AtoZ Fitness Weekly Newsletter  November 5th 2006 Edition

A personal thank you to all new supporters that signed up this past week.

  • In this November 5th 2006 issue:
  • Message from Personal Trainer Sarah
  • Featured Fitness Article
  • Critical Fitness with Adrian Birkby
  • Dr. Vince Lambri's Fitness tips
  • Lynn VanDyke's Melt-The-Fat Article
  • Impact-photography.com Weekly Inspirational Image
  • Weekly Featured Recipe 
  • Unconventional Iron with Nick Nilsson
  • Marc David's What Every Beginner Should Know But Probably Doesn't.
  • AtoZ Pick Page Supporters
  • AtoZ Fitness and You

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  AtoZfitness newsletter Introduction.

Hello again!

How many of you have – or know someone who has – migraine? I know it’s a fairly common problem, but luckily I have never experienced it personally.  However, I have had some bouts of really bad headaches, and quite frankly I don’t want the pain to get any worse than that, ever.  Now, why do I even bring this up today? Because I’ve come across another article (yes, I read a lot).

FOOD AFFECTS MIGRAINE

Those who have migraine know enough about factors or situations, which can start an attack, such as stress, menstruation, anticipations. All of you may not know that fluctuations in your blood sugar may also provoke migraine.

For that reason, here is some advise on nutrition:

  • Don’t skip breakfast! It starts the digestion, which keeps the blood sugar at a regular level.
  • Eat often! Don’t wait more than 3 hours between meals, so that your blood sugar level stays as even as possible throughout the day.
  • The meals should be as balanced as possible, and contain whole grain products (bread, pasta, rice), vegetables and/ or fruit, and a protein with as little fat as possible. Add some fat through nuts or cold-pressed plant oils.
  • Avoid large carbohydrate meals – such as a heaped plate of pasta with little else besides – or too much sweets.  Getting the blood sugar level too high isn’t good either.
  • You need whole grain carbohydrates before a workout, and replenishment of carbohydrates, proteins and fluids afterwards. Remember to keep hydrated throughout the day.
  • It makes sense to take a good multivitamin with minerals every day.

These foods can provoke a migraine:  cheese, vinegar, nuts, citrus fruits and their juice, beans, bananas, plums, raisins, avocado, white bread, hot dogs, bacon, salami, chocolate, red wine, champagne and drinks containing caffeine.

Some of these foods may not affect you in particular, but if you are unsure, proceed by elimination until you know exactly which foods to stay clear of.

Longer letter from me today, but I know this is a problem for many, and even keeping people from exercising because of the intense pain, so I hope these little pointers may be of help to at least some of you!

Sarah, R.A. PT (UK)

(and if you are wondering, the R.A. is for the Regent Academy in London, UK; PT is for Personal Trainer)

 
  Nick Nilsson's Weekly Fitness Tips
 

Triple Add Sets - A Revolutionary New Intensity Technique That Will Work ALL Your Muscle Fibers In One Set!

By Nick Nilsson

Normal sets only work a select type and number of muscle fibers. Find out how the Triple Add Set technique can work EVERY muscle fiber you've got in a single set.

Looking for a new challenge in your workouts? The Triple Add Set is just what you need. It is very a tough intensity technique, but it is extremely effective. The Triple Add Set will strongly work all three of the major muscle fiber types (I, IIa, and IIb) in one extended set, pushing the very limits of your body's strength and endurance. If this sounds good to you, you're going to love this technique!

To fully understand the effectiveness of the Triple Add Set, let's take a look at the muscle fiber types and why it's such a good thing to work all three of the major types at once.

- Type I muscle fibers are endurance-oriented muscle fibers. They primarily work in higher rep ranges and during aerobic exercise.

- Type IIa muscle fibers work when the weight used is moderate-to-heavy. This fiber type is most active in moderate rep range weight training (e.g. 5 to 10 reps per set)

- Type IIb muscle fibers are the explosive muscle fibers. They are called upon when the weight is very heavy and great power or explosiveness is needed.

