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Get Leaner And Healthier Faster With HIIT!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 11:34:00 -0800

Less time in the gym and greater results. Sounds too good to be true, but the research is stacking up. Read on for 5 proven benefits of HIIT!

Running along the beach or bicycling in the mountains are amazing experiences that make the physical activity seem secondary because there are million-dollar views everywhere you look. It makes you want to keep going just to live the experience a little bit longer.

That same cardio activity in the gym? It can be agonizing work that can't end soon enough. That's one reason fitness enthusiasts have been choosing to cut their cardio gym time in half by employing what's called high-intensity interval training (HIIT). You can reap equal or even greater health-and-fitness benefits than you'd get from double the amount of steady-state cardio.

But of course, there's a catch. If you're new to HIIT, it refers to alternating rounds of intense—like, really intense—bursts of activity with lower-intensity recovery periods. If you're doing it right, every round of work is an ordeal you can't wait to be finished with.

Fortunately, there's a reward for this grueling undertaking. Researchers have been digging deep into HIIT in recent years, and they've discovered a slew of ways it can help you transform your body and improve crucial health markers.

Let's take a closer look at the benefits of HIIT and see what protocol is best for you!

HIIT boosts your VO2

The traditional approach to improving cardiovascular fitness has been to increase the volume or duration of exercise. This means longer runs, longer bike rides, or extended periods of time on the elliptical. But science is showing that's not the only way.

Perhaps the most widely accepted standard of cardiovascular fitness is VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption. Think of it as your body's engine. The bigger it is, the more efficient you are at any level of exertion—and the more powerful you are overall.

A higher VO2 max means your body is more efficient at delivering oxygen to your working muscles, which in turn allows you to produce more energy and perform more work. It's one of those strengths that pays off in countless ways.

HIIT has made positive headlines thanks to a number of studies showing that a relatively small amount of it is just as good at improving maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2 max, as longer duration, continuous exercise.^1-5

HIIT burns more fat and calories in less time

We've all heard of the fat-burning zone with steady-state cardio. Some of us have even gone a step farther and started our day there...for an hour, fasted, while the rest of the world slept. Ah, the memories.

While it's true that lower-intensity cardio burns a greater percentage of calories from fat, the total calories burned and fat breakdown are greater at higher intensities. How much greater? Researchers from McMaster University found that it took just 10 minutes of HIIT to burn the same amount of calories as 50 minutes of steady-state exercise.⁷

Another benefit of HIIT is its potential to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Following an exercise session, oxygen consumption stays elevated as the body tries to restore the body's physiological and metabolic pathways back to pre-exercise levels. Getting them there requires more calories to be burned. EPOC is related to exercise intensity; the harder you work, the harder the body has to work to recover. HIIT can lead to greater EPOC compared to lower-intensity activity, allowing you to burn extra calories long after your workout is done.⁸

HIIT can also serve to increase fat oxidation, which is the body's ability to break down and utilize fat as an energy source. A study from Canadian researchers found that just six weeks of HIIT increased fat oxidation and decreased the reliance on carbohydrates during exercise.⁹

Taken together, these studies can help to explain why more researchers have observed dramatic body-composition changes taking place in HIIT studies in a fraction of the time they take with steady-state cardio.^10-11

HIIT improves your overall health

The words "high-intensity" may bring to mind images like athletes doing shuttle runs or fitness models gasping for air on an stationary bike. But make no mistake: HIIT isn't just good for the super fit. It's effective at improving health and fitness in a range of populations, including those with type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

Make no mistake: HIIT isn't just good for the super fit. It's effective at improving health and fitness in a range of populations, including those with type 2 diabetes or heart disease.

Research published in Diabetes Care found significant improvements in glycemic control, body mass, and abdominal fat in type 2 diabetics following 12 weeks of HIIT.¹² Additionally, researchers out of the University of South Wales in Sydney, Australia, found improvements in resting heart rate, stroke volume, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness after 12-weeks of HIIT.⁶

Couple that with other studies finding improvements in cholesterol levels following 10 weeks of HIIT, and you've got a time-efficient way to improve your overall health (and look better naked).¹³

HIIT fights off fatigue

Sure, HIIT can improve your cardio performance. Endurance athletes know this—they've been doing intervals as part of their training for decades. However, the benefits can be carried over to the weight room as well.

We're all familiar with that burning sensation that builds up in your muscles after a few sets of any weighted exercise. While many wrongly contribute the burn to lactic acid, it's actually caused by the accumulation of hydrogen ions. This buildup of hydrogen ions can lower your body's pH levels, leading to fatigue and the inability of your muscles to contract.

With steady-state cardio, you typically don't reach intensities high enough to challenge—and thus improve—your body's ability to buffer or neutralize hydrogen ions.¹⁴ However, HIIT appears to do the trick. A study publish in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that just six sessions of HIIT spread across four weeks improved skeletal muscle buffering capacity, time to fatigue, peak power output, and 40K time trials in trained cyclists.¹⁵

While you may not be too concerned with your 40K time-trial performance, increasing your buffering capacity has other benefits that may have more appeal. For one, it means you can handle higher intensities and durations of exercise without getting fatigued.

For gym rats, that can equate to having some gas in the tank at the end of the workout for extra sets, or for condensing your entire workout into a shorter period of time. In either case, it can mean giving your body a stronger stimulus to grow!

HIIT is more fun!

You may be able to stomach pedaling a stationary for an hour and not going anywhere. But do you like it? Note: Answering "It depends on what's on TV" doesn't count.

The minimal time commitment and overall enjoyment could mean you're more likely to stick to your program long enough to see results!

HIIT, on the other hand, has been shown in multiple studies to be more enjoyable than steady-state cardio. A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that people tended to enjoy shorter, high-intensity bouts of exercise more than longer, steady-state activity.¹⁶ Additionally, research out of University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) reported higher levels of enjoyment doing HIIT compared to continuous exercise in overweight and obese subjects.¹⁷

The minimal time commitment and overall enjoyment could mean you're more likely to stick to your program long enough to see results!

When to Schedule Your HIIT Sessions

The intensity of HIIT has both an upside and a downside. Although it's time efficient, interval training tends to be much more stressful than lowerintensity steady-state cardio, which makes its placement in your workout program important.

Placing it right after a lower-body workout probably isn't a great idea. Your body won't be recovered adequately from the lifting session to reach the desired intensity for long enough to see true adaptations to HIIT.

Likewise, you want your HIIT training to compliment, not compound, the training stress caused by strength training. Many athletes who resistance train are afraid that cardio will "interfere" with their gains. However, the amount of interference between cardio and resistance training is more closely related to the volume of endurance training you're doing than the intensity.^17,18

It's wise to save your HIIT for days where your lifting sessions don't include lower-body exercise. Chest and arm days would work best (depending on what type of HIIT you do, of course).

Still, because HIIT often hits the same muscle fibers as strength training, it's wise to save your HIIT for days where your lifting sessions don't include lower-body exercise. Chest and arm days would work best (depending on what type of HIIT you do, of course).

If you absolutely must do your HIIT on lower-body days, give yourself about a recovery window of about 6-8 hours after weights before you HIIT it. This will give you a long enough time to recover and fuel your muscles, but not so long that DOMS starts to set in.

HIIT: How to Start

There are multiple ways you can do HIIT, but generally speaking, work intervals should be around 20-90 seconds, with a work-to-rest ratio of 1:1 to 1:3. The duration of the work interval is directly related to intensity: the higher the intensity, the shorter the duration. If you've got access to a heart-rate monitor, make sure to keep the intensity level around 85 percent or higher of your max heart rate during your intervals.

You don't have to get super fancy with your workouts, either. A solid HIIT workout can done almost anywhere, using any piece of equipment, in a number of different interval arrangements.

Here's an easy template to follow:

Mode	Duration	Rest	Rounds
Treadmill sprints	45 sec.	75 sec.	8-10
Stationary bike	30 sec.	60 sec.	8-10
Prowler (sled) push	30 yard	30-45 sec.	10-12
Battle ropes	20 sec.	40 sec.	6-8
Jump rope	60 sec.	30 sec.	10

To be clear, there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing steady-state exercise. And despite what some people say online, you don't have to pick one style or the other like you'd pick a political party. There can be room in your life for both a brisk hike and a sweat-drenched rower workout.

