Even in these tough times, it is important take care of yourself- to do something that is just for you. Cosmetic surgery may be the last thing on your mind, but it can be the best thing for you, especially right now. With an average cost of about $1800 for site treatment plus more for other sites, liposuction can be expensive. But, here are some reasons why it is a good investment in good and bad times:

* The aesthetic value of liposuction is priceless

Everyone knows about that one spot where the fat just won’t go away. Depending on your trouble spot, it prevents you from wearing tight-fitting shirts, sleeveless tops or skinny jeans. It is frustrating when you can’t wear the latest and cutest fashion items, department or discount. The surgeon contours and shapes the areas for the best aesthetic outcome. Say goodbye to the hideously affectionate monikers-thunder thighs, muffin top, bat wings and love handles.

* It is permanent

How many things in your life can you say that about right now? Well, liposuction permanently sucks out that stubborn fatty deposit and never have you been so happy to say good riddance to something. Disclaimer: If you don’t want new fat deposits to show up elsewhere, you have some responsibility to maintain your results with a healthy lifestyle. Everyone should eat a healthy diet and get exercise, but it is essential to keep fat away and make sure you get a return on your investment.

* It boosts confidence

Confident people tend to be more successful in the various aspects of their lives. If you have been hiding behind baggy clothes and been a social wall-flower all of your life, liposuction can release the inner you who wows people at meetings, conferences and even job interviews. If you feel good and positive about yourself, people notice this and it translates into positive feedback.

* It can be financed

Don’t fret if you don’t have the cash to pay for a procedure up front because most places offer in-house financing. Even if they don’t, financial institutions also offer special financing for cosmetic procedures as well as personal lines of credit.

If the words “bank” and “credit” make your cringe, here’s the upside to the investment: it helps you build and establish credit in your name. Because, even in these economic times, credit is still a necessity and will be in the future. With flexible payment plans, you can go ahead and enjoy the results while you pay it off.

If you do decide to move forward with liposuction, make sure you choose an experienced and board certified plastic surgeon to perform the procedure. There are risks involved so you don’t want someone trained at a weekend seminar working on you.

Also, beware of deep discounts. Some physicians may try to bolster their business by cutting costs, but remember that this also means that something else has to be cut-usually quality and safety. Be smart, choose right the first time and feel confident in your newly contoured and slimmer body.

Your Question: I noticed you sometimes show lying triceps extensions being done on a flat bench, but other times they’re shown on a decline or an incline bench. Is one angle better than the others?

Background: The triceps has three heads: lateral, long and medial. Each head begins at a different position on the humerus (upper arm bone), with the long head’s fibers also originating at the scapula (shoulder blade), but all three converge into one common tendon that crosses the elbow joint.

The lateral head is seen on the side of the arm and makes up the front half of the coveted horseshoe. The long head is the meaty portion on the back of the arm; it makes up the back half of the horseshoe. The smaller medial head is on the lower inside part of the arm and can be seen near the elbow in the front biceps pose.

All three heads of the triceps work together to extend the arm at the elbow joint, such as during triceps pressdowns and extensions. Therefore, it’s impossible to isolate just one head with specific exercises. However, the way you angle your arms when extending at the elbows changes the emphasis placed on the three heads. For example: When the arms are straight by the sides (such as on pressdowns) using an overhand or neutral grip, the lateral heads receive the most stress.

When the arms are straight by the sides but using a reverse (underhand) grip, the medial heads receive the most stress. The medial heads also assist the other two heads - regardless of arm position at the top of the movement - as the arms reach full extension because the medial heads’ muscle fibers are closest to the elbows.

The more the arms move in front of the body and overhead, the more emphasis is placed on the long heads. Since the long heads attach to the scapulae, the more you bring your arms overhead, the more they stretch and the stronger they become.

For Discussion: Given this background about how arm position can change triceps emphasis, let’s consider the three different versions of the lying triceps extension.

Lying triceps extension on a flat bench - When performing this move, the arms are at right angles to the body, about halfway between being straight by the sides and straight overhead. That means there will be fairly equal involvement from the long heads and lateral heads, with a good bit of involvement from the medial heads, particularly at the top of the movement.

