By Steve Gaidi
Steve's Fitness Blog
---------------------
Salads are great, aren't they? I love salads. They are fresh, juicy, a great source of all sorts of vitamins and minerals.
Many people today also eat salads as replacement for other foods, as part of their fat loss diets. They make up their salads with vegetables, lettuce, cabbage, and other leaves of all kinds. Vegetables and edible leaves are filling, fat-free, and just looking at them - they seem to glimmer with the maximum health nature has to offer.
If that is so, where are the pitfalls?
The pitfalls are the additives.
People on diets add lots of stuff to their salads, and who can blame them? Green leaves, over time, tend to be monotonous in flavor. The additives add diversity and depth to the flavor of salads - there's no argument on that.
The thing is, people don't pay much attention to what they add to their salads, and what these additives contain. They think that since this is a salad, and its main ingredients are vegetables or leaves, it helps their diet by definition. They couldn't be more wrong.
So what are the things people add to their salads that actually make their salads bad for their diet?
Cheese - many people add cubes of cheese to their salads. Blue cheeses, such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola, are very popular for that. Did you know that Roquefort is over 30% fat? That's even worse, considering that fat is responsible for about 75% of the calories in Roquefort cheese. That's right, seventy five percents of the calories in Roquefort cheese come from direct fat consumption.
Salad dressing - many people use all kinds of salad dressing. Dressing adds moisture to the salad, adds to the flavor, and makes the salad go down more easily. But what are these dressings made of? Many of them contain all kinds of oils and sugars. Your typical thousand island dressing is one example - it's actually mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together. It's typically 35% fat, plus a whole lot of sugar, glucose, and other simple form sweeteners that can quickly turn to extra fat. Again, people are counting on the false belief that dressing is negligible compared to the abundance of vegetables and leaves. Wrong again!
Nuts (especially roasted nuts) - many kinds of nuts are used in salads - pecans, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts, and many more. They are all great sources of protein and minerals, and are generally good for you, with many health benefits. But if you're out to lose fat as your primary goal, beware of them in your salad. Roasted cashews, for example, contain almost 50% of fat!
So what do we learn from that? Two things: one is that salads can be traps for dieters who wish to lose fat as their primary objective, as they tend to overlook some of the additives they put in their salads. And second is that in general, you shouldn't fall for one ingredient thinking it immunes you from bad effects of other ones. And that's something that's true not only to salads.
Steve Gaidi has gained over 50 pounds of lean muscle without adding any fat whatsoever, over years of trial and error on various training programs, despite spending little of his time at the gym. Click to read his reviews of leading fat loss and muscle gain programs, or Click to read his review of the Fat Loss 4 Idiots diet and Calorie Shifting.
April 26, 2008
April 20, 2008
Build a Bigger Chest in 3-4 Workouts or Less
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.BurnTheFat.com
--------------------
If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you’ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development, then this high intensity chest training program will pack slabs of muscle mass on your chest after just 3-4 workouts - and I guarantee it. This is a high intensity bodybuilding workout for advanced bodybuilders only. (Beginners don’t even think about it...)
I’m currently on workout 3 of 4 in this pec routine and the results have been so impressive that I decide to write it up for you before I even finish the final workout next week.
Considering I’m on a calorie deficit in a cutting phase, I’m especially impressed with the increase in my chest size and development after 3 workouts. You’re not going to gain much if any muscular body weight if you are in a caloric deficit, but NO DOUBT, you can improve the development of a muscle group even while cutting up. This is a perfect example. I’m going to return to this program again for sure on my next mass phase. This program is called…
Multi-Angular Rest Pause With Pump Finisher
Here’s how it works. You select two exercises. For exercise one (the main course), I chose a basic pec mass exercise that can be done at any angle from steep incline to flat bench. Thats the primary exercise you stick with for all 4 workouts. Incline Dumbbell Press was the natural choice. I set up on a fully adjustable bench that allows multiple angles of incline.
For exercise two (dessert), I chose an isolation exercise for a pump finisher, and it changes with every workout.
Here’s the sequence:
A1 Incline Dumbbell Press - steep incline - about 65-70 degrees6 repsrest 10 seconds
A2 Incline Dumbbell Press - medium (regular) incline - about 45 degress6 reps10 seconds
A3 Incline Dumbbell Press - low incline - about 20-25 degrees6 reps10 seconds rest
A4 Dumbbell Press - flat bench6 reps
Now rest 2 - 3 minutes.
That’s one "set." Technically of course, that is FOUR SETS, done in rest pause fashion, so lets call it one “round” for clarity’s sake.
Yes… that was round ONE. Now do it two more times.
Note: It helps a lot if you have a training partner change the bench angle so you can stay seated and keep the dumbbells in your hands. Doing it alone is slow and cumbersome.
For poundage, youre going to have to go MUCH lighter than usual. Although I don't train heavy pecs anymore, last time I did, I was doing 6 reps with 125s on the incline. So for this program I took about 50-60% of that; 70 lbs on workout 1, 75 lbs on workout 2,and 80 lbs on workout 3. On the last one, I had to drop to the 75s to finish all 3 rounds and even then I needed some forced reps towards the end.
You may need to decrease the weight on the 2nd or 3rd round, but if at all humanly possible, do NOT reduce the weight during each round. Doing all four angles at the same poundage is the whole idea.
