3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers...

As I mentioned before on the "methods for building powerful forearms" post, the use of hand grippers is an excellent way to improve hand & forearm strength. Besides the fact that they are great for stress relief, if you buy the right kind of grippers, you can develop crushing, bone-breaking grip power in a relatively short period of time. However, when I say "the right kind of grippers," I'm not talking about the cheap pairs you often find in the sporting good section of common retailers.

Most hand grippers on the market are, for the most part, only good for stress relief and at best, you may encounter a slight increase in grip strength if used excessively. If you're serious about gaining grip power and building powerful-looking forearms, I recommend "Captains of Crush." If you'd like to read more about those particular grippers and are also possibly interested in ordering these high-quality hand grips, visit the blog page "Build Forearm & Hand Strength - Captains of Crush."

Anyway, the 3 basic ways to use hand grippers are:

1) the standard grip motion that involves squeezing the gripper until it totally closes, then quickly release the hand grip, and then squeeze again; repeat process until the desired amount of reps are met.

2) involves the upside down grip; you'll perform the same action as described in method #1, but it will work the forearm somewhat differently since the points of pressure will be different. Fluctuating between the standard grip and the upside grip will give you a more complete lower arm workout.

3) is what I call the "squeeze & hold method" and it is an excellent way to finish off a hand & forearm workout. You simply squeeze the gripper shut with a firm grip, then hold the gripper closed for as long as you can. You can also use the very similar "hold & release method" if you desire, which is basically the same concept except you will hold the gripper closed for a preselected amount of time before releasing it, then continue to repeat the process until the desired amount of reps.

Although I have already gave a link to what I consider to be the best hand grippers on the market (Captains of Crush), if you'd like to browse through a large selection of hand strengthening devices and grippers, click the image below:

---End of Post "3 basic ways to use Hand Grippers"

Can you use a push mower instead of a riding mower?

Well folks, at least where I'm from, it is that time of year again where everything is growing, blooming, thriving, stinging, biting, and life is in full swing. This is also the time of year when many people dread mowing their yard, for whatever reason, although most humanoids today use a riding mower - even for the small jobs!

I have several peeves when it comes to other people and their mowing philosophy, but two of them really stand out. Number one, is the lawn mowing lunatics who mow their yard every two days (thanks to the good ole riding mower) - due to an obvious obsessive compulsive disorder, among other things. You can read all about what I think of those certain individuals, on another blogspot blog of mine, here: http://anti-dolt.blogspot.com/2010/05/lawn-mowing-lunatics-obsessive.html

My second peeve about other people when it comes to mowing, is the ones who have tiny yards or even normal-sized yards, but refuse to use a push mower because they are too lazy. I'm not talking about the individuals who are disabled, old, or have huge yards.

This post isn't a rant, but it is aggravating to watch people who are overweight, out of shape, lazy or whatever, refuse to exert any physical effort whatsoever, but then talk about how they wished they were in better condition or health. WTF?

This is a very simple question, and if answered right, many individuals might actually get a little exercise this year. Can you use a push mower instead of a riding mower? Can you? Do you enjoy being lazy? Have you gave up on life and just feel like being lethargic is the best path to take in life? Think about it... I really think some people should sell their damn riding mower, go buy a push mower, get a little exercise this year and quit whining about cutting the grass or how they sweat too much in the hot sun. For some folks, mowing the yard is about the only time they will do anything outdoors each year, which is not a very healthy lifestyle - to stay indoors 24/7.

I'm not your mother nor am I your physical trainer, but have any of you "less-than-motivated" people ever thought about getting a little more active? I know, technology, computers and other convenient technological advances out there can make a lot of us lazy or less active at times, but some people would be surprised at how much better they would feel if they moved around more and/or did more stuff outdoors.

Other benefits to push mowing a yard besides using a riding mower, is the fact that it saves gas. The smaller motor on a push mower doesn't have to work as hard, especially because it is lighter and it doesn't have to carry your dependent ass around the yard, and just takes way less gasoline per job as opposed to the big, expensive riding yard machine that many of you have become fond of. In my opinion, push mowing a yard also allows a person to think about a lot of things and sort of temporarily clears the mind, almost medicinal at times, as you constantly go through the rhythmic patterns of mowing back & forth, left & right...

Anyway, I know that most people in general are going to do whatever they want, no matter what they are aware of, told about, or whatever. But if one person could read this post and say, "you know, I really do need more exercise and I really don't need a riding mower for my yard," and actually sell it and start using a push mower this year, it will be worth the ramble. At any rate, just dropping a link down to my "lawn mowing lunatics" post, still made this entry worth writing. Ha-ha!

