Ayers Family Fitness

For many guys, a common fitness goal is to get larger arms. Here are a few tips to increase arm size:

1. Focus on your triceps- Many guys believe that the secret to larger arms are working mainly on the biceps. Although the biceps do play a part in arm size, the triceps make up a larger portion of the arm. In order to get the best results for triceps training, I emphasize work on all three heads of the triceps to get the most aesthetic look possible.

2. Don’t cheat on bicep exercises- Often, I’ll see guys cheating weight up on things like bicep curls where they’ll use momentum to get the weight up. Instead, drop the weight and work on form emphasizing the squeeze in the bicep at the top of the motion. By doing this, you’ll not only get greater results in size, but you’ll also reduce the chance of injuring yourself.

3. Don’t neglect compound work- Although isolation work certainly plays a role in gaining size in your arms, compound lifts play their part as well. By working on compounds lifts such as the bench press, underhand grip bent-over rows and chin ups, you’ll improve the strength of your biceps and triceps which will allow you to lift more weight leading to greater gains in hypertrophy.

These are just a few tips that will not only help you gain more size in your arms, but will give you a better workout overall.

If there are any topics that you would like me to discuss in future posts, please comment below and don’t forget to like the Ayers Family Fitness page for more articles and information weekly!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by text or voicemail) at 816-518-5895.

When just starting an exercise program, injuries can be a common thing. Here are a few tips that have helped me stay injury-free.

1. Use weights that are manageable- By using weights with which an individual can use proper form, the occurrence of injury should be reduced drastically. Oftentimes, a person will incur an injury when they attempt to increase the weight too quickly in the process of chasing that new personal record.

2. Don’t forget to warm-up- A proper warm-up should be used in any lifting program. A good warm-up should include at least 5-10 minutes of continuous activity (walking, jogging, using a stationary bicycle, etc.) and in cases of maxing out on a lift, I would also suggest rolling out and doing warm-up sets (doing lighter sets with less weight to warm-up to your working sets).

3. Stretching afterwards- It wasn’t too long ago that everyone was taught to stretch before working out, but today that is not the case. Studies have found that by doing static stretches before exercising has resulted in a higher rate of injury. These days, it is suggested to do static stretching after exercise so that the muscles being stretched are warmed-up.

4. Don’t neglect exercises for your rotator cuff- More and more rotator cuff tears are occurring each and every year due to people being hard on their rotator cuffs. By simply taking the extra 5 or so minutes to do some exercises in strengthening the rotator cuff, many individuals can help to prevent these debilitating tears.

5. Don’t forget to occasionally deload- There are some that believe that you always have to go as hard as possible in the gym in order to get results. To me, that is an outdated and dangerous philosophy. By deloading (reducing your workload by 60-70%), you allow your body and central nervous system to recover more fully and often times, you’ll find that your lifts improve by giving yourself that recovery time. So listen to your body. Muscle soreness is okay, but a nagging pain is not.

These are just a few of my tips that have helped to keep me active and injury-free throughout my years lifting. Hopefully with these tips, you can experience a long and pain-free fitness journey!

If there are any topics that you would like me to discuss in future posts, please comment below and don’t forget to like the Ayers Family Fitness page for more articles and information weekly!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by text or voicemail) at 816-518-5895.

Photo credit: Gettyimages

Building a strong barbell bench press can be a tough thing to do for many. Here are a few tips that should help increase your barbell bench press:

1. Utilize pin presses- Most often, the bottom of the bench press is the weakest point for many lifters. By implementing pin presses in your routine, you can greatly improve your strength out of bottom point of the lift. In order to do pin presses, you’ll need to set up a bench in a squat rack or power rack and set the crash bars so that they are in a position or catch the barbell around a half an inch to an inch from your chest. Once you’ve set everything up, unrack the barbell with a weight slightly less (around 10-20 lbs) than you would for your regular barbell bench press and bring the barbell all the way down to the crash bars. Once the weight has settled for 1-2 seconds, press the weight up like you would normally. By having this pause, you’ll adapt to being stronger at pressing out of the bottom of the lift.

2. Get your triceps stronger- Although the chest is the primary muscle moving weight on the bench press, the triceps are a strong secondary contributor. By getting your triceps stronger, you’ll find that you’re able to lift more on the bench press. A few of my favorite tricep building exercises include close grip barbell bench presses, decline skullcrushers and dumbbell skullcrushers.