Just be sure to up the intensity some of the time, because the benefits are too good to resist!

References

Thomas, T. R., Adeniran, S. B., Iltis, P. W., Aquiar, C. A., & Albers, J. J. (1985). Effects of interval and continuous running on HDL-cholesterol, apoproteins A-1 and B, and LCAT. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport Sciences. Journal Canadien des Sciences Appliquees au Sport, 10(1), 52-59.
Nybo, L., Sundstrup, E., Jakobsen, M. D., Mohr, M., Hornstrup, T., Simonsen, L., ... & Krustrup, P. (2010). High-intensity training versus traditional exercise interventions for promoting health. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(10), 1951-1958.
Rakobowchuk, M., Tanguay, S., Burgomaster, K. A., Howarth, K. R., Gibala, M. J., & MacDonald, M. J. (2008). Sprint interval and traditional endurance training induce similar improvements in peripheral arterial stiffness and flow-mediated dilation in healthy humans. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 295(1), R236-R242.
Burgomaster, K. A., Howarth, K. R., Phillips, S. M., Rakobowchuk, M., MacDonald, M. J., McGee, S. L., & Gibala, M. J. (2008). Similar metabolic adaptations during exercise after low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance training in humans. The Journal of Physiology, 586(1), 151-160.
Gibala, M. J., Little, J. P., Van Essen, M., Wilkin, G. P., Burgomaster, K. A., Safdar, A., ... & Tarnopolsky, M. A. (2006). Short-term sprint interval versus traditional endurance training: similar initial adaptations in human skeletal muscle and exercise performance. The Journal of Physiology, 575(3), 901-911.
Heydari, M., Boutcher, Y. N., & Boutcher, S. H. (2013). High-intensity intermittent exercise and cardiovascular and autonomic function. Clinical Autonomic Research, 23(1), 57-65.
Skelly, L. E., Andrews, P. C., Gillen, J. B., Martin, B. J., Percival, M. E., & Gibala, M. J. (2014). High-intensity interval exercise induces 24-h energy expenditure similar to traditional endurance exercise despite reduced time commitment. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(7), 845-848.
Laforgia, J., Withers, R. T., & Gore, C. J. (2006). Effects of exercise intensity and duration on the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(12), 1247-1264.
Perry, C. G., Heigenhauser, G. J., Bonen, A., & Spriet, L. L. (2008). High-intensity aerobic interval training increases fat and carbohydrate metabolic capacities in human skeletal muscle. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 33(6), 1112-1123.
Tremblay, A., Simoneau, J. A., & Bouchard, C. (1994). Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism. Metabolism, 43(7), 814-818.
Boutcher, S. H. (2010). High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss. Journal of Obesity, 2011.
Karstoft, K., Winding, K., Knudsen, S. H., Nielsen, J. S., Thomsen, C., Pedersen, B. K., & Solomon, T. P. (2013). The Effects of Free-Living Interval-Walking Training on Glycemic Control, Body Composition, and Physical Fitness in Type 2 Diabetic Patients A randomized, controlled trial. Diabetes Care, 36(2), 228-236.
Shepherd, S. O., Wilson, O. J., Taylor, A. S., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Adlan, A. M., Wagenmakers, A. J., & Shaw, C. S. (2015). Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training in a Gym Setting Improves Cardio-Metabolic and Psychological Health. PloS One, 10(9), e0139056.
Juel, C. (2008). Regulation of pH in human skeletal muscle: adaptations to physical activity. Acta Physiologica, 193(1), 17-24.
Weston, A. R., Myburgh, K. H., Lindsay, F. H., Dennis, S. C., Noakes, T. D., & Hawley, J. A. (1996). Skeletal muscle buffering capacity and endurance performance after high-intensity interval training by well-trained cyclists. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 75(1), 7-13.
Bartlett, J. D., Close, G. L., MacLaren, D. P., Gregson, W., Drust, B., & Morton, J. P. (2011). High-intensity interval running is perceived to be more enjoyable than moderate-intensity continuous exercise: implications for exercise adherence. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(6), 547-553.
Smith-Ryan, A. E. (2015). Enjoyment of high-intensity interval training in an overweight/obese cohort: a short report. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, Epub ahead of print.
Wilson, J. M., Marin, P. J., Rhea, M. R., Wilson, S. M., Loenneke, J. P., & Anderson, J. C. (2012). Concurrent training: a meta-analysis examining interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293-2307.

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How The Pros Travel During Prep

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 10:24:00 -0800

Competitive physique athletes pay thousands for nutritionist Chris Tuttle's advice, but you can have it for free. Read his on-the-road nutrition advice before your next show!

There's a time to live it up, and there's a time to dial it in. Bodybuilders know this better than anyone, and it's most apparent when we travel.

Case in point: When I was in Texas recently with fellow IFBB pro and Universal athlete Antoine Vaillant, he was in the offseason and could fill up on barbeque all he wanted. But me? I was nine weeks out from the stage. No brisket for me.

I could have half-assed it and eaten kinda clean, but that's not me—and that's not why people hire me as a nutrition coach. My version of prep is all about consistency, no matter where you are. I get up at the same time on the road as I do at home. I eat the same. I train the same.

Texas Universal Road Trip Tuttle Talks Travel
Watch the video - 14:26

Is it easy? No, but it's possible. With a few hours of prep, I can clear my mind to have fun on the road—and eliminate the risk of getting smashed by spoiled food. Here's how I do it, and how you can as well.

Step 1 Days Before You Leave

If you wait until you arrive at your destination to start figuring out what to eat, you're already losing the battle. That is, unless you've hired a meal-prep service to deliver meals to your destination. If that's the case, good for you. Everyone else needs to do it the hard way.

Know your location: Does your hotel room have a kitchenette or a mini fridge? If not, see if you can get one. Does your hotel provide free shuttles to nearby locations such as, say, a grocery store? Is there a solid grocery store like Whole Foods nearby?

Have your gear: You still need to eat during travel, right? Purchase at least one quality cooler—don't scrimp here—and depending on the length of your trip, possibly two: one day-bag for travel, and the other to carry ingredients for meals while you're at your destination. Check the airline website for dimensions of what's acceptable for carry-on luggage. Also, make sure your day bag has plastic utensils, or the TSA will throw them away.

When I'm prepping for a show, the essentials are whey, glutamine, CLA, and a pre-workout. Know what yours are, and pack them in your checked bags.

Do the math: If you're carrying ingredients for a few days, you'll have to calculate the food you'll need while traveling. For example, say you need 5 ounces of cooked chicken for four meals a day across a four-day trip. That equals 5 pounds of cooked chicken. That sounds like a lot to carry, but a vacuum sealer can make it pretty small. Consider investing in one.

Bring your essentials: Is there a food or ingredient that you just can't live without, and that you're not sure you'll be able to get where you're going? Bring it with you. I brought a loaf of Ezekiel Sprouted 7-Grain Bread to Texas in my checked bag. I also brought my favorite flavored oils and vinegars, double-bagged and wrapped in bubble wrap (don't skip those steps). Overkill? Maybe. But this way, I have to scramble less and don't have to worry about my surroundings.

Only pack essential supps: When I'm prepping for a show, the essentials are whey, glutamine, CLA, and a pre-workout. Know what yours are, and pack them in your checked bags.

Never check your cooler! This might seem self-explanatory, but it's serious business; never check your cooler with the rest of your luggage on a plane. It's not worth losing your food for a show and having to purchase and cook food in your hotel room. Just as bad, your cooler could leak, get damaged, or otherwise put your food at risk of spoiling. It's certainly not worth the stress before a show.

Step 2 Meal Prep and Travel

This step is what separates the men from the boys. If you get to the airport and have to throw out all of your ice packs—and all that food that would spoil otherwise—then your fellow travelers just might get to see a grown man cry. Follow these steps to ensure your food makes it to your destination with you.

Pack like a pro: You can't pack each meal separately; your cooler space is limited. So only make the individual meals you will need for your travel day, and then pack the remaining food in large containers in your coolers. The nice thing about vacuum-sealed bags is that they can be tossed in as-is.

