New Exercise and Fitness Review
Check out these license plates. Which one belongs to you?
Jester??
MG
Come on Baby, do the Twist.
Frickin NATE…sigh..some guys have all the luck.
I’ve seen those on videos.
Mommy, why are those cars following us?
World Class Bodybuilding Forum
New Exercise and Fitness Review
Name: Alex Carneiro
Occupation: IFBB Olympia Pro; Optimum-sponsored athlete; Kinesiologist; Nutritionist; Coach; Pro Fitness Cover Model
Website: alexcarneiro.com
Losing weight is a challenging task for many people. After all, reaching your goals takes dedication, time, and consistency. But with mounds of information—and misinformation—floating around in magazines, videos, and marketing fads, it can become easy to lose your way. Effective, long-established methods to shed unwanted body fat can become twisted, warped, and misconstrued, and what you actually end up doing might lead you to sabotage your results without realizing it. Believe me, it happens.
If you kill it at the gym, bring sufficient intensity to your workouts, and follow a strict nutrition plan, but still don’t see results—or even worse, you gain additional body fat—you’ve likely fallen into a weight-loss pitfall. Learn how to avoid dietary disaster with these 5 tips!
Dieting: Let’s briefly analyze the concept itself. Most people jump on the dieting bandwagon with a specific timeframe and goal in mind. The logic might go a little something like this: “If I cut carbs for six weeks, I can fit into that pair of pants,” or, “If I replace sweets with veggies for the next few months, I’ll lose those last 10 pounds in time for my high school reunion.” No matter their reason, most people have something they’re striving for and a due date for when it has to be completed.
The reality is that we all want things done now. We want everything to be fast and effortless. Whether it’s a 30-day challenge or a 90-day transformation plan, it seems that nearly every goal has a date or finite time associated with it. While a sense of urgency might initially get you off the couch and into the gym, will it dramatically change you in the long run? Probably not.
“If you regularly add caramel, creamer, and whipped topping to your coffee, try reaching for fat-free milk and nixing the sweet stuff.”
Breaking years of bad habits is hard and can’t be done overnight; you’re not suddenly going to ditch pizza for rice and baked chicken. The key is to slowly start making changes you can sustain and integrate into a new, healthier lifestyle. Rather than banning certain foods completely, start by utilizing healthy substitutions. For example, if you regularly add caramel, creamer, and whipped topping to your coffee, try reaching for fat-free milk and nixing the sweet stuff. While it might be difficult at first, these small changes will eventually become habits, and you’ll stop slurping down coffee that contains as many calories as a deluxe cheeseburger.
These days, supermarket shelves are lined with buzzwords such as organic, natural, gluten-free, farm-raised, sugar-free, and fat-free. Keep in mind that these phrases don’t mean calorie-free!
On a daily basis, people come up to me and ask why they aren’t losing weight, even if their diets consist solely of organic meats and fruit. Foods, even if they’re organic or fat-free, still contain calories.
You can debate whether all calories are equal until you’re blue in the face, but effective fat loss really comes down to calories in versus calories out. If you’re looking to lose weight, your calorie consumption has to be less than your caloric expenditure. Basically, you have to burn more than you eat.
“While fruit is great for you, and contains high levels of natural vitamins and minerals, its sugar content can be relatively high. One cup of grapes, for example, has 23 grams of sugar per serving.”
Organic produce is better for you and your body, but it’s all the same in macros. It’s important to be aware of what you’re consuming. Take fruit, for example. While fruit is great for you, and contains high levels of natural vitamins and minerals, its sugar content can be relatively high. One cup of grapes, for example, has 23 grams of sugar per serving.1
I’m not trying to deter you from eating fruit, but here’s some food for thought: If one piece of fruit has that much sugar, a mixed fruit smoothie from your local health store is likely loaded with the sweet stuff. This can quickly add up to a calorie bomb. Eat well, but eat (and drink) portions that meet your goals.
“I’m trying to lose weight, so I’m not going to eat breakfast.” So goes the mentality of many dieters. Many people think starting their day fasted will allow them to burn more calories. Alas, the opposite is usually true! Because people who skip breakfast typically get hungrier later in the day, they tend to overeat at lunch and dinner.
Skipping breakfast isn’t directly correlated with gaining fat, but it won’t help you reach your goals. Trading in a potential muscle-building meal for, well, nothing, can leave you feeling depleted for any upcoming workout. Your body will be running low on fuel, so you won’t have the optimal energy to lift as intensely or put the fire to stubborn body fat.