What may happen, especially if you even slightly overestimated your starting poundage, is that reps may drop with each angle change within a round. First angle - 6 reps is easy. second angle, a little harder, but still no problem. Third angle, you might only squeeze out 5 reps or hit honest failure on the 6th rep. 4th angle (flat), you might hit total failure on the 4th or 5th rep.
Now this is also where a training partner comes in. This routine should not be attempted without a spotter. Sorry, but you are a dork if you try to do this without a spotter. This program causes HONEST muscle failure (I’ll explain that in more detail shortly), so you need the spotter for safety, but moreover, you will need a spotter’s assistance to complete forced reps, at least on the final round or two, if not the first round. In general, forced reps should not be overused, but they play an important part of this program.
Ok, where were we? Oh yeah, you just finished your 3rd round. You might be finished! Yeah. some people will be DONE, KAPUT, ZONKED, BONKED, NUKED, GAME OVER, after 3 rounds of that (think about it - that was 12 sets, disguised as 3 sets!) However, for those who want the full course…. come with me and lets finish off those pecs with the pump (oh, you thought were already pumped… heh.. just wait…you’ll see what a pump is!)
The second exercise (exercise B) is going to be an isolation exercise.. ie., DB flye, cable crossover, machine flye (pec deck), etc., and you will perform 20-25 reps, non stop in piston-like fashion. use a steady quick tempo, but not so fast that you use momentum.
This isolation /pump exercise will change with every workout:
B1 Workout 1: standing cable crossover2-3 sets, 20-25 reps
B1 Workout 2: machine flye or pec deck2-3 sets, 20-25 reps
B1 Workout 3: decline dumbbell flye2-3 sets 20-25 reps
B1 Workout 4: flat bench cable flyes in cable crossover machine2-3 sets, 20-25 reps
That’s it! That’s the whole program. Three rounds of multi-angular rest pause, then finish your workout with 2-3 sets of 25 reps on a pumping, isolation movement.
This routine is performed within a standard bodybuilding type of split, so it should be done once in 5-7 days, no more. You would probably do another body part after chest,such as biceps or triceps, depending on how you organize your split routine.
I would recommend advanced bodybuilders use this program a couple times a year if and when they need a boost in chest development. This is not the type of program you would use all the time. You would burn out and overtrain.
There’s one more very important part of this routine - progression.
On the Incline Dumbbell Presses, you will increase the poundage with every workout. Keep in mind, you will not be able to complete all 3 rounds at all 4 angles for 6 unassisted reps. Its going to get harder each time, even as you get stronger. You may have to use a spotter more with each progressing workout. You may also find that on workout 1 or workout 2, you can complete all 3 rounds with the same dumbbells, but on workout 3, by the 2nd or 3rd round, you have to drop the weight or you’ll barely be getting 2 or 3 reps.
Now let me re-emphasize the importance of a spotter. Theres something thats going to happen when you do this routine that does not happen often. You will hit what my training partner and I call “HONEST FAILURE.” This means that your muscles literally fail, or give out right underneath you. Mind you, this is not something you would usually aim for, but that’s just the nature of this program and this is only a 4-workout high intensity “shock” type of routine.
When I say your muscles will give out, I mean that literally. On the last rep or two of 3rd or 4th angle, of the 2nd or 3rd round, your arms may literally buckle underneath you. That’s honest failure.
You see, there are several types of failure… First there is “sissy failure”.. that’s when there is a lactic acid burn or a fatigue in the muscle (you’re tired) and because it hurts or youre tired, that causes you to stop. Thats sissy failure (sarcasm).
Then you have positive failure. This is where you can no longer push the weight up in a concentric motion, but you are still able to lower the weight and exert an upward force against the weight. For example, you’re bench pressing and you hit the “sticking point,” but you are holding that bar at the sticking point (its not coming back down), and you’re still exerting force to push the bar upward, but the bar simply isn't moving up!
Then you have honest failure. This is where the muscle simply gives out.. it buckles. you have reached concentric and eccentric failure. This type of failiure is rarely discussed. In fact I don’t recall anyone ever writing about it except for Arthur Jones and Ellington darden and the rest of the High Intensity Training (HIT) camp.
Rarely does any bodybuilder tread in this territory, and for good reason, as it is really not necessary and can be dangerous for anyone but a veteran who knows what the heck he is doing - and all the kidding aside for a moment, Im serious about this. Its no joke if your chest and arms give out from underneath you and you dump a 70 or 80 pound dumbbell on your face. (you do like your teeth, don’t you?)
However, as a technique you use on rare occasion for a shock routine that breaks through progress plateaus, that untrodden territory is there… for those who dare. There is something about this particular program (multi angular rest pause) that takes you there. You've been warned! Train hard, but be safe!
Now, go out there and get jacked!
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Lifetime Natural Bodybuilder
www.BurnTheFat.com
--------------------
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com
www.BurnTheFat.com
--------------------
If your pecs are a weak body part, or, if you’ve simply hit a progress plateau in your chest development, then this high intensity chest training program will pack slabs of muscle mass on your chest after just 3-4 workouts - and I guarantee it. This is a high intensity bodybuilding workout for advanced bodybuilders only. (Beginners don’t even think about it...)
I’m currently on workout 3 of 4 in this pec routine and the results have been so impressive that I decide to write it up for you before I even finish the final workout next week.