You can't pack each meal separately; your cooler space is limited. So only make the individual meals you will need for your travel day, and then pack the remaining food in large containers in your coolers.

Make an ice sandwich: Right before your departure, fill gallon-sized freezer bags two-thirds full of ice and double- or triple-bag them. (Remember, the TSA will throw away ice, ice packs, and all liquids over 4 ounces, so leave your ice packs at home, but I'll explain in the next step how to get around that with the bags of ice.)

Place containers of cooked meat in one cooler and starches in the other. Place the ice-filled freezer bags both on top of and below the food, because cold air travels downward. But also remember to pack your travel-day meals toward the top of your cooler for easy access once mealtime arrives.

Make it through TSA: Once you get to the airport, but before you get to the security checkpoint, empty all the ice out of the freezer bags in both coolers. Don't throw the freezer bags away. Once you get through security, go to any fast-food restaurant and look for a soda/ice machine to refill your freezer bags with ice. Make sure you bring extra freezer bags so you can double-bag the ice once filled. The airline attendants won't appreciate your cooler leaking in the overhead compartment of the airplane.

Step 3 At Your Destination

Buy essentials: If there's no refrigerator available, or if all your food doesn't fit when you reach your hotel, purchase a 1.5- to 2-inch-thick Styrofoam cooler. It costs about $3 at most grocery stores, and it's a great alternative to a refrigerator. It kept my food frozen for 16 hours at Nationals (with replacement of ice at regular intervals, of course).

Replace your ice: I'm a big fan of keeping a small refrigerator thermometer in a cooler. You want to know if you're safe? It'll tell you. Then, replace it in the cooler every 2-4 hours or as needed. Pack it right, and you might be able to keep your cooler under 30 degrees for as much as six hours.

How to Not Get Sick

I'm a serious stickler about food safety, particularly when I'm traveling. Make fun of me all you want, but I don't get sick from expired food. Getting food poisoning is stupid, especially because it can be prevented. Here's how.

Take your time with prep: Once your food is cooked, let it cool for about 10 minutes at room temperature in 3-inch-deep containers before placing it in the refrigerator to cool overnight. Placing hot food into the refrigerator can raise the temperature of the whole refrigerator, which can potentially increase the rate of bacterial growth. The next day, portion out the amount of meat you will need for two meals, and vacuum seal it into a vacuum-sealable bag (vacuum sealer needed), then repeat for the remainder of the meat.

Make sure to place your proteins in the coldest part of the cooler. Meats in particular are at high risk for bacterial growth, so take this into consideration.

Place proteins in the coldest part of the cooler: Meats in particular are at high risk for bacterial growth, so take this into consideration. I further advise freezing 75 percent of your vacuum-sealed meats to further reduce the risk of spoilage and bacterial growth when you travel on a plane. Keep enough unthawed to eat on the day you arrive.

Know your refrigerator: If you have a small, cheap refrigerator in your hotel room, it may not be cold enough to keep bacteria from growing on the high-risk foods such as meat. In that case, pack the meats in the Styrofoam ice cooler and the starches in the refrigerator.

Seriously, replace the ice: With each day that passes on the road, it gets easier to ignore that ice. Don't do it.

Why All This Matters

Experienced bodybuilders know that the more you keep things consistent, the easier it is to figure out what needs to be changed. On the other hand, if your water intake has been up and down and your food has been a bit off for the last week or so, you don't know what needs to be changed.

Believe me, an inconsistent week can set you back. Even a week that's kinda clean, but not really, is a wasted week. You've come this far and have committed to stepping on stage. Don't start half-assing it now.

You may think it's impossible to enjoy a vacation with all this in my mind, but the opposite is true. Having all of this hammered down is what allows me to enjoy my time with a clear mind on the road. If you're serious about your results, you know what I mean.

Have a plan, and then have fun.

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3 Exercises You Won't Believe Work As Well As They Do

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:57:00 -0800

Don't believe everything you see in the weight room. Your first impulse may be to dismiss these three exercises, but the joke would be on you!

If you've ever picked up a VHS off the shelf at Blockbuster—you still do that too, right?—you know that movies often aren't what they appear to be at first glance.

"The Deer Hunter" isn't about hunting deer.
"The Neverending Story" actually, you know, ends. There's even a sequel.
"50 Shades of Grey" is not about a coloring book.

Strength training is the same way. Plenty of movements look like a whole lot of weirdness—or a whole lot of nothing—when you see them in a 10-second YouTube clip without context. But with a little more context, they turn out to be just the thing you needed all along to build an epic overhead press or nail that first pull-up.

These three movements are all worthy of being performed without a shred of self-consciousness. Still, it's a good idea to be prepared for the inevitable question: "What is that working?"

HBT Overhead Press

HBT Training w/ Overhead Pressing TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 0:13

What it looks like: A circus act. Bonus points if you can do it off a BOSU ball while juggling chainsaws.

What it's actually working: Try it, and you'll discover it does plenty. HBT stands for "hanging band training," a concept I learned from Dr. Joel Seedman. You take two resistance bands, fold them in half, hang a light kettlebell from one end, and wrap the other end around a barbell. Then you press, or bench, or squat.

Yes, it looks a bit gimmicky, but HBT does have a fair amount of efficacy and usefulness. The unpredictable and oscillatory characteristics of this form of training provide a unique training stimulus that allows this kind of training to do two things:

It serves as an excellent assistance exercise to train the shoulders by boosting time under tension. You like time under tension, don't you? Yes, you do.
It challenges stabilization, increases core demand, and helps "excite" the central nervous system.

Both of these can help you improve your form and move bigger weights on the barbell-and-plate version of the lift.

Key coaching cues to consider: Don't be a hero; you won't need as much weight as your ego thinks you do. The idea is to keep things under control, which is hard to do. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs, and, as weird as it sounds, press your tongue up against the roof of your mouth, all of which help increase full-body tension. Then press up and down using a tempo of 2-3 seconds up and 2-3 seconds down.

Lying Hollow Position

Coaching the Hollow Position TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 1:21

What it looks like: Not much. I mean, you're just lying there on the ground. What's so hard about that?

What it's actually working: Ohdeargodmycore. I love using this drill with many of my female clients when teaching them the importance of full-body tension, specifically when it comes to doing pull-ups. Building this ability on the ground will translate very well to improved confidence and performance when hanging from a bar. This move is a staple of gymnastics training for a very good reason: It works!

Key coaching cues to consider: Many people's first inclination will be to perform something close to a sit-up, bending at the waist to get into position. This is wrong. The idea here is to "lock" the ribcage to the pelvis and maintain a neutral spine, even (especially) when your body really doesn't want to.

From there, cross your ankles and overlap your hands and press both together...hard. The goal is to work on holding this position for time. For beginners, 10 seconds will be torture because they'll have no concept of what tension really means. I'll then work them up to a total of 30-45 seconds over several "sets."

To up the ante, you can add a PVC pipe or broomstick, and have the client hold it above their head while maintaining the hollow position, then have them emulate the actual movement of a pull-up for several repetitions. It's brutal, but it provides a ton of benefits.

Spoto Press

Close-Grip Spoto Press TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 0:16

What it looks like: "Mommy, mommy, what's wrong with that man's bench press? It's missing the bottom two inches!" Everyone knows you're supposed to work every movement through a full range of motion, or you lose Internet cred and the basic protections provided by the constitution.

What it's actually working: Named after world-record raw bench presser Eric Spoto (722 pounds, thank you very much), the Spoto Press is also called the "invisible board press."

The board press, used in varying widths, is a popular bench-press accessory movement used to help trainees work through sticking points in addition to building massive triceps, which play a key role in helping to lock out the bench press.

It's a fantastic exercise and one I use often, but it's far from foolproof. I find many trainees fail to utilize the movement for its intended use and allow the weight to "sink" into the boards, thus dissipating tension. Hopefully, by now, you're catching on to the theme that getting and maintaining tension is a huge key to moving big weights.

"Mommy, mommy, what's wrong with that man's bench press? It's missing the bottom two inches!"

