Defining Movements

Who doesn't have 6 minutes a day?

2014-11-10T13:35:00.000+02:00

This is for those people who are really pressed for time but still want to get a good workout in. Remember it's not quantity, it's quality, it's not what you do it's how you do it. In this post I'm going to give you a short, dynamic, kick you in the gut workout that will have your blood pumping, your heart beating like a disco drum and your lungs crying for air. All of which are great for muscle building and fat burning.

So without wasting any more time, here's your 6 minute full body blaster.

Firstly, here's what you need for the workout:

1 - Water bottle
2 - Towel
3 - Mobile phone or tablet or any other device that you can download a counting app to.

The circuit is run as follows, set your timer to track 20 seconds of work and then 10 seconds of rest for the entire circuit.

So as an example, you would set it to count 20 seconds while you go all out doing air squats, at the end of the count you will then rest for 10 seconds while preparing for the next exercise in the circuit.

I've put them together in such a way as to generate the highest work factor so that it works effectively for the attributed time period. Now that we understand the timing of the circuit, let's have a look at the workout itself.

Bodyweight tabata fat blaster - you can call it what you like:-)

Exercise 1 - Burpees
Exercise 2 - Mountain climbers
Exercise 3 - Chin ups
Exercise 4 - Air squats
Exercise 5 - elevated push ups
Exercise 6 - Skipping, free skipping

If you are new to working out then I would suggest you go through the circuit once and then see how you feel. If you are a regular to the gym or gym class then start off with three rounds and gauge from there.

Remember this is open to various levels as one person might only get 5 push ups in the allotted time while someone else may get 15, the intensity all depends on your level of fitness.

That's it guys, it's very simple but if you stick with this you will see results.

Now go for it.

Why the hooha over bodyweight calisthenics?

2014-11-08T13:51:00.000+02:00

So I'm sure you've noticed the steady rise of the names of certain athletes who are doing tremendous things with their bodies. Well as hot as the topic of body weight calisthenics may be right now, the truth of the matter is that it has gained such a massive resurgence due to the marketing it has received.

And make no mistake, the body weight evangelists who are out in full force do have a true message. The point I'm trying to make is that it is not something new, not in the least. In fact body weight training came along way before weight training did and the only reason it lost popularity the way it did is because we were all in awe of the massive bodies built by the greats like Arnold and so on.

So why all this hype about it now? What's changed and why has it become so mainstream? My personal opinion: superb marketing. In the days of our old iron kings those cats didn't have access to YouTube or blogs etc whereas today we do.

And YouTube has been blowing up with videos of everyone everywhere showing their physical prowess on playgrounds all over the world. This is great of course because it encourages people to get up off the couch and get active and I am all for people being active.

But before you ask me if I am going to jump on the band wagon and say that we should never lift weights, I'm going to say this: whatever you do must be done in moderation and it must be done safely. So while body weight calisthenics is the "in" thing now, the truth is that it has been around since we realized we could move our bodies.

Anyways, the reason I'm writing this article is to provide you with knowledge so that you can be empowered to know which exercise discipline is for you and whether you could and should blend the various methods.

The voices for body weight calisthenics say there is no need to lift weights because the exercises can be changed and angled to constantly force new muscle growth. I must say that I have seen some amazing physiques on body weight practitioners but those guys are rather the exception to the rule.

This is what you need to remember when starting an exercise programme, get this right and you won't be fooled. In order to build muscle you must overload the muscles. That's it. If you are not doing enough work to tear microfibers you will not grow new muscle. That's it.

Here's the thing though, you don't need to do 500 push ups a day to grow new muscle but I can bet you that if you saw someone who did do 500 push ups a day you wouldn't have any misconceptions about whether they had muscular bodies or not, you would see it as plain as day.

So to wrap this up, let's not limit ourselves by joining one side and fighting against the other, instead let's take the best of both worlds and apply it to our lives to build stronger, healthier bodies and lives.

Train hard. Train smart. Until next time.

How To Have A Good Day Everyday

2012-04-12T14:16:00.001+02:00

Is it possible at all to have a good day everyday?

Many people believe it is. Even more of those people claim that they have been having good days consistently for years on end. They have fulfilled lives and are just brimming with energy.

No, it's not some secret potion and neither is it exorbitant amounts of wealth, although I do agree that having cash to splash would bring some level of happiness.

The secret, if I can call it that is this: daily exercise. That's it. Now let me tell you why.

We've all felt the excitement of receiving a gift that we really wanted right? Now the reason we feel so thrilled by receiving the gift is not so much because of the material thing we are receiving but rather because of an expectation that was met.

When the desire to have something is fulfilled by receiving that very thing our brains release all the feel good chemicals it can to give a physical interpretation of that event. Research has shown that our brains release those same feel good hormones when we exercise.

The end of the matter then becomes very evident: To Have A Good Day Everyday we need to exercise.

Get active, your brain will make sure that you receive a gift everyday.

Supplements & Genetics

2012-04-06T15:24:00.000+02:00

What kind of supplements should I be taking to look like Arnold or Jay? Should I see a doctor about steroids so that I can grow quickly? Should I do this, should I do that, should I take the advice in the bodybuilding magazines which are just really supplement catalogues with a few pages of well built men and women.