Exercising and eating well-balanced, nutritious meals are still the best ways to lose weight and keep lean muscle mass. Don’t think that skipping one meal per day will reap magic rewards. Instead, check out the Bodybuilding.com Recipe Database for breakfast recipes that will fuel your body and support your fat-burning efforts!
There’s one point I can’t drive home enough: Eating fat doesn’t necessarily make you fat. However, it’s important to note that not all fats are created equal. Trans fats and excess saturated fats are bad for you because they have the potential to raise your “bad” LDL cholesterol, and may even increase your risk for heart disease.
Instead of fearing all fats, turn to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have the potential to lower LDL cholesterol, and may even reduce your risk of heart disease. Essential fats like omega-3 fatty acids also provide a number of benefits to your physique and performance goals, so they’re not to be missed.
While healthy fats like omega-3s and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) can help you burn fat, moderation is key. When you think about the fat you eat on a daily basis—almonds, fatty fish, oils, and seeds—you’ll see that the calories in a high-fat diet add up pretty fast. In the game of numbers, fats carry roughly nine calories per gram, so be aware of how many you consume.
Today, chemists can create flavors that mimic just about anything. Chances are that new, bright green, lemon-lime-flavored soda wasn’t Mother Nature’s doing. To make your favorite snack foods “healthy,” chemicals mimicking natural sugars are used. These chemicals can often trigger you to crave more sweets later.
Beyond the gastrointestinal problems that these foods may cause us, there are other problems to consider. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered some frightening facts that should make us all swear off diet drinks and products.2 The two most alarming:
Alas, even zero-calorie colas come at a price, and none of them are a fat-loss magic bullet. Instead of trading cola for diet cola, ditch the cola entirely and stick with natural options like green tea or water, both of which can actually contribute to your fat-loss efforts! Green tea has a mild calorie-burning effect thanks to its high catechin content, while water is essential to performance and can help you feel full.
Get your protein fix, satisfy your sweet tooth, and dig into the flavors of a piping hot apple pie without the unwanted calories!
Nothing says fall like the sweet taste of pumpkin. Add the seasonal treat to your meal plan with these dessert recipes that are sure to take any meal to the nines!
Building a proportional, symmetrical body takes a special kind of training. It requires more than just pulling heavy deadlifts—it’s an art. Here’s a guide to creating your own statuesque physique!
New Exercise and Fitness Review
Name: Todd Bumgardner, MS, CSCS
Occupation: Co-founder of Beyond Strength Performance. Strength and conditioning coach and manual therapist at Ranfone Training Systems.
Website: beyondstrength
performance.com/todd-bumgardner-m-s
Most experienced gym rats align themselves with one of two training modalities: powerlifting or bodybuilding. The goal is either strength or size. While a dichotomy exists between the training styles, there also exists a middle ground in which they’re complementary. Here, strength is used to build size.
Once a lifter has passed the beginner stage, his or her body needs greater amounts of stress to continue growing. There are numerous advanced hypertrophy techniques to choose from, but when approached from a strength standpoint instead the size equation remains simple: Lift the most weight possible while employing the greatest volume possible. What’s possible, in this instance, is governed by recovery.
Increased strength can be a catalyst for increased muscle mass, but it requires a specific toolkit and training approach. How, then, do you use strength to build size? By using these training-tested techniques approved by powerlifters and bodybuilders all over the globe!
Cluster sets utilize rest between reps to help you accrue a total amount of reps with a heavier weight than is normally possible in a straight set.
“Cluster sets utilize rest between reps to help you accrue a total amount of reps with a heavier weight than is normally possible in a straight set.”
To perform a cluster set of, say, 5 reps, you employ 5 single reps with 20 seconds between each rep until 5 total reps are achieved. In other words, do one rep, rest 20 seconds, do another rep, rest 20, and continue in this fashion until you’ve completed all your reps. Clustering reps like this allows you to achieve more volume per set with weights you normally couldn’t use for that many reps.
For example, let’s say you can bench press 225 pounds for a straight set of 3 reps. By adding rest between reps, you could add 2 more reps to the set and press 225 for 5 total reps. Heavy weight for more volume equals bigger muscles.
This, of course, isn’t the only way to arrange your cluster set; clusters of 2 and 3 reps are also useful depending on the application.
Cluster sets can be arranged in two ways: to load the day’s main lift, or to extend the day’s main lift. Let’s explain using examples.
Loading the Main Lift | |||||
| Exercise | Total Sets | Total Reps Per Set | Clusters @ % 1RM | Rest Between Clusters | Rest Between Sets |
| Squat | 3 | 8 | 4 x 2 @ 85% | 20 seconds | 2 minutes |
You wouldn’t normally be able to do 8 straight reps with 85 percent of your 1-rep max (1RM), especially for 3 sets. But here your 8 reps are broken down into four 2-rep clusters per set, so you squat 85 percent of your 1RM for 8 reps. This allows you to achieve greater volume with heavier weight and build more muscle!
