After a few pregnancies, body fat around the hips and stomach is very natural to have. However, it is not hard to lose that weight as Jennifer Lopez managed to do. It is said that Jennifer Lopez ( "Jenny from the Block") gained 25 kilos from her pregnancy with twins, but is looking more fabulous than ever. So, how do the celebrities lose those extra pounds afterwards?
To get rid of excess pounds Jennifer Lopez trained several hours per day. After her photo shoot for "ELLE" magazine, and her dress not fitting with additional material and safety pins (therefore having to be enlarged), the 39-year-old deliberately said: "I'll have to do something."
She started with a fitness program: every day about two hours of swimming, to get into shape. You can lose about twice the amount of calories swimming than running, so this seemed ideal. In addition to jogging and cycling to increase stamina, weekly Pilate’s classes were a must. Staff trainer Gunnar Peterson combined stretching, strength and breathing exercises to train weaker muscle groups.
To make the tough training suffice, Jennifer Lopez (J. Lo) kept to a strictly balanced diet. For breakfast Jennifer Lopez ate mostly fresh fruit with yogurt or muesli with dried fruit (stimulating the intestines and stomach, leading to a higher fat burning lead). She made sure to keep the black bread with ham, and Nutella rolls out of sight. Lots of fresh vegetables and healthy foods filled Lopez's lunch and dinner table. Jennifer Lopez now does more than five months of their hard fitness program to keep off the baby's abdominal fat.
The favorite routes run by J. Lo are the beach and the waterfront promenade. Sand is particularly effective in the shortest possible time, since it is very difficult to run in. Another plus point for jogging on the beach is the great panorama that J. Lo often enjoys during her mornings.
Being a full time mom, with a husband constantly away on tour and trying to keep hold of her career as well, Jennifer Lopez has done well to get rid of the excess pounds. Now, four 20-30 seconds per unit spent in the gym, every Tuesday and Thursday. This is her training plan for the next few months, because soon, the new mother will be back on stage and singing live. She is after all a role model for many women and a sex symbol for millions of men.
2012年8月10日星期五
Ab Workouts and Core Exercises: A Circuit for Fat Loss and Strength
There are plenty of myths in the fitness industry that ab workouts will not generate fat loss. If you are just training abdominals with hundreds of crunches and other core exercises, chances are you won't generate any significant fat loss during your ab workouts. If done correctly, however, training your whole core with targeted ab workouts will maximize your fat burning ability. This can be accomplished by taking the basic principles of cardiovascular and circuit training and combining it with challenging core exercises, movements, and ab workouts that will require the use of major muscle groups.
Any time your body moves, there are muscles working to keep you stabilized and other muscles working to actually move you. Your circuit should feature challenging core exercises and ab workouts to target both the stabilizers and the movers, because they are both an extremely important part of everyday functions as well as during strength and fitness training.
What is the Core?
The major muscles of the core reside in the area of the belly, the mid back, the lower back and the hip flexers. Most movements originate with the core, so a strong core is important for preventing and eliminating most lower back problems.
Static Core Function
Static core functionality is the ability of one's core to align the skeleton to resist a force that does not change. The bridge exercise is an example of a static core function that uses your whole core to keep you stabilized in position. Your body weight will rest on your forearms and toes, but without your core staying tight, your butt will shoot up in the air to get your calves involved to keep you in position, or your hips will drop to the floor. Starting and ending each round with static core exercises will target and improve the strength and endurance of your core. As you begin working on your core exercises while in the circuit, you'll notice a huge difference in how you feel during the first static exercise and the last. You can use this comparison as a way to gauge where you're at with your strength and endurance.
Dynamic Core Function
Dynamic core functionality is the ability to use the core as a stabilizer but also deal with the force of external resistance and incorporate a vastly different complex of muscles and joints versus a static position. For example, if you get into position to do a push-up, your core has to keep you stabilized and aligned in that position. Your chest, shoulders, and triceps are sharing the load as you lower down towards the floor and again as you come back up to starting position, all while your core continues to work keeping your back flat and your hips from dropping to the floor. Performing challenging dynamic core exercises, movements, and ab workouts will exhaust your energy stores extremely quickly, causing your body to start dipping into your fat stores to help complete your exercise. This is why it's important to keep the repetitions high with clean mechanics for whichever core exercises, movements, or ab workouts you choose.
