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AtoZ Fitness Weekly Newsletter November
5th
2006 Edition |
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A personal thank
you to all new supporters that signed up this past week. |
- In
this November 5th 2006 issue:
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- 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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Note from Lewis: Members edition of this same
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Members will also receive ALL content with no
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note only members with active accounts will have access
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month, less then the cost of a fitness magazine please
click-here.
Video tour of members area .
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AtoZfitness
newsletter Introduction. | |
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 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:
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Don’t skip breakfast! It starts the
digestion, which keeps the blood sugar at a
regular level.
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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.
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You need whole grain carbohydrates before a workout,
and replenishment of carbohydrates, proteins and
fluids afterwards. Remember to keep hydrated
throughout the day.
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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)
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Nick Nilsson's Weekly Fitness Tips
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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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These health,
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Turbulence Training Weekly Fit Tip | |
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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. |
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Weekly Featured
Recipe by GHF: | |
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Vegetarian Pizza |
| Makes: 8 servings |
| Ingredients: |
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- 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
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| Directions: |
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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| 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
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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: | |
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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 |
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What Every
Beginner Should Know by Marc David
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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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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.
|
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Gourmet Nutrition reviewed by Sarah
: | |
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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 | |
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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:
• Increase your calorie intake slightly
• Increase the intensity of your exercise plan
• Try adding more protein to your diet
• Drink more water
These simple steps can sometimes recharge your
body and put it back into fat-burning,
weight-losing mode. A weight loss plateau is
something that every dieter will see at one
point or another, so don’t feel like you’re not
heading in the right direction. Often, a plateau
is that sign that you’re doing a good job
already, but that you need to tweak something.
Are you to blame?
Some dieters are anxious to blame their plateau
on physiological changes, rather than looking
first to see if they are causing the plateau.
Ask yourself these questions:
• Have you been watching your calories?
• Have you been exercising at a high intensity?
• Have you been exercising regularly?
If you’re not sure that you can answer these
questions in the affirmative, you might want to
rethink your current actions before you start
blaming the plateau on other things.
You can start keeping a food journal and writing
down your exercise minutes to see if you could
work a little harder. Maybe you’ve been eating
more fatty foods and you just haven’t realized
it. Or maybe it’s time that you try to workout
out at a faster pace than you have been.
A weight loss plateau is going to happen at one
point or another, but instead of sitting still
and suffering through it; you know what to do to
overcome it and continue on the path to your
weight loss goals.
About the Author:
|
Lynn VanDyke is the head trainer at
http://www.TrainerLynn.com . She will create
a custom fitness and nutrition program for you.
Get dramatic results with a professionally
designed workout routine and menu. Work with a
master trainer and fitness nutritionist 1-on-1
and finally achieve your weight loss goals!
Simple and extremely effective.
Her fitness site,
http://atozfitnes.lynnvidi.hop.clickbank.net
is ranked within the top 1% of all websites. She
has authored the wildly popular ebook, Melt the
Fat (http://www.melt-the-fat.com).
It is yielded as one of the best fitness and
nutrition ebooks available.
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Lynn is also the creator of the
http://melt-the-fat.com.
It is a 400 + page interactive program that
shows you how to create a fitness routine,
nutrition program and life goals map. It
comes complete with over 160 daily menus, over
100 strength training routines and over 60
secrets to sticking with it!
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Lynne VanDyke is
the author of Melt the Fat and a contributing
author to the newest All Star Secrets E-book
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Details. | | |
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Critical Fitness with Adrian
Birkby: | |
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Cadence: The missing link in optimal resistance
training.
We’ve all heard it over and over again: 3 – 5
reps for strength training, 8 – 12 reps for
hypertrophy and 12 – 20 for endurance (or
something like that). But is this enough
information for us to reach our goals
efficiently? Or is there something missing?
