Category Archives: Men’s Health

   When someone asks you to "make a muscle" the first thing most people do is flex their bicep. Since your arms are always on display, it is essential to develop the proper routine to get the size you crave. When developing an arm-blasting routine always keep in mind a few facts about arm anatomy. First, remember that while the bicep is the "show-off' muscle, the tricep comprises two-thirds of your upper arm measurement.  DO NOT make the beginner's mistake of overworking the biceps and neglecting your triceps. Second, focus on the basic exercises. Chin-ups, barbell curls, and cable preacher curls should be the main focus of your biceps effort. For triceps, close-grip bench press using both a standard and reverse grip, reverse grip press-downs, and skull crushers are a solid foundation to build on. Isolation movements such as triceps kickbacks and dumbbell concentration curls play a role and can be added. But if your focus is mass-building, isolation movements should only be used occasionally. Third, don't neglect your forearms. Earlier, we mentioned that your arms are always on display. This goes double for your forearms. A firm handshake is critical for making an excellent first impression. Also, many of … Read more »

One of the most common causes of Testosterone Deficiency in men that have not yet experienced Andropause is poor sleeping habits. For your body to produce the testosterone that it needs to amplify your day-to-day health, you need 7-9 hours of restful sleep per night, but too many men don't get enough. Across the United States, there are nine million men and women that take prescription medications to help them sleep. Healthy sleep is also necessary for your body to adequately produce Human Growth Hormone, which is produced primarily during sleep and helps to promote cellular metabolism and healing processes. Unfortunately, often, these sleeping pills produce side-effects in many patients, and for many, the products are not useful. Because of the potential risks associated with many sleep aids, including the potential risk for abuse, many health professionals feel that these medications should only be used short-term, to help restore healthier sleeping habits. Of course, even if you aren't interested in using a prescription treatment, you should still see a medical professional if you are experiencing a significant sleep disorder, such as insomnia. There are a lot of ways to effectively treat such conditions without turning to pills or other prescription … Read more »

Chronic Stress A lot of people think of stress as simply a psychological issue, but it actually affects both your body and mind. Chronic stress increases your risk for a countless number of physiological disorders from obesity to hypertension, and most people don't realize the absolutely amazing impact that controlling and mitigating stress can have on your mind, body, and soul. Although there are some major steps you can take to control high levels of anxiety and stress, including medical treatment, there are a lot of little things that you can do to deflate stress before it becomes problematic, or reduce stress in your life by recognizing that stress and making the conscious effort to overcome it. Chewing Gum Can Help Alleviate Stress Scientific research has shown that chewing gum can help alleviate anxiety. A study conducted in Japan shows that chewing gum for ten minutes has the ability to help control physiological factors associated with stress, as well as reducing feelings of stress in the minds of the participants. Specifically, chewing gum was shown to reduce cortisol levels in the blood stream, one of the primary stress hormones produced by the body. Researchers also hypothesize that chewing gum can … Read more »

Over the last decade, there have been an explosion of scientific articles and research dedicated to sex, over a dizzying array of categories. What researchers have found is that there are certain groups of people that just have sex more often. Certain choices, some of which may seem completely arbitrary at first glance, do appear to have a statistically significant effect upon sex drive and sexual desire. The following are five groups of people that have sex more than the average person. If you are interested in a fun and interesting way to spice up your own love life and adopt some new habits, consider making some changes to your lifestyle according to these scientific findings! People that Drink Red Wine are More Likely to Have High Libidos A survey of almost eight hundred women has shown that women that drink a modest amount of red wine regularly are more likely to have greater than average libido, even compared to women that prefer white wine. Women that enjoyed wine of any kind in this particular study were found to be more amorous than those that did not drink at all. It's important to realize that a little wine can go … Read more »

Pretty much everyone understands these days that Testosterone is a major aspect of weightlifting and bodybuilding, and the reason why men can build muscles more quickly and build more muscle than women. For that reason, it should come to little surprise that the use of alcohol, most notably, overindulgence and abuse of alcohol, can inhibit the body's ability to build and preserve muscle mass, reducing your ability and chances to maintain your ideal male physique. How Does Alcohol Interfere with Healthy Muscles? For men looking to maintain athletic performance or maintain a fit figure, alcohol can cause a lot of problems when drank to excess. Three major ways that alcohol disrupts the normal function of the body with regard to bodybuilding and athletic performance are rebuilding, recovery, and performance. Though the buzz dissipates in a matter of hours, the physiological hangover of alcohol can persist for a couple of days. In fact, athletes are suggested not to drink heavily in the 2 days before they are set to perform, because the body can take that long to fully process the alcohol out of the body. The following are some ways that alcohol consumption can prevent athletes from performing at their … Read more »

A healthy sex life is one of the most important things in a loving relationship, but there are many issues that can inhibit your libido and prevent you from getting the most out of your romantic experiences with your significant other. The following are 13 issues which can reduce your sex drive and cause a romantic rift between you and your partner. Relationship Problems Can Make Romance Hard to Come By If you are having issues sexually with your partner, it may be time to take a step back and think about your relationship. Have you been fighting lately? Are you having trouble communicating? You might be frustrated over your relationship and not even fully realize the effect that it's having on your sexual desire for one another. Think about what made your relationship so strong in the past and take steps to restore the fading passion that you've been experiencing. Sometimes this can be as easy as a long, intimate talk, but if things are really rocky, you may benefit most from an ongoing appointment with a relationship specialist. Stress Can Make it Hard to Enjoy Sex You may not realize it, but chronic stress wreaks havoc on your … Read more »