If you're asking yourselves about alternatives to putting on serious muscle size or to cut really lean to reveal that all coveted six pack then you to read this first. Marketing is a truly powerful tool especially when it comes to aesthetic products. Think about your favorite car and how seeing it in a magazine or tv advert makes you feel. Companies use the very same principles when marketing supplements.

Now here's some information that you need to know about the human body. In physiology there are three basic shapes. Of course in between those shapes there are variations but at the basic level these are the body composition types. Ectomorph, translated into English basically describes naturally skinny people. Endomorphs refers to your typically athletically built people and then Mesomorphs refers to those of us who are big boned.

Okay, now with that in mind, here's what you need to understand about the role of genetics. If you are naturally skinny then it makes sense to assume that putting on weight is not something that you do easily. On the other end of the spectrum if you are naturally big boned then it is just as safe to assume that you have a hard time losing weight. The lucky buggers in the middle, the athletically built are pre-disposed to building wonderful physiques.

So where does that leave the rest of us? In the gym hopefully. Regardless your genetic disposition, proper training can take your body to it's full potential. Building muscle is a science just like losing weight and having a healthy lifestyle is.

Proper training in conjunction with a healthy diet will bring you the results you need whether you're a skinny girl trying to build a shapely body or a chubby dude trying to get into shape.

Train hard, eat right and grow. All the best to you.

D.O.M.S.

2011-11-24T17:32:00.000+02:00

No that's not intended to insult anyone's IQ, but it is a very good mechanism our bodies use to teach us about recovery. Many times you'll hear people say they go to the gym everyday and work through the burn. They believe that by pushing through the pain the muscles are growing more. That is very far from the truth and actually detrimental to your training.

Think about this for a moment. If you have a toothache, do you continue to chew on that tooth? Of course not because not only is it painful, it also damages the tooth and gums more. So you go to the dentist, have it sorted and let it heal up. The very same is true for the skeletal muscles of our bodies.

Now D.O.M.S stands for delayed onset of muscle soreness which basically means that if you've trained with intensity and dug deep into your muscles to force them to breakdown then very often the next day people will experience that soreness or stiffness of the muscles. That is your body reminding you that you have exerted much force and pushed beyond your capacity and need to rest so that your muscles can overcompensate.

So next time you have an awesome training session and if you're following the routines and principles on this blog then that should be every time you set foot in the gym, remember D.O.M.S. If you're sore even after two days, don't worry, you will not lose muscle mass by waiting an extra day. In fact it is working in your favor as your muscles are overcompensating or growing bigger and stronger.

Train hard, eat smart and listen to your body. All the best.

Supplements & Genetics

2011-11-16T19:24:00.000+02:00

If you're asking yourselves about additional options to putting on serious muscle size or to cut really lean to reveal that all coveted six pack then you need to read this first. Marketing is a truly powerful tool especially when it comes to aesthetic products. Think about your favorite car and how seeing it in a magazine or tv advert makes you feel. Companies use the very same principles when marketing supplements.

Now here's some information that you need to know about the human body. In physiology there are three basic shapes. Of course in between those shapes there are variations but at the basic level these are the body composition types. Ectomorph, translated into English basically describes naturally skinny people. Mesomorph refers to your typically athletically built people and then Endomorphs refers to those of us who are big boned.

So where does that leave the rest of us? In the gym hopefully. Regardless of your genetic disposition, proper training can take your body to it's full potential. Building muscle is a science just like losing weight and having a healthy lifestyle is.

Proper training in conjunction with a healthy diet will bring you the results you need whether you're a skinny girl trying to build a shapely body or a chubby dude trying to get into shape. Follow the training advice shared here and watch how your body will surprise you.

Train hard, eat right and grow. All the best to you.

Specialized Training

2011-11-09T15:25:00.000+02:00

One of the really great things about weight lifting besides the obvious health benefits and aesthetics is that you can use weight training to balance out your body. What do I mean by balancing out your body? Well, let's say for example you have a desk job or you find yourself sitting alot during the day, you'll find that your lower back tends to ache in the late afternoon.

If you don't pay attention to the ache you will eventually find that your pelvic girdle is beginning to become misaligned and at that point the pain is terrible. Lifting weights can help to offset the negative effects of sedentary lifestyles by stimulating and working the muscles that so desperately need to be worked.

Let's look at another example. Imagine that a cyclist decides that he needs to develop his chest muscles for the summer time. You'll find that his legs will be incredibly developed compared to his upper body muscles as a result of the sport that he is involved in. Weight training can and will keep his legs in shape and add more muscle should he so choose but it will also allow him to develop his upper torso to match the development of his legs giving him a balanced appearance.

Push ups, running, pull ups and all these other traditional training methods are fantastic for building and developing the muscles of the body but they will never be able to compete with the fantastic results that weight training produces.

Look at your arms or your legs. Is the one slightly bigger than the other? You can remedy that with a specialized weight training programme to balance out the muscles of your body.

Train hard, eat well and rest.

