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So you want a ripped stomach
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General/Other
"Let me start by saying - What is wrong with you? ;)).
Why would you want a bleeding internal organ?
Oh, you meant a defined mid section aka washboard abs. Why didn't you say so from the start?
That's pretty simple.
Simple, NOT EASY!
Learn to make the difference.
Got it? Good :P Then let's get down to business.
The reason you don't have a defined mid section is because you are not lean enough (low body fat level).
"Hey dude, no offense, but you don't know what you are talking about;I can see the first row of abs popping out. A few more sessions on my worthless-piece-of-junk-ab-machine-i-spent-a-small-fortune-buying-from-a-tv-commercial and all of these babies will come popping out.”
Yeah? Well, news flash buddy – the first row of abs start showing at 15% body fat. To see full abs separation and definition you need to be at about 9-10% body fat. Do you know how to shake off that 5%?
Of course you don’t, that’s why you’re still doing hundreds of crunches believing spot reduction works. Well, it doesn’t so stop it and allow me to lead you on ONE (I’m not saying this is the only right way, in fact most programs work to a degree or another if you give them enough time and commitment) right path.
#1. Your diet needs to be in check.
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Try Dr. John M Berardi, Ph.D.
7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm
excerpt
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“Here’s my take on it. I call these principles, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs," a shameless and possibly illegal play on Steven Covey’s book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." (Great book, by the way—you should read it sometime.)
These aren’t the newest techniques from the latest cutting-edge plan. Rather, they are simple, time-tested, no nonsense habits that you need to get into when designing a good eating program.
1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.
2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.
3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.
4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.
5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).
6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.
7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).
So what about calories, or macronutrient ratios, or any number of other things that I’ve covered in other articles? The short answer is that if you aren’t already practicing the above-mentioned habits, and by practicing them I mean putting them to use over 90% of the"... read entire tip
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abs, diet, fat loss, exercise program
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created by
trifm
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saved on 2/1/2008
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7
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38.6
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100 %
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Compound movements are best
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Strength Training
"When you have to choose between the two, choose compound movements to isolation movements.
A compound movement is an exercise that involves two or more joint movements. An isolation movement is an exercise that involves just one discernible joint movement.
The difference between the two is that a compound exercise can place greater absolute intensity on the muscles exercised relative to isolation movements that may place greater relative intensity on a specific muscle or a head of a muscle.
What this means in layman’s terms is that compound exercises stimulate the muscles the most while isolation movements build certain parts of a muscle.
Optimum results are achieved when using a mix of the two."
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/30/2008
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2
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28.5
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100 %
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Perform reps with Maximum Intensity
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Strength Training
"Beginners don’t necessarily need to increase their Training Intensity because at this level even engaging in physical activities is enough to see progress.
But as you gain experience, the body adapts to the stimulus that because inefficient at stimulating the muscle to spark growth (so basically progress is halted). This is known as a “plateau”. Increasing the intensity of your training helps break the plateau and continue to see progress.
There are 2 ways to increase intensity:
1. Increase the amount of weight you use.
In this case you may have to recalculate your 1 Rep Max (Rule 7). If your 1 Rep Max hasn’t changed you should use the help of a spotter to “cheat” sets (use an amount of weight that you can’t handle on your own) until you are able to use the weight on your own or you pass the plateau.
2. Tweak the way you perform sets and reps.
The variables we will be working with are: repetition speed, tempo, tension on the muscle, rest periods, the superset technique.
I. Repetition speed.
Any given exercise has 2 parts – a concentric contraction when the muscle develops tension due to a shortening in length (example: upward movement of a dumbbell in a biceps curl) and a eccentric contraction when the muscle develops tension due to a lengthening of it (example: downward movement of a dumbbell in a biceps curl).
Most people use a 1sec up/ 1 sec down speed, not knowing that an increase in time spent on the eccentric part of the movement will improve the effectiveness of the exercise by 100%.
So remember to slow the speed down on the downward part of any exercise to:
• Keep the muscle under tension for a longer period of time
• Work the muscle on the downward part of the movement rather then letting gravity take over.
II. The Tempo.
A lifting tempo is a-b-c-d, where:
• a – time spent on the eccentric (downward) part of the movement
• b – time spent at the bottom of the movement
• c – time spent on the concentric (upward) part of the movement
• d – time spent at the top of the movement
An example of the tempo for the flat bench press: 5-0-3-2. This translates into a slow and controlled movement with 5 sec down movement, 0 sec pause at the bottom, 3 sec lifting time and a nice 2 sec squeeze of the chest at the top.