The Spoto Press has several advantages over the traditional board press:

It forces more time under tension in a range where most trainees typically miss their bench press, 1-2 inches off the chest.
It teaches you how to maintain tension within that same range of motion.
It helps to work on bar speed and explosiveness out of a weak ROM.
It hammers the triceps—ven more so when you train the exercise in a close-grip fashion, as in the video above.

Eric Spoto used these exclusively to bench press 722 pounds, raw. Are you going to be the one to tell him they don't work?

Key coaching cues to consider: I generally like to use this as an accessory movement to the bench pressrather than as a main bench movement. I'll keep loading within 55-70 percent of 1RM and utilize high(er) repetition schemes in the 8-12 range. I'll also vary the pauses from 2-5 seconds. I've seen some coaches go as high as 10 seconds, but I think that's just being mean.

Holding yourself accountable and actually pausing the lift for the allotted time is on you. It helps to perform these with a partner who will keep you honest. It's amazing how a 5-second hold becomes 1.7 seconds when we're left to our own devices.

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What's Better For Weight Loss: Green Tea Or Green Coffee?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:57:00 -0800

More than just a pick-me up, your morning cup of tea or coffee may actually help your weight-loss efforts! But when it comes to fat loss, which one of these greens reigns supreme?

When it comes to losing fat, no magic pill or powder can replace consistent work in the gym and a clean diet. Your efforts will always trump anything a supplement can do. That said, there are a handful of ingredients that may help boost your metabolism and enhance your weight-loss efforts.

Two of those ingredients—green tea and green coffee—may already be part of your daily morning ritual, but they're also sold in supplement form as green tea and green coffee extract. If fat loss is your goal, is one extract better than the other? It's time to put these two green titans in a head-to-head battle for fat-loss supremacy!

Make Time for Tea

Green tea, which comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, has been recommended as a healthful drink for centuries with potential health benefits ranging from improved antioxidant status to cardiovascular support.¹ Although multiple parts of the plant can be used, it's the extract from the leaves that seems to offer the most health benefits, especially when it comes to weight loss.

The two components primarily responsible for green tea extract's (GTE) health benefits are catechins, which provide the majority of antioxidants benefits, and caffeine, which enhances thermogenesis and fat metabolism.

When compared to a placebo and caffeine alone, GTE has been shown to significantly increase 24-hour energy expenditure.^1,2 Over time, increasing the number of calories you burn both at rest and during exercise could lead to favorable changes in your body composition. Furthermore, there are multiple studies showing GTE's ability to increase rates of fat oxidation (or fat burning) over a 24-hour period.

Long-term consumption of green tea extract has been shown to support modest weight loss, around 2-3 pounds, over a 12-week period.³ While GTE clearly won't do all the work for you, research suggests that, when combined with exercise, it can support greater weight loss when compared to exercise alone.⁴

Shop green tea extract in our store!

Green Is the New Black

Green coffee extract (GCE), as the name implies, is extracted from unroasted green coffee beans. Its main active ingredients are compounds known as chlorogenic acids, which are thought to be responsible for its weight-loss effects.

While it's not entirely clear how it works, chlorogenic acid may be able to promote fat loss by increasing the activity of PPARalpha—a gene involved in fatty-acid transport and oxidation—and reducing the creation of new fat cells through its antioxidant effects.^5,6

To date, there has been only one study to demonstrate a positive effect of GCE on weight loss in humans. A 2007 study published in the Journal of International Medical Research found that when GCE was added to coffee, participants lost (on average) almost 12 pounds over a 12-week period, when combined with diet and exercise. This compared to only 3 pounds lost in the coffee-only group.⁷

While results from this study are promising, larger, better-controlled studies are needed to truly determine the effectiveness of GCE as a weight-loss tool.

Check out green coffee extract!

Green coffee supplements are generally sold containing 40-50 percent chlorogenic acid by weight. In order to get the most effective dose of 120-300 milligrams of chlorogenic acid, you'll want to look for a supplement containing 300-750 milligrams of green coffee extract.

References

Cabrera, C., Artacho, R., & Giménez, R. (2006). Beneficial effects of green tea—a review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 25(2), 79-99.
Dulloo, A. G., Duret, C., Rohrer, D., Girardier, L., Mensi, N., Fathi, M., ... & Vandermander, J. (1999). Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(6), 1040-1045.
Wang, H., Wen, Y., Du, Y., Yan, X., Guo, H., Rycroft, J. A., ... & Mela, D. J. (2010). Effects of catechin enriched green tea on body composition. Obesity, 18(4), 773-779.
Maki, K. C., Reeves, M. S., Farmer, M., Yasunaga, K., Matsuo, N., Katsuragi, Y., ... & Blumberg, J. B. (2009). Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults. The Journal of Nutrition, 139(2), 264-270.
Hsu, C. L., Huang, S. L., & Yen, G. C. (2006). Inhibitory effect of phenolic acids on the relation to their antioxidant activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(12), 4191-4197.
Cho, A. S., Jeon, S. M., Kim, M. J., Yeo, J., Seo, K. I., Choi, M. S., & Lee, M. K. (2010). Chlorogenic acid exhibits anti-obesity property and improves lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-induced-obese mice. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 48(3), 937-943.
Thom, E. (2007). The effect of chlorogenic acid enriched coffee on glucose absorption in healthy volunteers and its effect on body mass when used long-term in overweight and obese people. Journal of International Medical Research, 35(6), 900-908.
Onakpoya, I., Terry, R., & Ernst, E. (2010). The use of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2011.
Anderson, R. A., & Polansky, M. M. (2002). Tea enhances insulin activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50(24), 7182-7186.
Bohn, T. (2014). Dietary factors affecting polyphenol bioavailability. Nutrition Reviews, 72(7), 429-452.

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Allanna Got Fit To Inspire Her Troops

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:57:00 -0800

Air Force officer Allanna Jones-Anstaett always struggled with her weight. Then she realized that, in order to be a role model, she needed to get fit for life!

Growing up, Allanna Jones-Anstaett was extremely active, almost to a fault. "I played softball and soccer and was out all the time," she says. "Those activities, combined with band and homework, led to many late nights where, instead of cooking dinner, my family and I would just go grab something quick."

Lacking a foundation of healthy habits, Allanna's diet continued to suffer when she eventually attended the Air Force Academy. "We didn't have any choice but to eat whatever they were serving," she recalls. "The meals weren't always the healthiest. Every Monday was pasta night, and there was dessert every day."

Allanna struggled to fit workouts into her busy schedule, especially after she graduated and faced the busy schedule of an Air Force officer. But the demands of her job soon reminded Allanna that she needed to be the best she could be—which meant getting healthy and fit. That's when things changed.

This is Allanna's story.

What was your turning point or aha moment?

I was close to 200 pounds when I realized that I wasn't being a good role model for my troops. All through college, I had it drilled into me that, as an officer, if you didn't get an "excellent" score on the physical fitness test—90 points or higher—then you were setting a low standard for the enlisted troops.

I really couldn't expect my troops to be physically fit and pass their fitness tests. I knew I wasn't in good enough shape to place where I wanted and that I needed to be a better role model.

What was your goal once you decided to get fit?

Fitness competitions had just started getting really popular in the area I lived in. I had friends who were competing, and I followed their progress online. Eventually I thought, "Why not me?"

Before 191 lbs.

After 138 lbs.

Age: 25
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 191 lbs.
Body Fat: 32%

Age: 26
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 138 lbs.
Body Fat: 10%

My Air Force base had a competitive fitness team, and the trainer who coached them encouraged me to try out. I made the decision to give competing a shot, and I gave myself five months to lose 50 pounds. I was beyond nervous. I'd never been one to show my body off, because I was overweight. Still, I stayed determined.

Throughout the five months I had to prepare, not competing never really crossed my mind. I have always been a goal-driven person, and once I set my mind to something, I go for it full force. It was an ambitious goal, but in the end, I pulled it off.

What was the first thing you changed about your lifestyle?

My diet. I didn't have a cheat meal for the five months before my competition. I cut out all added sugars. I realized that I'm good at taking regular recipes and cleaning them by reducing added sugar and replacing butter and oils with things like applesauce and avocados. So I started doing that, using Bodybuilding.com as my go-to resource.

