Sculpt your abs

5 Strength Moves You Need to Do If You Want To Lose Weight

Strength training is the best thing you can do for weight loss—and the reasons for that are as endless as the buckets you'll sweat. For starters, resistance training burns tons of calories by creating an "after burn" effect post-workout. It also boosts your body's lean muscle mass, which acts as a 24/7 metabolic furnace, says trainer Holly Perkins, CSCS, author of Lift to Get Lean.

In one Harvard study, researchers found that minute-per-minute, strength training kicks cardio's keister in the fight against belly fat—settling the cardio vs strength training battle for good.

But while bicep curls are nice and all, they're probably not the best choice if you're looking to burn loads of calories, says Perkins. After all, the more muscle fibers you enage, the harder your body has to work—and the more metabolism-revving strength you'll build.

Here, Perkins ranks her five favorite strength moves to torch body fat—and score you some total-body definition.

1. Barbell Deadlift

"This is the mack daddy of strength moves for fat loss," says Perkins. "It literally involves every single muscle in the body for huge metabolic effects."

Burn it up: Grab a barbell (start with a 35-pound pre-loaded barbell or a 45-pound Olympic barbell, if you're new to deadlifts) and stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Position the barbell in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body (A). Maintaining a neutral spine, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower the barbell toward the floor. Push through your feet and squeeze your glutes to return to standing (B). That's one rep.

2. Barbell Squat

The LBD of the gym, squats do it all. But, if you usually perform squats with the weight in front of your chest, like with a dumbbell or kettlebell, it's worth switching things up. When the weight is loaded across your upper back and shoulders, you put a greater emphasis on the almighty glutes. Your glutes are the biggest muscle group in the body, so working them is an awesome way to crank up your metabolic burn, she says.

Burn it up: At a squat rack, stand under a barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart. (Start with a 35-pound pre-loaded barbell or a 45-pound Olympic barbell if you're new to barbell squats.) Grab the barbell with both hands and lift up on the bar to remove it from the rack. It should rest across your upper shoulder, just below the base of your neck. That's the starting position (A). Now, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body as far as you can (it should feel hard, but not hurt) (B). Pause, then slowly push yourself back to the starting position.

3. Reverse-Grip Pulldown

While chin-ups will accomplish the same thing—working virtually every muscle in your back, shoulders, and arms, as well as those deep in your core—not every woman is ready to start cranking those out on a whim, says Perkins. Either way, reverse-grip pulldowns will burn fat and help you work up to the real deal.

Burn it up: Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grab the bar with a shoulder-width underhand grip, palms facing you. Your arms should be straight and torso upright (A).Keeping your torso still, squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull the bar down to your collarbones (B).Pause, then slowly return to start. That's one rep.

4. Incline Bench Press

The bench press is about so much more than the chest—especially if you do it at an incline. This simple move also hammers the front of shoulders, triceps, and even your biceps and traps, she says. Basically, you recruit a ton of muscle groups for awesome fat-burning benefits.

Burn it up: Set an adjustable bench to its lowest incline (15 to 30 degrees). Lie faceup on the bench and grab the barbell with an overhand grip that's slightly beyond shoulder-width (A). Lower the bar to your upper chest (B). Pause, and then push the bar back to the starting position. That's one rep.

5. Barbell Overhead Press

In women, the deltoids, or shoulder muscles, are often underworked, says Perkins. But get this: Weak muscles grow faster than strong ones. Translation: you can easily create a ton of calorie-torching muscle by targeting your shoulders.

Burn it up: Grab a barbell with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and sit down on a flat-back bench. Hold the bar in front of and slightly above your shoulders, palms facing forward (A). Press the weight straight up over your head until your arms are fully extended, but not locked (B). Pause, then slowly lower the barbell back to start. That's one rep.

Will your Aeropostale close? Here’s the list

Aeropostale plans to close 113 U.S. stores and all 41 Canada stores as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

 U.S. liquidation sales are set to begin as early as May 7, while Canadian liquidation sales are set to begin the week of May 9.

The list could grow if Aeropostale is unable to restructure its debts expeditiously.