The Power Of A Good Run

2011-10-11T11:25:00.000+02:00

A very good friend of mine invited me to partake in a business relay on behalf of his employer. Initially I had not wanted to do it because long distance runs equate to excess cardio and I get enough cardio in my weight workouts. In any event, I decided to give it a shot anyway and boy was I glad that I did. That run was a lesson in itself and one that I am excited to share with all of you.

Let me be very honest and say that I did not train for a long distance run nor would I want to train for one so I had no lofty ideas about winning the race. My main aim was to finish the race. Which I did and in a fairly decent time. The team mate who had been training for the event finished a mere ten minutes ahead of me and he is built like a runner.

The experience was totally exhilarating for me. I found a comfortable stride and began my leg of the race. Very soon I became aware of the muscles in my arms and legs. I could feel the muscles in my back. I felt like I was running with a muscle suit on. There and then my stride changed. I ran more upright as I could feel the muscles on my body that I had spent the last few months building.

When my focus shifted from the length of the race to how great it felt to feel the muscles I had been working so hard for, the race became a sort of victory march for me. Some of the other contestants caught me smiling to myself and believe me when I tell you there were plenty of questions after the race about what kind of training routine I followed.

So you see champs, once you start to grow your lean muscle mass, literally everything that you do daily takes on a new meaning as you become aware of the awesome muscles that you have put on your frame. Train hard but find time to enjoy your new found body as well.

Until next time:-)

Why We Crawl Before We Walk

2011-08-31T14:59:00.000+02:00

It's amazing to watch a baby grow and develop. The eagerness with which they pursue new things is truly inspiring and yet for all of their enthusiasm they can only do what their bodies will allow them to do up to a specific point of development. Our bodies are always developing and growing, as a matter of fact, our ears and noses never stop growing until we pass on from this life.

Now with that in mind I think it's definitely a good idea to train our bodies while we're alive so that we don't end up just ears and a nose:-)

The reason that babies take time to develop is the very same reason that it takes time to develop on your training routine. Our nervous system has to get used to the new process and then get strong enough to automate it before we can progress. One of the main reasons that these training routines are worked out over the period that they are is so that by repetition your strength gains can increase and that inadvertently increases your muscle gain.

So if you're just starting out and you can't wait to progress past where you are, be patient with yourself and remember that your body does things in an orderly manner. Continue to give your best effort wherever you are on the training programs and you will build the body of your dreams.

Fist Your Gut To Shrink It

2011-08-24T21:01:00.000+02:00

Before you run off to a quiet place and start going Ed Norton in Fight Club on yourself, allow me to expand on the title of this post. Many of us eat far too much. We eat way more than what our stomachs are designed to handle and there are a number of reasons for that.

When we are not eating regularly throughout the day but rather waiting for specific meal times we are actually working against our metabolisms. By the time we do sit down to eat we are so ravenous that we shovel down everything in front of us and end up overeating. By the time our stomachs register that the correct amount of food has been eaten it is way too late and we've ingested more than what we need.

Now, getting back to your fist. Your stomach ordinarily is as big as your fist. If at the present day you find yourself a little or even very overweight then this will no longer apply anymore but we'll chat about that in a minute. If we plan our meals everyday and make sure that we are eating no more than the size of our fists about 5 to 6 times a day then we will be able to monitor what we are putting into our bodies.

For those who are already over your healthy weight level this is good news. Start planning your meals today. Make sure the portions are no bigger than your fist and that you are eating frequently throughout the day to keep your metabolism primed for fat burning. Combine this with the great training routines provided and in six months you won't recognize yourself and neither will anyone else.

It's a great benefit to lose weight by eating correct proportions but it's even better when we can teach it to our children. For those of us who are parents, teaching your children the proper portion ratios now will mean that they will live healthy lives and avoid obesity and sedentary lifestyles later on. Take action today. Determine to plan your meals for your day and make them the night before. Make sure your portions are not too big and make sure that you do not skip meals.

It's all about planning and taking action. Remember if you choose to do nothing, it's still an action and it will bring results. Prepare for success and you will get it. Use the power of your fist to beat unhealthy eating habits. Train hard, eat correct proportions and watch the weight fall off.

Exercises To Define Muscles

2011-08-18T20:28:00.000+02:00

This was a hard pill to swallow when I eventually learned the truth about this matter. I remember, back in the day, when my friends and I would attend the gym, we would have specific days where we did our definition exercises. Those exercises that were going to separate the muscles and give them that well polished look and that "cut" appearance. Well, some years and education later and I learned that there is no such thing as definition exercises.

There is exercise and there is hard exercise. One will keep you healthy and one will build lean muscle mass that will supercharge your metabolism and improve your overall health for years to come. The truth of the matter and I don't want to drag this out, is that there are no particular exercises that will define your muscles beyond what your body fat will allow to be seen.

Defined muscles, as it were, are well developed muscles with very little adipose or fat tissue around them which gives that really awesome toned look. Getting defined muscles has nothing to do with specific defining exercises but more with a reduced calorie diet to drop excess fat and a good training routine that builds muscle. Now if we were to actually entertain this idea and look at possible exercises that could cause muscles to be defined then we'd have to look no further than the exercises given in the monthly routines that are found on this blog.

