The word elliptical means shaped like an oval.
In the world of fitness and exercise, elliptical technology is a
relatively new, innovative equipment design that draws on a smooth, elliptical
movement to provide a low impact form of weight bearing exercise that is fun and
easy to learn.

Elliptical cross trainers have footpads that allow you to
stand up while you exercise. They
have handgrips for you to hold onto and help maintain balance.
Some even have handles to use in working your upper body.
Because you are standing, the exercise is similar to walking or running.
But the arm bars and elliptical motion create similarities with biking or
skiing. The main difference with
elliptical exercise machines is that although you are standing and bearing
weight, which is important to building bone density, your feet never leave the
footpads. So unlike treadmills or
jogging, there is little impact on your joints and muscles. This
provides a low impact, total body workout.

Elliptical Technology

The advantages of this type of smooth, non-jarring motion
come from the elliptical design of the exercise equipment.
Elliptical technology has come to be known as a combination of mechanisms
and design features, unique to elliptical cross trainers, which create a motion
similar to the natural path the feet, legs and hips follow during actual motor
activities such as walking or running.

There are several different types of elliptical equipment
available, and the list of choices seems to grow each day.
However, most elliptical fitness machines have a crank arm that is
attached to a stable bar at one end and an axis at the other.
The axis end revolves as the bar moves and the other end moves in a flat,
nearly liniar back and forth motion. This
causes an elliptical path for the overall movement of the machine.
Most elliptical exercise machines built for home use provide resistance
through a band around the flywheel. Some
high end and commercial elliptical cross trainers use magnetic resistance.

Like a bicycle, this elliptical motion is smooth and continuous.
With a stair stepper or other similar equipment, there is a pattern of
motion and reverse motion, an up and down or back and forth, to which your feet
and legs must continually adapt. At
the point where the forward motion ends and the reverse motion begins, there is
an impact from the force of the machine, which is still in motion.
Your joints, bones, and muscles have to stop the motion and reverse it
each time.

With an elliptical trainer, there is no halting of motion
and reversal of direction. Your
legs keep moving in the same manner continually, even though there is an overall
range of motion. Many elliptical
cross trainers allow you to reverse the direction of motion by changing a
setting. Thus you are able to work
the opposing muscles, while still maintaining the smooth, non-jarring motion.

Benefits and Advantages

Studies have shown that weight bearing exercises are
essential for maintaining and improving bone density.
Yet many weight bearing workouts create high impact stress on joints and
muscles. This can cause health
problems, especially for people with injuries or arthritis.
Additionally, many of the different types of exercise equipment available
only work one or two areas of the body, which is a drawback for people who want
an overall workout.

Under most circumstances, the ideal piece of fitness
equipment will be provide weight bearing exercise, while limiting impact and
providing for a total body workout. Optimizing
cardiovascular benefits is also important.
Many styles of exercise equipment address one or two of these concerns,
but few combine all the advantages in an overall fitness package such as that
provided by elliptical cross trainers.

For example, a stationary bike provides relatively smooth,
non-jarring motion, but since you are sitting, you don’t get the weight
bearing advantages. A treadmill
fulfills the weight bearing aspect, but at the expense of stress to your joints
each time your foot hits the running surface.
Swimming is a great form of exercise that tends to work a majority of the
body’s muscle groups, however, it is not considered a weight bearing activity.
When considering the overall needs of an exercise program, few types of
fitness equipment meet the overall needs quite as well as elliptical cross
trainers.

The advantages and benefits of an elliptical trainer as
compared to other fitness equipment are:

• Weight
  bearing form of exercise that helps maintain bone density
• Continuous
  elliptical motion creates a low impact workout
• The
  motion is similar to walking and is thus easy to learn and sustain
• Handles
  encourage users to work upper body muscles providing a total body workout
• Offers
  one of the best forms of cardiovascular training – onboard computers help
  plan and monitor cardio workouts.
• Equipment
  is relatively simple, so there are fewer parts to replace or mechanical
  things that can go wrong.

Beware Of Imitators

Unfortunately, as with many innovative, beneficial, and
popular ideas, elliptical technology has become somewhat corrupted by those who
want to cash in on the appeal but who lack a commitment to or understanding of
the true basis for the design. Some
elliptical equipment does not offer the natural, simulated movement of true
elliptical cross trainers. Others
use inferior designs and materials, resulting in a jerky or jarring motion that
negates the value of the equipment.

When purchasing an elliptical exercise machine, be sure
that it provides a stable frame or platform, adequately sized foot platforms,
and most importantly, a smooth, continuous motion.
Try out the machine. Does
the movement required feel natural and comfortable? Also check to see if the machine has adjustments for speed,
incline and direction.