Alabama

Spanish Fort: Eastern Shore Center

Birmingham: Pinnacle at Tutwiler Farm

Alaska

Anchorage: Dimond Center

Anchorage: Anchorage 5th Ave

Fairbanks: Bentley Mall

Arizona

Scottsdale: Scottsdale Fashion Square

Tuscon: Foothills Mall

Arkansas

Little Rock: Park Plaza Mall

Hot Springs National Park: Hot Springs Mall

Rogers: Pinnacle Hills

California

San Jose: Oakridge Mall

Chula Vista: Town Center at Otay Ranch

Los Angeles: Westside Pavilion

Citrus Heights: Sunrise Mall

Chico: Chico Mall

Colorado

Lakewood: Bel Mark

Grand Junction: Mesa Mall

Silverthorne: Outlets of Silverthorne

Connecticut

Waterford: Crystal Mall

Florida

Sarasota: Sarasota Square

Beach: Indian River Mall

Miami: Shops at Sunset Place

Orlando: West Oaks Mall

Estero: Coconut Point

Palm Beach: The Gardens Mall

Georgia

Athens: Georgia Square Mall

Lithonia: Mall at Stonecrest

Macon: Shoppes at River Crossing

Hawaii

Honolulu: Ala Moana Center

Kaneohe: Windward Mall

Aiea: Pearl Ridge Mall

Idaho

Twin Falls: Magic Valley

Chubbuck: Pine Ridge Mall

Illinois

Springfield: White Oaks Mall

Carbondale: University Mall

Geneva: Geneva Commons

Bolingbrook: Promenade at Bolingbrook

Forsyth: Hickory Point

Bourbonnais: Northfield Square

Indiana

Bloomington: College Mall

Wayne: Jefferson Pointe Mall

Kentucky:

Paducah: Kentucky Oaks Mall

Elizabethtown: Mall Towne Mall

Owensboro: Town Square Mall

Louisiana

Monroe: Pecanland

Slidell: Northshore Square

Maryland

Glen Burnie: Marley Station

Ocean City: Ocean City Outlets

Massachusetts

Worcester: Greendale Mall

Michigan

Muskegon: The Lakes Mall

Fort Gratiot: Birchwood Mall

Jackson: Westwood Mall

Traverse City: Grand Traverse

Howell: Tanger Outlet Center Howell

Minnesota

Maplewood: Maplewood Mall

Blaine: Northtown Mall

Woodbury: Woodbury Lakes

Coon Rapids: Riverdale Village

Mississippi

Southaven: Southaven Towne Center

Flowood: Dogwood

Missouri

Columbia: Columbia Mall

Kansas City: Zona Rosa

Branson: Branson Landing

Montana

Missoula: Southgate Mall

Nebraska

Lincoln: Gateway Mall

Omaha: Oak View Mall

Nevada

Las Vegas: Town Square Las Vegas

North Carolina

Asheville: Asheville Mall

New Mexico

Santa Fe: Fashion Outlets of Santa Fe

New York

Amherst: Boulevard Mall

Clay: Great Northern Mall

Buffalo: McKinley Mall

Brooklyn: Fulton Street

New York: Times Square

Ohio

Clairsville: Ohio Valley Mall

Cincinnati: Tri-County Mall

Cincinnati: Eastgate Mall

Heath: Indian Mount Mall

Zanesville: Colony Square

Youngstown: Southern Park Mall

Akron: Summit Mall

Niles: Eastwood Mall

Columbus: Eastland Mall

Oklahoma

Norman: Sooner Fashion Mall

Oklahoma City: Quail Springs

Shawnee: Shawnee Mall

Pennsylvania

Monroeville: Monroeville Mall

Moosic: Shops at Montage

Chambersburg: Chambersburg Mall

South Carolina

Columbia: Village at Sandhill

South Dakota

Rapid City: Rushmore Mall

Tennessee

Chattanooga: Northgate Mall

Cleveland: Bradley Square

Memphis: The Avenue Carriage Crossing

Kingsport: Fort Henry Mall

Texas

Plano: Willowbend

Houston: West Oaks Mall

Hillsboro: Prime Outlets Hillsboro

Lake Jackson: Brazos Mall

San Antonio: Village at Stone Oak

San Angelo: Sunset Mall

Virginia

Christiansburg: New River Malley

Chesapeake: Chesapeake Square

Washington state

Bellingham: Bellis Fair Mall

Bellevue: Bellevue Square

West Virginia

Bluefield: Mercer Mall

Wisconsin

Wausau: Wausau Center

Fond Du Lac: Forest Mall

Wyoming

Casper: Eastridge Mall

Why you Can’t Change…

Action for today:
Do you really want to change, improve, grow, & get to the next level?
If so, let me give you 5 steps to consider:

1. Get mad.
I’m serious, you have to really get mad. You have to significantly increase the pain of NOT changing.
Staying the same, maintaining status quo, going on as is has to be WAY more painful than the process of change is.

The biggest reason you haven’t changed is staying the same is easier and less painful than changing is.
Your brain will alway seek the path of greatest ease and least resistance. It is your job to take control of your brain and apply some serious pain to NOT changing.

What is that going to take?
You figure that out.

Write out the bleak scenario of your life 10-15 years from now if you don’t change.
Take a picture of your naked self and tape it to the mirror.
Take a snapshot of your financial statement and tape it to the mirror.
Tape up your sales results, or lack thereof, and your standings of being #48 out of 50 sales people.
Embarrass yourself.
Punish yourself a bit.
Induce pain on yourself.
Now I am not talking about any mortification of the flesh or self-flagellation for penance, but maybe some emotional whipping is in order.

“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.”
-James Allen

2. Create massive disruption.
You have to interrupt every previous pattern that induced or triggered your weakness.
I suggest doing a massive sweep of your environment.
If changing your diet is your desire, clear out every shred of junk food from every environment you linger.
Make every person you dine with swear to an oath that they will not allow you to eat crap food.
Make it nearly impossible to fall off course.