Compound movements call more muscles into action which means that more energy is required and more muscle is developed as a result. So doing squats, deadlifts, chin ups etc, all the exercises we hate because they're difficult, are actually the exercises that build the most overall muscle. Other exercises can be implemented to target specific muscle groups but only after a solid base has been built.

Eat a clean diet, train hard and watch the definition come.

Muscle Confusion

2011-08-14T09:40:00.000+02:00

This is an interesting one and I hear it all the time when I chat to people about their training programmes. "The key is to keep your muscles guessing Justin. If you want to see great development in your body, you must confuse the muscle." I have thought about this one for a while now because my initial response would have been very different to what I will write today.

There are many things that sound good to say but that have no real bearing in real life. I'm walking on sunshine. There's gold in my veins. I confused my muscle. These are all terms that are used for effect. They work very well in conversation in exaggerating an effect or to bring a point creatively across but that's about where it ends.

Who would survive if they had gold in their veins? Who would manage to walk on sunshine? We use these words to give our conversations a great and interesting flavour but that's about it. When it comes to building muscle there's something that we need to understand. Muscle is tissue. Who of us has ever played a trick on our hands by holding up three fingers and telling our hands that we've got five up? I know that that sounds very dumb but I'm trying to illustrate a point here.

Muscle is inanimate. It does not have the capacity to think. Our minds do that for us. Our bodies respond to what our minds dictate. If our minds say that we need to preserve energy because we're not receiving meals frequently enough then our bodies slow down our metabolism to store energy. If our minds tell our bodies that there is an unusual amount of stress being placed on our bodies and that we need to grow bigger muscles to handle that stress then that is what our bodies do.

This whole idea of muscle confusion is a very creative way to promote varied training strategies over a period of time. An example of this would be a muscle building programme for one month and then perhaps a calisthenics programme for another month followed by a cardio programme for the last month. That could also be considered cross training where various methods are employed. The truth about this scenario is that it is not so much what is being done but the fact that a programme is consistently adhered to.

It is not the exercises as much as the consistency of doing the exercise regularly. If an overweight person walked around the block everyday for 30 days, there would be a definite change in weight. Not because of the exercise but because of the consistency of doing something physical. What is great about the training routines I teach is that they cover all of the bases and keep us doing exactly what is necessary to achieve a specific result without wasting time or inordinate amounts of money.

So just to bring everything to a close, you cannot confuse your muscles because they have no capacity to think therefore they cannot be confused. Muscles respond to stress or the lack thereof and whichever one is being given at the time will determine the physical state the person will find themselves in. Train hard and follow a good programme and you will build a body that will last you 80 or 90 years. Do as little as possible and cash in your chips early.

Train smart, train hard and be consistent. You will get out what you put in and more later on.

Does Visualisation Work

2011-08-11T17:57:00.000+02:00

Take a moment quickly and close your eyes. Imagine that you're standing on a stage in an auditorium where the entire audience is standing up and giving you a thunderous applause for a well delivered speech. Just imagine that for 10 seconds. How do you feel? Did you feel your facial muscles relax? If you were frowning before the exercise did you feel your face relax and a slight smile begin to push it's way through. That's the power of visualisation.

Experts in this field say that the mind does not know the difference between a real experience and a very vividly imagined experience. They say that the same neurological components are ignited with a vividly imagine scenario and a real experience. My knowledge in this field is limited so I cannot comment too much on that but what I can share is my experience with visualisation.

Remember that our bodies are connected to our minds and everything happens in the mind before it happens in the body. What does that mean for physical training though? It's really quite practical actually. If we rehearse, visualise, our workouts before we get to the gym, then what we're doing is preparing our bodies for when we get there. The mind is already engaged and starts to prime the hormone producing glands for the upcoming workout.

I rehearse every workout long before I ever set foot in the gym. What that does for me is it gives me a focus. Like a race horse making ready to dash down the straight, a single focus is very powerful and believe me when I say this one action will bring remarkable growth and success to your training time. Combine that with your programme that has been set out and you have a winning combination.

If you train in the mornings then first thing in the morning spend some time rehearsing your programme. Go through each exercise as you would do it in the gym. Feel your muscles lifting the weight. If you do this exercise every time you go and train you will be well on your way to developing that all important connection between mind and muscle.

Visualise, rehearse and then show those weights what you're made of. See it and then do it.

What About Cardio

2011-08-10T20:20:00.000+02:00

This is one of the biggest mindsets to change when teaching people about weight training. We have been so programmed by treadmills and cross fit trainers that when we are told that we need to leave those machines alone, we almost experience withdrawal symptoms. A better understanding of our bodies will help us make our minds up about this subject.

Cardio in itself is a great tool to get fit and to keep the heart strong. As far as being the most effective method for weight loss goes, it falls short to weight training for a number of reasons:

- Cardio utilises a different metabolic system than weight training. You will very often hear the word cardio interchanged with aerobic exercise. The reason it's called aerobic exercise is because it forces the body to take in more oxygen to assist in fat burning. This kind of exercise also utilises relatively small amounts of body fat for fuel. Just check your calories burned next time you've been on the treadmill for 20 minutes. It's very minimal compared to the work you've done to burn it.

