SIEGE FITNESS

Strengthetics the new age of bodybuilding

2014-01-02T11:38:00.001-08:00

Introducing Strengthetics, the ultimate combination of strength and aethetics for the modern bodybuilder

The most important thing in your entire world right now is the V taper!! Forget about eating sleeping drinking, if you don’t have the v taper you might as well pack it in because your life has just lost all meaning. Maybe you haven’t heard aesthetics is the new big, nobody goes around talking about how big anyone is anymore, It’s all about the, oh damn that guys aesthetic as fuck.

So you want to be aesthetic do ya? Well that’s nice and all but all you pretty little guys have got to learn how to be strong and look good, these are the new rules of fitness and its called “Strengthetic”. Yea you can walk around with a good physique and let everyone around you be mirin but if you don’t have what it takes to back it up we’re going to call you out on it.

Rule number one of “strengthetics” is, it’s all about the abs baby! If you’ve got a big thick waist line it’s time to trim it down. Shoulder to waist ratio is like Hollywood magic, the bigger the ratio the better you look. I know you think you know everything there is to know about abs. I’d even bet you spend hours every day doing crunches then staring in the mirror wondering when you’re keg will turn into a six pack.

Here’s the first thing you are never ever going to do again. Don’t ever do a crunch or sit up, did I just blow your mind? Well if I did, do not ever let me see you doing a side bend with a dumb bell because I might just lose all sanity I ever had. Worst exercise ever! One of the biggest problems in society is caused by everyone sitting on their ass so much. This causes a shortening of the hips flexors and increased pelvic tilt leading to serious back problems, and adding more stress by doing sit ups or crunches won’t help.

Do you seriously think that your body evolved the way it has so that you could lay down on the floor and curl up into a fetal position repetitively in order to get a six pack!?!?! Your abs are built to stabilize your body through isometric, eccentric, concentric and rotational contraction, in an upright position. Stop lying down on the job.

Let’s first state the obvious and most important portion of ab work, standing compound movements. That means lifting things while standing up, such as standing press, squats, front squats etc. This means you are actually working out your entire core while working out other muscles and it does not take any extra time. So instead of doing all your shoulder presses seated you can add in some standing press work and although you may have to take the weight back a bit, you will be engaging a whole lot of other muscles. If you doubt the ability to work your abs in this manner unrack a heavy load in the front squat position and you will quickly realize how much work your abdominals are doing,

There are a few mandatory exercise for increasing your abdominal strength.

Cable twists:

These can be done from 3 different positions, low middle and high. I suggest some mixture of all 3. From the top it should mimic a sledge hammer motion, the middle feet planted firmly wide and making sure to only move the upper body, bottom will mimic a bad golf swing. These are all rotational concentric ab work that engage that entire midsection of the body including the obliques. 2 sets at each height, keep the reps above 12 and make the movement fast and powerful, this is a speed movement.

Mandatory isometric work should include different forms of planking . During each training session the goal should be to increase the time of the hold and once that time become more then 20 seconds have a partner assist by either pushing you down or placing plates on your back. 2 sets flat planks 2 sets on each side

Eccentric work will include a few different exercises depending on skill level. An advanced athlete can perform dragon flyes but a newbie wont. The ab wheel is a good tool to use that can be scaled to skill level. Starting from your knees you can limit amount of extension, as strength increases to a full extension and eventually doing the exercise from a standing position. This form of work concentrates strongly on resistance to eccentric contraction. The extension portion should be slow and very controlled. 3 sets of amrap

I like to finish off abs with overhead medicine ball smashes. This is a full body movement that generates its power from the core. Use a smash ball raise it above your head, with both arms throw it down as hard as you can into the ground. Pick it up and repeat until fully exhausted, each rep should be maximum effort. 3 sets to failure

These are a few exercises that will keep your core nice and tight without getting overly wide and without affecting the hip flexors. Remember to keep these workouts short sweet and to the point, we want to keep our midsection slim and trim so keep that volume down and strength up!

American Weakness

2013-11-04T11:37:00.001-08:00

The pussification of americans, training and why competition and motivation is important.

We have all seen the massive epidemic sweeping our nation. Whether we choose to admit it or not we are turning our nation into a bunch of whining pacifists who think everyone is a winner. This malicious infection is now invading our gyms, well there aren’t many gyms left, most are “fitness centers”.

It is my believe that this virus was born from the same breed of character that forbids kids from keeping score at youth baseball games so no one gets upset when they lose.

When I was growing up my parents would through me out of the house and we went and played ball until it was too dark to see anymore. We came home bloodied bruised tired, and sometimes pissed because we lost. That’s right we competed in street football or baseball or whatever it was with the intentions of winning, of beating our friends. Oh and in gym class when we played dodge ball and we intentionally nailed the opposing team in the balls with a hard rubber ball, no one got in trouble, you got up and walked it off. If you think that Im kidding, Im not, I have a friend with only one testicle to prove it.

My point in telling you this, is that competition is a natural part of life and in fact its very healthy. From the very bottom of the animal kingdom to the top there is competition every day to survive. The top of the food chain in the our species wants to use you abuse you and eat you up just as much as any lion out there and you better start believing it. There is a whole lot of BS going around talking about how you shouldn’t compare yourself to others and that your only competition is the mirror. Well I call bullshit, I call it loud and clear from the tops of every building. BULLSHIT

The importance of competition should not be ignored in attaining your desired physique. When I first began training my goals were on my walls of my bedroom, in the form of huge posters of Arnold and Flex Wheeler. I saw these guys and I said, damn that’s what I want to look like. When I went to the gym and I saw the guys around me lifting more weight or looking bigger than me I was envious. I did not stop, turn around look in the mirror and say “well I look better then I did last week”. I was not satisfied with what I saw because I felt as if I could be just as good as anyone else or even better.

