How to get bigger and stronger. Articles, tips and workout plans on weight training muscle building supplements, bodybuilding powerlifting, supplements, and weight lifting.
Don't know what a Fitness Fugayzie is? Watch this short clip to find out...
Beware. They're everywhere. They'll try to sell you everything from ineffective pills to gadgets that are just as effective sitting in your closet as they are if you were to use them.
I hаvе lоggеd thоuѕаndѕ of personal training ѕеѕѕіоnѕ over mу саrееr. One thing always remains the same...
everybody wаntѕ to know mоrе аbоut ab wоrkоutѕ and аb еxеrсіѕеѕ.
Clіеntѕ want to know hоw to lose ѕtоmасh fаt and get a ѕіx-расk. At thе very least thеу juѕt wаnt tо lose belly fаt, and hаvе a fіrm flat stomach that looks good in thеіr сlоthеѕ. Maybe even more important, they want to look good naked.
I can't blаmе thеm.
Who doesn't want a nісе lооkіng midsection?
Whо dоеѕn't wаnt to gеt fіrm аbѕ оr gеt lеаn enough thеу саn ѕау thеу have a ѕіx-расk.
Thе problem is thаt 99% оf people have thе ѕаmе misconceptions when it comes to аb wоrkоutѕ, ab exercises, аnd how tо really lоѕе ѕtоmасh fat аnd gеt fіrm аbѕ.
This article has nаrrоwеd down common mіѕtаkеѕ, mуthѕ and misconceptions ѕurrоundіng аbѕ workouts аnd аbѕ exercises to just 3.
Thеѕе 3 abs workout mistakes are made bу juѕt аbоut еvеrуоnе at sometime in their quest for a killer mid section.
Arе уоu mаkіng thеѕе ѕаmе mіѕtаkеѕ?
Common Core Training Mistakes
1) Sреndіng Tоо Muсh tTmе Doing Crunсhеѕ.
I'm juѕt going tо соmе rіght оut аnd say it...
you dоn't nееd tо dо crunches to gеt ѕіx расk аbѕ. On top of that. If you want to lоѕе ѕtоmасh fat оr even gеt a fіrm аbѕ you don't do сrunсhеѕ.
That's because crunсhеѕ and sit ups dоn't work enough muscle to burn much, if any fat саlоrіеѕ. The energy expenditure just isn't there for it tо bе a wоrthwhіlе еxеrсіѕе for ѕtоmасh fаt loss.
Sреndіng 20 minutes a day doing hundrеdѕ or thоuѕаndѕ оf сrunсhеѕ is a waste of your time.
Sure they wіll strengthen уоur аbdоmеn. But they can also hurt your back. But if you have a bunch of belly fat you won't be able to see your abs anyway.
Focus needs to be on full bоdу wоrkоutѕ and full bоdу abs еxеrсіѕеѕ. This will help burn more calories and lose stomach fat fаѕt helping you get thе firm, toned ѕtоmасh or six расk аbѕ уоu'rе after.
Follow that routine for a wееk аnd you'll definitely ѕее a difference in уоur аbѕ. Yоu'll lose stomach fаt too.
A few great kettlebell ab exercise:
2) Sabotaging Your Hard Wоrk With Poor Nutrition.
What gооd dоеѕ іt do tо wоrk hаrd on уоur fаt loss routines. Then come home, and еаt high calorie foods?
Whаt sense dоеѕ іt mаkе thаt after all уоur hard wоrk? All the work you put in in the gym can be ruіned wіth рооr eating habits on a dаіlу bаѕіѕ?
Thіѕ is ԛuіtе роѕѕіblу оnе оf the worest thіngѕ уоu соuld do.
I dоn't mеаn tо be rudе, I'm just trying to put іt bluntly.
If уоu wаnt tо lоѕе stomach fаt аnd gеt fіrm аbѕ, especially a six-pack. Dіеt has to be on point, at least 90% of the time. Eаtіng рооrlу has to be limited.
A great place to start is to make sure to ԛuіt eating рrосеѕѕеd found іn bоxеѕ and bаgѕ. Lіkе crackers and chips. Stop еаtіng thіngѕ lіkе bаgеlѕ аnd рrосеѕѕеd brеаdѕ
You may have read that you nееd to eat multiple times thrоughоut thе dау, and especially brеаkfаѕt. This is a myth. Eat what fits into your schedule and lifestyle.
Cuttіng out thе late night snacking doens't matter too much as long as you stay within your calorie count. Cutting down оn аlсоhоl is a good idea. Most people have a good idea as to what to cut. So do іt.
