No Excuses! 7 Resistance Band Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

We’ve all found ourselves in situations where our workout gets sidelined. Maybe you’re stuck in a hotel room for a work trip, your beach vacation got rained out, or a missed flight leaves you in the airport for entirely too long. It’s a complete pain, especially if you’re not into bodyweight exercises. You may spend hours watching bad daytime TV or scarfing airport food, which will ultimately lead to remorse and wasted calories.

By packing just a resistance band, you can discretely complete a full strength program. Convinced? Purchase the appropriate band for your fitness level and estimated workout plan. Pack it in your suitcase and you can work out in a pinch.

1. Squat

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You may have thought you left the weighted squat back at the gym, but this killer exercise is one of the top ways to burn calories and keep your quads, calves, glutes, and lower back in tip-top shape. Stand on the band with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Holding a handle in each hand, bring the top of the band over each shoulder. Lower yourself straight down into a deep squat, keeping your chest up and your abdominals tight. Align your knees out over your toes before rising back up to the starting position. Complete eight to 12 repetitions for three total sets.

2. Bent-over row

If you have back problems or a day of sitting in a tiny, straight-backed airplane seat has your back acting up, it may feel good to release some of the tension with a resistance band-assisted back-strengthening exercise. Start in the same position as you did for the squat, standing on the band with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend slightly at the knees and hinge forward at the waist, jutting your hips back. Grab each handle with your hands facing outside of your knees. With your elbows bent, pull the band up toward your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and pull up until your elbows form 90-degree angles. Lower your arms back down and repeat for 10 to 12 reps and a total of three sets.

http://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/no-excuses-resistance-band-exercises-you-can-do-anywhere.html/2/

15 Healthy Foods Every Man Should Have in His Pantry

When you think of pantry items, endless mounds of cookies and candy may be the first things to come to mind. Well, it’s time to mend that. While chowing down on low-nutritional snacks may be self-pleasing, eating and cooking with these healthy alternatives can kick your endorphins too. From apple cider vinegar to lentils, here are the 15 best foods to stock in your pantry. Pick them all up next time you hit the grocery store (most stay fresh in your pantry for months, or even years) and bask in your nutritious virtue.

Bulgur

Rich in fiber, iron, protein, and vitamin B6, bulgur is easy to prepare (boil until soft) and can be served as a side dish like rice, or as a cereal like oatmeal. Like other whole grains, bulgur can lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. That matters, since heart disease is the number one killer for men.

Dried dates

“Many of my male clients rely on energy bars for a quick pre- or post-exercise snack, but those contain a lot of filler ingredients,” says Jennifer McDaniel, R.D., owner of McDaniel Nutrition Therapy in Clayton, Missouri. “You get a bigger bang for your buck by dunking a date in peanut butter.” Bonus: This frequently overlooked nature’s candy provides both soluble and insoluble fiber, and are a good source of B vitamins, potassium, iron, and magnesium.

Sardines

“These are an affordable, often overlooked, source of omega-3 fatty acids,” says Kayleen St. John, Director of Nutrition at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. “Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in suppressing inflammation within the body and may contribute to lower LDL cholesterol levels and lower triglycerides.” Try mixing sardines into pasta sauces or salad dressings for an easy way to increase your omega-3 intake.

Whole-wheat pasta

The typical white pasta has been made with grains that have been stripped of their outer layer. “The grain has been processed to remove the exterior coating, but that’s where all the nutrients live,” says Rebecca Lewis, nutritionist for HelloFresh. Check to see that whole grain flour is listed as one of the first ingredients on the box.

Beans

Moving right past the fart jokes, black beans are an amazing source of protein, high-quality fiber, and complex carbohydrates. They also keep you feeling full longer than simple carbs can. “Beans are the most underrated food in America,” says Lewis. Buy them canned and rinse them under hot water for 30 seconds before eating — it will remove 50 percent of the unwanted salt — which, happily, will also keep gas to a minimum.

http://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/collections/15-healthy-foods-every-man-should-have-in-his-pantry-w202952/beans-w202959

Giant Sets: The Best Thing You Aren’t Doing to Gain Muscle and Burn Fat

Giant sets are one of the best ways to build size and strength in a short time, but they can also be a great way to get your heart rate up and shed fat. For the uninitiated, a giant set consists of five different exercises that are performed with minimal rest in an AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) format, or for a specific amount of rounds in as little time as possible. It’s a great way to get a total-body, hardcore workout that’ll leave you gassed in half the time.