Now we have “GYMS” handing out tootsie rolls bagels and pizza and telling people not to judge?? Wait what… so you’re saying its not ok to want to exceed your expectations?

The greatest athletes in the world are born in the fires of competition and adversity. If you notice when you bring a group of elite athletes together they all get better. This is directly proportional to the level of competition. They can be best of friends but you better believe when its time to train they compete with one and the other. This competition is what drives them to become better and this is what makes each generation grow and achieve what others before have not. Don’t fear your inner competitive nature, embrace it and foster it to become better at what you do. Stop being so satisfied go out and eat something bigger then you.

If it fits your macros!?!?!

2013-06-27T07:47:00.003-07:00

Yo bro whats your macros look like!?
Excuse me?
Your macros bro Protein Carbs and Fats...
So you think if you take in the same macro nutrients that I do you will have the same results as I do?
Yea bro its all about If It fits your Macros...IIFYM
My mind just exploded!!!!

I've seen thousands of people go on discussion boards and ask these same questions over and over and over again. Not only is this one of the stupidest new fads in fitness but its straight out wrong. For years the world of sports science has been studying nutrition and the best formulas for getting athletes to perform their best, and then all of a sudden you have this new cult of IIFYM. This is absolute broscience simplified to the point of stupidity.

Now here is where it gets really stupid. These bro's actually believe that if they eat something like the mcdonalds meal above and it doesn't surpass their macro nutrient requirement for the day they will continue to be successful in their fitness goals. WHAT!?!?! Not only this but they have a complete disregard for micronutrients such as vitamins minerals amino acids antioxidants...This is nutrition simplified to the point of stupidity.
What I believe and have seen improve my physique beyond anything I have ever done is proper nutritional timing, taking in the proper amounts of macro and micro-nutrients at the time my body needs them. Now this is going to vary by each person and the goal they are trying to achieve. I have my athletes on diets richer in complex carbohydrates then my physique and bodybuilder clients. All the diets I create are centered around activity levels for the day. When creating a diet we need to know that the energy we are putting into the body in forms of carbohydrates proteins and fats are going to be used most effectively. For example if I have a client that performs a heavy exercise program at 10am I am centering his higher glycemic carbs prior to his workout and post workout. The one thing I insist from every person regardless of who they are is the importance of proper nutrition at breakfast. When you wake up your body is in an extremely stressful state regulating its hormones and recovering from around 8 hours of inactivity and fasting. Without exception I insist that everyone takes in a quick digesting protein, either whey or egg and some carbohydrates in the form of fruits and berries.

We all know the importance of taking in whey protein for building muscle because of its quick absorption time and the ease of digestion. Not all whey proteins are created equal, read the labels and look for protein isolates not concentrates. Although there is nothing truly wrong with a concentrate you will be getting a less pure product and usually a lot of by products that go along with it.
BCAA's are the building blocks of our muscles and essential to the proper function growth and creation of an anabolic environment. Any good BCAA supplement will be sold in a 2:1:1 ratio. Leucine:Isoleucine:Valine this is the most effective ratio for your bodies absorption. I suggest to my clients to use this both as an intra workout supplement for those who have longer workouts and as something to take in throughout the day. For endurance athletes I often add bcaas to their sugar free electrolytes sports drink during their long training periods. By doing this the get all the benefits of replenishing their electrolytes along with the anabolic response from the BCAA powder. The results are better longer harder workouts.

There is something truely magical about the numbers 2:1:! and thats what makes this post workout drink so amazing. We have discussed the importance of whey and bcaas and to some extent carbs. This product from ON takes all the thinking out of post workout nutrition. It is geared specifically towards athletes who need the proper post workout nutrition. It combines both quick and slow digesting proteins from multiple sources. Two we discussed EGG and WHEY and a third CASEIN...casein is a anticatabolic protein that will actually slow the body from going into a catabolic state. It also contains both fast and slow digesting carbs to replenish glycogen levels and spike insulin levels post workout. This creates an anabolic environment to create muscle growth recovery and deliver the proper micronutrients to the muscle cells.

Beta-Alanine is one of the most overlooked supplements on the market and its possibilities for athletes is tremendous. It offers the body away to buffer ammonia created from lactic acid build up. If you dont know what lactic acid is, its that buring feeling that leads to nausea and an inability to continue going during a run or sporting event. Some people get a slight feeling of tingling or numbness from taking the powder, most will get used to it, some enjoy it and some people cant stand it. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in increasing performance.

My night time recommendation for nutrient timing that is hugely overlooked is Casein protein. This protein is not anabolic so it will not build muscle but what it does do is prevent a catabolic state. It will actually prevent the breakdown of cellular structure due to nutrient deficiencies while you sleep. This is tremendously important as we have already spoken about the stresses put on the body during waking. This will help alleviate a lot of those stresses.

If you still think that IIFYM has any validity what so ever, your costing yourself dearly. Its a fad diet plan come up with by those who want you to believe everything is really just that simple. The truth is simple, create a calorie deficit and you will lose weight but the point here is not to lose weight it is to perform optimally. You will never feel, look or perform your best by following a simple plan, after all if it was that simple everyone would do it.