I have always been a goal-driven person, and once I set my mind to something, I go for it full force.

I used the site to research healthy recipe substitutions, like using avocado instead of butter. I tried different diet plans on the site to find out what worked best for someone with my body type.

How did you discover Bodybuilding.com?

I actually discovered the site before I decided to compete. Someone had posted something about it on Facebook, so even before I was working out consistently, I would go on there and look at training programs. I love all the different articles about workouts or recipes. I love to cook, so I spend a lot of time looking at recipes to add into my meal plan.

In five months without a cheat meal, how did you stay motivated and curb cravings?

I'm a chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-ice-cream fanatic. I actually found a lot of recipes on Bodybuilding.com to help me fight cravings. For example, when I was craving chocolate, I'd make a batch of protein avocado brownies instead of having ice cream.

What does your diet look like now?

Meal 1: Pre-Workout

Grapefruit 1/2

Oats 1/2 cup

Whole eggs 2

Egg whites 4

Meal 2: Post-workout

ON Gold Standard 100% Whey 1 scoop

Plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup

Meal 3

Veggies 1 cup

Chicken breast 6 oz.

Brown rice 1 cup

Meal 4

Veggies 1 cup

Ground turkey 6 oz.

Brown rice 1 cup

Meal 5

Veggies 1 cup

Chicken 6 oz.

Avocado 1/2

Meal 6: Bedtime

ON Gold Standard 100% Casein 1 scoop

Do you use any supplements?

Morning

NLA for Her Shred Her 1 capsule

NLA for Her CLA 1 capsule

OPTI-Women 1 capsule

ON Fish Oil 2 softgels

ON Flaxseed Oil 1 softgel

Post-workout

ON BCAA 1000 Caps 2 capsules

ON Glutamine 1000 Caps 2 capsules

ON Gold Standard 100% Whey (Cake Donut) 1 scoop

Afternoon

NLA for Her Shred Her 1 capsule

Before bed

4 sets of 12 reps

Leverage Decline Chest Press

4 sets of 10 reps

Lying T-Bar Row

4 sets of 12 reps

Day 2: Heavy legs

Elliptical Trainer

30 min. (fasted)

Trap-Bar Deadlift

4 sets of 15 reps

Smith Single-Leg Split Squat

4 sets of 15 reps

Leg Press

4 sets of 15 reps

Dropset

Lying Leg Curl

10 reps at 90 lbs., 10 reps at 40 lbs., 10 reps at 20 lbs.

Dropset

Leg Extension

10 reps at 120 lbs., 10 reps at 70 lbs., 10 reps at 30 lbs.

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Group fitness (Teach group fitness class)

Elliptical Trainer

4 sets of 15 reps

Day 7: Rest

Did you encounter any hurdles or setbacks?

It was hard to stick to my meal plan at first because I was embarrassed to take food into meetings at work. I just wasn't used to eating five or six meals a day, and a lot of my coworkers weren't familiar with the regimented routine of someone who's preparing for a competition.

I felt like I was constantly being judged, but over time, I stopped caring. I realized that, at the end of the day, other people might be judging me, but I need to live a life that's going to make me happy.

What was your first competition like?

As I was waiting offstage, I literally thought I would have a heart attack. But the second they said my name, there was no turning back. I felt as if I was shaking like a leaf the entire time, but my husband said I didn't even look nervous.

In my first competition, I was in the model, bikini, and figure categories and went on stage at total of seven times. Each time, I could feel more of the nervousness wash away. I ended up placing second in bikini and third in the figure and model divisions.

What do you love about competing?

I like meeting other fitness competitors who have the same mindset that I do. They understand how much work and dedication the sport takes. Competitions are full of supportive, like-minded people, and I meet new ones at every competition.

My transformation has affected my family and friends by making them want to change their lifestyle, as well.

I also fell in love with the feeling of competing—how it makes me feel to be onstage, knowing I've achieved a huge goal. That's what kept me going. I got addicted after my first show, and, I decided I wanted to get my pro card. I got that in May of this year—exactly a year after my first time on stage.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan on competing in my second pro show, Fitness Universe, in June 2016. I just found out this week that I'll be working with Paul Buceta, the owner of Strong magazine, to run a Strong Camp in Ohio in July. I'd entered in their trainer ambassador search, and they chose me to run a weekend training camp, kind of like a yoga retreat, but for fitness.

I'll plan workouts, seminars, and group activities. It's designed to get a bunch of women together to discuss having a healthy lifestyle and being strong. It had been a longtime goal of mine to run one of these camps, so I'm really excited.

Another one I'm doing is back at my old base. My former trainer asked me to run a training camp and a nutrition seminar for everyone, so I'll be doing that at the end of February.

Has your fitness affected any other areas of your life?

My transformation has affected my family and friends by making them want to change their lifestyle, as well. Recently, my parents decided that they wanted to clean up their diets, so they asked me to come up with a meal plan, and they started at the beginning of 2016. I'm pretty excited about that!

Allanna's Favorite Gym Tracks

Flo Rida
"GDFR"

Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard
"Beast"

Nicki Minaj
"I'm Legit"

Selena Gomez
"Good for You"

We Want Your Story!

Have you transformed your body by burning fat or building muscle? We want to tell your story. Send your before and after photos, plus a brief paragraph about your experience, to transformations@bodybuilding.com for a chance to be featured on Bodybuilding.com!

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3 Amazing Healthy Recipes You Can Make In Just 15 Minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 13:41:00 -0800

You want to eat healthfully, yet don't have tons of time. If that describes you, Zuzka Light has your recipes for success.

It begins with cracking the snooze button instead of cracking open some eggs. From then until bedtime, many people with the best of dietary intentions become so exhausted from their daily routines that they opt for "fast" over "healthy" eating at every turn. An entire $191 billion (U.S. sales alone) fast-food industry feeds on this impulse.

I believe you can escape this cycle by making food that is fast and healthy, not to mention delicious! My book "15 Minutes to Fit" contains 30 recipes that fit all three criteria, and I'm excerpting three of them exclusively for you, the readers of BodyBuilding.com. One healthy choice in the morning leads to many healthy choices throughout the day!

Try these recipes and be in charge of your days—and your health.

Breakfast Thai Scramble

If you're bored with the regular scrambled eggs, it's time to shake things up with a little bit of Thai flavor. Scrambled eggs have a great ratio of protein and healthy fats and are very nutritious. Adding ginger and a little bit of chili powder may even boost energy expenditure in the short term and ease digestion.^1,2

You can never go wrong with this meal, so you don't have to limit yourself to just a breakfast scramble. A midday or evening scramble is just as awesome!

Ingredients

Grapeseed oil 1/2 tbsp

Fresh ginger, minced 1 tsp

Garlic, minced 1 small clove

Scallions, sliced 1 tbsp

Eggs 3 large, whisked together in a small bowl

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Chili powder 1 tsp

Fresh cilantro, chopped 1 tbsp

Directions

Coat a medium skillet with the grapeseed oil (any oil or cooking spray will work) and heat over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions. Sauté for 30 seconds, and then add the eggs.
Cook the eggs, stirring frequently with a spatula and removing the skillet from the heat as necessary to prevent sticking, until the eggs are cooked through. Season with salt, pepper, chili, and cilantro.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 scramble
Recipe yields: 1 serving

Amount per serving

Calories 385

Fat31 g

Carbs3 g

Protein28 g

Lunch Salmon-Salad-Stuffed Avocado

I love avocado. It's one of my favorite superfoods, not only because it's incredibly good for you, but also because of how versatile it is. I love to make avocado the star of my dishes and eat it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This refreshing dish pairs smooth, creamy avocado with flavorful salmon salad for a revitalizing dinner or lunch.

