Fat loss is both a destination and a process, It is a destination in that it is a goal that exercisers want to arrive to. Also it is a process because it involves constant change and adjustments in order to arrive to that destination. Because the name of this post is how not to arrive to fat loss we will discuss the mistakes that most make on the way to that goal.

Mistake #1 not getting enough or the  right information:  This is the big thing about science and health there is much information out there, oftentimes leading to confusion and being paralyzed from taking action.
There are certain principles that need to be applied to any fat loss program if it is to be effective. Such as eating less, you MUST eat fewer calories than you use a day along with quality whole foods. Any thing less than this will leave you disillusioned and devoid of fat loss.  So this truth should be the corner-stone of any fat loss program that you choose to follow.

Mistake #2 doing too much cardio/ lack of intensity
This is another big mistake that happens at fitness centers across the world. Cardio training is good and it will add in some extra voluntary caloric expenditure.The first mistake that fat loss seekers make is doing too much cardio, because more has to be better right? wrong!  Too much cardio will screw up your hormones firstly making fat loss harder and causing you be frustrated. In addition to this it will lead to you not having the body you want ( a healthy lean one) Secondly too much of anything but walking may lead to you having heart problems. Another mistake that is done in the realm of cardio is to do more to see results rather than amping up  the difficulty of the session and making it shorter.

Mistake#3 Not doing resistance training/enough intensity

I won’t cover too much of this just suffice it to say that you need to do resistance training if you want a rocking body. However little baby weights will not cut it though, you must overload!

Once again fat loss is simple eat clean and less, do resistance training and high intensity cardio twice a week. You will not regret it if you do!

]]> http://monsterzelitefitness.com/2013/04/29/fight-club-alex-nolin-interview/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:39:42 +0000 Isaac J. Hall II http://monsterzelitefitness.com/2013/04/29/fight-club-alex-nolin-interview/ Fight Club, Alex Nolin interview

In today’s post ill be speaking with MMA fighter and trainer; Alex Nolin. Whom is a representer of Armory Daytona

* I appreciate your time today my good sir; How are you??
- no problem im glad I can contribute.. I’m doing good just continuing to train for my next fight, no time to rest!

* I understand you recently had an event in which you were victorious over your opponent. Would you mine telling us a bit about that??

- it was a great experience to say the least, I am so lucky to have so much support from my team, my friends and my family. The road to the fight wasn’t a smooth one; at one point all my opponents had backed out so I almost didn’t get to fight. But luckily someone else had the same situation and was left without an opponent so we both made the best of an unfortunate situation, hats off to my opponent for helping me put on a good fight for a good cause. I did my best to end the fight on a couple of instances when I knocked my opponent down, but he was very tough to break down. His resilience really surprised me and I have respect for him and anyone who competes with heart. Regardless a win is a win so I’m happy and extremely motivated to keep improving.

* So how did this come about for you; have you always been involved in Mixed Martial Arts?

- I have always been competitive by nature, I love sports and anything physically challenging. Growing up I always played sports and loved competing, but it wasn’t until my late teens that my passion for mma became evident. I got gloves, a heavy bag, and a mouthpiece and got to work, watching and trying to mimick the pros in my own training sessions. I started training at American Top Team in Orlando when I was 21, deciding that I wanted to take it further than sparring my friends and hitting the heavy bag. I realized once I trained with skilled fighters that I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought I did, and I had a lot to learn… I also realized that I had some natural skill and athleticism along with my passion to keep getting better, and this only fueled me to keep training. I trained there on and off for a year learning the fundamentals while I was in college, and eventually I got an internship at The Armory my senior year of college and haven’t looked back since. There I have been training with some of the hardest working and most talented athletes I know who are always there to push my limits and help me improve, and most importantly giving me a place on the mma team with the opportunity to compete

*Give us some detail about your fighting style, and also why you chose this style over others?

- My favorite style is to stand up and fight on the feet, mainly boxing and kickboxing. I believe its the most challenging part of mma and strengthens your will to fight. I feel that is where I’m most effective and can utilize my speed and strength. Ive always looked up to athletes like Roy Jones Jr. and Wanderlei Silva for their aggressive style and ability to finish fights. I’d rather win in convincing fashion than by points any day, but who wouldn’t? I also work hard on other aspects of mma that I don’t enjoy as much to be as well versed as possible. Even though I prefer to stand and fight on the feet, I’m not afraid to go to the ground or attempt submissions if the opportunities present themselves.

* What is your training regime like? Is there a lot of resistance training involved or is there more so cardio and fast pace movement exercises?

- well I do a lot of my conditioning on my own time, and that consists of resistance training, plyometrics, and anything else I can work by myself. I train 3 times a week sparring and wrestling/grappling to keep my conditioning as sport specific as possible, and that is a lot of high intensity cardio and much more fast paced and explosive. I also run, play basketball, or hit the heavy bag/pads a couple times a week to maintain cardio and have fun while I exercise

*As far as dieting goes would you say that has played a huge role in your success?

- well to be honest I’ve never had to be too concerned about what I eat… my knowledge in the health field has helped me increase my variety and balance of healthy foods but ive always been raised on good eating habits. I’ve always had a very active metabolism to match my active lifestyle so it’s actually harder for me to maintain or gain weight than it is for me to lose weight… I do enjoy my junk food like everyone else but in moderation, but I also eat the healthy foods that are very beneficial health-wise. The only time I’ve ever had to get very strict with my diet was when cutting weight to fight, probably my least favorite aspect of mma. As far as a role in my success, I do believe that my diet plays an important role

*While being in the Octagon, we all know you guys are moving at a very fast rate, how does one control their breathing? What are some techniques one could use?

- One thing I try to do is to stay relaxed and composed. I just remember the basics, chin down, hands up, things like that. I remember to breath in through my nose and out of my mouth, it helps you to remember to keep your mouth closed as well which is definitely important for your own safety. Being too tense and over zealous can exhaust you quickly, so I try to stay fluid and controlled with my movement. Fight smarter not harder is what I try maintain so that I’m fighting with my mind as much as my body

*Take us step by step as to what goes on in your mind once the bell rings and the opponent is advancing towards you?

- Well once the bell rings I tune everything else out, and my instinct kicks in. Im fighting to win now, not just to work technique and score points. The adrenaline kicks in and all the energy of the crowd becomes your fuel, and you only have one thing on your mind – victory. In my mind I think of it as my chance to finally do what I’ve trained to do, and to put myself to the test. I hold nothing back and use whatever I have in my arsenal to get what I’ve sacrificed and suffered for, and thats to have my hand raised at the end of the match.

*Many people see facing an adversary as a game of Chess; because you have to be strategic to beat your opponent. With that being said are you an aggressive fighter or would you say you are more conservative. Waiting for the opponent to make a mistake so that you can capitalize on that mistake?

- The way you train comes out in the way you fight, so its important to train the the things you are going to use in the ring, because your body tends to revert to its instincts. When Im faced against someone i am watching there movements, their habits, their style, and how they react to me. Then I formulate how Im going to counter that with my own skill set. I always want to be the aggressor and control the pace and momentum, but I am always watching what my opponent does and trying to stay one step ahead of him. I try to fight as smart as possible, whether Im coming forward aggressively or looking to counter and capitalize on a mistake, my mind is set on one thing, and that is to win by any means necessary.

*How do you heal your body after a match? What are some of your techniques??

- After any training session or match rest and recovery are big factors. I try to stretch and massage my muscles to alleviate sore muscles, stay flexible and reduce my chance for injury. It also helps circulation so that your body is processing waste and toxins and supplying your body with nutrients more efficiently. NSAIDS are a big help when it comes to helping alleviate aches and pains as well. I also rehydrate and eat nutritious foods to help recovery. Rest is also a big factor, thats your body’s time to heal and also grow. Its important to know your body’s limit and whether your body is so sore that you overtrain and possibly injure yourself, or to rest one more day and focus on recovering as quickly and efficiently as possible.