2013-05-20T11:14:00.001-07:00

Get Big Arms: Noah Siegel’s Sleeve-Busting Workout

by Noah Siegel Apr 10, 2013

I've seen countless people come into the gym and throw dumbbells around like potato sacks. They act wild, scream and grunt like gorillas in heat, and then spend their rest periods flexing in the mirror. Although these dudes seem hard-core, they're actually putting a lot of energy into something that won't garner results. They must learn to train smarter.
Many people fail to realize that they already train their arms multiple times per week, without ever doing any direct arm work. Every time we do a pressing movement, we use our triceps.
Every time we pull, we use our biceps and forearms. Because our biceps and triceps get a lot of work during compound movements, it's important to limit the number of sets during isolation work. With dedicated arm training, keep the sets low and the intensity high.
An even bigger problem is that most people don't understand anatomy well enough to train their biceps and triceps effectively. So to build big arms, we need to start by using our head.

How Your Arms Work ///

The major action of the biceps brachii is elbow flexion and forearm rotation. The name—biceps—means that the muscle is made of two heads, a long and a short. These muscle heads have two different origins but come together to form one tendon, which attaches to the radius.
You can feel your biceps working if you put your left and on your right biceps muscle and then rotate your forearm from a pronated (palm down) to a supinated (palm up) position. You can also feel your biceps participate if you put your left hand on your right biceps and flex your elbow.
Your biceps can fatigue easily, and thus relies on your front deltoid and brachioradialis (anterior forearm muscle) for aid. To get the most out of your biceps training, you need movements that include both flexion and supination.

The triceps brachii is named similarly because of its three heads. The triceps is a slightly larger portion of the arm and just as complex as the biceps. The triceps main function is to extend the elbow. To feel your triceps, place your left hand on the back of your right arm and then extend your right arm until it is completely straight. The long and lateral heads of the triceps create the "horseshoe" shape everyone is gunning for. The medial head is a "deep" muscle.
Not all three heads originate at the same place, but they all insert into the elbow. The long head of the triceps originates at the scapula. To isolate it, your elbow must be over your head.

Sleeve-Busting Arms Workout

Now that I dropped some knowledge bombs, let's blow those arms up! Do this workout once per week on any day you choose. Generally, I do an abs/arms/forearms day later in the week after I've already worked my larger muscle groups.

BICEPS

Spider Curl
4 sets: 12, 8, 6, 15 reps

Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets: 8, 8, 6 reps

Barbell Curl
3 sets: 8, 8, 12 reps

Preacher Curl
Dropset to failure

TRICEPS

Cable Push-Down with Bar
4 sets: 12, 8, 8, 8 reps

Seated Triceps Press
3 sets: 10, 8, 8 reps

Low Cable Triceps Extension
3 sets: 12, 12, 15 reps

Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension
3 sets: 15, 15, 20 reps

FOREARMS

Seated Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl
4 sets of 25 reps

Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl
3 sets: 15 reps

Reverse Barbell Curl
3 sets: 15 reps

Hammer Curls (Optional finisher)
1-2 sets: failure

Printable Page

PDF Document

This workout provides more than sufficient arm work. Make sure to keep the intensity high and the pace quick. Hit them hard, hit them fast, and watch 'em grow!

2013-05-20T11:10:00.000-07:00

Best Chest: Noah Siegel's Pec-Building Workout

by Noah Siegel Mar 13, 2013

The first thing that everyone notices on a great male physique is a big, thick, round chest. It doesn't matter whether the guy is in a bar or at the gym, when his muscle-bound chest goes by, everyone takes a peek. If you already are that guy, congratulations—you can celebrate a set of primo pectorals. If you're not there yet, then you did the right thing by clicking on this article. I am going to let you in on a few secrets to developing the chest you always wanted.
There are no two ways about it, if you want a big chest, you better get ready to lift big. The biggest mistake I see in the gym is the rookie 17-year-old doing endless sets of cable flyes. Everyone seems to worry about the small details before they even have the muscle to make those details stand out.

Keep It Simple

For a big chest, the best things you can do are heavy compound (multi-joint) movements. No matter if you're hitting a flat bench or an incline bench with dumbbells, you have to put extreme stress on the muscle fibers to make them grow.
Generally, this happens best in the six-rep range. Now, I know every bodybuilding book you have ever read says to do 12 reps, but in my experience that number isn't enough to stimulate the proper motor units and fast-twitch muscle fibers.
You need to do heavier sets. Teach the central nervous system to fire more motor units at the same time, and muscles can contract faster, tighter, and harder.
But we're not done yet! Even after we have taught more muscle fibers to fire more effectively, we need to cause hypertrophy to get that muscle to blow up.
The most effective way to do this is by training your chest twice per week, every week.

The Big Chest Breakdown

Your split for chest should comprise two days. The first chest day will be low-volume, high- intensity training. Even though you only do six reps, the weight should be heavy enough that you reach failure on that sixth rep. You'll do 10 total sets in the 6-rep range over three different movements. Give your chest at least 72 hours of rest before you hit it again.
The second day will consist of higher-volume, lower-intensity work. Notice, I didn't say "low intensity"—I said "lower." For this workout, you do 15 total sets in the 12-30 range over four different movements.

Better Chest Moves

What separates the big boys from the rest of the crowd is that nice V-shaped notch of muscle right by the clavicle. No one respects droopy-looking pecs—they just look weird and weak. Here are some effective moves you can implement for a bigger, badder chest.

