By: Marie Spano

Article Summary: Many of us have some form of cardiovascular disease.
Keep your heart healthy by eating right outside of the gym.
Many dietary factors affect one's risk of developing CVD.

You suck in your stomach, stand tall with your chest out and slyly grimace as you walk by the large department store window. It's only natural to appreciate the results of one's hard work in the gym. And while we may get a bit of satisfaction by examining our physique, it's even more important for us to spend a bit of time also focusing on what's inside our bodies.

All of us are walking around with some plaque in our arteries. That's reality. And, many of us are also walking around with some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD; diseases of the heart and blood vessels).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four adults has CVD. And if you are a man, your risk for both CVD and death from CVD is greater1. Those are the grim statistics. But, the good news is, many dietary factors affect one's risk of developing this disease2. Why is that good news?

The more diet is involved the more you have wiggle room to decrease your risk. Instead of telling you what you can't eat, I am going to outline 15 physique-friendly foods you that should be included in your diet (in no particular order though fatty fish does stand out as the top food to eat).

Gina Lara Fitness Model

By: Richard Chan

Article Summary: Write down that message that motivates you and keep it with you.
Keep track of your progress to keep yourself motivated.
Proper breathing protects your spine when you lift weights.

Last week, I was at a convention with old friends who were in the field of fitness and athletics. The past few months my training has been sub-par with my hectic schedule. Anytime I gain momentum exercising I would have to disrupt the consistency of my own routine due to the scheduling of people I train.

In this profession we are so busy helping others that we tend to forget about taking care of our own health. It's all about balance and this is something I've tackled a little better over the years since it can be a challenge if you don't make it a priority. Just seeing the condition of my colleagues has always put a reminder that you should also be on top of your game. I always thrive on a friendly competition and I look forward to seeing them once or twice a year to keep me on my toes.

Personally, this is the only thing that really keeps my energy levels up when I think about it because for me it is motivational to be in top conditioning when interacting with others in the same industry. Now that I've given you an example what keeps me motivated. Let me discuss 10 ways you can enhance your energy; it has given me dramatic changes as well.

By: Scott Duncan

Don't get caught up in the training routine's that the pros put out in the magazines, those will only lead to over-training. Remember these guys are on steroids and have all day just to lift, eat, and rest. They don't have to go through 7 plus hours of school and all that other junk we have to do.

The routines they do are good for them, but may not be good for you. You have heard many times before, no two people are created equal, and this applies to bodybuilding also. So when it comes to training go back to the basic compound exercises and keep it simple.

It is very important to not neglect any muscle, especially your larger muscles, like legs and back. Those are two commonly neglected muscles, and the two muscles that if you get them big everything else will follow. You should base your routine around the compound exercises, these are exercises that involve multiple muscles to help move the weights.

For example bench, you are primarily working out your chest, but you are also getting help from your front delts and your triceps. I will list the main compound exercises for each primary muscle.