Anyone who has done any reading in the area is
aware that the body has 3 different energy
systems. If you want to increase a specific
attribute say maximal strength you must tax the
energy system associated with it. Let’s face it
you’re not going to set a world record in the
bench press if you only train by doing hundreds
of push-ups! The following table shows the
different systems, note that duration figures
may vary slightly depending which text you
read.
|
Energy System |
Duration |
Application |
Training |
Reps |
|
Phosphocreatine |
0 – 30s |
Maximum strength exertion |
Strength |
3 – 5
|
|
Anaerobic Glycosis |
30 – 90s |
High strength, some endurance |
Hypertrophy |
8 - 12 |
|
Aerobic Glycycosis |
2 min + |
Endurance |
Endurance |
12 + |
However if you introduce cadence (rep speed)
into the picture the numbers don’t always add
up, at least not for the average gym patron! In
general, when I go to my gym, I see people using
around about a 1/1 cadence (1 s to raise the
weight and 1 s to lower it). Rarely if ever do I
see anything at 2/2 or above. If one were to do
a set of 10 reps on the bench press at a cadence
of 1/1, the set would be finished after 20
seconds. Looking at the above table this would
entail taxing the phosphocreatine system which
would strength training, yet the reps would
suggest hypertrophy training taxing the
anaerobic glyosis system. Confusing huh?
Increasing the cadence would help us get over
this say a 3/3 cadence would make 10 reps into
60 seconds which is bang in the middle of
hypertrophy territory. It’s that simple, but all
too often people aren’t made aware of it or they
choose to ignore it because they can lift more
weight using a quicker cadence. Its true, you
can, but that isn’t your muscle fibres lifting
that extra weight, its momentum. It can be all
too easy to get sucked into the numbers game of
who can lift the most. If you’re a competitive
power lifter that’s okay, power lifters need to
get the weight up there as easily as possible to
be competitive. They have specific techniques
and tricks to do this. However if you are
trying to transform your figure, e.g. bulk up or
slim down, you will get the best returns from
making the exercise as hard as possible and not
using any trick available to lift the weight.
The steady horse wins the race. Slow down, don’t
worry if you lift less weight, it will do more
for you. I recommend getting a metronome to help
you keep time (can buy them from a music shop,
or cheaper still on ebay), it’s a little gadget
that ticks every second (or as often as you tell
it to), its more accurate than keeping time
yourself. It doesn’t speed up as you get more
and more tired.
Adrian Birkby CSCS MPT | |
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Critical Fitness with
Adrian Birkby
 Adrian
Birkby
BSc CSCS MPT is a Research Physicist and Trainer. He
has studied under the NESTA, NSCA and IART and holds
various certifications in personal training, sports
conditioning, nutrition and a degree in applied physical
science. His strengths lie as an exercise theorist and
analyst with a specialty for non-traditional approaches
and alternative forms of conditioning, resulting in the
delivery of science based fitness solutions for
individuals rather than the ‘average person’.
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Unconventional Iron with
Nick Nilsson: | |
|
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Training The Stretch - A Stretch Position
Giant Set That Will Pile on Muscle
By Nick Nilsson
Looking to
gain maximum muscle? The stretch position of
a muscle is the best place to start. With
proper use, you can not only activate more
muscle fibers, you may even be able to SPLIT
your muscle fibers, making more of them -
that means faster gains, more easily!
When it
comes to training, all exercises are NOT
created equal. If you're looking to gain
mass, you know the squat is going to add a
lot more muscle to your legs than a leg
extension.
But did you
know that focusing work on the greatest
stretched position of a muscle can give you
a similar advantage in muscle building?
Research
has shown that placing high tension on
muscles in their stretched position can have
two extremely important effects on muscle
building.
The first
is greater activation of your muscle fibers
- they fire in larger numbers, which is just
what we need to build muscle. When you add
tension to the muscle in the stretched
position, you activate what is called the
Myotatic Reflex (a.k.a. stretch reflex).
It's a reflex designed to protect the joints
when heavy loads are placed on the muscles
in the stretched position. To try and
protect the joint, the body activates more
muscle fibers to try and get that load out
of the stretched position.
More fibers
worked means more fibers growing!