1. Incline Bench Press
The most common exercise to create that upper chest is the incline bench. And while it's effective, guys tend to cheat by lowering the angle so it's almost like a flat bench. If you choose to do incline, use strict form and remember to contract your chest; do not rely on your shoulders.
2. Barbell Neck (Barbell Guillotine) Press
Set up the flat bench on the Smith machine for safety and align the bar so it will come down right below your Adam's apple. Begin with light weight and do the movement slowly. Make sure you are not overly externally rotating your shoulders and that you come down as close as you can to your neck without pain.
You'll feel a big stretch across the top of your chest and should get a dramatic feeling of contraction along the clavicle. Remember to concentrate on squeezing your chest. You don't need to lift a ton of weight.
3. Modified Incline Dumbbell Flye
Do this movement on a 45-degree incline bench. Start with your hands supinated at hip level with a moderately light dumbbell in each hand. Arch your back, keep your chest high, and scoop the weights up across the body in a hugging motion until they reach face level. You should feel a contraction in the top of the chest and also in the front deltoid.
This will give you that great chest/deltoid tie-in that everyone wants. Concentrate on the contraction of your chest—not how much weight you can do. For an added burn, follow this movement with normal incline flyes until failure.

Sample Workouts

Chest Day 1: Heavy

Do a total of 10 sets in the 6 rep range in three different movements.

Dumbbell Bench Press
2 sets of 10 reps (warm-up); 3 sets of 6 reps (working)
Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
3 sets of 6 reps
Leverage Incline Chest Press
3 sets of 6 reps
Dumbbell Flyes
1 heavy set of 6-8 reps, 1 light set 25 reps to failure

Printable Page

PDF Document

Chest Day 2: Lighter

Do a total of 15 sets in the 12-30 rep range in 4 different movements.

Barbell Incline Bench Press - Medium Grip
2 sets of 12 reps (warm-up); 2 sets of 15 reps; and 1 set of 25 reps
Barbell Bench Press - Medium Grip
2 sets of 15; 1 set 25 reps
Neck Press
2 sets of 15 reps; 1 set of 25 reps
Incline Dumbbell Flyes
2 sets of 12 reps (modified version); 1 set of 12 reps (regular fly) to failure

Behind the scenes in our new factories

2013-05-20T08:37:00.002-07:00

Behind the scenes in our factory

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Siege Fitness Administrator ·

It’s no secret that we’re very particular about the fabrics, finishes, details and embellishments that go into every Siege Fitness garment. We are fanatical about our own products–and that’s why we wanted to show you these shots from the production of our latest line in our factories. Check it out!

New Collection for Summer 2013… Coming Soon!

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Siege Fitness Administrator · No comments and No reactions

We’ve been working really fast and hard to bring you a new fresh assortment for the summer.
From selecting new bright colored fabrics and threads to putting the finishing touches on our canvas hang tags, we are ready to bring you “Big Guns” Siege Fitness style.
Our clothes are all custom made from the design details, garment construction, and artwork. We are building a brand based on quality garments that have superb attention to detail and make you look and feel great. This is making us stand out from our competition.For Summer 2013, our men’s collection will feature a boot camp themed line with camo prints, American flags, military stars, and most importantly our “Big Guns” salute. We are also expanding our ever successful tag line, “Refuse to Fail™,” with a set of tees in brand new bright colors and graphic treatments. All of our shirts will be made in super soft fabrics with washes and in that fit that you will love so that you can wear them in or out of the gym.

Our women’s collection will feature bright colored tank tops with some new graphic ideas paying homage to the “big guns.” We’re on the seasonal trend in skulls and one of our new tanks will feature a unique Siege skull printed in a neon color. We will also be introducing new graphic treatments like silver foil and rhinestones to make you stand out even more from the rest of the crowd. Ladies, we haven’t forgotten that you need camo too. We’re working on a camo sleeveless tank with some silver foil treatment in the bold “Refuse to Fail” logo. We know you want brights so we’ve answered your request!
Be sure to check out the new line available for purchase on the web right here at SiegeFitness.com starting June 1st!

MYO X and Myostatin Inhibitors

2013-02-05T07:10:00.002-08:00

Pharmaceutical companies have been chasing the key to unlocking myostatin inhibitors for decades. It is the key to solving many many physical disabilities caused by disease and injury in people.

Belgian Blue bulls have been genetically engineered to have the inhibitor gene removed from their dna in order to grow abnormally large and strong. Many people in the athletics and fitness supplementation industry believe that this is the next big step to improved athletic performance.

Here come the supplement companies making outrageous claims that they have discovered the key to myostatin inhibitors and stopping major muscle breakdown. And how are they doing it??? Through a propreitary blend that they will not reveal to the public ofcourse

So basically a relatively small supplement company has solved what some of the top scientist in the world have not being able to solve. Lets be honest about this... chances are its total bullshit.
I would love nothing more for this to be the real deal but we are talking about a huge step, a revolution not only for athletes but for the entire human population. Id be glad to give this product a try but fuck me if you think I am gonna pay $70 for some sugar pill,. 99% chance thats what it is.

In the end this is a lesson to the consumer, do your research before you buy something. If you're a beginner stick to the basics and dont look for a magic pill because chances are this is not it. If this is the real deal, no big rush because we are all going to be walking around shredded at 220 benching 500+ in no time once we get on it. Dont believe everything you read in a very unregulated industry.

Leg Training are Squats Necessary!?!?!