Pro tip: Start with a proper dynamic warm-up prior to this workout. You will be using all muscle groups, so you’ll need to be loose. As a general rule of thumb, you should have a light sweat going by the end of any warm-up.

Once you’re warmed up, let’s get into the workouts. Treat exercises 1-5 as one circuit, rest, and then perform exercises 6-10 as another circuit.

1. Dumbbell Flat Bench Press: 12 reps

• Lying on a flat bench, press two dumbbells up, until your arms are fully extended.
• Lower the bells under control until you reach the chest, then press the bells off the chest.
• Make sure to lock your lats in tight and keep your elbows tucked slightly.

2. Wide-Grip Pull-Up: 12 reps

• Grab a pull-up bar with a grip about one fist outside of you normal pull-up grip width.
• If you can’t do these with strict form, use a box or a bench and jump to the top of the pull-up, then lower yourself down slowly.

3. Dumbbell 1-Arm Overhead Press: 8 reps per arm

• Grab one dumbbell and hold it just above your shoulder with your elbow and the end of the bell pointed straight ahead.
• Bend your knees slightly, squeeze your glutes and abs tight, and press the bell overhead.
• Make sure to keep the bell moving straight up, not away from your body.
• Lock the weight out at the top, then control the bell on the way down.

4. Dumbbell Chest-Supported Row: 12 reps

• Setup an incline bench and grab a pair of dumbbells, lying face-down on the bench with head just above the top of the bench.
• With arms straight beneath you, row the bells up to your chest, squeezing the back as tight as you can at the top, and return to the bottom under control.
• Try your best to keep your chest on the bench, avoiding pulling it off as you squeeze your lats and upper back at the top.

5. Dumbbell Curl with Full Twist: 12 reps

• Standing tall with your chest up, start with a pair of light dumbbells at your sides, hands rotated so your palms are facing straight behind you.
• Curl the bells up to your chest, rotating your hands as you go.
• At the top of the bicep squeeze, your palms should be rotated completely so they are facing your biceps.
• Return to the bottom and reverse the rotation making sure to maintain complete control of the bells the entire time.

http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/collections/giant-sets-the-best-thing-you-arent-doing-to-gain-muscle-and-burn-fat-w484022/5-dumbbell-curl-with-full-twist-12-reps-w484043

Ultra-Running Legend Dean Karnazes’ Most Challenging Race Moment

Despite what we see on the covers of running magazines or in various shoe advertisements, running is not all smiles. Running is a grotesque physical performance art of overworked muscles and labored breathing; it’s an exhausting battle between your body and your mind to see which will unceremoniously bow out first.

For ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes neither side ever seems to bow out, and as a result he’s become the sport’s poster boy of sorts. In 2006 he became the first to run 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. He won the infamous 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley in 2004, and earned five other top-ten finishes between 2000 and 2008. He has won the 4 Deserts Race Series that takes place in the Sahara, Gobi, Atacama, and Antarctic deserts. In his trophy collection, you’ll find 11 silver belt buckles from his 11 one-day finishes of the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run.

“In the moment, what you’re going through isn’t shocking, and you don’t think about it too much because you’re too busy doing it,” Karnazes says. “But in reflection you see just how much you’re capable of and how massive your physical accomplishments can be when your mind wills your body to keep going. I’m comfortable with being uncomfortable. That paradigm shift is one reason why I look forward to these adventures and challenges. I know it’s going to tear me apart, but that’s how I’ve learned what I’m made of on the inside.”

Every race he’s ever entered, whether it’s a half marathon or 100 miles, has held a moment where he thinks, “I can’t make it,” and yet he usually finds a way across the finish line. His first 100-mile race was a baptism by fire in this lesson.