Elliptical technology, in its true form, is one of the best
innovations to hit the fitness industry in the past decade.
It truly does address some of the common exercise and health concerns
while providing for a relatively easy, often enjoyable form of exercise.
Unlike some of the gadgets and gimmicks that have come along over the
years, elliptical cross trainers have the ability to help users get fit, lose
weight, and improve overall health.

About The Author:

"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;
mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">C.J. Gustafson is a successful writer for http://www.elliptical-machines-n-trainers.com
She enjoys researching different exercise technologies and feels that elliptical
trainers and elliptical
machines truly offer a whole new way of exercising.

Copyright 2005 Elliptical-Machines-N-Trainers.com

Permission is granted to publish this article on your
site only if the author’s byline is included and all 3 links are hyperlinked.

In order to keep things simple and have the very best buying experience, here are 3 key tips to help you choose the best elliptical exercise equipment:

#1) Price

If you want a quality elliptical trainer, be prepared to spend at least $800. Why? Because most ellipticals under this price point just aren’t built to stand up over the long haul.

Example: My $400 elliptical that I bought from a department store several years back lasted 3 months – 4 if you count the last month it was used as a clothes hanger in my living room.

After 3 months it developed a loud squeaking noise that couldn’t be fixed – no matter how long or hard my handyman husband worked on it.

If I’d been smart enough to spend a bit more, I’d probably still have the elliptical today. In the end it was a huge waste of money and time.

So the bottom line is this: If you’re really serious about getting in shape, you deserve to invest in a piece of exercise equipment that’s going to last you – so be ready to spend a bit more on your elliptical trainer. If you consider how long the elliptical will last you, you actually SAVE money over the long term.

#2) Who Are You Buying It From?

While there are lots of places the sell elliptical exercise equipment – both online and off, make sure they have several years of experience and a solid return policy. If a company has experience selling elliptical equipment, this will make your transaction (and shipping) go much more smoothly.

A solid return policy also gives you peace of mind when buying your elliptical. For example, even if you try your elliptical out in a store, you might get it home and find that after a week it strains your arms or hurts your hips. You want to know that you can return your elliptical without a hassle.

Many specialty fitness stores will offer some kind of return policy and most experienced online elliptical stores also offer you a standard 30 day return policy. But it’s always important to check before you buy.

#3) Upper Body Arms

The beauty of an elliptical trainer is that it offers you a total body workout.

Whereas treadmills and recumbent bikes tend to work mainly the lower body only, ellipticals offer you a chance to burn calories and build strength using upper body arm handles. This means more calories burned in less time.

Surprisingly enough however, not all elliptical trainers offer upper body arms with their units. Make sure you choose an elliptical with upper body workout arms included if this is an option you want.

It usually won’t cost you extra to have upper body arms however one note of caution: Many of the cheaper ellipticals don’t necessarily have the coordination between the arms and legs exactly right. This can result in injury or a less efficient workout.

Rule of Thumb: You should not have to lean over to use the upper body arms.

So there are three things to consider when buying elliptical exercise equipment. Keep these things in mind and you’ll save yourself time and loads of frustration!

For more buying tips and elliptical reviews visit:

http://www.ellipticaltrainerreview.com/Elliptical_Articles.html

Kathryn O’Neill is the chief editor for Elliptical Trainer Reviews, a consumer oriented website focusing on the home elliptical trainer market.

For the latest elliptical reviews and best buys visit www.EllipticalTrainerReview.com

So, how does this concern you? You may not be a public figure, but your students, and the general public, know who you are. Some may even know more about you than you would like. As a Yoga teacher, you want to keep your health, behavior, and your ethics at a high standard – if you are going to be in the “public eye.”

As far as health is concerned, you should maintain your Yoga practice and meditate daily. This is an irony with many Yoga teachers because your time is also consumed with the business of Yoga, maintenance of the studio, advertising, and many more aspects that keep a business going.

My personal estimate of time that I spent on vacuuming, cleaning, and maintenance of the Yoga studio is thousands of hours before I hired someone else to do it. This does not account for any of the time spent on many other duties that go into running a Yoga studio.

The average Yoga student has no idea of the preparation and support services involved before they come to a typical Yoga class. In reality, you want them to feel relaxed, so you don’t want your Yoga students to feel stressed out over the bookkeeping, marketing, and maintenance of your Yoga studio.

Therefore, you have to put your best “game face” on during class time. This is one very powerful reason for taking the time to develop your own personal Yoga practice. You still must expand your depth of understanding Yoga’s many facets.

Why do, or did, you want to be a Yoga teacher in the first place? The most common reasons for becoming a Yoga teacher are your passion for Yoga and to share the gift that has changed your life. Your health and your personal Yoga practice are an integral part of the Yoga teaching vocation.

Maybe you don’t have a staff and you are busy all the time preparing for the next Yoga class. What can you do? Budget your time and make a personal Yoga, or meditation session, for yourself. Spending thousands of hours on bookkeeping, marketing, cleaning, and maintenance is part of many Yoga studio owners’ lives, but you must also make the time to become a better Yoga practitioner.