2013-01-23T07:07:00.001-08:00

Are squats really necessary in leg training? The answer is yes and no.... The squat is a fully body lift and extremely valuable for strength training but it is also very tricky to learn and needs to be done properly.
After training for about 15 years my body has gotten a little beat up. When I was 23 years old I was squating 405 every week to parallel for 15 reps. Lets just say my lower back didnt hold up over time and eventually I blew out my Sacroiliac joint and ended up in the hospital multiple times. Yes multiple times because my stupid ass couldn't accept the fact that I was actually hurt and I went back to throwing heavy weight on the bar again.

My main problem was a very common issue in squats known as the butt wink. A combination of tight hip flexors and adductor muscles were causing my lower back to round ever so slightly at the bottom of the squat. Eventually this caused a nice pop followed by excruciating muscle spasm and me getting stuck sitting on the toilet bowl unable to get up at 3 in the morning. If you look at the video above you will clearly see that his lower back is rounding at the bottom of the movement. The vertebrae of our spine do not do well when this happens. Intervertebral discs are designed to cushion the pressure of a vertical movement. When that pressure moves into the horizontal plane the discs become very vulnerable for herniation.
So what can we do to fix this? There are many ways, number one being stretching the proper muscles of the hips such as adductors, psoas, sartorius, rectus femoris and tfl. There are many great stretches you can look up for these muscles. What I have found to be very useful in eliminating injury is the box squat.

Dave Tate is one of the masters of power lifting and strength training and has really revolutionized the way people train heavy. If it wasn't for Elite FTS and Westside Barbell I would probably still be breaking my back once or twice a year squatting. I personally train a combination of power lifting and bodybuilding but these guys know what they are doing. I have found box squats allow me to control the weight and the depth that I go down while maintaining my form
So should we squat...YES but we need to do it safely. I have also learned to use other machines to go extra heavy. Despite my now near perfect form on squats I still worry about that one mishap where I blow my back out and cant move for weeks.
I have found a lot of success building leg muscle with hack squats and the leg press. Yes I said leg press, I know all you hardcore lifters hate the leg press but it allows me to safely load up massive amounts of weight with out fear of blowing out my back. I have also found that on the hack squat I can take the movement ass to ground without sacrificing my lower back posture. I really like this because it allows me to focus on my quads a bit more then the squatting that focuses more on the posterior chain. Sometimes I get upset about not squatting really heavy, but I have learned some of my limitations as I age.
Squats are a great exercise but they are not the only way to work your legs. I believe if you do things right you can build a great set of wheels without doing extremely heavy squats.

Another day training with the SIEGE FITNESS crew and GEAR!!!

2012-12-21T07:43:00.005-08:00

Just another day training with the SIEGE FITNESS training crew and our gear!!

Rotational Core Work

2012-12-06T08:49:00.001-08:00

Rotational Core Work is the most important and also the most overlooked exercises done.
We all know that the majority movement if performed in an upright position , whether we are talking about sports or the everyday mom cleaning and carrying her child. The majority of injuries to the back occur because of a twist or turn while lifting something improperly.
We've always been told to bend with the knees and lift with the legs, not the back. This is of course correct but in reality there are always instances where this just does not happen. We need to build our muscles to prepare for a strain and be strong enough so that we do not injure ourselves. It should also be recognized that the midsection of the body is a dynamic moving segment of muscles that twist and turn every which way. To simply do crunches or situps and think you are getting a complete well rounded workout for your core is ludicris.

When training the core for functional uses the main idea is to do exercises that do not require you to lay down. Yea crunches and leg raises etc have their place for building muscle but at no point during a sport or functional activity are you laying down. Unless your a car mechanic working off his back under a car but for the rest of us, get up!

I favor activities that involve all the muscles of the core to work synergistic-ally as they would in any upright movement a person would be performing. For the sake of bodybuilding or strengthening a weak link we can always isolate certain muscles to strengthen or define them but they must be able to work as a whole. This is the way to improve performance and to minimize injury.

CROSSFIT SUCKS

2012-12-03T15:39:00.001-08:00

CROSSFIT SUCKS but I love the idea
Ok look I dont hate crossfit its just that you it does so many things that are terrible bio mechanically for your body. The whole idea of getting people into fitness in a really unique and hardcore way is awesome but to sacrifice form and bio mechanics to get people to think they can do things they cant is not going to work.
If you have ever watched someone do a kipping pull up or a muscle up on rings when they are tired you will begin to understand why its so easy to get hurt. You cant stress the joints in this manner for very long before you pay a horrible price.
The question becomes how do you make crossfit safe and effective for all so that people can enjoy this form of fitness without serious concern for injury.

This is the attitude I love, nothing better then a girl that is not afraid to hit the weights hard!
Crossfit has done a great job marketing itself and getting out there but it needs to learn to do a better job of managing who can open a facility. I personally know a Spin instructor that opened a Crossfit box, this guy has no business what so ever teaching olympic lifts!! In a nutshell that is the problem with Crossfit, give them a $1000 and they'll give you the rights to use their name on a "box".

They have developed a massive cult following with members more then happy to dish out $150 or more a month to be a part. Who is smarter then a man who can get girls to pay him big money every month to toss kegs and lift heavy weight!?!?!

The common person out there has no idea how much practice and learning is involved in completing an olympic lift.

If you think this guy just walked into the gym and started doing this lift his first time, you're out of you're mind. This is a lot of practice a lot of stretching and a damn good coach.

