Fish oil plus exercise may do older muscles good

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women may be able to boost their muscle strength by adding fish oil supplements to their exercise routine, a small clinical trial suggests.

Researchers found that three months of strength training helped increase muscle strength among 45 healthy women in their 60s. But those who used fish oil at the same time had somewhat greater gains.
Whether older women should run out to buy fish oil for the sake of their muscles remains to be seen.
It's not clear whether the extra strength gain would be meaningful in a woman's life -- and, therefore, worth the cost and potential side effects of fish oil pills.
The findings are "intriguing" and deserve further study, said Catherine Jackson, a professor of kinesiology at California State University in Fresno who was not involved in the study.
But, she told Reuters Health in an email, "I would be a bit cautious about over-interpretation."  More...Yahoo Health

15-Minute Workout: Double Your Gains

If you want two results from a workout—more muscle and less flab—you need a circuit that forces you to multitask. With this one, you're doing a metabolically demanding move with one part of your body while performing a static dumbbell hold for a common problem area (such as your upper back), says Michael Mejia, M.S., C.S.C.S., founder of B.A.S.E. Sports Conditioning on Long Island, New York. The result: a calorie-torching workout that builds strength where you need it most.

Get major league muscle fast with this workout used by Kansas City Royals pitcher Tim Collins.
More....Yahoohealth.com

15 New Muscle Builders

The old reliable exercises are fine for producing old reliable results. But if you want a physique that's better than the body you have now, you need exercises that do more for you than the ones that took you to this point. Luckily for you (and your muscles), trainers and scientists across the continent spend their days asking excellent questions, such as "Why do we do it this way?" and "What if we did it that way?" The answers they find are surprising—and useful. See below to read about exercise variations and technique tweaks from some of the country's most innovative trainers. You'll refresh your workout and soon have muscle in places you didn't even know it could grow. More....Yahoo Health

The Exercise and Sleep Connection

Credit: Betsssssy

By Jennipher Walters, http://www.FitBottomedGirls.com/

We all know how great a good night’s rest can leave us feeling, but did you know that proper rest and high-quality sleep can also improve your workouts and help keep you at a healthy body weight? It's true! According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep is essential for a person’s health and well-being, although, unfortunately, reports show that catching zzz’s has become a luxury rather than a priority for many of us. Sad face.
The good news is that studies suggest that regular exercise helps you fall asleep faster, sleep longer and wake up less frequently during the night. In fact, just 20 minutes of exercise a day can help you when it comes to sleep. Here are some other fun facts from the exercise experts at Life Fitness about how getting beauty rest can actually impact your workout.
5 Ways That Exercise Affects Sleep, More.....Shine at Yahoo