- Weight lifting uses a different metabolic system and is often referred to as anaerobic, which basically means that oxygen is not the main factor used in this training to burn fat. The stress of the exercise is of such a high intensity that the body utilises fat reserves to fuel the sessions. This is what we want. To burn the fat.

If we are using our time properly in the gym and training with intensity then we should be burning more fat in our training sessions and the results should be obvious very quickly. This is dependant on your level of commitment of course. If you're going to give a half effort or cheat on form then you will get mediocre results.

This training programme is designed to take you from beginner level all the way through to advanced and even beyond if that is your intention. If you have been doing cardio all this time and still do not have the body you desire then perhaps it deserves a second look.

Please bear in mind that I am not saying that you need to give up your favorite sport now just because it has quite a bit of running or dancing in it. What I am saying is that the purpose of these posts is to help you build that all important muscle that is going to make doing all the activities that you love that much more enjoyable.

Finding The Stick-To-It-Ness

2011-08-08T17:47:00.000+02:00

We all struggle with this one at some point in our lives. It's called procrastination. A very huge percentage of human beings actually suffer with this condition although it is actually a learned habit. If it is a learned habit then that means that we can "unlearn" it and replace it with a more productive habit.

At some stage of anything we do, we find ourselves feeling very nonchalant about something that we once were really excited about. A girlfriend, a new car, a new hang out spot and yes even a new workout routine. So how do we get past this feeling and get the excitement back. Well the first thing we need to recognise is that it will happen. That's just human nature.

On a more practical level though and especially with regards to sticking to a training routine, in my personal life I found one thing was more potent at keeping me training than anything else. Feeling a difference in the gym every time I went to train. Listen, there will be days when you will want to half-ass it at the gym because you're just going to gym because it's your day to train.

If you catch yourself feeling like that rather give the gym a skip. Trust me, one of two things will happen. You will either find yourself extremely motivated to go after turning around and changing your mind or else you really needed to rest. It's simple. But how do we ensure that every session has enough to keep us wanting to come back and wanting more? It's how we use the time in our sessions as I mentioned in my last post.

And if you think that there is a secret formula to stay motivated, I agree with you, it's the very thing that keeps me going back and busting my behind every time I go to the gym. It's called having a plan and expecting something from your sessions every time. If you train to failure you are going to ignite something in your muscles that will have them craving the experience over and over again.

Don't treat your training sessions as just another nice to have or a must do. Remember, you want to be able to still be running at 50, tossing a rugby ball to your grand kids at 60, and for the ladies, you want to be able to say goodbye and wave your arm without worrying about the skin shaking up a storm. This is the only body we get this side of the great divide. Take care of it.

Remember, if you get excited about your training sessions on the days that you're not even training, you are going to love the gym when you do eventually get there.

Stick to it!

It's Not About What It's About How

2011-08-06T10:18:00.000+02:00

We tend to look for a specific formula when trying to gain success in something in life as humans. We look at successful people and we want to mimic what they did to attain what they have. I remember thinking when I was younger that if I could just be like Tony Robbins I would get all the stuff that he has. I was wrong.

I also remember thinking that if I did Karate like Bruce Lee did, my life would end up like his with fame and fortune. No fame and fortune yet. I remember thinking about all these things and wondering how come some people could manage to make it and others not. And then one day it dawned it on me. Instead of looking at the results they have achieved, I started to look at how they were thinking and what they were doing to achieve those results.

It is true that there are many sports in the world right? Yet in every sport we find individuals who really excel to a point of super stardom. Why is that? And if they can do it, why can't we? The first thing we need to remember is that all of us are individuals and what works for one person might not necessarily work for someone else because individual skills vary due to our genetic disposition. But we all can be superstars at something, remember that.

The answer that dawned on me all those years ago was that it doesn't matter what I do but rather how I do it. That's they key to success in anything in life not just sports or physical training. In order to keep this site true to the theme of teaching let's use some examples that are conducive to physical training.

You could lift a weight 50 different ways and get minimal results. You could have access to a gym with over 1000 different machines and still see no results. It's how you train that is important. It's what you do to activate muscle growth that is important otherwise what's the point of going to the gym then right?

This is what made all the difference for my wife and I in our training programmes. We used to do so many exercises, I really mean many when I say that. This kind of curl for that kind of muscle and this lift for that muscle and it was all because we had no understanding of how our bodies actually build muscle. Now we do and we share that with you so that you don't have to make the same mistakes we did and waste months and years figuring it out. That does not mean that you should not test things out for yourself. The spice of life is in trying things out for ourselves.

Familiarise yourself with the training principles and give them a try. If everything you have tried up to now has not worked then you have nothing to lose but absolutely everything to gain. Remember that training has nothing to do with equipment. It has everything to do with knowing HOW to get the desired result you want from what you have available to you.

If you haven't been active in a while then that's great because these programmes are designed for those who have no experience or who have not been active in a very long time. I know because I was someone who wasn't active for a very long time and I felt the uneasiness of not being able to run down the street or play a game of soccer with mates because I was so unfit. It's never too late to get back into it. Start here.

