Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you’re working, the better you’ll be able to judge what’s needed to make improvements. In this article we’ll get to know the muscles that make up the lower body.

This is where you’ll find the big, strong muscles that allow us to get around. The main muscles found below the waist are as follows:

1. Quadriceps femoris – this is a group of four muscles found at the front of the thigh. These are the vastus lateralis on the outside, the vastus medialis on the inside, the vastus intermedius between them, and the rectus femoris above them. The role of these muscles is to extend the leg from a bent position.

2. Hamstrings – these are found to the rear of the leg and consist of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The hamstrings are used to flex the knee in the act of pulling the heel towards the buttocks.

3. Gluteals – these make up the buttocks and consist of the gluteus maximus covering the hip joint and the gluteus medius and minimus on the outside of the hip. The gluteus maximus facilitates hip extension while the other two lift the leg to the side in an action called hip abduction.

4. Hip flexors – these are found opposite the glutes on the front of the pelvis. Consisting of the psoas major and iliacus they raise the leg to the front.

5. Calves – these consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Their role is to extend the foot at the ankle.

Thinking of trying out steroids? What can it hurt. You’re only going to take one dose and see what it does right? The other guys in the gym are getting huge while you’re stuffing around with your protein shakes and nutrition bars.

Well, you need to check this out!
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You’ve been going to the gym everyday and working your butt off. You drink protein shakes, eat loads of chicken, and see some muscle gain. Your happy. Then you notice the new guy at gym is getting big real fast. He only started 3 months ago and he’s putting on size like there’s no tomorrow. What the???

Obviously he’s on roids and your starting to wonder whether you should chuck in the towel or jump on the train. It’s tempting. Why work so hard when you’re only going to see mediocre results compared to the other guy.

Steroids obviously work, but are they worth it? And are they guaranteed?

The Technical Mumbo Jumbo:

Hundreds of distinct steroids have been identified in plant, animals, and fungi. The steroids associated with muscle growth are called anabolic steroids.

Anabolic steroids are a class of natural and synthetic steroid hormones that promote cell growth and division of tissue and bone. They not only effect muscle tissue but various other organs as well. Testosterone is the most potent natural anabolic steroid.

Testosterone is primarily secreted in the testicals of males and the ovaries of females. It is the principal male sex hormone. On average, the adult male body produces about twenty times the amount of testosterone of an adult female’s body.

Testosterone naturally increases in males at puberty and causes these effects:

- Increased libido and erection frequency
- Pubic hair extends to thighs and up toward umbilicus
- Facial hair (sideburns, beard, mustache)
- Chest hair, periareolar hair, perianal hair
- Increased tendency for violence or aggressive
- Subcutaneous fat in face decreases
- Increased muscle strength and mass
- Deepening of voice
- Growth of the adam’s apple
- Growth of spermatogenic tissue in testes, male fertility
- Growth of jaw, brow, chin, nose, and remodeling of facial bone contours
- Shoulders widen and rib cage expands

The Risks:

The side effects of using anabolic steroids vary depending on the type of drug, dosage, duration of use and individual sensitivity and response.

To be straight with you, there are more stories and myths about steroid effects than you can poke a stick at. But some of the more common and documented effects include severe acne, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, impotence, and mood swings.

So if you think you can handle that, then you’re all set… Well, not really.

Besides the shrunken testicals, people who take large doses (like what’s needed for muscle gain) can lose control of their emotions and become irritable and really aggressive. Little things can make them hysterically angry. This is what is called “roid rage”.

A case study published in the Australian Medical Journal (165:222-26) reviewed the evidence concerning the effects of anabolic steroids on the mind.

The case centered on a 29-year-old bodybuilder who beat his wife to death using a weapon described as a claw hammer. While he committed this horrific act, his four children were in another part of the house. He then shot himself in the head. Before this incident, his home life had been described as ‘‘happy.’’

This man had used steroids off and on for years, and seven weeks before the murder, he had used a steroid stack consisting of Winstrol-V and sustanon, both injectable steroids. A later urine test showed that he also used Valium, a muscle relaxant and anti-anxiety drug.

This doesn’t mean if you take steroids you are going to lose it and become an angry incredible hulk. But it definitely rings warning bells.

More Bad News – The problems don’t stop when you stop taking roids either. People who use steroids can develop a dependence on them. That means they will go through withdrawal when they stop using. They can feel sick to their stomach, have headaches, sweat a lot, feel dizzy and be depressed.

Also, They are illegal – (In case you were wondering):

Steroids are legal for use by veterinarians and doctors but it is illegal to sell or buy them on the street. When steroids are sold on the street or in a gym, they are often mixed with other things which only increases your risks.

