JKConditioning

3 Surprising Benefits of Olympic Lifting

2013-03-25T05:00:00.000-04:00

Olympic lifting (the clean and jerk and the snatch) are valuable training methods for increasing full body power. The ability to recruit high-threshold motor units or type II muscle fibers (fast twitch fibers) means you'll be able to produce more force in a shorter amount of time, be able to sprint and accelerate faster and be overall, stronger and more athletic.

Sounds like perfect traits for any athlete to have and want. However, some shy way from O-lifting for fears of injuring themselves or their athletes or that they are too difficult to learn. Rightfully-so though as these lifts are very technical in that each movement executed in either the clean and jerk or the snatch has to be performed in the correct sequence with the correct timing. If proper technical and learning progressions are applied and loads are not excessive, O-lifting can be safe, fun and as noted above, very beneficial to athletic performance.

The list of benefits of incorporating O-lifting into your training is long, but here are 3 benefits you may not have thought of.

1) Core Stability Development

The core stability craze has people in a friendzy wanting to work their core in every workout. Well, it may surprise some to hear that improving core stability doesn't just have to include plank variations. "A strong core is necessary to maintain the torso position from the ground up through the first and second pull" writes Wil Flemming in Complete Olympic Lifting.

The inability to maintain a stable torso during the clean or snatch serves as an energy leak and to an inefficient pull. In the clean for example, because the weight is in front of you from the ground until the bar is received on your shoulders, your torso wants to flex forward, thus the clean can be viewed as an anti-flexion core exercise. Flemming likes to use the cue "lock down the lats" to aid in stiffening the torso prior to initiating the pull (from the floor or hang). Lastly, stabilizing heavy weight above your head (not just a weight you can press overhead, but a weight heavy enough to require explosive power to get it up there) requires a tremendous amount of core and full body stabilization.

2) Single Leg Strength Development

The split position in the split jerk (following the clean in "clean and jerk") "requires great stability in the lead leg, similar to the striking of the foot to the ground while in sprinting" says Flemming. The fact that a heavy load is held above the head in this split position compounds the strength and stability challenged in the lead leg and also in the hips and trunk.

3) Shoulder Stability Development

Supporting a heavy weight overhead, such as after the jerk or when receiving the bar in the snatch develops "intrinsic shoulder strength" and a great deal of shoulder stability, says Flemming. With the shoulders packed into the body, the dynamic stability function of the rotator cuff and all the supporting musculature around the shoulder and scapulothoracic joint have to create a stable platform so the bar can be balanced in the correct position overhead.

*****

If you enjoyed this post, you will really enjoy Wil Flemming's new product Complete Olympic Lifting. I had the pleasure of receiving a review copy a couple weeks ago and to be honest, I was blown away. It's an electronic manual (PDF) with a real (yeah, real, not just YouTube videos) DVD.

I own a ton of electronic fitness products and this product from Wil is at the top of the list when it comes to production value. The graphics, photos and layout are amazing and a pleasure to the eyes. Yes, I just said pleasure to the eyes. The information is also top notch but that's no surprise because of all the quality content Wil contributes to T-Nation.

Coaches and trainees will both benefit from this great resource. Wil also has several sample programs for all abilities. I strongly encourage all trainees learn how to O-lift from actual coaching sessions (one-on-one or in a small group and hands on) but this manual and DVD will act as a great resource for you years down the road. At least, it will for me.

Click HERE if you're inserted in finding out more about Complete Olympic Lifting.

That's a wrap.

Please leave your comments below and please share this article with others if you think they'll find it useful.

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

Kettlebell Goblet Squat vs Kettlebell Front Squat

2013-03-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time coming and I'm kicking myself for not doing this earlier, but I'm finally starting to film more Youtube videos. I've done a few in the past but I've never really spoke into the camera. So, here's my first installment in helping you kick more ass in the gym and in your workouts.

Make sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel (www.Youtube.com/jkconditioning) and do me a favour please. Feel free to share my videos with others if you think they'll make use of the information.

Boom. Here we go:

*embedded video below - email subscribers, please click
the title of the email to view this post on my blog*

New MuscleMag Article

2013-03-19T07:40:00.000-04:00

Check out "6 Weeks to Mass Monster" in the May 2013 issue of MuscleMag. This 6-week program is a unique combination of high volume and high intensity training, geared towards maximal muscle hypertrophy.

This is my first appearance in MuscleMag (print) and I'm proud to have coauthored this article with Toronto, ON, trainer and writer, Lee Boyce.

The May 2013 issue will be in stores March 26th.

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 3/17/13

2013-03-17T04:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back after missing a couple weeks. I was busy preparing for my thesis (Masters) proposal presentation, which was last Friday. It was well received and I got some constructive criticism on the methods for my experiment. Here's what the title means in English: essentially, my research is going to examine the effects of fatiguing one muscle group and seeing how it effects performance of the same muscle on the other side of the body.

This is referred to as cross-over fatigue. It's actually pretty interesting and has already helped me understand the proposed mechanisms behind fatigue and cross-education (strength gain seen in the untrained limb after strength training the opposite limb).

Anyway, enough of the hardcore science. Here's some cool stuff I enjoyed recently.

2013 NSCA Personal Trainers Conference: Looking Back at my Debate with Dr. Jeff Volek

by Alan Aragon

The Real Truth About Carbs
by Adam Bornstein

Interview with Brad Schoenfeld on Super Human Radio

5 Surprising Reasons You're Not Building Muscle
by Jason Ferruggia

Here's the famous Elliott Hulse reppin' my Dragon Tee. Elliott's a strength coach, presenter, writer and philosopher who has a video series called "Yo Elliott," which are Q&A videos that he posts almost daily. I've been following Elliott for a while and he's quite entertaining to watch. Whether you agree with him or not, he has good ideas.

If you have a Dragon Tee but haven't sent me a picture yet, please do. If you want a Dragon Tee, check out my Store Page.

Here are other inspirational and randomly funny videos.

Well, that's it for this week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

March Madness Strength & Conditioning Program

2013-03-08T12:01:00.001-05:00

The strength and conditioning program of any athlete plays an important role in injury prevention and performance enhancement, which is no different in basketball.

Commonly, there are three phases of training in the collegiate setting: 1) off-season (Phase I); 2) pre-season (Phase II); and 3) in-season (Phase III). The strength and conditioning program of a basketball player can be split into three full-body workouts per week in Phase I and Phase II, designed in a heavy, light, medium scheme. The primary focus of the program during these two phases is to improve anaerobic capacity, speed, agility, explosive power and strength.

During Phase III, the training program is split into two weekly full-body workouts, which are performed in between competitions.

Each training session will begin with a general 5-10 minute cardio warm-up. The purpose of the warm-up is to increase your core body and muscle temperature, lubricate your joints and improve your nervous system efficiency.

Following the general warm-up, you’ll perform prehabilitation exercises, which consist of self-massage with a foam roller, muscle activation exercises and dynamic flexibility drills. Prehabilitation is a fancy term used to describe injury prevention.

Read the rest at Muscle & Fitness HERE.