I'm Involved In Sports Why Do I Need Weights

2011-08-03T17:34:00.001+02:00

This is a really curious question and one I found myself facing a couple of years ago when I was a sportsman playing basketball. I had the fitness, the skill and a body I was proud of and that friends and co-coaches commented on. I had no need of weight lifting or any sort if I had it that good right? Not entirely.

Before I get into a semi detailed lecture (just kidding) let's chat quickly about sports specific fitness and what we aim to do here which is build muscle for long term health. Being proficient in a specific sport, whether it be tennis, hockey, rugby, soccer or whatever sport you love required muscle training of an entirely different nature. Learning to swing a racket and getting your muscles trained to execute the specfic movement required is very different from say, single arm dumbbell curls right?

Remember way back in the first few articles of this blog I spoke about homeostasis and the body's inherent natural ability to find a way to make things less complicated and easier to manage? This is what happens when we become proficient in something and there is no external stress to continue pushing us. We get used to the exercise and eventually find ourselves working out for longer just to maintain a previous state of fitness that is no longer acceptable or causing us to win anymore.

Introduce weights to your routine to train the muscles involved in your sport and all of a sudden you now have an external stress that will continue to keep your body growing and getting stronger. Why is that a good thing? Two very skilled golf players hit their golf balls from the same starting point. One guy however hits significantly farther than the other guy. One of the two guys is stronger. One of the two guys lift weights.

Another fine thing to remember for our sports people out there is that when a sportsperson gets injured and can no longer do the actions their sport requires due to injury, those muscles atrophy because they're not being used. Therapy will then put the person on a weight lifting programme to nurse the muscles back to health and beyond.

So to all my sports starts out there: up your game, get in the gym and train smart.

Rest For Greater Recovery

2011-07-26T17:50:00.001+02:00

Up to this point your body has been getting stronger and more toned. You're seeing changes in weight and you feel more energetic right? If by some chance you are not experiencing these wonderful benefits of training, please pay attention to this next post.

As our bodies grow and develop from the training, we find that we are able to do physical things that perhaps we have never been able to do or have not done since we were in high school. That is a direct result of building more muscle. You just feel powerful. You feel it in your walk. You feel it in your confidence when you put your clothes on and accentuate the features of your body that are genetically disposed to develop better.

However, if you are not feeling these sensations then there is something vital that I need to share with you. This very important point is recuperation. If you had been on a training routine prior to starting the routine I have set on this blog without taking a break then you more than likely are experiencing over training or burn out.

Our bodies need time to recover: both physiologically but also neurologically. If you're feeling worn out and tired all the time and your workouts have become a chore instead of a fantastic time of growth in the gym then you need to take a full week off immediately. A week off will not cause you to lose all the muscle you have built. By over training; your muscles are regressing already. Take a week off. Read a book. Draw something wonderful. Start a blog, but whatever you do, just forget about training for a week.

Once you have given yourself the much deserved time to recover and recuperate, start again with the DM First Month Routine and watch how quickly you gain this time around. Once you have completed your 12 sessions and are ready to move on to the next 12, take a week off to recuperate both physiologically and neurologically.

Remember again friend, this is a journey that you're on. Everyone who travels a journey takes a break now and then to regain strength and clarity.

Train hard, eat well, and rest, rest, rest when you need it.

Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things

2011-07-19T13:28:00.000+02:00

What's great about sharing training advice on a blog like this? The fact that I can use my own advice:-)

Illness has kept me out of the gym for at least a month now and yesterday I felt strong enough to pack my gym bag and go and test my fitness levels for myself. I was a little apprehensive because I know how dangerous it is to train or to do anything strenuous while fighting off a virus.

Anyways, I got my training journal out and started from scratch: The DM First Month Routine.

While paging through my journal I had a chance to glance at all the routines I've progressed up to and wondered if whether I should not just start where I had left off but at a lesser intensity. I toyed with the idea while in the change room but the minute I got to the weight room my common sense took over.

Although I had not been to the gym in a month, my body had been fighting off a virus for that period and was definitely exhausted. I would have wasted my time during that session if I had let my pride get the better of me. So like a good student I set up my weights for the beginner routine thinking that I would breeze through it and end my session with an I told you so.

Without sounding pretentious let me say that I have more belief in this programme now than I can remember. Why do I believe in it so much? My aching legs, chest, shoulders and back are all indicators that some serious training went down yesterday. I did not lift the weight I was lifting before I fell ill but by sticking to good form and using the cadence I made every second of that 30 minute workout count.

So while I'm recovering today and smiling sheepishly I'm really grateful for the time I had away from the gym because it has re-ignited a flame inside of me again. I'll probably take today and tomorrow off to recover and grow but that's the point of this training anyway.

Train smart, train hard, rest, recover and grow:-)

Facing The Giants

2011-07-15T13:26:00.000+02:00

My brother and his wife (my sister in law) are following my training advice and have raised a very valuable point. The story goes as follows: They went to the gym the other day and my brother being someone who is familiar with weight training absolutely enjoyed the programme. He was referring to his training journal to ensure that he was training correctly. My sister in law on the other hand found the session quite mundane and boring and she let me know this.