The second
important effect of stretch-position
training, while being a potentially VERY
powerful one, is still only a theoretical
one. Because while no human studies have
confirmed this effect, numerous animal
studies have demonstrated it reliably,
showing overall muscle size increases in the
order of 300% (which is HUGE).
The effect
is "hyperplasia," which means muscle fiber
splitting (compare it to "hypertrophy,"
which means muscle fiber growth). When high
tension is placed on the muscle in the
stretched position, a single muscle fiber
may actually split into TWO muscle fibers in
response.
More fibers
in the muscle means more overall potential
growth! If you have more muscle fibers, it's
just plain easier to build muscle. Having
more muscle fibers is most likely one of the
reasons some people just build muscle faster
than others.
So how do
we train to maximize muscle growth from the
stretched positions of muscles?
We're going
to utilize a technique I've come up with
that I call "Pre/Post-Exhaust Stretch Giant
Sets." It's a fancy name for a technique
that is as effective as it is challenging
and, to be completely honest, downright
painful. Just know right up front that this
is NOT a technique you can coast through,
but if you're ready for some serious
results, get ready to dig in...
To
demonstrate this technique, I will use the
chest as an example. You're going to be
doing two exercises - dumbell flyes and
barbell bench press. But here's the
key...you're not going to be doing the whole
range of motion of either of them!
At the end
of this article, I will also include a link
to a video of this technique in action so
you can see EXACTLY how it's performed.
Part one of
this giant set is the Pre-Exhaust. Take
dumbells you could normally do about 10 to
12 full reps of dumbell flyes with, lay down
on a bench or Swiss ball and lower the
dumbells down to the bottom, stretched
position.
Now you're
going to do partial, bottom-range reps of
the dumbell flye exercise. Let the dumbells
stretch your pecs at the bottom then, with a
short, powerful movement, raise them up a
couple inches. Now immediately bring them
back down into the stretch position and
hold, letting the pecs stretch. Perform as
many reps as you can with this technique.
Part two of
the giant set is continuous tension
training. Immediately get up and move to the
dip station (you can also use the bench
press for this). When doing dips, normally
just using bodyweight should be fine. If
you're using the bench press, before you
start the giant set, you should pre-set the
bar with a weight that you can normally do
12 to 15 reps with.
When doing
dips for chest, you should have your body in
a half-moon position, hunching forward and
setting your elbows out wide to the sides.
Look down as you're doing the reps to keep
the tension on the pecs.
With dips,
lower yourself down ALMOST to the very
bottom then push yourself back up ALMOST to
the top. When doing bench press, unrack the
bar and lower it to ALMOST the bottom
position then, with no pause, press it back
up to ALMOST the top position. With no
pause, lower it back down to the same
position as before.
What you
are doing here is continuous tension
training in the middle range of motion of
the dip or the bench press. You're never
getting a full stretch and you're never
locking out. The pecs get NO rest during the
entire set. Do as many reps as you can on
the dips or the press then step down or
re-rack the weight.
Now, if you
thought the first two parts were hard,
you're in for some fun...here's where it
gets REALLY tough.
Go right
back to the dumbell flyes, get back into
position on the bench or ball (using the
same dumbells as you were using before) and
do ANOTHER stretch position partial set.
This final post-exhaust set is going to
really set off the alarm bells in your body
So
basically, the first set of partial flyes is
going to take advantage of the increased
muscle-fiber activation you get with a
stretched-position exercise. Then, when you
go into continuous tension pressing, more
muscle fibers will be working under that
continuous tension, increasing the results
you get in terms of hypertrophy (fiber
growth). Now, when we get to the final
partial flye set, the goal is hyperplasia
(fiber splitting). The muscle fibers are
exhausted and pumped up with blood from the
first two parts of the giant set. Now the
high tension in the stretched position is
going to be a serious emergency to the
muscle fibers and (hopefully) induce
splitting of the muscle fibers.
It's a
tough giant set but, when you're done,
you'll know that you had a great
growth-producing set!