In the end we can only hope for Crossfit to take a turn for the better and not for the worse. There are enough people getting hurt out there lifting weights the wrong way, we dont need anymore.

2012-12-02T17:38:00.001-08:00

Finally the first round of Siege Promotional T Shirts have arrived!

We are glad to introduce of very first promotional T shirt offered to all our fans at a very discounted rate. We are just looking to get the word out about SIEGE our ideas products and website so we will be offering these at cost $15 plus shipping and handling. Yes WE SHIP INTERNATIONAL yes we would love guys from all over the world to start sporting our gear. This is the first in a long line of hot designs coming out. Place your orders by contacting me at SiegeFitness@gmail.com, payment will be made using Paypal via the same address. Get yours now!!! Help me in my quest to support fitness as a way of life!!

Available right now in womens baby tee...

Available now in Mens 100% cotton ultra light weight

Coming Soon.....

SIEGE, COMING ON STRONG, GET IT NOW!!!

Does P90X Work?

2012-10-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Does P90X work?

The answer is a little more complicated then you might think. Yes of course it will work for some people but certainly not all. If you think you will get the same results as the commercial shows, the chances are highly unlikely. The real problem is that most people that are too lazy to get to the gym are also too lazy to follow a strict diet plan that is required to go along with the program.
Id say that Ive had a few hundred people tell me how they have tried P90X and how great it is. About 99% of those people are no longer doing the program, a few have moved on to going to the gym but the majority have just given up.
I like P90X and everything that is done in the videos but the truth is that its a marketing gimic. The gimic works because so many of you are so lazy you cant get off your couch to do much more then grab a bag of chips.
MUSCLE CONFUSION its such a great marketing tool but its such bullshit. If you want to read more about my thoughts on muscle confusion just read my blog post about it.
The truth about this program is that its something that every decent trainer in the world has known for decades. If you follow the program you will lose weight and you may put on a little muscle, but you will never have an extraordinary amount of muscle or strength. Ive yet to meet any real athlete of fitness competitor that relies on silly videos to get in top shape.
P90X is what it is, a simple gimmick video to get lazy people up off the couch and doing something. And with that in mind it succeeds very well, but I can almost guarantee if you start this program you will end it in a few months or just forget about it and go back to your old ways.
People need a certain commitment to stay in shape, and for a lot of people that is a monetary commitment. Whether that means spending $50 a month on a gym membership or $1000 a month on a trainer people need more motivation then a dvd.
I congratulate the owners of P90X on taking your money and making themselves rich but this will never replace they need for gyms and health clubs.
If you would like to do the program I say go for it...if you think its the answer to your prayers, I say keep praying.

In the end if you are serious you will need to move on to a real consistent program, P90X is a good warm up but it can only take you so far.

2012-10-16T06:14:00.002-07:00

First shirts up for pre order
They are basically give aways we are just charging cost to start to put the brand out there. Let me know if you guys are interested

High Intensity Training, WHY ARE YOU STILL RUNNING FOR HOURS ON THE TREADMILL

2012-10-15T06:09:00.001-07:00

High Intensity Training, there is no real need to run long distances anymore unless you are a distance runner.
Lets talk a little about how intensity affects the way your body reacts in regards to fat burning. Lipolysis (the burning of triglycerides, FAT) gets affect by two key components. When we do low intensity cardio or what is referred to as LSS (low intensity steady state) we only release noradrenaline. This has a good long term metabolic effect on our bodies as it continues to illicit a fat burner response for approximately 24 hrs. Now here is where it gets really good, when we do HIIT (high intensity interval training) our bodies not only release noradrenaline but they also release adrenaline! This will increase our bodies need to consume oxygen post exercise which raises our metabolic rate for the next 24 hrs. HIIT training also has a greater ability to increase VO2 Max which is essential for all competitive athletes. In simplistic terms VO2 Max is the bodies ability to take in less oxygen and use it more efficiently over a shorter period of time. The higher your VO2 Max the better you can perform for a sustained period of time.
For any non endurance athlete out there (football baseball tennis soccer etc) there are clear and irrefutable reasons to do HIIT training.

Here is the real fun part, HIIT DOESNT HAVE TO BE DONE ON A TREADMILL. Thats right you can in fact take your HIIT training to the weight room to the park or where ever you want.
A good example of HIIT off the treadmill would be sets of lightweight squats for AMRAP (as many reps as possible) 30 secs, 30 secs rest, squat AMRAP 30 sec , rest. Repeat this for 10 min and then let me know if your heart explodes.

Hill sprints and stadium stairs are all awesome ways to use HIIT training. Sprint up a hill walk down take a couple deep breaths repeat. Same with stadium stairs, once your done, try not to puke.

TRUE STRENGTH CATALOG

2012-10-10T08:33:00.001-07:00

The ON True Strength catalog arrived in stores and booths this Olympia weekend. I am very fortunate to find myself in a few ads for ON and could not be more great full for their endorsement. You guys can find me on www.truestrength.com/noahsiegel

Here is a sample of some of my stuff, there are lots more ads in the catalog and as always, I hope everyone supports ON so we can continue to put out the best products on the market.

2012-10-02T06:37:00.003-07:00

New day new advertisement campaign for Optimum Nutrition. This one will be appearing in almost all the fitness magazines. Serious Mass was rated the number one weight gainer in the world by Bodybuilding.com and I am fortunate enough to be the poster boy for the product. Hoping good stuff like this keeps happening. Thanks for all the support guys and gals!!