Considering I’m on a calorie deficit in a cutting phase, I’m especially impressed with the increase in my chest size and development after 3 workouts. You’re not going to gain much if any muscular body weight if you are in a caloric deficit, but NO DOUBT, you can improve the development of a muscle group even while cutting up. This is a perfect example. I’m going to return to this program again for sure on my next mass phase. This program is called…
Multi-Angular Rest Pause With Pump Finisher
Here’s how it works. You select two exercises. For exercise one (the main course), I chose a basic pec mass exercise that can be done at any angle from steep incline to flat bench. Thats the primary exercise you stick with for all 4 workouts. Incline Dumbbell Press was the natural choice. I set up on a fully adjustable bench that allows multiple angles of incline.
For exercise two (dessert), I chose an isolation exercise for a pump finisher, and it changes with every workout.
Here’s the sequence:
A1 Incline Dumbbell Press - steep incline - about 65-70 degrees6 repsrest 10 seconds
A2 Incline Dumbbell Press - medium (regular) incline - about 45 degress6 reps10 seconds
A3 Incline Dumbbell Press - low incline - about 20-25 degrees6 reps10 seconds rest
A4 Dumbbell Press - flat bench6 reps
Now rest 2 - 3 minutes.
That’s one "set." Technically of course, that is FOUR SETS, done in rest pause fashion, so lets call it one “round” for clarity’s sake.
Yes… that was round ONE. Now do it two more times.
Note: It helps a lot if you have a training partner change the bench angle so you can stay seated and keep the dumbbells in your hands. Doing it alone is slow and cumbersome.
For poundage, youre going to have to go MUCH lighter than usual. Although I don't train heavy pecs anymore, last time I did, I was doing 6 reps with 125s on the incline. So for this program I took about 50-60% of that; 70 lbs on workout 1, 75 lbs on workout 2,and 80 lbs on workout 3. On the last one, I had to drop to the 75s to finish all 3 rounds and even then I needed some forced reps towards the end.
You may need to decrease the weight on the 2nd or 3rd round, but if at all humanly possible, do NOT reduce the weight during each round. Doing all four angles at the same poundage is the whole idea.
What may happen, especially if you even slightly overestimated your starting poundage, is that reps may drop with each angle change within a round. First angle - 6 reps is easy. second angle, a little harder, but still no problem. Third angle, you might only squeeze out 5 reps or hit honest failure on the 6th rep. 4th angle (flat), you might hit total failure on the 4th or 5th rep.
Now this is also where a training partner comes in. This routine should not be attempted without a spotter. Sorry, but you are a dork if you try to do this without a spotter. This program causes HONEST muscle failure (I’ll explain that in more detail shortly), so you need the spotter for safety, but moreover, you will need a spotter’s assistance to complete forced reps, at least on the final round or two, if not the first round. In general, forced reps should not be overused, but they play an important part of this program.
Ok, where were we? Oh yeah, you just finished your 3rd round. You might be finished! Yeah. some people will be DONE, KAPUT, ZONKED, BONKED, NUKED, GAME OVER, after 3 rounds of that (think about it - that was 12 sets, disguised as 3 sets!) However, for those who want the full course…. come with me and lets finish off those pecs with the pump (oh, you thought were already pumped… heh.. just wait…you’ll see what a pump is!)
The second exercise (exercise B) is going to be an isolation exercise.. ie., DB flye, cable crossover, machine flye (pec deck), etc., and you will perform 20-25 reps, non stop in piston-like fashion. use a steady quick tempo, but not so fast that you use momentum.
This isolation /pump exercise will change with every workout:
B1 Workout 1: standing cable crossover2-3 sets, 20-25 reps
B1 Workout 2: machine flye or pec deck2-3 sets, 20-25 reps
B1 Workout 3: decline dumbbell flye2-3 sets 20-25 reps
B1 Workout 4: flat bench cable flyes in cable crossover machine2-3 sets, 20-25 reps
That’s it! That’s the whole program. Three rounds of multi-angular rest pause, then finish your workout with 2-3 sets of 25 reps on a pumping, isolation movement.
This routine is performed within a standard bodybuilding type of split, so it should be done once in 5-7 days, no more. You would probably do another body part after chest,such as biceps or triceps, depending on how you organize your split routine.
I would recommend advanced bodybuilders use this program a couple times a year if and when they need a boost in chest development. This is not the type of program you would use all the time. You would burn out and overtrain.
There’s one more very important part of this routine - progression.
On the Incline Dumbbell Presses, you will increase the poundage with every workout. Keep in mind, you will not be able to complete all 3 rounds at all 4 angles for 6 unassisted reps. Its going to get harder each time, even as you get stronger. You may have to use a spotter more with each progressing workout. You may also find that on workout 1 or workout 2, you can complete all 3 rounds with the same dumbbells, but on workout 3, by the 2nd or 3rd round, you have to drop the weight or you’ll barely be getting 2 or 3 reps.
Now let me re-emphasize the importance of a spotter. Theres something thats going to happen when you do this routine that does not happen often. You will hit what my training partner and I call “HONEST FAILURE.” This means that your muscles literally fail, or give out right underneath you. Mind you, this is not something you would usually aim for, but that’s just the nature of this program and this is only a 4-workout high intensity “shock” type of routine.
When I say your muscles will give out, I mean that literally. On the last rep or two of 3rd or 4th angle, of the 2nd or 3rd round, your arms may literally buckle underneath you. That’s honest failure.
You see, there are several types of failure… First there is “sissy failure”.. that’s when there is a lactic acid burn or a fatigue in the muscle (you’re tired) and because it hurts or youre tired, that causes you to stop. Thats sissy failure (sarcasm).