Any time your body moves, there are muscles working to keep you stabilized and other muscles working to actually move you. Your circuit should feature challenging core exercises and ab workouts to target both the stabilizers and the movers, because they are both an extremely important part of everyday functions as well as during strength and fitness training.
What is the Core?
The major muscles of the core reside in the area of the belly, the mid back, the lower back and the hip flexers. Most movements originate with the core, so a strong core is important for preventing and eliminating most lower back problems.
Static Core Function
Static core functionality is the ability of one's core to align the skeleton to resist a force that does not change. The bridge exercise is an example of a static core function that uses your whole core to keep you stabilized in position. Your body weight will rest on your forearms and toes, but without your core staying tight, your butt will shoot up in the air to get your calves involved to keep you in position, or your hips will drop to the floor. Starting and ending each round with static core exercises will target and improve the strength and endurance of your core. As you begin working on your core exercises while in the circuit, you'll notice a huge difference in how you feel during the first static exercise and the last. You can use this comparison as a way to gauge where you're at with your strength and endurance.
Dynamic Core Function
Dynamic core functionality is the ability to use the core as a stabilizer but also deal with the force of external resistance and incorporate a vastly different complex of muscles and joints versus a static position. For example, if you get into position to do a push-up, your core has to keep you stabilized and aligned in that position. Your chest, shoulders, and triceps are sharing the load as you lower down towards the floor and again as you come back up to starting position, all while your core continues to work keeping your back flat and your hips from dropping to the floor. Performing challenging dynamic core exercises, movements, and ab workouts will exhaust your energy stores extremely quickly, causing your body to start dipping into your fat stores to help complete your exercise. This is why it's important to keep the repetitions high with clean mechanics for whichever core exercises, movements, or ab workouts you choose.
2012年8月9日星期四
Top Five Exercises for Getting Healthy Without Leaving the House
Building good exercising habits can be a bit of a lifestyle change, but with these exercises it is plain to see that anybody can do them. You have no excuses to not create a more healthy lifestyle through exercise because you should not have to leave your house to do this. These exercises are going to make you feel much healthier and if you keep them up for a number of months, they should also bring down your stress levels to keep you emotionally healthy as well.
Squats – Squats are a very effective exercise for trimming your legs and buttocks. They can give you lean muscular features as well. To start, practice getting out of a regular chair using your arms as little as possible. Provided you can do at least a few repetitions, you should be providing your body with some incentive to start growing muscle in your legs and buttocks. As your muscles begin to grow, they will be able to lift you from a seated position numerous times and you will really start to see some results. Squats are a part of every single workout I do.
Crunches – Crunches are by far the best exercise you can do for your abdominal muscles without any equipment. They target the muscle group specifically and are quite effective at building mass and strengthening your abdomen. Crunches aren't necessarily a walk in the park but once you begin to see results, you will realize that all the hard work is really worth it in the end. If you are just starting to do crunches and add some muscle to your midsection, don't worry about getting your noggin all the way up to your knees. What is important when doing crunches is that you feel the stretching of your abdominal muscles and begin to feel them working after a few reps. As your muscles grow, you will be able to achieve much more muscle growth doing crunches.
Leg Lifts – Leg Lifts are an excellent and simple exercise that is great for building muscle mass in your legs and lower abdomen. To start, you will want to lay flat on your back with your arms at your side, and palms to the floor. Next, raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor without bending your knees. After you have reached the top of the repetition, lower your legs and before they hit the floor, start the next one. If the full extensions aren't possible, try bending your knees slightly to complete the exercise. After a few weeks of regularly pushing yourself with the leg lifts you are guaranteed to feel stronger and more solid in your lower abs and upper legs.