Extending the Main Lift | |||||
| Exercise | Total Cluster Sets | Total Reps Per Set | Clusters @ % 1RM | Rest Between Clusters | Rest Between Sets |
| Squat | 2 | 5 | 2×2, 1×1 @ 85% | 20 seconds | 2 minutes |
“The weight is kept heavy to build strength while also engaging size-building volume.”
Clusters are also great for extending your main lift, which would first be done with straight sets. To put this into practice, let’s say you complete 4 straight sets of 3 reps on the squat, but you want to continue to build volume with that lift. Extend your main lift by adding cluster sets after your straight sets. This cluster application works well during heavy, absolute-strength-training phases. The weight is kept heavy to build strength while also engaging size-building volume.
When using clusters to extend your main lift, use the same weight you did for your straight sets. (In some cases, slightly more.) This ensures you achieve more hypertrophy by amassing volume with heavier loads.
In the example above, your cluster set would consist of 2 sets of 2 reps and a set of 1 rep, each set separated by 20 seconds rest. After you complete all 5 reps, rest two minutes before completing a second time (two total cluster sets).
Hypertrophy fanatics often espouse time-under-tension’s muscle-building virtues. Their enthusiasm isn’t unwarranted—increasing a muscle’s time under tension promotes growth. What’s key, however, is keeping the intensity high while maintaining the tension. Heavy eccentrics, sometimes called negatives, tap into your strength and provide that key.
Eccentric muscle contractions—lowering a weight rather than lifting it—are the most damaging. As a result, eccentrics trigger the most inflammation and have an increased propensity to restructure muscle. If you create a lot of muscle damage, your body will adapt by adding more muscle so the same stimulus isn’t as damaging the next time around.
But the process requires heavy weight. Light eccentrics teach control, but creating a disruption that will build muscle requires intensity to the tune of 75-85 percent of 1RM. (Unless you have a trained and dedicated spotter, I wouldn’t recommend using 90 percent or more of your 1RM for extended eccentrics.)
You’ll lower these heavy loads during eccentric phases for as long as 4-6 seconds while completing 3-6 reps in this manner per set. As the load increases, you’ll extend the length of the eccentrics and decrease the reps per set.
Exercise selection is paramount: You must choose exercises that have a pronounced eccentric phase. Squat variations, bench-press variations, rowing variations, and Romanian deadlifts work best.
“Squat variations, bench-press variations, rowing variations, and Romanian deadlifts work best.”
Heavy eccentrics are well-suited for loading main and assistance lifts. Here’s a programming snapshot of each.
Heavy Eccentric Main Lift | |||||
| Exercise | Total Sets | Total Reps Per Set | Length of Eccentric | Percent of 1RM | Rest Between Sets |
| Bench Press | 5 | 3 | 5 seconds | 80% | 2 minutes |
The reps per set are kept low and the eccentric contraction is kept in the mid-range timeframe because the load is at 80 percent of one-rep max. The eccentric could stay at five seconds as the load is increased to 85 percent, but it’s often advantageous to decrease the length to four seconds to maintain quality reps. Doing 5 sets supplies a total volume that spurs adaptation.
Heavy Eccentric Assistance Lift | |||||
| Exercise | Total Sets | Total Reps Per Set | Length of Eccentric | Percent of 1RM | Rest Between Sets |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 | 5 | 6 seconds | 75% | 90 seconds |
Assistance eccentrics require a few programming alterations. Total volume remains, but we’re dropping the load and increasing the length of the eccentric phase. These alterations maintain muscle-building stress while preserving the nervous system. If you keep the load high, it’s likely that your nervous system would receive more input than it could handle. The result is overtraining accompanied by minimal gains.
Heavy eccentrics are a great loading choice to apply early in your training season. They build muscle and soft-tissue resiliency while setting the neurological stage for big strength gains. This takes place, of course, as you pack mass on your frame.
In the end, size and strength training aren’t always mutually exclusive; hypertrophy is often the result of strength-building strategies. If you’ve surpassed the basics, it’s time to employ these lifter-tested techniques to gain new levels of mass and strength.
Stepping up to the barbell for a new PR? Here’s your 5-step mental checklist for crushing your one-rep max!
Build a stronger squat and deadlift by focusing on your foot position. Here’s an approach that will help you put your strongest foot forward!
Complacency is a death sentence for any training program. Use these methods that create sustainable plans of action to lift, run, and live with purpose!
New Exercise and Fitness Review
