Quick question for you. What's the leading cause of death for
American men? According to the Center for Disease Control, it's heart
disease, which in 2006, accounted for just over a quarter of all deaths
among men in the United States.
That might have been a few years ago, but further stats suggest that
risk of heart disease hasn't faded much since then. You know those risks
right? Obesity, smoking and stress, among others. And, of course, lack
of exercise.
Suffice to say, it's important for men of all ages to exercise. Any
thing's good, really, so long as we get at least 30 minutes per session,
and preferably five or six times a week.
Of course, most men are more into the free weights routine than
aerobics, and there's nothing wrong with that. So long as you're getting
some cardio in there, somewhere, men can get most of their exercise
needs met with good old resistance training.
In this article we'll discuss three of the core resistance exercises
that are most beneficial to men, for health, longevity and less chance
the grim reaper will come before you've achieved what you want in this
life. We'll also review that men should indeed supplement for the gym
with age. What supplement works best? Hint: it ain't steroids. Try
HyperGH 14x. We'll get to that.
Work Those Core Muscles
Biceps are sexy, and girls may like big arms, but for health and the
most benefits of weight training, your core comes first. Your core is
your torso, meaning from below your neck to your upper legs. Save the
arms for another day. No core, no gains. Very simple.
Core muscles give balance to the body. Done correctly, exercises that
work your core not only provide an amazing stress release, they thicken
your bones, develop physical strength and promote good balance, which
in a man's later years, may reduce the chances he'll fall.
Considering that unintentional injuries are the third leading cause
of death among men in the United States, core exercises should be the
starting point of any resistance training exercise regimen. Do these
exercises, and you're well on your way.
Deadlifts
Arguably the single most beneficial exercise you can do, deadlifts
have the distinction of working every major body part. If you do one
exercise all week, do deadlifts.
Having said this, it's very important to do deadlifts with good form.
This is a strenuous exercise that, if you do it wrong, can really mess
up your spine. Don't arch your back with deadlifts – position your back
inwards, and your posterior out.
To do a deadlift, place your palms on the bar, one hand with an over
hand grip, the other under-handed. Your feet should be straight, roughly
shoulder-width or slightly wider apart. Push down hard with your legs
as you lift up the bar. Back in, butt out, slowly lift, then place back
down. That's one.
Squats
Another great full body exercise, squats thicken the spine and work
those core muscles that develop physical strength and balance. In the
pecking order of most beneficial exercises, it's number two.
The caveat with squats is that, when done with the traditional method
of a bar placed on the shoulders, you're putting weight on your spine.
That's not always good, so form matters.
We'll get to alternative squat exercises in a moment. But for guys
who practice good form, and don't push stupidly heavy weights, squats
are excellent.
If you're one of these guys, place the bar behind your neck, resting
on your shoulders. As with dead lifts, position your back in and your
posterior outwards to alleviate pressure on your spine. Slowly lower
your body, until your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Then push hard
with your knees as you go back up.
Squats are an excellent exercise, but the key here is not to strain
the spine. As an alternative, consider similar squat motion movements
with a set of dumb bells. Or try sumo squats.
Bench Press
All right gentlemen, you're at the pinnacle of resistance training.
Tell a guy you work out and he's likely to ask you a simple question,
"How much can you bench?"
In his day, Arnold Schwarzenegger could bench close to 400 pounds,
which is crazy by any standards. As of 2011, the current record for an
assisted bench press is over 1000 pounds. Ouch.
To do the bench press, lay flat on your back, with your feet on the
floor. Place your hands just outside shoulder-width apart. Lift the bar
off the frame, and slowly lower the weight to just above your belly
button. Don't bounce it off your stomach. Push hard, and raise it back
to the starting position.
With bench press, remember to use a spotter for heavier weights. Stay
the course with bench. Do it often, for upper body strength and a great
set of pecs.
Some guys do the steroids gig, and there's no question that those
needles will have your biceps bulging bigger than a king-sized set of
watermelons. But steroids will also leave you with acne, shrunken
testicles, risk of permanent impotence, stroke and heart attack, 'roid
rage. This could go on for a while.
And though steroids are more of a younger man's game, it's not
uncommon for senior men to supplement with synthetic Human Growth
Hormone (HGH) which, when you consider the costs and risks involved,
aren't much of a better option.
But growth hormone has a measurable influence on muscle growth, and
exercise can stimulate exercise-induced growth hormone response, or
EIGR, for less fat, more muscle tone and better results from similar
efforts in the weight room.
And this means? Use a natural growth hormone supplement, like
HyperGH 14x, which stimulates natural, as opposed to synthetic growth hormone,
from your own body, for muscles, anti-aging benefits, and ultimately,
health and happiness.