"Pre/Post-Exhaust Stretch Giant Sets" can be
done with ANY bodypart, making it a very
versatile technique. Here are some examples
of exercises you can use with each bodypart:
Chest:
Any flye movement and any pressing movement
Back:
Dumbell pullovers and any rowing or pulldown
movement
Shoulders:
Cable lateral raises or leaning dumbell
lateral raises (leaning against a solid
object with your working arm hanging down in
front of you) and any pressing movement
Quadriceps:
Sissy squats and squats, split squats or leg
press
Hamstrings:
Stiff-legged deadlifts and leg curls
Biceps:
Incline curls and any general curling
movement
Triceps:
Any overhead tricep movement and dips or
close grip presses
Calves:
Donkey calf raises and seated or standing
calf raises
When incorporating this technique into your
workouts, I would suggest doing no more than
3 or 4 of these giant sets for the back,
chest or thigh muscles and no more than 2 or
3 for the other smaller muscles. It's also
not a technique you should use every
training session - maybe once every week or
two for a bodypart. It's very intense and
demands a lot of recovery energy. Be sure
you give your body and muscles the fuel they
need to take full advantage of this
potential growth!
Give this
giant set technique a try in your next
workout and let me know how it feels!
Click-Here To watch a video of
this technique in action, use the following
link: |
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Q.
I've read your articles about
having clear and concise goals in mind. My
predicament is I can't decide which route to
follow first: Fat loss or muscle growth. I'm 194
lbs. and fairly lean. I want the six pack abs
but I don't want to lose muscle. I also want to
gain muscle, but I definitely need to lose the
flab around my waist or my abs won't show.
Should I try to lose the fat first or just go
straight to the muscle gain? I've been trying to
follow your recommendations, but when I reduce
my calories (still eating 6 meals a day) I seem
to end up lowering my metabolism and losing
muscle but the fat is still there around my
waist. This is really frustrating so I end up
going back to increasing my calories for weight
gain. I'm confused and would like your advice
about what is the correct approach to take.
A. Sounds like
you're suffering from "flip flop syndrome" which
is very common and quite deadly to fat loss and
muscle growth goals. "Flip flop" syndrome is
when you can't make up your mind whether you
want to gain muscle or lose fat so you end up
going back and forth between the two, not making
any real headway in either direction. Here's the
fix:
1. First, reframe your situation and change your
attitude.
Instead of being frustrated and confused, how
about being "fascinated" and "curious?"
FASCINATION (The "Mr. Spock" attitude)
"Hmmmm... my diet is darn near perfection, been
bustin my ass in the gym for months, I'm not
getting any fat loss at all and I'm actually
losing muscle... fascinating."
CURIOSITY (The "I wonder" attitude)
I wonder what strategy, technique, trick or
method I'll use next that will blast me through
this plateau and launch me to the next level
while increasing my knowledge and intuitive
bodily wisdom at the same time?
2. Make a committed decision.
Once you're in the right mindset to tackle this
issue in a positive way, then the real answer is
simply to make a committed decision.
Committed decisions are when you cross a bridge
and burn it behind you. Turning back is not even
an option… (because you torched your escape
route!) Only way out is through!
Every successful bodybuilder or fitness
competitor I know reaches a point at least three
to four months out from a show where they make a
committed, point of no return decision to do the
contest (strict fat loss diet and training).
Once that decision is made, these champions
NEVER look back.
On the other hand, I know people who say they
want to compete for the first time, but they
want to "start dieting and see how they look
first," then they'll decide for sure. Sure
enough, the minute the going gets tough or they
think they're losing muscle or not getting lean
fast enough, they bail. They're also the ones
who have been talking about competing for years,
but have never actually done it. Why? They never
made a committed decision.
Quit straddling the fence! Don't begin an
endeavor with a "maybe" attitude and a big
question mark stamped on your forehead!
You have to take a "nothing is stopping me"
attitude with a "no-quit clause" built in. If
you don't understand and apply the "point of no
return," "Committed decision" mindset, you will
sabotage yourself forever.