When you lift a weight, your body recruits a certain number of muscle fibers to get the job done. It recruits a certain percentage of each type of fiber, depending on how heavy the load is. For instance, the lighter the load, the more Type I fibers will be called upon. The heavier the load, the more Type IIa fibers will be called upon. With very heavy loads, Type IIb fibers will be the most heavily recruited.

With regular training, your body learns to become more efficient with this recruitment and tries to get away with firing as few fibers as possible to get the job done. It's the body's natural tendency to conserve energy.

Unfortunately, this also leaves many muscle fibers underworked and not developed to their full potential. We need to find a way to force your body to recruit every available fiber to maximally work the muscle and develop it to it's full potential. That's where the Triple Add Set comes in.

If you're familiar with Triple Drop Sets (where you start with a heavy weight for the first part, then drop to a lighter weight for more reps then drop to a somewhat lighter weight for more reps to finish with) then you're familiar with the basic idea of this style of training.

However, here's the switch: instead of starting with a heavy weight and working down, we're going to start with a light weight and work our way up!

The Triple Add Set technique will first exhaust your Type I muscle fibers with light weights and high reps.

Then it will work on the Type IIa muscle fibers by moving to heavier weights and moderate reps. Since Type I fibers are still being activated at this point, even though the weights are heavier, your body will recruit more and more of those Type I fibers as you keep going.

On the third and final part of the set, very heavy weights will be used. Your Type IIb fibers will now be preferentially activated. But now, because the load is extremely demanding, your Type I fibers and even more of your Type IIa fibers are being recruited to help.

By the time you're done with the Triple Add Set, you've recruited almost every available muscle fiber in the target muscle. Then we do one or two more sets just to be sure they're completely worked!

How To Do It:

- Start with a light weight and do a high-rep set, e.g. 20 to 30 reps. Your muscles will be burning. This will hit the Type I endurance muscle fibers and fill the target muscles with blood.

- Rest 10 seconds to flush out enough of the waste products that have accumulated in your muscles for you to keep going. This is basically the time it takes to switch weights on the machine or grab a new set of dumbbells, take a few deep breaths and jump back in.

- Next, you'll move on to a somewhat heavier weight and aim for about 6 to 8 reps. This will hit the Type IIa muscle fibers (the moderate-to-heavy oriented fibers).

- Take 10 seconds rest again.

- After that, you will do your last set with a heavy weight, going for only 1 to 3 reps. This will work on strength and connective tissue while focusing on the Type IIb muscle fibers (the very heavy and explosive fibers).

- Your muscles will feel incredibly hard and pumped up. The effect of this type of training is immediately noticeable and very powerful.

It will take a little practice to figure out what weights you'll be using. It will really depend on how well your body deals with lactic acid build-up. This is a training stimulus your body will most likely NEVER have experienced before.

The first part of the set should use a very light weight. Go for strict form and go for the burn. The first time through you should get at least 20 to 30 reps.

On the second Add Set, your reps will go down significantly as the waste products of the first set will not have been completely cleared.

The second Add Set should use about double what you used on the first set, e.g. start with 25 pound dumbbells then do 50 pound dumbbells (this increase will vary a lot depending on the exercise - experiment with the weights you use to find out what works for you).

The third and final part of the set is the hardest. Since you've already worked hard on the previous two parts, you will be using a weight that is lighter than what you'd normally use for this rep range in regular sets. When you do the third part, you will feel an extremely strong and deep burning in the muscles. You are tapping muscle fibers that have rarely been worked! The first two Add Sets worked the majority of your muscle fibers - every fiber you've got now has to kick in and fire to move the weight in the third Add Set!

It's extremely hard and extremely effective. You'll either love it or dread it but it works!

These are Triple Add Sets. Pick an exercise and give this technique a try the next chance you get. You will be amazed at the incredible burning and pump that results from this unique training stimulus!

The Triple Add Set is only one of the many innovative exercise techniques you'll find in my new e-book "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss." This book is all about how to lose fat as quickly as possible while keeping and even BUILDING muscle mass.