BELIEVE IN OPTIMUM NUTRITION

2012-09-20T13:29:00.003-07:00

Believe in Optimum Nutrition
There is just no other company out there that rivals the quality and consistency of what this company produces. They have built my body, now let them build yours!!

The worst Crossfit things Ive ever seen!

2012-09-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

These are some of the worst Crossfit things that I have ever seen. To be honest I like the idea of crossfit, but the execution is so terrible on so many levels it makes me want to vomit up my liver.

Yes this image is serious, very serious! How friggin stupid can you be!?!?! The whole idea of doing Olympic style lifts for repetition is stupid in itself adding a baby to your chest while doing it is criminal. Gotta get in that WOD no matter what! I cross train all the time, in fact Ive been cross training for nearly 18 years. I have never once given one of my routines a cute girly name nor have I jeopardized my own health or the health of those around me. My real question is, when are these idiots doing this dangerous stuff going to stop. When are you going to legitimize crossfit into something safe something productive and something that will actually work long term.

I would like to see one Crossfit gym that actually teaches these lifts corrrectly, you wont find one. These lifts take years to learn and longer to master, and lifters still get hurt.

I would say the majority of people that do crossfit have no idea what the point of a clean and jerk really is or why it is so important in all athletics. So let me make it clear for anyone reading this, they are to develop power in the posterior chain particularly Type II muscle fiber. Practicing olympic lifts for endurance is akin to asking a sprinter to only train long distance. Its idiotic dangerous and it doesnt work. Will the average coach dwelling Peggy Bundy lose weight and sweat like crazy? Absolutely, but that doesnt mean its the right way to do things.

If I see one more person doing kipping pull up Im going to tackle them off the chin up bar. No its not a real pull up and no it is not safe. Will you get away with it for a while, absolutely, will you eventually get hurt, YES.

Im waiting for Crossfit to stop the bullshit and turn itself into a legitimate fitness trend because they are getting popular and have the potential to do great things. The people who are in charge need to get their heads out of their asses and teach people properly. Crossfit can be great but its gonna get a lot of people hurt before they make it legitimate.

Musclemag Abs Video

2012-09-18T16:30:00.002-07:00

MUSCLEMAG HITS SHELVES IN 10 DAYS

2012-09-04T06:52:00.002-07:00

My new issue of muscle mag with complete abdominal domination will be coming out in 10 days!! You want great abs, pick up the magazine, it will feature 4 pages of my favorite ab workouts!

Big thanks to the guys at Robert Kennedy Publications

Tons more articles and professional training videos in the works!!

Leaning Down Getting the water and fat off Screw Cardio

2012-07-31T08:10:00.001-07:00

I am currently in the process of leaning down for an upcoming event and wanted to talk a little about the process that I have taken.

First and foremost I would like to say that I do ZERO CARDIO! I really believe my weight lifting pace is enough to stimulate my heart rate and burn enough calories. If you count playing with the ropes once in a while as cardio then its not zero. Point is I don't run or even walk on a treadmill

For this event I am relying only on clean eating and balanced vitamins minerals and herbs. Currently in the above picture Im sitting just under 200lbs.

My diet is at nearly 300g of protein a day with 150g carbs and 50g fat. None of my carbs are coming from processed foods, they are all strictly vegetables and berries. I also eat a lot of peanut butter as a healthy fat source. I have followed this now for 3 weeks and have seen a significant loss in body fat increased vascularity and very little to no muscle loss. I feel that this is working much better for me then when I am doing cardio as I feel it really flattens me out and thins my legs much too much.
For the last two weeks I will be taking Dandelion Root, Uva Ursi, and Juniper Leaves and caffeine to help flush out the subcutaneous water. I will aslo increase my sodium intake and then drastically deplete it and increase my potassium. The final 3 days I will slowly raise my carb level to increase the glycogen storage in my muscle and hope for a full pumped up vascular physique.

So far this routine has been working well for me but the final two weeks shall tell the whole story.

Stop whining that you don't have time to get in shape

2012-06-18T06:19:00.001-07:00

Almost everyone I meet that is out of shape tells me how they don't have time to get in shape. Of course you know that I'm going to tell you all that your full of shit. I know your fat ass is sitting on the couch munching on chips and watching tv for two hours every night, but that's ok I know you are too busy to stay healthy.
Im going to start posting a few videos of quick at home or on the road exercises that anyone can do very quickly very easily and very effectively.
This is my first time shooting a video on my own so they will suck at first, but get better as time goes on and I learn what Im doing. First up I am going to be showing you some ab work you can do with a few simple items bought at any sports store and with common furniture everyone has in their home or hotel room.

This is just a quick preview of some of the things you can do with ten minutes to get yourself going when you cant get to the gym. Remember the key to abs above everything else is going to be diet. You can have the greatest strongest sexiest abs in the world but if they are covered in a layer of fat no one will ever know

Carbohydrates late night turn to FAT FACT or FICTION

2012-05-21T18:28:00.001-07:00

This week I am joined by Zachery Rosen who is a certified ISSA and IFA sports nutritionist and specializes in diets for athletes.

Zach is going to be trying to explain to us why in his studies and beliefs eating carbs late night is not only not bad for you but in fact can be beneficial....

The following is a little about eating and Zachs reasoning behind eating carbs and food in general later at night:

There is a common misconception that eating carbs, in particular carbs late at night, will cause an immediate gain in body fat. Although there is some truth against eating late at night the majority of that myth is derived from people who not only eat late at night but eat excessively during the day as well.

