BACK OF THE BOOK

Last fortnight, treadmill featured the Zottman curls-a modification of the basic biceps curl that not only works out your biceps but also your forearms. It was a simple tweak that a late 19th century bodybuilder-George Zottman-gave to the humble dumb-bell curl, instantly making it a compound exercise that worked out the lower arm even as it targeted the biceps. Like Zottman, who has left his indelible mark on weight-training with the exercise that bears his name, the living legend among bodybuilders, Arnold Schwarzenegger has one to his credit. Many readers will probably know that the current Governor of California and the bodybuilder-turned-action film hero is also the author of what is possibly the most comprehensive tome on bodybuilding, The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. The 832-page book not only takes you as deep as you can get into muscle-building-exercises for every muscle and different exercise systems-but also gives you a tour of the history of bodybuilding and provides sections on nutrition and diet.

But Schwarzenegger's most potent contribution to the sport of bodybuilding is an exercise known simply as the Arnold dumb-bell press. It can benefit everyone, from seasoned pros to tyros wanting to look good. It's a shoulder exercise that, like Zottman's Curls, gives the ancient but simple shoulder press a little tweak. The ideal way to do the Arnold Press is while sitting on a bench that has a support for your back. Grab a dumb-bell in each hand (it helps if they are a shade lighter than what you use for regular shoulder presses). Hold the dumb-bells in front of your chest with your palms facing your body-quite like at the end of a movement for a biceps curl. That's the initial position. Now, press the weights overhead and while doing so slowly twist your arms so that the palms face away from your body. Finish the upward movement of the press without locking your arms at the elbows. Then slowly lower the dumb-bells while you simultaneously rotate them so that your palms again face your body and, at the end of the lowering movement, they are back in the starting position. See illustration 1 and 2 for guidance.

Some tips for the Arnold Press: First, use light weights to begin with and progressively increase them as you go along from set to set. Second, try and support your back (don't arch it) instead of a free posture as this exercise, particularly when done with heavier weights, can put pressure on your back if it is arched.

Now, for the benefits of the Arnold Press. While it certainly targets your anterior deltoids (front of the shoulders) like any shoulder press ought to do, it also exercises the sides of the shoulders and, this is the surprise one, your triceps too! Four sets of 8-12 reps each will give your shoulders a great workout with the added bonus of some work on your triceps too. Build Arnold Presses into your upper body schedule and see the results over four to six weeks. Happy gymming!

-Muscles Mani
write to musclesmani@intoday.com

Caveat: The physical exercises described in Treadmill are not recommendations. Readers should exercise caution and consult a physician before attempting to follow any of these.

COOL TIPS FOR SUMMER

Alittle care can go a long way in ensuring a cool summer. Here's the to-do list:

Berry Boost. Here's how you can improve your diet this summer: have a cup of mixed fresh berries-blackberries, blueberries and strawberries-every day. Says Dr Alok Kumar Aggarwal, Senior Consultant, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi: "They'll help you load up on antioxidants, and prevent damage to tissues and reduce age-related illnesses. A big bonus: berries are also rich in fibre, and help keep cholesterol levels low."

Eye Candy. Says Dr Aggarwal: "Carrots, rich in Vitamin A, and green leafy veggies like mustard greens, and spinach are good for your eyes and can reverse symptoms of muscular degeneration." Eat fish; they contain Omega-3 fatty acids which prevent your eyes from drying up. Sunglasses can help prevent cataracts, as well as wrinkles around the eyes.

Go Light. Skip hard alcoholic drinks; go for light alcoholic beverages, instead. "A cold beer, a wine spritzer or a Margarita are refreshing but light. In moderation-defined as one to two drinks daily-alcohol can protect against heart disease," adds Dr Aggarwal.

Use Sunscreen. Says Dr S.K. Bose, Senior Consultant, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital: "When it comes to sunscreen, the higher the SPF, the better. A moisturiser with SPF ratings of 20 and above is adequate against solar exposure. Choose the proper formula for your skin type-dry, oily, normal, combination."

Hair Care. Says Dr Bose: "Stay away from hair lighteners that contain peroxide which can cause damage to your hair and change the colour drastically. Take supplements such as Vitamin C and brewer's yeast to improve the condition of your hair.

-Manu Kaushik

The canon IXUS i7 is the latest in a line of nifty small digital cameras from the company that pretty much dominates the digital camera scene. The IXUS range, with which Canon is targeting "fashion-conscious" young adults, looks good and, this is important, does the job better than most of its peers.

Most (but not all) professional photographers, if asked for advice on which digital camera to buy, will suggest a Canon. If you were to dig a bit deeper, you'll find that this advice comes on the basis of Canon's technology-it offers the quickest focussing system on digital cameras, they argue. Little wonder then that the Digital Rebel series-the excellent 400D wears that tag-has become the digital SLR camera of choice among prosumers. But then again, few people have Rs 50,000 to spend on a body and a similar amount for the lenses.

But, as nice, small, nifty, point-and-click shooters go, the little IXUS i7, which comes for a shade under Rs 19,000, not only looks good, but produces fabulous picture quality. A caveat: at full resolution, picture quality can be slightly diffused, though I have to admit that I was shooting a lot in overcast conditions and, thus, at slightly higher ISO settings. In ideal light conditions, this little thing, with 2.4x optical zoom, shoots perfectly.

The anti-shake system works fairly well in normal conditions, but no company has developed an anti-shake system that works well in poor light and/or when a very drunk person is behind the lens.

The Japanese manufacturers-Canon, Nikon and Sony-have managed to get their user-interface systems pretty much on the ball. The IXUS i7 is no different, and changing settings is a breeze, but that is not to say I didn't have problems with the product. A 7.1 megapixel shooter means at maximum resolution, this product takes huge file-sizes of 1.7-2.2 megabytes per image and the included 16 megabyte SD card in the sales kit is a joke. You will need to get a 1 gigabyte card at least, and a good card from Toshiba or SanDisk will set you back by upwards of Rs 1,200.

The second problem is the camera cradle; it's a nice idea because the cradle has both a USB and FireWire connector, but the camera itself has no USB-out point. So, while you can fit the camera inside your pocket easily, carrying the cradle would be a bit weird. Therefore, you can't just dump your pictures on to a friend's laptop (another reason why you need a huge card) or "borrow" some juice from a friendly computer.

That said, this is the best small camera I have used in a long time. The i7 has been replaced by the IXUS i850 in certain markets, but Canon has not replicated the form factor as yet. In sum, despite some minor drawbacks, this is a capable and, frankly, cute product.

-Kushan Mitra