Meal Plan Header

Pan-seared salmon steaks 2

Fresh dill, finely chopped 1/2 tsp

Champagne vinegar 6 tsp

Lemon juice 1/2 lemon

Scallions, finely chopped 4

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Avocado 1 large

Cucumber for garnish

Grapefruit for garnish

Directions

In a medium bowl, mash the salmon with the dill, vinegar, lemon juice, and scallions until combined.
Halve the avocado lengthwise and remove the pit.
Split the salmon salad into two equal portions, and fill the avocado halves. You can garnish with cucumber and a piece of grapefruit.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/2 stuffed avocado
Recipe yields: 2 servings

Amount per serving

Calories 350

Fat27 g

Carbs56 g

Protein20 g

Post-Workout Snack Banana-Peach Frozen Dessert

If you like ice cream, you're going to love this dessert. It's especially satisfying after a hard workout but great for any time of the day. Substituting berries for the banana is a great way to reduce the calories without sacrificing flavor. This is an excellent choice when you decide to enjoy this delicious "ice cream" around your training.

Ingredients

Frozen banana 1 medium

Frozen peaches, sliced 1/2 cup

Flaxseed meal 1 tsp

Coconut milk 3 tbsp

Macadamia nuts, whole or halved 1/4 cup, plus 2 whole nuts for garnish

Unsweetened almond milk 1/2 cup

Cinnamon for garnish

Directions

Place the banana, peaches, flaxseed meal, coconut milk, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, and the almond milk in a blender. Blend on high about 30 seconds or until it resembles a thick frozen dessert.
Pour into a bowl and garnish with a dash of cinnamon and a couple of macadamia nuts.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 bowl
Recipe yields: 2 servings

Amount per serving

Calories 439

Fat18 g

Carbs21 g

Protein2 g

Adapted with permission from "15 Minutes to Fit: The Simple 30-Day Guide to Total Fitness, 15 Minutes at a Time," by Zuzka Light and Jeff O'Connell (Avery, 2015).

References

Whiting, S., Derbyshire, E., & Tiwari, B. K. (2012). Capsaicinoids and capsinoids. A potential role for weight management? A systematic review of the evidence. Appetite, 59(2), 341-348.
Mansour, M. S., Ni, Y. M., Roberts, A. L., Kelleman, M., RoyChoudhury, A., & St-Onge, M. P. (2012). Ginger consumption enhances the thermic effect of food and promotes feelings of satiety without affecting metabolic and hormonal parameters in overweight men: a pilot study. Metabolism, 61(10), 1347-1352.

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Alex Silver-Fagan's Fast-And-Dirty Circuit Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 09:33:00 -0800

This six-move circuit will rev your motor while leaving no muscle group untouched. You'll sweat, get stronger, and have fun doing it. This is how full-body training should feel!

Women start their path to fitness for all kinds of reasons—sometimes the wrong ones—but often discover their true motivation later in the journey. With every weight lifted, crunch completed, and rep logged, they discover a growing sense of accomplishment and self-worth. And this confidence comes in different forms. Yes, it's cool to be able to lift 200 pounds off the ground—and I like to do it—but it's also cool to jump around, sweat, and just feel good. There's room for all of this and more.

I'm Alex Silver-Fagan. I'm a Cellucor and Bodybuilding.com athlete, a personal trainer, and a group fitness instructor at CityRow in New York City. I've competed in the past, which I think is a good goal, but by no means does it equal living a fit lifestyle. Today, I do a little of everything: bodybuilding, CrossFit, yoga, running, powerlifting, and circuit training.

My fast-and-dirty circuit is how I think circuits should be: quick and effective. This workout gets your heart rate up and can be either the cardio portion of a heavy lifting day, or stand alone as a total-body fat-burning workout. You'll work in different planes of motion while also increasing your metabolism.

Fast & Dirty Circuit Workout Alex Silver-Fagan
Watch the video - 8:51

This circuit comprises 3-4 rounds of six total-body complex movements. It's going to be fast: 20-25 minutes with minimal rest. All you need is a set of dumbbells, a bench for your feet, and a good attitude.

Burpee with side-to-side shuffle

You're going to kick this workout off with one of the best—I didn't say most fun!—movements: the burpee. Drop down to the ground, bring your chest to the floor, and pop back up. Make sure to stay nice and low so that you can go straight into the side-to-side shuffle.

Moving laterally isn't something most people do in their day-to-day life, but that's exactly why you need it in your training. Once you complete your side shuffle, drop down and do another burpee. That's rep 2. Continue this metabolic movement until you've completed 8 reps.

Split squat with shoulder press

Now it's time to pick up some dumbbells. Pick up one weight with your right hand and stand in a split-squat stance with your left foot in front and your right leg behind. For this primarily lower-body movement, make sure to drive through your front heel, working the glute, keeping your torso straight and aligned and your core tight. Lunge down and explode with the weight as you come up. Switch sides, placing the weight in your left hand with your right foot forward and left foot back.

Make sure that you have a wide-enough base of support that your body moves down vertically when you lunge, not wavering front and back. Your knee should not go over your toe.

As an added bonus, pressing a weight overhead means you're engaging your abs, too. This is a true full-body movement!

Decline push-up with cross climber

So you think you're good at push-ups? Let's put it to the test. Place your feet on a bench or a step and get into a decline push-up position. Make sure your shoulders are over your wrists. Bring one knee to your opposite elbow. Do this on both sides for one complete rep.

With this movement, you'll be working your entire upper body while hitting your abdominals and obliques. Just remember to really drive your knee all the way to your triceps so you get a full crunch and total engagement.

Dumbbell front squat to rotational press

Squatting is one of the most basic, primal movements, and it belongs in every workout. For this squat variation, place both weights in front of your chest and keep your feet underneath your hips. You don't need a super-wide stance; just turn your toes out slightly. Sit all the way back into a squat, bringing your butt all the way down.

As you come up, press and rotate to one side. Make sure to come on to your toes as you rotate to really achieve full extension of your entire body.

Renegade row

Renegade rows are a tough movement—a lot tougher than they might look at first glance. Even I don't look forward to writing them into my own workout. But I recognize this dread as a sign that I should do renegade rows—and so should you.

Keeping your hips steady, get in a plank position. Your shoulders should be over your wrists and the weights directly underneath. Make sure you're not leaning back too far; you want to be right on top of the weights and maintain a wide, supportive stance. Bring one weight up to your chest in a row, and then bring it back down.

A great cue is to think of bringing your elbow, not your wrist, up to the sky. Keep your hips square like two headlights pointed at the ground, and squeeze your glutes to help keep your core firing and lower body engaged.

A few reps in, you'll discover that this is a movement that works everything. See a trend developing here?

Overhead reach with toe-tap leg extension

All of the previous exercises in this circuit were core-incorporating movements. This is a core-focused movement. You'll know the difference a few reps in, I promise.

Sit on the ground and hold the weight horizontally between your hands. Keep your arms extended upward, and roll down until your upper back touches the floor and you tap the weight behind your head. Before you come back up, bring your left leg up and flex your foot. Reach for that toe with the weight 8 times. Then, switch sides.

Make sure you're not bending your arms too much and that you are getting that full reach. If you have limited shoulder mobility and need to modify the movement, bring the weight to your chest and then roll up. I want you to find what works for you. After all, you've got at least another couple of rounds to go!

Alex Silver Fagan's Fast-and-Dirty Circuit

Perform 3-4 rounds with as little rest as possible between movements.

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Charlie Mike: Day 14 - Deadlift, Metabolic Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 09:10:00 -0800

Finish off Week 2 strong with deadlifts and battle ropes! Today's workout is tough, but it's also incredibly rewarding.

Back | Main | Next

If your legs aren't tired enough from yesterday's workout, we're going to finish them off today! You've got a rest day tomorrow, so leave the excuses at the door and fire up the intensity for today's workout.

Can't do an unassisted pull-up yet? No worries! Grab a band or partner, or even use the assisted pull-up machine. Try to see how many you can do on your own before enlisting some help.

Wall runs are great for improving shoulder and core strength, but will require a little coordination to walk your feet up the wall. Back up to a wall in a crawl, and then walk your feet up the wall until you're in a handstand position. Keep your chest facing the wall, contract your abs and glutes, and tap your shoulders.

Finish off today's workout with battle ropes and 400 meters runs. Try to complete this circuit as fast as you can, keeping any rest periods you take to only 30-60 seconds. Keep track of your time, and make sure to write down how you felt after finishing the workout.

