Jumping off....

kinda amusing watching someone jump off an apt.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsQzfZifHOk&hl=en

Creatine - Would I Take It?

One of the things I determined never to do when I started weight training was to take any supplements other than low dose vitamins and minerals. The dangers of steroid abuse, highlighted by some fairly lurid newspaper reports, seemed to show that the downside of using many supplements far outweighed any gains made.

Then I heard about creatine. Gains in muscle mass and strength through using a safe supplement; where was the downside in that? Well, supplement taking is a risky business. Remember Tryptophan? Before you put anything in your mouth, ask yourself some questions. Is it safe? Does it work? Are the people who recommend it to be trusted? It sounds cold, but it's usually a good policy to let others take the risks of being early adopters when it comes to new drugs or treatments. And it's as well to remember that some people can have an adverse reaction to any new supplement. Medical approval is not to be confused with perfect safety, as some UK men who volunteered for drug trials a few years ago can attest.

Creatine is a natural amino acid. The body needs about 2g of creatine per day to replace the amount that is broken down. Meat eaters get around 1g per day from their diet, the main sources in our diet being meat and fish. The rest is naturally produced in the human body from amino acids, mostly in the kidney and liver. It is transported in the blood for use by muscles. Manufactured creatine in the form of creatine monohydrate can be absorbed from oral supplements and seems to be treated by the body pretty much like natural creatine. It's an important energy source in high-intensity exercise, aiding rapid recovery.

Although the main use of creatine has been by athletes who want to build muscle or increase strength and power, it may have some other important uses. When taken together with high-carbohydrate meals, after endurance exercise has depleted the glycogen stored in muscles, creatine stimulates glycogen synthesis. This aids recovery for athletes after hard training, which matters when there is little time between competitions.

Does it help? Well, boosting the muscle stores of creatine seems to enhance the the ATP and phosphocreatine system, which is used in brief bouts of exertion, for up to twenty seconds. Using supplements increases the amount of creatine and creatine phosphate in the muscles and improves performance in strength and power events. It may also bulk up muscle size and improve strength. Water accumulation in muscle could account for some of this bulk and weight gain. This has an obvious appeal for bodybuilders and strength trainers, but creatine has also been found to improve muscle function in the elderly and in individuals suffering from muscle wasting diseases. In sport, it has proved of most benefit in explosive events like sprinting, jumping and weight lifting. This may result from creatine supplements providing the capacity to train harder and more often. They have not proven to be beneficial for endurance sports such as marathon running or cycle road racing. And not everyone is affected by them. Some sports medicine authorities estimate that around a third of users see no beneficial effect.

So is it safe? Creatine has been used extensively over the last ten years, and studied in depth. Few side effects have been reported from short-term use with approved quantities. Whether it could prove a health hazard for long term regular users is still unknown. Kidney and liver function has been studied for possible toxicity, but no important effects have been shown to occur at recommended doses. Case reports and animal studies do suggest possible adverse effects on the kidney, with reports of kidney damage such as interstitial nephritis. It would be wise not to take creatine if kidney disease is present or suspected. Some overweight people have chronic, undiagnosed kidney disease. Using creatine in a weight loss or bodybuilding program would be unwise for them. In theory, creatine may affect the activities of insulin. Patients with diabetes or hypoglycemia, and those taking drugs, or supplements that affect blood sugar should be cautious when considering using creatine.

There are reports of creatine causing muscle compartment syndrome and other serious muscle conditions. Surgeons reported sudden kidney failure and muscle breakdown during knee surgery in a footballer who was taking 10 grammes of creatine supplement a day. In another case, a 30-year-old creatine supplement user showed up at an emergency room with heart arrhythmia. The medical staff knew this was rare in a young person without any other underlying heart condition. They reported knowledge of other cases of arrhythmia suspected to be associated with creatine taking.The Mayo Clinic claims that creatine has been associated with asthmatic symptoms and warns against consumption by persons with known allergies. Side effects can include loss of appetite, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and nausea.

Extensive research over ten years has shown that taking creatine supplements orally at a rate of 5-20 grammes a day appears to be very safe and largely without adverse side-effects, while improving the physiological response to resistance exercise and increasing muscular strength. Current studies indicate that short-term creatine supplementation in healthy individuals is safe, although those with renal disease should avoid it due to possible risks of renal dysfunction, and before using it healthy users should bear these possible risks in mind. Small-scale, longer-term studies have been done and seem to demonstrate its safety.There have been reports of muscle cramping with the use of creatine, though this may be due to dehydration. Extra water intake is recommended when using it.

While studies continue to indicate that supplementation is extremely safe, anecdotally there have been reports of some scary health consequences. Why the discrepancy? Well, the studies which repeatedly find no creatine dangers typically use a high quality pure creatine monohydrate with no additives. With the rise in the supplement's popularity, some manufacturers have resorted to cheaper manufacturing processes for economic reasons. This can mean that you are getting more than you know when you embark on a course of creatine supplementation. And that extra stuff can be bad.