Steroids are also banned from amateur sports like the Olympics and most professional sports. Several Olympic athletes have lost their medals after they were tested and found to have used steroids to bulk up.

Are they Guaranteed:

Steroids are going to increase your muscle mass – Hands Down.

That doesn’t necessarily mean your chest and biceps are going to pop out of your shirt first. There are some cases where users experienced very little gain on their chest and massive gain on their shoulders and traps. Who else wants to become the next hunchback? Not me.

When you lose a massive amount of weight after undergoing the Gastric Bypass Weight-Loss Surgery, it’s difficult to change our mindsets and how we incorporate our new lifestyle habits.  As we slim down, it is important that we begin to “think as a thin person” or rather (let’s all practice this tongue-twister together) “thinking as the thin think.”Article Body:
When you lose a massive amount of weight after undergoing the Gastric Bypass Weight-Loss Surgery, it’s difficult to change our mindsets and how we incorporate our new lifestyle habits.  As we slim down, it is important that we begin to “think as a thin person” or rather (let’s all practice this tongue-twister together) “thinking as the thin think.”

Why should we do this?

Because if we fail to do this, we can run the risk of easily falling into those unhealthy and bad habits that strolled us down the paths of obesity in the first place.  No matter what stage along your weight-loss journey you are currently experiencing, sooner or later you will fall prey to those nasty life-long ugly companions (aka habits).  They will devour your positive thoughts and urge you to glutinously consume all of the wrong things so you’ll succumb to your food bondage again.  But DON’T DO IT!  Put on your armor of THIN THINKING quickly to thwart all advances!

I recall as a young teenager, I knew many peers who, even at a young age, were obsessed with watching their weight, counting calories, worried about getting enough physical activity, and monitoring the snugness of their clothing.  I thought this was very bizarre since I didn’t have any weight issues then.  I could virtually eat anything and it would never show a pound on the scale.  Of course, thinking back, I was a high-level physically active person, and so this is why weight-watching was not a critical factor in my life at the time.  I didn’t need to think like a thin person.

However, when I gradually became very heavy (317 pounds), I realized that I got that way partially because I didn’t have the foundation of “thinking as the thin think.”  And without that foundation to utilize, I missed great opportunities to change some of my bad habits.  Take into consideration that morbid obesity is far deeper than just succumbing to unhealthy habits… morbid obesity has many facets to it; but for this writing, I want to focus on one element, and that is how we “think” we are.

When I explore the rationale of how thin people think, I discover some interesting behaviors.  Thin people think about:

•Food portions

•How full they feel at each meal.  They know when they can’t take another bite and they stop eating

•How snug their clothes are fitting

•How they look in the mirror

•How they appear to others

•Exercising or doing something outside that is fun rather than doing something sedentary

•Parking further away from the store entrance for extra walking

•Taking the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator

•Drinking water rather than soft drinks

•Using sugar substitutes, protein supplements, and religiously taking their vitamins

•Eating fruit rather than potato chips for a snack

•Maintaining a “low-burdensome” weight for any EMT squad in case of an emergency

OH, how the list of concerns in the minds of thin people goes on and on!  I bet you are thinking of a few right now!

I have to laugh when I think of one of my high-school friends who asked me everyday after school lunch if I wanted to go outside with her and “freeze off my calories”….. REALLY!  She believed that shivering caused the burning of calories; so no matter if it was five degrees outside during a snow storm, she would march outdoors for a full five minutes and SHIVER her calories away!  CRAZY, huh?  Well, each time I see her at my class reunions, she is STILL the same slim gal she was way back when….so maybe she knew a thing or two about shivering off calories!  Today the scientists call it “fidgeting”, which has been proven to burn calories throughout the day.  So when you tap that nervous foot, you are burning calories.

What we once viewed as odd obsessions by those who are thin, we should now view as having more value and importance, and we should incorporate some of their wisdom into our own daily lives so as we become slimmer and trimmer people, we will be thinking and acting like one too.

Thinking like a thin person everyday does not happen overnight.  It is something that must be practiced continually.

Now of course, I would NEVER endorse the sad eating disorders that anorexic or bulimic people partake in, nor would I ever endorse or encourage starvation as some super-thin folks do to maintain that “waif” look.  Such disorders are dangerous and have no part in thinking like a thin person!  Such thinking and practices are warped and do not represent the norm.

They say that after the surgery, it takes the mind about three years to truly get used to the “new you.”  And I can vouch for that, as I am over three years post-op now and at times will forget I have lost so much weight as I find myself still inadvertently wandering in the Plus Size department!  The scale and the label in the clothes may say one thing outwardly; but inwardly our mind hasn’t totally been convinced we are thin.

