Friday 5 July 2013
workout tips
The Only 3 Ab Exercises You Will Ever Need
The simple fact of the matter is that if you are already performing a variety of compound exercises (and you should be!), your abs and core are already being worked and strengthened, albeit indirectly.
For example, your abdominals are a major stabilizer during the squat. A sufficiently strong core is necessary to move any significant amount of weight. Think about it this way – if your core is unable to support the weight you place on your back – your body will simply fold.
However, I still do recommend working your abs directly. Next, I will go over the 3 basic types of abdominal movements, and my favorite exercise for each one. These movements cover all of the major muscles of the abdominal region. Strengthen your abs by progressing in these exercises and you will both reap the practical benefits listed above as well as build stronger, bigger ab muscles, allowing them to become visible at a higher level of body fat.
I suggest doing just 2-3 sets of each exercise per week. You may complete them all on the same day or on separate days. I work out three to four days per week and perform one ab exercise per workout, at the end of the workout.
1. Flexion And Extension: The Hanging Leg Raise
The most common type of ab exercise. You flex and extend your core to work your abdominal region, with a focus on the rectus abdominis (aka. the six pack).
Progression (Advance when you can perform over 10-15 repetitions at a given level)
1. Raise your knees in a dip station, where your back is supported.
2. Raise your knees, hanging from a pull up bar.
3. Raise your extended legs, hanging from a pull up bar (pictured above).
4. Raise your extended legs, with a dumbbell in between your feet.
Other flexion/extension exercises: Decline sit-up, sit-up.
2. Rotation: Plate Twist
Rotational exercises work your whole abdominal region but focus on the obliques (internal and external). Sitting down, simply hold your hands together, or a weight, above your torso, lift your feet off the floor, and move the weight side-to-side, almost touching the floor on each repetition. Progress by both adding repetitions and weight.
Other rotational exercises: Cable Rotation, side dumbbell crunch.
3. Stabilization: Plank
Stabilization exercises work your entire abdominal region, but the stress is placed upon the transverse abdominis – the deepest abdominal muscle that wraps around your spine. This muscle is responsible for a the majority of your overall balance and stability, so it must not be neglected. Progress by planking for longer durations, and then planking on a stability ball.
General Guidelines
1. Draw in your navel (ie. pull your belly button towards your spine) throughout each movement. It increases pelvic stabilization and transverse abdominis activation (4).
2. Brace your core (ie. flex/tighten your core/abs). Helps properly recruit and activate the core muscles (3)
The simple fact of the matter is that if you are already performing a variety of compound exercises (and you should be!), your abs and core are already being worked and strengthened, albeit indirectly.
For example, your abdominals are a major stabilizer during the squat. A sufficiently strong core is necessary to move any significant amount of weight. Think about it this way – if your core is unable to support the weight you place on your back – your body will simply fold.
However, I still do recommend working your abs directly. Next, I will go over the 3 basic types of abdominal movements, and my favorite exercise for each one. These movements cover all of the major muscles of the abdominal region. Strengthen your abs by progressing in these exercises and you will both reap the practical benefits listed above as well as build stronger, bigger ab muscles, allowing them to become visible at a higher level of body fat.
I suggest doing just 2-3 sets of each exercise per week. You may complete them all on the same day or on separate days. I work out three to four days per week and perform one ab exercise per workout, at the end of the workout.
1. Flexion And Extension: The Hanging Leg Raise
The most common type of ab exercise. You flex and extend your core to work your abdominal region, with a focus on the rectus abdominis (aka. the six pack).
Progression (Advance when you can perform over 10-15 repetitions at a given level)
1. Raise your knees in a dip station, where your back is supported.
2. Raise your knees, hanging from a pull up bar.
3. Raise your extended legs, hanging from a pull up bar (pictured above).
4. Raise your extended legs, with a dumbbell in between your feet.
Other flexion/extension exercises: Decline sit-up, sit-up.
2. Rotation: Plate Twist
Rotational exercises work your whole abdominal region but focus on the obliques (internal and external). Sitting down, simply hold your hands together, or a weight, above your torso, lift your feet off the floor, and move the weight side-to-side, almost touching the floor on each repetition. Progress by both adding repetitions and weight.
Other rotational exercises: Cable Rotation, side dumbbell crunch.
3. Stabilization: Plank
Stabilization exercises work your entire abdominal region, but the stress is placed upon the transverse abdominis – the deepest abdominal muscle that wraps around your spine. This muscle is responsible for a the majority of your overall balance and stability, so it must not be neglected. Progress by planking for longer durations, and then planking on a stability ball.
General Guidelines
1. Draw in your navel (ie. pull your belly button towards your spine) throughout each movement. It increases pelvic stabilization and transverse abdominis activation (4).
2. Brace your core (ie. flex/tighten your core/abs). Helps properly recruit and activate the core muscles (3)
workout tips
The Best Cardio Workouts You've Never Tried
Drills that are way more interesting than pounding the treadmill
Does your treadmill workout make you feel like a rat on a wheel? Then it's probably time to change up your routine. And not just because you're bored. "The human body wasn't designed for conveyor-belt training or repetitive, one-dimensional movement," says Dan John, a fitness coach in Burlingame, California, and the author of Never Let Go. So try one of John's novel cardio drills below. Or better yet, try all three. You'll blast fat and improve your fitness quickly. And the best part: You won't have to find ways to distract yourself during these workouts—you'll be too busy getting in shape.
