Shah Training

3 Ways to Keep Your Workout Fresh with Pushups and Pullups

Parth — Sun, 27 May 2012 20:25:23 +0000

The biggest mistake you can make is doing the same routine over and over again. However, sometimes you are super-limited with training equipment, and have no choice but to stick to a core group of movements. This is when creativity is vitally important.

The following are a few ways you can take a simple pushup and pullup workout and make it more exciting:

1. Pyramids. Pyramids are the easiest way to add freshness to your workouts, and perform more overall repetitions. Start off with performing 1 pullup, and 2 pushups. In the second set, perform 2 pullups, and 4 pushups. Keep going up the ladder until you are unable to perform a set without taking a break. For example, if you’re on the 8th round, and you’re only able to perform 7 pullups straight, then that would be your last set. Take a 1 minute break, then go back down the ladder, back to 1 pullup, and 2 pushups.

2. Triple Set. A triple set is where you perform 3 variations of a movement back to back as a circuit. Lets look at some ideas:

Pushups Triple Set. Perform a set of pushups with feet on top of bench, followed by a set of regular pushups, and finish off with a set of pushups with hands on bench.
Pullups Triple Set. Perform a set of pullups (palms facing away) then a set of chinups (palms facing towards you), and then a set of inverted rows. If you are unable to perform inverted rows, you can also perform assisted chinups by placing your toes on the edge of a chair.
Eccentric Triple Threat. Jump up to the pullup bar with a palms facing away grip. Pause at the top of the movement, and lower yourself slowly. Perform 2-3 reps, then perform the same movement with a palms facing your grip (chinups).
Versatile. You can do hundreds of exercises with just 1 barbell. Saves a lot of money and space, especially if you want to build a home gym.

3. Eccentric Sets. The eccentric, or negative portion of the movement is the part of the movement where most of us execute the fastest. So when you perform an eccentric set, you are going down as slowly as possible.

Pushups. Slowly lower yourself towards the ground. Lower your knees, and return to starting position.
Pullups. Jump up to the pullup bar, or use a chair to get to the pullup bar. From this position, slowly lower yourself down.
Negatives are also a great way to strengthen your pullups strength.

Never stop progressing. Even if you are have access to limited equipment, it does not mean that you can not make progress. There are many different methods to keep your workout fresh and keep progressing from your training. For some amazing bodyweight training guides, grab Craig Ballantyne’s Bodyweight Training Package. Click here to learn more.

Best At Home Workout for Back

Parth — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:26:13 +0000

The back is the toughest bodypart to train if you do not have a lot of equipment or access to a gym. But hitting the back is important if you want to achieve the “V” taper. The V Taper is the V shape that you achieve when your shoulders and back are wider than your waist.

In order to achieve this look, you must hit your back from multiple angles. However, this because difficult when you do not have the proper equipment to to perform the movements. So what do you do?

Well, you improvise with the equipment you do have access to. I came across a great back workout developed by Mike Chang. This workout requires a pullup bar and a light set of dumbbells:

Click Here to Learn More about Mike’s Home Workouts

4 Soft Cardio Exercises for your Off Days

Parth — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:36:10 +0000

If you’re like me, then you need to do something every day. However, it’s not a good idea to perform a hard workout every single day. So, why not mix it up with a soft cardio workout in between a tough workout?

What is Soft Cardio?

Soft cardio, also known as low impact cardio is cardio that is easy on the joints. If you have knee or joint problems like myself, then you need to perform movements that are tough on the heart, but easy on the joints.

The following are 4 exercises you can do on your off days to help you burn more fat:

Crawl Pushups

Squat down and place your hands on the floor in front of your knees. Walk your hands forward, straightening out your body until you are in a pushup position. Perform a pushup. Walk your hands back.