Make some commitments today to begin changing your mindset.  Observe the good practices of thin people and find a place in your life for those same good practices.  Little by little you will become a thin person, both inside and out!

If you are thinking about having weight loss surgery do so thoroughly. You may be anxious to get the surgery over and done with but it is a major change and your life will not be the same afterwards. This goes for it the weight loss surgery is successful in helping you lose weight and if it isn’t, because your body will be different inside, whether or not the outside changes.

Of course this sounds a little negative. The surgery does help a great number of people to change …Article Body:
If you are thinking about having weight loss surgery do so thoroughly. You may be anxious to get the surgery over and done with but it is a major change and your life will not be the same afterwards. This goes for it the weight loss surgery is successful in helping you lose weight and if it isn’t, because your body will be different inside, whether or not the outside changes.

Of course this sounds a little negative. The surgery does help a great number of people to change their habits and lose a lot of weight. This can be beneficial in a number of ways, feeling better, more active, living longer, perhaps you’ll even notice a loss of certain medical problems that were exacerbated by being obese.

Many have found that they don’t even make it through the pre-qualification process. There can be many reasons and by no means indicate that you can never lose the weight, in fact it often indicates that you have other alternatives to weight loss surgery that you can try to help you lose weight. Its possible that you’ve only been obese for a few years, which means that this isn’t a long term chronic problem and you should try healthy diets and exercise to see if the weight comes back off. You may have an untreated mental condition, such as depression or alcoholism. This can exacerbate your weight problems and by getting them treated you find that its easier to lose weight. Or you may still be under eighteen or over sixty-five. This is simply an age limit that doctors follow to help prevent unnecessary risks to the patients.

Weight loss surgery is really seen as a last alternative to weight loss because it is a drastic step with serious implications if a complication occurs. But it is also a very effective means of weight loss with many success stories as a testiment to its effectiveness.

Every second person I meet, since getting involved in office workplace ergonomics, readily shares with me his/her pains and aches. Although it has been recognized by many Western authorities as “a modern-time plague”, there is a deep confusion as to what should be done and who should assume responsibility to reduce the suffering and the costs incurred by Repetitive Strain Injury. Workplace ergonomics, desk exercises & office stretches should be available to employees to reduce the recurrence of the more common symptoms of RSI such as lower & upper back pain, neck & shoulder pain & wrist pain.Repetitive Strain Injury, workplace ergonomics, desk exercise, office stretches, lower and uper back pain, neck & shoulder pain, wrist pain, carpal tunnel relief

Breathing:

Although simple – If you breath correctly, you will find it easy to relax and provide adequete oxygene to your muscles. You will notice the difference when you breathe correctly as it will enhance your overall experience. Breathing is a major part of all pilates exercises. You simply breathe in through your nose for a count of five, and out through your mouth for a count of 5, with a shushing sound. Make the breaths into short, rhythmic bursts – in,in,in,in,in and shush,shush,shush,shush,shush. Never rush your breathing and don’t go overboard to the point that you feel light headed and fall over.

Toe Lifts:

This will help you with core balance. Core balance works in harmony with the alignment of your feet supporting your whole body. You will be amazed at how much strength your toes possess to balance your body. This movement strengthens the muscles on the top of your feet and increases the blood flow into your toes. Poor circulation to your feet can lead to stiff muscles and problems that affect the rest of your body.

This is a very simple exercise designed to improve circulation and enhance your awareness of balance.

Start standing with your feet together inlign with your body. Hold your head straight and keep your arms rested at your sides. Start simply by raising your right foot toes slowly up as far as they will go and then back down again. Do this a couple of times alternating feet.

Then lift up the toes of both feet at the same time pressing the metatarsal bones at the base of your toes strongly and evenly into the floor.

** Remember – Do not roll your feet inward or outward while performing the exercise. And do not lean back as you lift **

You should be breathing in as you lift, and breathing out as you lower your toes. Try closing your eyes as you exhale and lower your toes. Keep your eyes closed for five repetitions and you will notice an improvement in your sense of balance.

Finger Flicks:

This exercise improves the circulation in your arms and hands. The increased blood flow into the fingertips helps to flush out toxins and reduce arthritis or stiffness in the joints. It’s also a good forearm workout and is excellent for relieving aching elbows.

Start standing with your feet together inlign with your body. Hold your hands down in front of you below your waist and make loose fists by rolling up your fingers with your thumb on top. In this exercise your arms should always be fully extended as they move in a circular motion into six main positions.