New Research Says Crossfit-type Programming will Improve VO2 and Body Composition

2013-02-28T19:09:00.001-05:00

A study was published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research today by Smith et al. (ahead of print) titled: Crossfit-based High Intensity Power Training Improves Maximal Aerobic Fitness and Body Composition.

Here's the Pubmed link and the Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a crossfit-based high intensity power training (HIPT) program on aerobic fitness and body composition. Healthy subjects of both genders (23 males, 20 females) spanning all levels of aerobic fitness and body composition completed 10 weeks of HIPT consisting of lifts such as the squat, deadlift, clean, snatch, and overhead press performed as quickly as possible. Additionally, this crossfit-based HIPT program included skill work for the improvement of traditional Olympic lifts and selected gymnastic exercises. Body fat percentage was estimated using whole body plethysmography and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) was measured by analyzing expired gasses during a Bruce protocol maximal graded treadmill test. These variables were measured again following 10 weeks of training and compared for significant changes using a paired t-test. Results showed significant (P<0.05) improvements of VO2max in males (43.10±1.40 to 48.96±1.42 ml/kg/min) and females (35.98±1.60 to 40.22±1.62 ml/kg/min) as well as decreased body fat percentage in males (22.2±1.3 to 18.0±1.3) and females (26.6±2.0 to 23.2±2.0). These improvements were significant across all levels of initial fitness. Significant correlations between absolute oxygen consumption and oxygen consumption relative to body weight was found in both men (r=0.83, P<0.001) and women (r=0.94, P<0.001), indicating HIPT improved VO2max scaled to body weight independent of changes to body composition. Our data shows that HIPT significantly improves VO2max and body composition in subjects of both genders across all levels of fitness.

HIPT

In the experiment, the researchers referred to the training program as "crossfit-based high intensity power training" or HIPT for short. Differentiating HIPT from HIIT (high intensity interval training), the researchers state that HIPT "includes a lack of a prescribed rest period, focus on sustained high power output" and use of multi joint movements. HIPT also incorporates multi-joint functional lifts such as the squat, deadlift, clean, snatch and overhead press with the addition of gymnastic based movements (Smith et al., 2013). The researchers go on to explain the concept of a WOD (workout of the day) describing how they are "a random selection of multiple joint exercises" that are supposed to be performed as quickly as possible.

Smith et al. (2013)

Nonetheless, it all appears fine and dandy from just reading the abstract but after reading the actual paper, I found out some things not included in the abstract.

-stats were run on the entire group and also on subsets of participants that were divided up by initial aerobic fitness and body composition values (based on normative data for age and gender)

-out of 54 original participants, 43 fully completed the 10-week program (11 dropped out: 2 with time concerns and 9 from sustaining injury = 16% of total recruited subjects, despite being supervised by American College of Sports Medicine clinical exercise physiologists and the fact that the 10-week program was "deliberately periodized")

-the training protocol was not provided (therefore, I'm not sure if kipping pull ups or other traditional Crossfit exercises were included or not)

-subjects were following a "Paleolithic" type diet prior to and following completion of the training program (but was not controlled for)

So that leaves me with some questions. (I'm in the middle of my research in my Masters program and as a researcher, you can't account for every single variable, it's practically impossible! But it still warrants some discussion.)

Obviously this program was effective at improving VO2 and body composition in both sexes, but would the results have differed if the participants were not on a Paleo-type diet? Would it have been beneficial to have the diet controlled and monitored?

16% drop out!? That's a bit much don't you think? So this tells us, if you're not ready for this type of intensity, maybe you shouldn't be doing a Crossfit-based training program. "Skill training" was provided to the subjects prior to the 10-week training program, but how effective was their technique to begin with and how good did it get after the skill training? If you've ever done as many reps as possible in a timed-set, you and I know your form (and mine) would go out the window after a few sets. If you can keep it together longer, you're probably not going to get injured. This especially applies to the clean and the snatch which are considered very technical lifts. A beginner thrown into high rep cleans or snatches, even after some skill practice is a recipe for disaster (in my opinion). I have a hard enough time doing sets of 5 cleans or snatches perfectly - I couldn't imaging compounding that with fatigue, other exercises and a time-limit. However, if you're technically proficient, then I don't see too much of a problem with this type of programming, especially if you plan to compete at Crossfit competitions (hence sports specific training).

Lastly, I have a problem when a Crossfit-based program is prescribed to the wrong person. People who are not technically proficient, have a current injury or a predisposition for a future injury should take down the intensity a few notches to keep their injury risk low (think cost to benefit ratio). Perhaps they can still participate but with the workout regressed to their level. Also, as I said above, it would have been great to see the actual 10-week program and how they periodized it.

Wrap up

So, high intensity training with weights and compound lifts with minimal break (combined with a paleo-based diet) can work wonders for your VO2 and body composition. But you have to survive the training program without getting injured. If you can survive it and enjoy it, have at it. If you're a beginner, I strongly caution you to learn how to move first with light weight before adding more weight and speed.

Furthermore, this is a prime example, as pointed out by my buddy Josh Henkin, that you can't just read abstracts. To get the entire story, you have to read the actual paper.

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

I'm Sick of the Fitness Industry

2013-02-27T15:00:00.000-05:00

Yeah, you read that right. I'm sick of the fitness industry.

It's full of elitists who think their shit doesn't stink...

...and that it's okay to make fun of people who don't know what they're doing in the gym.

But, do you know what the ironic thing is? Some of these people they're making fun of, are people they're trying to market to and attract as clients and maybe even sell their ebooks to. If they only knew how trainers were thinking of them...

Take this picture for example:

It's been shared all over Facebook as if the Share button was clicking itself.

To someone who's not familiar with working out, this looks difficult and perhaps very risky.

To someone who's familiar with working out, this looks stupid (which justifies trainers and trainees to make fun of him, right?).

Why don't they let this guy worry about what he's doing and leave him alone? Does he affect you in anyway? If he gets hurt, what's it to you? And does it really matter what he's doing? Why don't you just worry about your form and let this guy worry about his?

And the examples don't end there. There are tons of videos on Youtube from trainees and maybe even trainers secretly filming someone dancing on the treadmill or using a piece of exercise equipment different from its intended use.

Do you know what kind of message you're giving to your social network? People are going to be too damn scared to workout because they fear getting filmed and made fun of on Youtube. And people will surely not hire you to train them because you come across as a pompous asshole who doesn't have time or the patience to work with beginners. If that's the kind of image you want to portray, keep hitting that Share button.

I could care less about trainees taking videos because they're not trying to get clients, but if you're a trainer, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Also, people love to make fun of others with different training philosophies, especially if it's different from their own.

For example, people love to hate Crossfit because they think it's stupid. Yeah some people get injured doing Crossfit and some things that Greg Glassman says doesn't make much sense. But other athletes like hockey players, football players and MMA fighters get injured too. And I hate to break it to you, but the system of Crossfit, which is glorified circuit training, gets their clients and participants results. I'm not saying I'm a fan of kipping pull ups, but you get my drift.

