StackLabs.com Blog

Circuit Training Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:19:00 +0000

If you are growing tired of doing the same old cardio exercises
like stair stepper machines, treadmills, etc., then why not try
something different but that is just as effective at fat
burning?

Try Circuit Training Exercise
Circuit training can be done with either weight training
exercises and bodyweight exercises. The idea is to use
three to five different exercises with no rest between sets.
Choose compound exercises that work more than one body part
and alternate between upper and lower body exercises.

Here is an example of an effective circuit training exercise
routine:

Barbell Bench Press: 1 set of 15 reps

Barbell Squats: 1 set of 15 reps

Lat Machine Pull downs: 1 set of 15 reps

Lunges: 1 set of 15 reps

Press Over Head: 1 set of 15 reps

Go through all 5 exercises without resting between sets.
After you complete all 5 exercises, rest long enough to
catch your breath, then repeat the circuit. Do this 3 to
5 times. If you are not used to this type of training,
you can start off with 3 exercises instead of 5.

Do this routine 3 days a week for 6 to 8 weeks. If you
are really trying to burn fat, also use a fat burner
supplement such as the Lipofit Fat Burner by Stacklabs.

Pre Exhaust Chest Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:18:00 +0000

Pre Exhaust Training is a method of pre exhausting a muscle with one
exercise, and then working it to failure with another exercise. You
can make tremendous gains this way.

The main exercise for working the chest muscles is the bench press.
The bench press also uses the front deltoid muscles and the triceps
muscles. Since the deltoids and triceps are smaller than the chest
muscles, they get tired faster. If you pre exhaust your chest muscles
with dumbbell flys, then you can work the chest muscles to total
failure with bench presses.

Warm up with a light set of dumbbell flys followed by a medium set.
Rest a few minutes then perform a heavy set of fly's for 10 reps.
Squeeze the chest muscles at the top of the movement and make every
rep count. As soon as you are done with your heavy set of dumbbell
flys, set the dumbbells down and without resting, do a set of bench
presses for 6 or 8 reps. This will totally exhaust the chest muscles.
Make sure that you use a spotter. Since your chest muscles will be
tired out from the flys, you will not be able to handle as much
weight on the bench presses as you normally would. Do 3 of these
pre exhaust sets.

You can also use the same method for the upper chest. Do incline
dumbbell flys followed by incline bench presses.

Do 3 of these pre exhaust sets twice a week for 6 or 8 weeks and
you will see a vast improvement in your chest development. You
will also find that you will be able to handle more weight when
you go back to regular bench presses.

Motivational Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:17:00 +0000

Can people be helped? Can we ourselves be helped? In this day and
age some people may start to feel that help isn't possible. This
may be due to having been offered help and then betrayed or even
their own failure to help others they really wanted to help.

Let's look at it, have you ever helped anyone, in any way? Have
you given someone directions when they needed it? Or have you
helped someone carry something they couldn't have carried by
themselves? Do this exercise think of at least 5 things you've
done that helped another or others?

Ok, has anyone ever helped you in any way? Has anyone ever given
you a ride somewhere when you needed it? Has anyone ever given
you some good information or tips on some subject? Think of at
least 5 times someone has helped you in anyway.

Is Control Good or Bad?
Most people think of control as a bad thing. Yes, control by
force or trickery, is bad. But is control always horrible? If
you don't control a car it will most likely crash. Sometimes
when teaching someone something you use good control to show
then how to do it. You may say lift the bar above your head, ok,
lower it, ok. This is a form of good control used to help someone
learn something. It wouldn't involve force or trickery, and
would be in cooperation with the person you are working with.
Think of at least 5 times you observed control being a good
thing.

How Important is Communication?
Is it better to talk about things or not. Sometimes saying
something could get us into trouble, offend people, etc. But,
even if that was to happen the only way to fix it is to talk
more about it, until an understanding is reached. It has been
said that anything can be resolved with enough good
communication. Have you even had a good open honest talk with
someone? How did you feel afterwards? Most likely very good.
Think of at least 5 times you confided in another that ended
with a good result. Think of at least 5 times someone confided
in you that came to a good result.

As a last exercise, think of 10 ways you can use the above
3 points to improve your relationships, activities, etc.

Muscle Building Rules

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:14:00 +0000

After 30 years of being involved in bodybuilding and fitness,
I feel the following are the basic laws of building muscle
and are what make any muscle building program work or not
work.

Muscle Building Rule 1: Muscles are composed of bundles of
fibers with the ability to contract and relax.

Muscle Building Rule 2: By contracting and relaxing muscles
can perform work, which is measured by force time distance
(Foot Pounds).

Muscle Building Rule 3: A muscle's power is measured by work
divided by time (Foot Pounds per Second).