Kettlebell or Dumbbell Swings

Grab a Kettlebell or Dumbbell with both hands and start with a wide stance. Begin the movement with the Kettlebell between your legs. Make sure to keep the back straight. Snap your hips forward, forcing the Kettlebell to swing forward in front of your body. Straighten out your body, then quickly reverse the movement to starting position.

Front Kick Plank

Stand with one foot in front of the other in a fighting stance. Bring the back leg forward and perform and front kick. Now step back, and drop into pushup position. Quickly get back up and repeat. Perform all reps on one side before performing the other side.

Medicine Ball Squat with Overhead Press

Grab a Medicine ball and hold it in front of your chest. Squat down and touch the ball to the floor. Stand up and press the ball over your head. Repeat.

The Workout

Now lets organize these movements into a fat burning workout. Perform the movements in a circuit. Start off with 5 rounds, then work your way up to 10 rounds:

10 Crawl Pushups
10 Kettlebel or Dumbbell Swings
10 Front Kick Planks
10 Medicine Ball Squat with Overhead Presses

Once you are able to perform 10 rounds, then you want to move on to tougher cardio workouts. I have 31 amazing Interval Cardio workouts that are easy on your joints. Click here to learn more!

Best Exercises to Lose Stomach Fat – 3 Major Considerations

Parth — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:32:20 +0000

Many exercisers are looking the best exercises to lose stomach fat. But this search can be very difficult if you don’t know what to look for. And you shouldn’t let your desire for a flat stomach interfere with your overall fitness, muscle building and performance goals.

Now that you have established your goal of building bigger muscles, you need to figure out how to accomplish your goal. And this is the time to be very careful on the muscle building workout you choose. Here are 3 important considerations that can mean the difference between getting the muscle building results you want… and being highly disappointed.

Avoid Training Like A Marathon Runner

There is a big difference between losing fat and wanting to be a marathon runner. If it is your goal to be a marathon runner, then certainly you should train like one. But in my experience, most individuals that want to lose fat want to look like a muscular athlete… not a skinny marathon runner.

If you want to lose stomach fat which will becoming stronger and more athletic, then you want to train like an athlete and use exercises and workouts that make leaner, stronger, and more useful muscles. There is a BIG difference between an athletic physique and the physique of a marathon runner.

Avoid The Calorie Hype

I have nothing against cardiovascular training… but why would you want to count how many calories you burnt? At some point, you will be unable to keep up with the amount of work required to burn off your target number of calories. Let me explain: if, as a beginner, it took you 30 minutes of jogging to burn off 200 calories, then, as your body gets better at jogging, it becomes more efficient at burning calories. This means that you need to jog LONGER to burn the same amount of calories!

Don’t confuse not wanting to perform cardio with not getting the fat loss workout that produces real results in the fastest time possible. Your goal should be to raise your heart rate and boost your metabolic rate, so that you burn calories all day long, as opposed to just during your cardio session..

Follow A Proven Fat Burning Workout

The Internet is great for sharing information. But one of the major problems is information overload. There is just too much fat loss information on the web. Sadly, most of the fat burning workouts have you training like a marathon runner. And if you are looking for the body of a strong, lean athlete… then you should not be following a workout program designed for a marathon runner or cardio bunny.

Another problem with too much information is you tend to jump from one fat burning workout to another. You end up doing workouts that are inconsistent with your fat burning goals… and thus you don’t achieve the results you want. So, if you want to achieve a strong, lean, athletic body, you need to follow a proven plan that results in this type of physique.

If you are looking for the best fat loss workou, I encourage your to consider these 31 interval workouts to get started. If you are not going to be a marathon runner, you should not even think like training like one. Think about the kind of body you want to build and what you want that physique to do to improve your sport, work and life activities. And finally, make sure you follow a proven fat loss workout that fits your goals.

Check out the 31 interval workouts here

Home Cardio Workouts

Parth — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 17:18:45 +0000

The following is a Guest Post by Daniel Munday, Sydney’s Fat Loss Expert:

Too many people have their head on wrong when they think you need to have a treadmill, rower, exercise bike, or even worse – a cross trainer available to do a great cardio workout.