Pushups – Pushups are not fun. They have to be one of the most hated and feared exercises in the modern workout world. But their effect on the upper body should be reason enough for you to buck up and get on the floor. If a regular pushup from your toes isn't something that you think you can attempt at this point, you should try pushing off the walls at different angles instead of the floor. There are all sorts of products out there to help you with pushups but one of the easiest fixes is to do them from your knees instead of your toes. Any way you choose to do pushups, you will be building up your muscles in your arms and chest and eventually, you should be able to do one handed clapping pushups all day just like Rocky.
Running - Running is the most primitive form of exercise that you can do. It is our means of getting around and kept people fit for millennia prior to the invention of exercise. Running is by far my favorite form of cardiovascular exercise because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. Nothing else really gives me the high that running does. Running manages to get your heart rate up and begins burning calories immediately. Since running outside is not always an option you may consider a treadmill to keep you in shape. These days they make all different kinds of styles and options and can fit just about anywhere, so do your research on treadmills, as there is a lot to know. Once you have the treadmill right in your home you will have no excuse to not go for a run.
Hopefully some of these exercises get you into good and healthy habits, or at least cement already good habits at home when getting to the gym is not an option. If you can keep your nose down and work hard for a few months, you will definitely see results and that should be enough to keep you on the exercise train for years to come.
Squats – Squats are a very effective exercise for trimming your legs and buttocks. They can give you lean muscular features as well. To start, practice getting out of a regular chair using your arms as little as possible. Provided you can do at least a few repetitions, you should be providing your body with some incentive to start growing muscle in your legs and buttocks. As your muscles begin to grow, they will be able to lift you from a seated position numerous times and you will really start to see some results. Squats are a part of every single workout I do.
Crunches – Crunches are by far the best exercise you can do for your abdominal muscles without any equipment. They target the muscle group specifically and are quite effective at building mass and strengthening your abdomen. Crunches aren't necessarily a walk in the park but once you begin to see results, you will realize that all the hard work is really worth it in the end. If you are just starting to do crunches and add some muscle to your midsection, don't worry about getting your noggin all the way up to your knees. What is important when doing crunches is that you feel the stretching of your abdominal muscles and begin to feel them working after a few reps. As your muscles grow, you will be able to achieve much more muscle growth doing crunches.
Leg Lifts – Leg Lifts are an excellent and simple exercise that is great for building muscle mass in your legs and lower abdomen. To start, you will want to lay flat on your back with your arms at your side, and palms to the floor. Next, raise your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor without bending your knees. After you have reached the top of the repetition, lower your legs and before they hit the floor, start the next one. If the full extensions aren't possible, try bending your knees slightly to complete the exercise. After a few weeks of regularly pushing yourself with the leg lifts you are guaranteed to feel stronger and more solid in your lower abs and upper legs.
Pushups – Pushups are not fun. They have to be one of the most hated and feared exercises in the modern workout world. But their effect on the upper body should be reason enough for you to buck up and get on the floor. If a regular pushup from your toes isn't something that you think you can attempt at this point, you should try pushing off the walls at different angles instead of the floor. There are all sorts of products out there to help you with pushups but one of the easiest fixes is to do them from your knees instead of your toes. Any way you choose to do pushups, you will be building up your muscles in your arms and chest and eventually, you should be able to do one handed clapping pushups all day just like Rocky.
Running - Running is the most primitive form of exercise that you can do. It is our means of getting around and kept people fit for millennia prior to the invention of exercise. Running is by far my favorite form of cardiovascular exercise because of the way it makes me feel when I do it. Nothing else really gives me the high that running does. Running manages to get your heart rate up and begins burning calories immediately. Since running outside is not always an option you may consider a treadmill to keep you in shape. These days they make all different kinds of styles and options and can fit just about anywhere, so do your research on treadmills, as there is a lot to know. Once you have the treadmill right in your home you will have no excuse to not go for a run.