Trainers seem to have an opinion on every aspect of training under the sun, saying curls are a waste of time, functional training is the only way to go, Olympic lifting is dangerous, bodybuilding is useless, cardio is stupid, fasted training is better than fed and blah, blah, blah...and don't even get me started on Bro Science...

This industry is supposed to be about helping people reach and surpass their health and fitness goals. We should work as a team and help each other, while progressing this young industry. There's no room for assholes or know-it-alls.

So the next time you see a picture or video of an exercise that doesn't fit your exercise dogma and want to hit that Share button, take a sec to think about what that action says about you and your business. Also realize its repercussions on the people you're trying to market to.

Stop being an elitist and only worry about yourself and your clients, period.

Which Fat Loss Method Is Right For You?

2013-02-25T15:12:00.002-05:00

Picture courtesy of MuscleMag

Do you do HIIT? What about fasted cardio? Find out which method is best for you in my latest article for MuscleMag. Link HERE.

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 2/24/13

2013-02-24T02:00:00.000-05:00

A sort-of resemblance of my life right now...

My thesis "business" as my friend Dave likes to call it is 100% consuming of my time right now, so these Sunday posts will have little to no commentary from me for a little bit. I hate the saying, but "it is what it is" as they say.

I had some media buzz this week:

I contributed to a great piece for Shape Magazine called 8 Cardio Myths That Are Making You Fat, written by Jessica Smith.

I had my first article published for a UK publication this week. Check out 3 Tips to Improve Your Core Training over at Men's Running.

My core training article for Muscle & Fitness Hers got the go-ahead and will be posted next week, along with my best fat loss methods for body builders piece, which I wrote for MuscleMag. I'll share them when they're up.

I also made my first appearance on Men's Health (whoop whoop!!) as I contributed to an article by my colleague Lee Boyce. Check out Supersize Your Biceps - Without a Single Curl. Next, to write my first piece for them...I'm working on it :)

And lastly, this is what I enjoyed this week (articles, videos & fitness graphics):

A Lotta-Tabata by Chin Conrad

Exercise of the Week by Eric Cressey

Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation
- Michael Pollan's new book

The Fitsmart Podcast - Interview with Jen Sinkler

2-Min of Goats Yelling Like Humans

(not fitness related at all, except for the fact that you'll work your abs while you're laughing)

This week's Dragon Tee photo goes to Franco Guzman, all the way from Central America! Hylete Dragon Tees are still available HERE.

Well, that's a wrap. Back to work.

Have a great weekend!

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

8 Cardio Myths That Are Making You Fat

2013-02-18T13:05:00.001-05:00

If you haven't heard about it already, there is a hierarchy to losing fat. Some training methods are more effective than others; however, they will not make much difference if you're still eating like you did when you were 15. You can actually lose fat without exercising by only making dietary changes. Your rate of fat loss might be slower than if you added in some resistance training, but that just goes to show you the importance of healthy eating and fat loss.

Nonetheless, some people resort to cardio for fat loss. It takes the least amount of skill (compared to weight lifting) but can be quite boring and depending on the type of cardio, less effective.

My colleague, Jessica Smith, wrote a great article on this topic for Shape Magazine's website called 8 Cardio Myths That are Making You Fat. She asked me to contribute a little bit of my smarts, so make sure to pay attention, at least on slide 6 :)

Here's the LINK.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Leave 'em below.

-JK

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 2/17/13

2013-02-17T02:00:00.000-05:00

March/April issue of Reps

*email subscribers - please view on the web to watch embedded videos*

Hey guys, let's start things off with tons of announcements...

I had 3 articles published online this week, and I was cited in another:

1) 6-Week Fat Blast published over at Muscle and Fitness. Link HERE.

2) 5 Tips for Cold Weather Training, also published over at Muscle and Fitness. Link HERE.

3) 15-Min of Hell workout was published online over at Reps Magazine (it's also in the March/April issue, out in stores on Feb 24th). Link HERE.

4) I was quoted in Top Training Shoes, an article also posted on Reps' website, which was written by Jeremy Duvall and Michal Kapral (also from the March/April issue). Link HERE.

Go check 'em out now...

...alright, you're back?

Ok, let's get to the good fitness reads:

Is New Really Better?

by Pavel (on StrongFirst)

Certain exercises and exercise equipment have stood the test of time, yielding effective time spent in the gym with the oh-so-hard to get results. Staples in the StrongFirst camp, created by Pavel, are these tried, tested and true methods of training, which include kettlebell lifting, barbell training and body weight exercises. These methods will NEVER go out of style or lose their magic. You know why? Because there is no magic. These training methods have proven their worth and should be included in any training program. From bodybuilders to distance runners, these specialized athletes will benefit greatly from incorporating these training methods into their programs. Sometimes new is good, but most times, old is better (but not when drinking milk, because, well, that's just gross).

Re-Thinking Functional Movement: The Sling Systems

by Josh Henkin (on Breaking Muscle)

Courtesy of Josh Henkin

The resurgence of sandbag training (also a traditional piece of exercise equipment) can be attributed to Josh Henkin. I'm a huge fan and supporter of his work and his Ultimate Sandbag (USB) Training System. That's why I interviewed him for my USB workouts for Reps and Oxygen magazines. Anyways, Josh does an excellent job of explaining that exercise doesn't have to only include forward and backward-type exercises. I've caught myself falling into this trap, realizing I can and should include exercises that challenge my body in different planes and angles. The body will react to what ever you show it, so by incorporating multi-directional and/or unilateral loading into your program, you'll not only challenge your sling systems, but you'll teach your body to work as a complete system, kinda like Optimus Prime.

Nutrient Timing Revisited: The Anabolic Window of Opportunity

by Brad Schoenfeld & Alan Aragon

It was originally taught that the post-workout window lasted 30-45-minutes. This was a guideline, so it was recommended to have a carbohydrate/protein containing shake/bar just after finishing a workout in order to promote recovery and muscle repair, as the anabolic hormones and enzymes are "highly active" during this time frame. Brad and Alan did some deep research and wrote this review article (PDF link HERE) illustrating somewhat new concepts and guidelines when it comes to the anabolic window. I definitely learned something from this review. Here are some highlights from Brad's blog post:

"Nutrient timing can be a beneficial strategy for maximizing muscular gains, but the “window of opportunity” is not necessarily as narrow as often believed."

"Provided that a protein-rich meal is consumed within about 3-4 hours prior to a workout (or possibly even longer, depending on the size of the meal), you don’t have to stress about chowing down a post-workout meal as soon as you finish training."

"...from a muscle-building standpoint, just focus on meeting your daily carb requirement as opposed to worrying about timing issues."

Well, that's a wrap for the good reads.

This week's Dragon Tee photo goes to Joe Hashey, a strength coach from Endicott, New York and owner of Synergy Athletics.

Lastly, I'll leave you with this inspirational video (at least, I thought so) on simply, moving. Not bench pressing or curling and not even about fitness...but just moving.

That's it for this week. Oh yeah, I made this awesome graphic too:

Alright, that's officially a wrap. Enjoy your weekend.