You can also offer reduced rates to volunteers or “work for trade” programs to those Yoga students who help you with “domestic chores.” You should consult your accountant to make sure everything is legal and “above board.” You don’t want to violate any child labor laws or set yourself up for any legal problems, so make sure you are following the law “to the letter.” Remember also, that laws vary depending upon your location.

It’s too easy to let the business of Yoga become your new reality. The business of teaching Yoga is more time consuming than any of us can imagine as Yoga students. If you are spending so much time working on your Yoga business, that you have little time to practice, you must re-evaluate your reason for teaching Yoga.

Make time every day to expand your knowledge about Yoga’s many aspects. If you don’t take the time to be a Yoga student and engage in learning, continuing education, and nurturing your passion for Yoga, you risk burn out. The best Yoga teachers are students for life, who love to practice this wonderful discipline we know as Yoga.

When your Yoga studio, Yoga teaching position, or ashram becomes a daily burden, and you cannot expand your knowledge; the end result is no different than any other job. As a Yoga teacher, you owe it to your students to keep your “internal flames of passion” for Yoga going.

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Have you ever find yourself wandering around aimlessly?

You’re doing stuff. You know what your goal is, but you’re still not getting anywhere near your target.

How can that be?

I know what I want. I’m doing the things I need to do to get me there. So what’s wrong? Why is my goal still out of reach?

Discover how to bring your goals within your grasp through these fitness goal secrets –

Goals are a funny thing that many people disagree with. Maybe some people don’t see a point in having a goal. Maybe they’ve set goals before and they didn’t pan out. Maybe setting a goal gives them the impression that just by doing so, you’ll succeed… whereas they realize that this isn’t the case.

As far as a lot of people are concerned, it doesn’t work! They don’t realise what their fitness goal secrets are.

And do you know what?

They’re right!

The thing is — they’re wrong too:-)

Your Fitness Goal Secrets, or deciding what you’re goal should be, is through feelings. All too often, we feel with our heads.

Impossible, right?

Your goal should come from your heart, no matter how impossible it me seem, and not your head. Yes, you should use your head too. But only to help you work out the particulars of how to get there. This is a major key in realizing your fitness goals.

Your Fitness Goal Secrets Revealed: If you can’t feel the emotions running wild at the thought of achieving your goal, then that goal isn’t right for you! Don’t think logically about you goal in the first place. What is it you want?

What get your heart racing, your blood boiling, keeps you awake at night and makes your palms sweaty… at the mere thoughts of achieving something? That is one of the key fitness goal secrets.

Is it to build muscle beyond your wildest dreams?

Maybe you want to run a marathon, but never ran more that a couple of miles straight. Maybe it’s to make money to get you out of your debts. Or could it be getting a degree, even though you’re not the studious type?

That’s what you want in your heart… a feeling that tells you that you must follow it, even though it seems impossible. This is where the head usually interferes.

The head usually tells you that YOU could never achieve that muscle. It tells you that YOU can never complete a marathon… it’s impossible. It tells you that people like YOU will never make money… it’s not meant to be. It tells you that YOU’RE not clever enough to ever reach any academic goal.

Essentially, it tells you lies.

Your decisions are based on your experiences throughout your life. All experiences, good and bad, are deposited into you’re mind’s banks. When you come across a situation that seems familiar, or relative to a past experience, you mind tells you –

“Watch Out!”.

Then it concocts stories that are designed to frighten or unnerve you. So you decide –

“this isn’t for me!”

And Quit — before you even start.

Recognize when that little voice in your head tells you that this isn’t right for you. Tell that voice — “Thanks for your input pal, but no thanks.” This is an important part of your fitness goal secrets.

Once you have chosen your goal, and you feel excited, you have another two-step to do in this process. These are vital steps and are the very steps that most people leave out.

Step 1 – A Decisive Goal.

Yep, you thought you had your ideal goal in mind. and yet you did. But you need to make it clear. For example:

If you want a new sports car, but you don’t know what make or model you want, what will happen?

Sure, you’ll get your car. But chances are, you get any old car.

How can this be?

There are millions of cars out there. There are more ordinary cars, than sports cars. So the chances are that you’ll end up with an ordinary car because your goal wasn’t clear. Your ordinary car may have a spoiler on it and a set of sports wheels. But it’s still an ordinary car.

How do you get your sports car, if that is your goal?

Details!

Ok, so you want a sports car. What type? What make and model? What year should it be. What size engine should it have? What color should it be? How should it sound? What mileage is acceptable on the clock? Should it be new or used? By what exact date do you want to own this car by?

Details, details, details.

So you want bigger muscle. Is it your biceps? Or do you want bigger muscle in your legs, chest, back, triceps, etc.? Exactly how much bigger do you want to be? How well defined do you want your muscle to be. When do you want to have achieved this goal by?