Lying triceps extension on an incline bench - Here, the arms move more overhead, similar to an overhead triceps extension, placing more stress on the long heads than the flat-bench version. That means there will be more emphasis on the long heads and less on the lateral heads, with the medial heads still providing a good bit of help at the top of the rep.

Lying triceps extension on a decline bench - Here the arms move down and more in line with the body. Therefore, this version places less stress on the long heads and more on the lateral heads, with the medial heads assisting at the top of the exercise.

Final Thought: Given that each version stresses the triceps differently, one isn’t necessarily better than the others. Each exercise has its benefits and should be used for balanced development of the triceps. If you need to bring up a particularly weak area, however, focus on doing the version of the lying triceps extension that best hits your weak spot.

For the best balanced development, use the standard flat-bench lying triceps extension as your mainstay lying triceps exercise. Occasionally, switch your focus by performing the incline or decline version. If your long heads are weak (that is, your triceps don’t have much width when viewed from the sides), consider doing the lying triceps extension more often in the incline position, at least until you bring up your long heads. If your lateral heads are lacking (your arms don’t have much width when viewed from the front or back), try performing the decline version more often until you build sufficient development in your lateral heads.

Remember, exercises are like tools. Just as a good plumber knows which tool to use for a certain job, a good bodybuilder should know which exercises to use to get a specific job done.

So you want to lose weight and you have been doing everything to get rid of all that unwanted fat. You have tried everything from fad diets to buying all those gadgets you see on the TV. But did you ever consider buying any diet drug to lose those extra kilos?

Burning that unwanted fat with an exercise program or tasteless food does not sound very exciting. Are you aware that there are vitamins that can help in weight loss? The use of some drugs and supplements can decrease appetite, block fat absorption, or reduce stomach volume.

We all know that vitamins are vital for the proper functioning of our body and it can be easily consumed from the food we eat or dietary supplements. No one can sustain without vitamins. There are vitamins that help natural weight loss. They are not only natural but non-addictive too. Ingredients that have been used for centuries like Green Tea and Cinnamon are used to boost metabolism and curb sugar cravings that aids in weight loss.

Vitamin B2, B3, B5, B6, vitamin B complex and vitamin C help to convert carbohydrates into glucose, and they are burned to produce energy for the body. If you keep this in mind and consume foods that contain these vitamins you will certainly benefit.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Vitamin B2 is a vital for the normal functioning of the thyroid and metabolism. Including food such as milk, liver and kidney, almonds, hard cheese, eggs, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, and marmite can boost the metabolic rate of your body.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B3 is also necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid hormones. Eat plenty of wheat bran, liver, tuna, turkey, chicken, meat, eggs, mackerel, salmon, oats, barley, wheat flakes, cheese, dried fruit, brown rice to keep hormone production normal.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)

Vitamin B5 improves our capacity to utilize fat and also plays an important role in energy production and assists adrenal function. Vitamin B5 is present in liver and kidney, meat, poultry, nuts, wheatflakes, wheat bran, wheatgerm, eggs, molasses, oats, barley, beans, wholegrain bread, green vegetables.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Vitamin B6 regulates the production of thyroid hormone and metabolism. Good food sources of Vitamin B6, brewer’s yeast, wheat bran, wheatgerm, oats, sardines, mackerel, poultry, beef, avocado, bananas, brown rice, cabbage, dried fruit, molasses, eggs.

Choline

Efficient fat metabolism can be achieved with ‘Choline’ which is not a real vitamin as it is made in the liver. Choline deficiency can result fat to be trapped in the liver. Include lecithin, beef liver, beef heart, egg yolks, wheatgerm, cauliflower, cucumber, peanuts in your diet.

Inositol

Inositol, also a member of the vitamin B complex family is manufactured inside the body. It combines with choline in the body to help in fat metabolism. Good sources of inositol include: lecithin, beef heart, beef liver, wheatgerm, soy, eggs, citrus fruits, wholegrains, nuts.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C which is found in the blackcurrants, broccoli, green peppers, kiwi fruits, Brussels Sprouts, lemons, oranges, strawberries, cabbage is very good for proper conversion of glucose to energy in the cells. But the best thing to do is to consult your doctor or your dietician to confirm the amount of intake of these vitamins.