Click this link now to find out more!
------------------

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding e-Books including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of .

If you have any questions about this training tip or any other fitness information, please feel free to contact us at betteru@fitstep.com .
 
 
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  Turbulence Training Weekly Fit Tip
Q: I've read that I should be able to do the same weight for rows and chest presses. If I can't does that mean I have a muscle imbalance?

Answer:
You can't expect to row the same weight as you bench. The reason you bench more is because your body is supported. It's not because of muscle imbalances.

It's difficult to compare your bench press weight and your barbell row poundages due to the nature of the movements. Same with the DB press and DB row.

A better way to assess your program balance is to take a look at the number of exercises, sets, and reps that you do for pushing and pulling.

If you do nothing but chest presses and pulldowns, then you run a greater risk of shoulder injury. Instead, you should include a variety of rowing exercises (using different grips and methods of resistance) in your weekly workout plan.

For example, inverted bodyweight rows should be a staple in everyone's program - whether as a warm-up exercise or main workout exercise. DB rows, wide-grip seated rows, and barbell rows are just 3 of the many row exercises you could use.

Of course, I like to think that I do a darn good job of balancing the pushes and the pulls in your Turbulence Training workouts.

About The Author
 Craig Ballantyne trains athletes and executives in Toronto, and writes for Men's Fitness magazine and Maximum Fitness magazine. His trademarked Turbulence Training workouts and his comprehensive workout manuals (including the Turbulence Training featured on his website.

 

  Weekly Featured Recipe by GHF:

Vegetarian Pizza

Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups bread flour, divided
  • 1/2 cup oat bran
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Rapid Rise yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, crushed
  • 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 6 whole mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 9 ounces pineapple chunks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup non/lowfat grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups non/lowfat grated mozzarella cheese
 
Directions:

  • Combine 1 cup of the flour with the oat bran, yeast, sugar, and salt, and stir well. Place the water in a saucepan, and heat at medium-high heat. Add water to flour mixture, and stir for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour to form dough.

  • Sprinkle the remaining flour over a flat surface. Knead for 5 minutes form a smooth ball. Coat a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray (nonfat), and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let rise for about 30-40 minutes.

  • When the dough has risen, shape into a ball, and place it on a flat surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle and place the dough in the pan.

  • Spread the garlic over the crust. Place a single layer of tomato slices over the garlic. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese over the tomatoes, and top with the green peppers, mushrooms, onions, and pineapple. Finally, sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

  • Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes.

 
Nutritional Information::

  • Serving size: 1 slice (1/8 of pizza)
  • Calories: 160
  • Fat: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 5 mg
  • Protein: 10 g
  • Carbs: 28 g
  • Fiber: 2.5 g
  • Sodium: 195 mg
 
Fit Tip of the Day
If you walk or jog with a jogging stroller, be sure to follow these safety precautions: Use the parking brake when putting your child in and out of the stroller, steer by turning the stroller in a wide, gentle arc, and always use the wrist strap to prevent the stroller from breaking free.
 

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  Featured Fitness Article:
How Bad is Your Nutrition??
 By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

Chances are your nutrition is terrible. Or at the very least, your nutrition plan is good but you allow yourself far too many treats. Take today for example. How many Halloween candies have you treated yourself to at work? And you still have to go home and resist the leftover candy bowl or your child’s Halloween loot. The bottom line: You can’t succeed in your fat loss program if your diet is average.

I need to bring up this point because of the many emails people send me about their nutrition. From what I read, most people’s nutrition plans are far too poor to allow them to lose fat. And yet they are working harder than ever in the gym and wondering why they aren’t losing fat. No workout will help you build muscle and lose fat if you keep eating at fast-food restaurants, drinking sugary sodas, and raiding bags of leftover mini-candy bars.