3. Set goals only in terms of the positive.
"I don't want to lose muscle" is a bad goal.
Don't give any energy to that idea.
Here's a good goal:
"I am easily maintaining my muscle while I drop
my body fat level from 13% to 7% by June 1st to
reveal my killer set of six pack of abs"
Always phrase your goals in the positive. Say
what you want, not what you want to avoid. You
always move in the direction you face.
4. Throw the "T Word" out of your vocabulary and
JUST DO IT!
You shouldn't be the least bit surprised that
you haven't seen any results yet if you've been
"trying" to follow a plan.
Don't "try" to follow the plan, FOLLOW THE PLAN!
Don't "try" to do it, DO IT!
Think about it: What is presupposed when you say
that nasty "T" word? The word "try" carries with
it the assumption that you are going to attempt,
but you don't expect to succeed. Trying is no
different than expecting failure. You must
expect success. You always get what you expect.
5. Choose the goal that YOU want.
I can't choose your goal for you. I have nothing
to do with it. Your friends have nothing to do
with it. Your family has nothing to do with it.
Your training partner has nothing to do with it.
Your personal trainer has nothing to do with it.
Only YOU can decide. Don't ask for someone
else's opinion. The right goal to choose is the
one YOU want the most.
What do YOU really, really, really want? Decide,
commit, then go after it with ferocious resolve
and if anyone tells you can't or shouldn't do
it, tell them to stick their opinion where the
sun don't shine!
6. Get total clarity about your goal
It's not enough to make a committed decision or
to set a goal. You must decide EXACTLY where you
want to go and then zero in on it the way a
guided missile locks onto its target. Go
straight for the bullseye, not just in a general
direction.
It's not enough to say, "My goal is to go West."
You need clarity. Most of us simply think of
having goals, but I like adding the term,
"clarity" because vague goals can be your
downfall.
"I want to lose weight" and "I want to gain
muscle and lose fat" are certainly goals, but
they're poor goals because they lack clarity. If
you lack clarity of purpose, you will always be
a victim of "flip flop syndrome."
Tips for Body Composition Goals
The decision about where you want to go next is
up to you, but I will offer three suggestions
for making intelligent decisions about body
composition goals:
1) You didn't mention your body fat percentage,
but you did say you are "lean." Get your body
fat measured. If you are above average in body
fat, then I almost always recommend that you
lose the fat and get yourself down to at least
an "average" or better body fat level first.
Then, you simply pick whatever is most important
to you: (A) You can hold your current level of
body fat and work on gaining lean body mass, or
(B) you can work on getting even leaner (going
from "average" to "good" or "good" to "great").
2) Many people go for muscle growth during the
winter season (conveniently, when they will be
covered up most of the time), then as warm
weather approaches they shift into fat loss
(swimsuit time!) That's not a bad plan. Most
people are more motivated to go from "good" to
"great" in time for summer, and training in
cycles and pushing to a peak at least once a
year is a smart strategy, psychologically and
physiologically.
3) Staggering or rotating your caloric intake is
a great way to lose fat while maintaining your
lean body mass. Stay focused on fat loss, just
increase your calories every few days to your
maintenance level or just slightly above
maintenance. Don't stay on low calories all the
time. For muscle growth without fat
accumulation, reduce your calories at regular
intervals from surplus level to maintenance or
slightly below maintenance.
I could go into a much more detailed discussion
of metabolism, hormonal control, macronutrient
manipulation and (especially) staggering caloric
intake to help you maintain your lean mass while
you drop fat or maintain a low body fat while
you gain muscle…
However, the most common cause of "flip flop
syndrome," frustration and discouragement is not
nutrition or training related, it's the lack of
proper goals, attitude and mental approach. My
suggestions aren't just semantics or positive
thinking. Your mind works in amazing ways. Work
with it, not against it.
For more information on calories (including how
many you should eat based on your age, activity
and individual characteristics) and for even
more practical fat loss techniques that strip
off body fat fast, check out my ebook, Burn The
Fat, Feed The Muscle at
www.burnthefat.com
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