3. Use leg drive properly- Leg drive is a huge component to having a big bench press. Leg drive is actively pressing through your legs during the bench press. In order to do leg drive correctly, it’s important to keep your feet planted on the ground, keep your entire body tight, keep your butt planted on the bench and press the weight up and back simultaneously. Leg position for leg drive differs for many people, but for me personally, I find that having my feet slightly behind my knees offers the most advantageous pressing position.

4. Incorporate other bench presses into your routine- Although the barbell bench press is a great exercise, other forms of bench presses can contribute great gains in muscle mass in strength. I particularly like incline dumbbell bench presses and find them a great exercise to improve the barbell bench press, so if you’re stagnating on your progress with the barbell bench press, you might just need to change to something slightly different to make further gains.

These are just a few tips that I use for myself as well as my clients in order to improve bench press gains.

If there are any topics that you’re interested in learning more about regarding exercise, nutrition, supplements, etc., feel free to comment below or message me and I’ll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Photo credit: iStock

Finding the time to work out can be difficult for many. Here are a few ways to fit a work out in in less time:

1. Use supersets- Supersets are a great way to make the most out of a short workout. For those of you who aren’t familiar, supersets are sets where you perform two exercises back-to-back. I often incorporate these into my training as well as training with clients. Typically, I advise working antagonist muscle groups when doing supersets. For example, pairing a chest exercise such as a bench press with a back exercise such as a one-arm row.

2. Shorten your rest periods- This is another way to not only save you time in the gym, but also help to keep the intensity in your workouts. When I’m pressed for time, I’ll lighten the weight a little bit and keep the rest periods shorter with more of an emphasis on muscular endurance.

3. Have a back-up plan at the gym- It’s fairly common when working out in a commercial gym to find a piece of equipment unavailable that you planned to use in your workout. I myself always have a back-up exercise for each exercise in case my original plan doesn’t work out. By having a back-up exercise, you’ll be able to still get a good workout in without having to worry about waiting to use a specific piece of equipment.

4. Focus on workouts with compound lifts- Compound lifts are exercises that work multiple muscles at the same time. Some great examples are squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, bench press and military presses. By focusing on compound lifts instead of isolation exercises, you can work more muscles at the same time instead of performing more isolation exercises to hit those same muscles, therefore saving you time in the gym.

By using these tips, you can ensure that you still get a workout in whenever you’re pressed for time.

If there are any topics that you’re interested in learning more about regarding exercise, nutrition, supplements, etc., feel free to comment below or message me and I’ll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Photo credit: Istock

There are many diets available today for people looking to improve their health and not all are created equal. One diet that I believe is a superior option for many is the Mediterranean diet, especially those at risk of heart disease. So just what is the Mediterranean diet?

The Mediterranean diet is a diet that emphasizes the majority of daily calories coming from “plant-based foods” (Mayo Clinic staff, 2017) which would include things like nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes (chickpeas, peas, soybeans, etc.) and whole grains. As well as this, the diet emphasizes keeping the consumption of red meat to a minimum (2-3 servings per month) for dietary protein and opting for consuming more fish and poultry (at least 2 servings per week). Another large difference between the Mediterranean diet and the average American diet is that the use of spices and herbs are used to flavor dishes instead of the use of salt. As for dietary fat, the Mediterranean diet replaces the use of butter and margarine for cooking with unsaturated fat rich olive oil instead. By making this substitution, an individual would lower the amount of trans fats and saturated fats in their diet and in turn would get more heart-healthy unsaturated fats instead. Lastly, a big draw for many people is the inclusion of moderate wine consumption (up to 5 ounces daily for women and up to 10 ounces daily for men under the age of 65) (Mayo Clinic staff, 2017). By making a change to a Mediterranean diet from the average American diet, an individual can expect a substantial change in their risk for heart disease.

This is just a very brief description of what the Mediterranean diet entails. For more information on the diet, check out Mayo Clinic’s article discussing it which can be found at the following link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Works Cited:
Mayo Clinic Staff (2017, November 3). Mediterranean Diet: A Heart-Healthy Eating Plan. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved September 19, 2018 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801

Knee injuries are some of the most common injuries when lifting weights incorrectly. Here are a few common issues as well as solutions to each to make sure that you avoid knee pain.