And it’s frustrating because the secrets to fat loss nutrition are so simple. The best approach is eating several small meals per day, with each meal containing lean protein, vegetables, and other whole foods. You must eliminate unnecessary calories such as soda and high-fat, high-sugar snacks (like that mini-Snickers bar that’s on your desk right now). If you’re trying to lose fat, you can’t have treats every day. If fat loss is the goal, then cookies, apple pie, ice cream, nachos, fried foods, etc. just don't make the cut, as unfortunate as it is.

Research shows that an increased intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with fat loss (nutritionists never put a limit on the number of vegetables that people should eat - provided they are not fried or covered in fat or sauces). Other research suggests that replacing carbohydrates with almonds (a source of fiber, protein, and monounsaturated fats) leads to greater weight loss. Almonds are a very healthy snack and help curb hunger. A typical serving is 1 ounce of almonds (about 22 pieces) and can replace chips, chocolate bars, and cookies in your diet.

Make sure you are logging your food intake and making notes about your energy levels when you eat certain foods. Soon you will identify the nutritional reasons for your fatigue or for your consistent energy levels. You will quickly associate sugar and fried foods with poor mental performance, while noticing that small, whole, natural food-based meals and snacks help keep you alert and full of energy.

If you are overweight and just starting to improve your nutrition, I have some good news for you. You should begin losing at least 1 pound per week (probably 2 or more) simply from the nutritional changes.

Nutrition is that powerful. Don’t expect to start eating perfectly tomorrow, but you should slowly build up to eating much better and healthier than you were yesterday. Try to improve your nutrition plan everyday. Stay consistent and focused with your nutritional approach. You can do it. Here are three nutrition changes that would pay huge dividends for a fat-loss beginner:

1) Eat several small, whole food meals per day.

2) Don't consume any unnecessary liquid calories (i.e. no soda, alcohol, or sweetened beverages). Drink more water – nutrition experts recommend 3 liters per day.

3) Eliminate processed carbohydrates and sugar from your nutrition plan (no soda, cake, chips, white bread, or chocolate bars).

If you’re fed up with the body fat and spare tire around your middle, then it’s time to take a structured approach to fat loss.

If your current nutritional plan is preventing you from losing fat, then it’s time for you to start working on building better eating habits. This can be as simple as committing to one small nutritional improvement per day (such as replacing your lunchtime soda with water) and one large nutritional change per week (such as setting aside time on a Sunday to prepare a weekly menu and all of your meals).

But you need to have a plan to make this work, just like how you have a plan for your workouts. Your nutrition plan should include the contents of every meal, as well as your grocery list for the week. This will enable you to have meal alternatives for nights when you might need to be running from one event to the other with no time or healthy snack alternatives when you are on the road between meetings.

It’s important that you make your plan something you can follow. If you are currently eating 7 meals per week at the golden arches, it wouldn’t be realistic to plan to replace those meals with carrot sticks and tofu this week. A better plan would be to substitute a couple of those meals with healthier sandwich options and then work on improving things even more in the following weeks.

So here’s a three-step guideline on building a better nutrition plan:

1) Prepare a weekly menu. Outline each meal and snack for every day of the upcoming week. Take into account the possibilities that you might work late or get invited out to lunch. The more options you have and preparations you make, the better you will be able to stick to your fat loss plan.

2) From your menu plan, you’ll now know what foods and ingredients you need to make it through the week. Make your grocery list and stick to it (see mine below). Grocery shopping is your first opportunity to break some bad nutritional habits. You can’t eat chips, cookies, or cakes if you don’t have them in the house – so don’t buy them and you’ll avoid any future temptation.

3) Prepare the meals or prepare the ingredients so that making the actual meal doesn’t take a lot of time. Like shopping, it’s best to do all of these preparations at one time (such as on a Sunday or another day off).