The same principle applies to any goal, even if it’s to become world champion at tiddlywinks.

Step 2 – A Clear Goal.

Now that you have chosen your goal, in step one above, it’s time to make it clear in your mind. Yes I know I said that you shouldn’t let your head rule your heart. But what you should do is follow your passion and desires. Then use your head to logically bring about those desires, even though it may be battling with you.

In your mind I want you to see your goal as exactly as you want it, with all the glorious detail. At the same time I want your emotions to run wild. Feel what it would be like to achieve this goal. Would you feel on top of the world? Are you on a high just thinking about it?

As you feel it, keep looking at it in your mind’s eye. Combine the power of both thought and emotion to feed your desire. The more you feed your desire, the closer to you goal you will get… provided you follow that with action.

Do this on a daily basis. Certainly first thing each morning and last thing at night. And numerous times in between where you can. It can be done anywhere.

Who’s going to know?

To summarize, decide what your goal is. Not through your head, but with your heart. Emotion is the key. Make your goal as detailed as possible. The ore detail there is, the better. Now see it in your mind. It must be a clear goal. Combining the power of emotion and the emotion of desire, you will be fired up to take the appropriate action to get you there.

The Benefits of Yoga Yoga can provide positive health benefits for anyone but can be especially helpful for those more mature adults. The three main areas of development would be balance, stretching, and strength. Balancing exercises strengthen leg muscles and help to prevent falling. Every year in the U.S. there are tens of thousands of patients admitted for broken hips and usually some type of fall is the reason for the bone fractures. Balancing exercises can also help you avoid disabilities that may result from falling.

Beginning Yoga Exercises

Stretching exercises can increase your range of motion and allow you to do more of the things you need and want to do. Stretching by itself is not designed to enhance strength or endurance, however keeping one’s muscles more flexible can also reduce strains and may improve circulation as well. Flexibility exercises, such as stretching, might help keep your body and joints limbered up, which could help prevent injuries and falling. It sometimes can speed up a recovery from an injury. Exercises for strength help build muscle as well as increasing your metabolic rate. This stabilizes blood sugar which and helps you maintain a healthier weight. By having stronger muscles, you will be less likely to need frequent assistance in doing your normal routines.

The Mental Benefits of Yoga

Besides the physical attributes of yoga, there are several mental benefits seniors can enjoy. By definition, yoga means union; therefore it is no surprise that one of the main underlying concepts is to achieve greater peace and harmony by better uniting the body and spirit. Perspectives on life and ourselves tend to change as we advance in age. The spiritual side of the world receives more importance as we grow older – this forms an excellent foundation for elderly people to start practicing yoga.

Proper Warm-ups for Seniors

It is recommended for seniors to begin their yoga exercise with slow, controlled motions. This phase can last for several weeks or longer depending on the individual. It is especially important in the earlier stages to avoid muscle sprains and strains. That will make the experience more enjoyable and safer while reducing the chances for injury. Even while using this slow gradual approach, many retirees can still benefit from improved circulation, range of motion and vitality.

Improve Your Circulation

Another benefit of yoga that most seniors can experience is improved circulation. This helps to better utilize the oxygen in their blood vessels resulting in improved memory and concentration. Many elderly people experience losses in these areas as the age increases and yoga can help reduce or reverse some of these effects. Seniors have many options for keeping fit through various forms of light exercise. One of the most important and often overlooked keys to staying healthy is proper breathing. That happens to be one of the foundations of yoga. Air feeds our bodies just as much as food and water does. Slow, deep breathing through the nose helps to cleanse the body on many different levels.

Just Get Started

Contrary to popular belief, yoga does not require years of practice to attain many positive results. In fact many elderly people really look forward to their yoga exercise sessions not only for the increased vitality also opportunities for social contacts if done in a group situation. The biggest key to succeeding is just get started.

Reducing your saturated fat intake is only part of the healthy body formula. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to avoid having that excess food stored as body fat. That’s where exercise comes into play.

These exercise tips can get you started on the road to losing weight and keeping it off:

- Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. This is especially true if you have, or are at risk of having, heart disease, diabetes, or you are seriously overweight.

- Practice moderation by beginning with light and low impact exercises like walking, and gradually increase your intensity as your body begins to become conditioned to increased activity.

- Aim for at least 30 per day of light cardiovascular activity each day. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. You can spread it out over the day if you want to.

- Easy to do exercises include walking instead of taking the car on nearby errands. Take the stairs instead of the escalator when you’re going to the office or shopping at the mall. Take a walk during lunch time.

- Start doing things that are both fun and provide exercise. Gardening, bike riding, window shopping downtown.

