Mesothelioma (Risk Factors)

What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?

There are several risk factors that increase the likelihood that a person will develop mesothelioma. The primary risk factor is asbestos exposure. Exposure to this very harmful substance can significantly enhance the chances of contracting the disease. Other secondary factors include exposure to radiation, zeolite, simian virus 40 (SV40) and tobacco. We discuss each of these risk factors in more detail below.

Asbestos

Exposure to asbestos is the leading risk factor associated with mesothelioma. Asbestos is an insulating material comprised of magnesium-silicate mineral fibers. It was favored by builders and contractors for many years for its low heat conductivity and resistance to melting and burning. Since researchers have identified more and more links between mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos, the material is now less widely used. Prior to this discovery, however, millions of Americans have experienced serious exposure to this harmful substance.

Over 700,000 schools and buildings in the United States today contain asbestos insulation as reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Asbestos exposure doesn’t stop there, however. Asbestos is often found in ship yards, manufacturing facilities, railway facilities and construction sites. Blue collar workers are at the highest risk for developing mesothelioma due to occupational exposure and include those who work in mines, factories, shipyards, construction sites, railroads and for insulation manufacturers and gas mask manufacturers. The occupations most widely affected are miners, factory workers, railroad workers, ship builders and construction workers - especially those who install asbestos containing insulation. Sometimes family members related to the workers receive second hand exposure to asbestos from the dust and fibers that were brought home on the workers clothes and also become at risk for contracting mesothelioma.

Serpentine fibers and amphiboles are the 2 primary types of asbestos used. Chrysotile is a form of serpentine fiber and the most frequently used. These fibers tend to be curly and flexible. Amphibole fibers, however, are generally straight and thin and usually comprise one of five types: crocidolite, amosite, anthrophylite, tremolite, and actinolyte. The crocidolite type of Amphiboles is thought to be the leading contributor to cancer caused by asbestos. Serpentine fibers are dangerous as well, however, and have also been linked to mesothelioma.

Some research points to the fact that inhaled asbestos fibers cause a physical irritation resulting in cancer rather than the cancer being caused by a reaction that is more chemical in nature. As fibers are inhaled through the mouth and nose they are cleared from the body by adhering to mucus in the nose, throat and airways and then get expelled by coughing or swallowing. The Amphibole fibers (long and thin) do not clear as easily and it is therefore thought that they can embed into the lining of the lungs and chest and result in mesothelioma.

Asbestosis (scar tissue in the lungs) or lung cancer can also be caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. In fact, people exposed to asbestos are seven times more likely to develop lung cancer over the general public. Workers who sustain high levels of asbestos exposure are more likely to die from asbestosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma than any other disease. It is also believed that the action of coughing up and swallowing asbestos could contribute to a form of mesothelioma originating in the abdomen called peritoneal mesothelioma. Mesothelioma has been found to exist in other organs of the body as well such as the larynx, pancreas and colon, but those instances are extremely limited compared to lung cancer incidents.

The chance of developing mesothelioma is in direct proportion to the duration and amount of asbestos exposure that an individual sustains. Those who are exposed to high levels of asbestos at a young age, for long periods of time have a greater risk of being diagnosed with mesothelioma than those who have short, low level exposure. Another important consideration is that Mesothelioma can take a long time to manifest. Often, twenty to forty years can elapse from the time of exposure to diagnosis. Genetic factors can also play a role which explains why not everyone exposed to asbestos develops and asbestos related disease.

Radiation
Thorium dioxide (Thorotrast), a substance used in x-ray tests in the past has reported links to pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. The use of Thorotrast has been discontinued for many years due to this discovery.

Zeolite
Some mesothelioma cases in the Anatoli region within Turkey have been linked to Zeolite, a silica based mineral with chemical properties similar to asbestos found in the soil there.

Simian Virus 40 (SV40)
Some scientists have found the simian virus 40 (SV30) in mesothelioma cells from humans and have been able to create mesothelioma in animals with the virus. The relationship between this virus and mesothelioma is still unclear, however, and further research is being conducted to gain clarity on this potential link.

Tobacco
Smoking alone is not linked to mesothelioma, but smokers who are exposed to asbestos have a much higher chance of developing lung cancer (as much as fifty to ninety percent higher). Research indicates that lung cancer is the leading cause of death among asbestos workers.

Mesothelioma

What are the different types of mesothelioma?