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

5 Tips for Cold Weather Training

2013-02-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of breedtrust.com

Cold weather training is common in hockey players, skiers, snow boarders and winter-sport endurance athletes. Battling the elements during training or competition can wreak havoc on your body and reduce your ability to perform at your highest level if the proper precautions are not taken. Preventing cold weather injuries and training effects should be of primary importance, especially as the temperature drops below 0°C (32°F).

Tolerance to cold weather training is much more difficult for the body, compared to hot weather training. Heat is lost more readily via convective heat transfer from the skin and the body has more difficulty maintaining its internal temperature in these conditions1. Fitter athletes have an easier time maintaining a given exercise intensity and higher rates of metabolic heat production in colder weather than their unfit counterparts, but if heat loss exceeds heat production, the overall body heat content decreases and peripheral and core body temperatures start to decline1. If the body’s internal temperature drops below 35°C (95°F), hypothermia can develop, which can result in shivering, confusion, fatigue and slurred speech1. Reductions in internal body temperature can result in abnormal cardiac rhythms and eventually death.

Read the rest at Muscle and Fitness HERE.

6-Week Fat Blast Workout Program

2013-02-12T10:08:00.001-05:00

Any successful fat loss program is going to take you out of your comfort zone, both in the gym and in the kitchen. Effective fat loss workouts are generally energy depleting and physically and mentally taxing and best paired with a nutritional plan of attack that’s filled with healthy, real foods (no processed, fast food crap), which leaves you in a slight calorie deficit.

Enter the 6-Week Fat Blast.

To maximally reduce your body fat percent, you’re going to have to start in the kitchen. You may have heard the saying that abs are made in the kitchen, which is true - you can lose fat and not even pick up a single weight or run a single step. But in order to build muscle, increase muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness, you’re going to have to hit the gym. So, to stimulate as much fat loss as possible, your program will consist of 3 full body workouts per week (alternating between Workout A and Workout B) with 2 days of cardio and 2 days off.

Over the 6-weeks, your program will look like this:

Read the rest at Muscle and Fitness HERE.

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 2/10/13

2013-02-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I hope everybody survived this week's winter weather. It's been terribly cold, windy and snowy here in St. John's. Wish I was back in Phoenix right about now (Julia and I were in Phoenix last spring/summer for her training camp for track - pretty sure I could live there...forever).

Just realized I haven't blogged in a while. We moved condos this week and I've barely been on the computer. I'm hoping to get back to it on more of a regular basis after we get settled. I'm also hoping some of my online articles get published next week - as usual, once they're up, I'll be sure to share them with you.

Not much else on the go, so let's get to it!

I am 80 going on 18: Exercise and the Fountain of Youth

by Michael Joyner & Jill Barnes

The real fountain of youth

"Frequently overlooked, ignored, or simply taken for granted are the powerful antiaging effects of lifelong physical activity and exercise training," states Joyner and Barnes. No, this isn't Earth shattering ground breaking information...just the simple truth. Being physically active, throughout your entire life, is the secret to looking good in your bathing suit and you looking younger, for longer. Of course this goes hand-in-hand with eating a nutrient dense diet, but seriously, it's that simple. Other factors are important to consider here, like stress and sleep, but exercising can help with that too. This article is a little sciencey, but hopefully you'll enjoy it.

You Have to Workout to Workout

by Hamilton Nolan

Doing "soft" activities will keep your body soft, according to Hamilton

Hamilton is the author of my all-time favourite Crossfit article that appeared on Gawker - and he delivers another brutally funny (and truthful) article here. Continuing along the same lines as the previous article on the importance of working out, as Hamilton puts it, "You have to workout to workout." (duh!) But, what's he getting at? Well, not all workouts are created equally. It's all relative, but Hamilton says if you want a hard body, you have to do hard things. Going for a walk after dinner is not working out (which he considers a soft exercise). Doing an easy 30-min on the elliptical is not working out. If you want a soft body, just stick with doing soft non-workouty-activities, Hamilton adds. As funny and true as this article is, I completely agree. Getting the body you want take a consistent and dedicated approach that is going to be accompanied with pain, suffering and a lot of uncomfortableness. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

A Logical Argument Against the Tracy Anderson Method

by Dean Somerset

Lastly, I thought it'd be fitting to conclude with another article that may clear up some confusion of what constitutes a good, safe and effective workout (the key word is effective, because who wants to waste their time??). This article spread like wildfire over social media this week. It was shared by everyone and their dog (seriously - and for good reason).

To be honest, I haven't really paid attention to Tracy Anderson and her crazy fitness claims (such as women should only lift 3lbs or else they'll get bulky). I'm glad Dean put this article together because he exposes these crazy claims and makes you realize this chick doesn't have a clue (and people, including movie stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, listen to her!!). She's even been referred to as a guru? Seriously? Only in the fitness industry will you get a ton of BS from one source and legit fitness information from another. It's tough to know what to believe, especially with the easy access to all the fitness and health info on the internet and the fact that scientific studies are wrongfully interpreted and distributed by the media. Enjoy the article!

This week's Dragon Tee pic goes to Chelsea from One Hundred Mile House, BC, Canada.

That's a wrap. Have a great Sunday everybody!

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 2/3/13

2013-02-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

**email subscribers - view post on blog to watched embedded videos - thanks!**

Got a few announcements this week.

I haven't mentioned this on my blog yet, but a few months ago, my editor at Reps magazine asked if I wanted a regular column called "First Rep," which is a one page fat loss focused workout that would appear every issue. Of course I said yes, so I guess this makes me a regular columnist with Reps! Whoop whoop!

The other day, I saw my first installment (which looks pretty cool if I do say so myself!), which will be in the March/April issue. Here's a sneak peak:

Also, a few weeks ago, I did a short interview with the Bodycast podcast on how to perfect your running form. Check it out here.

Lastly, I contributed as an expert source to this Men's Fitness article titled "Build Muscle Fast: 5 Training Methods You Forgot About," written by Jer DuVall. Here's the link.

On to the good reads!

Clean Bulk Fail #1: You're Creating too Much Training Noise

by Anthony Mychal

Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat, unless
you have more of it :)

When your goal is to bulk and build muscle, Anthony recommends "train to build muscle, not to lose fat." This statement really resonates with me as I've always believed in the clean bulk in my own training. My goal since I stopped running was to add muscle and strength but not at the expense of getting fat. I knew my progress would be a bit slower than if I ate like a gorilla, but I was okay with that. I used my training to build muscle, but didn't really add in much conditioning/fat loss type stuff. I noticed a big improvement in muscle size with minimal fat gain. I really enjoyed this article by Anthony and his thinking. Use your training to build muscle, but use your nutrition to keep your fat gain, low and muscle gain, high.

8 Things I learned in 2012

by Eric Cressey (on T-Nation)

One of Eric's many products

I can never learn enough from Eric. His blog is one of the first fitness blogs I read when I first started in this industry. I haven't met him yet, but will one day soon. Here are some quotes from the article that stood out to me:

"...just because something doesn't hurt, doesn't mean that it isn't leading to more pain."

"Exhale fully to get more out of your anti-extension core exercises and shoulder flexion mobility drills."

"...for optimal upper extremity health, you need a healthy balance of pressing exercises like push-ups where the scapula moves freely to "counteract" exercises like bench presses where the shoulder blades are fixed in place."

