5 Summer Activities

Summer calls for barbecues, ice cream and cocktails, doesn't it? It's a great time to get outdoors and stay active with fun summer workouts. Burn off excess calories by swapping your gym session for new moves that will help you find your game. Sport happens when your fitness training comes together. Few summer sports are as challenging as basketball, badminton, inline skating, power walking and volleyball. Put your cardio and strength training to good use this week with some of the best summer workouts. These moves will dramatically improve your passion for movement and appreciation of the amazing things your body can do.

Healthful No-Cook Meals

Best abs workouts for a flat, toned, sexy belly

When you're sizzling outdoors in the summer heat, making dinner on a hot stove is as appealing as guzzling down a chicken protein shake. This month, Self magazine's website offers a slideshow of no-cook meals that can keep even when cooking for one. Check out these too-hot-to-cook recipes:
• Tomato and Watermelon Soup
• Artichoke and Beef Lettuce Wraps
• Salmon and Cucumber Boats

Buff Biceps? Your 5 Best Moves

Long before the first lady of biceps, Michelle Obama, had muscle in America, Angela Bassett, (shown right) was celebrated as much for her acting talent she was for her shapely arms. Today Bassett still sports some of the best arms in Hollywood. Let these sexy, smart women inspire you to firm and sculpt your biceps -- in only minutes a day, twice a week -- so you can finally show off your power. After all, the front of your arms are the easiest body part to train (and often the fastest to show results, too) so this summer your arms will be flab-free once you add these biceps exercises to your upper-body workout (each one targets the two major muscles of the biceps, and from varying angles). Once you’ve got the correct form, experiment with equipment that’s best for you: machines, free weights, cables or dumbells.
Get 5 new biceps exercises and read more >>

10 Energy Foods & Recipes

Should you eat pizza a few hours before exercising, or shun carbs? Which fruits will give you stamina? What exactly are good fats? Here's a great article from Epicurious discussing energy foods for athletes. Combining the expert advice from a sports nutritionist with recipes from Epicurious' editors, you know you've got a team thinking with its tongue. Eating well is for your benefit -- not only for people training for an Olympic sport -- and what better reason than for pride in yourself do you need to feel better, have more energy and eat well? Simple, smart selections every day can give you the edge and help you achieve your fitness and diet goals. Best of all, these energy foods and recipes are inexpensive, widely available and taste delicious.

Your 5 Healthy Habits

This week:

•Take a fit test (free at most gyms)
•Plot out your workouts and cross them off as you complete them
•Create a fresh playlist & charge your mp3 player’s battery
•Lose exercises you dislike, do ones you love
•Load up desk drawers with protein or nature bars & fresh fruit

What’s your bad habit? Too little sleep? Too many fast-food meals? Skipping breakfast? Let me know and in a future issue I’ll help you find solutions that work.

5 Deals this Week:

Extra 20% off J. Crew (enter EXTRA20 at checkout).

50% off men's active apparel at Old Navy.

Great Father's Day gift: Perfect Push-up, $27.78.

Book: 150 of the Best Foods, $16.49.

Wilson's Rebound basketball, $11.65!

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