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer and of all asbestos related diseases, the most serious. The symptoms associated with the disease make it difficult for doctors to diagnose. Often, by the time that a proper diagnosis is made, the disease has progressed to a point where patients do not respond well to treatment therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by the inhalation of airborne asbestos particles. Another unique factor associated with the disease is that there can be a long latency period between the time an individual is exposed to asbestos and the actual manifestation of the disease in the form of malignant mesothelioma.

Pleural Mesothelioma – affects the chest and lungs

Malignant pleural mesothelioma often originates within the chest cavity and can, at times, involve the lung. This particular form of mesothelioma can metastasize to numerous organs in the body – even the brain - and tends to do so more frequently than not.

Pleural mesothelioma is not always easily detectable. Frequently, in the early stages of the disease, symptoms may be mild. Patients usually report pain in one area of the chest that never seems to go away, weight loss and fever. Occasionally, other symptoms are more severe and include problems with breathing due to fluid build up in the chest. A CT Scan of the chest area has proven to be the best test for identifying how far along the disease has progressed.

Frequently serum markers are used to diagnose of various forms of cancer. Mesothelioma cannot be diagnosed using this method as no serum markers currently exist. If high levels of hyaluronic acid are present it may be possible to distinguish mesothelioma from other types of cancer or to determine the effectiveness of a treatment protocol.

The survival rate for patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma typically is not high. Patients typically do not live beyond seventeen months from the onset of symptoms. Only 8% of those diagnosed with mesothelioma will live three to five years from the onset of symptoms.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma – affects the abdomen

Peritoneal mesothelioma originates in the abdomen and will frequently spread to other organs in area including the liver, spleen or bowel. Severe abdominal pain is the most common complaint that patients present to their doctor. There may also be a discomfort level with fluid build up in the abdomen as well. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include difficult bowel movements, nausea and vomiting, fever and swollen feet.

The survival rate is even worse for those diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma will patients typically surviving only ten months from time that they first started experiencing the symptoms noted above.

Pericardial Mesothelioma – affects the heart

Pericardial mesothelioma is the least common form of mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma, as the name suggests, involves the heart. This rare type of mesothelioma invades the pericardium, the sac that surrounds the heart. As the cancer progresses, the heart is not able to deliver oxygen as efficiently to the body causing further decline in health at an increasingly rapid rate. The symptoms most commonly associated with pericardial mesothelioma mimic those of a heart attack: nausea, pain in the chest and shortness of breath.

Benign Mesothelioma – affects the peritoneum

Cystic mesothelioma primarily affects women of younger age and affects the peritoneum. This type of mesothelioma is not frequently diagnosed and is also not a malignant form of the disease. It is, however, extremely difficult to identify and requires specialized microscopes and immunologic techniques to aid in diagnosis.

Mesothelioma in Uncommon Sites

A form of cardiac cancer that is rarely seen involves the pericardium. Tumors associated with this type of mesothelioma are not easily detectable and patients presented with this diagnosis tend to have a very low survival rate. There have also been reports of mesothelioma involving ovaries in women and the scrotum in men. Treatment for all of these rare forms of mesothelioma will vary depending on what stage a patient has progressed to but in most all cases the projected outcome is not favorable.

Sodium: Are you getting too much?

You've been trying to eat less sodium — just a pinch of table salt on your baked potato and a dash to your scrambled eggs.

But a pinch and a dash can quickly add up to unhealthy levels of sodium, especially when many foods already contain more than enough sodium. About 11 percent of the sodium in the average U.S. diet comes from adding salt or other sodium-containing condiments to foods while cooking or eating. But the majority of the sodium — 77 percent — comes from eating prepared or processed foods that contain the mineral. So even though you may limit the amount of salt you add to food, the food itself may already be high in sodium.

Are you getting too much? Here's where sodium sneaks into your diet and ways you can shake the habit.

Sodium: Essential in small amounts

Your body needs some sodium to function properly. Sodium:

• Helps maintain the right balance of fluids in your body
• Helps transmit nerve impulses
• Influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles

Your kidneys regulate the amount of sodium kept in your body. When sodium levels are low, your kidneys conserve sodium. When levels are high, they excrete the excess amount in urine.

If your kidneys can't eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume, in turn, makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, increasing pressure in your arteries. Certain diseases such as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can lead to an inability to regulate sodium.

Some people are more sensitive to the effects of sodium than are others. People who are sodium sensitive retain sodium more easily, leading to excess fluid retention and increased blood pressure. If you're in that group, extra sodium in your diet increases your chance of developing high blood pressure, a condition that can lead to cardiovascular and kidney diseases.