And to expect people to have them in their own home these days is just not going to happen especially with more and more of the population living in apartments.

So, surely there has to be a way that you can get a great cardio workout in at home even without any equipment?

Yep you’re right. Of course there is.

And it’s not the easy cop out answer that you may be expecting. If you’re expecting me to say go outside and do some sprints then you’re going to want to keep on reading.

Don’t get me wrong – I love sprints – especially hill sprints. They definitely get the heart rate up, place less stress on your joints compared to long distance running or even flat sprints (because your foot has less contact time on the ground when you’re sprinting up a hill it makes it better on your joints) however it’s not always possible to get outside or even find an appropriate space to do them in.

There is a better answer. And one that isn’t dependant on the weather outside. In fact, you can even do it in the comfort of your own home.
Try this short workout at home next time you want to get the heart rate up.

Exercise One: Up Downs

Exercise 2: Body Blasts

Do 10 reps of each of these exercises and have a short rest after you do each one (no more than 30 seconds).

If you’re feeling game go through and repeat 5 times. It won’t take you any longer than 10-15 minutes to complete this workout and you’ll have a great workout that gets your heart rate pumping and you only need enough space to lay flat on the floor with.

Of course, it goes without saying that this routine should only be attempted if you have no pre-existing injuries and after you complete a bodyweight warm up to get your muscles warm. They should never be done cold.
So don’t let me hear you say anymore you just can’t get any cardio done because it’s either too hot, too wet or too cold outside or you don’t have any equipment available. You only ever need your own bodyweight to get the best workout possible!

Daniel Munday is Sydney’s Fat Loss Specialist. He helps busy women get back in their skinny jeans and busy men to lose the inches from their belly even if they have tried, and been burned by, every workout or diet fad that’s ever been conceived. He loves coming up with bodyweight routines. Check out his bootcamp workouts at DPMSydneyBootcamp.com.au.

How to Lose Fat at Any Age

Parth — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 07:10:23 +0000

Fat loss is a concern for people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. It is accepted that as an individual gets older he or she will be unable to lose fat and attain the physique of a 20-year old.

But this is clearly not true. Over the past 5 years, since I have begun blogging about fitness, I have seen many older individuals attain extremely low body fat levels and attain physiques that 20-year olds are jealous of.

I recently came across one such couple. Their names are Grant and Diane Hernden. They are both certified trainers and have been promoting health and fitness for over 35 years. Through their personal training business and online training business known as the Defy Aging System.

They both have physiques that young men and women would love to have. I recently interviewed Diane Hernden to see if I could uncover the secret of their youth:

Parth Shah: I have many readers on my list who are over the age of 55, and have many questions regarding how they should exercise differently then their younger counter parts.

Diane Hernden: Older adults really do not need to exercise differently than younger people. They just need to start slowly, progress gradually and do the exercises correctly.

Parth: I see, so can you introduce my readers to your age defying workouts?

Diane: Age Defying Workouts is actually a complete package of exercise, life balance and healthy eating tips known as our Defy Aging System. It is an online extension of a 1 on 1 personal training business that we have owned for the last eighteen years. We have clients of all ages from 10 to 90+ years. Our clients are loyal and very committed to living the best life they can. They feel that the programs we design for them each month are easy to learn but very effective. They especially like being able to do their workouts wherever they happen to be. They report their workout data to us after each workout and we respond with correction and motivation. They like this because they are accountable to someone.

Because we only have so many time slots that clients can access, we decided to put our workouts on DVDs so that many other people can experience the success that our 1 on 1 clients have achieved.

All of our programs are gradual and progressive. Each program consists of 5 or 6 free weight or body weight exercises designed to build lean muscle and strength in the body. We insist on perfect technique with maximum weight for all of our exercises. The goal is to achieve the strength and endurance that are needed to continue to live a healthy, active and independent life. The companion eating plan allows clients to eat the foods they love while supporting their exercise goals. Tips on managing stress keep cortisol levels in check to enhance health.