Rеmеmbеr whаt уоur goals аrе.
You wаnt to lоѕе ѕtоmасh fat and уоu wаnt tо get abs that pop.
Eаt lіkе іt!
3) Being Passive During Exercise
Nоt actively flexing, оr brасіng, уоur abs in each and еvеrу exercise is a big problem I see.
It'ѕ kind of funny but we all do it. When workouts get tough it's easy to go through the motion and get our reps in. This means we don't actively flеx targeted muscle. In this case, аbѕ.
Watch your speed. Concentrate on each rep.
Slоw dоwn and асtіvеlу flеx those abs whеn уоu'rе gоіng through core routinеѕ.
That applies to no ab exercises too. Brace thе core lіkе somebody is аbоut tо рunсh уоu іn thе ѕtоmасh.
Doing so wіll еnѕurе that уоu lеаrn tо "соntrоl" уоur abs and mаkе ѕurе that whеn уоu do lоѕе ѕtоmасh fаt that you'll hаvе a defined аnd tоnеd mіdѕесtіоn worthy of рrаіѕе.
I аlѕо wаnt уоu tо thіnk of it this way...
every еxеrсіѕе should bе аn аbѕ еxеrсіѕе.
Brасе your аbѕ durіng every single exercise in your fat lоѕѕ workout. This will еѕѕеntіаllу turn еvеrу еxеrсіѕе іntо аn abdominal training exercise.
Dоіng a сhеѕt рrеѕѕ, brace your аbѕ.
Doing a lungе, brасе your аbѕ.
Every single exercise уоu do, whether уоu'rе working your аbѕ ѕресіfісаllу or not, ѕhоuld bе turnеd іntо аn core еxеrсіѕе.
If уоu ѕtор making these common core wоrkоut аnd аb exercise mіѕtаkеѕ, and ѕtаrt dоіng full body workouts...
Add in some full bоdу abs еxеrсіѕеѕ, watch your diet, and I'll guarantee thаt you'll begin tо lоѕе ѕtоmасh fat and gеt fіrm аbѕ (and maybe even thаt ѕоught аftеr six-pack) in nо time.
If you're looking for some crunchless ab routines...
I haven't published workout in a long while. I'm not sure why. It's not that I hadn't been doing them, I guess I've been kind of crazy.
My program is a 3 day split. Looking to add mass and strength.
Today was an upper body portion with an emphasis on shoulders.
Today starts a new phase in my program. What we have here is day 1 phase 2.
1. Shoulder press - work up to a heavy set of five. Then 4x12 2A. incline bench - follows the same progression as the shoulder press 2B. band pull aparts - 4x15 3a. dumbbell bench - this is done with a neutral grip straight sets 4x12 3b. dumbbell upright rows - 4x12 4a. med ball push ups - 5 sets max reps 4b. face pulls - 4x15 5a. TRX triceps extensions - 4x15 5b. band push downs - 4x max reps 5c. cable lateral raises - 4x15
High volume and a good pump. Good way to start phase 2.
If you're looking to transform your body I share a bunch of tips and workouts. You can stroll over here to get it all for free...
The secret I'm about to reveal will probably upset a few people. That's because it's not a magic pill, a revolutionary exercise, or the ultimate workout.
It's a simple thing that anybody can do.
It doesn't really matter what your goal is either. Your primary focus could be on building muscle. Or you may not be at that point yet and consider weight loss as your main focus.
It doesn't really matter. What you'll see in the video and the secret to your success applies to both goals. It actually goes beyond that. It can be applied to anything you want in life.
If you have ever wondered why some people reach their goal while others fail just inches short of the finish line. Watch the videos and read the post.
Want to know the one thing to that will change your body forever? Want to know what to do to look great naked?
I get lots of questions everyday. A lot of them are very similar, and of course there are some unusual ones as well.
But the one question I get asked more that any other is this..
What is the one thing I can do to burn fat and build muscle so I'll look great for...
Without a doubt, most questions are based around that one question. There are a few variations, but basically I get asked what is the one thing that needs to be done to transform a body.
Before he released his cookbook Dave sent me a review copy.
He did a great job on it. Full of delicious recipes, lots of great colourful photos, and well laid out.
I couldn't wait to did in and try out a few of his recipes.
When it comes to cooking I like quick and simple. I don't want to spend a lot of time preparing my meals. I'm usually famished and can't wait to eat supper so speed is critical.
So when I cam across this ginger beef recipe I had to give it a go. I looked great. Just a few ingredients, so it was a snap to pepare.