Hopefully some of these exercises get you into good and healthy habits, or at least cement already good habits at home when getting to the gym is not an option. If you can keep your nose down and work hard for a few months, you will definitely see results and that should be enough to keep you on the exercise train for years to come.
2012年8月8日星期三
Silver Yoga Improves Fitness in Seniors
While the benefits of performing yoga have long been discussed, it can often be an intimidating form of exercise to try. Some people picture a studio full of perfect-looking twenty-somethings who can contort their bodies into all kinds of interesting positions. Some people are afraid they might look silly if they don't know what to do or they are simply afraid of injuring themselves if they try to bend this way or that.
As most people age, they start to lose balance and flexibility, among other indicators of physical fitness, making it even less likely that they would attempt an activity like yoga that involves stretching and holding poses for certain lengths of time. Recently a group of researchers in Taiwan developed a type of yoga exercise program that they've named “silver yoga.”
This program, developed by Chen, Tseng, and colleagues (2), consists of four phases:
20 minute warm-up of eight poses to loosen up the body;
20 minutes of hatha-style yoga in which seven gentle stretching postures are performed;
10 minutes of relaxation in which three activities to rest the body are performed; and
15 minutes of guided imagery to facilitate relaxation.
This program was critically reviewed by experts in the fields of yoga, elderly exercise, geriatric nursing, geriatric physical therapy, osteopathy, sports physiology, sports medicine, and/or sports injuries (2).
In a study published in Nursing Research, Chen, Fan, and colleagues (1) studied a group of 55 participants aged 65 or older who participated in 24 weeks of a three time per week silver yoga exercise program. Measures of body composition, cardiovascular-respiratory function, flexibility, muscular power and endurance, balance, and agility were taken before the study began, at twelve weeks, and at 24 weeks.
At the end of the study, participants in the silver yoga group had significantly reduced body fat percentage, decreased respiration rate (indicating that the exercise took less effort, and improved shoulder range of motion (right shoulder abduction) compared to their pre-silver yoga measurements (1). Additionally, the silver yoga group had improved in all measured physical fitness categories when compared to the control group at the end of the 24 week study.
As the general population ages, it's becoming more important than ever for senior-based health programs to be developed and implemented to keep our seniors healthy and reduce the burden on the healthcare system. A silver yoga program is just one of many exercise options for older adults to participate in to positively affect their health. The importance of the above study is that it shows that exercise programs tailored specifically to the abilities and needs of an older population can, in fact, improve their overall physical health.
As most people age, they start to lose balance and flexibility, among other indicators of physical fitness, making it even less likely that they would attempt an activity like yoga that involves stretching and holding poses for certain lengths of time. Recently a group of researchers in Taiwan developed a type of yoga exercise program that they've named “silver yoga.”
This program, developed by Chen, Tseng, and colleagues (2), consists of four phases:
20 minute warm-up of eight poses to loosen up the body;
20 minutes of hatha-style yoga in which seven gentle stretching postures are performed;
10 minutes of relaxation in which three activities to rest the body are performed; and
15 minutes of guided imagery to facilitate relaxation.
This program was critically reviewed by experts in the fields of yoga, elderly exercise, geriatric nursing, geriatric physical therapy, osteopathy, sports physiology, sports medicine, and/or sports injuries (2).
In a study published in Nursing Research, Chen, Fan, and colleagues (1) studied a group of 55 participants aged 65 or older who participated in 24 weeks of a three time per week silver yoga exercise program. Measures of body composition, cardiovascular-respiratory function, flexibility, muscular power and endurance, balance, and agility were taken before the study began, at twelve weeks, and at 24 weeks.
At the end of the study, participants in the silver yoga group had significantly reduced body fat percentage, decreased respiration rate (indicating that the exercise took less effort, and improved shoulder range of motion (right shoulder abduction) compared to their pre-silver yoga measurements (1). Additionally, the silver yoga group had improved in all measured physical fitness categories when compared to the control group at the end of the 24 week study.
