ICON Performance Tips of the Week-May 15-31, 2012

If one can't do the press-behind-neck PAIN FREE-soft tissue limitations are usually responsible for those limitations

The weight for a 1RM press-behind-neck from a seated position should represent 66% of the weight used for 1RM in the close-grip bench press

The weight that can be lifted for 8 reps on each dumbbell on an overhead press should represent 29% of the close-grip bench press measure

The ability to do the press-behind-neck with proper technique is a sign of healthy shoulders

A medium fruit-and-yogurt smoothie at Dunkin' Donuts contains four times as much sugar as a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut.

One serving of Aussie Cheese Fries at Outback Steakhouse contains 2,900 calories-No worries, mate, cheese fries are only rented, not bought.

The term "all-natural" has NO nutritional meaning and is NOT regulated by the FDA, so packaged goods/restaurants can use the term at will.

Concealed MSG in packaged foods: autolyzed or hydrolyzed vegetable protein, torula yeast, soy extracts, yeast extract, and protein isolate.

A diet high in processed meats like sausage, hot dogs, and luncheon meats increases the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Almost half of annual emergency room visits and two-thirds of deaths due to anaphylaxis are the result of peanut allergies.

Beef cattle evolved on grass but are regularly fed corn-having disastrous effects on their digestive systems, requiring constant antibiotics

According to government and industry estimates, almost 40 percent of bottled water is ordinary tap water, often with no additional treatment

Don’t drink caffeine after workouts because it may raise cortisol where you need to clear it for the best fat-burning/recovery effect

Never eat fructose before workouts because it blunts fat burning and lowers metabolic rate.

Limit fructose in the diet because it gets in the way of losing belly fat.

Take the amino acid taurine because it lowers the stress hormone cortisol and helps the body digest fat.

Take a liquid zinc test to see if you can taste zinc. If not, you are deficient and should take zinc to speed fat loss

Non-green veggies that help you lose fat are colored peppers, eggplant, garlic, onions, mushrooms, spaghetti squash, and water chestnuts.

Eliminate wheat and avoid grains in favor of vegetables for fat loss (I know I'm gonna catch some hell for this one-still true though)

Don’t avoid fat. Research shows that people with diets with 30 - 50 percent coming from smart fats have higher androgens and lower body fat.

Use very short rest periods (10 to 60 seconds) to trigger the greatest growth hormone response.

Try a 4-second eccentric and 1-second concentric phase to burn more energy and increase postexercise oxygen consumption

Most mid-afternoon energy slumps can be attributed to dehydration-reaching for 1-2 glasses is a much healthier alternative to stimulants

Headaches are another common symptom caused by the dilation of the blood vessels in the brain when it does not have enough water

A drop of 1.5% in water levels translates in drop of 10% your maximal strength.

The faster alcohol is eliminated from your blood, the better. Korean researchers have a tip for you: give mango a try.

Collagen supplements help cartilage in joints to grow but now rheumatologists at Tufts Medical Center have recorded the effect with MRI's

Fat percentage too high? Add rice protein to your shake. Rice protein activates lipase enzymes in the blood vessel walls and in the liver

Extracts from the roots of greater burdock, or Arctium lappa (SAM-e), sold for greasy skin/acne, also boost testosterone levels and libido

Sports that require repeated short bursts of explosive movement, benefit from a supplement that combines sodium bicarbonate and creatine

Massularia acuminata (an Ashwaghanda extract) raises testosterone levels and libido significantly in animal study

Women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer can improve their survival chances by exercising during the treatment period

Researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology discovered in an animal study that milk thistle inhibits Alzheimer's

An athlete trying to improve running speed seldom wants to push a sled for more than about 25 yards

(Deadlift)-the knee angle should change first, THEN the hip angle then the back angle-ensuring that the barbell moves up in a vertical plane

The overhead press involves a long kinetic chain producing a high level of potential torque (superior exer for developing core stability)

Judging from some of the power cleans performed, some coaches and athletes regard the movement as a fast deadlift followed by a reverse curl

Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good make the best coaches

A survey of 1.1 million Americans found that those who slept less than 6 hrs/night had higher mortality rates than those who slept 7 hrs

For those who have a hard time falling asleep due to anxiety, phosphatidylserine can lower cortisol, a hormone associated with stress.

In the book Victory over a Toxic World, the chemical load in a toxic person may impair their ability to burn calories by about 7%

The processing that converts brown rice into white rice reduces the fiber content by about 75 percent

Insufficient stomach acid can increase inflammation, stomach bacteria as well as bloating, stomach pain and even depression

It is estimated that 1/2 of the US population produces insufficient stomach acid, which diminishes the ability to absorb nutrients from food

One of the reasons for low stomach acid is a deficiency in vitamin B

Cardio increases oxidative and adrenal stress, inhibits your strength gains, makes you slower and also prevents you from getting leaner

Lifting straps allows one to apply 100% of the force of the legs/lower back-Hook grip enables a lifter to apply 75%-Conventional grip, 50%

Assessing an athlete’s back squat, a measure of strength, should be 137 percent of the power clean

Assessing the relationship between the power snatch and the power clean is 78 percent

If the back squat far exceeds results in the power snatch or power clean, this suggests a strength imbalance in the hamstrings