How much sodium do you need?

Various organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, have published recommendations for daily sodium intake. Most recommend between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults. A lower sodium intake has a more beneficial effect on blood pressure.

If you are older than 50, are black or have a health condition such as high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or diabetes, you may be more sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of sodium. As a result, aim for a sodium intake at the low end of the range recommended for healthy adults. Talk to your doctor about the sodium limit that's best for you.

Three main sources of sodium

The average U.S. diet has three main sources of sodium:

• Processed and prepared foods. Most sodium in a person's diet comes from eating processed and prepared foods, such as canned vegetables, soups, luncheon meats and frozen foods. Food manufacturers use salt or other sodium-containing compounds to preserve food and to improve the taste and texture of food.
• Sodium-containing condiments. One teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 mg of sodium, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce has 1,005 mg of sodium. Adding these or other sodium-laden condiments to your meals — either while cooking or at the table — raises the sodium count of food.
• Natural sources of sodium. Sodium naturally occurs in some foods, such as meat, poultry, dairy products and vegetables. For example, 1 cup of low-fat milk has about 110 mg of sodium.

Whether food comes by its sodium naturally or not, your daily intake can add up quickly when you tally the sodium from all of your meals and snacks. Here's an example of how easily sodium adds up:

Food	Amount of sodium
Breakfast
Scrambled eggs, 2 large	342 mg
Bacon, 1 slice	192 mg
Whole-wheat bread, 1 slice	148 mg
Butter, 2 teaspoons	54 mg
Total sodium for meal	736 mg
Lunch
Whole-wheat bread, 2 slices	296 mg
Ham, luncheon meat, 1 slice	350 mg
Mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon	105 mg
Dill pickle, 1 spear	385 mg
Pretzels, 1 ounce	486 mg
Orange, 1 large	0 mg
Total sodium for meal	1,622 mg
Dinner
Spaghetti noodles, 1 cup	179 mg
Spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup	601 mg
Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon	76 mg
Green beans, canned, 1/2 cup	177 mg
Garlic bread, 1 slice	200 mg
Total sodium for meal	1,233 mg
Total sodium for the day	3,591 mg

Source: Department of Agriculture, Nutrient Data Laboratory, 2005

Be a savvy shopper: Find the sodium

Taste alone may not tell you which foods are high in sodium. For example, you may not think a bagel tastes salty, but a 4-inch oat-bran bagel has 451 mg of sodium.

So how do you identify foods high in sodium? The best way to determine sodium content is to read food labels. The Nutrition Facts label tells you how much sodium is in each serving. It also lists whether salt or sodium-containing compounds are ingredients. Examples of these compounds include:

• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Disodium phosphate
• Sodium alginate
• Sodium nitrate or nitrite

How to cut your sodium intake

You may or may not be particularly sensitive to the effects of sodium. And because there's no way to know who might develop high blood pressure as a result of a high-sodium diet, choose and prepare foods with less sodium.

You can control your sodium intake several ways:

• Eat more fresh foods and fewer processed foods. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Also, fresh meat is lower in sodium than luncheon meat, bacon, hot dogs, sausage and ham are.
• Opt for low-sodium products. If you do buy processed foods, select those that have reduced sodium.
• Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. You can leave out the salt in many recipes, including casseroles, stews and other main dishes. Baked goods are an exception. Leaving out the salt could affect the quality as well as the taste of the food.
• Limit your use of sodium-laden condiments. Salad dressings, sauces, dips, ketchup, mustard and relish all contain sodium.
• Use herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance foods. Learn how to use fresh or dried herbs, spices, zest from citrus fruit and fruit juices to jazz up your meals.
• Use salt substitutes wisely. Some salt substitutes or light salts contain a mixture of table salt (sodium chloride) and other compounds. To achieve that familiar salty taste, you may use too much of the substitute and actually not reduce your sodium intake. In addition, many salt substitutes contain potassium chloride. Though dietary potassium can lessen some of the harm of excess sodium, too much supplemental potassium can be harmful if you have kidney problems or if you're taking medications for congestive heart failure or high blood pressure that cause potassium retention.

Your taste for salt is acquired, so it's reversible. To unlearn this salty savoring, decrease your use of salt gradually and your taste buds will adjust. Most people find that after a few weeks of cutting their salt intake, they no longer miss it. Start by using no more than 1/4 teaspoon of added salt daily, then gradually reduce to no salt add-ons. As you use less salt, your preference for it lessens, allowing you to enjoy the taste of food itself.