Then you have positive failure. This is where you can no longer push the weight up in a concentric motion, but you are still able to lower the weight and exert an upward force against the weight. For example, you’re bench pressing and you hit the “sticking point,” but you are holding that bar at the sticking point (its not coming back down), and you’re still exerting force to push the bar upward, but the bar simply isn't moving up!
Then you have honest failure. This is where the muscle simply gives out.. it buckles. you have reached concentric and eccentric failure. This type of failiure is rarely discussed. In fact I don’t recall anyone ever writing about it except for Arthur Jones and Ellington darden and the rest of the High Intensity Training (HIT) camp.
Rarely does any bodybuilder tread in this territory, and for good reason, as it is really not necessary and can be dangerous for anyone but a veteran who knows what the heck he is doing - and all the kidding aside for a moment, Im serious about this. Its no joke if your chest and arms give out from underneath you and you dump a 70 or 80 pound dumbbell on your face. (you do like your teeth, don’t you?)
However, as a technique you use on rare occasion for a shock routine that breaks through progress plateaus, that untrodden territory is there… for those who dare. There is something about this particular program (multi angular rest pause) that takes you there. You've been warned! Train hard, but be safe!
Now, go out there and get jacked!
Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Lifetime Natural Bodybuilder
www.BurnTheFat.com
--------------------
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified personal trainer and freelance fitness writer. Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: www.BurnTheFat.com
April 15, 2008
3 Calf Exercises - Build And Tone Your Calf Muscles
by Steve Gaidi
owner, Steve's Fitness Blog
---------------------------
Most amateur muscle builders place building leg muscles, and particularly calf muscles, in lower priority compared to building upper-body muscles. But the calf muscles are some of the most important muscles of the human body. Since their job is to point and flex the foot and toes, they are the ones that enable us to do some basic activities like walk, run, jump, pedal a bicycle, or push the pedals of our car. They also have a vital role in correct posture and stability of the body. On top of that, a muscular calf on the leg of a man is immediately noticeable and impressive, and on a woman, a toned and slender calf is the cornerstone of a sexy leg.
The calf is made of two main muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, nicknamed in some languages "the twins". They manipulate the Achilles tendon - that's the big tendon just above your heel, behind the ankle - to produce the movements of the foot and toes.
Barbell calf raises - place a barbell, with the weight you need for proper resistance, behind your neck on the trapezoid muscle. Make sure it extends symmetrically on both sides. In order to make it easier to get into position, I suggest you do this exercise next to the tall barbell rack usually used for bench presses - this way you can get into position and lift the barbell with your trapezoid straight off the rack. Now, raise your heels slowly so that you end up standing on tiptoes, wait for one second, and slowly return. Make sure you keep your posture and don't bend forward or backward as you rise, and don't make the move too fast like many trainers do. If your gym has a squat machine, it can be used as a substitute for the barbell.
Machine calf presses - The machine usually used for leg presses has excellent use for calf presses as well. Get into position on the machine just like you would for leg presses, only this time don't place your entire feet on the press plate in their entirety -place only the toes of both feet on the edge of the plate instead. Bend your knees just a little, to prevent your knee joints from being locked up and pressed beyond their range of movement - but make sure to keep them in constant position and not to push with them during the exercise. Now, press the plate forward with your toes slowly, wait for one second, and slowly return. Again, bend your knees a little to prevent knee injury, but don't press with knee movement - I cannot stress that enough.
Rope jumping - that's right. Rope jumping makes you constantly stay of your toes and use your calf muscles for one of the main actions they were designed to do. If you're a starter, start with 5-10 minutes just to get the hang of it (it requires some coordination). Extend the time when you feel you can. Rope jumping will tone your calf muscles in a big way.
The calf muscles are two of the muscles your body needs the most for some of its most basic functions. They are also some of the most important muscles for body aesthetics, in both men and women. Give them the attention and respect they deserve.
Click here to find more ideas for calf exercises, routines for other body parts, nutrition advice, and much much more.
----------------------------------
article originally published in EzineArticles
owner, Steve's Fitness Blog
---------------------------
Most amateur muscle builders place building leg muscles, and particularly calf muscles, in lower priority compared to building upper-body muscles. But the calf muscles are some of the most important muscles of the human body. Since their job is to point and flex the foot and toes, they are the ones that enable us to do some basic activities like walk, run, jump, pedal a bicycle, or push the pedals of our car. They also have a vital role in correct posture and stability of the body. On top of that, a muscular calf on the leg of a man is immediately noticeable and impressive, and on a woman, a toned and slender calf is the cornerstone of a sexy leg.
The calf is made of two main muscles, the gastrocnemius and the soleus, nicknamed in some languages "the twins". They manipulate the Achilles tendon - that's the big tendon just above your heel, behind the ankle - to produce the movements of the foot and toes.
Barbell calf raises - place a barbell, with the weight you need for proper resistance, behind your neck on the trapezoid muscle. Make sure it extends symmetrically on both sides. In order to make it easier to get into position, I suggest you do this exercise next to the tall barbell rack usually used for bench presses - this way you can get into position and lift the barbell with your trapezoid straight off the rack. Now, raise your heels slowly so that you end up standing on tiptoes, wait for one second, and slowly return. Make sure you keep your posture and don't bend forward or backward as you rise, and don't make the move too fast like many trainers do. If your gym has a squat machine, it can be used as a substitute for the barbell.