Enjoy the read. It's awesome.

Deadlift 101

by Smitty (on schwarzenegger.com)

In my humble opinion, everyone from 16 to 85 should know how to deadlift correctly and safely. It's a common misconception that deadlifting will hurt your back, but the saying from Dan John (it's not the squat that hurts your knees, it's how you squat that hurts your knees) can easily be applied to the deadlift. This article Deadlift 101 is your complete deadlift lifting guide - and it's free! I'd bookmark this page if I were you and always refer back to it. As Smitty says, the squat is normally considered the king of all exercises, but I agree and would argue that deadlifts are right up there too.

This week's Dragon Tee pic goes to Steve and Ali from Maple Ridge, BC. Hylete Dragon Tees are still available here.

Well, that's a wrap.

Have a great weekend everybody!

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 1/27/13

2013-01-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

**email subscribers - view post on the web to view embedded videos**

Well, it's been another crazy busy week with school, writing and coaching online clients. I'm getting some good feedback from my clients from abroad, which is always a good thing :) I submitted my first article for a UK publication on Thursday (woot woot!). The editors are still deciding whether or not to use the piece for the web or for print (hopefully print!). Watched End of Watch with Julia on Thursday. What an intense movie! We really enjoyed it - I suggest checking it out.

Anyways, let's get started!

Awareness, Part I & II

by Brian Justin

Picture courtesy of scrubadoo.com

How in-tune are you with your bodily functions? Do you listen to what your body is telling you? How well (or poorly) do you sleep a night? Do you pay attention to the colour of your pee or the frequency, size, colour and shape of your poop (seriously, do you?)? My good and long-time friend Brian (who finally(!) started his holistic lifestyle coaching blog) wrote two posts titled Awareness. I think we can all benefit from taking a step back to read what are bodies are telling us, and not just stopping there, but actually taking action to improve our health. Brian gives us some tips to help get us started.

12 Habits of Lean People

by Jillian Teta

Drinking sugary drinks will not make you lean

Obtaining the physique you want is hard and takes a complete lifestyle approach. I thought this article was excellent at explaining all of the aspects of getting lean because you can't just get there by working out. Two of my favourites are "Lean people don't depend on will power" and "Lean people use discipline over control." It's just who they are. Trying to be a lean person isn't going to work if you're still practicing the same actions or having the same mind-set that made you over weight.

Nutrition Q&A with Nate Miyaki Part I & II

on SeanHyson.com

Nate Miyaki

I first started reading stuff by Nate on T-Nation. I like his approach to nutrition and the fact that he doesn't say it's my way or the highway. He's more about finding a sustainable (and individual) approach to achieving your body composition goals. He has a few interesting ideas in this interview with Sean, one being the Intermittent Feast. Here, Nate recommends eating your biggest meal of the day (with starches) at night, despite if you worked out earlier in the day or not. Lately, I've been following the opposite pattern and eating my starchy meal post workout, which has been around lunch time. My dinner is usually a gigantic salad with plenty of nuts, seeds and cheese and a protein source like cod, chicken or steak. This has been working for me, but maybe next time, I can try what Nate recommends. I also like where Nate stands in regards to supplements.

Here's a snippet from the interview that I thought was interesting:

"Anabolic activity takes time post-workout. Glycogen restoration can take 24 hours or more. Protein synthesis can be elevated for 36 hours or more post-workout. Building muscle is not just about what you do immediately post-workout, it is about what you do with your overall diet—so consuming enough protein and calories daily is what matters most. This idea that you only have a 3-hour anabolic post-workout window is kind of misleading.

The primary goal post-workout, then, should be to provide your body with an immediate fuel source to prevent the body from breaking down its own muscle tissue for energy. It really should be called the “3-hour anti-catabolic post-workout window”. ~Nate Miyaki

Well, that's it for now.

This week's #dragontee photo goes to Nathan Ritchie. Nate's one of the artists behind the Dragon Tee and the designer of my JKConditioning logo. Love this pic.

Go get your learn on...and have a great weekend!

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. Since then, Jon has coached and helped numerous clients reach and surpass their fitness goals, including high-level athletes, emergency personnel and general fitness enthusiasts. As a former skinny distance runner (15:13 & 32:15 bests in the road 5km & 10km), Jon switched gears and gained almost 40 pounds of muscle. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. Living by the Japanese philosophy, kaizen, Jon continually strives for continuous improvement in, and out of the gym. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

Five-Alarm Fat Burner 8-Week Workout

2013-01-22T15:12:00.001-05:00

It’s December 25, just after 2 a.m. and I’m sound asleep. The breaker hits, the room lights turn on and a booming voice on the loudspeaker repeats, “Structure fire!” My crew and I jump in the rig and boot it out of the hall in what feels like 10 seconds. As we approach the fire, I can see that it’s huge.

Smoke is billowing out of the already broken windows. We strap on our packs. I grab an axe and my captain orders me to pull a line off the rig, so I grab a length of 1.5-inch hose and set it up in front of the broken shop windows. I strap on my mask and join the crew as we rush into the storefront, hurdling over fallen shelves and merchandise. I can barely see anything as we advance the weighted hose into the dark, aiming the jet of water at the glow of the fire ahead.

Just as we think we’ve put it out, we’re radioed to exit the building, as the fire has traveled to the second floor. Outside, as I’m gasping to catch my breath, the captain asks me and another firefighter to climb to the top of the 100-foot aerial ladder to control the fire stream. My lower body burns under the weight of 100 pounds of gear I’m hauling up the ladder. Any extra fat on my body is dead weight that I’ll be forced to drag up that ladder along with the rest of my gear. Is it any wonder firefighters are so ripped?

Read the rest at Reps Magazine HERE.

57 Biceps Curl Variations

2013-01-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to tell you something the "functional fitness" crowd doesn't want you to hear.

If you do biceps curls or triceps extensions, your arms will grow.

I know, I know...not functional what so ever and a waste of time, right?

The "functional fitness" folk will tell you rows, chin ups, bench presses and overhead presses will work your bis and tris so you don't need to worry about adding in arm specific work. This is almost true...but your size gains will be limited.

Why do you train (if you don't train for a sport)? To build wide shoulders, a thick back, huge pecs and arms that fill your shirt sleaves, right? Ladies, isn't it nice to have nice arms in your sleeveless shirts? Well, let me tell you both now, isolation exercises are the icing on the cake if your goal is having nice arms.

You're not going to build your arms (the way you want) with just compound lifts. How do you think Arnold built those huge guns? Multi-joint lifts AND isolation-type exercises.

So there you have it. Arm isolation training isn't weightlifting blasphemy...that's what the best bodybuilders have been doing for years. The next time a "functional" trainer tells you to stop curling, tell them that biceps curls ARE functional training for bodybuilders and trainees who want bigger arms!

In light of this fact, here are a few biceps curls variations you can add into your program.

But you have to promise me one thing. No curling in the squat rack!

