Why You Need to Take Fish Oil.

   Fish oil is made from the tissue of oily-fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake-trout, and sardines. The oil from this tissue contains Omega-3 fatty acids, an essential fatty acid that your body can not naturally produce. There are two notable Omega-3's in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These two acids are believed to have health benefits ranging from reducing the risk of heart attack and coronary heart disease to combating depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Fish Oil and Body Composition.

   Everybody who is trying to improve their body needs to be taking fish oil tablets. The Omega-3's in fish oil cut down excess fat in several ways. They've been shown to increase your insulin activity, which leads to less fat storage and more fat release. They increase the heat in your cellular "furnaces", making them burn more energy. Omega-3's allow your body to burn fat when other times it is unable to, like after a high-carb meal. Fish oil also increases the amount of leptin your body produces, which will increase your metabolism and decrease your hunger.
   One study done by the Nutritional Physiology Research Group in Australia showed that exercise combined with fish oil will burn significantly more fat then fish oil tablets or exercise alone. Researchers found that the Omega-3's in fish oil turned on the fat burning enzymes, but they needed an extra push - exercise. The best thing about this weight loss, is most of the fat loss in this experiment came from the abdominal region.
   In all these studies of the benefits of fish oil, all participants gained some muscle along with losing fat. This is theorized to be "nutritional partitioning", when your body takes calories that were originally directed to be stored as fat and put it towards building muscle instead. Omega-3's were also found to reduce inflammation in your muscles, reducing chances of injuries such as tendonitis and bursitus, and reducing recovery time of your muscles.

Other Benefits.

   Fish oil offers an abundant number of benefits to your body. One of the most appealing to me is the ability to fight cancer. Omega-3's might be able to help combat cancer by starving the cancer cells of linoleic acid. They can also heighten the reaction of the genetic material required to destroy cancer cells, while prevent the adhesion of cancer cells to other healthy cells.
   I've said it earlier, but fish oil is also a great way to enhance your mood. In recent studies, depressed patients given Omega-3 fatty acids have shown a decrease in anxiety, fewer sleeping problems, fewer sexual problems, and a decrease in overall sadness. Even in studies with healthy people, the Omega-3's showed mood-elevating properties by reducing stress and tension.
   Rather you are trying to build muscle, lose fat, or just trying to get healthier, there are too many facts and research showing the benefits of fish oil to not be taking it on a regular basis.


                                                                                                   -AO

The Secret to Abs

The Truth.

   Some of us were born with it, most of us have to work for it, but we all want a toned six pack. The biggest contributor to having visible abs is body fat percentage. The best way to shed fat is to do some cardio; jogging, elliptical, treadmill, bike, or sprints. Any high-repetition (10+) work out will contribute to toning your muscle, but it won't be enough if you weren't genetically gifted with a small percentage of body fat.

How to get there.

   Although body fat is the biggest contributor to having toned abs, it is not the only one. Any experienced trainer will tell you that you not only have to tone your abs, you have to bulk them up. I have read plenty of articles on ab workouts, and the bulking part is always either hardly mentioned or completely overlooked. Bulking up your abs is the same as bulking up any other muscle, low reps with heavy weight. This will make your abs a lot more noticeable, even through a small layer of fat.

What worked for me.
 
   After I had lost some body fat, I still didn't have the abs I wanted. I did plenty of research online and finally found the answer, I need to find a weighted ab workout. After browsing countless workouts, I found University of North Carolina's Strength and Conditioning Coach Jonas Sahration's "Med Ball 400". This workout toned and bulked my abs very quickly with only the use of a medicine ball (3-8 lb.). After finding this work out, I incorporated it into my "Ab day", where I hit 20 minutes of cardio (before every workout) and jump right into the Med Ball 400. After the first few times, I felt like I was able to do a little more with my core even after the workout. I began taking a heavier medicine ball (or even a lifting plate) and holding it straight above me with my elbows locked while laying on my back (like an extended bench press). From there, I would do a sit up with my chin reaching straight up, like I was trying to touch it to the ceiling.
   Although this workout is extremely challenging, it is the best ab workout for those who are going for a trim, muscular core.

Tips.

   The MedBall 400 is going to work your shoulders and some smaller muscle groups as well, it is designed to. Bigger shoulders and traps are big factors in having toned abs because as you bulk them up, the skin will stretch and become tighter around your stomach. Next time you do a shoulder workout, look for a difference in your stomach.
   The greater your muscle mass, the more your body needs to sustain that muscle, increasing your metabolism. This (with a 20 min cardio session before every workout) will burn any fat on your body pretty quickly.
  

                                                                                                 -AO