Day 14: Deadlift, metabolic conditioning

Strength

Deadlift

3 sets of 8 reps at 80% (rest 2 minutes)

Conditioning

Circuit: 3 rounds

Pull-up

8 reps (alternative: assisted pull-up, lat pull-down)

Wall run

5 reps

Renegade Row

10-12 reps per arm (alternative: dumbbell row)

Note: Rest 5-10 minutes.

Circuit: 4 rounds

Single-Arm Row

10-12 reps

GHD sit-up

10 reps (alternative: sit-up)

Battle Ropes

20 reps per side

Run

400 meters

Strength

Push Press

Find max push press

Conditioning

Circuit: 3 rounds

Ring Row

10-12 ring reps (alternative: inverted row)

Kettlebell or dumbbell windmill

8 reps

Wall run

3 reps

Note: Take your time going through the windmill. Perform slow, controlled reps so you don't end up with a weight on your face! Rest 5-10 minutes

Circuit: 4 rounds

Handstand Push-Up

7 reps (alternative: push-up or decline push-up)

Kettlebell Swing

10 reps

Barbell Snatch

10 reps (alternative: kettlebell or dumbbell snatch, 5 reps per arm)

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Charlie Mike: Day 5 - Max Deadlift, Metabolic Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:56:00 -0800

Max deadlifts and sprints on the rower are on the menu today. Let's do this!

Back | Main | Next

Your final strength test for the week is a 1RM deadlift. If you haven't yet memorized the warm-up for max testing, it can be found on Day 1. If you're not accustomed to testing your upper limits on big lifts, today's challenge might feel a little scary. But remember your commitment to this week's mission and try.

Although you should complete all circuits quickly, you can really go all-out during the second circuit. Complete all four rounds in the shortest amount of time possible. That means no rest, no water breaks, and no stopping unless your shoe is honestly untied. Don't stop until all four rounds are done!

Day 5: Max deadlift, metabolic conditioning

Strength

Deadlift

Find max deadlift

Conditioning

Circuit: 3 rounds

Glute-Ham Raise

15 reps (alternative: stability-ball hamstring curl)

Row

400 meters

Weighted Step-Up

10 reps

Note: Rest 5-10 minutes.

Circuit: 4 rounds

Toes-to-bar

8 reps (alternate: hanging leg raise)

Run

200 meters

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Charlie Mike: Day 25 - Back Squat, Metabolic Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:56:00 -0800

I'm excited for another awesome day of heavy lifts and hard-core circuits. Are you?

Back | Main | Next

As you might have noticed, the percentages you're repping out for the strength portion of your workouts are climbing. That's intentional. This program won't just leave you lean and chiseled; it'll help you develop functional strength as well.

Because you're lifting more weight, I'm increasing the rest periods between sets. In order to lift well through every rep, you need to make sure you're recovered before you get back under the bar. After every set, sit down, drink some water, and relax. If somebody needs to work in, let her!

Day 25: Back squat, metabolic conditioning

Strength

Back squat

3 sets of 3 reps at 90%, 3 minutes rest

Conditioning

Circuit: 3 rounds

Negative pull-up

6 reps

Single-arm row

10 reps per side

Plank

1 minute, rest 5-10 minutes

Circuit: 3 rounds

Row

400 meters

Dumbbell or kettlebell windmill

10 reps per arm

Ring row

10 reps

Don't forget to write down your back squat weight, your circuit times, what weights you used, and how you felt after finishing the workout.

Back | Main | Next

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Charlie Mike: Day 42 - Test Max Back Squat, Push Press

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:01:00 -0800

This is it! Today is the culmination of all the sweat, effort, and rough days. Today is where it all pays off.

Back | Main

The last day of the Charlie Mike program is built on another couple of 1RM tests. Today, you'll see how much you can back squat and push press. Hopefully, yesterday's performance made you feel strong and confident. If you've stuck with me this far, I believe in your ability to impress and surprise yourself again today.

For both lifts, follow the same warm-up and progression that you did yesterday:

30% for 8 reps
40% for 6 reps
50% for 4 reps
60% for 2 reps
70% for 1 rep
80% for 1 rep
90-95% for 1 rep
95-100% for 1 rep
100-105% for 1 rep

Rest 2-3 minutes between sets and 5 minutes between movements. If you feel up to it, bring a little snack, and eat between movements.

Day 42: Test max back squat, push press

Back squat

1 rep max test

Push press

1 rep max test

Your Next Mission

Once you've finished the two lifts, you can celebrate completing the Charlie Mike program. You did something incredibly difficult—something that chewed up and spat out plenty of other women weeks ago. But you made it. That's a big deal.

But you're not done. Yes, you've finished a program, but now it's time for you to find a new mission and begin a new program. Feel free to repeat Charlie Mike, or check out one of my other programs on my website. You can also find many other fitness programs on Bodybuilding.com.

Remember, never limit yourself. You never know how far you can go or how high you can reach. You are capable of becoming whoever the hell you want to be!

Back | Main

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Charlie Mike: Day 41 - Test Max Front Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:01:00 -0800

You know where you stood six weeks ago. Today, you'll see how you match up now against the front squat, deadlift, and bench press!

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Remember six weeks ago when you weren't sure exactly how far you could push it? Remember when you doubted yourself and your abilities? You're a whole new person now. The new you isn't afraid to try. The new you isn't afraid to be ambitious. What are you waiting for? Let's go lift!

Start with the front squat. Before you even think about getting under the barbell, though, make sure you warm up adequately. Spend five minutes on the bike, and perform some dynamic stretches. If you lift as heavy as you can without a proper warm-up, you can get seriously injured.

Because you've been lifting with percentages, I'd like you to follow this 1RM warm-up plan:

30% for 8 reps
40% for 6 reps
50% for 4 reps
60% for 2 reps
70% for 1 rep
80% for 1 rep
90-95% for 1 rep
95-100% for 1 rep
100-105% for 1 rep

Use this same platform for all three big attempts. Take at least 2-3 minutes of rest between sets, and at least 5 minutes of rest between movements. Today is not about breathing hard or burning fat. It's about testing your strength. It's about proving just how strong you can be.

If you're a little short on time today, you can move the deadlift to tomorrow.

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You've just done two days of tough conditioning—how are you feeling? If you're feeling a little beat up, then you did the workouts right! A little soreness and fatigue is also a good indication that you need a rest day. So take it.

While you're taking a break today, I want you to think about some goals you have for your retests. I don't want you to do any of the tests without a goal in mind. You already know how much you can squat for 3 reps, and you already know how quickly you can row 1,000 meters when you're fatigued. Use that knowledge to come up with some concrete numbers that make you excited for the upcoming days!

When you're mentally prepared and amped to try out your new lifts, you're much more likely to do well!

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Charlie Mike: Day 37 - Metabolic Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:01:00 -0800

The heavy weight will happen later this week. Today, push yourself through two hard-core conditioning circuits!

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Ready for your last week of training? Of course you are! Get into the gym and get ready to work hard.

You'll test your new maxes on the last two days of the program. Today, it's all conditioning. The first circuit is going to challenge your shoulders and your core. Get through it as quickly as possible. For the push press, choose weight that's challenging, but that you can hit the reps with. Remember, these circuits are only as difficult as you make them. Sure, you can take the easy route, but if you do, those changes in your body and your mind will be minimal.

After the first circuit, you'll row 1,000 meters as quickly as you can. Try not to rest. Go right from that last plank to the rowing machine. Ideally, this should take you somewhere between 4-6 minutes. Try to maintain a steady pace. Pull hard, and keep breathing.

Your final circuit should be a balls-to-the-wall effort. To perform the suicides, set up one marker—it can be a cone, a water bottle, or even a sweatshirt—at 10 meters (about 10 long paces) and another at 20 (about 20 long paces). Sprint to the 10-meter mark and back, then sprint to the 20-meter mark and back. When you're done running, grab a barbell and start doing thrusters.

Get through five rounds as quickly as you can!

Day 37: Metabolic conditioning

Conditioning

Circuit: 4 rounds without stopping

Barbell push press

6 reps

Waiter's carry

50 meters

Plank

1 minute

Row

1000 meters, then rest 5-10 minutes

Circuit: 5 rounds

Suicide

10-meter sprint, then 20-meter sprint

Barbell thruster

10 reps

Don't forget to write down your circuit times, what weights you used, and how you felt after finishing the workout.

