JUNE 16, 2008

YOUR LEGS, AND MORE Researchers at Duke University found that the closer you come to a half squat--lowering your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor--the harder you work your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles. But the benefits don't end with your legs. "Squats create an overall anabolic environment in the body that maximizes gains from other exercises [in your workout]," says Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., C.S.C.S. Because squats involve a large muscle group and require a tremendous amount of energy, they trigger the release of extra testosterone and growth hormone in the bloodstream. And that'll help you build your upper body, too. "You get greater overall muscle and strength gains from the squat than from any other exercise," says Volek, an exercise researcher at the University of Connecticut. (Men's Health)

YOUR SIX-PACK, AND MUCH MORE Most men never bother to develop core strength. "Men tend to focus more on the muscles they can see, so they work on their six-packs, but the obliques, lower back, and hips are all part of the core," says Mike Huff, C.S.C.S., coordinator of sports performance at the Michael W. Krzyzewski Human Performance Lab at Duke Medical Center. Focus on core muscles first, to gain the strength and stability to help you perform the real muscle-building moves. Proper training enables all the core muscles to work in sync, says Huff. "The only way to achieve that kind of synergy is through functional exercises that require those muscles to work together."(Men's Health)

DID YOU KNOW that a study from Purdue University shows that eating cereal in place of meals helps you lose weight? Participants consumed an average of 640 fewer total daily calories and lost roughly 4 pounds during the 2-week intervention. According to study author Richard Mattes, M.P.H., Ph.D., R.D., the approach teaches portion control with a convenient, easy-to-use food. Stick to filling, high-fiber cereals, like All-Bran or Fiber One, and eat them with low-fat milk.

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