1. Your knees collapse inward- This issue is most commonly associated with squats. Typically what happens is when a person is squatting, their knees collapse in as they are coming out of the bottom of the squat. By doing this, a tremendous amount of stress is put on the knees. In order to correct this, I give my clients the cue to press on the outside heels and push the knees out throughout the entire movement of the squat. Not only will this save your knees, but it will give you a much more powerful squat.

2. Your heels raise- Yet another issue that often happens with many lower body exercises are heels losing contact with the ground. By allowing the heel to rise during a lift, especially when you’re holding additional weight other than your body weight, the knees once again take the brunt of the resistance applied to it instead of the muscles you’re trying to work. My solution to correct this is to really drive through the heel and mid-foot instead of emphasizing the drive through the balls of the feet which will often cause the heel to rise. By doing this, you’ll put stress on the muscles instead of on the joints.

By implementing these corrections to your lower body exercises, you can reap the rewards and minimize the chance of knee issues that would otherwise prevent you from exercising.

If there are any topics that you’re interested in learning more about regarding exercise, nutrition, supplements, etc., feel free to comment below or message me and I’ll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Photo Credit: PeopleImages/ GettyImages

Shoulder injuries can be debilitating and put a halt to your exercise program. Here are a few tips to help greatly reduce your chance of shoulder injuries while lifting:

1. Don’t neglect your rotator cuff- Of all the exercises for the shoulder, the ones that train the rotator cuff are the most important. Start adding in some rotator cuff work into your training routine and save your shoulders. Two exercises that provide amazing benefits for your shoulder health are face pulls and external rotations with bands or cables.

2. Avoid exercises with a high risk and low reward ratio- These are exercises that put you at a high risk of injury with little reward health-wise. A few of the worst offenders for shoulder injury include behind-the-neck lat pulldowns, behind-the-neck overhead presses and upright rows.

3. Fix your bench press- Although the bench press is a great compound exercise, there are risks for shoulder injury if done incorrectly. Two tips that can help save your shoulders are making sure that you keep your shoulder blades retracted throughout the bench press and keeping your elbows in while pressing instead of letting them flare out. In order to ensure I keep my elbows in, I actively try to bend the bar forward throughout each set. Keep in mind the bending the bar works only for barbell presses.

4. Try using a neutral grip with Dumbbell presses- Everyone’s body is different and there are exercises that just aren’t compatible. Some individual’s find that overhead presses cause them pain. In situations like this, sometimes all you need to change is your grip. I’ve personally found using a neutral grip to be more shoulder-friendly than the traditional grip. For those of you who aren’t familiar with a neutral grip, it involves pressing the weight with the hands facing inwards instead of forward. This slight change has allowed me to shoulder press pain-free.

With just a few changes to how you train, shoulder issues can become a thing of the past. Next time you train your shoulders, give these tips a try and see the difference!

If there are any topics that you’re interested in learning more about regarding exercise, nutrition, supplements, etc., feel free to comment below or message me and I’ll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Image credit: pacificcoastchirowellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Shoulder-Pain.jpg

Back injuries can be a huge pain when trying to get in shape. Here are a few tips to reduce your chance of back injury:

1. Use your abs and glutes- This tip can be applied to just about any exercise. For example, when doing military presses, I’ll engage my abs as well as my glutes in order to prevent overarching so that my form not only stays strict, but my back is protected too. This tip can also be applied outside of the gym whenever you’re picking up heavy boxes from the ground, putting something awkward up on a shelf and many other everyday activities. By engaging both of these muscles, you’ll have support both in the front and in the back.

2. Try chest supported or seated exercises- These exercises are great for anyone who tends to rely too much on momentum on certain exercises. You’re number one tool to perform these will be an adjustable bench. With the use of an adjustable bench, you can force your body into positions where it’s harder to cheat the weight up and you’ll end up focusing more on making the muscles do the work. A few of my favorite include chest supported incline dumbbell rows, rear delt flys, curls and seated Arnold presses.

3. Keep form strict- I can’t stress this enough. If you’re unable to perform your designated number of repetitions without good form, there’s no shame in dropping the weight and working up in repetitions. By doing so, you’ll not only get more benefit from the exercise, but you’ll greatly reduce your chance of injuring yourself as well.

4. Don’t neglect ab work- Your abs are going to be your number one ally in protecting your lower back, so always make sure to give them individual attention. Some people believe that exercises such as squats and deadlifts are enough to build a strong core, but I’m a strong believer in doing isolation work for the abdominals. Try to perform at least 6 sets a week of abdominal exercises to strengthen your abs.

These are just a few tips to help reduce your chance of a back injury and keep you going strong.

If there are any topics that you’re interested in learning more about regarding exercise, nutrition, supplements, etc., feel free to comment below or message me and I’ll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

When getting involved with a resistance training program, there are a few tips that every lifter should follow. Here are a few important ones to always consider:

1. Don’t lift with your ego- At the gym, some people feel like they have something to prove when surrounded by other lifters and feel like they need to lift heavier than usual weights. Unfortunately because of this, many individuals get injured working with a weight they cannot manage properly. Instead, focus on challenging yourself with exercises using strict form. In doing so you’ll not only greatly reduce your risk of injury, but you’ll get more benefit from the exercise by making the muscles do the work instead of “cheating” the weight up.

2. When lifting, use safety measures- Your average gym has plenty of things to make lifting safer so that you get the benefits of the exercise while ensuring your safety, so make use of them. For exercises such as back squats and barbell lunges, make use of squat racks with crash bars set at a good height to make sure that the barbell has somewhere to go in case of failure on a lift or a misstep. It’s also a good idea to use a spotter on exercises such as overhead presses and bench presses to prevent injuries as well. Just make sure that you have a knowledgeable spotter to ensure that you’re spotted correctly on the exercise.

3. Make sure your program is catered to you and your goals- There are a lot of different exercise programs out there and there are no one size fits all programs. Each individual has different limitations as well as goals and it’s important to select the right program. After all, A 68 year old with bad problems wouldn’t exercise the same as a 20 year old powerlifter. If you need help putting together an exercise program, try consulting with a personal trainer with a widely recognized PT certification. A few good examples include the ACSM, NASM, ACE and NSCA.

4. Always have a backup plan- Oftentimes a piece of equipment will be in use that you intended to use for your workout and because of this, it’s always good to have another exercise in mind. For example, if you’re unable to do a barbell bench press, try substituting with a dumbbell bench press instead. By having an alternative for each exercise, you can ensure that you still get a good workout in.

5. Avoid exercises that cause pain- For each muscle group, there are so many exercises that there is no reason to continue to do an exercise that causes you pain. In situations where an exercise causes pain, it’s always better to find another exercise that works that muscle or make modifications where you still get the benefit of the exercise without the pain. Always remember, muscle soreness and fatigue is expected on occasion, but pain should never be present with an exercise.
These are just a few tips to improve your results with a resistance training program as well as minimize the risk of injury.

If there are any topics that you are interested in, please comment below or message me and I’ll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Photo credit: Westend61/Getty Images

Beneficial spices

Not many people know that some simple weight loss aids can be found right in their spice rack. Numerous spices offer impressive benefits that can help drop pounds and make our bodies healthier in other ways. Here are a few amazing spices:

1. Turmeric- Research has shown that this spice contains beneficial enzymes that help to reduce fat storage in the body (Jang, E., Choi, M., Jung, J., Kim, M., Kim, H., Jeon, S., Shin, S., Seong, C., & Lee, M., 2008).

2. Garlic- Can help reduce Systolic blood pressure in people living with hypertension (Reinhart, K.M., Coleman, C., Teevan, C., Vachhani, P., & White, C.M., 2008)

3. Cayenne Pepper- Can increase fat oxidation (fat loss) with high doses. Side note: less pungent peppers such as chili peppers and red peppers also contain the fat burning compound (Ludy, M., Moore, G., Mattes, R., 2011).

4. Ground Cinnamon- Helps reduce inflammation and some research shows beneficial properties involving insulin sensitivity (Shen, Y., Jia, L., Honma, N., Hosono, T., Ariga, T., & Seki, T., 2012).

5. Ginseng- Could help prevent certain types of cancer (Kang, J., Song, K., Woo, J., Park, M., Rhee, M., Choi, C., & Oh, S., 2011)

As time goes on, more and more research is being done to find incredible benefits from the everyday spices found in your very own kitchen. With the inclusion of these spices in your diet, you can not only make your food better, but perhaps you can make your body feel better too!

If there are any topics that you are interested in, please comment below or message me and I'll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Photo credit: iStockphoto

Works Cited
Jang, E., Choi, M., Jung, J., Kim, M., Kim, H., Jeon, S., Shin, S., Seong, C., & Lee, M. (2008). Beneficial effects of curcumin on hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance in high-fat–fed hamsters. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(08)00235-7/abstract

Kang, J., Song, K., Woo, J., Park, M., Rhee, M., Choi, C., & Oh, S. (2011). Ginsenoside Rp1 from Panax ginseng Exhibits Anti-cancer Activity by Down-regulation of the IGF-1R/Akt Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, Vol. 66, Issue 3, (pp. 298-305). Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-011-0242-4

Ludy, M., Moore, G., Mattes, R. (2011). The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-analyses of Studies in Humans. Chemical Senses. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjr100. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/10/28/chemse.bjr100.short

Reinhart, K.M., Coleman, C., Teevan, C., Vachhani, P., & White, C.M. (2008). Effects of Garlic on Blood Pressure in Patients With and Without Systolic Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. DOI: 10.1345/aph.1L319. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://aop.sagepub.com/content/42/12/1766.short

Shen, Y., Jia, L., Honma, N., Hosono, T., Ariga, T., & Seki, T. (2012). Beneficial Effects of Cinnamon on the Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation, and Pain, and Mechanisms Underlying These Effects – A Review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. Vol.2(1), (pp.27-32). Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943007/

Not many people know that some simple weight loss aids can be found right in their spice rack. Numerous spices offer impressive benefits that can help drop pounds and make our bodies healthier in other ways. Here are a few amazing spices:

1. Turmeric- Research has shown that this spice contains beneficial enzymes that help to reduce fat storage in the body (Jang, E., Choi, M., Jung, J., Kim, M., Kim, H., Jeon, S., Shin, S., Seong, C., & Lee, M., 2008).

2. Garlic- Can help reduce Systolic blood pressure in people living with hypertension (Reinhart, K.M., Coleman, C., Teevan, C., Vachhani, P., & White, C.M., 2008)

3. Cayenne Pepper- Can increase fat oxidation (fat loss) with high doses. Side note: less pungent peppers such as chili peppers and red peppers also contain the fat burning compound (Ludy, M., Moore, G., Mattes, R., 2011).

4. Ground Cinnamon- Helps reduce inflammation and some research shows beneficial properties involving insulin sensitivity (Shen, Y., Jia, L., Honma, N., Hosono, T., Ariga, T., & Seki, T., 2012).

5. Ginseng- Could help prevent certain types of cancer (Kang, J., Song, K., Woo, J., Park, M., Rhee, M., Choi, C., & Oh, S., 2011)

As time goes on, more and more research is being done to find incredible benefits from the everyday spices found in your very own kitchen. With the inclusion of these spices in your diet, you can not only make your food better, but perhaps you can make your body feel better too!

If there are any topics that you are interested in, please comment below or message me and I'll be happy to cover them in future posts!

Ayers Family Fitness offers in-person personal training in Cuchara, CO as well as online personal training that uses the scientifically backed training methods to help clients reach their fitness goals. If interested in starting your fitness journey, please contact Alex by email at [email protected] or leave a message (by phone or text) at 816-518-5895.

Photo credit: iStockphoto

Works Cited
Jang, E., Choi, M., Jung, J., Kim, M., Kim, H., Jeon, S., Shin, S., Seong, C., & Lee, M. (2008). Beneficial effects of curcumin on hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance in high-fat–fed hamsters. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://www.metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-0495(08)00235-7/abstract

Kang, J., Song, K., Woo, J., Park, M., Rhee, M., Choi, C., & Oh, S. (2011). Ginsenoside Rp1 from Panax ginseng Exhibits Anti-cancer Activity by Down-regulation of the IGF-1R/Akt Pathway in Breast Cancer Cells. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, Vol. 66, Issue 3, (pp. 298-305). Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-011-0242-4

Ludy, M., Moore, G., Mattes, R. (2011). The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-analyses of Studies in Humans. Chemical Senses. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjr100. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/10/28/chemse.bjr100.short

Reinhart, K.M., Coleman, C., Teevan, C., Vachhani, P., & White, C.M. (2008). Effects of Garlic on Blood Pressure in Patients With and Without Systolic Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis. Annals of Pharmacotherapy. DOI: 10.1345/aph.1L319. Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://aop.sagepub.com/content/42/12/1766.short

Shen, Y., Jia, L., Honma, N., Hosono, T., Ariga, T., & Seki, T. (2012). Beneficial Effects of Cinnamon on the Metabolic Syndrome, Inflammation, and Pain, and Mechanisms Underlying These Effects – A Review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine. Vol.2(1), (pp.27-32). Retrieved May 15, 2019 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943007/