In just 20 minutes I was sitting down to supper. And it was delicious. It tasted so good I'd never has guessed it was a diet recipe.
Give this great tasting fat loss recipe a try.
Metabolic Cooking Ginger Beef Recipe
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 sirloin steaks (4oz each), cut in strips
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 small onion, diced
2 diced tomatoes
How to make your Ginger Beef
Place the oil in a large skillet
Brown the steaks over medium-high heat
After both sides of beef are well-seared, add the onion, garlic, and tomatoes.
In a bowl, combine and mix well, the ginger, salt and pepper and vinegar
Add the liquid mixture to the skillet, stirring to mix everything well
Cover the skillet, turn the heat to low, and let the whole thing simmer until liquid evaporates completely.
Nutritional Facts
(Per Serving) Recipe Makes 2 Servings
Calories: 208
Protein: 31g
Carbohydrates: 3g
Fat: 8g
You can grab over 250 other great tasting recipes just like this in Dave's Fat Loss Cookbook. If you hurry you can crab it at 50% off.
The 2013 Arnold Classic was one of the most intense and competitive bodybuilding shows in recent years.
The favorite, Dexter Jackson came ready to compete, and he didn't let the crowd down. Dexter claimed the 2013 Arnold Classic Bodybuilding title for a fourth time.
But the real story was relative newcomer Ben "The Pak Man"Pakulski. Though Ben didn't win he had a strong second-place finish. And an impressive rise.
Three years ago he was 10th, last year he was 4th. This year he came in second.
And he won the most muscular award.
And...
the #1 Fan's Choice Award
He did all that with just 11 weeks of prep and food poisoning the night before is was set to step on stage at his third Arnold Classic appearance.
To celebrate Ben's putting his best selling MI40 bodybuilding program on sale. If you haven't seen Ben's bodybuilding program be sure to click the link below to get the full scoop.
This is the most inspirational bodybuilding movie since Arnold and the gain in "Pumping Iron."
Click the link below to watch the trailer and see for yourself.
Even if your not a competitive
bodybuilder I still think this is worth watching.
You'll see human drama at play, an inspiring
father-son relationship and a story about a boy that came
out of nowhere and accomplished his life long dream of
standing on a Mr. Olympia stage.
If you haven't watched the film yet, grab yourself a copy today. I've only heard good things about it. Everyone who's seen it comes back and says how much they love it.
A question I get asked a lot is
how do you stay motivated to train?
It's films like this.
They get me psyched up and even more important. They inspire me.
Ben is just a regular guy who chased down his dream.
Ever since I got into strength training and lifting, the bench has always been my favorite lift. I wanted to do it all the time and always tried to increase it making all kinds of bench press mistakes. I know I'm not alone in this either. One look around the gym and without question, there will be some guy benching. If you go in on a Monday, practically everyone will be on the bench.
Most guys will be doing it all wrong too. Every time they step in there they try to hit a new 1RM.
Maxing out is a most guys main goal. But it isn't the only number important number.
My goal in high school was to bench my weight. Not all that impressive. I was well under 200lbs. So we're not talking big numbers here.
Fast forward a few years. I can easily bench my bodyweight. So one of the new measure is reps. I want to see how many times it can be done.
If you are looking to increase your bench press you can download this free report. It provides 7 easy tips to increase your bench press.
My buddy Dave Rule. Or The Muscle Cook as many know him. Has put together a killer muscle building cookbook called Anabolic Cooking.
It contains over 200 of the best tasting diet recipes for building lean muscle you'll ever sink your teeth into. Dave has managed to transform boring diet dishes into delicious fitness and muscle building meals.
As part of the promotion of the Cookbook Dave is giving away 10 recipes for you to try out...
Nutrition may be the most important aspect of your training. If you're looking to build an impressive, ripped, muscular physique you have to watch your meals.
If you don't eat enough, you don't grow. Eat the wrong stuff and you grow in the wrong places.
Most guys know this but get sick and tired eating clean all the time. It doesn't taste all that good. And it can get boring fast. Because of that many diets fail.
When it comes to sets and reps for maxing out it's important that you don't do too much. On the other hand you want to make sure you're ready. So a good strategy is necessary to get the most out of your lift. My buddy Mike passed this progression along to me. Give it a try and let me know what kind of numbers you hit. When you're warming up for a max lift, you're going to approach things differently than you would for a workout. Make sure you're pumped, have your workout playlist blasting in the background and have a good spotter. Sets and Reps For A 1RM
Go for new max, about 10-20 pounds higher than your old max. Or 102-105% of your old max.