My shopping list includes:

Fruits · Apples · Oranges · Blueberries · Melon · Peaches · Grapefruit · Raspberries

Vegetables · Peppers (red, yellow, green, & orange), · Spinach · Asparagus · Broccoli · Snow Peas · Mushrooms · Frozen mixed vegetables · Tomato sauce

Protein Sources · Chicken breasts · Turkey breasts · Salmon fillets · Lean beef · Skim milk & low-fat, low-sugar yogurt

Carbohydrates · Oat bread · Oatmeal (no sugar added) · Whole-wheat pasta

Other · Green tea · Unsalted, not roasted, Almonds

You’ll notice that most of these foods come without a food label. Most of the foods that you should avoid come in a bag or a box. Building a shopping list that contains very few bagged or boxed items is something to aim for. But when you do purchase something with a label, make sure to avoid two of the unhealthiest ingredients created by man:

1) High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) 2) Hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil (the sources of trans-fatty acids)

You might have heard of these two ingredients. They are strongly associated with obesity and other lifestyle-diseases (such as diabetes).

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
 
 If you would like to submit an article to our readers please contact submissions@atozfitness.commmm
 
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  What Every Beginner Should Know by Marc David


6 Weight Gain Tips Without Getting Fat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Marc David AtoZfitness monthly contributor.
Marc's e-Book: Beginners Guide to Fitness & Bodybuilding

Tip 1: Eating Enough Quality Calories Have you ever asked somebody who's trying to gain weight what they eat?
I did. And the response I received was shocking.
"I just eat."
That's what he said. I just eat.

You MUST know how many calories a day you need for your weight gain goal.

This person desperately wanted to gain weight and every time I saw him the gym he had some excuse as to why it wasn't going his way. And it was usually related to his metabolism.

Let me tell you...

If you want to gain quality weight, you have to eat high quality dense foods and ENOUGH of them. Furthermore... if you want to gain weight without getting fat, then you bulk with the same principles as if you were on a cutting diet. Choose higher-calorie foods when given a choice.

In my years of experience, when I bulked up and gained weight and fat, the biggest mistake I made was not tracking what I ate. I always tracked my diet when I was on a calorie restricted phase (that was a given) but when I wanted to gain weight I just ate everything I could.

Have you ever felt that way?

In order to gain weight, you need to eat more than your usual maintenance calorie intake but not so much as to just store the excess calories and get fat. And you need to eat consistently.

That should have been your "ah -ha" moment.

Gaining weight isn't your cue to eat everything under the sun. In order to gain weight, lean mass and not get fat, you need to eat just over what you body needs to maintain. In this manner, you'll provide your body with all the calories it needs to build muscle but you won't give it so much as it stores the excess as fat.

[ Remember that anything in excess, even protein, can be stored as fat. ]

The key is to gain healthy weight and minimize the fat gains.

Tip 2: Grocery Shopping 101

If you are looking to gain weight, then don't have bare cupboards. Go to your kitchen right now after reading this section and take a look at what you've got in stock.

Make sure your kitchen is fully stocked with the foods you need to eat. Dense foods work wonders for putting on the weight.

Examples are whole-grain breads, vegetables such as avocados and potatoes, kidney beans, lean red meat, poultry and fish.

Bare cupboards = no weight gain!

Bodybuilding doesn't have to break the bank. Many times you can get bulk items for much cheaper than you think. Packages of tuna, turkey, chicken legs, pasta all are great bulking items that don't cost a ton of money.

Perishable items like fruits and sugary laden items and condiments are usually things that cost the most.

Tip 3: Meal Planning for Dummies

Part of performance nutrition is eating 5-6 times a day. Every 2-3 hours you should be consuming a meal consisting of a lean protein, fibrous/starchy carb and potentially a healthy fat.

If you really want to gain weight, you need to eat 5-6 times a day! And it needs to be consistent. This means no skipping meals.

Eating 3 times a day full of bacon and eggs might have worked for some of the past legends but it probably won't do you any good.

Keeping your metabolism high and your system flushed with nitrogen (protein) will ensure you keep all the muscle you are working to build and that you are consuming slight excess calories for weight gain.

If you eat a big dinner but skip snacks and have light breakfasts, that is part of the problem. Healthy weight gain only comes from people who are consistent in their eating and don't skip meals.

Failure to plan your meals ultimately means you won't be eating enough to gain weight.