* Being involved in mixed martial arts, where do you see yourself 5 years from now in this sport?

- Well if I can stay healthy and injury free, I would love to keep competing in MMA. Ideally it would be a dream come true to compete at the top level against other top athletes, and if I get paid to do so to do so would just be icing on the cake. But that is a lot of hard work and dedication and I know that its a difficult path in most cases. Regardless of where my personal ambitions take me in the sport I have a passion for MMA and if I’m not competing, I will be training others and using my education and knowledge to help them train.

*You’re an athlete, so I HAVE to ask you this question. What are your thoughts on obesity in America? As we all know this has become an epidemic. How can we fix this problem?

- I am saddened that obesity has become such a problem. Its even more frustrating that its easier and more convenient to eat unhealthy and live unhealthy than it is to be in good health. Its more difficult to find unprocessed and unaltered food than not, and technology has made so many things convenient and entertaining that I believe it encourages sedentary behavior. Even worse are all the lose weight quick and fat burning gimmicks to encourage people to take the easiest route possible. What ever happened to exercise and healthy food? Now its about chemicals and surgical procedures to shed that weight or look and feel good about yourself. Honestly I think the only way to counter this problem is EDUCATION! Not just schools teaching and reinforcing our children about proper eating and exercise habits, but as parents to educate and reinforce these habits at home. Not only should we encourage good habits for health benefits, but also educate on the negative consequences of poor eating and living habits. The more we as a society know about health and how to live healthy, the better educated we can be about how to raise a healthy generation. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Alex I appreciate your time today and I thank you for being a guest on the blog. Feel free to stop by anytime brother; you’re always welcome. I wish you the best and much success on your journey to achieve greatness. I only ask that you continue to be you and that you bring the same amount of intensity to each and every opponent.

- No problem like I said I am glad to contribute and thank you for taking the time to listen to what I had to say. Thank you for the well wishes and I hope to put on many more exciting fights for everyone!

Isaac J. Hall II

MonsterzEliteFitness.com

#Cheers2Health

Last week I wrote up an introductory piece for my female readers on to How To Train Like A Woman. I had planned for this to be a 2-part series, but I have received a few questions over the last few days and want to make sure that everything is explained thoroughly; this will now be a 3-part series. To recap the take-home points from Part 1:

- The female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) which are extremely important in regards to fat storage and burning, fluctuate greatly due to the menstrual cycle.

- Cortisol and insulin must first be regulated in order to control these important sex hormones.

- Progesterone and cortisol are manufactured in the body from a common precursor (pregnenolone). If cortisol is high, progesterone will be lower, especially relative to estrogen levels, which will cause the body to store more fat. Increased insulin levels due to a high-carbohydrate diet only compound this situation.

- As women have relatively low levels of testosterone, it is human growth hormone (GH) that drives muscle-building and fat-burning in the female body.

- Birth control medications alter the levels of female sex hormones in the body, typically leading to more of a fat-storing state. More research needs to be done on this subject.

- With this information in mind, let’s explore the recommendations from Part 1 of How To Train Like A Woman:

1. Weights over cardio
2. High-protein over high-carb
3. Controlling cortisol

Why women should primarily lift weights instead of doing cardio

First of all, I understand that this is counter-intuitive. As a society we have been brainwashed into thinking that cardio burns fat and that calorie in=calorie out. Well, it’s crap. It’s all crap. The human body is not an abacus. It is an extremely complex structure with hormones and catalysts and precursors and enzymes, and in the end, we are simply animals with a body programmed for survival. Running is stressful. It is hard on the joints, and ultimately leads to quite a few injuries. Scientifically, as cardio is increased, cortisol levels rise, progesterone levels shrink, and the thyroid starts to shut down (the thyroid is responsible for controlling metabolic rate, how the body uses energy, hormone sensitivity, etc.) All of these factors put the body in a terrible state for fat-burning, and ultimately creates the opposite effect: the body slows its metabolism and holds on to fat for dear life.

Some people absolutely love cardio however, so if you are one of these people, you can certainly keep doing this inefficient steady-state exercise for enjoyment, but please don’t complain about a lack of results. Cardiovascular activity is generally healthy; it’s just not good for fat-loss. Excessive cardiovascular activity however (read: several bouts of over 45 minutes of steady-state cardio per week) is just downright silly. I apologize in advance to all my marathon-running readers, but from an exercise point of view, this is about the worst thing you can do to your body. You’ll lose lean muscle mass, store fat whenever possible, likely develop some sort of chronic injury and your cortisol levels will be through the roof, leading to all sorts of other hormonal issues. Run if you must, but understand the consequences. For more great information on this topic, read this article.

Enter, weight-training. Lifting weights will build lean muscle mass, which will lead to a high metabolic rate (read: increased fat-burning), and create a more favourable hormonal balance within the body. Additionally, if your goal is to burn fat and get that “toned” look, lifting heavy weights for low reps will get you the best results. Much like the myth about cardio, we’ve also been trained to think that lifting heavy things will make us bigger so we should lift lighter weights for more reps to prevent growth and increase tone. Well, this is again completely false. As I explained earlier this year, lifting heavy weights for lower reps (<5) builds strength and lifting lighter weights for more reps (8-15) leads to hypertrophy (aka muscle growth). You won’t always want to lift heavy weights, but lifting relatively heavy should be the core component of weight training for women, should the goal be fat-loss and muscle tone.

In part 3 I will lay-out a general workout template for women, which can be modified according to individual schedules and lifestyles, and will take into consideration the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. I’ll do my best to explain progressions so that it can be tackled by women of every physical activity level. It should also be noted that although I don’t encourage steady-state cardio, I do encourage women to walk as often as possible, to incorporate activities like yoga, and to engage in recreational team sports. Not only are these activities good for overall cardiovascular health, but they are also important for stress-reduction (read: cortisol reduction) as well as mental health.

Why should women eat more protein and less carbohydrate?

For starters, let me reiterate something that I’ve said many times in the past: everyone, man or woman, should be consuming at least 1 g of protein per pound of body weight every day. For people lifting weights, more is better.

So what are the advantages of protein?

1. Increased muscle synthesis and increased GH levels, leading to greater fat-burning and better body composition.
2. Increased thermic effect of feeding, ie, the body burns twice as much energy digesting protein than it does carbs or fats. This means greater fat loss when dieting and less fat gain during overfeeding/muscle-building.
3. Increased Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) in response to exercise and feeding; as women have extremely low levels of testosterone, other anabolic growth hormones (like IGF-1) are more critical to muscle-building.
4. Reduction in cardiovascular risk — Several studies have shown that increasing the percentage of protein in the diet (from 11% to 23%) while decreasing the percentage of carbohydrate (from 63% to 48%) lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations with concomitant increases in HDL cholesterol concentrations.
5. Improved weight loss profile; reducing the carbohydrate ratio from 3.5 – 1 to 1.4 – 1 increases body fat loss, spares muscle mass, reduces triglyceride concentrations, improves satiety, and improves blood glucose management.
6. Increased protein turnover — All tissues of the body, including muscle, go through a regular program of turnover. Since the balance between protein breakdown and protein synthesis governs muscle protein turnover, you need to increase your protein turnover rates in order to best improve your muscle quality. A high protein diet does just this. By increasing both protein synthesis and protein breakdown, a high protein diet helps you get rid of the old muscle more quickly and build up new, more functional muscle to take its place.
7. Protein has a mild effect on insulin, especially relative to carbohydrates. If you want to control your insulin levels, eat more protein and less carbohydrate.

Eat me!

What about carbohydrates?