1. Down and in front. Hands facing inwards.

2. Raised to shoulder height and in front. Hands facing inward

3. Stretched straight up. Hands facing inward.

4. Stretched out to the sides. Hands facing upwards.

5. Lowered to 45 degrees. Hands facing down.

6. Lowered to sides. Hands facing inward.

The idea is to strongly flick your fingers open continually throughout all the positions. Do eight flicks while you stand in position 1 and four flicks as you move to position 2. Do eight flicks while standing in position 2 and four flicks as you move into position 3. Continue this pattern.

** Remember – Keep your wrists still and your arms straight **

The Hundred:

This is a classic pilates exercise so named because it takes a count of 100 to complete. This exercise strengthens core abdominal muscles and expands the chest and ribcage.

This is a floor or mat exercise. It involves raising your legs to vertical and waving or pulsing your arms up and down in small motions.

1. Start by lying on the floor with knees bent as if you were doing sit-ups and have your arms resting palm down at your side.

2. Squeeze your abdominal muscles so that your head, neck, and shoulders raise off the floor. Keep your abdominals squeezed tight throughout the whole exercise. Stretch your arms forward toward your toes and start pulsing them up and down a distance of about 15cm. Stay is this position for a count of 20.

3. Slowly lift your legs to a 90 degree angle with your body. Continue the pumping for a further count of 20.

4. Slowly extend your legs straight up to the ceiling and keep pumping for 20 counts.

5. Begin to lower your legs at a 45 degree diagonal to your torso and keep pumping for 20 counts.

6. Keep your legs straight and lower them as close to the ground as possible without lifting your spine off the floor and keep pumping for 20 counts.

7. Lower your head to the floor. Release your arms, bend your knees, and place your feet back on the floor.

Roll-up to Diamond:

This exercise works your abdominals and improves flexibility of your spine. This is a floor or mat exercise and involves rolling up your upper body while extending your arms.

1. Lie with your legs in the diamond position. Keep your back flat on the floor and rest your arms on the floor above your head. The diamond position is when you point your toes and bring your legs into a diamond shape with your knees out to the sides.

2. Lift your arms toward the ceiling and slowly start rolling or peeling your upper body off the floor from your head down.

3. Keep peeling and extend your legs forward while keeping your toes pointed.

4. Stretch your arms and torso forward over your legs creating a C shape with your body. Keep your abdominal muscles tight and hold your arms directly around your ears.

5. Begin to roll back down to the floor pulling your legs back into the diamond position. Your arms should start to point to the ceiling again.

6. Finish in the starting position with your spine flat on the floor, your hands resting above your head and your legs in the diamond position.

** Remember – Keep the movement fluid and constant. Work with your abdominal muscles. Don’t straighten your spine while rolling. If you feel any stress or discomfort, hold on to your thighs until you are stronger. **

For more pilates exercises check out http://www.pilates-class.com

There are many different possible causes of low blood pressure. It is critical to isolate the cause before you can deal with the condition.Article Body:
When someone talks of blood pressure problems, in most cases they refer to issues of high blood pressure. But low blood pressure is also a fairly common condition and it needs attention.

What are the causes of low blood pressure? It turns out there are quite a few of them.

Unearthing the causes of hypotension is important because they have to be dealt with before treating the clinical conditions of low blood pressure.

Anti-hypertensive drugs are one possible cause. If someone with high blood pressure continues to take such drugs without adequate supervision, it can result in a buildup of the drug in the body which can cause blood pressure to drop below acceptable levels.

That is why patients on beta-blockers must be monitored closely to ensure that they do not end up with adverse effects like hypotension.

Diuretic medications can cause this problem if the drugs are overused. In fact, they can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels if not taken correctly.

Cardiac problems can, of course, cause low blood pressure. Problems like tricuspid regurgitation, which is a valve-related issue, can result in the condition.

Traumas such as severe burns can lower blood pressure drastically. Burns affect the permeability of blood vessels which triggers the problem. Heat stroke is another possible cause of lowered pressure because it disrupts the fluid mechanism in the body.

Inflammation to organs like the pancreas may result in hypotension. So can respiratory problems like pneumothorax, as well as dysentery and other severe gastro intestinal problems.

Patients on nitrate medication may have a tendency to suffer from this condition. This is particularly true if they consume alcohol. For this reason, doctors usually advice against alcohol consumption when the patient takes nitrate drugs.

In reality, what constitutes low blood pressure often depends on the patient. There is a fine line between healthy low pressure and clinical hypotension.

As you can see, there are many possible causes of low blood pressure. Your health care giver’s judgment is crucial in deciding if you have hypotension and what treatment it requires.