Muscle Building Rule 4: The power of a muscle is in direct
proportion to its size.

Muscle Building Rule 5: When muscles are subjected to stress
they will attempt to adapt so they can better deal with
similar stress in the future.

Muscle Building Rule 6: When the stress is the progressive
generation of power the muscle attempt to adapt by increasing
in strength and size.

Muscle Building Rule 7: Muscles stressed beyond their ability
to adapt will not gain strength and size and may even lose
strength and size.

Muscle Building Rule 8: Muscles too long without exercise
stress will atrophy and lose strength and size.

So how to you progressively force your muscles to generate
more power and thus grow?

Always use good form to make sure the targeted muscles are
actually doing the work.

Use a full range of motion (maximum distance) while still
keeping the muscles under tension (maximum force).

Progressively increase the weight used (more force).

Increase reps (more distance).

Progressively shorten rest between sets (less time).

That is the simplicity of it, gradually but progressively
make your muscles do more work in less time and they will
grow.

Some great techniques that make your muscles do more work
in less time are pre-exhaust, super sets, tri sets, drop
sets, giant sets, rest pause, negatives, escalating
density training, etc.

Back Workout Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:35:00 +0000

Arnold won five Mr. Universe titles, seven times Mr. Olympia, along
with Mr. Europe, Mr. International and Mr. World. At his peak he
was 6 feet 2 inches tall and 240 pounds of hard and cut muscle.

Along with his biceps, Arnold was also famous wide and thick back.
How can you build a back like Arnold's? You won't like the answer
if you are lazy, because it takes years of consistent hard work.
Few people train as hard as Arnold did and that's the reason why
Arnold Schwarzenegger is still one of the greatest bodybuilders
of all time. Are you up the the challenge of this Arnold
Schwarzenegger back routine?

Start with your traps, by doing 3 to 5 sets of upright rows. Hold
the bar for a count of 2 at the chin while flexing your upper back
before lowering back to the starting position.

Next do 3 to 5 sets of heavy shrugs with either a pair of dumbells
or a barbell, pulling your shoulders back as well as up. That's it
for your traps.

Start your lat work with 3 to 5 sets of wide grip chin behind neck.
This secret chinning for lat width is to stretch at the bottom and
allow the lats to pull your Scapula out.

Next do chins to the front of the neck. The first style of chinning
hits primarily the upper lats, while front chins tend to work the
lower lats more. As mentioned, chinning is primarily for lat width,
and it will give you "wings" in your upper back.

Next you should work on you back thickness buy doing 3 to 5 sets of
dumbell bentover rowing. Rest one hand on a bench for support and
extend back the same leg as is on your working hand side. This leg
back position creates a greater stretch in your lats.

Next do 3 to 5 sets of barbell bentover rowing with various grips
from narrow to wide. Be sure your knees are slightly unlocked to
prevent unnecessary lower back strain.

Your final lat exercise should be 3 to 5 sets of seated cable
rows.

All that's left now is to train your erector spinae or lower
back muscles. Do 3 to 5 sets of stiff leg deadlifts while
standing on a bench so you can stretch down lower and work
your lower back muscles to the fullest.

Finish with 3 to 5 sets of hyperextensions, be sure to arch up
as much as you can.

This is an advanced back routine and is not for beginners or even
intermediates. If you are not an advanced trainee doing the the
full workout would only lead to overtraining and no progress,
but a reduced schedule will build a great back!

Don't Quit Poem

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Make 2010 your year to get in the best shape of your life.
The truth is that what someone works at hard enough and
long enough he will eventually get. The only way you can
fail is if you quit. Below is one of my favorate
inspirational poems.

Don't Quit
Author unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have w on had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

High Intensity Bodybuilding

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:28:00 +0000

Here are some advanced techniques for seasoned bodybuilders. Use then when
you feel as if you need a boost in the gym to promote muscle growth when
your regular workouts just aren't getting results.

Increasing Intensity: The simplest way to increase intensity is to add
more plates to the bar. This way "shocks" muscles to reacting and forces
them to adapt to be able to handle heavier poundages.

Shorter Rest Period: To maximize growth try reducing your rest time between
sets. This way you shock your muscles into reacting to the added pressure.
So if you are resting 2 minutes between sets now reduce your rest period to
1 minute between sets.

Partial Reps: This is when your muscle is exhausted at the end of a set,
you continue the movement through half or as much as you can of it. It's
simply a way of adding more intensity to a set than you wouldn't be able
to do with the normal range of motion.

Pyramid Training: This is where you increase the poundage and decrease the
rep range in an exercise in each set of that exercise. Its called pyramid
training and the idea is to add more "shock" to your muscles. Its a very
commonly used technique and can be used more regularly than other advanced
techniques.