As the general population ages, it's becoming more important than ever for senior-based health programs to be developed and implemented to keep our seniors healthy and reduce the burden on the healthcare system. A silver yoga program is just one of many exercise options for older adults to participate in to positively affect their health. The importance of the above study is that it shows that exercise programs tailored specifically to the abilities and needs of an older population can, in fact, improve their overall physical health.
2012年8月7日星期二
How to Permanently Cure Your Shin Splints and Get Back to Your Loved Sport
Shooting pain starting in the front of your ankle and continuing up almost to your knee cap = shin splints. There are 2 simple steps for shin splints treatment - these steps combined will prevent giving up your favorite sport and the quality of life brought by it.
Shin splints are very common. They are the cause of 13% of all running injuries, but they are also caused by biomechanical inefficiencies, such as flat feet, poor running mechanics, tight muscles in the lower leg and more.
Taking Immediate Action after the injury
The worst thing to do is ignore the pain when it starts - hoping it will go away on its own. You must rest, apply ice and elevate the area in the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury. This will raise your chances of full recovery from shin splints.
Shin splints treatment - Step 1 - Stretching the Calf and Front of Your Leg
Strong and flexible muscles are an extremely important part of shin splints treatment. To keep your muscles and tendons flexible and strong (thus making them support the area properly) - you must stretch the area every day.
One of the best stretches is the "Standing Toe-up Achilles Stretch": Stand upright and place the ball of your foot onto a step or raised object. Bend your knee and lean forward. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds at least, but stop if you feel real pain in the area. Repeat 3 times or more as desired. Also, make sure your shoes are sturdy and give you the support you need, especially in the arch area.
Step 2 - Treating the inflammation (Rehabilitation)
This step is critical for complete recovery from shin splints. Most doctors will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs for your pain caused by the inflammation. The problem is that these drugs often have serious side effects that can cause damage to your liver and/or kidney.
Instead, you can use natural anti-inflammatory supplements. These can be taken for a long period of time without these dangerous side effects. The best supplements contain many natural herbs that also contribute to your general health and well being and not just treat the inflammation.
Following these 2 simple steps will get you back to your favorite sport activity that you probably miss - in no time at all.
Shin splints are very common. They are the cause of 13% of all running injuries, but they are also caused by biomechanical inefficiencies, such as flat feet, poor running mechanics, tight muscles in the lower leg and more.
Taking Immediate Action after the injury
The worst thing to do is ignore the pain when it starts - hoping it will go away on its own. You must rest, apply ice and elevate the area in the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury. This will raise your chances of full recovery from shin splints.
Shin splints treatment - Step 1 - Stretching the Calf and Front of Your Leg
Strong and flexible muscles are an extremely important part of shin splints treatment. To keep your muscles and tendons flexible and strong (thus making them support the area properly) - you must stretch the area every day.
One of the best stretches is the "Standing Toe-up Achilles Stretch": Stand upright and place the ball of your foot onto a step or raised object. Bend your knee and lean forward. Hold the stretch for 20 seconds at least, but stop if you feel real pain in the area. Repeat 3 times or more as desired. Also, make sure your shoes are sturdy and give you the support you need, especially in the arch area.
Step 2 - Treating the inflammation (Rehabilitation)
This step is critical for complete recovery from shin splints. Most doctors will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs for your pain caused by the inflammation. The problem is that these drugs often have serious side effects that can cause damage to your liver and/or kidney.
Instead, you can use natural anti-inflammatory supplements. These can be taken for a long period of time without these dangerous side effects. The best supplements contain many natural herbs that also contribute to your general health and well being and not just treat the inflammation.
Following these 2 simple steps will get you back to your favorite sport activity that you probably miss - in no time at all.
2012年8月6日星期一
How a Kettlebell can Really Help People get in Shape
Many people today are working hard to become physically fit and stay that way. Unfortunately, there are so many workout regimes on the market that people are not sure which are really the best for them. The reason for this is that people often hear strengthening is the most important part of a workout whilst others say that cardio is top priority. Completing both cardio and strength training takes up a great deal of time so many individuals push off the workout repeatedly because it does not fit into one’s busy schedule.