Varying the tempo can make exercising with the same weight more or less intense. Experiment with different tempos to see what works better for you. (Don’t forget the tip on Repetition speed when choosing a tempo)
III. The tension on the muscle.
By shortening the range of the exercise performed you can apply continuous tension to the muscle thereby increasing intensity.
Example: the flat bench press.
At the very bottom and top of the movement tension is totally of the chest muscle. But by shortening the range and using a 5-0-3-2 rep tempo, you will increase the intensity of the exercise by continually applying tension to the muscle.
IV. Super Sets.
While training “classically” any muscle gro"... read entire tip
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lifting tips, reps, tempo
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/30/2008
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2
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21.1
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100 %
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Keep weight training sessions short
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Strength Training
"Keeping the actual weightlifting part of the workout less than 50 minutes has the following benefits:
• Allows you to maintain maximum mental focus and engage in the exercises with maximum possible physical intensity.
• The consequence of high intensity training is maximized hormone spikes, hormone that put the body in an anabolic state (fat loss, muscle building state).
After this time period the opposite occurs – the body secrets catabolic hormones (that destroy muscle to use it for energy) and the risk of over training is increased. Overtraining basically means increased recovery time for the muscles, less capacity to efficiently stimulate then during the next workout which translates into a halt in progress – also known as a “plateau”.
Many people make the mistake of working out hours at a time thinking that muscle grow while you’re working out. But the fact is that muscles grow given appropriate rest and recovery time as well as the nutrients needed to build/repair muscle tissue. So do your self a favor and keep lifting sessions short and intense to avoid over training and benefit from the optimum fat burning an anabolic state provides."
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/30/2008
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3
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20.6
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Change your workout routine periodically
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Strength Training
"The body has the ability to quickly adapt to any routine so often times a plateau is reached and progress stops.
To bypass a plateau or avoid one, you should switch your workout style every 6-8 weeks by:
1. Changing your daily split
2. Change the exercises performed
3. Tweak rep ranges, rest time and weight to increase intensity
4. Doing all of the above"
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workout routine
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/29/2008
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5
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26.2
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100 %
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How to always stayed focused
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General/Other
"What is the number one reason for failing to lose body fat?
I’ll give you a hit: It’s not a lack of knowledge regarding dieting and exercising.
If you answered “failing to set clearly defined goals”, then you got the answer right!
You see, the great challenge for people isn’t to find the knowledge but to take action on it. Goals fill this gap.
It’s not enough to wish to change. You must define state and set a deadline for the wish in order to transform your dream into a goal. A goal with a purpose is the fuel that propels you forward.
"The strangest secret in the world is that you become what you think about.”
- Earl Nightingale.
Earl Nightingale is right that you become what you think about so instead of telling yourself every day that you can’t do it why don’t you imagine how you would like to look, set a deadline, make it a goal, write it down and read it everyday.
Also, when you have a goal you will be more focused and determined. See the guys and gals wandering around the gym like they don’t know what to do next. These people have not set goals for themselves and it’s very likely that they been gym members for a long time but still they haven’t improved a bit.
How to set goals?
1. Set some long time goals. Ex: By next year I want to lose 30 pounds of FAT.
2.Set some short term goals. Ex: I want to lose 5 pounds of FAT this month!
3.Set measurable goals. Ex: I want to increase my bench press by 20 pounds!
4.Set Realistic deadlines. You can’t lose 30 pounds of fat in 30 days! (no matter what some claim)
5.Make sure you don’t have conflicting goals. Example: You can’t gain 15 pounds of muscle while losing 15 pounds of FAT. Put emphasis on your main goal = either lose Fat or build Muscle.
6.Write them down. Until it’s not on paper it is only a wish not a goal.
7.Read them to yourself every day. Program your subconscious for success."
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goal setting
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/29/2008
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3
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14.6
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100 %
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Lift heavy for muscle tone
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Strength Training
"What is muscle tone anyway?
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Muscle tone is residual tension in a relaxed muscle.
What this means in layman terms is that even when a muscle is relaxed, nerve impulses from your brain stimulate the muscle fibers within it to contract; so the muscle is in a constant state of partial contraction which keeps it firm, healthy and always ready to use.
So, basically, you already have a certain amount of muscle tone.
How can I improve my muscle tone?
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Because, as you learned earlier, muscle tone comes from neurological activity increased muscle tone is not the result of a physical transformation of the muscle but rather an increase of residual tension in the muscle as a result of the nervous system being more alert.
