Friday, February 23

Welcome to Losing It with Jillian Michaels, the newsletter designed to help you shed pounds, increase energy, and finally get fit for life!

 
Get It Off Your Chest
Think about the activities you do every day, like opening doors, putting the toothpaste back on the top shelf of your medicine cabinet, carrying grocery bags into the house, and so on — what do they have in common? They all involve using the muscles of your torso.

Want to participate in sports, or just improve your ability to do simple, everyday tasks? Study the torso muscle groups and apply this knowledge to some select training exercises.

The three major muscle groups in your torso are located in the chest, the upper back, and the shoulders. The major muscle of the chest area is the pectoralis major. It is thin and fan-shaped. The pectoralis minor is a thin, triangular muscle positioned below the pectoralis major. The chest muscles are responsible for movements like throwing and pushing.

The muscle that makes up most of the upper back is the latissimus dorsi, or "lats," which is a long, broad muscle whose primary function is to pull your arms backward and downward, as in pulling and climbing motions.

The shoulders comprise eleven muscles, of which the deltoids are the most important. The deltoids are actually one muscle made up of three separate parts, or heads. The anterior deltoid, found on the front of the shoulder, is used when you raise your arms forward. The lateral deltoid is located on the side of the shoulder and is involved when you lift your arms sideways. The posterior deltoid resides on the back of the shoulder and is used to draw your arms backward. The deltoids play a vital role in throwing, pushing, carrying, and climbing.

Monday's Tip: All About Balanced Oxidizers

JILLIAN'S TIP OF THE DAYDon't Forget the Lower Back
Okay, so they're not officially part of the torso, but your lower-back muscles are equally important in performing day-to-day activities. The erector spinae are the most important. They help with torso extension or straightening up from a bent-over position. They also assist in torso lateral flexion, or bending your torso to the side, and torso rotation, or twisting. Currently, the number one reason for doctor's visits in America is lower-back pain, so treat your back right. Do some exercises that strengthen this part of your body, such as supermans