A kettlebell has created a solution to this problem. This workout tool is a ball which resembles a bowling ball, but has a handle on the top. It is used in various movements and exercises to provide both a cardio and strength training workout. A kettlebell has been helping many people get into shape.
The kettlebell accomplishes this because these workouts focus on working multiple sets of muscles at one time. By working multiple muscles at once, the kettlebell can help people get in shape by firming these muscles simultaneously.
This benefits people because they do not have to spend hours toning in the gym. Working just 10 minutes a day on individual muscles may require a person to spend countless hours in the gym every day. A kettlebell workout works all the muscles in the entire body in just 20 minutes a day.
A kettlebell workout involves a variety of swings and lunges which results in one of the most effective cardio workouts. A cardio workout gets the heart pumping faster which burns calories. These burned calories contribute to weight loss. A few repetitions with a kettlebell will get a person sweating in no time which means the heart is working harder.
Another way a kettlebell workout helps people get in shape is by strengthening a person’s core. The core is a person’s trunk which includes abdominals, obliques, back muscles, and the glutes. When these parts of the core are strengthened a person is much more fit which can increase other activities. A strengthened core can improve a person’s workout which will help other areas of the body. Additionally, a stronger core can help a person lift items on a daily basis and improve posture. All of these contribute in helping a person get in shape.
A kettlebell can improve a person’s overall physical fitness much faster than traditional workouts.
A kettlebell has created a solution to this problem. This workout tool is a ball which resembles a bowling ball, but has a handle on the top. It is used in various movements and exercises to provide both a cardio and strength training workout. A kettlebell has been helping many people get into shape.
The kettlebell accomplishes this because these workouts focus on working multiple sets of muscles at one time. By working multiple muscles at once, the kettlebell can help people get in shape by firming these muscles simultaneously.
This benefits people because they do not have to spend hours toning in the gym. Working just 10 minutes a day on individual muscles may require a person to spend countless hours in the gym every day. A kettlebell workout works all the muscles in the entire body in just 20 minutes a day.
A kettlebell workout involves a variety of swings and lunges which results in one of the most effective cardio workouts. A cardio workout gets the heart pumping faster which burns calories. These burned calories contribute to weight loss. A few repetitions with a kettlebell will get a person sweating in no time which means the heart is working harder.
Another way a kettlebell workout helps people get in shape is by strengthening a person’s core. The core is a person’s trunk which includes abdominals, obliques, back muscles, and the glutes. When these parts of the core are strengthened a person is much more fit which can increase other activities. A strengthened core can improve a person’s workout which will help other areas of the body. Additionally, a stronger core can help a person lift items on a daily basis and improve posture. All of these contribute in helping a person get in shape.
A kettlebell can improve a person’s overall physical fitness much faster than traditional workouts.
2012年8月5日星期日
How to get the most out of your workout
Many novice trainees practice conventional training principles. When I first started training I did what all the other guys in the gym were doing. It seems that everyone is filled with folk training wisdom but no one really knows where this knowledge came from or what scientific foundation it’s based on. The purpose of this article is to examine commonly held beliefs about working out and common practices, to evaluate whether these are actually effective and yield good results, and to suggest smarter and more effective ways of training.
I would say that the biggest commonly held belief is that a workout session should be an hour long. I don’t know where this belief came from but it seems that it’s been with us since the dawn of time. Some reasons why many people spend 1 hour in the gym are they incorporate too many exercises (especially superfluous isolation exercises), they rest 1 minute or longer between sets and they spend more than 5 minutes stretching either before or after the workout or spend too much time warming up.
With anything in life focus and concentration are required to yield a desired result. In order to split a piece of wood quickly and effortlessly the axe has to be sharp, it has to have the right weight and it has to be applied at the proper angle. In this way the force is applied directly in one spot- it is focused and it is concentrated. If you have a dull axe that doesn’t weigh enough it will take several attempts before you split the piece of wood. A one hour workout that incorporates all the elements I described above is like trying to split a piece of wood with a dull axe: a lot of energy is wasted because it is not focused and concentrated.