If you are trying to rid yourself of distraction, take everything out of your office.
Clear it clean.
Then only put back what is essential and non-distracting.
Even stacks of old projects, file drawers of needless material will weight on your subconscious mind - eradicate it all.

3. Create public humiliation (if you fail).
Declare your new behavior publicly.
Write a letter to your granddaughter apologizing for the lack of character you have shown and your plan and promise to change putting your integrity on the line.
Don’t be the only one to hold yourself accountable.
Recruit as many people as possible to hold you to account.
You’ve already failed yourself many times.
You’ve lied and let yourself off the hook repeatedly.
That isn’t working. It’s time to call in reinforcements - to enforce yourself.

4. Track visually.
Put your progress up on the whiteboard at the office.
Tape up a big desk calendar on your wall with the red X marks of progress.
Find a way to track every daily step and make it physically visible - for you and those around you to see.

5. Plan for failure.
After all, you ARE human. Humans are weak, by nature.
So you are going to fall. But don’t let a fall be failure.
Just get back up and keep going from where you are.
Success is not perfection. Success is progress.
Just be better today than you were yesterday.
And if for some reason you aren’t, be better tomorrow than you are today.

Let's create some massive change in this  month of May and throughout the rest of 2016!

Your Daily Mentor,
-Amber Davis

Should You Drink Coffee Before a Workout?

www.rechargeyourhealthtoday.com

You’ve seen that person before: Strolling into the gym with a Starbucks cup in hand, then proceeding to bust out a PR on their deadlift. Or the one sipping their coffee mug before acing a sprint workout on the treadmill. Turns out they’ve been onto something. Research shows that downing a cup of joe before your sweat sesh can boost your performance.

But First, Coffee…

“Caffeine is a stimulant that acts on the central nervous system, the heart, and possibly the ‘center’ that controls blood pressure,” all of which play a vital role in helping your mind and body push harder in a workout, says Heidi Skolnik, M.S., a sports nutritionist and owner of Nutrition Conditioning, Inc. “It can also increase the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine, which effects pain receptors and mood” while you’re working out.

In other words, you’ll actually enjoy getting sweaty and it will feel easier when you’re powering through those last few reps. Plus, researchers found that when people caffeinated before a workout, they ate 72 fewer calories later in the day and had an easier time keeping cravings in check. Not a bad deal. Here’s how you, too, can make the most of your next brew.

If You’re a Morning Exerciser…

Enjoy an a.m. cappuccino before the gym? Skolnik says timing can play an important role in your overall performance. “Caffeine is quickly absorbed from the stomach within 15 to 45 minutes of consumption, but it hits its peak stimulatory effects between 30 and 75 minutes,” she says. Drinking a cup about one hour before you work out is optimal, Skolnik says.

You’ll want more fluids than just an eight-ounce mug of joe to get adequately prepped, though. Chasing your brew with some water is key if you’re not getting to your workout right away. “Coffee counts as a fluid,” says Skolnik, but you’ll still want some additional liquid in your tank. If you have an hour or two before your workout, pair your java with seven to 12 ounces of water.

Just remember: Too much caffeine can have a laxative effect, Skolnik says. (Obviously, not an ideal situation to find yourself in.) OD’ing on coffee can also lead to dehydration, so keep an eye on how many cups you’re downing. (To check your hydration status, look at the color of your urine — the deeper the color, the more dehydrated you are.)

And if you usually take your coffee black, you might want to consider adding milk to your mug. Whether you choose real dairy or soy, you’ll get an extra hit of protein and carbs. Those nutrients can help boost blood sugar after a night of sleep, and can also rev your mental engine to help get your head around tough tasks (think: box jumps), Skolnik adds.

If You Work Out at Night…

Bad news for night owls: If you lace up more often in the afternoon or evening, you might have to miss out on the workout-boosting benefits of coffee. Caffeine stays in your system for four to six hours after drinking, says Skolnik. But it affects everyone differently. Having some before your 7 p.m. workout may be just fine, whereas your running BFF could do the exact same thing and find herself unable to sleep at 1a.m.Researchers think that’s because a person’s genetic makeup, body weight and age all play a role in how our enzymes break down caffeine.

Whatever you do, don’t sacrifice sleep for a caffeine fix. Shut-eye is “imperative for recovery, appetite regulation and more,” says Skolnik. If you’re unable to fall asleep at your desired bedtime, then she suggests skipping the stimulant or switching to a.m. workouts.

That said, you can also try changing your roast for a shorter-lasting buzz. Dark roast coffee can have less caffeine than a light one. (Smaller light roasted beans mean you get more beans, i.e. more caffeine, per scoop.) Cold brew coffee tends to have less caffeine, too. Tea is another option that can provide less of a jolt — black tea has 14 to 70 mg of caffeine in an eight-ounce cup compared to 95 to 200 mg in the same size cup of coffee.

Skolnik says most people only need 250 to 300 mg of caffeine per day to feel its performance-enhancing effect (though it varies based on your body weight and your fitness goals). So opting for a smaller dose could be the best way to get the biggest bang for your, er, mug without foregoing coffee completely.