Tip 4: Nutrient Variety is Key

It happens to the best of us... We get used to eating certain foods and we don't budge. For a bulking diet, this can be a killer as it drastically limits the number of calories you can eat. Plus, you will limit the nutrients and vitamins you will be able to intake. Both are essential to maximum healthy weight gain.

Did anybody ever tell you that nutrients are essential for growth?

Tip 5: Essential Meal Timing

While it might be socially acceptable to eat just 3 times a day, that is not acceptable for those who are serious about putting on lean muscle mass without putting on fat.

You've heard all the benefits of performance nutrition and eating 5-6 times a day but re-read this...

Quality muscle gain without putting on fat requires a high metabolism AND an excess number of calories.

In order to do just that, you need to eat frequently.

That means 5-6 times a day (or more).

Tip 6: Eat, Eat and Eat [ did I mention eat ]

Don't feel hungry?

Eat. Now in most cases, that is against the current movement but in reality, if you want to put on quality mass you have to eat regardless of your hunger levels. Eating based on your mood is not the path to healthy weight gain.

Countless people tell me they cannot eat like a 200 lb bodybuilder. That's because they are not a 200 lb bodybuilder.

Once they eat more, gain muscle mass, they will be and it will seem like nothing to eat like a 200 lb bodybuilder.

This doesn't mean stuffing yourself, gorging on food or getting sick. It means eating more and more gradually over time in order to prime your body for more frequent meal times. Slowly start adding more food to your portions until you've nailed your perfect weight gain calorie needs.

As you eat more and small but frequent meals, you won't feel stuff and your body will become more efficient at digesting and breaking down foods.

All this means to you is...A higher metabolic rate and more calories!

The two essential keys to putting on weight without the fat.

:: Additional Tips ::

* Drink plenty of water. With your additional meals and workouts, you'll want to ensure you are properly hydrated.

* Engage in a weight training program. Building muscle is a priority during your bulking phase. Since you will have plenty of energy from your carb sources, you should be fueled and primed to get some of the best and most intense workouts of your life. Now is an opportune time to build muscle.

* Limit your cardio workouts. Cardio workouts are a tool. Use it sparingly depending on your metabolism. If you feel like you aren't putting on weight, reduce the amount of cardio you are doing. If you feel like you are putting on a bit too much fat, increase the cardio.

* Take weekly weight and body fat measurements. By taking a weekly measurement, you can see if the weight you are putting on is fat or muscle.

About The Author
Bio: If you think being educated about a new profession from a guy who admits to being a beginner for 16 years - is a bad idea... "What Every Beginner Should Know" is not for you.

If you think learning how to make slabs of muscle from a guy who only gained 15 lbs in just over 15 years - practically making no changes whatsoever - is a bad idea... "What Every Beginner Should Know" is not for you.

If you think discovering how to live the "good life" from a guy who was facing 16 years in beginner land is a bad idea... again... "What Every Beginner Should Know" is not for you.

But if you are looking for the real... the genuine... the no b.s. way to become fit, put on 10 lbs of muscle in 3 months and shed body fat quickly and easily - and at the same time - avoid any of the pitfalls massive success comes with... this will be the most rewarding information you'll ever come across.

About the Author

Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding." method on www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com

He can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet, how to gain weight or create more muscle thru an abundance of workout tips by training LESS, not more!

Once a self-confessed skinny, "135-pound weakling." Today Marc is a 200 pound bodybuilder who teaches thousands of people to gain weight, build muscle and reduce body fat with a workout and nutrition system so simple that even a complete beginner can understand it!

Marc dispels many "bodybuilding myths", tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON'T WANT YOU to know.  visit www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com 

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The Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding System is the routine you've never done. Learn how to avoid boredom, discover sources for exercises and make the best gains of your life. Check it out at http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

Bio: If you think being educated about a new profession from a guy who admits to being a beginner for 16 years - is a bad idea... What Every Beginner Should Know" is not for you.

If you think learning how to make slabs of muscle from a guy who only gained 15 lbs in just over 15 years - practically making no changes whatsoever - is a bad idea... "What Every Beginner Should Know" is not for you.