Want to know how bad? Google Travis Starkovich. Read his story. And make up your own mind about using creatine supplements.

How to Get That "Toned" Look You Want

If you want to look more "toned"... more muscular... and more "ripped" every day then read this article.

People (women mostly) say they want to be more "toned". Meaning they don't necessarily want to build more muscle mass, but they want the muscle that already have to look more in shape, toned, and defined.

How most people screw up trying to get "toned"

Most people totally screw this up. They try to get toned by "going for the burn" when working out. They do this because

1. Someone told them heavy weights make you big...

2. Their muscles feel and look toned after they "Feel the burn" when working out with high reps.

Here's why you shouldn't "go for the burn" when working out... if... you want to get toned...

The Burn is Lactic Acid.

The reason you feel hard during and after the 'burn' is the same reason a corpse is stiff. Your muscle fibers are like mouse traps-they go off by themselves, but need energy to be reset to contract again. A dead body is out of ATP, the energy compound that relaxes the muscles, that's why their muscles are permanently contracted.

A high rep workout exhausts ATP in your muscle and leads to a temporary hardness very similar to what happens to a dead body. But you probably don't want to be dead, and yet you still want to be toned. The solution?

Real Muscle Tone = Tension

To get lasting tone, you need to train your nervous system to keep your muscles half flexed when you are relaxed. This is what muscle tone is-residual tension in a relaxed muscle! The kind of tension that comes from neurological activity, and not energy exhaustion.

Increased muscle tone is not a physical transformation of your muscle. It is the result of the nervous system being more alert. It keeps the muscles partially contracted all the time.

Strength = Tension = Tone

Strength and tone training is the same thing. If you learn to generate tension to gain strength, instead of building more muscle, then the stronger you are, the harder you will be. This means you need to focus on strength training to get that hard bod you want. Max tension = max strength.

For Women

* Want buns of steel? Heavy, high-tension deadlifts work your butt WAY more than butt squeezes, 'fire hydrants', or similar silly moves popular in 'muscle sculpting' classes...

* Want toned abs? Heavy, high-tension deadlifts, squats, overhead presses, ab wheel routines, planks, etc force your abs to generate high tension

* Want toned, sleek, sexy hips and thighs? Deadlifts, squats, and other full body movements done with high tension, heavy weights are the ticket.

For men:

* Want a Big Chest and Shoulders? Heavy, High Tension Overhead Presses and Bench Presses will get you there...

* Want a barnyard back? Weight Pullups and Bent over Rows to build those lats...

* Ripped Abs? Squats, Deads, Overhead Squats, Overhead presses, Ab Wheels and planks like the ladies...

* Want big arms? Heavy presses and other overhead work.

You Can Strength Train and Not "Get Bulky"

Here's how you strength train without getting bigger: keep the volume low. And you will get stronger, harder, and more toned without getting any bigger. Keep the total number of reps low per workout. A general rule is 10 reps or less. So two heavy sets of 5 would work with the major exercises.

If you want to get big, and build muscle: Lift more volume during your workout. Keep the reps low though so you're still able to lift with maximal tension and build more strength. 5 sets x 5 reps as an example for each major exercise.

So there you go. If you want to get more toned, more ripped, more "hard"... then you need to build strength.

Battles - new clue (live at ATP December 2009)

Battles' opening track from Ten Years Of ATP. It's new and damn good, anyone know what it's called?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0QZU1auvco&hl=en

Lendl - Mecir Us Open 1986 Final. Set 1 pt 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQlL4dehFDM&hl=en

San Jose 2010 Wednesday Highlights

Watch Day 3 highlights from the SAP Open in San Jose.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-be79bXqJo&hl=en

2010 Australian Open R3 - Federer vs Montanes Highlights (part 1/2)

Subscribe to my channel and receive a reminder whenever I add a new, high quality tennis match.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVhiqNR9jE0&hl=en

Causes of Leg Cramps

When we use our muscles that can be controlled voluntarily (arms and legs), they contract and relax alternately as we move our arms and legs. Similarly, the muscles that support our head, neck, neck and trunk are synchronized to hold our posture. When a muscle or just a few fibers of it that contracts involuntarily, it is called a spasm, and if this is forceful and sustained, it turns into a cramp. Therefore a leg cramp is an unwillingly and forcibly contracted muscle that does not relax. Leg cramps can last from just a few seconds to fifteen minutes. On the other hand, the entire, or several muscles may be involved in a leg cramp. Leg cramps pain especially in the calf.