Okay folks, now try getting off your backside a little more this year and, if you get really motivated and have the land space, you may even want to put out a garden and grow your own food, as well. Enjoy the nice weather, while it's here......

---End of Post "Can you use a push mower instead of a riding mower?"

Ear Problems?

Thus far, this blog has covered several topics related to physical fitness, supplements, vitamins & herbs and healthier ways of living, along with many other health-related subjects. However, there has been no mention of ear health or ear-related problems, as of yet. I thought of this subject the other day, after viewing some traffic stats for a website of mine. It is a site that covers many topics, and is just plain random. Anyway, that's besides the point... What I've noticed over the last several months while viewing traffic stats, is that there are way more people out there with ear problems than I once thought. I currently only have two pages out of my entire site that is related to this topic, but they get hit quite often and with random search queries, keywords or whatever. In a moment, since this health blog has no posts in that area of health, I'll drop down the links for those who may be searching about certain types of ear problems.

It seems like some of the most common ear ailments that I've read about, are the following: ringing of the ears (tinnitus) and frequent problems with ear wax, which can lead to a lot of other symptoms or stem from ear infections and so on.

The problem that I notice a lot with tinnitus, besides the ones with lifelong ear ringing and the misery it must cause in severe cases, is all the scams out there that claim to be a miracle cure for this ailment. Man, this junk is almost as bad as the "Male Enhancement" promotions. If you're suffering from tinnitus that is due to ear damage (especially from the excessive exposure to loud noise), there hasn't been a medical cure for it that I'm aware of, yet there are these "cure tinnitus" pills all over the place claiming to do that very same thing (cure tinnitus). I think a lot of people who are actually thinking of buying some of these baloney products with fictitious claims, might need to read a quick blog post that warns about the possible scams out there. You can find it here: "Tinnitus Scams - Be leery..."

Next in line, is for all the ones who have problems with plugged ear wax. Although the body produces it for a reason, some folks have this gooey junk so bad, that they literally end up with temporary hearing loss. This stuff isn't funny, either. You should try walking around with one functioning ear while the other feels like it has water in it. I will say, it has happened to me before, and it just ruined everything because no matter what I was doing, I just didn't feel like myself. The following link, will provide you with some information that will hopefully help the ones who end up with mild to moderate cases of plugged ear wax and need to find a way to loosen it. This is what worked for me, but I'm not a doctor so if in doubt, use your own discretion and/or go see a professional who specializes in this field. Anyway, you can find the link here: "How to help loosen & remove plugged ear wax."

While doing a quick image search, I found this ear picture. I must say, some people have other alternative outlooks when it comes to ear problems. By looking at the image below, it appears that having a "naked ear" would be a problem... Now that's what I call a styling set of ornamental ears! Ha-ha! Cheers!

[ Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Modified_Ear.jpg ]

---End of Post

Other Healthy Teas: Hibiscus, Chamomile...

For the most part, unless you are allergic to a particular substance, it seems that most teas found on the market are good for you. This isn't going to be a very detailed post; just pointing out the options of finding other healthy teas besides the typical black and green teas. Personally, I like to mix green and black with clover honey and sugar, as I stated in my post: "My favorite tea with clover honey." Now, before I go any further, I am in no way saying that these other types of tea are better for you than green or black teas, but depending upon your needs, you may find some of these alternative teas to be more suitable for you.

"Hibiscus tea is the infusion made from the calyces (sepals) of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower, an herbal tea drink consumed both hot and cold by people around the world. It is also referred to as roselle (another common name for the hibiscus flower), flor de Jamaica in Latin America, karkadé in Egypt and Sudan, bissap or wonjo in West Africa, sorrel in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, red sorrel in the wider Caribbean, and other names in other regions." [per Wikipedia]

When I drank this red colored tea with sugar, it had a cranberry-like flavor. Besides the good taste, it was also very pleasing to look at (due to the color), when drank out of a glass with ice... This tea naturally contains vitamin C along with trace minerals and is used traditionally as a mild medicine. Hey, this drink is really big in Egypt. For example, it is said to have been a preferred drink of the pharaohs. ...Anyway, one of the most touted claims about drinking hibiscus tea, is its ability to lower blood pressure - especially if you're suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Speaking of lowering blood pressure, you may also be interested in reading my post: "The Health Benefits of Vinegar." ...Now back to the hibiscus subject: If you'd like to read more about this type of healthy tea and the studies that have linked it to lowering blood pressure, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_tea

Chamomile is a fairly popular tea that is mostly known for its smooth taste and its ability to calm you down. Many people use it as a sleep aid. However, with my experience with it, if you are really riled up or aggravated, it won't be strong enough for a sleep aid. Of course, Chamomile tea is caffeine free. Outside of it being a mild sleep aid, Chamomile tea has loads of health benefits. It is also used to treat sore stomach, irritable bowel syndrome, acts as a mild laxative and is very healthy for your digestive tract, in general. Chamomile is also an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bactericidal. Studies have shown positive results when it comes to lowering blood sugar, as well. Research with animals suggests antispasmodic, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory and some antimutagenic and cholesterol-lowering effects for chamomile. As usual, more research needs to be done.