1. Standing barbell curl, palms up.

2. Standing barbell curl, palms down.

3. Standing barbell curl, mixed grip.

4. Perfect Curl, palms up.

5. Perfect Curl, palms down.

6. Standing barbell curl, palms up 21s.

7. Standing barbell curl, palms down 21s.

8. Standing EZ bar curl, palms up.

9. Standing EZ bar curl, palms down.

10. Standing EZ bar curl, palms up 21s.

11. Standing EZ bar curl, palms down 21s.

12. Standing barbell cheat curl, palms up.

13. Standing barbell cheat curl, palms down.

14. Standing single arm barbell curl, palm up.

15. Standing single arm barbell curl, palm down.

16. Standing dumbbell hammer curl.

17. Standing dumbbell hammer curl 21s.

18. Standing cross body alternating hammer curl.

19. Standing dumbbell curl, palms up.

20. Standing dumbbell curl, palms down.

21. Standing dumbbell curl, palms up 21s.

22. Standing dumbbell curl, palms down 21s.

23. Standing dumbbell Zottman curl.

24. Standing dumbbell corkscrew curl (palms down, rotate to palms up while curling up, reverse to lower).

25. Standing dumbbell curl, palms up, alternating sides.

26. Standing dumbbell curl, palms up, holding one arm at 90-deg while performing reps with the opposite arm.

26. Standing dumbbell curl, palms down, alternating sides.

27. Standing dumbbell curl, palms down, holding one arm at 90-deg while performing reps with the opposite arm.

28. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell curl, palms up.

29. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell curl, palms up, alternating sides.

30. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell curl, palms up, 21s.

31. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell curl, palms up, holding one arm at 90-deg while performing reps with the opposite arm.

32. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell corkscrew curl.

33. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell hammer curl.

34. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell hammer curl, alternating sides.

35. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell hammer curl, 21s.

36. Incline bench, face up, dumbbell hammer curl, holding one arm at 90-deg while performing reps with the opposite arm.

37. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell curl, palms up.

38. Incline bench, face down, barbell curl, palms up.

39. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell curl, palms down.

40. Incline bench, face down, barbell curl, palms down.

41. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell hammer curl.

42. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell corkscrew curl.

43. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell Zottman curl.

44. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell curl, palms up, 21s.

45. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell curl, palms down, 21s.

46. Incline bench, face down, dumbbell hammer curl, 21s.

47. Low cable rope curl.

48. Low cable straight bar curl, palms up.

49. Low cable straight bar curl, palms down.

50. Low cable straight bar curl, palms up, 21s.

51. Low cable straight bar curl, palms down, 21s.

52. Preacher EZ curl, palms up.

53. Preacher dumbbell single arm curl, palm up.

54. Preacher dumbbell single arm curl, palm up, 21s.

55. Preacher dumbbell single arm hammer curl.

56. Dumbbell concentration curl.

57. Trink Curl.

I could keep going with Fat Grip variations, and band resisted variations, but I'll be here all night (and I think you get the point). Don't just stick with one type of curl...you'll limit your growth potential and most likely get board.

If you're looking for an arm specialization program, my colleague Dan Trink, from Trink Fitness just released his new product today called 2 Tickets to the Gun Show. It's a 4-week program, dedicated to making your guns bigger (who doesn't want that!?). I went through the program last night and it looks pretty good (it should be as Dan writes for Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Livestrong.com and T-Nation among other high profile outlets). This ebook explains the program and the premise behind it (giving you huge guns!). It's on sale this week for only $14.99.

Check it out HERE.

For real life results, my other buddy Jon Goodman gave the program a go last month and saw some nice gains! And of course he's wearing a JKConditioning Hylete Dragon Tee :) (all the way over in Hawaii!)

That's a wrap.

Get your tickets to the gun show. This program works.

-JK

*****

Jon-Erik Kawamoto is a highly praised strength coach and freelance fitness writer currently living in St. John’s, NL, Canada. He started his fitness career in 2006 immediately after graduating with a degree in Kinesiology. Since then, Jon has coached and helped numerous clients reach and surpass their fitness goals, including high-level athletes, emergency personnel and general fitness enthusiasts. As a former skinny distance runner (15:13 & 32:15 bests in the road 5km & 10km), Jon switched gears and gained almost 40 pounds of muscle. His effective training methods have been featured in numerous magazines and websites all around the world, including Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Oxygen and Runner’s World. Living by the Japanese philosophy, kaizen, Jon continually strives for continuous improvement in, and out of the gym. In addition to coaching clients and writing articles, Jon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Follow @JKConditioning

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 1/20/13

2013-01-20T04:00:00.000-05:00

**Email subscribers - please view this post on the blog to watch the embedded videos - thanks!**

Well, it's been a crazy week so I decided to share videos instead of articles.

Before we get into the videos, let me share with you my latest published print article. If you're a cyclist, make sure to check out the Feb/March issue of Canadian Cycling Magazine for my latest training feature: Upper Body Strength Training for Cyclists.

Also, if you missed it, I posted my new training program for the next 5 weeks called 5x5x5. I found it in Beyond Bodybuilding by Pavel. People have said it's too much volume and that I'm going to overtrain. I've completed the first week so far, which means 4 more to go...and so far...I feel fine. I'll update you after week 2.

Alright...on to the vids:

The first video is an anti-obesity ad from Coca-Cola that came out this week. Trying to contribute to the solution of reducing obesity, Coca-Cola has reduced serving sizes, placed calories per serving on the front of their cans/bottles and created lower and zero calorie alternatives. Personally, I don't think making zero calorie alternatives with synthetic sweeteners is the answer (or the healthy choice either!). I think taking these highly sugary and artificially sweetened drinks out of our lives, completely, is the better solution. Drinking sugar in a bottle, whether from a pop or concentrated fruit juice has minimal to no nutritional value, so why drink it? I heard the other day that my friend serves her 2 year old "white juice," which is her name for water - very clever!

What are you thoughts? Can Coke be part of the solution?

The 2nd video is an awesome interview with muscle building guru Brad Schoenfeld. Enough said :)

The 3rd video is also awesome and illustrates the history of weightlifting. I've always been fascinated with the physical culture movement (early 1900s) and the promotion of exercise and health.

Lastly, in the 4th video, Brett Jones and Grey Cook discuss the deadlift.

Coming Together by Coca-Cola

Interview with Brad Schoenfeld

on The Art of Physical Fitness

The History of Weightlifting

by BodyTribe Fitness (Chip Conrad)

FMS Unplugged Ep. 2

Cook-ing the Deadlift

Here's a bonus video that's totally awesome!

That's it for this week - have a great weekend!

-JK

PS. This week's #dragontee photo goes to Adrian Robles from Seattle, Washington. Thanks for the gun show Adrain!

Follow @JKConditioning

5x5x5: High Frequency Training for more Strength

2013-01-17T12:04:00.001-05:00

It's time for a new program.

I like to change my program every once and awhile, but I make sure I give the program enough of a chance to see how my body reacts and adapts. If I like the program, I'll stick with it for a few more phases (usually 4-8 weeks). I've been doing a body part split for just over 2-months now and think it's time for a change.