Causes of Leg Cramps

Leg Cramps involve part or all of a single muscle or a group of muscles that in general act together. Most doctors agree that these cramps are caused by hyper excitability of the nerves that stimulate the muscles. Leg cramps are usually caused by:

Injury: A persistency muscle spam could happen as a protective mechanism following an injury such as a fractured bone. In this case, the spam tends to lower its movement and stabilize the area of injury. A muscle injury may cause the muscle to spasm.

Vigorous Activity: Leg cramps are linked with the vigorous use of muscles or muscle fatigue in sports or with unusual strenuous activities. Such cramps may appear during the activity or sometimes much later. Muscle fatigue also may come from sitting or lying for an extended period in an awkward position or any repetitive use can cause cramps. The elderly are at risk for cramps when performing forceful physical activities.

Rest Cramps. Particularly in the elderly, cramps at rest (often at night) are very common although may be experienced at any age even in childhood. They are very disruptive of sleep and disturbing. They sometimes persist frequently and are very painful. The real cause of night cramps is unknown. An example is pointing the toe down while laying in bed, which shortens the calf muscle, a common place for cramps.

Dehydration: Sports and vigorous activities can cause excessive fluid loss from perspiration which increases the likelihood of leg cramps. Leg cramps are more likely in warm weather and can be an early sign of heart stroke. Chronic volume depletion of body fluids from diuretics and poor fluid intake may act similarly to predispose to cramps in the elderly. Loss of sodium is usually a function of dehydration.

Low Blood Calcium, Magnesium: These may be predisposing factors for the spontaneous leg cramps experienced by many older adults, as well as for those noted during pregnancy

Contractures: Results when the muscles of the leg are unable to relax. The constant spasms are cause by a depletion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy chemical within the cell. This prevents muscle fiber relaxation. The nerves are inactive in the form of muscle spam. Contractures can be inherited or acquired.

An Effective Way to Prevent Leg Cramps

A good way to prevent leg cramps is to maintain the muscles relaxed avoiding spasms. As a result you will be able to sleep comfortably and wake up totally energized. Now you can achieve this by using an orthopedic pillow like the Leg Wedge Pillow- This affordable dual purpose, contour leg spacer knee wedge and leg elevation pillow is designed to fit the natural curves of your body and legs, cradling you in comfort.

How to Supercharge Your Energy Levels through Exercise

Your energy levels will depend on several factors, including genetics, nutrition, sleep habits, and emotional stress. Some of these you have no control over But there is one VERY important factor that you do have control over and that is your ability to take part in physical exercise.

Need a source of vast power and energy?

Look no further than your gym.

The link between physical fitness and energy is so strong, that doctors have lately been prescribing exercise as treatment for chronic fatigue, depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and insomnia, for instance.

If sufferers of the most stubborn kind of fatigue can be energized with exercise, imagine what can do for those of us who experience ordinary, every-day fatigue.

* Feel Great At Mid-Afternoon *

Your brain thrives on oxygen. Blood transports oxygen to the brain, so the greater blood flow to the brain, the greater the oxygen supply the brain has. As you increase your heartbeat with a vigorous workout, more blood surges through the brain, more oxygen gets absorbed by your brain cells, and you feel more mentally alert and energetic.

Experts point out another long-term cause-and-effect relationship between exercise and blood flow to the brain: as you continue exercising, the number of capillaries (small blood vessels between your arteries and veins) throughout your body will grow. More blood flow through your "pipes" means more oxygen will be supplied where you need it.

Regular exercise also keeps the pipes clear and circulation healthy by preventing atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque). Regular exercise can actually REVERSE atherosclerosis when combined with a healthy nutrition plan. When you have atherosclerosis in check, your brain is virtually guaranteed for the rest of your life.

Blood also carries glucose, the simple sugar that's the primary fuel source for your entire nervous system of which the brain is the command center. Glucose's production starts the metabolism of carbohydrates. Various enzymes, plus your body's ability to use glucose to produce ATP, the more important energy chemical in the body, control this production. When you exercise, you increase the level of those enzymes and their activity.

In other words, when you exercise regularly, you boost your enzymes, resulting in more glucose, and your body is more efficient in using the glucose. You get a larger supply of ATP, which helps fight off the mid-afternoon energy drop-off.

* Increase Metabolism *

It's no secret that strength trainers are firmer and stronger than sedentary folks. How could it be otherwise?

Resistance exercise builds muscle, pure and simple. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, and the more calories you burn even at rest.

So why does "strong and toned" equate to more energy?

For starters, heavy people have to lug around more weight all day long. When the overweight climbs a flight of stairs, do yard work, or even just carrying the garbage can to the curb, they're also carrying that excess weight, making almost everything they do more exhausting.

Better-conditioned muscles make every task that much easier, regardless of body weight. When you exercise, your ability to use muscle fibers is increased. So you require less effort to perform any physical task.