Side note: If you suffer from ragweed allergies, Chamomile may not be for you since it is a relative of ragweed.

Outside of green, black, hibiscus, and chamomile teas, there are other healthy herbal teas out there on the market. The brand "Celestial Seasonings" has a wide variety of such things. For example, their herbal "Tension Tamer" tea contains a big variety: Eleuthero, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Ginger, Chamomile, West Indian Lemongrass, Licorice, Catnip, and Tilia Flowers.

So, in between your bad habits and absorption of atmospheric toxins and pollutions, go grab yourself some healthy tea and try to counter some of these negative free radicals. Cheers!

---End of Post "Other Healthy Teas: Hibiscus, Chamomile..."

Male Enhancement Pills do not Enlarge!

I get so tired of seeing silly adverts about "male enhancement." It is so pathetic, hearing about all these claims that taking a few pills can turn a miserable, small penis into some colossal cock. If you're that gullible and have the money, go right ahead and spend a fortune on these male enhancement pills and be sure to drop by upon your success, and leave your testimonials here, in the comment field. Ha-ha!

Personally, I'm glad that I don't suffer from a small penis. However, I can't accredit my currently proud penile status to pills. Hmm, it must have been from all the excess pulling and jerking I did at an earlier age. Perhaps I stretched the sucker... Ha! If you'd like to read a fictional short story that I wrote a while back, that praises such things, visit: "Why do people keep staring at my cock?"

Anyway, this is not the typical post found at the Health & Fitness Blog, but like I mentioned in the past, the 'health subject' covers a lot of topics.

Okay, now back to the subject at hand: If you're seeking methods of penis enlargement, you may find a variety of exercises, pumps, surgery, and pills that claim to help you with this particular anatomic issue. ...By my own personal experience in the past, using your mind along with physical routines, stretches, etc., can actually work - but don't expect to be a mule within days. A slow, semi-steady growth of penile tissue takes a long while to achieve, and I don't recommend anything for your methods of growth either - especially since you may injure yourself during the process if you're careless or too rough and whatnot.

Also, the "I have a really Big One" feat is slightly overrated. Trust me, if you're seriously packing a large pole, many women will find that you are too large for sex and/or there will be certain sexual positions and angles of penetration that you will be limited at - due to the female encountering pain from your manhood. Don't you just hate that, when it happens? For example, the missionary position with the girl's legs up may be very limited if you're going too deep. If you run into too much trouble with your truly enhanced meatpole, you can always be a chubby chaser like me and go for the girls with really big backsides. Oh crap, I'm getting way off subject here...

Now, back to the asinine male enhancement pills that do not enlarge: If they would, like many products have done within this genre, just change the name or claim to be a "male performance enhancer" or a "testosterone booster," then I wouldn't have any problem with it. But what usually happens, they put loads of exotic herbs and whatever else in these pills or capsules, make huge claims, then jack up the price for the suckers with minuscule genitalia to waste their money on. I have a lot of knowledge in health science, fitness, nutrition, herbs, vitamins, etc., so I can simply read the content label and laugh about some of these miraculous claims. Besides, looking at bikini babes and sexy models, should work better than these silly herbal pills, right? Ha!

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking supplements that might enhance your sexual performance. I'm just saying, don't waste your money on bogus products. To cut to the chase and to save a bunch of chatter from me and money for you, in my opinion, a male would be better off just taking a regular supplement of Ginseng Extract and be done with it. From there, you can try other mind over body techniques along with physical routines and hope for the best. Good luck to ya! Oh, I must say, as sappy as it may sound, the quality of the relationship between two people should still matter the most.

Well, I guess some girls just prefer big guns:

---End of Post "Male Enhancement Pills do not Enlarge!"

Related Link: "Increase Seminal Fluid - Enhance Ejaculation"

Use a Weighted Vest for Training

If you're seeking an easy way to add more resistance to your training sessions, a weighted vest may be just what you're looking for......

I've owned one for a while, although I don't wear it as much as I should - but they are really beneficial to use. I find that a weighted vest is especially helpful for the ones that don't rely on lifting heavy weights, and also for the ones who exercise via a variety of training methods.