The "55" workout
Start by doing one body-weight squat and 10 pushups. Rest for 30 seconds, and then do 2 squats and 9 pushups. Gradually work your way up to 10 squats and down to 1 pushup. You'll complete 55 reps of each exercise by the time you're done—and reap both the cardiovascular benefit of aerobic training and the muscular pump of a strength session. (And if you like this routine, you'll love The World's Most Efficient Workout.)
10-meter sprints
Find an area in your gym where you can sprint for 10 meters. Once you've covered the distance, pause just long enough to inhale and exhale once through your nose. Sprint back and pause, this time inhaling and exhaling twice through your nose. Continue the drill—breathing normally as you sprint, and adding an additional nose inhalation and exhalation when you pause—until you can no longer breathe through your nose. "It takes more effort than breathing through your mouth—even during rest—which increases the intensity of the exercise," John says. The result: more gain in less time (and distance) than on a treadmill. (Don't undermine your fitness efforts: Make sure to avoid The Worst “Free” Restaurant Foods in America.)
Jumping-jack pyramid
Do as many jumping jacks as you can in 10 seconds. Rest for an equal amount of time. Next, do as many jumping jacks as you can in 20 seconds, and rest 20 seconds. Then do 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by 30 seconds of rest. Now work your way back down the pyramid (30, 20, 10). Repeat three times. This will change the way you think about jumping jacks forever.
Drills that are way more interesting than pounding the treadmill
Does your treadmill workout make you feel like a rat on a wheel? Then it's probably time to change up your routine. And not just because you're bored. "The human body wasn't designed for conveyor-belt training or repetitive, one-dimensional movement," says Dan John, a fitness coach in Burlingame, California, and the author of Never Let Go. So try one of John's novel cardio drills below. Or better yet, try all three. You'll blast fat and improve your fitness quickly. And the best part: You won't have to find ways to distract yourself during these workouts—you'll be too busy getting in shape.
The "55" workout
Start by doing one body-weight squat and 10 pushups. Rest for 30 seconds, and then do 2 squats and 9 pushups. Gradually work your way up to 10 squats and down to 1 pushup. You'll complete 55 reps of each exercise by the time you're done—and reap both the cardiovascular benefit of aerobic training and the muscular pump of a strength session. (And if you like this routine, you'll love The World's Most Efficient Workout.)
10-meter sprints
Find an area in your gym where you can sprint for 10 meters. Once you've covered the distance, pause just long enough to inhale and exhale once through your nose. Sprint back and pause, this time inhaling and exhaling twice through your nose. Continue the drill—breathing normally as you sprint, and adding an additional nose inhalation and exhalation when you pause—until you can no longer breathe through your nose. "It takes more effort than breathing through your mouth—even during rest—which increases the intensity of the exercise," John says. The result: more gain in less time (and distance) than on a treadmill. (Don't undermine your fitness efforts: Make sure to avoid The Worst “Free” Restaurant Foods in America.)
Jumping-jack pyramid
Do as many jumping jacks as you can in 10 seconds. Rest for an equal amount of time. Next, do as many jumping jacks as you can in 20 seconds, and rest 20 seconds. Then do 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by 30 seconds of rest. Now work your way back down the pyramid (30, 20, 10). Repeat three times. This will change the way you think about jumping jacks forever.
nutrition tips
Cook This: Grilled Caesar Salad
Caesar salad may be the most misleading food in America. We transform it with a light vinaigrette dressing, sundried tomatoes, and olives
Caesar salad may be the most misleading food in America—it's the type of dish you order when you want to be good to your body, only to find out it's eating up half of your day's calories. This recipe transforms the high-calorie dressing into a lighter vinaigrette and adds substance, flavor, and nutrition in the form of sundried tomatoes and olives.
You'll Need:
DRESSING:
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 anchovies (soak in milk for 10 minutes if you want to mellow the flavor)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
6-8 turns of a black-pepper mill
1/2 cup olive oil
SALAD:
4 hearts of romaine
2 English muffins, split
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 oz each)
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup black or green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
How to Make It:
*Preheat the grill. Combine all the dressing ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse to blend. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil.
*Cut the romaine down the middle lengthwise, leaving the root end intact so the leaves hold together. Brush the romaine, English muffins, and chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, add the chicken and grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side until firm and caramelized. Remove the chicken and allow to rest.
*Place the lettuce and English muffins on the grill. Cook the lettuce for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to lightly char and wilt the leaves. Cook the English muffins until brown and crispy.
*Slice the chicken into thin strips. Cut the muffins into bite-size pieces. Arrange both, along with the olives and sundried tomatoes, over the individual lettuce halves. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with cheese.
Makes 4 servings
Cost per serving: $3.76
410 calories
29 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
610 mg sodium
Not That!
Quiznos Chicken Caesar Flatbread Salad (with bread)
Price: $5.89
1,000 calories
64 g fat (14.5 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
2,380 mg sodium
Save! 590 calories and $2.13!