For example when doing lat pulldowns on a lat machine, do 12 reps with an
easy enough poundage for one set, for the next set do 10 reps with a heavier
poundage, for the next set do 8 reps with an even heavier poundage yet and
finally for the last set do 6 reps with as much as you can handle.

Stripping: This means at the end of a set when your muscles are giving out
with fatigue, you stop and remove 20-40% off the bar or machine and
continue the exercise movement until you are again fatigued, then you take
another 20-40% of the bar or machine and continue until you can do no more.
By all means continue to keep removing plates as you see fit, it's sure to
seriously work your muscles.

Compound Sets: Do two exercises for the same bodypart one after the other,
with no rest in between.

Tri-Sets: Like compound Sets except you will be doing three exercises for
the same bodypart back to back, with no rest in between.

Rest-Pause: Rest-Pause is where during a set when your muscle is fatigued
you stop for a few seconds to catch your breath and let the target muscle
rest a little, then you do more reps, etc. The benefit is that while you
would fatigue quicker with a normal set, with rest-pause you take a
slight break and can end up doing more reps per set thus working your
muscle even harder.

Nutrition Made Simple

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 01:26:00 +0000

Nutrition is very important, if you don't eat right you won't reach
your goals no matter how hard you exercise.

Nutrition is much more simple then many believe. A nutrition program
should be well balanced, which means eating a variety of foods from
all four food groups every day.

This would mean daily intake of:

1) Four servings of fruits and vegetables
2) Four servings of cereals and grains
3) Two servings of meat, fish and poultry
4) Two servings of milk and daily products

Your should have natural and healthy carbohydrates as 60 percent of
your calorie intake, with 25 percent high quality protein and 15
percent healthy fats.

If you are looking to lose fat you need to take in less calories
then your body burns in a day. There are 3500 calories in a pound
of fat, so if you wanted to lose a pound of fat a week you would
have to eat at least 500 calories a day less then your maintenance
level of calories. If you are not getting leaner then you need to
decrease your calorie intake.

If you are looking to gain muscle you need to take in more calories
then your body burns in a day. There are 600 calories in a pound of
muscle, so if you wanted to gain 10 pounds of muscle in the next
3 to 6 months you would have to eat at least an extra 6000 calories
over and above your maintenance level over that period of time. If
you are training and getting stronger but not getting bigger you
need to increase your calorie intake.

Bodybuilding Food Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:12:00 +0000

In order to build muscle and get into shape, it is important to eat the
correct foods in the correct amounts. Your body needs protein. You need
to supply protein to your muscles on a daily basis for muscle maintenance
and muscle growth. Your body also needs carbohydrates. Carbohydrates
supply energy to your body. You also need fat. Most protein foods also
contain fat. If you eat enough protein, you will be getting enough fat.

Protein Foods: Beef, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Milk and Dairy Products. (Milk
and dairy products also contain carbohydrates.) If you are trying to burn
fat off of your body, you should limit your intake of milk and dairy
products. Beef, Chicken and fish contain approx. 100 grams of protein per
pound. Eggs contain approx. 6 to 7 grams of protein each. Milk contains
approx. 8 grams of protein per cup. Protein foods also contain vitamins
and minerals.

Carbohydrate Foods: There are three different types of carbohydrate foods:
Complex Carbohydrates, Simple Carbohydrates and Refined Carbohydrates.

Complex Carbohydrates: Baked Potatoes, Whole Grains, Rice, Beans and Nuts.
Complex carbohydrates release energy into your body slowly over a period
of time. These foods also contain vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Simple Carbohydrates: Apples, Oranges and all other types of fruit. Simple
carbohydrates release energy into your body a lot faster than complex
carbohydrates and the energy does not last as long. Fruit also contains
vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Refined Carbohydrates: Cake, Pie, Cookies, Candy and sweets. Refined
carbohydrates release energy into the body all at once. You have a sharp
spike and then a steep decline. Refined carbohydrates contain little or
no real food value. For someone who is trying to get into shape and stay
in shape, refined carbohydrates should be avoided or eliminated from your
diet.

A person needs about one gram of protein per pound a day and about one
gram of carbohydrates for every two pounds a day.

Example: A person that weighs 200 pounds needs about 200 grams of
protein and 100 grams of carbohydrates every day. These are just basic
guide lines. You may need more or less, depending on you metabolism and
your activity level. A marathon runner burns up a lot more energy than
the average person and needs a lot more carbohydrates. A person that is
overweight and has a lot of extra fat on their body needs to limit their
intake of carbohydrates in order to lose fat.

Vegetables: Most vegetables contain little or no protein and very small
amounts of carbohydrates. However they are an important part of your diet.
They contain vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Bodybuilder Workout Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:43:00 +0000

3 way split workout

This is a three way split routine. It will take 3 weeks to complete
1 cycle. This workout should be done for 9 weeks for a total of 3
cycles.