Again, what this means in layman terms is that in order to increase muscle tone you must increase the tension in the muscle. Lifting heavy weights generates higher tension in the muscle than light weights therefore should be practiced for muscle tone.
But if high reps/light weights don’t work, how come I feel so hard and toned after such a workout?
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Good question!
The way muscle fibers work is that they can contract on their own but need energy to de-contract. The energy compound that relaxes the muscle is known as ATP.
High reps exhaust ATP in your muscle which leads to a temporary hardness (due to impossibility to de-contract) also known as the pump which is just temporary muscle tone.
But won’t training hard bulk me up instead of tone my muscle?
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This depends on the volume of work (number of sets and reps) performed.
The key to getting strong and hard (toned) without the added bulk is to train heavy but keep the volume low."
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muscle tone
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/29/2008
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2
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42.1
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Maximize exercise afterburn
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Endurance
"The exercise after-burn also known as “excess post workout oxygen consumption” (EPOC) basically is the amount of calories expended by the body (above resting levels) in order to return itself to the pre-exercise state.
The total amount of calories consumed depends on the duration and intensity of the exercises performed.
The intensity in an aerobic exercise bout has the greatest impact on EPOC.
The higher the intensity, the greater the post workout caloric expenditure.
Studies suggest that given sufficient aerobic exercise intensity, exercise duration becomes an important factor influencing EPOC.
Also, several studies have concluded that intermittent aerobic exercise bouts (interval training) elicit a greater EPOC response when compared to continuous exercise bouts (steady state cardio).
Although there appears to be variation in individual responses, the positive news is that any additional caloric expenditure following exercise can add up over time and may contribute to long-term weight management.
Some evidence-based exercise options to maximize the exercise after-burn are presented below.
Exercise Program Suggestions to Maximize the Exercise After-burn (EPOC)
1. Tempo training: continuous, aerobic exercise at a high-intensity (70-85% VO2 max or 80% of your maximum heart rate) for a period of 30-60 minutes (Smith & McNaughton, 1993).
2. Long slow distance training: continuous, aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity (60-70% VO2 max or 70% of maximum heart rate) for a period of 60-80 minutes (Withers et al., 1991)."
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aerobic, calories, fat loss
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/29/2008
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1
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11.6
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N/A
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Don't touch that first piece
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Diet and Nutrition
"Everybody knows that you can eat any kind of food and still don’t get fat as long as you eat in MODERATION.
But let’s face it – some types of food you can’t just eat in moderation. One cookie or a hand full of chips will do for you?
If not; if you can’t stop there it is better to avoid those types of food altogether."
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/29/2008
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2
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13.9
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The best fat burning 'supplement' ever
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Diet and Nutrition
"The substance I am about to present to you can when consumed, almost instantly, accelerate fat loss, promote muscle development & strengthening and prolong aerobic capability.
Think I’m talking about an illegal performance enhancing drug? Think again.
In fact, besides the fact that it is legal, chances are that you are already using it, but not in correct amounts. Still don’t know?
It is WATER!
Now, you may say that: ”You aren’t telling me something new. I knew that I should drink between 8 – 10 glasses a day?” Ok, maybe you knew but tell me do you drink that much water a day? Probably not, I know that I didn’t before I started trying to find ways to reduce my body fat level.
What you should know about water is that:
• Every physiological process in your body depends on water.
• Dehydration decreases endurance, strength and physical performance.
• Without enough water the body can’t “burn” body fat as efficiently as normally.
When dehydrated, the body tries to hold on to as much water as possible. When this happens, the body’s waste products can’t be eliminated and the kidneys become overwhelmed. At this point the liver starts to help remove these waste products, neglecting its own job which includes using stored body fat for energy.
• Water is especially important on moderate to high protein diets. Processing protein produces much metabolic waste that the kidneys can’t remove completely without enough water.
• Drinking lots of water does not make you retain water. In fact the body only retains water when it does not receive enough water.
• Water is the only zero calorie liquid and the only one that properly hydrates you. You should not drink any other liquids for the two reasons above.
The best way to figure out the amount of water you should drink per day is by reporting it to your Total Energy Expenditure – you should drink between 1 ml and 1.5 ml per calorie consumed.
(Water intake in liters) = (total energy expenditure) X (1 or 1.5)
Anyway, do not drop water consumption below the recommended 8 to 10 glasses per day (that’s about 2 liters per day)."
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water, fat loss
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created by
trifm
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saved on 1/29/2008
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3
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42.1
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