- You can make exercise more enjoyable by wearing headphones and listening to music, or doing your exercises with a friend. Here are some dietary tips that can change, or save, your life:

These foods have been linked to various health conditions including cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Not all of these foods have been linked with all of these conditions, but each of them are worth avoiding when possible.

- High in saturated fats, these foods should be avoided at all costs: All saturated fats and oils found in butter, lard, palm and coconut oil, bacon grease.

Replace these foods with: Soft margarine (no fat kind), olive, safflower, soy, corn, canola, and peanut oil.

- These foods contain trans fatty acids and/or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and should be eaten only in very limited quantities: Hard margarines, most snack crackers, most cookies, corn and potato chips, shortening.

- These meats contain high levels of fat and can cause serious arterial blockage and heart conditions. They should be eaten very sparingly: corned beef, pastrami, pork and beef ribs, beef steak, ground meat, most frankfurters, pork sausage, bacon, liver, kidney, and processed deli meats.

Replace with these foods with skinless chicken or turkey, turkey or chicken frankfurters, ground turkey, occasional lean beef, veal, pork, lamb, fish, and vegetable dishes including beans, peas, pasta, or rice.

- Try not to eat more than 2 oz of meat, fish, or poultry per day. Replace the rest of your meal with healthy vegetables, pasta and rice.

- Be careful of fat that’s hidden in dairy products. Drink either fat-free or 1% milk. Replace other dairy products like cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and snack cheeses with their no-fat or low-fat versions.

- Avoid eating high fat snack crackers, cake, cup cakes or muffins, and replace them with low-fat baked versions.

Stay out of the fast-food restaurants. There’s nothing good for you to eat there regardless of what they tell you on television.

“Healthcare professionals must take into consideration the importance of the daily run to the mental and physical wellbeing of the person.” says Daniel Marein-Efrn, founder of Heeling Solutions (heelingsolutions.com) a new company using videos to educate people about conservative treatments for plantar fasciitis. “I need my daily exercise high to keep me focused and full of energy, so stopping my running completely was not a possibility when I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis.”

“With 5-10% of all running injuries being caused by plantar fasciitis it is very important that runners get the appropriate information to help them get better and keep them sane at the same time,” says Mr. Marein-Efrn. “Our videos offer runners in-depth information on the treatments for plantar fasciitis, which enables them to customize a treatment regiment with the help of their doctor. The Heeling Solutions R.E.S.C.U.E. program also includes a special section for runners in addition to a second video that has a strengthening and stretching program that will help prevent the recurrence of plantar fasciitis.”

Because of the unique issues confronting runners with plantar fasciitis many specialists are now recommending what has been termed “active rest.” This idea has arisen after careful consideration of the most common causes of plantar fasciitis in runners:

•Sudden changes in activity level. For example, increasing mileage while training for a marathon •Wearing shoes that may appear to be in good shape, but have actually lost their shock absorbing abilities •Running on high impact surfaces such as concrete •Having tight hamstring and calf muscles •Having high or low arches

Many specialists now recommend that runners switch to running in a pool or traditional swimming to maintain fitness, while at the same time reducing the amount of stress put on the plantar fascia. This active rest can also involve other activities such as biking, though it is recommended that runners first stop experiencing pain before switching to biking.

For those that just can’t stop running they can try reducing their mileage by 90% and slowly working back up over a period or weeks and months as long as the condition is improving and there is no pain. If pain increases, the pool is the best option.

For more information, go to www.aafp.org, www.heelingsolutions.com, www.apma.org

Kathy’s post workout binges are nothing new. Neither are the extra 10 pounds living around her hips that she can’t seem to lose. But once Kathy puts these simple three steps to good use, she’ll smile gaily as her last 10 pounds will melt away.

Step 1: Eat at least 45 minutes before you exercise. Ok, if you are now envisioning guilt eating and compensation exercising, stop. This is not about eating a chocolate bar now and exercising it off later. It’s about, giving your body the energy it needs to sustain a good 45-60 minute workout.

Eat a light snack consisting of 300-500 calories. This could be a bagel, with a slice of turkey and a whole tomato. Or it could be a protein bar.

The point is to get some carbohydrates, proteins and fats in your system now so that it has something to run on later. With this pre-workout meal, carbohydrates are critical because you want energy for your workout. Eating 45 minutes before a workout will not make you fat. If anything, it will speed up your metabolism if you do this regularly.

Step 2: Drink lots of water while exercising Your body should be 70% water and it knows this. When exercising, you could easily lose up to three pounds of water during one exercise. Please don’t beat yourself up if you don’t lose three pounds. I watch women get upset at the gym everyday after their post-workout weighing ritual, if they haven’t lost weight. The weight will come off.

If you drink while exercising, you may be able to exercise longer. But more importantly your body will not have to cry out for water after you finish exercising.

Also, water can give you the sensation of fullness so that you can calmly wait for your post workout meal without getting ravenous.