Parth: That is interesting, Diane, because individuals are taught to join gyms and stick to machines. They are told to avoid free weights at all costs, and are certainly told to avoid bodyweight movements. What are your thoughts on this piece of advice?
Diane: We think that this information is completely false. Most of our clients prefer to work out at home as they have had experiences in gyms that have not been positive. Trainers in gyms are often much younger and do not have the expertise to know what older individuals need as far as training.

Free weight training is the best and most effective way to replace lean muscle on the body, improve balance and flexibility to prevent falls. Lean muscle declines naturally as we age starting in our 30s. The only way to prevent that from happening or replace muscle that is lost is to have the body lift more weight that it is used to lifting. This will keep your knees, shoulders, low back and hips in top shape allowing you to live a healthy active independent lifestyle for as long as you want.

Machines in gyms are limiting in terms of becoming strong and lean. They support the body too much making the exercise easier to do. Easy does not make you healthy. Many times you sit at a machine to do the exercise. This completely eliminates your core from helping you do an exercise. You need to work the core. It is an essential part of your workout routine. Sitting for long periods of time has been linked to many chronic diseases. Why would we want sit more when we are trying to get fit?

Machines are prominent in gyms as are group classes because they get the most people through as quickly as possible making more money for the gym.

Parth: Ok, so how can someone who is over the age of 55, and has never exercised a day in their life get started with an exercise program?

Diane: Have a well defined goal. That is how you will know you are successful.

Look at your calendar and schedule your workout time in just as you would any other commitment. Take the first step. This is the most important factor.

Once you have done that, do the program for at least 4 weeks to see and feel results. Once you have experienced the energy and strength that a quality program will give you, you will never want to stop. We all have days when we do not want to exercise. Just get started and you won’t want to stop.
Start slowly. We often recommend that new clients just go through each exercise once for the first workout. If that feels good then do the exercises 2 times the next workout. Gradually do more until you are doing a full workout. If you decide to use a personal trainer make sure she is qualified. If all the trainer does is put you on machines and count the reps for you, then he is not the right trainer for you.

Parth: Many individuals are afraid of getting started. Especially with a program that involves bodyweight movements and interval training. What can you say to ease their fears?

Diane: Body weight and free weight movements along with interval training are the most effective way to get results from your workout program.

You only need to workout purposefully 3 times a week for a maximum of 45 minutes to 1 hour. This includes a warmup, free/body weight program, interval training and a cool down. It does not have to consume your life.

Starting slowly and listening to your body will tell you how to proceed. Think of this program as a permanent lifestyle change not a 6 week “flash in the pan” approach. By making small improvements gradually over time you will want to continue and will wonder why you didn’t begin a fitness program sooner.

Parth: Great advice Diane! Do you have any last bit of advice to help my readers?

Diane: Beginning a quality workout program that is instructed thoroughly and done correctly is the best gift you can give yourself.

Genetics accounts for only 10 to 25 % of all illness. An effective fitness program that you do for life will build health reserves that will keep you out of the doctor’s office and hospitals. If you do get sick you will recover much faster.

You will add lean muscle to the body that will make you feel and look years younger.

You will strengthen the muscles around your joints so that they do not ache or even worse require hip or knee replacement.

Lean muscle helps you to maintain a healthy body weight (or regain it). Overweight and obesity are the leading causes of many of the chronic diseases in our society today.
The risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, Alzheimers disease and dementia will be lowered when you exercise regularly.

Your mood will become more positive. Moving the body is a natural thing for us to do and it helps us to feel so great.

Most importantly, you will be able to continue (or restart) all of the activities you have always done. That is one of our biggest motivators. We want to continue to ski, bike, hike, golf and travel with our adult children and grand children for a very long time.