1. The purpose of carbohydrates is to provide energy. If ingested carbohydrate is not used immediately, it is stored as fat.
2. Glucose is essential to life- the brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) prefer glucose to other fuel and function best with a constant supply- but the human body is capable of fuelling basic metabolic functions through ketone production and also by manufacturing and providing the minimum amount of glucose needed daily (~50 g) through the natural process of gluconeogenesis (ie, you do not need dietary carbohydrate in order to survive).
3. Carbohydrates largely dictate insulin secretion in the body; the higher the carb on the glycemic index and/or the amount of carbs in a feeding determine the size and length of an insulin spike. Insulin will drive ingested nutrients either into muscle for energy or repair, or into fat cells for storage; unless you have just exercised intensely, insulin will promote fat storage, which is why the timing of carbohydrate ingestion is critical for fat loss.
4. Chronic ingestion of carbohydrates, especially sugar, will make cells more resistant and less sensitive to insulin. The body will therefore compensate by secreting even more insulin in the presence of carbohydrates. Eventually, this will lead to the development of type-II diabetes; this is incredibly important for any women who suffer from low progesterone levels (ie, women who are extremely stressed out or post-menopausal women), as high estrogen levels (relative to progesterone levels) can lead to insulin sensitivity. These women are at an elevated risk for health problems and should absolutely make the appropriate exercise and nutrition adjustments.

For the reasons listed above, women should seriously consider lowering their carbohydrate intake and increase their protein consumption. Dietary protein is required for nearly every metabolic function in the human body, whereas carbohydrates are necessary for… nothing. Enough said. In Part 3 I will go over nutrition in a bit more detail with foods to target, foods to avoid, macronutrient breakdown and nutrient timing.

Controlling Cortisol

We all have cortisol, and cortisol isn’t always a bad thing (it is catabolic and therefore needed to burn fat, we just want to control it so that it doesn’t burn valuable things like muscle). Now, I’ve already mentioned a few things about cortisol, but I wanted to touch on subject close to my heart. Despite all the love that I’ve given to caffeine in the past, it appears as though excessive coffee intake can indeed be detrimental to the fat-burning process in women. I swear, it hurts me to write this, because caffeine (and especially coffee) has many great benefits. However, caffeine does increase cortisol levels, which is bad for women for 2 main reasons:

1. High cortisol leads to lower progesterone levels (due to the common precursor)
2. Coffee intake has been linked to higher estrogen levels (the cause is undetermined, but it could be due to the acidity of coffee), which leads to a larger estrogen-progesterone imbalance and puts the body into fat-storing mode. If carbohydrates are added to this equation (read: insulin spike), it is a fat-storing recipe for disaster. NOTE: Increased estrogen-progesterone levels are not only bad for body composition, but also make women more susceptible to PMS symptoms, infertility, osteoporosis and several types of cancer.

Just try to stick to 1 or 2 cups…

Now, I still fully encourage my female readers to start the day with a black cup of coffee (with coconut oil for optimal results) because despite high cortisol levels first thing in the morning, insulin levels are also low, GH levels are high and caffeine also causes the release of epinephrine, further promoting fat-burning. In other words, although this could negatively affect the sex hormones, the body is still in such a great fat-burning state in the morning that coffee should still help you capitalize on this window. NOTE: The very WORST thing that you can do first thing in the morning is wake up and immediately eat carbohydrates, as insulin will ensure that you store fat instead of burn it. If you eat first thing in the morning, stick to protein and fat and save the carbs for post-workout. Aside from this morning coffee however, it is likely advisable for women to avoid coffee for the rest of the day. This extra caffeine will increase cortisol at inopportune times, skewing the sex hormone balance and leading to more fat storage. Have a black coffee first thing in the morning, but stick to herbal teas later in the day. Oh, and don’t forget to make sure to try to drink high-quality coffee; and yes, it makes a difference.

So, how do we control cortisol levels?

1. Sleep as much as possible. 8+ hours a night is ideal. Naps shouldn’t be overlooked, but regular, uninterrupted sleeping patterns are important.
2. Reduce the stress in your life. Here are some tips.
3. Exercise. Either with weights, or high-intensity interval training (ie, sprints, bike intervals, metabolic complexes, etc., lasting less than 20 minutes total)

• Long story short: Cortisol (stress) induces the release of epinephrine and increases gluconeogenesis, releasing glucose (sugar) into the blood. Low-intensity aerobic exercise will not efficiently burn through this fuel. High-intensity exercise will burn through this glucose and force the body into an anaerobic state, signalling the release of testosterone and GH. When combined, these ingredients will make you burn fat and build muscle. When the workout is over, there will be a feeling of energized relaxation (if you’ve ever had a great workout, you know the feeling!) and the body’s perception of stress is positively altered. Jogging, biking, running, walking, yoga, etc., can lower cortisol levels to a certain degree, but not even close to the same degree as an intense workout.

If you can combine these factors with the appropriate nutritional interventions, you’ll be well on your way to a better body composition, a decreased risk of injury and disease, and an overall improvement in quality of life.

So, as I mentioned earlier, Part 3 will come sometime in the next few days. I plan to include all the details you’ll need to improve your body composition and overall health, including a workout template that you can tailor to your own schedule.

If I’ve left anything out, or if there is something that you’d like me to elaborate on in the interim, don’t hesitate to send me a message!

Happy Monday!

- DW

1. What is Your Routine?

Although having a routine is an extremely important ingredient to achieving a goal, a routine can also be one of your biggest enemies. A general rule of thumb is to adjust your training every 4-6 weeks in order to avoid a plateau. This general rule of thumb is also one of the most misunderstood training principles. Try to keep the same routine (exercises, exercise order, sets, repetitions, rest periods) for approximately 4-6 weeks at a time. Adjusting your training following this phase could be as simple as adding in supersets or compound sets, changing the repetition ranges and/or the tempos of the working and relaxation phases of the lift. There are many variables that you can change to alter your workout enough to keep your body guessing and stimulate new adaptations. Here is the best example I can think of to help you understand how your body responds to exercise. Think about a child learning to walk. The child takes a step and falls to his knees, realizing that he fell forward, the child stands up, tries to take another step but falls on his bum. Now realizing he has fallen back, the child stands up, takes a step and stumbles to the left, only to fall on his bum again. The child then stands up, stumbles to the right, catches himself and then takes another step forward. What the child did through this process was learn from his mistakes! Your body does the same thing. As you exercise, your body is being broken down and forced to rebuild. If you continuously challenge the body with the same workouts, it will learn how to avoid breaking down and will not be forced to rebuild, hence why you hit a plateau. Changing your routine every 4-6 weeks can prevent this!

2. Are You Training for a Goal?

Probably one of the biggest mistakes that is made in training is that people do not train for a goal. Typically when we teach ourselves how to exercise we learn from those around us who “look” like they know what they are doing. What I encourage you to remember; what works for someone else will likely not work for you. You are very unique and different than almost every human being in this world. Do not fall into the trap of following a workout you see in a magazine or online. Yes, that workout might provide you what you need to make some gains, BUT you will be limited because a generic workout is not designed for your unique needs. In this case, you have two options, 1) seek the help of a professional or 2) educate yourself and learn about exercise prescription. Do not follow 90% of the gym population and let the weight determine how many repetitions and sets you do. Your training goal should determine the weight you lift. That is one piece of advice that is consistent for everyone!