Caesar salad may be the most misleading food in America. We transform it with a light vinaigrette dressing, sundried tomatoes, and olives
Caesar salad may be the most misleading food in America—it's the type of dish you order when you want to be good to your body, only to find out it's eating up half of your day's calories. This recipe transforms the high-calorie dressing into a lighter vinaigrette and adds substance, flavor, and nutrition in the form of sundried tomatoes and olives.
You'll Need:
DRESSING:
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 anchovies (soak in milk for 10 minutes if you want to mellow the flavor)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
6-8 turns of a black-pepper mill
1/2 cup olive oil
SALAD:
4 hearts of romaine
2 English muffins, split
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 oz each)
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup black or green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
How to Make It:
*Preheat the grill. Combine all the dressing ingredients except the oil in a food processor and pulse to blend. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil.
*Cut the romaine down the middle lengthwise, leaving the root end intact so the leaves hold together. Brush the romaine, English muffins, and chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the grill is hot, add the chicken and grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side until firm and caramelized. Remove the chicken and allow to rest.
*Place the lettuce and English muffins on the grill. Cook the lettuce for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to lightly char and wilt the leaves. Cook the English muffins until brown and crispy.
*Slice the chicken into thin strips. Cut the muffins into bite-size pieces. Arrange both, along with the olives and sundried tomatoes, over the individual lettuce halves. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with cheese.
Makes 4 servings
Cost per serving: $3.76
410 calories
29 g fat (3.5 g saturated)
610 mg sodium
Not That!
Quiznos Chicken Caesar Flatbread Salad (with bread)
Price: $5.89
1,000 calories
64 g fat (14.5 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
2,380 mg sodium
Save! 590 calories and $2.13!
best tips to get the max muscle mass
How Many Reps To Build Muscle? Depends On The Type Of Muscle You Want To Build!
by Kevin McMillian
When it comes to building muscle mass there are quite a few different approaches and techniques out there. Quite a few of them work and quite a few don’t work. If you want to build muscle, you need to know how many reps to build muscle and how to do those reps. You can luck out and build muscle without even knowing how you’re doing it, but it’s nice to know what works and what doesn’t so you can build muscle efficiently!
Basically, determining how many reps to build muscle depends on the type of muscle that you hope to build.
For example, there are guys that have an amazing amount of muscle mass but they look really bad. A lot of the time they look soft and bloated. That’s not the type of muscle that you should be trying to build.
But what about the really skinny guys? Even though they could still benefit greatly from adding even some of that “soft” muscle the huge guys have, here are a few things to consider.
Knowing the type of muscle you need to build, whether it’s flat out size or if it’s harder, more angular muscles, determines how many reps to build muscle. Through Visual Impact Muscle Building I’ve learned quite a bit about the number of reps it takes to build different types of muscle and even how perform each rep.
For a quick answer as to how many reps to build muscle here is an overview.
1-3 reps – Pure strength & definition
4-6 reps – Mostly strength & definition with little gains in size
7-10 reps – Mostly size with little gains in strength & density
11-15 reps – Pure size
Now let’s see why these rep ranges work the way they do. We’ll look at the two main types of muscle training — mass and density.
How Many Reps To Build Muscle Mass?
Building overall mass is probably the most traditional type of muscle building. When you are focusing on building muscle mass, that type of muscle growth is known as “Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy.” What this means is that your muscles will fill up with fluid.
To create the maximum amount of Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy, you are going to need to focus on a high volume of reps. Stay in the higher rep and set ranges.
A Workout To Build Muscle Mass
A good muscle mass workout should target one muscle group per week so that you can really blast that muscle and still allow sufficient time for it to repair and grow. A common and effective approach to doing this is the 3 day split.
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Back and Biceps – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Legs and Abs – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Pick 2 or 3 exercises for each muscle group — two if you’re starting out, three if you’ve been lifting a while. So your total number of sets would be anywhere from 8-12.
What I like to do is to focus on two main exercises like incline dumbbell press and flat dumbbell press (for chest) and do 4 sets of 12-15 reps for both exercises. After that, I might head over to the cables and do 2 sets of low cable chest flys.
During this phase you should limit cardio. No more than two separate cardio routines of no more than 30 minutes done on non-workout days.
Pros: The upside to this type of workout routine is that you can really pack on some decent size.
Cons: The downside to this routine is that the type of muscle you are building isn’t good for a whole lot except for size.
How Many Reps to Build Muscle Density?
Muscle density and muscle mass are two completely different things. When you see guys pounding out 10-15 reps per set you know that they are not building dense muscles.
In fact, you can usually tell the rep range someone prefers just by how their muscle looks. For a dense muscle, you need to focus on building the actual muscle fibers and not so much the fluid in side of the muscle.
To build hard and dense muscles, focus on a low volume of reps. In order for your muscle fibers to grow, your workouts are not going to be damaging the muscle as you would when shooting for Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy.
A Workout To Build Muscle Density
Here’s the rep range for a good muscle density workout. Not only are the amount of reps to build muscle different, but the amount of time you work each muscle each week is different.
Since you are not going to be damaging the muscle you can workout each muscle group twice per week. I go into greater detail in another article purely on muscle definition workouts, but here is an overview.
Chest & Back – 3 sets of 5 reps
Shoulders & Arms- 3 sets of 5 reps
Abs
Chest & Back – 3 sets of 5 reps
Shoulders & Arms- 3 sets of 5 reps
Abs
Rest / light-medium cardio
For these workouts, I like to do 3 different exercises per muscle group. So I do 3 sets of 5 reps for 3 different exercises per muscle group.
Pros: By staying in this rep range you can build functional and dense muscles which still have decent size. Also, you will get stronger by doing these types of workouts versus the muscle mass workouts which focus more on size and less on strength.
Cons: Since density and mass are completely different, muscle density workouts will not give you much in the way of size.
What Type Of Muscle Do You Want To Build?
Really I am just scratching the surface here. What I hope though, is that this quick overview will show you that there are two main types of muscle and that the amount of reps you do determines the type that you’ll build.
There is a lot that determines how effective your workouts are. The best info I’ve found was from Rusty Moore’s Visual Impact Muscle Building. He goes into detail on not just how many reps to build muscle, but also rep tempo, type of rep, rest periods. Each phase you will focus on a different set and rep scheme to maximize the effectiveness of the routine.
What is cool is that by mixing up how many reps you do, you can not only train for pure muscle mass or pure muscle density, you can also train for mostly mass, mostly density and everywhere in between.
by Kevin McMillian
When it comes to building muscle mass there are quite a few different approaches and techniques out there. Quite a few of them work and quite a few don’t work. If you want to build muscle, you need to know how many reps to build muscle and how to do those reps. You can luck out and build muscle without even knowing how you’re doing it, but it’s nice to know what works and what doesn’t so you can build muscle efficiently!
Basically, determining how many reps to build muscle depends on the type of muscle that you hope to build.
For example, there are guys that have an amazing amount of muscle mass but they look really bad. A lot of the time they look soft and bloated. That’s not the type of muscle that you should be trying to build.
But what about the really skinny guys? Even though they could still benefit greatly from adding even some of that “soft” muscle the huge guys have, here are a few things to consider.
Knowing the type of muscle you need to build, whether it’s flat out size or if it’s harder, more angular muscles, determines how many reps to build muscle. Through Visual Impact Muscle Building I’ve learned quite a bit about the number of reps it takes to build different types of muscle and even how perform each rep.
For a quick answer as to how many reps to build muscle here is an overview.
1-3 reps – Pure strength & definition
4-6 reps – Mostly strength & definition with little gains in size
7-10 reps – Mostly size with little gains in strength & density
11-15 reps – Pure size
Now let’s see why these rep ranges work the way they do. We’ll look at the two main types of muscle training — mass and density.
How Many Reps To Build Muscle Mass?
Building overall mass is probably the most traditional type of muscle building. When you are focusing on building muscle mass, that type of muscle growth is known as “Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy.” What this means is that your muscles will fill up with fluid.
To create the maximum amount of Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy, you are going to need to focus on a high volume of reps. Stay in the higher rep and set ranges.
A Workout To Build Muscle Mass
A good muscle mass workout should target one muscle group per week so that you can really blast that muscle and still allow sufficient time for it to repair and grow. A common and effective approach to doing this is the 3 day split.
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Back and Biceps – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Legs and Abs – 4 sets of 12-15 reps
Pick 2 or 3 exercises for each muscle group — two if you’re starting out, three if you’ve been lifting a while. So your total number of sets would be anywhere from 8-12.
What I like to do is to focus on two main exercises like incline dumbbell press and flat dumbbell press (for chest) and do 4 sets of 12-15 reps for both exercises. After that, I might head over to the cables and do 2 sets of low cable chest flys.
During this phase you should limit cardio. No more than two separate cardio routines of no more than 30 minutes done on non-workout days.
Pros: The upside to this type of workout routine is that you can really pack on some decent size.
Cons: The downside to this routine is that the type of muscle you are building isn’t good for a whole lot except for size.
How Many Reps to Build Muscle Density?
Muscle density and muscle mass are two completely different things. When you see guys pounding out 10-15 reps per set you know that they are not building dense muscles.
In fact, you can usually tell the rep range someone prefers just by how their muscle looks. For a dense muscle, you need to focus on building the actual muscle fibers and not so much the fluid in side of the muscle.
To build hard and dense muscles, focus on a low volume of reps. In order for your muscle fibers to grow, your workouts are not going to be damaging the muscle as you would when shooting for Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy.
A Workout To Build Muscle Density
Here’s the rep range for a good muscle density workout. Not only are the amount of reps to build muscle different, but the amount of time you work each muscle each week is different.
Since you are not going to be damaging the muscle you can workout each muscle group twice per week. I go into greater detail in another article purely on muscle definition workouts, but here is an overview.
Chest & Back – 3 sets of 5 reps
Shoulders & Arms- 3 sets of 5 reps
Abs
Chest & Back – 3 sets of 5 reps
Shoulders & Arms- 3 sets of 5 reps
Abs
Rest / light-medium cardio
For these workouts, I like to do 3 different exercises per muscle group. So I do 3 sets of 5 reps for 3 different exercises per muscle group.
Pros: By staying in this rep range you can build functional and dense muscles which still have decent size. Also, you will get stronger by doing these types of workouts versus the muscle mass workouts which focus more on size and less on strength.
Cons: Since density and mass are completely different, muscle density workouts will not give you much in the way of size.
What Type Of Muscle Do You Want To Build?
Really I am just scratching the surface here. What I hope though, is that this quick overview will show you that there are two main types of muscle and that the amount of reps you do determines the type that you’ll build.
There is a lot that determines how effective your workouts are. The best info I’ve found was from Rusty Moore’s Visual Impact Muscle Building. He goes into detail on not just how many reps to build muscle, but also rep tempo, type of rep, rest periods. Each phase you will focus on a different set and rep scheme to maximize the effectiveness of the routine.
What is cool is that by mixing up how many reps you do, you can not only train for pure muscle mass or pure muscle density, you can also train for mostly mass, mostly density and everywhere in between.
nutrition
Post-Workout Protein: Build Muscle Faster with this Combo
What to eat after exercise to max out muscle growth
You may already know that you should have a protein-rich snack after exercising, but are you actually getting the right kind to stimulate muscle growth? A new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch finds that eating a mix of protein types—whey, casein and soy—right after your workout may help you get bigger than just a single type of protein alone. That's because the combo of the three proteins seems to prolong the body’s amino acid (protein) delivery to muscles, increasing the amount of time that your pecks, lats and delts are in their "growth state." This happens because different forms of protein get absorbed by the body at different rates, researchers say. Soy is considered an “intermediate” deliverer of amino acids, whey is a “fast” protein and casein is a “slow” protein, taking a few hours to digest. The longer you can supply the muscle with amino acids, the better it is for growth and recovery, says Mark Cope, nutrition research scientist at Solae Global, the consumer goods company that founded the study. Since muscles need a full day or two to recover after strength training (not just 60 minutes), combining whey with soy and casein delivers a more balanced amino acid profile and provides a prolonged delivery of critical nutrients to the muscle. Not sure how to get this mass-maximizing combo without eating three different snacks? Look for ready-made protein smoothies, bars and products (like MHP’s Power Pak Pudding and PowerBar’s ProteinPlus Bites) that have a combination of whey and soy protein. You can also make your own post-workout protein snack by mixing milk (that's where you'll find casein), soy and whey powders, along with fruit and ice.
What to eat after exercise to max out muscle growth
You may already know that you should have a protein-rich snack after exercising, but are you actually getting the right kind to stimulate muscle growth? A new study from the University of Texas Medical Branch finds that eating a mix of protein types—whey, casein and soy—right after your workout may help you get bigger than just a single type of protein alone. That's because the combo of the three proteins seems to prolong the body’s amino acid (protein) delivery to muscles, increasing the amount of time that your pecks, lats and delts are in their "growth state." This happens because different forms of protein get absorbed by the body at different rates, researchers say. Soy is considered an “intermediate” deliverer of amino acids, whey is a “fast” protein and casein is a “slow” protein, taking a few hours to digest. The longer you can supply the muscle with amino acids, the better it is for growth and recovery, says Mark Cope, nutrition research scientist at Solae Global, the consumer goods company that founded the study. Since muscles need a full day or two to recover after strength training (not just 60 minutes), combining whey with soy and casein delivers a more balanced amino acid profile and provides a prolonged delivery of critical nutrients to the muscle. Not sure how to get this mass-maximizing combo without eating three different snacks? Look for ready-made protein smoothies, bars and products (like MHP’s Power Pak Pudding and PowerBar’s ProteinPlus Bites) that have a combination of whey and soy protein. You can also make your own post-workout protein snack by mixing milk (that's where you'll find casein), soy and whey powders, along with fruit and ice.
workout tips
How Do You Know If You’re Losing Fat Or Muscle?
“I’ve been using a body fat scale to let me know if I’m losing fat or muscle,” wrote one reader.
“But I’m not sure how much I can trust it, as the results seem to vary wildly.”
“How can I be sure that I’m losing fat rather than muscle?”
The honest answer is that you can’t. Not with any degree of accuracy anyway.
As I explain in Why I Just Threw My Expensive Body Fat Scales Out the Window, body fat scales are largely a waste of time. Skinfold calipers can be useful in some circumstances, but even they have their problems. Even “high tech” methods like DXA and underwater weighing can’t be trusted.
So what are you supposed to do?
Rather than spending a bunch of money on expensive body fat tests, I think you’re much better off using two simple metrics — your weight on the scales and your strength levels in the gym.
Scale Weight
The argument against using your scale weight to track your progress is that any loss in fat will be offset by a gain in muscle.
That is, if you lose 5 pounds of fat and gain 4 pounds of muscle, the scales will show that you’ve lost only 1 pound in weight.
While the theory sounds good, it doesn’t always work that way in practice.
Once you’ve moved past the “overweight beginner” stages of training, you won’t be building muscle at anything like the same speed at which you’re losing fat.
While you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, you won’t do so at the same rate. The best that most people can hope for is to gain a relatively small amount of muscle while losing a much larger amount of fat.
For example, you might lose 6 pounds in weight over the course of a month. In reality, you might have lost 7 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of muscle.
While the scales aren’t a completely accurate way to track your progress, they will tell you if you’re moving in the right direction.
I also recommend that you weigh yourself every day, rather than every week or every month.
Some advise against the practice of weighing yourself daily, mainly on the basis that your weight fluctuates from day to day.
But when you think about it, this is really an argument IN FAVOR of daily weighing.
Let’s say that you weigh yourself once a week, and that you stepped on the scales first thing this morning. Let’s also assume that the scales show that you’re one pound lighter than you were last week.
“Great,” you think to yourself. “Things are moving in the right direction.”
But are they really?
How do you know that today isn’t one of those days when your weight happened to fluctuate downwards? And that if you weighed yourself again tomorrow morning, it won’t have shifted upwards again?
A single weekly data point isn’t particularly useful when it comes to guiding your decisions about what to eat and how to exercise.
So instead of weighing yourself once a week, weigh yourself every day. Then take an average at the end of the week.
Any daily fluctuation in weight will be “averaged out” over time. Over a period of several weeks, you’ll be able to see a trend. If the trend isn’t downwards, you’ll know that some aspect of your diet and training program needs to change.
Strength
As long as your training is based on the guidelines set out here, and your workouts aren’t preceded by endless rounds of burpees and squat thrusts, your strength levels in the gym are also a good way to gauge your progress.
If you’re getting stronger (i.e. you can do more reps with the same weight, or a heavier weight for the same number of reps), there’s a good chance that, at the very least, you’re holding on to the muscle you have.
Muscle size and strength are not 100% correlated, and there are other factors (most notably your nervous system) that contribute to strength gains.
But for our purposes, the link is strong enough. If you’re gaining strength, you’re on the right track.
As you get leaner, your strength gains will slow down. Eventually you’ll reach the point where the best you can hope for is to simply maintain your strength. It’s not uncommon for competitive bodybuilders to lose strength in the weeks before a contest.
What this means is that you’ll need to modify your expectations as your body composition changes. All other things being equal, you’ll find it easier to gain strength while losing fat when you’re going from “overweight” to “lean” than you will going from “lean” to “ripped.”
Finally, keep in mind that muscle consists of a lot more than just contractile protein.
Take a close look at a slice of muscle tissue and you’ll find stored carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, fat stored both in and between muscle fibers, as well as water.
When you go on a diet, the amount of glycogen, water and fat stored in your muscles is going to drop. This can leave them looking a lot “flatter” than they otherwise would do.
When this happens, don’t panic. You’re not losing actual muscle protein. Rather, you’re just losing some of the things stored around those proteins, which are quickly and easily replaced.
“I’ve been using a body fat scale to let me know if I’m losing fat or muscle,” wrote one reader.
“But I’m not sure how much I can trust it, as the results seem to vary wildly.”
“How can I be sure that I’m losing fat rather than muscle?”
The honest answer is that you can’t. Not with any degree of accuracy anyway.
As I explain in Why I Just Threw My Expensive Body Fat Scales Out the Window, body fat scales are largely a waste of time. Skinfold calipers can be useful in some circumstances, but even they have their problems. Even “high tech” methods like DXA and underwater weighing can’t be trusted.
So what are you supposed to do?
Rather than spending a bunch of money on expensive body fat tests, I think you’re much better off using two simple metrics — your weight on the scales and your strength levels in the gym.
Scale Weight
The argument against using your scale weight to track your progress is that any loss in fat will be offset by a gain in muscle.
That is, if you lose 5 pounds of fat and gain 4 pounds of muscle, the scales will show that you’ve lost only 1 pound in weight.
While the theory sounds good, it doesn’t always work that way in practice.
Once you’ve moved past the “overweight beginner” stages of training, you won’t be building muscle at anything like the same speed at which you’re losing fat.
While you can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, you won’t do so at the same rate. The best that most people can hope for is to gain a relatively small amount of muscle while losing a much larger amount of fat.
For example, you might lose 6 pounds in weight over the course of a month. In reality, you might have lost 7 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of muscle.
While the scales aren’t a completely accurate way to track your progress, they will tell you if you’re moving in the right direction.
I also recommend that you weigh yourself every day, rather than every week or every month.
Some advise against the practice of weighing yourself daily, mainly on the basis that your weight fluctuates from day to day.
But when you think about it, this is really an argument IN FAVOR of daily weighing.
Let’s say that you weigh yourself once a week, and that you stepped on the scales first thing this morning. Let’s also assume that the scales show that you’re one pound lighter than you were last week.
“Great,” you think to yourself. “Things are moving in the right direction.”
But are they really?
How do you know that today isn’t one of those days when your weight happened to fluctuate downwards? And that if you weighed yourself again tomorrow morning, it won’t have shifted upwards again?
A single weekly data point isn’t particularly useful when it comes to guiding your decisions about what to eat and how to exercise.
So instead of weighing yourself once a week, weigh yourself every day. Then take an average at the end of the week.
Any daily fluctuation in weight will be “averaged out” over time. Over a period of several weeks, you’ll be able to see a trend. If the trend isn’t downwards, you’ll know that some aspect of your diet and training program needs to change.
Strength
As long as your training is based on the guidelines set out here, and your workouts aren’t preceded by endless rounds of burpees and squat thrusts, your strength levels in the gym are also a good way to gauge your progress.
If you’re getting stronger (i.e. you can do more reps with the same weight, or a heavier weight for the same number of reps), there’s a good chance that, at the very least, you’re holding on to the muscle you have.
Muscle size and strength are not 100% correlated, and there are other factors (most notably your nervous system) that contribute to strength gains.
But for our purposes, the link is strong enough. If you’re gaining strength, you’re on the right track.
As you get leaner, your strength gains will slow down. Eventually you’ll reach the point where the best you can hope for is to simply maintain your strength. It’s not uncommon for competitive bodybuilders to lose strength in the weeks before a contest.
What this means is that you’ll need to modify your expectations as your body composition changes. All other things being equal, you’ll find it easier to gain strength while losing fat when you’re going from “overweight” to “lean” than you will going from “lean” to “ripped.”
Finally, keep in mind that muscle consists of a lot more than just contractile protein.
Take a close look at a slice of muscle tissue and you’ll find stored carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, fat stored both in and between muscle fibers, as well as water.
When you go on a diet, the amount of glycogen, water and fat stored in your muscles is going to drop. This can leave them looking a lot “flatter” than they otherwise would do.
When this happens, don’t panic. You’re not losing actual muscle protein. Rather, you’re just losing some of the things stored around those proteins, which are quickly and easily replaced.
nutrition
The same old protein shake everyday gets old!! Here
are a few recipes to spice up that old shaker!!!
10 New Mouthwatering Protein Shake Recipes
I get numerous requests to post some of my favorite
on-the-go recipes. Things that are fast, easy to make,
packed with tons of heart healthy nutrients and super
easy to make. I have decided to put together a list of
my favorite protein shakes. I have made each of these
at one time or another. You may not have all of the
ingredients, so feel free to play around! If you don't
have flax oil or coconut oil, find substitutions! When it
comes to making protein shakes, it's all about trial and
error. If it sounds good--try it!
nutrition
Have you ever wondered what to eat after the gym or street workout to correctly fuel your muscles for the best gains possible?
Here is your answer:
You've just completed a killer workout and you're cooling down. Your work is done, right? Well, not quite, not until you've taken care of the three "R's"—refuel, rebuild and rehydrate. Fifteen to 60 minutes following your workout, you need to eat and drink an appropriate carbohydrate to protein ratio. Protein helps rebuild muscles while carbs refuel depleted energy stores.
So, what's the ratio?
The best post-workout choices are meals or snacks, or drinks, that have a 2:1 or 3:1 carb to protein ratio. The ratio depends on the intensity of your workout—2:1 for short, low-to-medium-intensity workouts and 3:1 for longer, harder sessions.
Ultimately, the best post-workout foods are the ones that work well for you.
If you prefer a post-workout drink:
Homemade and ready-to-drink protein shakes are a good choice. Depending on what you like, it can be as easy as adding a scoop of whey protein powder to eight ounces of milk. Research shows that a big glass of chocolate milk works just as well. Fruit juice with whey protein is another option.
If you need portable post-workout foods:
A protein bar
Whole-grain toast and peanut butter
Apple and Greek yogurt
English muffin and almond butter
If you're ready for a meal:
Eggs and wheat toast
Subway sandwich
Peanut butter and banana sandwich with chocolate milk
Chicken with pasta marinara
Chicken and rice
leg day
Don't be like this guy, too many men think they can just skip legs every week, here are 5 good reasons not too!
1. More Muscle. You can find studies showing that Squats & Deadlifts increase the release of Growth Hormone & Testosterone more than any other exercise. These are natural muscle building hormones.
2. Bigger Upper-body. Squats & Deadlifts work your whole body, not just your legs. Quick examples of how they stimulate upper-body growth too:
Your arms squeeze the bar hard during heavy Squats & Deadlifts.
Your abs work hard at stabilizing the weight during Squats.
Your chest muscles tense hard during heavy Deadlifts.
If you can't train your upper-body because of an injury, you can prevent muscle loss in your upper-body by doing heavy Squats & Deadlifts.
3. More Strength. Stronger legs and core muscles will increase your strength on upper-body lifts and thus help upper-body muscle development. Quick examples of how Squats & Deadlifts can cause strength gains on your other lifts:
Leg drive matters on the Bench Press. Stronger legs means more leg drive and a bigger bench, and thus bigger muscles.
Squats & Deadlifts strengthen your legs & lower back. These muscles help you stay strong during the Overhead Press.
4. Symmetry. I know I'm preaching all the time you shouldn't care about what other people think, but a big upper-body with toothpick legs looks ridiculous. And it shows a lack of ...
5. ... Mental Strength. Here's the real reason why people don't train their legs: it's physically & mentally hard. That's why doing Squats and Deadlifts will build your mental endurance & character like no other exercise.
Running Doesn't Count! Running, cycling or soccer will never work your legs like Squats & Deadlifts do. Include both exercises in your routine and you'll see how you'll get better at sports and how your upper-body will improve
1. More Muscle. You can find studies showing that Squats & Deadlifts increase the release of Growth Hormone & Testosterone more than any other exercise. These are natural muscle building hormones.
2. Bigger Upper-body. Squats & Deadlifts work your whole body, not just your legs. Quick examples of how they stimulate upper-body growth too:
Your arms squeeze the bar hard during heavy Squats & Deadlifts.
Your abs work hard at stabilizing the weight during Squats.
Your chest muscles tense hard during heavy Deadlifts.
If you can't train your upper-body because of an injury, you can prevent muscle loss in your upper-body by doing heavy Squats & Deadlifts.
3. More Strength. Stronger legs and core muscles will increase your strength on upper-body lifts and thus help upper-body muscle development. Quick examples of how Squats & Deadlifts can cause strength gains on your other lifts:
Leg drive matters on the Bench Press. Stronger legs means more leg drive and a bigger bench, and thus bigger muscles.
Squats & Deadlifts strengthen your legs & lower back. These muscles help you stay strong during the Overhead Press.
4. Symmetry. I know I'm preaching all the time you shouldn't care about what other people think, but a big upper-body with toothpick legs looks ridiculous. And it shows a lack of ...
5. ... Mental Strength. Here's the real reason why people don't train their legs: it's physically & mentally hard. That's why doing Squats and Deadlifts will build your mental endurance & character like no other exercise.
Running Doesn't Count! Running, cycling or soccer will never work your legs like Squats & Deadlifts do. Include both exercises in your routine and you'll see how you'll get better at sports and how your upper-body will improve
nutrition
?? Looking to get your protein naturally, instead of with protein shake
Top 10 Foods Highest in Protein
Protein is a macro nutrient composed of amino acids that is necessary for the proper growth and function of the human body. While the body can manufacture several amino acids required for protein production, a set of essential amino acids needs to be obtained from animal and/or vegetable protein sources. Animal protein sources contain the complete set of essential amino acids, while all the essential amino acids can be obtained by eating a wide variety of plant foods. There is considerable debate over the amount of protein a person needs to consume per day, the current recommended daily intake (RDI) of protein is 46 grams for women aged 19-70 and 56 grams for men aged 19-70. Any excess protein consumed is turned into energy by the body, and it is controversial whether this excess protein causes a strain on the liver. A deficiency in protein leads to muscle atrophy, and impaired functioning of the human body in general. Below is a list of common foods with the highest protein to calorie ratio, for more information, see the sections on protein dense foods, other protein rich foods, low calorie high protein snacks, and protein isolates.
#1: Turkey Breast (and Chicken Breast)
Protein in 100g Half-Breast (306g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
30g 92g 1g protein per 4.5 calories
Chicken: Chicken Breast (58g) provides 17g protein. Chicken Leg (69g) provides 18g protein. Chicken Thigh (37g) provides 9g protein.
#2: Fish (Tuna, Salmon, Halibut)
Protein in 100g 3oz Fillet (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
26g 22g 1g protein per 4.5 calories
Other fish high in protein per fillet(3oz or 85g): Tuna (22g), Salmon (22g), Halibut (22g), Snapper (22g), Perch(21g), Flounder and Sole (21g), Cod (20g), Tilapia (17g).
#3: Cheese (Low-fat Mozzarella and Cottage Cheese)
Protein in 100g 1oz Slice (28g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
32g 9g 1g protein per 4.7 calories
Other cheese high in protein per ounce(28g): Low-fat Cottage Cheese (5g), Low-fat Swiss Cheese (8g), Low-fat Cheddar (6g), Parmesan (10g), Romano (9g). *Low fat Mozzarella and Cottage cheese provide the most protein per calorie.
#4: Pork Loin (Chops)
Protein in 100g 1 Chop (134g,~5oz) Protein to Calorie Ratio
25g 33g 1g protein per 5.2 calories
Sirloin Roast 3oz (28g) provides 23g of protein, Ham 3oz (28g) provides 18g of protein, 1 slice of bacon (8g) provides 3g of protein.
#5: Lean Beef and Veal (Low Fat)
Protein in 100g 3oz Slice (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
36g 31g 1g protein per 5.3 calories
T-Bone Steak 3oz (28g) provides 19g of protein, 1 Piece of Beef Jerky (20g) provides 7g of protein.
#6: Tofu
Protein in 100g 3oz Slice (85g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
7g 6g 1g protein per 7.4 calories
#7: Beans (Mature Soy Beans)
Protein in 100g 1 cup (172g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
17g 29g 1g protein per 10.4 calories
Other beans high in protein per cup cooked: Kidney Beans (17g), White Beans (17g), Lima Beans (15g), Fava Beans (14g), Black Beans (15g), Mung Beans (14g).
#8: Eggs (Especially Egg Whites)
Protein in 100g 1 Large Egg (50g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
13g 6g 1g protein per 12 calories
1 Egg White (33g) provides 4g protein, 1g protein to 4.4 calories.
#9: Yogurt, Milk, and Soymilk
Protein in 100g 1 cup (245g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
6g 14g 1g protein per 18 calories
1 cup skim milk (245g) provides 8g protein, 1 cup soymilk (243g) provides 8g protein.
#10: Nuts and Seeds (Pumpkin, Squash, and Watermelon Seeds, Peanuts, Almonds)
Protein in 100g 1 Ounce (28g) Protein to Calorie Ratio
33g 9g 1g protein per 15.8 calories
Other nuts and seeds high in protein (grams proten per ounce (28g)): Peanuts (7g), Almonds (6g), Pistachios
(6g), Sunflower Seeds (6g), Flaxseed (5g), Mixed Nuts (4g).
street workout video
: one of the best street workout video
this most be a good motivation for you ;)
russian street workout
: russian street workout
ih a high level of street workout wich you can said the best in the word
this is some pic of it
Jump Rope
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jume rope
i suggest it for who want to get ripped boddy with 10-8%
body fat
because10 min of jump rope = 1.8 mile of runing yeah that's true
jumpe it's the best whey to burn fat
it can also give you the correct body form
and it's also the best way to show up your 8 pack abs
and a lot of Benefits...
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