If you think discovering how to live the "good life" from a guy who was facing 16 years in beginner land is a bad idea... again... "What Every Beginner Should Know" is not for you.

But if you are looking for the real... the genuine... the no b.s. way to become fit, put on 10 lbs of muscle in 3 months and shed body fat quickly and easily - and at the same time - avoid any of the pitfalls massive success comes with... this will be the most rewarding information you'll ever come across.

 

 
  Gourmet Nutrition reviewed by Sarah :

Gourmet Nutrition
By Dr. John Berardi
Reviewed By Sarah , Atozfitness Personal Trainer

I have owned, read and used quite a number of cook books over the years. Some specific, like vegetarian ones to get ideas for cooking vegetables other than just in plain water or steamed; some ethnic in order to get some more “exotic” ideas; some old fashioned with forgotten recipes; none of them have been complete.

I also have a number of life style, exercise, fat loss books, all with a recipe section. That’s all good and well, but there’s something missing from them too, like how to choose your foods, your utensils, your restaurants, etc.

Dr. Berardi puts it all together!  He has combined everything you will ever want to know about cooking in one easy-to-use book. If you are a novice in the kitchen, or even if you’re not (like me), Dr. Berardi’s book will enchant you. The pictures are mouthwatering, the recipes make you want to run out and get all the ingredients and try everything – at once – there is information on how to equip your kitchen with appliances, cookware, kettles everything you can want to know; nutrition facts, facts about fish, protein, green tea, food intolerance, and how to choose a restaurant that will keep you on track, and so much more.

I have only actually tested one of the recipes, but found it easy to follow and the result was absolutely delicious! We had something to celebrate, so my choice fell on the scallops in cream spinach sauce (page 101). I have had scallops in restaurants all over the world, this recipe is right up there with the chefs' secret treats!

This cook book is a MUST in any fitness minded cook’s kitchen, and at 29.99$ it’s a bargain considering all the important information you get with this buy.

By: Dr. John M Berardi, PhD & Dr. John K. Williams, PhD.

Gourmet Nutrition isn't just a cookbook, it's a full-blown optimal eating manual. In it, we're gonna feed both your mind and your body with recipes, cooking tips and nutrition strategies to help you get into the best shape of your life.

Pick up a copy of the Gourmet Nutrition e-book today!
Price: $29.99 USD
Format: Adobe PDF		 Click-Here to visit John's Website.

Sarah for AtoZ Fitness 
 

 
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  Lynn VanDyke's Melt-The-Fatt

5 Tell-Tale Signs That You Have Hit a Weight Loss Plateau
By Lynn VanDyke, Master Trainer and Fitness Nutritionist

Nothing is more frustrating to a dieter than not losing weight when you expect to. Just when you’ve started to get the hang of a new lifestyle your body stops responding to the hard work that you are doing.

This is generally referred to as a plateau in weight loss; here are some of the classic signs and what you can do.

1. The scale isn’t moving

2. Clothes aren’t getting bigger

3. You’re hungry all the time

4. Exercises aren’t as difficult

5. You’re doing the same things, but not getting any results

What’s most frustrating about these signs is the fact that it might seem like you’re doing everything right. You’re eating what you’re supposed to be eating, working out when you plan to, and even cutting back further than you have to on your chosen diet plan. What’s going on?

What causes a weight loss plateau?

Thankfully you can generally blame Mother Nature for your metabolic frustrations. What happens is that as your body changes, it starts to get ‘used’ to the new weight and wants to settle there. Your body has given you as many results as possible using the current menu and fitness program you’re on.

The reason why your body does this is to avoid starvation. It senses that it’s not getting as much food as it used to and so it tries to hold onto what you’re giving it. Or it’s getting used to the exercises that you’re doing, so it’s not responding in the same way. Basically, your body is leveling out – hence, the term plateau.

What can you do?

But now that you know what a plateau is and what the signs of it can be, you can start to tailor your weight loss routine to prevent or stop a plateau. What you need to do is change up what you’ve already been doing so that your body has to respond. This can include several things: