Why Working Out With Your Girlfriend Helps You Build Muscle Faster

The first time I joined a gym, I was 24 and scrawny. The jacked guy at the front desk said all new members received a T-shirt and asked me for my size. Small, I said. He threw me a muumuu.

“This is a large,” he replied. “It’s all we have. Once you start lifting, you’ll fill it out.”

Hardly. I lasted 8 months.

But then I proposed to Jen, a onetime runner and yoga nut who had largely abandoned those pursuits to sit around with me. With our upcoming nuptials, the threat of shame finally loomed large: If we didn’t shape up and sharpen our softening bodies, we’d be gathering our loved ones together for a display of our shortcomings.

Drink This, Sleep 90 More Minutes A Night

No, it's not whiskey. New research from Louisiana State University finds that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day can help you sleep nearly 90 more minutes a night.

Researchers had seven older adults with insomnia drink eight ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice twice a day for two weeks, followed by two weeks of no juice, and then two more weeks of drinking a placebo beverage. Compared to the placebo, drinking the cherry juice resulted in an average of 84 more minutes of sleep time each night.

Cherry juice is a natural source of the sleep-wake cycle hormone melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan, says study coauthor Frank L. Greenway, director of the outpatient research clinic at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at LSU.

Why Your Grandparents Are Having Better Sex Than You

The perfect 50th anniversary gift? Lingerie.

Married couples’ sex lives start to rebound after half a century together, a new study from Baylor University finds.

Researchers interviewed older spouses about their bedroom habits. True to conventional wisdom, the longer a couple had been married, the less often they slept together. That’s because sex with the same person can get less exciting as the years tick by, says study author Samuel Stroope, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at Baylor.

The Best Things to Say before, during, and after Sex

It doesn’t matter if you’re having a romantic dinner for two or getting busy between the sheets—regardless of the situation, women love to talk to you.

That’s because for women, verbal communication is key to emotional intimacy, says relationship psychologist Terri Orbuch, Ph.D., a research scientist at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and author of Finding Love Again.

Finding the Right Workout for Your Mood

We men don't think of ourselves as moody. Except maybe if our favorite sports team makes a nonsensical trade, and it feels like a personal betrayal. But of course we have more moods than that. And those moods—such as being mad, frustrated, nervous, or even ecstatic—can alter more than your mind. They can affect your muscles.

What you're feeling can make you put less into your workout, or cause you to skip it altogether. But those same moods can be used to help your lifting session.

Why Do Doctors Really Hit Your Knee with a Tiny Rubber Hammer?

Sure, sure, to test your reflexes. Everybody knows that. Isn’t the delayed kick in the pants when the doctor turns his back a slapstick mainstay? Harpo invented it. Or was it Curly?

Anyway, testing reflexes is the objective, but why hit that little sweet-spot below the kneecap specifically? Why doesn’t Dr. Feelgood just lob a quick sucker-punch at you to check your flinch factor?

For starters, the knee gets top billing in the reflex test for one simple reason: it’s easy to access. You’re sitting on the table in that backless gown, fighting humiliation and cold. It’s merciful that nobody’s asking you to hop on one leg while you pat your head and rub your belly. There’s your knee in all its unadorned glory. Sit tight, this won’t hurt a bit.

20 Subtle Clues She’s About to Break Up with You

Women are many things, but straightforward isn’t one of them. So while you may sense that something is amiss when your girlfriend or wife displays obvious signs that she's not happy in a relationship, there are other subtle clues you can watch for before the not-so-subtle ones hit you like a ton of bricks.

We aren’t talking about her reluctance to jump into bed with you. Or her lack of feigned interest in the details of all 18 holes you just played. Or the fight picking. Or the time she unfollowed you on Twitter. We know you know those.

The Easy Way to Help Her Orgasm Every Time

Let her mind wander: Fantasizing during sex may help her orgasm, finds a recent Belgian study.

Women who reported regularly experiencing the big O were more likely to imagine sexy scenarios while getting it on than those who had trouble finishing.

It’s possible that her erotic thoughts help keep her focused on feeling good, the researchers say. Women who have a hard time getting off tend to be more distracted during sex, according to the paper, while those who orgasm easily may be more tuned into their sensations.