In order to get stronger and build muscle the exercise selection has to be limited so that the effort can be concentrated on those particular exercises. For example there is no reason why someone should incorporate a flat, incline and decline bench press and then do dumbbell flies for a chest workout. Instead a flat bench press should be done at a higher weight for fewer reps for no more than 5 sets. This ties in to the principle of specificity. In order for the body to adapt to the training stimulus that stimulus has to be constant and the effort must be repeated. So if you want to get better at bench pressing then –ok brace yourself because this is going to be hard to believe—focus more on bench pressing. If done properly, 3-5 sets of a flat barbell bench press are enough to increase your pushing strength in the upper body and to build muscle in the chest, triceps and shoulders. Unless you’re a professional body builder there is no need to do isolation exercises like chest flies and tricep extensions. Of course there are times such as when you hit a plateau that you may want to incorporate more isolation work to strengthen weaker muscles, which act as limiting factors, but overall isolation work is a waste of time and energy that should be focused on compound exercises.
The rule of thumb is that in order to make progress pick one compound exercise like the flat barbell bench press, focus on it, and repeat the effort (do it a maximum of 3x per week). Furthermore to keep making progress there must be progressive overload. Quite simply the exercise intensity, which may depend on weight, range of motion, speed, or rest periods must increase over time so that the body has a new stimulus to adapt to. It is important to note that the main training stimulus hasn’t changed (we are still working the bench press) but certain characteristics of that stimulus like weight, ROM, etc., have changed.
A common fitness fad is muscle confusion. There is no way the body can adapt to a stimulus if that stimulus keeps changing because you’re not giving the body enough time to adapt to anything- it’s common sense. Doing a bench press for one month, then changing to a dumbbell bench press, then a machine bench press will not yield any results.
Rest periods should be kept to a minimum. There is no reason why someone should rest longer than 2 mins between sets of any exercise done at a 10 rep max intensity. Keeping the rest periods to a minimum also keeps the heart rate up allowing you to reap cardiovascular benefits while doing a resistance training workout. Supersets are a great way to get the most out of your session because you are continuously working, never resting.
There are many benefits of stretching that are beyond the scope of this article. The only time I stretch is when my muscles are sore (usually the day after a training session). Stretching comes naturally and automatically like yawning. The body knows when to stretch and it’s hard to resist the urge. When it comes to stretching just listen to your body and do enough stretching so that it feels satisfied. There is no need to spend more than 10mins stretching after every workout. Static stretching should never be done before a workout as part of a warm up. Stretching cold muscles will dispose them to injury during resistance training.
A warm up should accomplish several things: increase heart rate to around 120 BPM, increase blood flow, increase muscle temperature and lubricate the joints. All of this can be accomplished in 5mins or less. A good warm up routine should incorporate activities that increase heart rate and move many limbs at the same time causing movement in multiple joints, like jumping jacks, as well as activities that work many muscles at the same time, like dumbbell squat presses or zercher squats.
Overall a productive workout should be no more than 45mins in length. An intense 30 minute workout that focuses on no more than 4 different compound exercises to yield a full body workout is best for overall size, strength and conditioning. For my workouts I use the flat barbell bench press, barbell back squat or zercher squat, hanging leg raises, and an inverted row. Rest periods should be eliminated by doing a combination of 2 exercises in supersets or doing all 4 exercises in circuit format. Stretching should be done only when your muscles tell you they need to be stretched. A warm up shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes and should focus on mass movement of the limbs and muscles.
I would say that the biggest commonly held belief is that a workout session should be an hour long. I don’t know where this belief came from but it seems that it’s been with us since the dawn of time. Some reasons why many people spend 1 hour in the gym are they incorporate too many exercises (especially superfluous isolation exercises), they rest 1 minute or longer between sets and they spend more than 5 minutes stretching either before or after the workout or spend too much time warming up.