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Charlie Mike: Day 36 - Rest

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:01:00 -0800

It's Week 6! You'll start it by working on your conditioning, then you'll retest your maxes. But first, hooray for a rest day!

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Although you're not training today, I want you to think about what you've done over the past five weeks. Have you accomplished the things you set out to do? Did you prove it to yourself? Because that's the only person you're in this for.

Charlie Mike Week 6Prove It
Watch the video - 1:20

This week is your chance to prove just how far you've come. You've been lifting heavy, running hard, and moving fast. All of this work will translate into a stronger body and mind. Now it's time to show what you can do!

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Charlie Mike: Day 32 - Bench Press, Endurance

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:01:00 -0800

Endurance is a crucial attribute of the ready-for-anything body. You don't need to be a marathoner or triathlete to reap the benefits of some long-form cardio!

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I don't care what type of endurance training you choose to do, but I do care that you do it. Finish your bench press, then hit the road, bike, or pool with equal enthusiasm for about an hour.

The amount of ground you cover will depend on your level, but I want you to move for the entire time. Work at about 70-75 percent of your maximum effort.

Push yourself to go farther than you did last week. If you made it three miles, go for four. If you hit 10 miles on the bike, go for 12. With just 10 days left in Charlie Mike, each little bit of extra effort you exert will result in a bigger payoff.

Day 32: Bench Press/Endurance

Bench press

3 sets of 2 reps at 95% of 1RM

Endurance

1 hour, Options: 3- to 7-mile run, 800-meter swim, 10- to 15-mile bike ride

Don't forget to write down your bench press weight and how far and fast you went today!

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Charlie Mike: Day 31 - Deadlift, Metabolic Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:01:00 -0800

Heavy deadlifts and conditioning circuits: Now, this sounds like a bad-ass day!

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Ever lifted 90 percent of your deadlift max before? If not, you're in for a treat. Deadlifts are tough on your nervous system. It takes a lot of work to pick up that much weight. But when you finish those sets, you'll feel like Superwoman.

But hold on to your cape—you're not done yet. When you're done with the deadlift, move on to your circuits. Move as quickly as you can through both of them.

For the first one, if you can get 5-8 pull-ups, then do it. You can kip or do them strict—it's your workout. Just make sure that you're getting your chin over the bar. If you're starting to feel like wall runs are becoming too easy, then add a push-up or a clap push-up between reps.

After a short rest, you'll move for another six minutes. I want you to work as hard as you can for that brief time period. Try not to stop.

Day 31: Deadlift/Metabolic Conditioning

Strength

Deadlift

3 sets of 3-4 reps at 90% of 1RM, rest 3 minutes

Conditioning

Circuit 3 rounds without stopping, then rest 5-10 minutes

Pull-up

5-8 reps

Wall run

6 reps

Wall ball

15 reps

Circuit 6 minutes without stopping

Battle ropes

20 reps per arm

Handstand push-up

6 reps

Air squat

25 reps

Don't forget to write down your deadlift weight, your circuit times, what weights you used, and how you felt after finishing the workout.

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We 'Mirin Vol. 132: 10 Amazing Athletes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 15:13:00 -0800

Scroll through photos of these 10 talented athletes and you'll have a month's worth of gym-spiration!

« OLDERNEWER »

Bearded Brawn

Is your studly beard accentuated by a badass physique? Prove it! Submit your photos to We ‘Mirin for a chance to be featured in an upcoming special edition!

Post To Fitboard Submit Photos

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10 Best-Tasting Protein Foods You Don't Know About

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 15:13:00 -0800

Shake up your protein choices with these 10 things you would've never thought could have protein!

You zombie-shuffle to the nearest drive-thru for an extra-large sundae with not two but three maraschino cherries because, for the love of all that is protein, the thought of another protein shake makes you want to eat your own brain. Staring at the menu, your eyes say yes, but your heart and mind—remembering the goals you've set—say "hell no."

This is indeed a conundrum. We've all been there.

After a while of the same chocolate, cookies 'n cream, cake batter, or peanut butter protein shake, you need a change. Here's a list of 10 tasty protein-packed alternatives that don't involve a shaker bottle. You'd be surprised by how these divine alternatives can satisfy your cravings while still keeping you on the right path to fitness glory.

1. MHP Power-Pak Pudding

Calories
190

Protein
30 g

Fat
4.5 g

Calories
200

Protein
20 g

Fat
3.5 g

Carbs
23 g

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"Super easy to make. Only need about 4 minutes to whip one up. I totally felt like I was getting a normal indulgent pancake, but I didn't have to feel guilty afterwards! Delicious even by itself!"

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"Tastiest and most enjoyable breakfast that I have had in a long time. For a busy guy like me, these premixed protein pancakes got me 'FlapJacked' for leg day."

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8 Ways To Find The Will To Train

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 14:14:00 -0800

bbc sports world

ddd

hakka

Get Leaner And Healthier Faster With HIIT!

HIIT boosts your VO2

HIIT burns more fat and calories in less time

HIIT improves your overall health

HIIT fights off fatigue

HIIT is more fun!

When to Schedule Your HIIT Sessions

HIIT: How to Start

References

How The Pros Travel During Prep

Texas Universal Road Trip Tuttle Talks Travel Watch the video - 14:26

Step 1 Days Before You Leave

Step 2 Meal Prep and Travel

Step 3 At Your Destination

How to Not Get Sick

Why All This Matters

3 Exercises You Won't Believe Work As Well As They Do

Vital Stats

HBT Overhead Press

HBT Training w/ Overhead Pressing TonyGentilcore.com Watch the video - 0:13

Lying Hollow Position

Coaching the Hollow Position TonyGentilcore.com Watch the video - 1:21

Spoto Press

Close-Grip Spoto Press TonyGentilcore.com Watch the video - 0:16

What's Better For Weight Loss: Green Tea Or Green Coffee?

Make Time for Tea

Shop green tea extract in our store!

Green Is the New Black

Check out green coffee extract!

References

Allanna Got Fit To Inspire Her Troops

Vital Stats

What was your turning point or aha moment?

What was your goal once you decided to get fit?

What was the first thing you changed about your lifestyle?

How did you discover Bodybuilding.com?

In five months without a cheat meal, how did you stay motivated and curb cravings?

What does your diet look like now?

Grapefruit 1/2

Oats 1/2 cup

Whole eggs 2

Egg whites 4

ON Gold Standard 100% Whey 1 scoop

Plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup

Veggies 1 cup

Chicken breast 6 oz.

Brown rice 1 cup

Veggies 1 cup

Ground turkey 6 oz.

Brown rice 1 cup

Veggies 1 cup

Chicken 6 oz.

Avocado 1/2

ON Gold Standard 100% Casein 1 scoop

Do you use any supplements?

NLA for Her Shred Her 1 capsule

NLA for Her CLA 1 capsule

OPTI-Women 1 capsule

ON Fish Oil 2 softgels

ON Flaxseed Oil 1 softgel

ON BCAA 1000 Caps 2 capsules

ON Glutamine 1000 Caps 2 capsules

ON Gold Standard 100% Whey (Cake Donut) 1 scoop

NLA for Her Shred Her 1 capsule

ON Gold Standard 100% Casein (Chocolate Supreme) 1 scoop

Did you start working out right away?

What was the most difficult thing about your new lifestyle?

How did you stay motivated to balance it all?

Who motivated you?

How did you design your workouts?

What was the workout plan that guided your transformation?

Dropset

Dropset

Did you encounter any hurdles or setbacks?

What was your first competition like?

What do you love about competing?

What are your plans for the future?

Texas Universal Road Trip Tuttle Talks Travel
Watch the video - 14:26

HBT Training w/ Overhead Pressing TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 0:13

Coaching the Hollow Position TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 1:21

Close-Grip Spoto Press TonyGentilcore.com
Watch the video - 0:16

Flo Rida
"GDFR"

Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard
"Beast"

Nicki Minaj
"I'm Legit"

Selena Gomez
"Good for You"

Flo Rida
"GDFR"

Rob Bailey & The Hustle Standard
"Beast"

Nicki Minaj
"I'm Legit"

Selena Gomez
"Good for You"