All that you don’t know about Pilates

By Elimar Venegas

Did you know that Pilates is one of the fastest growing forms of exercise? In 2000 the United States recorded 1.7 million people involved in the Pilates technique, by 2006 that number grew to 10.6 million making the growth rate above 600% in just 6years! This number keeps growing year by year.
It is one of the best forms of exercise for overall conditioning, toning and relaxation, based on a combination of yoga, meditation, martial arts and other fitness disciplines.


The Pilates exercise systems were developed back in the 1920s by German-born, fitness innovator Joseph H. Pilates. His interest in physical fitness stemmed from a determination to strengthen his own body and improve his health after a sickly childhood. He first used the yoga-like moves to rehabilitate Second World War soldiers.


After the war, Joseph Pilates moved to New York and with his wife, Clara Pilates, opened up a studio near the New York City Ballet in 1926. It wasn’t long before he drew a following with dancers who took to Pilates for its ability to create long, lean muscles and a strong, streamlined physique. He devised a unique sequence of movements and so the modern day method was born.

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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #5 Pages 30 and 31

By Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., GHF’s Naturopathic Medicine Expert


A man’s libido absolutely depends on the state of his health. A healthy lifestyle has the greatest impact on his sexual ability and enjoyment. Every man can develop his sexual potential to its utmost no matter what his age!


Problems that contribute to a man’s sexual dysfunction


Stress – All central nervous system responses are impaired by stress, including those of the brain and endocrine glands – the very same glands involved in Stages I and II of a man’s sexual process. Long-term stress can hopelessly interfere with a man’s ability to achieve full sexual satisfaction or to even become aroused at all! Prolonged recreational drug use lowers libido and stresses adrenal glands, creating lower energy levels. Stress also affects sperm production and motility. Body stress, like heavy metal or radiation exposure, damage sperm as well.


Lower your stress levels with herbs like ginseng and regular exercise. Exercise is critically important for a man’s sexuality. Find something physical you enjoy. Then, DO IT THREE TIMES A WEEK!


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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #5 Pages 44- 46

Forever Young Joints


Although you might not be all that familiar with the term, Hyaluronic acid is an important substance in your body. It is so important that you will not find any body tissue without it. Hyaluronic acid is a lifeline for cells to which blood does not directly flow to and from. The acid has the ever so important duty of insuring that the necessary nutrients are carried to those cells. Hyaluronic acid aids in removing toxic substances form the cell as well. Cartilage is one of the body substances that are highly populated with Hyaluronic acid.


Hyaluronic acid benefits are plentiful. This is the reason why many people look to supplement their body with additional levels of the acid. The acid can help a person to look and feel younger. Hyaluronic acid is able to lock water in to a person’s cells and particularly skin cells. This water is needed to maintain good function of elastic and collagen in the skin. Otherwise a person can begin to show their wrinkles and sags. Some women are using supplement forms of Hyaluronic acid in an attempt to achieve younger looking skin. Because Hyaluronic acid helps to maintain the ideal level of moisture in the skin, overall good skin health can often be one of the Hyaluronic acid benefits.


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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #5 Pages 22 and 23

By Yesenia Torres


Try this 5 step killer leg workout made up just for you and you will get those sexy and firm gluts that you are looking for.


-Bench cable kick backs: 3 sets for 15-20 reps — this exercise really gives you rounder and firmer gluteus; really concentrate on the movement and squeeze the gluts at the top so you can really feel the burn. Keep proper form, it’s easy to feel the exercise on your lower back more than the gluteus.


-Barbell stiff legged dead lift: 3 sets for 15-20 reps — in this exercise really concentrate on extending the hamstring and when lifting up, squeezing together to really get the benefits of the movement. This exercise will really having you hurting the next day!


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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #5 Pages 36 and 37

Fully developed shoulders add that “something special” to the physique that separates one from other lifters. When all three heads are beautifully developed it takes the physique up a level. If possessing incredible deltoids are your goal, read on and find out how to get them. When beginning each and every shoulder workout, start with 5-7 minutes of light cardio work to warm up your body. Follow that with some light stretching of the shoulder joints before beginning the weight training. Two basic guidelines to follow are first: GO HEAVY and second: maintain proper form. Training heavy at the expense of proper form and technique only sets yourself up to have an injury.
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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #3

Calf training became an obsession in my early stages of training. I began weight training 19 years ago after I had just finished high school. I had played around with weights in high school, but nothing ever serious or with any significant amount of time. Once I began my adventures into the bodybuilding world, training became a priority in my lifestyle. About two years into serious training, a good friend of mine looked at me and scanned my body. He said “you are looking pretty good, but you have no calves.” I was devastated, but in all honesty, he was right. And I should probably account him for planting that seed in my head to find the ways necessary to…
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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #2

The abdominal wall is the most important part of the human body. When training, they come into play in just about every exercise or movement that you put your body through. The force generated by an exercise of the lower or upper body originates, stabilizes, or is transferred through the abdominal wall. In conjunction with the lower back, the abs are many times referred to as the “center of power” or simply as “the core.” Being that they are the body’s line for the entire musculoskeletal chain, they should be trained with great importance, yet when trainees are asked if they take the time to do specific work for them, the usual response is “no.” The abdominals play many roles in the body. They assist in efficient and proper movement, help protect vital organs, provide internal pressure that helps to support the spine, which in turn provides the bodies ability to stand erect, thus decreasing low back strain, and they assist in breathing during exercise.” The abdominals play many roles in the body. They assist in…
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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #2

With men, all you have to do is push a few buttons and we’re hotterthan a habanero. But with women, it’s an all-day process. You haveto buy the ingredients, mix them together, and then put everythingin the pot and let it simmer . . . and simmer . . . and simmer.

That’s why we’re offering a microwave mentality for the Crock-Pot reality: quick, easy things you can do to make her heating speeds better match yours. Our suggestions take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. The payoff? They’ll quickly adjust her thermostat to high heat.

1. Kiss and Lick Her Hinges
You’ve got the obvious kiss spots covered. Now concentrate your efforts elsewhere-on her elbows, knees, shoulders, ankles, neck, and hip joints. “They’re rarely attended to with long caresses,”. “It’s a super sensation.”

2. Bear Fruit
Chocolate syrup and whipped cream get all the kinky play in movies. Instead, turn her body into a juicer. “The best foods for sex are fruits that you can rub onto the body, such as soft mango or papaya,” says Dr Ava Cadell, a sex therapist in California and author of 12 Steps to Everlasting Love. “Then devour both her and the fruit.” Get sticky, shower, repeat. If you’re Mickey Rourke, skip the shower.

3. And Berries
Forget coffee and toast-bring hot chocolate (a sexual stimulant for her) and raspberries and strawberries to bed. The berries replenish the zinc you lose when you ejaculate-5 milligrams, or a third of your daily requirement.

4. Try the No-Move Move
When you start foreplay, tell her you’re not going to move on to another action until she tells you what to do next. This works physically and mentally: It’s a way to encourage her to open up and direct you to what she really wants. Now, your turn.

5. Give Her a Massage But make it interesting:
• In hot weather, roll a chilled can of soda along the backs of her thighs.
• In cool weather, warm a towel in the microwave for 10 seconds and massage her with it.
• Season her belly with a little salt, and then slowly lick it off. Add tequila to taste.
• Turn winter gloves inside out, put them on, and massage her with the soft side.

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To read the rest of this article visit our Virtual Magazine Issue #2