3. How do you layout your week and your workout?

Most people (including me some weeks) take part in international chest day, which occurs on Monday of every week. Do not follow the same routine as everyone else. Design your weeks to train the largest muscle groups earlier in the week (Legs and Back) and then as the week goes on work towards the smaller muscle groups (Chest, Shoulders, Arms). Your workouts should be designed in the same fashion. Perform your most difficult lifts (Squats, Deadlifts, Lunges, Bent Over Rows, Pull-Ups, Overhead Presses, Bench Presses) earlier in your workouts and then the less complex movements (Leg Curls/Extensions, Chest Flys, Lateral and Front Shoulder Raises, Biceps Curls, Triceps Extensions) later in the workouts. This will allow you to focus on having more energy for your larger muscle groups and better technique while performing your more difficult movements at the start of the week and the beginning of the workout. You do not have to train one muscle group a day, be creative! You can group muscle areas together on one day or have full body days. In my experience I always like to start the week with Chest and Back, followed by Legs and Shoulders and then Core and Arms and then I cycle through this again in a 7-day period. Keep in mind that this is a very advanced week for an advanced lifter but it allows them to meet the guidelines for an advanced program. They are able to hit each muscle area 2-3 times in a 7-day cycle, it allows them 48-72 hours of rest before the same muscle group is exercised again and it allows for one rest day in the 7-day cycle. Again, I cannot stress enough that everyone is unique. Principles of training need to be adapted for every unique individual!

4. Are you performing the Exercises with Proper Technique?

One of my biggest pet peeves in any fitness facility is seeing people exercising just because they know it is the healthy thing to do. Not performing exercise with proper technique can be equally as dangerous in some cases as not exercising at all! You need to become a student of exercise, as there is a proper technique to all exercises. Some general reminders when performing all exercises are, 1) Keep the core tight. Pull your belly button in towards your spine. 2) Keep your chest up and make sure your shoulders are pulled down and back (emphasizing proper posture). 3) Work through a full range of motion and control the weight. You control the resistance; do not let the resistance control you. 4) Always try to avoid exercising with a flexed spine. Performing exercise with a flexed spine can be dangerous. 5) Breathe. Exhale on the working phase of the exercise and inhale on the relaxation phase. Lastly, ALWAYS remember that what you do to one side of your body, you must do to the other side of your body. Just because you cannot see your back, does not mean it should not be trained. Train all muscles of the body, not just the ones you see in the mirror. In fact, with the back muscles being some of the largest in the body, I recommend spending more time training your back muscles than most other muscles because they require a larger stimulus to grow and adapt.

5. Did you Consider All of The Dimensions of Fitness

Lastly, but not least, there are multiple dimensions of fitness. Resistance training is only one of them. The dimensions of fitness are strength, speed, agility, endurance and flexibility. Many people tend to ignore the heart and only spend time moving resistance however the heart is more important than the rest of the body because it is the main muscle that will feed the rest of your muscles. If your heart is not strong enough, the rest of your body will suffer. The other most underappreciated dimension of fitness is flexibility. Poor flexibility could be the reason you suffer from low back pain, headaches, sore neck and shoulders, sore knees or even sore feet. All of these things are directly related to your flexibility. Three days of your week should be spent working on your flexibility as it has a large impact on your quality of life. But remember; never stretch a cold muscle, as a cold muscle is susceptible to injury. Always warm-up and work through a comfortable range of motion. Yoga is an excellent method of improving your flexibility. If you are stretching on your own, to increase the length of a muscle, you generally need to hold a stretch for 30 seconds.

I know there is a lot to remember and a lot to learn. When I started out in health and fitness I felt the same way. Take things in stride. Do not look for overnight quick fixes. Make the commitment to a lifelong lifestyle change and you will not be disappointed. And lastly, never hesitate to ask questions. There are people like myself who have dedicated their life to helping others so please ask questions.

I am here to help and I love meeting new people.

Remember – “If you do not make time for exercise now, be prepared to make time for illness later” ~ Jim Rohn

This week I’ve focussed on circuit based training, though I’m choosing to vary the split I would usually use, and so far it’s definitely something I’m enjoying, when deciding on or designing a training routine make sure you think about enjoyability, this is key to continuing and sticking with your programme.

Circuits can be great for stripping fat and packing on muscle. Come back soon for some example circuits for bodyweight (home based) and weight based routines.

Diet

There are a number of ways you can approach diet, for me one of the most successful ways I’ve lost body fat is through the use of Intermittent Fasting (IF). There are quite a few ways to do this, currently I’m using a 16/8 split, basically you fast for 16 hours a day and only eat within an 8 hour period, for me this works by starting eating from 2pm and finishing at 10pm. This from my experience is pioneered by Lean Gains.

Alternatively 24 hour fasts are also an option, whereby you choose a 24 hour period (6pm to 6pm as an example) and you simply abstain from food within that period, this can be done up to 2 times per week on non consecutive days. This is another area I’ve had huge successes, and the pioneer here is Eat Stop Eat.

Both of the proponents of fasting listed above indicate that resistance training is a key part of any IF schedule, I completely agree, this will ensure you maintain any muscle mass you currently have, without training you will likely lose valuable muscle tissue.

Business Update

Big changes are coming, in the next few weeks I will be finalising a referral programme for existing clients. Following on from that I will also be putting the finishing touches to a number of training packages that will be available to anyone, each package will include special benefits and will guarantee results, so please keep an eye out.

Fitocracy

I recently signed up to Fitocracy and I have to say I’m impressed, it allows you to accrue points based on activity you complete and from there gain achievements, however it is more than that, it is a community of people all looking to achieve and become more than they are now.

I’m currently looking for a way to incorporate this into my business and currently have a private group set up where my clients and anyone followers can come together and share progress etc, if you want an invite to this group, make sure you’ve signed up, find my profile at theBEALthing, shoot me a message and I’ll send you an invite.

Fitocracy is available on the web, via apps on iOS and Android.

Athletic Greens

I have been doing some research into greens on and off for a while now, the benefits seem numerous though they depend on the quality and ingredients in the greens, reportedly you can see improved energy, clarity of mind, and improved digestive function. From what I can tell the main benefits are high amounts of antioxidants, natural vitamins and minerals. A lot of multivitamins contain artificial vitamins, I know I would prefer the natural variety and from experience the natural form provide increased benefits.

I finally decided to take the plunge and ordered Athletic Greens, the reason for this is the sheer number of ingredients and benefits associated with this, they also seem to be the gold standard choice for many of the top trainers (not faddy trainers, trainers with real experience) within the industry. So far I’m on day 3 and am due to take my 4th dose once I’ve finished this post, I can say that in terms of taste and mixability Athletic Greens really are a 10/10, as for results it’s too early to tell. Give me a month and I’ll submit my proper review.

Allowing yourself to cheat a little every once in awhile is healthy for your body and your mind but how much are you allowed to cheat?
-Share that special treat with your spouse or kids.
-Go for tiny tastes, like a mini-cheesecake instead of an entire slice, or a single square of chocolate instead of a whole bar.
-Eat a healthy breakfast to control your appetite.
-Eat more whole grains, fruit, and veggies as your day gets started so that you’ll feel full longer and feel satisfied with small splurges.
-Split an entrée or skip the bread basket when eating out, especially if you want a taste of dessert.
-Limit your alcohol. Drink water or another calorie-free beverage between drinks, or apply those calories to a food you’d enjoy more.

Need a someone to keep you accountable and help you reach your health & fitness goals? Contact a personal trainer at Brenda Athletic Clubs in Modesto, Turlock or Merced.

Down in the gym, my husband was being nice and wanting to get a 5KG plate for me and I turned to him and said, “I can do it.  I’m still tired and not awake yet.  It’s best to just let me take care of myself.”  After 20 minutes, I was better however the rest of the day I have been miserable and moody.  Darren keeps reassuring me that it’s just my body in shock for getting up early and exercising.  He says it will pass and I hope it does.  I know it should.

In the gym, I worked my chest, shoulders, back, abs along with some arms and some legs.  All this was done in 45 minutes.