Now this is something that I myself had to overcome when researching and studying which methods bring the best results. I shared with her the benefits of this training and will share it with everyone else who may have experienced this. It is perfectly normal to feel apprehensive about something new. That's what makes this journey so great!

The reason why I advocate weight training instead of many of the other training routines that gyms offer is for the following reasons:
-Weight training provides sufficient resistance to force new muscle growth. Body weight exercises are great but up to a point. Once you get used to lifting your bodyweight in various positions and angles your body will reach homeostasis and stop growing unless you put on more weight to make yourself heavier;-)

-Cardio will cause you to lose weight but you will also lose valuable muscle as well. Your body will start to use muscle as fuel because it needs to tap into the quickest resource available to fuel the long sessions. So while you will lose weight, you will be losing muscle as well. (Think of the body of a long distance runner)

I know that the exercises might also be foreign to many of us but the exercises will and do work. And they will work for you. For any ladies out there who are concerned about building big bulky muscles please read the post that covers this topic.

Embrace the routine and have fun. And remember that wherever you are in the world, if you're following this blog, you're not alone:-)

Why Progress Is Dependant On Progression

2011-07-11T21:23:00.000+02:00

So you're following a routine and you've got the training principles under your belt. You've got your best foot forward and your attitude is great. You may even have been to the gym for a few sessions already. If you have been to the gym then you no doubt have probably been asking yourself the question or wondering when and how to lift heavier weights.

This in itself is an entire principle but we'll narrow it down to bite size tidbits so that we can digest it and continue on our journey of training and knowledge in training. The break in routine that I've posted for the first month is an ideal place to start for a number of reasons: one of the main reasons being that it prepares the body for the upcoming routines.

Finding the balance in logical progression is not rocket science but it does take a bit of practice before it becomes second nature. So until we get to that point where it becomes characteristic of our training we will start by being vigilant and documenting each session at the gym. In the first month's programme we are required to complete a specific amount of repetitions of the exercises listed which we will be recording in our training journals.

Once we reach the stage where we are able to complete the full required amount of reps, using strict cadence and following the training principles, we can then add weight to the exercise. For example: I can squat 100kg's for a total of 10 repetitions. The required amount is 15. This means that I will continue to squat 100 kg's until I can do it for the required 15 reps and then I will add more weight.

I have been doing this for some time so I don't expect my fellow journeyers who are just starting out to be lifting really heavy weights at the onset. Make no mistake about it, as you progress on these routines you will get stronger, much stronger than you have been in a long time and that is one of the benefits of this type of training.

Once you begin to reach your required reps,add 5% of the total weight to it and then continue on until you have completed your first month. be sure to use this first month to really iron out any mistakes and misconceptions you may have. When you graduate from the break in routine, you will be feeling and looking much better than you have in a long time.

Let's remember again that this is not a race but a journey. Be patient with yourself and ask questions where you need clarity on something. So to quickly recap: train until you reach the required reps, once you have reached that point, increase your weights until you can reach the required number again and so it will continue. Record your weights and reps every session without fail, this will prove to be a serious motivator.

Here's to your progress.

So How Many Reps Should I Be Doing

2011-07-08T11:14:00.001+02:00

This is one of the biggest debates in personal training circles and it causes more confusion and lack of progress than almost any other facet of weight training. Why is this the case and is there a right way to do this? My intention is always to educate first so let's have a look at the objectives we have and how the body functions and responds to stimulus.

Our objective in pursuing a training regimen is to build as much lean muscle mass as we possibly can and to do it intelligently. I touched on our body's ability to respond in an earlier article but will expound on rep range here.

We've already said that in order to get our muscles to grow we must place them under enough stress so that they do grow. Now the question becomes how do we translate that stress into reps? It's a good question to ask because many people go to gym and learn from the environment around them ie. asking the guys at the gym who have been doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. They have a name for that in some circles:-)

The same way that our minds have an attention span our muscles have something very similar. What this means then is that we cannot be lifting endlessly for hours on end thinking that because we have worked so hard, or what we think is hard, that we will force muscle growth. If you read a book in one sitting would you understand it more than if you read it in parts and made notes about what you read?

The same is true for our muscles. We need to give them sufficient time to take in what's being done and then allow it to make sense, in other words, allow them to grow. There is a period of time when your muscles are most responsive and there's a period of time where they aren't. Experts say that muscles will respond for 45-55 seconds out of every minute, every other second after that either does nothing more or works against the building process.

Keeping in mind the cadence that we use, our ideal rep range would be between 6 - 8 reps. Using a cadence of 2-2-4, we should complete a set at 48 seconds which is perfect for building muscle. That would quite literally mean that we should be in and out of the weight room in 30 - 40 minutes and no more. The point is to get in there, train hard and then get out and relax so that your body can repair itself.

If you keep in mind that this is a journey you will begin to appreciate the science behind this and adopt it more readily. The body is a wonderful mechanism that was designed intelligently and intelligent training and nutrition will help us all to build the bodies of our dreams.