When you are over your necessary caloric intake for a day the excessive calories will turn to fat no matter what source they are derived from. Most people blame fat intake because it is already in the simplest form for the body to convert to fat. FAT to fat its a simple process but dont think that only fat turns to fat because all excess calories will eventually turn to fat.

The most simple formula to determine caloric intake for the day is:

Body weight multiplied by 12-14 equals your daily maintenance calories (neither lose nor gain weight)

You will have to determine a little by trial and error what number is more accurate for you.

A slightly more precise measurement is what we call basal metabolic rate or BMR

BMR for Men:

66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

BMR for Women

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Harris Benedict Formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie Calculation = BMR x 1.375

If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie Calculation = BMR x 1.55

If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie Calculation = BMR x 1.725

If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie Calculation = BMR x 1.9

OH DAMN NOW YOU"RE ALL CONFUSED!!! RELAX ITS NOT REALLY THAT HARD

Ok so now back to carbohydrates!!!

This is where Zach gets to take it away and explain his theories on carbohydrate intake...

Go for it Zach

I will discuss the reasons as to why eating carbohydrates late at night won’t make you fat. Leptin along with some other hormones contributes a lot to energy expenditure. After a meal leptin, along with insulin will rise. Once this happens and leptin gives your body the “im full” signal , and it allows you to start burning fat/energy.

A rise in leptin is favorable to increased energy expenditure. This is where it all happens.

There is also a rhythm related to leptin and sleep. Leptin is at its highest point some time after you fall asleep, and lowers cortisol levels (bad stress related). This is why you recover, as well as burn fatty acids in your sleep.

Now imagine changing your bodies natural rhythm to something more favorable with the carbohydrate meal prior to bed. This will increase leptin levels even more, allowing you a deeper sleep, as well as the possibility of better hunger control throughout the day.

One thing that you can do to enhance your fat loss is focus 40% of your total carbohydrate intake before bed. If that doesn’t work, add 3mg of melatonin, and your leptin levels (and energy expenditure) will go a bit higher creating an even more favorable sleep. Couple this with a caloric deficit in your dieting strategy and you shift the way your metabolism will use fuel and you may hit your goal even faster than before.

Reason 1: As long as your caloric intake meets your specific requirement you will not gain weight

Reason 2: Shifting diurnal rhythm may increase energy expenditure even more and allow greater recovery

Take home from this:

#1: Eating at night will not make you fat, too many calories will.

#2: Late night carbs (8pm and later) may aid in greater weight loss and recovery

Zach has brought up some really interesting points about diurnal rhythm that I was unaware of but at the same time Im not ready to start eating rice before I go to bed. As many people that know me, know Im a big fan of ketosis based diets for weight loss and competitions. I see a lot of merit in the studies that Zach has brought up and at some point I may give it a shot but change is very difficult. I think its an interesting start to something that may really work, maybe something Ill give a shot in the winter.

Crossfit the good the bad and the just plain stupid

2012-04-23T14:14:00.002-07:00

Crossfit the Good the Bad and the just plain stupid

There is nothing new or really ingenious about crossfit with the exception of the marketing behind it.
People have been doing circuit training for decades and Im pretty sure I bought a pair of crosstrainer shoes when I was in 3rd grade, at about the same time we climbed the ropes in gym class, the idea has always been there.
Apparently if you come up with a few different exercises chain them together and give it a cute girls name you can create a whole new genre of exercise. There are some things that I really do like about crossfit like the idea of hardcore training, actually having everyone lifting weights and the organized encouraging atmosphere.
Unfortunately there are some really really really bad things as well:

Expecting a 45 year old out of shape pregnant soccer mom to a clean a jerk
Olympic style lifts for reps!?!?! They are power movements using fast twitch muscle fiber designed to develop power not endurance, putting the two together becomes dangerous fast.
Kipping everything, kipping is just stupid

It takes years for olympic athletes to perfect their form on a clean and jerk or a snatch yet crossfit thinks that it can be taught to just about anyone and performed safely. IT CANT and it SHOULDNT.
Some of the best strength training coaches specifically train their athletes without these exercises to avoid the potential for catastrophic injury because it is so prevalent.

DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH

The truth is that most of the best crossfit athletes come from a strong weightlifting or athletic gymnastic background. Crossfit does have its place and is in fact a great workout when done safely and under good supervision but it is not the only thing you should be doing. In fact if the only thing you do is crossfit you will limit the amount of muscle you can put on and the potential your body can achieve. Dont fool yourself and think that a crossfit athlete doing a 500# deadlift just learned the deadlift a few months ago. Admittedly I dont deadlift nearly as often as I should but I have been training for more then 15 years and I consider it a great lift when I hit 500.
I think the idea of crossfit is really good and they have done a great job marketing it, but they need to find a better way to keep it safe and still be effective. They let too many inexperienced poorly trained individuals open up gyms and charge $150 a month. Most of these places have trainers that simply dont know the fundamentals of weightlifting technique. The truth is most of the original founding members that were involved in crossfit that knew how to teach effectively have left the organization. They left because the organization has allowed so many poor trainers to be allowed to own and run gyms.
Crossfit can be great for fitness but right now it has the potential to be very dangerous and bad for weight training. How long will it take before all the injuries occurring while doing crossfit give all weightlifting a bad name? I hope they get their stuff together and drop some of the stupid crap they do and keep the good stuff.