For example, I bought this type of vest to mainly use while I'm working out on my Power Tower. I only purchased a 10lb weight vest, but it was still enough to make my pull-ups and dips more challenging. This type of physical fitness gear is really great for the ones who workout without weights and depend on their body weight for the sole resistance of the performed movements at hand. ...See, with the addition of a weighted vest, you no longer have to worry about leveling out or "peaking" in strength, since you can always buy a heavier vest if the exercise becomes too easy. Speaking of that, when you get to the point where pull-ups using additional weight becomes too easy, you have room to brag. Ha!

Pull-ups, push-ups, and dips on a Power Tower is not all a weighted vest is good for. There are so many uses for these. Some people use them while running, walking or performing daily tasks. They would also be very effective to use during martial arts training or when you are punching on your heavy bag. All of those prior activities while wearing these vests, will help strengthen your torso, abs, back, legs, etc. - due to the added weight.

Below, I'll provide an image of a typical weighted vest. Most of these they make now, have the option to add or remove the individual weight bars as you see fit. They come in a variety of sizes & weights. I've seen them weigh 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, and even up to 80lbs. Dang, I couldn't imagine running around, training or working out with an extra 80lbs. on my back! But, it depends on your physical fitness needs and what type of exercises you'll be using it for - when it comes to picking out the right one. For starters, I'd recommend buying a 10 to 20lb. weight vest.

If you're interested in browsing through a fine selection of weighted vests, either click the image below or follow the link under it:

--------------------> 'Click Here' for additional Weighted Vest selections! <--------------------

Side Note: Upon browsing through the various selections, you may also be interested in ankle weights, wrist weights, weighted gloves, and so on.

---End of Post "Use a Weighted Vest for Training"

Health Benefits of Vinegar

Vinegar is one of nature's natural remedies for a variety of ailments and conditions; along with its tasty attributes, often used in salad dressings, marinade sauce, etc., and its amazing ability to clean stuff, vinegar is truly a very versatile solution.

Since this is a health blog, I'll try to mainly concentrate on the potential health benefits of vinegar. If you're interested in the other aspects of this acidic delight, just do a web search about "the uses of vinegar," "cleaning with vinegar," or "cooking with vinegar." Anyway...

I suppose one of the most commonly used vinegar tonics, prepared as a simple-to-drink concoction, is the 2 tablespoons of vinegar in one cup of water solution. ...When drank like that, some people add honey or sodium bicarbonate to the mix, to make it more palatable. Personally, I can easily gulp down a cup with 4 tablespoons of vinegar with not much problem albeit I usually go for more water after I'm done; ha-ha!

Many people, especially health fanatics, try to ingest vinegar on a daily basis. I usually only use it purposely, as a concoction, when I feel that my blood pressure has been up for a while or when I feel like my body is suffering from inflammation due to physical or mental stress.
With that being said, one the best health benefits (at least to me) is that vinegar can lower blood pressure and acts as a mild anti-inflammatory.

Some people use vinegar for insect bites, stings, etc.

I'm sure many of you have heard about how vinegar is great for the skin when consumed regularly, helps with acne, and so on.

Now, I can't prove this nor have I did an extensive study on it, but it is believed by many that vinegar can help detoxify the body by flushing out toxins from the liver and other internal organs, the blood, etc. I'd say that it could help a person detox, but I'm not going to say that it is the best method for a detoxification process. If you'd like to read more about this subject, visit my blog post "Natural Ways to Detoxify your Liver."

Some people use vinegar while on strict diets that aim to lose weight, as an aid to curb your appetite. Hmm, maybe that's why I've read before that eating pickles suppresses hunger. Interesting...

The ingestion of vinegar helps with digestion and intestinal functions, and is often believed to have the ability to help lower cholesterol - which is very possible.

Some people have found that using vinegar can help with headaches, hiccups, arthritis, and other uncomfortable ailments. I've also read where people have found vinegar to be an effective treatment for their warts. Vinegar is naturally an anti-microbial agent that helps kill bacteria, viruses, etc.

As you can see, there are many health benefits of vinegar and it has way more uses than what many folks realize. I have loads of this stuff around the house, mainly because I use it to pickle peppers from my garden each year.

However, I will say, it seems like the most beneficial form of vinegar is apple cider. I just have the standard 5% white vinegar for now, since that is what I use for pickling, but I'll probably buy some of the apple cider vinegar in the future, to use for some of the natural remedies - like I mentioned prior. Hey, anything you can use that is natural to replace the use of man-made drugs or chemicals, is always a big plus.

Well, that about wraps it up. I'm sure there are many other uses and benefits for this substance, but I just went over some of the most common ones I have heard of. Cheers!

Related Blog Post: Health Benefits of Lycopene

---End of Post "Health Benefits of Vinegar"