© 1998-2007 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER).

Muscle Building Supplements - How To Choose The Right Ones

By : Mike Singh

If you just walked into the health store to purchase muscle building supplements, you are probably lost, confused and being pushed a dozen products by the salesman. But, how do you know which supplements are the right products for your goals? There are various levels of muscle building supplements and some may not be right for you. But, there are a handful that are excellent choices for anyone looking to build muscle.

Remember, you don't always need these supplements to build muscle, but these will definitely accelerate you towards your goals. They work as a tool to help you increase your potential for muscular development. They help in muscle growth, and quicker recovery times. Some important ingredients of muscle building supplements are:

Protein: The protein supplements are full of amino acids which are the building blocks for your muscles. Make sure that you include a supplement that takes into account proteins. You can take up to one to two grams of protein per pound of your weight. If you don't want to take them in a pill form, get the protein through shakes or even bars. Also, look for those that contain eggs, whey, soy or casein.

Creatine: The next important ingredient in the supplement you choose should be creatine. It will help to increase muscle mass by decreasing muscle fatigue and improving muscle recovery. It helps to increase something called ATP which is an energy source that will allow you to do more reps of higher weight. It is recommended that this should be taken in cycles e.g. four weeks on it then two weeks off of it.

Micro-nutrients - multivitamins and multiminerals: Many people mistakenly assume that they are getting enough vitamins and minerals through their normal diet. Unfortunately, this is not the case. We would have to consume extremely large quantities of food to get the recommended daily intake. An easier approach would be to supplement our diet with a good quality multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement. If you do not have one specific mineral in your diet, this can slow down your ability to develop muscles or improve your health.

Author Resource:- Mike Singh is the publisher of http://www.1-stop-fitness.com/ On his website he provides articles about womens health and fitness and adjustable weight benches.

How to Count Calories With Your Eyes

By : Marc David

Embarking on a serious fitness quest or even a journey to just be healthy can sometimes be a daunting task. And at some point, you've been told or heard that eating 5-6 frequent small meals a day is the way to go for weight gain or weight loss.

After running a fitness site and bodybuilding forum, I see a lot of confused individuals who ask this very question below about the 5-6 meal deal. They have heard about it and want to do it but when it comes to counting calories, they are not willing to measure each grain of rice.

And can you blame them?

Many times people will ask, "I know all that stuff like I need to eat 5-6 meal a day, eat less than your daily maintenance caloric and stuff like that... But what I do not know is how big the meal has to be?"

Despite what you may have heard... eating 5-6 times a day it's not that hard. It takes some discipline but it's not all that difficult and you certainly do not eat 5-6 large, American style meals. These are small, frequent meals that comprise what is termed a complete meal (protein, carb, sometimes healthy fat).

But let me go back to the beginning to continue the story...

Here's what you do:

1- Figure out how many calories per day you need to
gain/maintain/lose weight

2- Start tracking with any online nutritional tracking program.

3- Eye ball your portions. You know you had some brown rice
right? Get out a cup. Look at it. If you practice this,
you'll soon be able to eat, look at your place and just know.. that is about a cup of brown rice.

You don't have to physically measure your foods. I suppose you could but that wouldn't work so well when you eat out, go to a friends out and such. Who wants to carry around a complete set of measuring cups and spoons?

So you will need to look at measurement devices like a cup, a quarter cup and such and be able to eye ball things. Once you do this a few times at home, you will be able to visually look at a plate of food and roughly guess the portions. Once you know the portions...

Then you know how much you should enter into a calorie calculator tracking program.

And at the end of the day any good program will show what you ate in calories, protein, carbs and fats. And you'll be able to see this displayed in a graph so you know if your ratios are correct (assuming you are into or have any interested in ratios).

I personally don't carry around a cup or any type of measuring devices. But I know if I go out to eat that the chicken on my place is about the size of the palm of my hand.. times two...

.. the palm of my hand is roughly 3 ounces.

I can eye ball that chicken breast and guess it's about 6 maybe 7 ounces of chicken.

Are you getting my point?

Follow those steps above. Once you know how much you need to eat in terms of calories, you will be able to do whatever you want.

Then eat, and eye ball your portions. Quickly you will learn that in order to hit your daily calories, maybe you don't want to eat 2 cups of brown rice as it's too much. Or maybe not enough. But you can judge this and track it and that is how you will know.