“The first time I ran 100 miles was also the first time I ran the Western States 100-miler, which has become a very iconic race. Before the race, I’d never run beyond 50 miles, so I was going into uncharted territory. I had run 20 hours nonstop, bushwhacking through forests and walking through rivers, and I was beat psychologically and physically. The funny thing about Western States is that the first 98.5 miles is all trail. You’re alone out there navigating, but the final mile and a half — which is usually the ugliest — is through city streets, and the race actually finishes on a track behind a high school. Right as you come into the streets for that final mile and a half, there’s an aid station. I distinctly remember the moment that I got to those dim lights of that aid station in the middle of the night. I was delusional, totally spent. All I could do was collapse on one of the medical cots. And then I felt a hand slip under my head and cradle it. I was so exhausted at this point that I thought I was hallucinating at first, but then I realized that out of all people, it was my dad who was holding me. I was sobbing and drooling on myself and I said, ‘Dad, I can’t move. I can’t do it.’ ”

“Now, most people think their dad would say something along the lines of, ‘That’s okay. You did your best.’ He didn’t though. He said, ‘Run if you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must — just never give up.’ So I did what he told me to do. I dragged my body up the road for five minutes then I got my legs under me and I started walking. Then ran through the finish. It was, and still is, one of the most poignant moments in my running career. Just a boy and his dad, if you will. But it was the first of many moments that teach you that barriers are self-contrived. If we can get out of our own way of what is and isn’t possible, I think we would all shock ourselves. Your body is incredibly adaptive if your mind allows it to be.”

http://www.mensjournal.com/sports/articles/ultra-running-legend-dean-karnazes-most-challenging-race-moment-w474762

The Best Healthy Smoothie Recipes

There are hundreds of reasons to drink smoothies: they’re a breeze to make, are high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins and nutrients – if you use the right ingredients. Smoothies can also be sneakily high in calories and packed with sugar (see, Jamba Juice).

We asked a series of expert nutritionists, chefs, coaches, and doctors to provide us with their go-to smoothie recipes. What they sent us was inspiring and a little eye opening. Trade chocolate for cacao, they suggest, and get the sweetness with a dose of magnesium and iron. Sprinkle in spirulina powder to boost your immune system. And while you’re at it, toss in a spoonful of chia seeds, swap regular milk for coconut or almond milk, and sift in a cup of hemp granola. Here, are 19 great recipes to start.

Bill Noll / Getty Images1 / 17

Dennis Goodman’s Spinach and Mango Smoothie

Dr. Dennis Goodman, an associate professor of cardiology at New York University and the director of integrative medicine at New York Medical Associates, advocates magnesium-rich foods. His recent book, Magnificent Magnesium explores the mineral’s many health benefits which include increased heart health, better sleep, and stress-reduction. With a healthy serving of bananas and spinach, this smoothie contains more than half the recommended daily intake of magnesium, as suggested by the FDA, and is only 210 calories.

Dennis Goodman’s Spinach and Mango Smoothie

Ingredients (16 oz) 

• 2 leaves collard greens
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup mango
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup ice

Preparation: Blend.

Bill Noll / Getty Images2 / 17

Matt Fitzgerald’s Spiced Sweet Potato and Almond Smoothie

In Matt Fitzgerald’s Racing Weight Cookbook, the running coach and sports nutritionist provides simple recipes for serious athletes. If super-sweet, fruity smoothies aren’t your thing, try this spicy pumpkin-flavored drink that delivers a healthy load of carbohydrates and fiber at only 320 calories.

Spiced Sweet Potato and Almond Smoothie

Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 serving vanilla protein powder
¼ teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice (plus extra for garnish)

Preparation: 

To cook the sweet potato: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, wrap sweet potato in foil and bake for 60 minutes. Allow to cool before handling. May be prepared up to three days in advance.

Scoop ½ cup of flesh from sweet potato. (Refrigerate the remaining flesh for another smoothie, or freeze for longer-term storage.)

Place cooked sweet potato and all other ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth.
Garnish with an extra sprinkle of pumpkin-pie spice.

Republished with permission of VeloPress from Racing Weight Cookbook. Try more recipes atracingweightcookbook.com.

Getty Images3 / 17

Steve Redzikowski’s Coconut Smoothie

Chef Steve Redzikowski’s resume includes Le Cirque, Little Nell Hotel, Jean Georges, and an apprenticeship under Chef Douglas Keane at Cyrus Restaurant in Napa Valley. He is now co-owner and chef at OAK at fourteenth in Boulder, Colorado, and Acorn in Denver, and says this smoothie was an unexpected addition to his morning routine. “I’m a fan of coconut and mint together, and decided to throw my coconut sorbet into my smoothie one morning,” he says. Give it a shot.