A strong body also has a stronger immune system. Being sick drains us of energy, and exercise, by boosting immunity, staves off illness. Recent research has shed light on why the strong may get sick less often and recuperate faster when they do get sick: exercise increases the activity of natural killer cells in the bloodstream.

* Less Stress *

A great deal of research supports that weight lifting is one of the most effective means of battling depression and stress. One of the main fatiguing factors of depression and stress is lack of sleep. In a recent Stanford University study, formerly sedentary insomniacs who began to exercise fell asleep 15 minutes faster and were able to sleep an hour longer than they had before becoming active.

* Boost Brain Fitness *

To this point, we've been talking about the benefit of exercise on mental energy. But is it possible that being in shape might translate to even greater mental benefits, such as increased intelligence, creativity, memory, or reasoning ability? It's very possible.

Studies show that both factors of mental stimulation and exercise were contributing to the increase of the brain's learning centers in different ways. Mental stimulation results in more synapses (the little gaps between brain nerve cells that enable them to communicate with one another), while exercise increases the number of capillaries in the cerebellum and cerebral cortex (two areas of the brain crucial to intelligence.)

* Take a Walk *

Medical research results could hardly be clearer: Taking a walk is one of the best ways to take charge of your health. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (February 11, 1998) showed that walking briskly for half an hour just six times a month cut the risk of premature death in men and women by 44 percent. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine (January 8, 1997) reported that men 61 to 81 years old sharply reduced their risk of death from all causes, including cancer and heart disease, by walking two miles a day. Other research has shown similar results for women.

Recent studies have concluded that moderate amounts of exercise - including walking, jogging or using a treadmill for one hour, four to five times a week - can turn back the aging clock 30 years for middle aged men.

Consistency is probably the most important part of your workout. The more committed you are to walking all or most days of the week, the healthier you'll be. Remember that short walks are better then none at all. Health, like life, is a journey. All you have to do is take the first step.

SDC10622

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KdnhpYAKPg&hl=en

Pete Sampras - Boris Becker Tennis Masters Cup 1996 Final 9/23

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDyYWNw3JFQ&hl=en

Federer vs Roddick Wimbledon 2009 Final Full Match (7 / 25) HD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28sHold0MOs&hl=en

Discrete Analyzer Auto Analyzer and regulatory perspective changed a lot when

The car slowly replaced by capacitors Analyzers Analyzers remains a topical issue which is the choice between the two rules governing their use in waste management and drinking water laboratory analysis. Autoanalyzer manufacturers committed in the past were referred to the publication of EPA method or a letter of approval is usually given as an alternative test procedure (ATP). This has allowed producers to small changes in the public method to do because of the naturein terms of platform tool.

For example, a method initially approved by the EPA and Alpkem published a tool that produces runs as a segmented flow analysis (SFA), but another company mainly Flow Injection Analysis (FIA), the equipment, documentation FIA entity to receive the ATP - shows his tool uses the same chemicals, using the same reactions, but is slightly different in that the sample is delivered in the reagent flow. ThisLetter has the certification of a laboratory, their platform tool is EPA and NPDES regulations on waste and drinking water laboratory analysis.

Although historically, very few manufacturers Autoanalyzer receive these letters all they had to do was run their equipment near the method of publication, and rarely was there ever a problem because most of them are basically the same car analyzers, pump, autosampler, detector, etc.. But about 5 years ago, the DiscreteAnalyzers started to move into the realm of Auto Analyzers, compared to this factor in the forefront when making decisions about the replacement of old systems were presented.

At first, for discrete analyzers rough because there is no precedence and change is often slow in this world, especially if the error of law can be costly. In other words, laboratory managers and QC, were reluctant to something new, unless they were sure it complies with all embracingSpecifications for the waste and drinking water laboratory analysis.

Over time, EPA has begun to realize that resistance Analyzer produce the same results as a car Analyzer is capable of because it uses the same substances and can be configured to use the same type of QC parameters such areas, standards, etc. led to the release of a series of letters from the EPA said that its new position on this issue, so that laboratory and QC Manager to replace its outdatedDevices with significantly higher than the modern instrument, still remain in compliance with EPA regulations. (EPA letter dated February 2005 and February 2007).

These letters clearly indicate the position of EPA, which is that the ATP-letters are no longer needed, so that those who insist that the letters were improperly kept careful not to ATP. And again, to meet the EPA considers all discrete analyzers, and the direction of flow of each instrument until the EPA issued NPDES method is compatibleand will continue to follow very specific that no proof the letters must be produced by the EPA.

Validation of laboratory during installation is that these standards relate to the pre-validation of the extended work of producers discrete analyzer that the EPA recognizes that not prohibitively expensive. MDL other data that was required under the letter of approval to the program data is to simply be compared to EPA data in a spreadsheet, but implementation has proven to beattention during the installation, as clearly stated in the letters of reference EPA down and 40 CFR 136.6.