Machine calf presses - The machine usually used for leg presses has excellent use for calf presses as well. Get into position on the machine just like you would for leg presses, only this time don't place your entire feet on the press plate in their entirety -place only the toes of both feet on the edge of the plate instead. Bend your knees just a little, to prevent your knee joints from being locked up and pressed beyond their range of movement - but make sure to keep them in constant position and not to push with them during the exercise. Now, press the plate forward with your toes slowly, wait for one second, and slowly return. Again, bend your knees a little to prevent knee injury, but don't press with knee movement - I cannot stress that enough.
Rope jumping - that's right. Rope jumping makes you constantly stay of your toes and use your calf muscles for one of the main actions they were designed to do. If you're a starter, start with 5-10 minutes just to get the hang of it (it requires some coordination). Extend the time when you feel you can. Rope jumping will tone your calf muscles in a big way.
The calf muscles are two of the muscles your body needs the most for some of its most basic functions. They are also some of the most important muscles for body aesthetics, in both men and women. Give them the attention and respect they deserve.
Click here to find more ideas for calf exercises, routines for other body parts, nutrition advice, and much much more.
----------------------------------
article originally published in EzineArticles
April 12, 2008
The 3 Best Ab Exercises That Are Not Direct Ab Exercises
by Mike Geary,
Author of the world-famous The Truth About 6-Pack Abs
---------------------------
Instead of the typical ab exercise routines that we see so often with crunches, situps, leg lifts, etc... I like to give my readers better options for metabolism-boosting high intensity workouts that work their entire body while also working their abs.
I'm going to show you an example today of one of my favorite ab workouts that doesn't include any direct ab exercises at all. It's in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises).
Here goes:
1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows1b. Front Squats with Barbell1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor
A good rep scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".
Renegade dumbbell rows are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me... you'll feel it in the abs!
Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body. This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time!
Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.
After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating.
This will give you one of the best ab workouts you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises. You'll see what I mean after you try it!
If you are tired of failing to get visible six pack abs, consider losing the traditional ab exercises and bogus ab gadget machines, and find out the real fat loss for abs truth at Best Ab Exercises & Workouts for Abdominals
Author of the world-famous The Truth About 6-Pack Abs
---------------------------
Instead of the typical ab exercise routines that we see so often with crunches, situps, leg lifts, etc... I like to give my readers better options for metabolism-boosting high intensity workouts that work their entire body while also working their abs.
I'm going to show you an example today of one of my favorite ab workouts that doesn't include any direct ab exercises at all. It's in a tri-set format (similar to a super-set but alternating between 3 exercises).
Here goes:
1a. Renegade Dumbbell Rows1b. Front Squats with Barbell1c. Mountain Climbers on Floor
A good rep scheme to use with this could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less reps, such as 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of "reps".
Renegade dumbbell rows are done starting in a pushup position with the hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection core area. Trust me... you'll feel it in the abs!
Front squats are done similar to back squats, however with the barbell in front of your body on the front of your shoulders instead of resting on the upper back as in back squats. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body. This takes a little practice at first, so you will want to seek a professional trainer at your gym to help you with the form. Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you'll feel this one in the abs big time!
Mountain climbers are done by starting in a pushup position and then shuffling your feet in and out so that your knees are moving in under your chest and then back out to starting position. It sort of resembles climbing a mountain but flat on the floor. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. This really makes it a full body exercise and MUCH more difficult than standard mountain climbers.
After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes after completing each "tri-set" before repeating.
This will give you one of the best ab workouts you've ever had without even doing any direct ab exercises. You'll see what I mean after you try it!
If you are tired of failing to get visible six pack abs, consider losing the traditional ab exercises and bogus ab gadget machines, and find out the real fat loss for abs truth at Best Ab Exercises & Workouts for Abdominals
April 9, 2008
3 Forearm Exercises - Workout For An Often Forgotten Muscle Group
by Steve Gaidi
--------------------------
It is a fact that most people who exercise for muscle mass concentrate on certain groups of muscles. Almost everyone at the gym pay the greatest amount of importance to developing their chests, shoulders, abs, and the upper part of their arms - biceps and triceps. Most people will also exercise their backs, mainly their upper backs. Most women, and those of the men who are more serious and more dedicated to muscle building workout, will work out their legs and behind as well.
With all this going on, it seems that one of the most important, most visible parts of the human body is often forgotten, neglected, or exercised too little - The forearms.
This is strange, when you think about it. It doesn't make sense. A strong pair of muscular forearms is one of the most impressive things to see in a well-toned human body. So why is forearm exercising overlooked by so many?
There are two main reasons for that, in my view. One is people's perception of priority. Chest, shoulders, abs, and biceps are looked at as the most important muscles to develop. The exercises that work on the m are the most popular, well-known to all amateur weight exercisers, and even to most non-exercising people.
The other is that many people who exercise believe their forearms are being exercised anyway, as a by-product of the other weight exercises they do. While this may be true to a certain degree, that's a wrong way of thinking - it's no reason to leave exercises intended directly for the forearms out. To clarify this, think about it this way - many of the exercises intended to develop the chest also develop shoulders and triceps as secondary groups of muscles. But you don't see people leaving their shoulder exercises out of their workout because of that.
So developing forearm muscle is important. How do you do that? Here are a few ideas for forearm exercises at the gym:
Reverse barbell curl - this is a lot like the regular barbell curl which exercises the biceps, only this time the bar is gripped from above, not from below. That way, the load is less on the biceps and more on the main muscle of the forearm, the brachioradialis. Try not to move your elbows, as they are the axes of the movement for this exercise, and keep your lower back still. This exercise can be done standing, or sitting on a "preacher's bench".