Step 3. Eat a meal at least 45 minutes after you workout. Even if you are not hungry after your workout, you should train yourself to eat within 45 minutes of exercising. The body is patient and it will take a lot of mistreatment up to a point.

The problem with waiting until you are hungry to eat is that the body continues doing gazillion operations until you decide to eat. This usually happens when you get the “Gosh, I’m hungry now!” feeling.

In truth, at this stage, you’re not hungry, you’re famished and you have no time or patience to be judicious with what you eat. What’s more, you’re more likely to overeat.

So, feed your body with a 300-500 calorie meal within 45 minutes of exercising. Again, make sure that this meal has carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

For the post-workout meal, eating a lean protein proves critical because your body is in repair mode and it needs protein to rebuild your body.

If you can avoid post-workout binges for the next five weeks, yu can certainly melt away those last 10 pounds. Here’s the secret to never having an excuse for not eating your pre and post-workout meals: Make your meals simple and place them in your purse or gym bag.

On occasion, your can even replace a meal with a well-balanced protein shake. Now, no more embarrassing post-workout pig fests, you know what to do instead.

I first published the article below on the internet in early 2000, and since then it has been reproduced on countless websites and I have become as a the world most authorative person on the subject, even consulting in the latest book on the subject written by the ‘inventor’ of the original SEO, Chris Clark.

In 1996 Chris Clark invented the first SEO (Site Enhancing Oil) and named it ‘Synthol’. A quick phone call from Brystol-Meyers, who hold the trademark rights on the ‘Synthol’ name, forced Chris Clark to change the name of his product to PumpNPose. However, the name of synthol was stuck with the bodybuilders.

The most popular now are Synthol/PumpnPose, Syntherol, EsikClean, Nuclear Nutrition Site Oil, Cosmostan and Liquid Muscle.

Synthol/PumpnPose is the original product. As such, it charges a lot of money and it’s the most expensive variant as it relies on it’s name to sell it – the cheapest found is $149.95. There must be a lot of fakes out there since the inventor of it, Chris Clark, charges a wholesale price of over $100 per bottle (and that’s for large quantity), so there’s no way that some outfits can retail it for $100. The only official distributor for PnP is www.meso-morph.com

Syntherol is my favourite simply because is the only one that I know of that is made by a real pharmaceutical company, so guaranteed sterile, plus it hurts less and the results seem to be better – don’t take my word for it, ask around! It’s the same formula as Synthol/PumpnPose, with added silica, which is a safe way to make the gains more ‘permanent’. It’s very refined, so it flows freely through a 28gauge needle, unlike the others which need as much as 21gauge needles to go through properly! It’s also the number 1 best selling Site Oil in the world, so they must be doing something right! And Synthetek (the maker of Syntherol) is the only company to offer a double money back guarantee and they never had any complaints from any customer from anywhere in the world! By far my choice, plus, it’s cheap – $129.95. www.synthetek.com

EsikClean – same formula as Synthol, but it has colagen added. That makes it a very bad choice to use in my opinion. When you use site oils, the biggest problem is the formation of scar tissue. You don’t want any scar tissue build up when you use site oils. Scar tissue is colagen buildup due to the trauma caused to the muscle by sticking a needle in there. As such, I would not help the build up of scar tissue in the muscle by injecting colagen. So, that’s a bad choice. $100 per bottle www.synthol-direct.com Plus these are the people that counterfited Chris Clark’s PnP and Synthetek’s Syntherol, so one wonders how ‘genuine’ they are. Their associated websites are www.synthol.com, www.finalabs.com, www.zoelabs.com, www.pumpnpose.com, www.primolabs.com I strongly recommend that people stay away from them!

Nuclear Nutrition Oil – is a very good product, which works quite well. It’s exactly as Syntherol, plus the addition of a small amount of prohormones. I am not a big fan of prohormones due to the reason that they will give you more side effects than benefits. Also, because of the prohormones, you cannot import it into countries like Canada or Australia, where prohormones are illegal. Still a good product – $149.95 www.nuclearnutrition.com

Cosmostan is another one that I recomend that people don’t use. It has two anabolic steroids added to it. Because the SEO oil is a very long chain fatty acid, it will wrap itself around the steroid oil, as such not allow the steroid oil to be dissipated timely and for the body to assimilate the steroid. Also, both steroids contained in it are esterified, as such, they would have absolutely zero effect on localised growth as all esterified steroids have to travel to the liver first. Also, because of the steroids contained in it, it is illegal in most places in the world and women cannot use it. On top of all this, it also contains collagen, which as previously mentioned is an extremely bad idea as collagen primary causes scar tissue, exactly what should be avoided during SEO use. I am not sure of the price (never been interested in this product). Available from www.apex-pharmaceuticals.com

Liquid Muscle – same as PumpnPose, but at $199.95 per bottle. However, I can’t find too much about it and about who makes it, as it seems as a small outfit and as such I have trouble trusting it 100%, especially when I am supposed to inject their stuff into MY body. They do advertise all over the bodybuilding magazines in the back sections, but that doesn’t mean much. www.liquidmuscle.com

There’s a ton of other brands, but the above are the most well known. The other brands available, I personally would not trust since they come from very small outfits, so you don’t know whether they are sterile, properly manufactured or most likely just mixed together in somebody’s ‘bathtub’.