Once you have a new max a good workout to turn to is Cycle #3 of Bench Mode. If you didn't hit a new max don't worry about it. Getting stronger takes time and sometimes people have off days in the gym. Give it a try and let me know your new numbers.
How To Make A 4 Minute Workout Better Than A 30 Minute Workout
As the dew started to evaporate in the early morning sun, trainer Mike Whitfield and his boot camp clients are grabbing a quick drink before they head into the last part of the workout and finish things up for the day. Mike likes to end his boot camps with a little thing he calls finishers. He refers to these as his secrete weapon. The're short, yet intense. And they get client's burning fat like mad.
The great thing about these finishers is that they're so short. They're only a few minutes long. Some are evan as short as 3 minutes. But don't let their length fool you. They pack a powerful punch. Their high intensity keeps Mike's clients from hitting plateaus, and the fat burning, each and every week. Just ask Philip. He lost 34 pounds in just 12 weeks.
Mike uses these super charged bodyweight finishers on a regular basis.
They're a great way to finish a workout
Perfect for off day conditioning workouts
These quick workouts are so effective, that
Mike has had 6 bootcamp clients place or win in the Turbulence Training Transformation contests. And all without any of the long slow traditional cardio. Here's a sample
Terrible 3's 3 minutes total 3 reps each 3 exercises
burppies
push up variation
broad jumps
The nice thing about bodyweight exercises is that they can be done anywhere. And research has proven them effective at burning body fat. No matter the program you're following, these finishers can be added to the end for an incredible fat loss effect.
It may sound crazy. But just 10 minutes can help you bust through a fat loss plateau to increase your weight loss. A Queen's University study revealed the same thing. The study looked at the effectiveness of bodyweight style finishers as compared to long slow cardio.
The Study(Reference: Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2012 Sep 20)
22 college-aged women
4 workouts per week
lasted 4 weeks
dived into 3 groups...
Group A did 30 minutes of treadmill running at 85% max heart rate
Group B did 8 rounds of 20 seconds of a single bodyweight exercise with 10 seconds of rest between rounds. (burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, or squat thrusts)
Group C was the control group, they didn't do anything.
Results:
As you can expect both groups made a change and increased their aerobic fitness levels. But the interesting finding was that the increase was the same. Aerobic fitness levels increased by about 7-8% The 4 minute workouts did the same as the 30 minute workouts! Group B also got the added bonus of increased muscular endurance. It translated to better performance in common exercises like chest presses, leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups.
Maybe the most important factor is the greater overall workout enjoyment. Group B reported liking their workout more than those doing long slow cardio. As a conclusion to their study the researchers found that a low volume bodyweight interval-style workout will boost cardiovascular fitness just as well as traditional long slow cardio. Plus you get the added benefit of improved muscle endurance. All in a fraction of the time. See why Mike uses this method with his clients instead of long, boring cardio. He has even gone as far to given up on intervals. Unless you love cardio, you never have to step on a cardio machine again. Spend less time working out and more time doing stuff you love. Mike has put together a book of these different fat burning finishers for his clients. Because there isn't any equipment need, they can workout anytime, anywhere, and it only takes them a few minutes. Check them out for yourself and click here to see Mike's incredible weight loss story.
Bodyweight training has been around forever. It worked thousands of years ago and still works today. It's effective at building muscle and perfect for burning stubborn belly fat.
One of the reasons for this trend is that bodyweight workouts can be done anywhere. You don't need a gym, you don't need any equipment, and you don't really need that much space. All this means you can easily fit body weight routines into the busiest of schedules.
The only drawback with these workout is that they can get a little boring. If your not sure how to program them yourself. Workouts tend to consist of push ups and squats. That can get old fast.
This free 12 minute workout will contain at least one exercise you have never tried before. Give it a shot ant let me know what you think.
As you can see there are only 4 exercises. Simple Yet effective.
Bucket Drops
Spinal Rocks
Climbers
Forward Lunge
This short fat burning routine was put together by my buddy Adam Steer. This guy lose these kinds of exercises. He is always looking for new exercises thus earning the nickname of "The Bodyweight Coach."
He has shown me plenty of moves I've never seen before. I use them with my personal training clients and they love them. It keeps things fresh and interesting. And they get serious results.
You can see this workout in action. I know the picture can be hard to see what exactly whats going on.
This is perfect for people on the go and those not looking to spend all day in the gym because...
it's only 3 days a week
it's short, no more than 5 exercises
there's no cardio
It does have one downfall. You aren't going to add a tone of muscle mass. But it will help you keep what you do have until you can get back into regular mass building workouts again.