Wrist barbell/dumbbell curl - in this exercise, the only moving parts are your wrists. Your forearms need to be rested, either on your thighs in a sitting position, or on a flat bench that your kneel in front of. Your wrists need to stick out just barely past your knees, or past the other end of the bench. Hold the barbell, or the pair of dumbbells, from below, and curl them up and down using only the wrists. This is a great exercise for a group of muscles responsible for exactly that - flexing your wrists.
The final idea for now is for two groups of muscles known as pronators and supinators. These are the muscles responsible for rotating your forearms around like a screwdriver. To get the hang of what these muscles do, stand up straight with your elbows against your sides, the forearms in a right angle forward, and the palms of your hands facing each other. Now rotate your forearms so that your palms face down. Your forearms are now pronated. If you rotate your forearms the other way, so that your palms face up, your forearms are supinated. A great exercise for these muscles is lying down on a mat on your side, with the bottom arm (the non-exercising arm) supporting. The other arm should be rested on your hip with the elbow bent at a right angle, so that the forearm points forward. The hand of that arm holds the dumbbell. Now rotate your forearm, so that the dumbbell turns around itself. The end points of the movement should be the thumb pointing up at one end, the pinky pointing up at the other.
Exercising the forearms is something that is often not being paid much attention to, but thorough exercisers who take their workout seriously will never skip.
For other forearm exercising ideas and other ideas for those who take their workout seriously, Click here for information about Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle - it may very well be the most thorough exercising programs available on the internet today.
--------------------------
Steve Gaidi has gained over 50 pounds of lean muscle without adding any fat whatsoever, over years of trial and error on various training programs, despite spending relatively little of his time at the gym. Click to read his reviews of leading fat loss and muscle gain programs.
--------------------------
article first published on Ezine articles.
--------------------------
It is a fact that most people who exercise for muscle mass concentrate on certain groups of muscles. Almost everyone at the gym pay the greatest amount of importance to developing their chests, shoulders, abs, and the upper part of their arms - biceps and triceps. Most people will also exercise their backs, mainly their upper backs. Most women, and those of the men who are more serious and more dedicated to muscle building workout, will work out their legs and behind as well.
With all this going on, it seems that one of the most important, most visible parts of the human body is often forgotten, neglected, or exercised too little - The forearms.
This is strange, when you think about it. It doesn't make sense. A strong pair of muscular forearms is one of the most impressive things to see in a well-toned human body. So why is forearm exercising overlooked by so many?
There are two main reasons for that, in my view. One is people's perception of priority. Chest, shoulders, abs, and biceps are looked at as the most important muscles to develop. The exercises that work on the m are the most popular, well-known to all amateur weight exercisers, and even to most non-exercising people.
The other is that many people who exercise believe their forearms are being exercised anyway, as a by-product of the other weight exercises they do. While this may be true to a certain degree, that's a wrong way of thinking - it's no reason to leave exercises intended directly for the forearms out. To clarify this, think about it this way - many of the exercises intended to develop the chest also develop shoulders and triceps as secondary groups of muscles. But you don't see people leaving their shoulder exercises out of their workout because of that.
So developing forearm muscle is important. How do you do that? Here are a few ideas for forearm exercises at the gym:
Reverse barbell curl - this is a lot like the regular barbell curl which exercises the biceps, only this time the bar is gripped from above, not from below. That way, the load is less on the biceps and more on the main muscle of the forearm, the brachioradialis. Try not to move your elbows, as they are the axes of the movement for this exercise, and keep your lower back still. This exercise can be done standing, or sitting on a "preacher's bench".
Wrist barbell/dumbbell curl - in this exercise, the only moving parts are your wrists. Your forearms need to be rested, either on your thighs in a sitting position, or on a flat bench that your kneel in front of. Your wrists need to stick out just barely past your knees, or past the other end of the bench. Hold the barbell, or the pair of dumbbells, from below, and curl them up and down using only the wrists. This is a great exercise for a group of muscles responsible for exactly that - flexing your wrists.
The final idea for now is for two groups of muscles known as pronators and supinators. These are the muscles responsible for rotating your forearms around like a screwdriver. To get the hang of what these muscles do, stand up straight with your elbows against your sides, the forearms in a right angle forward, and the palms of your hands facing each other. Now rotate your forearms so that your palms face down. Your forearms are now pronated. If you rotate your forearms the other way, so that your palms face up, your forearms are supinated. A great exercise for these muscles is lying down on a mat on your side, with the bottom arm (the non-exercising arm) supporting. The other arm should be rested on your hip with the elbow bent at a right angle, so that the forearm points forward. The hand of that arm holds the dumbbell. Now rotate your forearm, so that the dumbbell turns around itself. The end points of the movement should be the thumb pointing up at one end, the pinky pointing up at the other.
Exercising the forearms is something that is often not being paid much attention to, but thorough exercisers who take their workout seriously will never skip.
For other forearm exercising ideas and other ideas for those who take their workout seriously, Click here for information about Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle - it may very well be the most thorough exercising programs available on the internet today.
--------------------------
Steve Gaidi has gained over 50 pounds of lean muscle without adding any fat whatsoever, over years of trial and error on various training programs, despite spending relatively little of his time at the gym. Click to read his reviews of leading fat loss and muscle gain programs.
--------------------------
article first published on Ezine articles.
April 7, 2008
Why Some People Can Drink Alcohol Without Getting Fat
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
BurnTheFat.com
Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening" has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels.
Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.
A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin!
The truth about the beer belly phenomenon
This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.
They also said there was a very "robust" association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.
Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android" or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels.
Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the “beer belly.”
Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific support to it after all (or at least a “liquor belly” according to this newer study).
Hormones may be strongly involved because high alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.
Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and insulin sensitivity?
Well, here’s the real story of why some people don’t get fat when they drink:
A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be made when drawing associations based on limited data.
With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on your belly as you get older.
When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker, particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol intake affects appetite and eating habits.
Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.
Another thing that confounds the reports on whether alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic excessive alcohol consumption, it's possible that not all of these calories are available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less with increasing alcohol consumption.
Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the person you'd think would be most likely to have a beer belly).
It's the calories that count
The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.
If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the calories in the alcohol, if you're aware of the calories from additional food intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the above accordingly, you won’t get fat.
Now, with that said, you might be wondering: “You mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?”
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But before you rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense calories!
When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly small “calorie budget”, so you need to give some careful thought to how those calories should be “spent.” For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per day diet, does she really want to "spend" 500 of those calories – one third of her intake - for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?
I realize some people may answer “yes” to that question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!
To summarize this into some practical, take-home advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness lifestyle:
(1) Don’t drink on a fat loss program. Although you could certainly drink and “get away with it” if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your fat loss cause or your nutritional status.
(2) Drink in moderation during maintenance. For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).
(3) Don't drink daily. Moderate drinking, including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.
(4) Count the calories. If you decide to have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.
(5) Watch your appetite. Don’t let the “munchies” get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).
(6) Watch the fatty foods. When drinking, watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995 suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors overfeeding.
(7) Enjoy without guilt. If you choose to drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!
To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, what to drink (and what not drink), how to exercise and how to stay motivated, visit: BurnTheFat.com
References:
(1) Alcohol Intake, Insulin Resistance, and abdominal obesity in elderly men. Riserus U, Ingelsson E., Obesity. 15(7): 1766-1773. 2007
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com
BurnTheFat.com
Alcohol has been implicated as a factor that may hurt your efforts to lose body fat. Whether alcohol is "fattening" has been a very controversial subject because technically speaking, alcohol is NOT stored as fat; it is oxidized ahead of other fuels.
Whether moderate drinking is healthy has also been a subject of controversy. Many studies show that cardiovascular health benefits are associated with moderate beer or wine drinking (which has been of particular interest lately with reservatrol in the news so much), while other studies show improved insulin sensitivity. Some experts however, say that alcohol has no place in a fitness lifestyle.
A recent study published in the journal Obesity adds new findings to our knowledge about alcohol, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. Analysis of the results as compared to other studies also gives us some insights into why some people seem to drink and get fat while others seem to drink and get thin!
The truth about the beer belly phenomenon
This new study, by Ulf Riserus and Erik Inglesson, was based on the Swedish Uppsala Longitudinal cohort. The researchers found that alcohol intake in older men did not improve insulin sensitivity, which contradicted their own hypothesis and numerous previous studies.
They also said there was a very "robust" association between alcohol intake, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio. They pointed out that a high alcohol intake, especially hard liquor, was closely associated with abdominal body fat, not just overall body mass.
Abdominal fat accumulation is not just a cosmetic problem, it can be a serious health risk. Abdominal fat, also known as "android" or "central" obesity, increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, glucose intolerance and elevated insulin levels.
Many other studies have also found a link between alcohol intake and abdominal fat, but this too has been controversial. A study that was widely publicized by the BBC in 2003 dismissed the concept of the “beer belly.”
Nevertheless, it looks like there’s some scientific support to it after all (or at least a “liquor belly” according to this newer study).
Hormones may be strongly involved because high alcohol intake has been shown to decrease blood testosterone in men, and also increase cortisol levels, which can lead to visceral fat accumulation.
Why is there so much controversy? Why the discrepancy in research findings about alcohol’s influence on obesity, abdominal fat, and insulin sensitivity?
Well, here’s the real story of why some people don’t get fat when they drink:
A lot of the confusion is because epidemiological research cannot show cause and effect relationships and mistakes can easily be made when drawing associations based on limited data.
With the nature of these longitudinal studies, you have to look at the lifestyle and nature of drinkers in general (or in this study, hard liquor drinkers). Also, the Swedish study focused on older men, so age may have been a factor. You may be more likely to deposit alcohol right on your belly as you get older.
When you hear that alcohol increases belly fat, you also have to look at what else is going on in the life of the drinker, particularly what the rest of a person’s diet looks like, and how alcohol intake affects appetite and eating habits.
Research says that alcohol can mess up your body’s perception of hunger, satiety and fullness. If drinking stimulates additional eating, or adds additional calories that aren’t compensated for and which lead to positive energy balance, then you get fat. You may also get fat in the belly, no thanks to what booze does to hormones.
Another thing that confounds the reports on whether alcohol contributes to weight gain is the fact that the game changes in heavy drinkers. We know that alcohol contains 7.1 calories per gram and these calories always count as part of the energy balance equation… or do they? With chronic excessive alcohol consumption, it's possible that not all of these calories are available for energy. Due to changes in liver function and something called the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS), alcoholism may be a real case of where some calories don’t count. Many alcoholics also skip meals and eat less with increasing alcohol consumption.