With anything in life focus and concentration are required to yield a desired result. In order to split a piece of wood quickly and effortlessly the axe has to be sharp, it has to have the right weight and it has to be applied at the proper angle. In this way the force is applied directly in one spot- it is focused and it is concentrated. If you have a dull axe that doesn’t weigh enough it will take several attempts before you split the piece of wood. A one hour workout that incorporates all the elements I described above is like trying to split a piece of wood with a dull axe: a lot of energy is wasted because it is not focused and concentrated.
In order to get stronger and build muscle the exercise selection has to be limited so that the effort can be concentrated on those particular exercises. For example there is no reason why someone should incorporate a flat, incline and decline bench press and then do dumbbell flies for a chest workout. Instead a flat bench press should be done at a higher weight for fewer reps for no more than 5 sets. This ties in to the principle of specificity. In order for the body to adapt to the training stimulus that stimulus has to be constant and the effort must be repeated. So if you want to get better at bench pressing then –ok brace yourself because this is going to be hard to believe—focus more on bench pressing. If done properly, 3-5 sets of a flat barbell bench press are enough to increase your pushing strength in the upper body and to build muscle in the chest, triceps and shoulders. Unless you’re a professional body builder there is no need to do isolation exercises like chest flies and tricep extensions. Of course there are times such as when you hit a plateau that you may want to incorporate more isolation work to strengthen weaker muscles, which act as limiting factors, but overall isolation work is a waste of time and energy that should be focused on compound exercises.
The rule of thumb is that in order to make progress pick one compound exercise like the flat barbell bench press, focus on it, and repeat the effort (do it a maximum of 3x per week). Furthermore to keep making progress there must be progressive overload. Quite simply the exercise intensity, which may depend on weight, range of motion, speed, or rest periods must increase over time so that the body has a new stimulus to adapt to. It is important to note that the main training stimulus hasn’t changed (we are still working the bench press) but certain characteristics of that stimulus like weight, ROM, etc., have changed.
A common fitness fad is muscle confusion. There is no way the body can adapt to a stimulus if that stimulus keeps changing because you’re not giving the body enough time to adapt to anything- it’s common sense. Doing a bench press for one month, then changing to a dumbbell bench press, then a machine bench press will not yield any results.
Rest periods should be kept to a minimum. There is no reason why someone should rest longer than 2 mins between sets of any exercise done at a 10 rep max intensity. Keeping the rest periods to a minimum also keeps the heart rate up allowing you to reap cardiovascular benefits while doing a resistance training workout. Supersets are a great way to get the most out of your session because you are continuously working, never resting.
There are many benefits of stretching that are beyond the scope of this article. The only time I stretch is when my muscles are sore (usually the day after a training session). Stretching comes naturally and automatically like yawning. The body knows when to stretch and it’s hard to resist the urge. When it comes to stretching just listen to your body and do enough stretching so that it feels satisfied. There is no need to spend more than 10mins stretching after every workout. Static stretching should never be done before a workout as part of a warm up. Stretching cold muscles will dispose them to injury during resistance training.
A warm up should accomplish several things: increase heart rate to around 120 BPM, increase blood flow, increase muscle temperature and lubricate the joints. All of this can be accomplished in 5mins or less. A good warm up routine should incorporate activities that increase heart rate and move many limbs at the same time causing movement in multiple joints, like jumping jacks, as well as activities that work many muscles at the same time, like dumbbell squat presses or zercher squats.
Overall a productive workout should be no more than 45mins in length. An intense 30 minute workout that focuses on no more than 4 different compound exercises to yield a full body workout is best for overall size, strength and conditioning. For my workouts I use the flat barbell bench press, barbell back squat or zercher squat, hanging leg raises, and an inverted row. Rest periods should be eliminated by doing a combination of 2 exercises in supersets or doing all 4 exercises in circuit format. Stretching should be done only when your muscles tell you they need to be stretched. A warm up shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes and should focus on mass movement of the limbs and muscles.
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