So in my moody state, I had to take out rental to a place to get our winter tires changed to summer tires.  BEWARE:  When a GPS recognizes a road and tells you to turn left, that doesn’t mean it’s a real road, like a paved or even hard packed dirt.  It means it’s a locally recognized road and in the first case, that meant fine dirt that was like driving on sand.  After 5 meters, we reversed back to hard packed dirt and got ourselves turned around and heading back towards the highway.  The GPS recalculated and we headed down a more reasonable local road that turned into a dirt road and then into a large stone packed road.  We were making progress until we ended up at a point where the road ended and turned into a bike path right where we were supposed to enter the highway.  We back tracked until we could find an entry point.  After lots and lots of road construction, we made it back into a good size village still following the GPS directions until we came to a point where we had to turn left because the large wall blocking the train tracks would not let us cross.  My instinct was to follow the majority of traffic until we found the overpass.  We finally made it to the end point which was the middle of a park and not the actual address we needed.  We kept going, looped through a hamlet and ended up where we needed to be.  The people at the shop spoke almost no English but were great.  35 minutes later our tires were changed and we were heading back into Poznan.  15 minutes later we were right close to our apartment.

It took two hours from when we left work until our tires were changed.  That should have been one hour at most.  We were in some back areas of Poland that you would not even think exist.  Nothing dangerous but nothing welcoming.

While waiting for the tires to be changed, we walked around the square.  When we arrived at the apartment, we walked to the butcher, health food store, and market to pick up food for dinner.

So it’s been an active day and an adventurous day.  It would have been good with a little less adventure.

Seeing how yesterday’s post was for the ladies, here’s a great piece for the men: 8 Ways to be an Alpha Male by Tomorrow, from my friends over at Muscle & Fitness.

As I mentioned yesterday, growth hormone (GH) is to women what testosterone (T) is to men: muscle-building, fat-burning, life-improving. High testosterone has a direct correlation to everything that could possibly awesome in a man’s life. The bad news? Testosterone levels, as a whole, have dropped dramatically over the last few decades. The reason for this phenomenon has yet to be determined, but I’m sure it has a lot to do with the typical North American lifestyle: low-quality nutrition, low levels of physical activity and less physical interaction with the opposite sex (the internet does have its disadvantages). As always, I encourage you all to read the article itself (especially this one, as it contains links to several other great articles), but here are the keys points (they may sound familiar, I wonder why…)

• Don’t Fear Fat – The male body uses saturated fat to create testosterone, and as I’ve mentioned before, this “bad” fat won’t hurt you as long as you keep your unsaturated fats in balance and avoid a diet obnoxiously high in sugar and processed carbs.
• Perform More Deadlifts From a Deficit - Or at the very least, perform more deadlifts in general.
• Don’t Limit Your Protein – This one is simple. Be a man and eat your protein; lots of it. As the article states, don’t stop at 30 g per serving- that’s a myth created by some weak vegetarian.
• Take Breakfast Down a Notch - Yep, skipping/delaying breakfast can boost your test. Are you actually still eating first thing in the morning???
• Sleep More than 7 Hours a Night – Again, something I covered last week.
• Increase the Intensity of your Workouts – Lift heavy things and do sprints. Again, this shouldn’t be news to my readers.
• Desire More Sex – This one is interesting but it makes total sense. Show more interest in sex, boost your sex hormones. Science, what a thing.
• Get your Testosterone Checked – All joking aside, I would like to encourage all my male readers to get your testosterone checked. I did this 2 years ago, discovered that I had very low levels of bioavailable testosterone, and we are still working on finding a solution. It’s a hormone that can drastically affect the quality of your life, so get it checked, and make sure you’re firing on all cylinders.

Strive for excess testosterone… Just don’t be that guy.

That’s it and that’s all for today! For additional information on testosterone and lifting heavy things, don’t hesitate to send me a message!

Happy Friday!

- DW

For a while now I’ve been meaning to put together a comprehensive piece on women and fitness. As most of you are aware, I am a man, and I base a lot of my fitness and nutrition advice on my own personal experiences. As most you are also aware, men and women are different, so my personal experience won’t always translate into proper advice for women. For the record, the information contained in this 2-part series comes from scouring the web (research papers, blogs, interviews, etc.) as well as anecdotal evidence from some female lifters that I know personally. Again, I can’t draw from my own personal experiences, so I did my best to find the highest quality information to share with my female audience. Let’s start with the basics:

As usual, there is nothing we can’t learn from Arnold. With the basics out of the way, let’s talk fitness and nutrition.

Why women shouldn’t train like men

First of all, I think the phrase “train like a man” is absolutely comical. If you trained like the majority of men, you’d be weak, with pathetic legs, overworked biceps and an inflated sense of self-worth. Most men have no idea what they’re doing at the gym, so please, don’t try to train like a man. Train like a woman- train smart, train efficiently, and train with a passion. Training men is a pain in the ass, because most men want big vanity muscles and little functionality, whereas women tend to see the big picture: a balanced body is a beautiful body.

Semantics aside, there are some major differences between men and women when it comes to training, and most of this can be attributed to hormones.  Men have high levels of testosterone, making it relatively easy to add and maintain muscle mass; fat is predominately in the abdomen. Women have high levels of estrogen and progesterone, making it difficult to add muscle mass; females tend to have smaller waists, with fat being stored on the hips, thighs and breasts. In general, women with relatively higher levels of estrogen tend to store more fat around the hips and thighs, whereas high levels of progesterone can lead to larger breasts (although this is less indicative). Testosterone levels in men rarely fluctuate, but women experience monthly hormone fluctuations due to their menstrual cycles. These fluctuations have a large effect on how women look, function and feel, and also alter fat-burning, fat-storage and muscle-building properties of the female body.

And both with make you fat; especially when combined!

Cortisol and insulin also play a huge role in the regulation of female sex hormones. If cortisol and insulin are out of control, estrogen and progesterone levels will be negatively affected and manipulation of these hormones for effective fat-loss and muscle-building will be futile. A quick reminder: cortisol is a stress hormone, and will be elevated in the body in times of stress, lack of sleep, etc. Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulation of blood sugar; carbohydrate intake is the largest factor affecting insulin levels. Cortisol and insulin levels can be largely manipulated by nutrition and lifestyle intervention. What compounds the equation is that cortisol and progesterone are created in the female body from a common precursor (pregnenolone). In times of stress, pregnenolone is largely converted into cortisol, leading to lowers levels of progesterone. Lower levels of progesterone will equate to relatively higher levels of estrogen, which will increase the amount of fat stored (especially in the thighs and hips), especially when carbohydrates in the diet are high (read: when insulin levels are high). In other words, too much stress will have many negative side-effects: poor fat-burning, increased fat-storage, poor muscle-building, poor libido, decreased mood, etc.

Additionally, as women do not have high levels of testosterone, it is human growth hormone (GH) in the female body that predominantly leads to muscle-building/body-toning/fat-burning (and is therefore the closest thing that women have to reproduce the effects of testosterone has in men). You know what keeps GH high in women? Lifting weights, eating high-quality protein sources, and sleep. That’s it. You know what prevents women from the benefits of elevated GH levels? Lots of cardio, lots of carbs, and lack of sleep. Those are the facts.

Finally, women tend to be more flexible and mobile than men, and can handle more frequent training sessions (women recover faster than men because they are not as strong and tend not to tax their muscular and nervous systems as much during training). Women should therefore spend a greater percentage of their workout time on strength work take advantage of their quicker recovery time by training more often.

But I don’t want to get bulky!

To quote a good friend of mine:

“Women worrying that lifting weights will make them bulky is like me shooting some hoops and thinking I’m going to the NBA.”