Then track it. If you don't track what you eat, then you are only guessing. And those who guess get frustrated because those who guess do not know. That is why it's called guessing. So if you simply cannot or won't track, you'll always be frustrated and confused. Unless of course, you track it for the first day and forever on, eat the same portions and foods. Yuck!

The biggest mistake I see people making is:

1- They have not ever figured out the math to calculate their calories
2- They do not track what they eat
3- So they just do whatever and get whatever

If you follow the above three steps, you are almost guaranteed not to make the same mistakes that most other people make when it comes to reaching their fitness goals.

The Key to Building Muscle and Burning Fat at the Same Time

By : Marc David

Doesn't weight training build muscle and increase your metabolic rate and therefore the increase in your metabolic rate reduces fat? And if so, then doesn't this mean that you have gained muscle and lost fat at the same time?

I can understand how you might be confused because it's true that the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be and the more fat you will burn as a result of having more muscle.

My point was not that building muscle and losing fat at the same time is impossible, but that attempting to build muscle and lose fat at the same time is not as efficient because you are chasing after two conflicting goals.

Let me explain...

If you want to put on the most muscle possible, you would engage in what's called a 'bulking' diet. That is where you eat 10-15% over your maintenance level calories. The rate of muscle growth can be quite rapid at this level of caloric intake, but the rate of fat gain can often be as high as the rate of muscle gain (a 1:1 ratio).

So why would you ever want to gain fat along with the muscle? Simply because you will gain the maximum amount of muscle possible only if you stay in a caloric surplus. People who want to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time have to alternate periods of caloric surplus with periods of caloric deficit and therefore will gain muscle much more slowly.

Let's talk about cutting diets.

The goal on a cutting diet is to eat 10-20% below your maintenance calories in order to burn as much fat as possible without sacrificing muscle. On any cutting diet, some muscle loss is almost inevitable, but your goal is to maintain as much lean body mass as possible.

A beginner is much more likely to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. (That's why being a beginner is pretty cool). For a beginner, almost anything works because your body isn't used to the stress of training, so great "beginner gains"can be made with virtually any training program.

But after about 6 months, the gains slow down, then nearly stops as you become more advanced and get closer to the limits of your genetic potential.

At this point, You have to work harder and smarter in order to keep your body progressing and changing. Not counting the initial "beginners gains" growth spurt, the only ways I know of to date that you can do both (build muscle and lose fat quickly) is thru anabolic steroids or to be extremely genetically gifted.

You see, testosterone promotes leanness and it builds muscle. Having super high levels will allow you to chase both goals and do it well. Of course, that isn't a risk free path and in the U.S. it is illegal. And there are a slew of other problems with that. I just wanted to insert that point.

Is it impossible to build muscle and lose fat at the same time? Nope. It's possible. It's simply more difficult and not the most efficient approach.

There's an old proverb that says, "If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither." Gaining muscle and losing fat require different eating methods to achieve. If you attempt to do both, you may end up in limbo going nowhere.

If you don't mind making much slower progress in muscle gains, you can put on muscle and trim down body fat. But many people want faster results, so they focus on a single goal and put all their effort and energy into that one goal.

Then when they reach a certain body fat percentage, they go the other way. Keep all the muscle they just built and lose the fat. In essence, you might start off at 200 lbs, 15% body fat but at the end, you might be 195 lbs, 9% body fat and have more muscle then you did at 200 lbs. Because you gained as much as possible, then cut away the fat. Now you are bigger but leaner.

My recommendation: Pick one goal and stick with it until you are satisfied. It's faster, easier and works better then trying to do both.

Author Resource:- Marc David is a bodybuilder and author of the, Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding. You can get info on Marc's e-book at: Beginning Bodybuilding. To get Marc's free e-zine, visit JustAskMarc.com

Nine Simple Ways to Increase the Intensity of Any Workout

By : Marc David

Beginners usually do not need such advanced concepts simply because as a beginner, pretty much anything will work as it's new to your body. You don't need to bump up the intensity because the workout itself is usually hard enough. But for those who have worked out for quite some time, doing a simple routine doesn't cut it. And for those who are entering a competition and may be on low card, sub-maintenance calories and doing cardio twice a day, adding more and more weight is easier said then done. Where's the energy?

That's where some advanced concepts come into play.

These are ways in which you can use the same routines, but thru some clever manipulation, you need not add any weight to make it the most intense routine you've ever experienced. This is especially a good toolset to use when you've worked out for many years and find it hard to make gains or you have a prior injury that makes it difficult to lift heavy weights. Working out heavier and heavier each time, trying to break your personal best can lead to injury and stagnation.