Site oils can be used for two purposes – to increase the size of a muscle or to shape a muscle.

To increase size, lets use the biceps for example. You need to inject in EVERY head of the muscle, while rotating the shots daily within that head. This is the only way to ensure that the added size keeps to your natural look/shape of the muscle. The quickest way to get a muscle up to maximum size is to do the following regimen: 1ml for 10 days in each head of the muscle. 2ml for 10 days. 3ml for 10 days. If you do both, the biceps and triceps simultaneously, you can add up to 3″ on your arms in those 30 days. Now, this is VERY IMPORTANT!!!: you HAVE to massage the area that you just injected SEVERELLY! You have to make sure that there’s no lump forming. The muscle should always be soft. You should NEVER have a lump. It is also a good idea, to inject just before going to the gym, so as soon as you get to the gym, you should do a couple light weight, high reps sets for that muscle, to get the blood moving. This again will minimise lump formation. You have to keep in mind, that as soon as lumps form because you did not massage, scar tissue will form as well. You want to avoid scar tissue at all costs. Also, to minimise scar tissue build up, use VERY small needles, like 25g or 26g, inch or 1inch long (depending on the injection site) and inject VERY slowly. If you find that you cannot keep with the lump build up, but you are due for another shot, wait until, by massaging, the lump goes away (it should not be more than a couple of days) and then resume from where you left off.

If you have all the size you wish and just want to shape the muscle, as adding a peak on the biceps, then inject the spot, in the peak of the muscle, with 1ml every day or every second day until you obtain the peak that you desire.

What I recommend to people that are just starting out using these oils is to use 1ml per head of muscle per day, or every second day, for a week or so and see how they react to it. That way they can judge how many ml they can use per muscle head and how often.

Where to inject – BICEPS – inner and outer head. You can feel the `split’ in between the two heads of the biceps when you feel with your other hand. Inject on each side of that. If you want to increase the length/thickness of the bicep, inject more in the inner head (closer to your body). If you want to increase the peak, inject more in the outer head.

TRICEPS – You don’t need to inject in the outer/horseshoe head, unless it is really lacking behind. You inject in the middle and rear heads of the triceps. Generally, at the back of your arm, the upper portion is the rear head and the lower portion is the middle head, as the two heads overlap each other somewhat.

DELTOIDS – just inject straight into whatever head is lacking in size.

CALVES – Natural calves, no matter how big the are, have a `flat’ look to the muscle. So you want to keep that look, you don’t want to have your calves looking round like someone stuck an air hose in there. So, you inject in multiple shots, on the outside edges of the muscle. That will make the calf go outwards, while keeping the flat, natural look.

QUADS – With muscles this large, you need to do multiple daily injections. Where in the biceps you use 1ml per head per day to begin with, on quads you need to start with 1ml per site, 7 sites per quad. That is to avoid the `lumpy’ look and keep the quad uniform. Again, to keep the natural look of the thigh, you should inject in the `peak’ of the outer quad, injecting along the crest. If the teardrop is lacking, then just inject straight into it, rotating sites daily. I personally don’t recommend quad shots, especially teardrop, due to the very high amount of nerves in the area.

PECS – pecs are a very large, ‘flat’ type of muscle. As such, the injections have to cover the entire area of the muscle, to ‘lift’ it at the same time, otherwise a lumpy look will result. I recomend three rows of three shots per pec per day.

I strongly recommend that you get some anatomy charts and study the muscles and the nerves that are in the area that you want to inject.

How do Site Oils work? To begin with, they do not stay in the muscle for 3 to 5 years. They get dissipated within months. However, during this time, they have stretched the fascia of that muscle. The fascia is a great constrictive factor in muscle growth. The more stretched the fascia is the more the muscle will grow and the more it will have that `popping’ look. Site oils stay in there long enough for the fascia to stretch. As they dissipate, the `space’ left by them is replaced with new muscle tissue growth. That is the reason why when x-rays/MRIs where performed on some of the people that have 25″+ arms, there was no oil found in there. The oil dissipated and it was replaced by real muscle. The principle is the same as the one behind site shots with steroids, but it works at a much a larger degree, because the Site Oils take that much longer to dissipate. As well, this is the same principle behind fascial stretching. Howver, it is much more efficient with Site Oils. Best example is to imagine a baloon. You can pull on it and stretch it as much as you want, and you will stretch it a bit. But if you fill it with a liquid, you will be able to stretch it to a much larger degree than just pulling on it from the outside. This is the best way to compare the efficiency of fascial stretching versus using Site Oils.

Pain – obviously, any site shot hurts. The pain will minimise the more you inject, until it will not hurt any more. Site Oils hurt, but not as much as site injections with, lets say, Sustanon or Testosterone Propionate. However, as I said, they will hurt less and less the more you use them.

Dangers – Site Oils are safe, if certain precautions are taken, same as when injecting anything else. You always have to aspirate. Always! You DO NOT want the oil to go in a vein. Always massage the area after the shot so scar tissue build up doesn’t occur. And most importantly – USE COMMON SENSE! If you have 16″ arms, don’t think that you will have 23″ in 5 weeks! Because if you try that, you will end up with deformed looking muscles and you will be the laughing stock of the world. On a side note, people like Greg Valentino have implants, not SEO’s in their muscles. It is physiologically impossible to look like these guys do with SEOs. Hopefully that puts that myth to rest.

Site Oils are there to help you break past a plateau. If your genetics indicate that you are 242 with 5% bf, but you only have 18″ arms, then Site Oils will help you bring your arms in proportion. All that I am saying is that Site Oils are there to aid the work that you do in the gym, not replace it!

If you wish to discuss this article and learn more about it, you can do so here: http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?p=205#pos t205 I can personally be contacted at andecorp@yahoo.com

The chemical compound nitric oxide is a gas with a chemical
formula NO. It is an important signaling molecule in the body of
mammals including humans, one of the few gaseous signaling
molecules known. Nitric oxide (NO) is not nitrous
oxide (N 2 O) or with nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ). (Formal
definition courtesy of Wikipedia)

What is L-arginine (the key ingredient used to produce
Nitric Oxide)

L-arginine is an amino acid found in grains and fish, meats,
supplements and passes through the intestine into the blood.
>From the blood, it enters endothelial cells, (these are the
layer of cells lining the inside of the blood and lymph vessels
of the heart) where it is used to produce nitric oxide.

L-arginine can be found in many foods such as meat, poultry,
dairy products, and fish. The body also uses arginine to produce
nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels. For this reason, it
has been used to treat cardiovascular disorders such as heart
failure, intermittent claudication, impotence, female sexual
dysfunction, and interstitial cystitis. (Formal definition
courtesy of Wikipedia).

It can also be used as an ergogenic aid to supplement
bodybuilding and sports endeavors.

L-arginine supplements cause a delayed release of Nitric Oxide
into the blood. Ed Byrd (the creator of NO 2) called this the
“pHyser3″ effect of creating a sustained hemodilation or blood
flow in the body.

How does this help with bodybuilding?

Nitric Oxide helps with a sustained blood pump in your body. The
blood vessels that deliver muscle building agents (nutrients,
creatine) to your muscles are “forced open” for an extended
period of time throughout the day. This means quicker recovery,
enhanced muscle gains, greater strength, more endurance due to
the prolonged pump NO2 provides. You know how you feel “pumped
up” after a workout? Nitric oxide helps perpetuate this muscle
pump effect.

Are there other health benefits to Nitric Oxide besides
bodybuilding?

There is evidence that nitric oxide can prevent heart disease
and stroke. The vasodilation effect nitric oxide helps protect
the blood vessels from dangerous constriction. This increases
the blood vessel flexibility to blood can circulate at a lower
pressure. Nitric oxide may also help control platelet function,
reduce artery plaque and even lower cholesterol.

Where can I get nitric oxide?

Nitric oxide supplements is available at most supplement and
health nutrition stores. Here are five nitric oxide products I
would recommend:

-Nitrix by
BSN. Nitrix has quickly gained the reputation as the world’s top
Nitric Oxide (NO) supplements.

-NO-xplode by
BSN. NO-xplode uses both creatine and nitrix oxide to help you
explode you bodybuilding regimen. NO-xplode is highly
recommended.

-A-AKG by
Pro-line. This is perhaps the most economical priced nitric
oxide supplement I could find.

-Mid-Cycle
by Fizogen. Mid Cycle effectively enhances nutrient uptake,
increases cell-signaling vasodilation and promotes improved
muscle torque and intercellular energy levels.

-Cold
Fusion by Legal Gear. This bodybuilding supplements is
especially appropriate for serious athletes looking to maximize
muscle gains with NO2. Cold fusion has twice as much NO per
serving than any other nitric oxide product.

You can find nitric oxide in almost any supplement store or the
internet. I have experimented (and have been ripped off a few
times) with several supplement stores. I found GNC was the most
accessible but way too expensive. So far the company I have been
most pleased with is Rocky Mountain Sports Nutrition. They offer
the best selection of bodybuilding supplements and weight loss
products I could find. When it came to prices and customer
service they were second to nobody. Check them out at http://www.discountanabo
lics.com.