This honestly puts things in perfect perspective. Honestly ladies, I’ve been lifting very seriously for 10 years, for the most part trying extremely hard to get bigger, and it’s damn-near impossible- and I’m a man, with (supposedly) high levels of testosterone. You are not even hormonally equipped to put on muscle mass!!! Unless your birth control pill is laced with anabolic steroids, it will be next to impossible for you to get “bulky”. This seriously drives me crazy. You are a woman. You have high levels of estrogen. Good luck putting on muscle mass. Furthermore, lifting heavy weights for low reps builds strength, not mass. Lifting lighter weights for 8-12 reps is the scientifically proven way to grow bigger muscles. Lift heavy, for low reps, and you’ll blast through fat without adding “bulky” muscles. You know what will make you bulky?…

Bingo.

What other factors are there to consider?

Everyone is an individual, and every woman will have different hormonal levels and patterns and some will be more prone to increased cortisol levels than others. I have read about women getting “burned out” if they train weights for longer than 60 minutes. Then again, I know some competitive weight lifters who train with serious weights for 3-4 hours without any issues. As with anything else, there will be individualized effects.

Aside from this, there are two major issues for women that can affect hormones and training results: birth control and menopause. From what I can find, the effect of birth control is extremely variable and the jury is out on how it really affects training results. There are several different kinds of birth control on the market, but all of them are in essence, a manipulation of the body’s natural hormonal state (the medication usually contains estrogen and/or progestin). My findings have been slim, but here is what I could dig up:

- Almost all forms of birth control lead the unwanted storage of fat. Progestin-only pills show a greater tendency toward weight gain.

- Birth control tends to correlate with higher cortisol levels (not surprising, considering the unwanted fat-storage)

- It is harder to put on lean muscle mass while on birth control

Long story short, it seems as though birth control is a small hindrance to losing body fat. If this is a major issue for you, please discuss it with your physician.

In regards to menopause, I’m really no expert. When menopause hits, progesterone levels drop, libido drops and fat begins to accumulate around the midsection instead of being predominantly stored in the hips/thighs/breasts. The only way to battle these symptoms (aside from hormone replacement therapy, progesterone creams, etc.) is to be vigilant with nutrition and exercise intervention, as I will discuss below.

NOTE: Training during menses has shown to have some ill-effects on performance (strength is sometimes compromised, bloating and cramps can lead to issues, etc.), but activity should not be halted during this time of the cycle.

With all this in mind, how should women eat and train?

Well, if you’ve been following my other posts, the advice is still pretty similar. Here are the nuts and bolts:

Stop jogging/running long distances often: For countless reasons. This type of exercise increases cortisol levels, depletes GH and progesterone stores, eats through muscle and has little-to-no positive effects on the female body. You don’t have to stop running completely, but it must be minimized. High-intensity training (HIIT) should have a larger role.

Weight training is paramount: Hormone regulation (GH production) = fat-burning = look amazing. No more “skinny-fat”. This is the number one most important take-home point for menopausal women, as weight training will increase GH (helping to burn fat), but will also strengthen bones and ward off osteoporosis and improve overall quality of life.

Low-carb is king: If you control your insulin, you can control your sex hormones, and you can control your fat storage. The type and amount of carbs will vary based on several factors, but in general, carbs will need to be low.

Protein and veggies: High-quality protein sources (again, restoring GH levels) and lots of fiber and micronutrients will give your body the fuel it needs, without the fat to store.

Sleep, sleep, sleep: The best way to keep cortisol at bay and increase GH is to get as much sleep as possible. Less cortisol = more GH and more control of sex hormones = happier, healthier, and beautiful.

That’s it for Part 1! In Part 2, I’m going to cover specifics, including a dietary and nutritional breakdown, how to train optimally for fat-loss and muscle tone, and how to optimize your training program around your hormonal peaks and valleys.

For more information on women and weights, you know how to find me!

- DW

In school, in work, in a lot of stuff… It’s easy to get comfortable being a bum and not wanting to contribute to anything, put effort into anything, and lets be honest, it’s fun being lazy.

But this got me thinking… how does procrastination apply to our lives as christians?

How many times have you heard from nonbelievers that “I can get right with God later, right now I’m having too much fun.” Well, even believers do that too! It’s obviously not to such an extreme, but how many of us try to push away the callings that God has put on our life, so we can pursue our own interests or wants beforehand. How many of us go through times when life gets so busy that God gets put on the back burner?

I would dare to say that is a dangerous thing to do. I won’t lie though, i’ve been there and done that. And there have been times when i pushed him so far away (not intentionally) that it was a massive struggle to regain a passionate relationship with my God. It’s important to evaluate your life as well as your relationship with God on a daily basis, and make sure that “the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing” which… is your relationship with God on a high!

SO i hope you’ve been blessed by this, and try to take it and apply it to your life!

Much Love and God Bless!

ZV

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Simple-Dollar/2010/0523/Procrastination-How-to-spot-it.-How-to-stop-it.

http://www.oocities.org/campuschristians_sjc/articles/procrastination.html

The young girl burnt herself for a prolonged period of time on a stove, until she had burnt all the flesh off of her fingers. Later the girl, because she could feel no pain, plucked out her own eye.

you see, pain, is a wonderful thing. It’s a sensor that’s lets us know that something is no good for us. That we weren’t supposed to have done that.

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope and, hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Next time you feel like the pain you’re experiencing was meant to cripple you, change your mindset to “maybe this pain is supposed to teach me to stay away from this type of circumstance. Or, maybe this pain was meant to get me on a different track.”

Reevaluate your thinking.

Much Love and God Bless!

ZV

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+5%3A3-5&version=ESV

http://www.dailyintheword.org/content/eternal-hope-through-scriptures

• minutes 0-5  @ resistance 10
• minutes 5-6  @ resistance 11
• minutes 6-8 @ resistance 13
• minutes 8-9 @ resistance 15
• minutes 9-10 @ resistance 11
• minutes 10-12 @ 13
• 12-13 @ 15
• 13-14 @ 11
• 14–16 @ 13
• 16-17 @ 15
• 17-18 @ 11
• 18-20 @ 13
• 20-21 @ 15
• 21-23 @ 13
• 23-25 @ 10

today i am focusing mainly on leg exercises as well as my pushups of course. so among the exercises i will be doing are:

• leg press [machine]
• quad raise [machine]
• hamstring [machine]
• calf press [machine]
• single leg lifts

its always important to have water with you when you work out as you need to stay hydrated, and try drinking up to 8 glasses a day.

I find myself a wee bit stumped in what exactly to blog about this evening.  No real inspiration coming to me.  Maybe instead I’ll list what I’m grateful for today.  Let’s see:

• Kindness when I’m feeling lonely
• Downton Abbey
• Access to online newspapers
• The ability and desire to be active

After work today, I was down in the gym for 40 minutes and worked my chest, shoulders, backs, arms, and abs.  This routine is paying off because I’m consistently doing three sets of five push ups and I’m damn proud of that.

I thought it was time to give a bit of an update on my nutrition and training. As I mentioned last week, I will be competing in the amateur strongman competition being held at the Toronto Pro Super Show on June 1st inside the Metro Toronto Convention Center. I currently weigh-in at a whopping 180 lbs, and although I don’t really want to get any bigger, I need to get stronger for this contest. With that in mind, here are the changes I’m making:

Nutrition

Protein: up from ~250 g per day to ~300g per day, mostly in the form of supplemental whey protein.

• Why? 250 g has proven to be a good level to maintain my current muscle mass. Increasing the amount, especially post-workout, should theoretically help improve muscle recovery and growth. Studies have repeatedly shown that whey protein is the best protein for strength and mass gains.

Fats: decreased slightly on workout days.

• Why? My current diet already provides me with an adequate number of calories; as I am increasing protein, another macronutrient must be reduced. Carbs are far too valuable for muscle repair and growth, so fats are the odd man out. I still eat plenty of fat in my diet, especially on non-training days, so this decrease on training days is not a concern.