One of the keys to losing weight is to take steps to rev up your metabolism. There are a number of ways to achieve this, and burn calories faster and more efficiently. Allow us to provide some tips! Build Muscle to Increase Metabolism One of the best ways to increase your metabolism is to increase your muscle mass. Basal Metabolic Rate refers to how many calories that your body ambiently burns while you are at rest. Muscle burns more calories per hour than any other form of tissue, and the more muscle mass that you have, the higher that your basic metabolism will be. Fat is a storage mechanism, and does not burn as many calories. Each pound of body fat you have will burn two calories on its own each day. Muscle, on the other hand, will burn six calories daily. On top of this, when you work out your muscles, they burn even more calories, and after a good anaerobic workout, all activated muscles will burn calories more quickly. High Intensity Cardio for Increased Metabolism Aerobic activity is also a fantastic way to increase your metabolism. High-Intensity Interval Training is a form of exercise in which you engage … Read more »

Do you have trouble maintaining adequate energy levels through the day? Fatigue is a major issue which can significantly disrupt quality of life. If you find yourself suffering from fatigue, it's important for you to understand the causes of fatigue and how your lifestyle habits and your physiology may be preventing you from feeling your best. As you read through this list, take stock in yourself and try to figure out which of these causes may be contributing to your poor energy levels. By recognizing what is preventing you from being at your best, you can take steps to correct the problem. Inadequate Sleep Leads to Fatigue One of the most common causes of fatigue is directly related to the amount of rest that you get. The average adult should get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Every person is different, but sleep is the period during which our bodies rest and rejuvenate, and if you have chronic issues getting enough sleep, this will disrupt your production of vital hormones such as Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone, and it will leave you groggy and weighed-down in the morning. What Can I Do To Sleep Better? If you … Read more »

One of the most important aspects of maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system is to maintain a healthy ratio of healthy HDL Cholesterol to unhealthy LDL Cholesterol. As research continues to grow, it appears vitally important to maintain a healthy and controlled ratio between the two forms of cholesterol in order to preserve one's health. There's no reason to abandon flavor when taking the steps to improve one's health, however. Let's talk about 15 foods that can help you get your cholesterol under control while also not sacrificing your precious palate! Dark Chocolate is Good for You! Most people are confused when they talk about chocolate. It is true that milk chocolate is loaded with fat and sugar, but dark chocolate has much more concentrated nutrients, and is also chock-full of anti-oxidants known as flavonoids which help keep LDL Cholesterol Levels under control. Of course, it's important to recognize that dark chocolate is still a treat best enjoyed in small doses, because is still contains much sugar and saturated fat. If you are interested in infusing your meals or deserts with dark chocolate, you can buy unsweetened dark cocoa at the grocery store and include it among your ingredients … Read more »

Testosterone is the quintessential hormone which represents masculinity. It is the very reason why embryos become boys and boys become men, as the prenatal male starts to secrete his own Testosterone in the womb starting around 50 days after conception. Testosterone levels drop significantly after differentiation completes in the womb, and stays low until puberty, when both Testosterone and Human Growth Hormone Levels start to increase. Testosterone Production continues to increase throughout adolescence, and reaches its apex around 17-19 years of age. After this period, Testosterone levels hit a plateau, and remain high for the next 10-15 years. Starting at around the age of thirty, Testosterone Production falls from this plateau, dropping a bit each year, around an average of 1.5% annually. The majority of men produce more than their fair share of Testosterone, especially men under the age of forty, but the older that men get, the more likely that they are to experience abnormally low levels of Testosterone, a condition known as Testosterone Deficiency. Men that don't produce enough Testosterone start to go into a physiological decline that effects them physically, psychologically, and sexually. They start to gain weight and lose muscle mass. They become less interested in … Read more »

As a man, it's important to recognize that your body goes through certain changes as you grow older. The changes that a man goes through are not entirely unlike those which a woman go through, in a way. Male health is largely associated with Testosterone Levels, and as men get closer to middle age, their Testosterone Production starts to drop, first slowly, then at a faster rate. Eventually men start to feel these changes in their mind and see the changes in their body. When Testosterone Decline starts to become symptomatic, this is a condition known as Andropause, but also known as Low-T or Hypogonadism. Symptoms of Low-T and Testosterone Deficiency Testosterone Deficiency has a wide variety of symptoms associated with it, but there are five symptoms that you really need to look out for: Depression and Anxiety Fatigue and Exhaustion Declining Libido and Sexual Function Loss of Muscle Strength and Tone Buildup of Unwanted Body Fat Low-T Diagnosis Requires Lab Testing Of course, many of these symptoms share similarities with other disorders. These can also simply be the symptoms of a sedentary man just getting himself in a rut. If you feel that you are experiencing the symptoms above, … Read more »