Steve Redzikowski’s Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup ice
• 2 oz. coconut sorbet
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 T honey
• 4 leaves mint

Preparation: Place in blender and purée for 30-45 seconds.

4 / 17

Curtis Stone’s Mango-Pineapple Smoothie

Substitute your usual evening cocktail with this fruity mocktail – add 1⁄2 cup golden rum into the mix.

Curtis Stone’s Mango-Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and coarsely cubed
• 1/4 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and coarsely cubed
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 cups ice cubes
• Lime slices for garnish

Preparation: In a blender, combine the mangoes, pineapples, orange juice, and ice cubes and blend until smooth and frothy. (If your blender is not large enough to hold all the ingredients, blend in two batches.) Pour the smoothie into six glasses. Garnish with lime slices and serve.

Getty Images5 / 17

Dr. Frank Lipman’s Chocolate Greens Smoothie

A distinguished expert in integrative medicine, Dr. Frank Lipman is working to change the way Americans think about healthy living. The New Yorker by way of South Africa founded Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in Manhattan where he evaluates patients based on diet, stress, sleeping habits, physical fitness, and more. This smoothie, which packs together chocolate whey protein, kale, and chia seeds, is one of Dr. Lipman’s favorites.

Dr. Frank Lipman’s Chocolate Greens Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 serving Be Well Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
• 2 tsp Be Well MCT Oil
• 1 serving Be Well Greens powder
• 1 handful organic kale (about a cup)
• 1 cup organic blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/5 avocado
• 1 TBS chia seeds
• 8-10 oz non-dairy milk (almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk) or water
• 4-5 ice cubes

Preparation: Blend.

Getty Images6 / 17

Dr. Bob Arnot’s Strawberries All the Whey

Dr. Bob Arnot has been a columnist for Men’s Journal for nearly twenty years, advising readers on diet and exercise and how to live a healthy life in his monthly column, “Ask Dr. Bob.” He’s written 14 books on nutrition, including his latest, The Aztec Diet, which touts the benefits of the protein-rich, hunger-fighting chia seeds.

Strawberries All the Whey

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 scoop whey protein powder
• 2 tbsp chia
• 2 tsp honey

Note: Also tastes great with peaches.

Torbjorn Lagerwall / Getty Images7 / 17

Jason Adams’ Green Tea, Banana, & Blueberry Smoothie

Jason Adams has worked in the kitchens at some of the world’s finest hotels, including Tower Thistle, Hyatt Carlton Towers, and eight Ritz-Carlton resorts. Currently, he’s the executive chef at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis. Adams recommends this green tea, banana, and blueberry smoothie as an easy refresher. “Nevis is an island of natural remedies,” he says, “and the high antioxidant properties of these three ingredients combine for a boost to one’s immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems.”

Green Tea, Banana, & Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 green tea bag
• 1 oz blueberries
• 1 whole ripe banana
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt
• ½ tsp Allspice
• Simple syrup to taste
• Crushed ice

Preparation: Blend cut pipe banana, blueberries, yogurt and the contents of one green tea bag until smooth, adding crushed ice slowly to required consistency. Add simple syrup to sweeten.

8 / 17

Katerine Van Wyk’s Banana-Chard Smoothie

“Juices and smoothies don’t have to be complicated or full of strange ingredients,” says Katrine Van Wyk, author of ‘Best Green Drinks Ever,’ a new user-friendly guide to making a tasty, veggie-filled drink. This book has 63 recipes, including our current favorite, the antioxidant-filled banana-chard smoothie (coconut water, a banana, a tangerine, and Swiss chard). “I promise,” says Van Wyk, “it’s not just liquidized kale.” Here’s one recipe from the book that has become a part of our daily routine.

Banana-Chard Smoothie(Makes one tall glass)

1 cup coconut water
1 banana
1 tangerine, peeled and seeded
1 cup or 2–3 leaves Swiss chard, stems removed

Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Ira Heuvelman / Getty Images9 / 17

Jen Wittman’s Healthy Plate’s Pleasure

Jen Wittman is a holistic health coach. That means she’s a trained chef and nutritionist has a degree in psychology, operates two wellness websites (The Healthy Plate and Thyroid Loving Care), and has helped with models, actors, and business owners transform their health.