Carbs: less crap, more high quality.

• Why? I’ve been pretty sloppy lately with my carb consumption, pretty much allowing myself to eat anything post-workout. I’m going to dial this in, eating higher quality foods, hoping it leads to higher quality results.

Dairy/wheat: Out.

• Why? Well I hardly ever eat wheat to begin with because it has little-to-no value, so it is out. You all know how much I love dairy, but I’ve realized that it gives me skin problems (dairy has this effect on many people), so it is out. Once a week I will likely have a big cheat meal, and this meal is likely to include pizza, which will be the only exception to this rule. Pizza is amazing. Leave me alone.

Intermittent Fasting: Out; Carb Backloading: In.

• Why? I’ve been playing around with both techniques for a while. I haven’t come to a complete conclusion on IF, but it is currently my belief that this is a good strategy to implement if you want to stay small and lean, but certainly not a good strategy if you want to optimize strength and/or growth. I have been following carb backloading for a while now, and I fully believe it is an excellent strategy for staying lean, and now without the additional IF component, I believe I can use it to gain strength and likely a bit of mass. Time will tell.

Supplementation: Creatine is back!

• Why? When I wrote up my Supplements 101 piece on creatine a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I may give the supplement another shot (in the past, I received no benefit, despite the overwhelming literature that creatine helps with strength). Well, with my upcoming contest, this was a no-brainer. I will be supplementing ~20 g per day in my post workout shake.

Here is a sample training-day diet of the things I put in my mouth:

7 am: coffee with coconut oil and cinnamon

8:30am: black coffee, 4 extra strength fish oil caps (~2.5 g total omega-3 fat)

9 am: 4 eggs, 2 servings veggies (usually broccoli, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts), whey protein shake

10:30 am: black coffee

12 pm: chicken/fish, 2 servings veggies

2 pm: green tea

3 pm: whey protein shake

Workout ~4 pm

Post-workout shake: 90 g carbs, 25 g protein, 20 g creatine

Within 2 hours post-workout: 2-3 servings of fruit, whey protein shake w/oats and blueberries, sweet potatoes/white potatoes/rice/beans/lentils

Dinner: chicken/fish/beef/eggs, 2-3 servings veggies

Before bed: whey protein shake, 4 extra strength fish oil caps (~2.5 g total omega-3 fat)

Notes: Some avocado and/or almonds/walnuts/pistachios may sneak in there on occasion (these are heavily included on my non-training days). When I cook, I use nothing but coconut oil. Alcohol will be limited to extremely special events; no “casual” drinking.

If you don’t, you’re probably dead.

Training

I’m not going to detail my entire workout log, but here is the general idea:

Weights 4x per week. Squats, overhead press, front squats and deadlifts are my respective primary movements on these 4 days. I will be squatting minimum 3x per week.

• Day 1: Squats, bench press, box squats
• Day 2: Clean and jerk, overhead squats, deadlift variations, overhead lockouts
• Day 3: Front squats, squats, box front squats
• Day 4: Deadlifts, front squats with a pause, events training (specifically for the competition: axle deadlift, 1-arm dumbbell press, log clean & press and stones)

In the end, I’m hammering the primary lifts and the movements that will make me strongest and have the greatest carry-over to the upcoming competition. I looked at my programming and removed anything that I deemed inefficient. If I find that I’m doing something inefficient with this program as I go along, I will remove it and re-focus my time on something that will make me stronger. Remember how I keep saying that squats are important? Don’t tell me I don’t practice what I preach…

Yoga: At least once per week. I’d like to get in 2 sessions per week, but it all depends on my schedule. Strength training takes precedence. If I miss a yoga class, I will at the very least spend some time working on mobility and soft tissue work at home.

Sleep: 8 hours per night, and more whenever I get the chance. No excuses.

Note: I have been squatting 3-4 times per week for about 2 months now, and my body feels great. I was unsure how my body would react to such punishment, but I’m happy to report nothing but positive results.

So there you have it; my plan to get jacked and strong, while staying lean and athletic in preparation for my upcoming competition. I’m confident that these minor changes will lead to great results, and I intend put on a clinic on June 1st.

If you have any questions or comments about my nutrition and training, or if you’d like input on your own, don’t hesitate to send me a message!

- DW

It’s time for me to go to bed, but I just saw an article that I had to share. Remember when I told you to stay away from BOSU balls and concentrate on compound, challenging lifts instead? Well, Kiefer over at Dangerously Hardcore has done it again, with one of the best articles I’ve read in a while: Unstable Surfaces For Stability Training (AKA Clown School). Top points for a great title as well. This about sums it up:

“A single fact—that the body will only produce maximum force when it is stable—would be enough to make any sensible person throw away the stability ball, BOSU ball and all the other almost stupidly unstable training surfaces that you see so often in commercial gyms. All of these methods actually prevent the body from getting stronger.

The best possible mode of exercise to increase core stability, strength, power and even bone density, not to mention hypertrophy, is full body movements with heavy loads. Push-press with a 6-rep max overhead, don’t do side-laterals on a bosu ball; dead lift two-times your body weight, don’t try Romanian dead lifts on (in)stability discs.

Increasing load during an exercise is highly effective and equivalent to unstable-surface training for strengthening the core. The difference, however, is that while on an unstable surface, your nervous system never lets you fully contract your muscles, which means stability training on unstable devices (come on, that just sounds stupid, doesn’t it?) is merely a way to waste time in the gym.”

Read the article if you already haven’t done so. Do it now. It’s short, and perfect.

Want to get improve your stability? Balance? Strength? Body composition? Posture? Confidence? Charisma? There are two links in this blog post, and both links contain the answer. Keep it simple, keep it safe, and keep it real, homie.

- DW

You could do many types of exercise, including weight training, aerobics, various sports, jogging, swimming and the like. What is essential is that you choose something that works for you and that you find satisfying, or at least bearable. One of your better options could be strength training, which can improve not only your health, but your total well-being. The strength of your muscles can be developed and then improved by doing strength training. Muscle strength is what weight training is meant for, but it can make your body stronger by also benefiting your bones. Although bodybuilding and weight lifting may be used to build large and powerful muscles, you can also do weight training for other objectives.

When you choose to do weight training, you are going to use swimming machines, resistance bands, and also exercise equipment. Many people state that strength training is damaging to the joints and muscles, but in fact just the opposite is true. Other forms of exercise, such as jogging, are a lot more likely to result in injuries because they are higher impact workouts. With regards to safety it is more comparable to water aerobic exercises. When you initially start out with strength training, you are going to have a less chance of injury by positioning yourself properly and observing really good body posture. When beginning any type of fitness routine, it’s always a good idea to consult with your physician first; this is especially the case for folks in their forties and older. Anyone with a known health condition, or who has been inactive for some time has to be especially careful.

One type of weight training that’s quite convenient and effective is using resistance bands. You can do something like a dumbbell curl with a resistance band, keeping one end in place with your foot and doing the curl with one arm. This is a biceps building exercise, and only one of several you can perform. You burn calories and boost your metabolism when performing strength training, which is one of its key benefits. It also helps support your heart health by helping to lower your blood pressure level and boost your heart. In case you are already doing strength training, you won’t want to hit a plateau by exhausting your muscles too much. There are different resistance training routines, ranging anywhere from once to several times a week.

You need to do a number of exercises when you are doing resistance training, since you want to avert muscle stiffness. As with any type of exercise routine, to avoid cramps, stiffness and injury, you need to do lots of stretching exercises.