Using some of these advanced training concepts, you can take a simple bicep curl or bench press and maximize the intensity of the exercise without adding a single pound:

1. Repetition Speeds - Rather then 1 second up and 1 second down, there's a little know fact that you can take advantage of to double the effectiveness of any exercise. That secret is slowly lowering the weight on the negative part of the movement. By utilizing this alone, you will have increased the effectiveness of any single exercise by 100%. Not only will you be working on the upward movement but you will work the muscle on the downward rather then most people who just let gravity take over. Vary your repetition speeds for an increase in intensity.

2. Tempo Variations - Have you ever seen any programs listed as 4032? That just means 4 seconds on the down motion; 0 seconds at the bottom of the movement; 3 seconds up; 2 second hold at the top. You can do all types of tempo variations to just feel the muscle working and increase the intensity. For example, how about a set of machine bench presses where it's 8032? 8 seconds down? Not super-slow but very controlled. And with a nice 2 second squeeze at the top. You can take any exercise where you've done the same weight and instantly make it much harder and more intense. Without adjusting the weight in the slightest!

3. Tension Manipulation - If you think about it, some exercises like the dumbbell side lateral raise, when the weights are truly at your side (bottom of the movement) the tension is totally off the shoulder muscles. By using tension manipulation you can stop short of this occurring. Take the leg press for example. Rather then do a full rep where you might lock out and pause at the top, how about a slow 4 seconds down, 0 seconds at the bottom, 3 seconds up, and only go ¾ of the way to the lockout, no pause and repeat. This is called "continuous tension" and it will not only increase the intensity of any exercise but it's slow, controlled and the tension is never off the working muscle.

4. Stretch Exercises - With some exercises, there is a perfect opportunity to get a deep stretch with a weight load on the muscle. The calf press is a good example. How many people have you witnesses doing calf raises quickly using momentum? Several? Next time, take a 2 second pause at the bottom and feel the stretch before doing the next rep.

5. Contraction Exercises - Again, the calf raises can be slightly altered to make it feel like somebody has put a flame torch to the back of your legs. At the top of the movement, rather the lower the weight, hold the fully contracted position for 5 seconds and squeeze! This can be done with a set of Smith Machine squats too. At the top of the movement, squeeze like you are holding a flexed pose for 2+ seconds. It's one more way of taking the same old exercise and making it different.

6. Super-Sets - Ever heard that with super-sets you can get more done in less time? It's true. Rather then do a second of barbell bench presses, followed by a 3 minute rest, and then another. How about doing a set of barbell bench presses, immediately followed by a set of cable flyes? You can get more work done in the same time period. The more work you can do in a shorter time frame is a method of making the whole workout more intense.

7. Rest Periods - Take the example above but this time, after the cable flyes, you only rest 30 seconds and repeat. Not only have you done a super-set, but you've just shortened the rest period. The intensity bar is sure to show a spike now. By lowering the rest periods, you can effectively make the workout more intense, without adding more weight. Combine this with super-setting and you can do an amazing number of sets in 60 minutes. At one point, I was able to do 48 sets for my legs in 60 minutes! That is insane.

8. Split the Splits - This only applies to individuals that might have a lifestyle where this is possible in a given day. Take for example leg training. It's very difficult to train the quads, the hamstrings and calves in a single session for the advanced athlete. But if you are able to train quads in the AM and hams and calves in the PM, then you have just obtained an optimal workout. Both are short and intense. Both allow for fully recovery. And focus can be given to particular body parts. The most common type of split of splits is on a leg day where the front of the legs are training at one time and the back of the legs trained at another. Not only is this advanced but it really requires that you have a time period when you can do this. Possibly a weekend if you are disciplined enough to take up an entire Saturday or Sunday.

9. Ascending/Descending Sets - Nothing more then increasing or decreasing the weight in a given set but do not let this technique fool you. It's a wicked way to just blast a body part. Descending sets are commonly referred to as "drop sets." For example, if you were doing dumbbell curls, you could start with a weight and do 10 reps, the move down in weight for another 8 reps, and move again and again. Ascending is just the reverse. There's no set number of moves downward up upward you can do but the maximum that is efficient is no more then 4 either way. For an interesting twist on this move, use a combination of both. Start with a given weight, use the ascending technique and then immediately use the descending technique. This makes for a giant set using both principles. And is very difficult.

By using these nine simple steps individually or in combination, you are ensured to take yourself to the next level of intensity.