This protein-packed smoothie is robust enough for breakfast or a post-workout snack. Plus, it’s paleo-friendly and can be made in under 10 minutes.

The Healthy Plate’s Pleasure – Power Protein Smoothie

• 2 cups Native Forest coconut milk or homemade almond-walnut milk
• 1 ½ cups of organic frozen cherries
• 1 handful fresh spinach
• 1 banana
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp hemp seed
• 1 tbsp maca powder

Preparation: Toss all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Anshu Ajitsaria / Getty Images10 / 17

Dennis Goodman’s Avocado Spinach Kale

This smoothie is heavy on greens, but includes three pitted dates for a hint of sweetness. Other pros: Dates are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and potassium.

Dennis Goodman’s Avocado Spinach Kale

Ingredients

• 1/4 medium avocado
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup kale
• 1/2 medium frozen banana
• 1 cup almond milk
• 3 dates, pitted
• 1/2 cup ice

Preparation: Blend.

*Approx 260 calories for 16 oz smoothie

11 / 17

The Harry Fontabella Smoothie

Michael Armstrong, the executive chef at Dream Downtown in New York City, has joined forces with Melvin’s Juice Box to open a new healthy eatery inside the hotel. The Harry Fontabella, which combines rice milk with hemp granola, strikes the perfect balance between crunchy and, well, smoothie.

“The granola adds a nice thickness and much needed added protein,” Armstrong says, advising at-home cooks to use frozen berries, if possible. “We buy organic fresh berries and freeze them. It gives the best consistency and is better than using ice which just waters the smoothie down.”

Harry Fontabella Smoothie

Ingredients

• 10 oz rice milk
• 1 banana
• 1 cup blueberries (or strawberry)
• 1/3 cup granola (strawberry hemp vanilla granola)

Preparation: Blend all together until desired consistency is reached.

Getty Images12 / 17

Lynsey’s Joyful Almond Smoothie

The book The Juice Generation was published by Eric Helm, founder of the wildly popular healthy smoothie chain. It serves as a field guide to proper juicing and includes insight from the likes of Martha Stewart, Edward Norton, and Jason Bateman, who offer up advice and their favorite recipes. This smoothie comes from professional skier Lynsey Dyer, who recommends cacao nibs instead of powder for added texture.

Lynsey’s Joyful Almond SmoothieAdapted from ‘The Juice Generation‘ cookbook, by Eric Helms and Amely Greeven

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1/2 tablespoon raw cacao
• 1/4 cup frozen coconut milk
• 1/2 banana
• 2 dates

Preparation: Blend.

Mustafa Deliormanli / Getty Images13 / 17

Dr. Bob Arnot’s Apple Cuke Parsley Mint

This smoothie, also recommended by Dr. Bob, again includes chia seeds as a centerpiece – this time with apples, cucumbers, and two vitamin-rich herbs: parsley and mint.

Apple Cuke Parsley Mint

Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly pressed apple juice
• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 tablespoons chia
• 1 small diced green apple, such a granny smith (peeled if apple is not organic or skin is waxed)
• ½ cup roughly chopped cucumber, peeled if waxed or bitter
• 1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves.

Preparation: Combine and blend.

14 / 17

Brad Gruno’s Green Smoothie

Brad Gruno is the founder and CEO of Brad’s Raw Foods and a champion of the plant-based diet, which consists largely of fresh salads, juices, and his popular kale chips. His new book, Brad’s Raw Made Easy, contains a slew of recipes for meals, snacks, desserts, and of course, smoothies, that fit into a raw foods diet. Here’s one of his favorites.

Brad’s Green Smoothie

Servings: 2 meals or 3-4 snacks

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 pear, coarsely chopped
• 1 apple, coarsely chopped
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger
• 3 stalks kale, coarsely chopped

Preparation: Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed and blend until desired consistency. Add more water to thin if necessary.

http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/the-best-healthy-smoothie-recipes-20140324/brad-grunos-green-smoothie