Check this out! Watch soccer players from Iceland training with Myosource Kinetic Bands. This video will give you training drills to increase your speed, lateral moves, footwork, endurance and much more to make your soccer games more successful. The soccer players in this video utilize Myosource Kinetic Bands to work on all their soccer skills. They also use Myosource training cones to set up their speed and footwork training. This is resistance training for soccer at its finest. Myosource Kinetic Bands will help you reach your athletic goals to become faster, quicker, and more powerful. Take your training and soccer skills to the next levels. Train with Myosource Kinetic Bands. We can’t wait to hear about your success with the bands.

The first is from above the head. The arms are pulled from above toward the body. An example of this with equipment would be a pulldown, where a bar attached to weights is pulled from above your head toward your torso.

Another variation of this can be a pull or chin up, where basically the same thing happens, but instead of pulling a weight toward you, you pull you toward a fixed object (a bar for instance).

In the picture above, I improvised, using the bar on my squat rack. Now, not everyone has a squat rack, but you may have some other kind of bar or fixed object that you can use. Sometimes, I use an Ibeam in my basement. I put a towel over the edge to protect my fingers a bit, and pull myself up. There are also bars you can buy at a sporting goods store or online that you can wedge into a doorway. Some of them are quite reasonable.

Pullups and chinups are difficult (chinups are with the palms facing toward you – pictured above. Pullups are with the palms facing away – usually done with a slightly wider grip). You might have someone help you by placing their cupped hands behind you. You then bend your legs and place your lower legs in their hands. You can have them help lift you or you can push off of their hands to lift yourself. If you have to rely on them too much, however, it might not be worth doing the exercise, as the improper form that often results from trying an exercise beyond your current ability can lead to an injury. Also, remember to communicate with any helper. If you are losing your grip or need to let go for some other reason, tell your partner. You don’t want to fall on your face.

If you have a sturdy piece of furniture, you can do another version of the chinup. It changes the angle to the other plane of motion I mentioned earlier. This is one where the arms are pulled toward you from a perpendicular angle. In other words, the arms are closer to straight out in front of you. That can be done on a row machine, but I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you don’t have access to one.

Find a sturdy table of overhang of some type. Lie on the ground beneath it and set your hands on the overhang surface so your arms are extended from the body, but a little below shoulder level. You will pull yourself up toward the overhang so that your arms come up alongside your body. Then you will lower back down.

The above exercise still might be a bit difficult to do. Another option is the elbow fly. To begin this exercise, you can start on the floor. Once advanced a bit, you can use two chairs or other fixed objects. Place your elbows on the objects (or floor) so your upper arms are straight out from your body. You should be horizontal (lying on the floor) or near horizontal (seated on the floor, but lying back with your elbows on the chairs or other objects). Point your lower arms (elbows to hands) up. Without using the legs, you will now lift your body by bringing the elbows back and toward each other. They will probably only move a few inches at first. That’s fine. As you get stronger, you will be able to move it farther. Don’t force it. Even if you can only move an inch, that’s okay.

All of the exercise should be done for 6 to 20 repetitions. It’s a big range, and for general fitness purposes it really comes down to personal preference.

For thorough back work, doing at least one exercise in the vertical plane and one in the horizontal is optimal. For general fitness, however, one or the other is fine. Do 2 – 3 work sets after a warm up (covered elsewhere on the site).

As always, get a doctor’s approval before starting any exercise program.

What Is Resistance Training?

Resistance training involves activities that use weights, machines and even body weight to work out the muscles properly. It is also known as strength training or weight training. This can be very helpful in achieving a healthier body.

This kind of training is usually associated with athletes who have to build up their bodies. Most people would think that when resistance training is done, the body will grow bigger. Actually it will not. Resistance training is simply about increasing the strength of the body, not its size.

Actually, this can be practiced by anyone. It basically builds and tones the muscle to give the body a better look. This training program is even very much advisable to the elders. The usual training programs undergone by the elders are standing free-weights resistance or the moderate-intensity seated machine training.

How Does Resistance Training Work?

A resistance training program will include the use of various exercise equipment and machines like the bench press, dumbbell or barbell. When the equipment is used, the muscles of the body will be pitted against the weight. The cells of the body will then adapt to the extra weight. This will then result to hypertrophy or the enlarging and increasing of the nerve cells to help in the muscle contraction.

Before doing any resistance training, it will be best to consult first with the doctor. This goes especially for people who have medical conditions or are overweight. This kind of training is not something that you can explore on your own. You have to know the proper equipment for the needs of your body. The body must also be conditioned first before taking in the weights.

Resistance training can also be done without resorting to the equipment. Doing push-ups is one good example. You can do it just about anywhere where there is enough space for you to move. This time it is your own body weight that will be pitted against the muscles. So those who are a bit constrained in the budget can still do resistance trainings.

What Are the Benefits of Resistance Training?

1. Increase Bone Mineral Density
Bones are constantly remodeling, meaning the tissues break down at the same time they build up. The peak of remodeling takes place during puberty. However, as a person ages, there may be problems with the bone mineral density as the remodeling may not be as active anymore. This is especially a problem to post-menopausal women.

Bone mineral density is usually supported by the hormones. To address the problem of not having the hormones to maintain the bone mineral density, physical activity is the next best option. Resistance training is one physical activity that can address this.

2. Increase Strength
Strong bones and strong muscles will be developed as you undergo the resistance training program.

3. Increase the Range of Activities
When your body is strong enough to carry some considerable weight, then definitely you will also be capable of doing more strenuous activities. You are less likely to be lazy and you can live a more active lifestyle.

4. Reduce the Body Fat
Pitting the weights on your muscle will definitely give it the body the exercise it needs and get rid of the undesirable fats. Thus expect the tone of the body to improve. Even more, expect the body to look better, to be leaner.

5. Improve State of the Elders
For the elderly, undergoing a resistance training program will help improve their health and decrease the risks brought about by the age. They can be more independent, without needing to rely on other people for doing simple things. Being able to do so will also decrease the risk of injuries in the elders

6. Improve Heart Condition
Regularly doing resistance training can result to a lowered heart rate and lowered blood pressure, especially after exercise. The risk of heart diseases is reduced to a considerable extent.

This kind of training however must be properly done. It requires commitment and consistency. It will have to be done in a regular basis, following a schedule that the doctor or the physical trainer would recommend. If done incorrectly, the benefits of the program may not be enjoyed and it can even result the injury.

The key here is to simply take your time. Do things one step at a time correctly. As your body condition improves, then move on to more challenging tasks. The strength of the body and its overall look are at stake in the resistance training. So you better be sure to do it properly.

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What you’ve got to do is get them firing right. That means when you activate them by clenching they respond by becoming tight immediately. Having strong glutes is one of the most important things for maintaining your physical fitness. But first you have to get there.

As part of your warm-up you should always warm up your glutes. Lie on your back and squeeze your glutes about 25 times. Do this three times and continue with your warm up. When you’ve gotten good at that, lie on your back and make a half bridge with your body. Push your hips up with your feet planted on the floor. As you raise your hips, pause at the top and squeeze your glutes. Lower to the floor and repeat 25 times.

You should also be incorporating glute and hamstring exercises in your strength training routines. And while things like squats and lunges are supposed to work the glutes, usually the quadraceps, which are stronger of the three muscles compensate for the other two which makes for an imbalanced workout.

You want to isolate the hams and glutes while you are building strength. Deadlifts are excellent for this. The key here is to squeeze your glutes when you come up. You can check out how to start with a dumbbell deadlift here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J6nVBwGUP4. Machines like the leg curl at the gym are great for isolating hamstrings. Donkey kicks are fantastic for beginners as well – check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFykp4b7FFQ

Once your hamstrings and glutes are as strong as your quadraceps, you can go back to doing squats and lunges. But the difference will be a balanced exercise that targets ALL the intended muscles instead of just the strongest one.

Stay fit! Stay well!
Danielle