The other day, I was flipping through Beyond Bodybuilding by Pavel (a great read by the way) and found this strength training program called 5x5x5. It looked different and challenging and like something I've never tried before. I'm a fan of high frequency training for low intensity-type exercises, but this is a high frequency form of training on a whole other level! Here's the program:

I decided to go with this plan:

A1. Barbell Bench Press (day 1 weight 205lbs)
A2. Conventional Deadlift (day 1 weight 305lbs)
B1. Front Squat (day 1 weight 225lbs)
B2. Weighted Chin Up (day 1 weight 45lbs)
C. Barbell Overhead Press (day 1 weight 115lbs)

I also decided to add a few low intensity exercises to the end of the workout as circuits D, E and F. This plan is modified from strength coach Chad Waterbury's High Frequency Training ebook.

D. Bicep Curl variation (weight 35lbs)
E. Lateral Raise (weight 25lbs)
F. Narrow Pushups (body weight)

The rep/set scheme for circuits D, E and F are as follows:

Perform 30 reps of exercise D and E on day one with a sub maximal, easy load. Perform daily, Monday through Friday (as in the 5x5x5 program above). Add 1 rep every day for 4 weeks. Therefore, day two would have 31 reps, day 3, 32 reps, etc. Don't worry about how many sets to perform. Use as many sets necessary to complete all reps for that day.

Lastly, for exercise F, perform 50 reps on day one. Perform daily (Mon-Fri) and add 1 rep every day for 4 weeks. Don't worry about how many sets to perform, just use as many sets necessary to complete all reps for that day.

As I write this, I'm currently on day 4, but here's the best part: seeing how this high frequency training program has increased my 1RMs.

My current 1RMs before starting this program are 395lbs for the deadlift, 260lbs for the front squat, roughy 60lbs-ish for the chin up and 135lbs-ish for the overhead press. I took time off bench pressing last fall, but managed a 275lbs bench last spring (all this at a body weight of 177lbs). Not bad for a x-distance runner but nothing compared to internet standards.

This program isn't for everybody. You're probably thinking to yourself, that's a great way to overtrain, and you're right, but don't get your tighty-whities in a knot. This program should only be done for 4 weeks straight...and that's it. If you want to try this plan, make sure your recovery ability is almost perfect. Get 8 hours sleep a night, eat healthy and try to minimize stress in other areas of your life (yeah, easier said than done).

If you want to read more about high frequency training, I highly suggest you check out Chad Waterbury's ebook High Frequency Training. I think it's a great resource for all trainers and trainees. I picked up many tips that I now incorporate into my own training, and client's training.

Check out this resource HERE.

If you plan to start this program with me, good luck and let me know how it goes.

-JK

Follow @JKConditioning

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 1/13/13

2013-01-13T04:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm super glad it's the weekend. It's been a crazy week of travel, snow, power outages and getting back into the swing of things called my Masters thesis. It's all good though as I'm really looking forward to getting her done as they say.

First, a few announcements (just incase you missed them from earlier in the week)

1) I was quoted in a Livestrong.com article this week (total awesomeness!!): 20 Top Trainers' Best Motivational Quotes

Even had my noggin' on the main part of the webpage :)

2) The Dragon Tee made an appearance on Men's Fitness' website HERE (get your Dragon Tee HERE)

Sean Hyson rockin' the Dragon Tee in a video

3) 3 of my articles I wrote for Men's Fitness last year were named must read features in 2012 HERE

4) I had a muscle building workout on Muscle & Fitness' website: Build Mass with Squats and Milk

I'm super proud, as this concludes a big week for me and JKConditioning. But before we say goodbye, on to the good reads :)

Build a Killer Body

by Nick Tumminello

(Reps Magazine article)

Anything that Nick puts his name on, is gold. He's a super smart and innovative trainer who's been referred to as "trainer to the trainers." I thought this was a great workout piece Nick wrote up for Reps magazine. It came out last summer but was posted to Reps' website this week. In this article, Nick combines suspension training with free weight exercises to build a killer body. It looks like an awesome program that will kick your butt for sure. Suspension training is totally joint friendly (if used correctly) and provides variation in your training program.

5 Muscle Building Mistakes

(and how to make gains)

by Brad Schoenfeld

(guest post on BornFitness.com)

After I stopped competing in road races (running), I started lifting more weights because I didn't want to have the silhouette of a skeleton (true story). I knew how to strength train a runner (including myself) but didn't know much about weightlifting for size. I made some pretty dumb mistakes. My form wasn't great and I just did what I thought was right. I was half right, and you guessed it...I only got half the results. I wish this article was a around when I first started lifting for size. This is a great article by Brad that discusses common lifting mistakes and how to correct them. Also, he just published an awesome book with Human Kinetics last fall called the Max Muscle Plan. I highly recommend it if your goal is, well...building maximum muscle.

The Most Effective Way to Build Muscle

by JC Deen & Dan Ogborn

You might have remembered seeing JC's name before. We co-wrote a super helpful piece for the Greatist called How to Fix the Most Common Workout Mistakes. This time, JC teams up with Dan for this stellar piece written for T-Nation. In this article, JC and Dan discuss how staying in the 8-12 rep range for hypertrophy isn't the only answer for building bigger muscles. I've discussed using other rep ranges to induce muscle growth before, HERE and HERE. Their conclusion of training parameters to follow for inducing hypertrophy is exactly how I like to train myself and how I like to train my clients looking to fill out their shirt a little better :) Great write-up boys!

Well, that's it for this week.

Have a great weekend and thanks for reading.

-JK

PS. This week's #dragontee photo goes to Jill Coleman from JillFit.com (North Carolina):

Follow @JKConditioning

Build Mass with Squats and Milk

2013-01-10T12:49:00.000-05:00

Picture courtesy of Muscle & Fitness

An old time routine consisting of 20-rep squats has been successfully used to put on size and improve strength in a short amount of time, even for the hardest gainers. Also known as “breathing squats,” the workouts focuses on high-repetition squatting 2-3x/week combined with a higher caloric intake, traditionally consisting of 1 gallon of milk/day, among other calorie sources.

First explored by John McCallum in 1968, the book Super Squats by Randall J. Storssen was released in 1989. It outlines a 20-rep squatting workout that claims to put on 30 lbs of muscle in just 6 weeks. This overly basic program has you in the gym no longer than 3-hours per week—great for anyone leading a busy life. However, I should mention it's by no means easy.

Read the rest over at MuscleandFitness.com HERE.

Men's Fitness and the Dragon Tee

2013-01-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know, that the JKConditioning Dragon Tee appeared on MensFitness.com yesterday? My editor and the Fitness Director for Men's Fitness, Sean Hyson, wore his Dragon Tee in a workout video for City Dwellers (here's the LINK if you want to check out his fitness tip).

Here's a screenshot:

If you want to jump on the band-wagon and get the most badass training tee around, you can get your Dragon Tee HERE.

Also, Men's Fitness posted 12 Must Read Fitness Features from 2012 yesterday and featured 3 (!!!!) of my articles (which is totally awesome!!).

