old-schooler is one of 'em.

• It takes out shoulder flexion and shoulder activation.
• It eliminates momentum.
• It forces you to utilize both a fuller range of motion and maintain stricter form.

How to Perform Drag Curl Biceps Exercise Tutorial

Drag Curl Technique

Step 1: Grab a barbell at shoulder width in the standing position.

Step 2: Slowly contract your biceps by flexing your elbow joints. Let your elbows move back as you curl up, using your body as a guideline for the bar to travel. The bar will "drag" up your body as you curl. Once you reach the top position, squeeze, and let down the bar slowly.

Scott Press

Good ol' Larry Scott. He was the first Mr. Olympia and one of the greatest, and he used this press developed by Vince Gironda to bring up his lagging shoulders. What sets this exercise apart from any other shoulder press is the fact that it takes the triceps out of the equation. Which makes sense, because if you know about Larry, you know he didn't exactly need bigger arms.

But, you might be asking, "How the hell do you take triceps out of a pressing exercise?" Well, you do it by focusing on the scapula retraction and elevation, not elbow extension. Here's what else this move has going for it.

• The lateral and posterior deltoids are worked, along with the trapezius.
• The lighter weight and short range of motion make relatively easy to master this move.

Larry Scott - Palm Out DB Press

Scott Press Technique

Step 1: Start in either a standing or seated position. Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them out shoulder width in front of you with your arms at a 90-degree angle and your palms facing each other.

Step 2: Start retracting your scapula and flaring your elbows out to the side of your torso, while at the same time elevating your scapula until you reach peak contraction.

Note: This movement should feel fluid and natural, so start with a very light weight to get the hang of it.

Stomach Vacuum

The vacuum is a technique many old-school bodybuilders used, supposedly to help keep their waists small. Because the vacuum exercise focuses on strengthening the transverse abdominis muscle (TVA), this may actually be true. The TVA helps stabilize the spine and holds the abdomen in tight. The vacuum is nicknamed "the corset muscle" because it keeps those waists narrow. Old dudes knew what was up.

Stomach Vacuum Technique

Step 1: You can perform this movement seated, standing, or on all fours facing downward. They're all great.

Step 2: Exhale all the air out of your lungs. Expand your chest and visualize touching your belly button to your spine. Hold for 10 seconds, or make it fun by seeing how long you can last (without passing out, that is).

Floor Press

This one is definitely an old schooler. In fact, the floor press was the initial exercise that eventually evolved into the very well-known bench press. There are a couple key differences between the floor press and the bench press.

One difference (obviously) is that you do floor presses on the floor, which creates a shorter range of motion (ROM). The shorter ROM works the upper half of the push while simultaneously taking out the leg drive. No leg drive means stricter upper-body push through the chest, triceps, and shoulders. It has other benefits, too.

• More triceps involvement can help you increase your triceps size and strength.
• The floor press will also improve your bench-press lockout.
• It minimizes stress on your shoulders.

Best CHEST Exercises You're Not Doing

Floor Press Technique

Step 1: Lie on the floor, feet extended flat, with the barbell racked on a squat cage just above you at arm's length.

Step 2: Unrack the bar and slowly lower until the backs of your upper arms rest on the floor. Then explosively press up to the top position.

Dumbbell Pull-Over

This exercise has a long history, full of ups and downs. Back in its heyday, pull-overs got props in one way or another from every well-known bodybuilder from the golden era. It was credited with expanding bodybuilders' ribcages to create those famous herculean chests, and also for generating massive upper-body skin-tearing pumps in both the chest and lats.

But the excitement eventually died away for this poor exercise, and today, the pull-over largely just a memory. Let's not let it fade into obscurity! Here's some of what makes this classic move great:

• It's a great way to work on your upper-body flexibility, specifically the shoulders and thoracic spine.
• It'll help you develop your pectoralis major (sternal head), posterior deltoids, latissimus dorsi, and triceps. It also hits plenty of small but important muscles like the teres major.
• It'll give you a damned good upper-body pump.

How to Perform Dumbbell Pullovers - Chest Exercise

Dumbbell Pull-Over Technique

Step 1: Lie crossways on a bench. Take a dumbbell with a diamond grip, holding the inner far side of the weight at arms' length directly above your chest.

Step 2: Take a deep breath as you flex your shoulders and allow the weight to move back and behind your head, bending your elbows as much as necessary. Stop when you feel the stretch in your lats, chest, and/or triceps.

Step 3: Once you reach the full stretch position, exhale as you use shoulder extension to pull the weight back over to the starting position.

Note: Not every dude or gal has the mobility and flexibility to make this move work right out of the gate. Take it light and take it slow to feel out your range of motion.