Why Doing Sit Ups Won't Give You A Six Pack

2011-07-04T21:47:00.000+02:00

We've all seen the magazine models haven't we? Well defined wash board abs and slim waist lines. We look at them and wish that could be us. Then we head off to the gym and engage in a rigorous ab routine hoping that if we do enough sit ups we'll force our abs to look like the people on the magazine covers.

The truth about this is quite simple. Remember our bodies function as a unit. If we pick up weight, we don't just pick up weight around our bellies, our entire bodies get larger as we eat more calories than is necessary to maintain our body weight. Likewise, if you ask anyone who has lost a substantial amount of weight whether they lost in just one area or all over their bodies, I think you'll find pretty much the same answer.

The short answer to this question is the following: in order to see your abs you entire body fat percentage needs to be at a certain level. That's it. It has nothing to do with sit ups. Granted sit ups will develop the muscles of the abs just as weight lifting develops the body, but to see you abs is a matter of low body fat percentages, that's all.

As it stands now, you already have a wonderfully toned body. The problem is that it is lying underneath a layer of fat. Fat cells cannot become muscle tissue and vice versa. If you were to drop to a body fat percentage of about 8% right now, you would have awesome abs and a pretty defined physique. The challenge then is to rip through the fat and get to the lean muscle. By lifting weights we kill two birds with one stone.

What makes building muscle even better than the obvious aesthetics of it all, is the fact that the more lean muscle we have on our bodies, the less fat we will inevitably have because muscle is metabolically active. That simply means that muscles, as well as internal organs, are constantly using energy to sustain themselves which means they will be using more fat for energy.

A word of caution: the models that we see on the covers of magazines with the really defined abs have to go through a really rigorous training and eating plan to drop their body fat levels down to percentages where the abs show the way they do. Pro bodybuilders will tell you that they too also have to seriously cut calories before a competition to get their abs to show.

It can be done. People do it every day, every week, every month. What you put in is what you will get out. The routines and advice on this blog are not meant to be short term goals, remember that, and so the advice and instruction you will receive here will ensure that you start the journey of building muscle and losing weight, and that you maintain it for as long as is humanly possible.

Build Muscle Every Time You Hit The Gym

2011-07-04T13:20:00.001+02:00

"You have to feel the burn before your muscles will grow." Ever heard someone say that to you? The basic misconception about "feeling the burn" is that once you feel it, you know the muscles are working and are growing. Let's put this myth to rest shall we.

In order for a muscle to grow it has got to be pushed beyond it's capacity. So in a sense, if your biceps can lift 5 kg's 20 times, in order to get those muscles to grow we need to give them harder work. So we would then lift 10 kg's maybe 6 or 8 times until we can't lift it anymore. That point is called failure. When you push your muscles to failure you know that they have worked beyond their normal capability.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you will "feel the burn" but what you will feel the next day is a wonderful pain that will let you know that you have pushed it beyond it's limits. Our muscles don't grow because we feel the burn, they grow because they have been exposed to a stress beyond their limit. Again, remember homeostasis.

Your muscles will not want a repeat of the previous workout so they will grow larger to handle the greater stress. It has nothing to do with a burn or a sensation. That does not mean that you will never feel a burn. It does mean that the burn is not an identification factor in whether we are building muscle or not.

Take every set to failure, the point where you cannot do another positive lift and you will know for certain that you are building stronger muscles. Always remember to rest and recuperate adequately so that you don't over train and cause your muscles to shrink instead of grow.

A Quick Point On Diet

2011-07-03T18:34:00.001+02:00

Many people place immense pressure on themselves when it comes to this point and yet it is fairly basic. Exercise without a decent diet and a decent diet without exercise are one and the same thing: incomplete. Food is the fuel that our bodies need to perform daily functions that we take for granted. It is a necessity. It is a friend.

Now, if we abuse food, remember homeostasis, we will pick up weight and continue to pick up weight. Our bodies will do less and less and our metabolisms become considerably slower. The important point to consider and accept right off the bat is that food is absolutely necessary to sustain life. What we need to figure out here is how much of it we need for our individual goals.

So let's get right into it shall we. Forget about all of these fancy diets and fancy workouts and fancy this and fancy that. Our bodies work according to the way they were designed to work. This is the key to achieving your goals: whether to gain muscle or to lose weight and tone up.

Following the training principles espoused here will help you to build the lean muscle that you need which will then become your biggest ally in fat burning. The second part of the equation is just as simple. If you want to build bigger muscles then you need to consume more calories than what you need to keep your body in balance. And likewise, if you want to lose weight, you need to simply eat less calories than you need to maintain your current weight.

Working out the specific calories doesn't have to be difficult. If you have not been training and have not put on or lost weight then you have an idea already of how much you eat to maintain your current weight. If you have been putting weight on progressively then you know that you need to cut down on the calories. All of this must be accompanied by a proper muscle building programme that delivers results.

And there you have it. Don't be bogged down by overly educated answers to things. This journey is a tough one filled with challenges but the one thing it is not, is complicated. Let's keep it simple. More important than using physiological jargon is to stick with the programme you choose. Consistency is the only way to get results.

By now an inventory of where you are should have been taken and you should have an idea of what your goal is. So go out there and eat more or eat less,depending on your goal, but be sure to train.