The articles were:

1) The Abdominal Trifecta - a strategic method to training your abs

2) 6 Recovery Strategies for the Workout-aholics - tips to help you recover better between workouts

3) 10 Reasons You're Not Building Muscle - (self explanatory)

If you've read these articles before, let me know how they have helped you and your training.

Here's the link if you want to check out the other Fitness Features:

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/12-must-read-fitness-features-from-2012

Well, that's it for today.

Have an awesome day!

-JK

Follow @JKConditioning

Pumping Iron

2013-01-07T00:05:00.000-05:00

**email subscribers: please read this post on the website - there are videos embedded - thanks!**

Some people focus on getting lean in the new year while others try to put on size.

Let's chat a bit about putting on slabs of chiselled muscle shall we :)

The only way you're gonna put on size, is to train hard, smart, and consistently in the gym. You gotta train like a bodybuilder, but you don't need to spend hours a day in the gym.

Focus on compound (multi-joint exercises) lifts and supplement with isolation exercises. Don't believe it when internet sites say you'll build big biceps by just doing pull-ups or chin-ups. You gotta attack the muscles you want to grow from various angles and various rep ranges (and most times, you'll have to resort to isolation-type exercises). Focus on free weight exercises and feel free to supplement with machine-based exercises and even the Smith Machine. Pay attention to your body mechanics and don't do an exercise if it causes pain (duh!).

In regards to nutrition, I'm a big believer in eating clean, even if the the focus is hypertrophy. I'm not a huge fan of eating shit just for the sake of getting in more calories. Eat clean real whole foods and make sure to eat starches post workout. You'll find it harder to build size on a low-carb diet, so make sure to eat 2 servings of yams, sweet potatoes or rice post workout. Also, try to get 15-20 grams of protein at each meal. Eat unlimited veggies and moderate amounts of healthy fats as well.

Next, you have to get motivated to pump the iron. Make sure to watch these two documentaries (you might recognize the main dude in each film) before going to the gym (I recommend Sunday night to fire you up for the week!).

First film: Pumping Iron (I wasn't able to embed this video, so you gotta watch it on Youtube).

Second film: The Making of Pumping Iron (below).

Next, ed-ju-ma-cate yourself by reading these articles (you're welcome):

1) 10 Reasons You're Not Building Muscle

2) 5 Ways to Amp Up Muscle Growth

3) 5 Bodybuilding Rules You Have to Break to Build Size

Next, make sure your form is picture perfect. Read this 4 Weightlifting Techniques to Master.

Lastly, find a good hypertrophy focused program. Here's a free workout you can do. I wrote this program with Toronto trainer and fitness writer Lee Boyce. It's called the Hybrid Size Workout. You can find the link HERE.

Give it a go and let me know what you think. Be patient. Building muscle takes time and persistence. As the great trainer Bill Starr once wrote: Patience + Persistence = Progress.

Now, go and get it! No one else is gonna do it for you. Light weight baby!

-JK

Follow @JKConditioning

Sunday's Good Fitness Reads 1/6/13

2013-01-06T04:00:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Mark Burnham Photography

Happy Sunday morning!

It's been a busy week as Julia and I are getting ready to move back to St. John's next week.

I did another photo shoot with Mark Burnham Photography on Thursday. We met up on the Simon Fraser University campus to take some pics for a Canadian Running magazine article I submitted last October. I also got shots of the new Hylete Dragon Tees for my Store page and also took some casual shots as well. Here's one of the shots Mark posted on his Facebook page yesterday --->

Also, it was a nice surprise to see that I was named one of the top 40 fitness professionals for 2013 by JMax Fitness. I know the year just started, but Jason Maxwell predicted who he thinks will have a big year. There are tons of respectable a-list trainers on this list, so it's an honour to be mentioned along side them. Personally, I think these lists are kinda silly, but I'm not gonna argue with it :)

Here's the link to check out the list:

Top 40 Fitness Professionals 2013

On to the good reads!

Dr. Oz's Miraculous Medical Advice

by Julia Belluz & Steven J. Hoffman

Seeing that it's new year's resolution time, many of you will be likely looking for ways to improve your health and overall level of fitness. I want to take this opportunity to warn you that getting fitter, healthier, stronger, leaner, more flexible and faster take dedication and a consistent approach to training and eating healthy. There is no such thing as a quick fix or special health supplement that will boost your fat shredding abilities. Obtaining a healthier and fitter body is a process that unfortunately isn't the result of a 32 hour cleanse or a process that requires minimal effort on your part. Since starting my masters (and even before during my undergrad), I've learned that interpreting scientific research is a crucial skill important for finding the truth and context to every claim portrayed in the media. Research can be interpreted in so many ways and twisted to mean so many different things. This article by Julia and Steven reveals, the maybe shocking truth of your favourite daytime doctor. It's an interesting read that should get you thinking.

Stop Mocking the Gym Majors

by Kevin Helliker

Picture courtesy of 10percent.com

Before I graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to go to university and study Kinesiology. I'm not sure how I knew I wanted to study exercise science but I guess because it had the word exercise in the title, I thought it had to be good! I've also played sports my entire life so why not learn more about it in school?! I was a nerd in high school and had good grades, which allowed me to directly register in the program. I ended up going to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC and also competed on the Cross Country and Track and Field varsity teams. As the article says, college jocks are on the receiving end of numerous jokes about being dumb or just attending college to play on a varsity team with the hope of one day reaching the pros. I never heard too many jokes of this nature, but I'm sure glad I followed through with a Kinesiology degree.

All jokes aside, this degree has given me a descent understanding of the human body and strategies to improve health, fitness, strength, speed, mobility, flexibility, conditioning, athletic ability and all around awesomeness. In a world where being healthy is a rarity and preventative actions are more important than ever, I think I made the right choice :) I get to help people reach and surpass their health and fitness goals and also get to write and educate people through popular media outlets such as Men's Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, Reps and Oxygen to name a few. To me, this isn't work...I love my job! That's why I went back to school to do a masters in exercise physiology (hopefully I'll be done in the summer of 2013!).

America's Scariest Fitness Trends

on Men's Health Delta Fit

Seeing that it's jump on the bandwagon and lose fat month, people are going to be willing to try anything to lose fat. As we saw above, quick fixes and supplements is not the way to go. So what does that leave us with? Well, of course...exercise however, not all exercise methods were created equally. Some methods will be safer or smarter than others while other methods might be too advanced. This article has a-list contributors and sheds light onto popular exercises chosen to help with fat loss. You may be surprised with what's said...

Do Carbs Make you Fat

by Nate Miyaki (guest post on BornFitness.com)

Being carb-phobic is as trendy as being fat-phobic was in the 1990s and early 2000s. Low carb diets are super popular right now, but being low carb doesn't mean no carb. Nate discusses the negative view on eating starches, particularly, white rice. I think you'll find this post eye-opening, as did I.

Well, that's it for this week.

Have a great weekend!

-JK

PS. Have you got your Hylete Dragon Tee? I've only heard good things from the people who have already received their shirts in the mail. These are the softest training tees you're gonna find. Here are a couple pics that have been posted on Facebook:

Bret, a Vancouver firefighter

Adrian, a trainer from Seattle, Washington

Follow @JKConditioning