It is never too late to begin. Always remember that and get started. Look at this new activity as a challenge not a chore to be dreaded or feared. Your body will love you for it.

Parth: Thank you for your time Diane.

Click here to learn more about Grant and Diane’s Defy Aging Program

Benefits of Kettlebell Swings

Mike S. — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:56:32 +0000

The kettlebell swing is a much under-used and extremely underrated exercise. It’s the most basic of all the kettlebells exercises, and it’s imperative that you learn how to do it correctly, before attempting more complex moves like snatches and cleans. However, just because it’s basic doesn’t mean that it’s easy, unimportant, or without benefit. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of swinging.

Posterior Chain

The posterior chain is the collective term for your hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles. Many people try to target these areas individually – you’ll often see people in gyms doing leg curls for their hamstrings, butt kicks and leg lifts for their glutes, and back extensions to target the erector spinae muscles of the lower back. While there’s nothing wrong with these exercises, the posterior chain really does work better as a unit.

The kettlebell swing, and more specifically, the split second where the bell changes from descending to ascending, as you powerfully snap your hips forward, is fantastic for hitting your entire posterior chain, and is far more effective and time efficient than trying to target the muscles individually.

Increased Total Body Strength

You may not realise this, but increased posterior chain strength translates into increased total body strength. Whenever you perform a free-weight or body-weight leg exercise, you posterior chain muscles have to work to either create movement, or provide stabilization. Even many upper body lifts, such as bench presses, overhead presses and rows require your posterior chain to do some work. Think of a powerlifter performing a bench press, or Olympic lifter jerking a weight overhead – they have to get their whole bodies, including their legs, glutes and lower backs, as tight as possible. A stronger posterior chain equals a stronger you.

Speed

The kettlebell swing is an extremely quick move. You should always aim to emphasise the hip “snap” when performing it, and aim to launch the bell up on every rep. This increased speed and power can be enormously beneficial if you need to get quicker. Sprinters, wrestlers, football players and many other athletes will include kettlebell swings in their training to help improve their hip drive, and increase speed.

Core

When you think of what muscles the kettlebell swing works, your core muscles may not immediately spring to mind, but your core is just as important as your hamstrings, glutes and back when swinging. In order to maintain a neutral spine, your abdominals have to work very hard to prevent your lower back from rounding, and keep your head and chest high.

Unlike sit ups and crunches, which emphasize spinal movement, swings train the core for what it’s designed to do – stabilization. There aren’t many exercises that will work your core harder than heavy kettlebell swings will.

Reduced Lower Back Pain

This links back to increased posterior chain strength. Often, lower back pain can be attributed to weak glute muscles, and tight hamstrings. As we’ve already discussed, swings will take care of your weak glutes, but they can also be used as an assessment tool. If you have tight hamstrings, you will find it very difficult to sit back into the correct position for a swing. Therefore, not only will swings reduce lower back pain by strengthening any weak muscles, they can also be used to identify any which are tight, and may need stretching.

Hopefully that’s enough to convince you that you need kettlebell swings in your training. Now, get swinging.

5 Kick Ass Kettlebell Coaches

Parth — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:58:38 +0000

I fell in love with Kettlebells over 5 years ago, and have been using them along side my Bodyweight workouts for extra calorie burning, a boost of strength, and overall challenging workouts. I’ve since tried a multitude of workouts written by variety authors and Kettlebel coaches. The following are 8 of my favorite fitness professionals out there who are just as in love with Kettlebells as I am:

1 – Chris Lopez

Chris Lopez has 5 kids. That in itself should shock you. I mean, who has 5 kids these days? (I want 5 kids, but I don’t think my girlfriend feels the same way). Anyways, not only does he have 5 kids, but he’s also super lean. How does he do it? He uses Kettlebells! Chris Lopez is one of most influential Kettlebell coaches because he gives new meaning to a busy lifestyle.