Alcohol metabolizing pathways notwithstanding, even if binge drinkers, daily drinkers or heavy drinkers consume most of their calories from alcohol, if they eat very little, and remain in a calorie deficit, they will not get fat. Compound this with the hormonal effects and you witness the skinny, but under-nourished, unhealthy and atrophied alcoholic (the person you'd think would be most likely to have a beer belly).
It's the calories that count
The bottom line is, the idea that alcohol just automatically turns into fat or gives you a beer belly is mistaken. It’s true that alcohol suppresses fat oxidation, but mainly, alcohol adds calories into your diet, messes with your hormones and can stimulate appetite, leading to even more calories consumed. That’s where the fat gain comes from.
If you drink in moderation, if you’re aware of the calories in the alcohol, if you're aware of the calories from additional food intake consumed during or after drinking, and if you compensate for all of the above accordingly, you won’t get fat.
Now, with that said, you might be wondering: “You mean I can drink and still lose fat? I just need to keep in a calorie deficit?”
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. But before you rush off to the pub for a cold one, hold that thought for a minute while you consider this first: The empty alcohol calories displace the nutrient dense calories!
When you’re on a fat loss program you have a fairly small “calorie budget”, so you need to give some careful thought to how those calories should be “spent.” For example, if a female is on a 1500 calorie per day diet, does she really want to "spend" 500 of those calories – one third of her intake - for a few alcoholic drinks, and leave only 1000 for health-promoting food, fiber and lean muscle building protein?
I realize some people may answer “yes” to that question, but then again, if some people spent their money as frivolously as they spent their calories, they would be in deep trouble!
To summarize this into some practical, take-home advice, here are 7 of my personal tips for alcohol consumption in the fitness lifestyle:
(1) Don’t drink on a fat loss program. Although you could certainly drink and “get away with it” if you diligently maintained your calorie deficit as noted above, it certainly does not help your fat loss cause or your nutritional status.
(2) Drink in moderation during maintenance. For lifelong weight maintenance and a healthy lifestyle, if you drink, do so in moderation and only occasionally, such as on weekends or when you go out to dine in restaurants. Binge drinking and getting drunk has no place in a fitness lifestyle (not to mention hangovers aren’t very conducive to good workouts).
(3) Don't drink daily. Moderate drinking, including daily drinking, has been associated with cardiovascular health benefits. However, I don’t recommend daily drinking because behaviors repeated daily become habits. Behaviors repeated multiple times daily become strong habits. Habitual drinking may lead to heavier drinking or full-blown addictions and can be hard to stop if you ever need to cut back.
(4) Count the calories. If you decide to have a bottle of beer or a glass of wine or two (or whatever moderation is for you), be sure to account for the alcohol in your daily calorie budget.
(5) Watch your appetite. Don’t let the “munchies” get control of you during or after you drink (Note to chicken wing and nacho-eating men: The correlation to alcohol and body fat is higher in men in almost all the studies. One possible explanation is that men tend to drink and eat, while women may tend to drink instead of eating).
(6) Watch the fatty foods. When drinking, watch the fatty foods in particular. A study by Angelo Tremblay back in 1995 suggested that alcohol and a high fat diet are a combination that favors overfeeding.
(7) Enjoy without guilt. If you choose to drink (moderately and sensibly), then don’t feel guilty about it or beat yourself up afterwards, just enjoy the darn stuff, will you!
To see a complete fat burning system that takes you by the hand, step by step and shows you what to eat, what to drink (and what not drink), how to exercise and how to stay motivated, visit: BurnTheFat.com
References:
(1) Alcohol Intake, Insulin Resistance, and abdominal obesity in elderly men. Riserus U, Ingelsson E., Obesity. 15(7): 1766-1773. 2007
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and a certified personal trainer (CPT). Tom is the author of "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,” which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using methods of the world's best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: BurnTheFat.com
This is Steve! Welcome to my new blog!
Hi everyone, I'm Steve Gaidi. Welcome to my spit-shiny new fitness blog!
A word about myself: I'm not a pro bodybuilder or anything like that. But I have been working on my body for years, learning and trying various training routines, learning a lot about proper nutrition, keeping the good parts of everything and throwing away anything that wasn't working.
I was 130 pounds over 5'11", that's less than 60kg over 1.80m for all you Europeans out there. Skinny as a stick. Today I'm about 180 pounds and still on the rise, all from lean muscle added. My body fat count is 10%. More than 50 pounds of muscle added.
This blog is about fitness, muscle building, exercising routines, weight loss, and all kinds of sports and physical activity. I'll be presenting material written by some top professional trainers, nutritionists, and athletes, as well as original material written by yours truly.
I hope you will enjoy my blog and find it fun to read, informative and helpful. You are always welcome to remark, respond, ask me anything you wish to know. This blog is for you.
A word about myself: I'm not a pro bodybuilder or anything like that. But I have been working on my body for years, learning and trying various training routines, learning a lot about proper nutrition, keeping the good parts of everything and throwing away anything that wasn't working.
I was 130 pounds over 5'11", that's less than 60kg over 1.80m for all you Europeans out there. Skinny as a stick. Today I'm about 180 pounds and still on the rise, all from lean muscle added. My body fat count is 10%. More than 50 pounds of muscle added.
This blog is about fitness, muscle building, exercising routines, weight loss, and all kinds of sports and physical activity. I'll be presenting material written by some top professional trainers, nutritionists, and athletes, as well as original material written by yours truly.
I hope you will enjoy my blog and find it fun to read, informative and helpful. You are always welcome to remark, respond, ask me anything you wish to know. This blog is for you.
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