WEEK # 1
Monday: Part 1. CHEST & BACK

SUPERSET # 1
BENCH PRESS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Super Set with WIDE GRIP PULL UP OR PULLDOWN: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

SUPERSET # 2
INCLINE BENCH PRESS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Super Set with BARBELL ROWS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

SUPERSET # 3
DUMBBELL FLY: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Super Set with SINGLE DUMBBELL PULL OVER: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Tuesday: Part 2. Legs and Abdominals

LEG EXTENSION: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

SQUAT: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

LEG CURL: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

CALF RAISE: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps (Use a standing calf machine)

CALF RAISE: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps (Use a seated calf machine)

CRUNCHES: 3 to 5 sets of 25 to 50 reps

Super Set with LEG RAISE: 3 to 5 sets of 15 reps

Wednesday: Part 3 Shoulders and Arms

Do these 3 exercises in a TRI SET formation

1. SHOULDER PRESS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

2. SIDE LATERAL: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

3. REAR LATERAL: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

4. BARBELL CURLS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Super Set with TRICEPS EXTENSION: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps (Use a flat bench & E-Z curl bar)

DUMBBELL CURLS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

Super Set with TRICEPS EXTENSIONS: 3 TO 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps (Use a cable pulley)

REVERSE CURL: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps (Use an E-Z curl bar)

Super Set with WRIST CURLS: 3 to 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps

THURSDAY: Rest

Friday: Part 1 Chest & Back

Saturday & Sunday: Rest

WEEK # 2
Monday: Part 2

Tuesday: Part 3 Shoulders and Arms

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Part 1 Chest & Back

Friday: Part 2 Legs & Abs

WEEK # 3
Monday: Part 3 Shoulders & Arms

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: Part 1 Chest & Back

Thursday: Part 2 Legs & Abs

Friday: Part 3 Shoulders & Arms

Continue to repeat this cycle for 9 weeks.

10 Tips To Reduce Fat In Your Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:39:00 +0000

1. Steam, boil, broil, or microwave vegetables, or
stir-fry them in a small amount of vegetable oil.

2. Season vegetables with herbs and spices rather than
sauces, butter, or margarine.

3. Try lemon juice or fat-free dressing on salad, or
use a yogurt based dressing instead of mayonnaise or
sour cream dressing.

4. To reduce saturated fat, use vegetable oil or tub
margarine instead of butter or stick margarine when
possible.

5. Replace whole milk with skim or low-fat milk in
puddings, soups, and baked products. Substitute plain
non-fat yogurt, blender-whipped cottage cheese, low-fat
sour cream, or buttermilk in recipes that call for sour
cream.

6. Choose lean cuts of meat, and trim any visible fat
from meat before and after cooking. Remove skin from
poultry before or after cooking. Monitor portion sizes.
(Lean meats end in "loin".)

7. Roast, bake, or broil meat, poultry, or fish, so
that fat drains away as the food cooks.

8. Use a non-stick pan for cooking so added fat will
be unnecessary, use a vegetable spray for frying.

9. Chill broths from meat or poultry until the fat
becomes solid. Spoon off the fat before using the
broth.

10. Eat a low-fat vegetarian main dish at least once
a week.

Best Mass Building Routine

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:22:00 +0000

This routine is designed to add a maximum amount of muscle mass to
your body in the shortest amount of time. This workout includes
the three major mass building weight training movements combined
with the two best mass building resistance exercises.

This Program is split into two different parts.

Part 1:
Bench Press: 5 sets of 8 to 15 reps. This is the best upper body
mass building exercise. It will work your chest, shoulders and
triceps. Start off with a light warm up set for 15 reps, followed
by a medium warm up set for 12 reps. Next do 3 heavy sets of 8 to
10 reps each.

Dead Lift: 5 sets of 10 reps. This is the best over all mass
building exercise, however it must be performed properly or there
is a risk of serious injury. Do a light warm up set followed by a
medium warm up set. Next do 3 heavy sets. It is more important to
use proper form on this exercise that to use a maximum amount of
weight.

Part 2:
Parallel Bar Dip: 5 sets of as many reps as possible. This exercise
will build your chest, shoulders and triceps. Use super sets to
combine this exercise with the next exercise.

Pull Up: 5 sets of as many reps as possible. Do this exercise with
a medium to narrow grip with your palms facing you. This will build
the biceps and lats.

Squats: 5 sets of 10 to 15 reps. This is the best lower body mass
building exercise. Start off with a light warm up set for 15 reps
followed by a medium warm up set for 12 reps. Next do 3 heavy sets.

Alternate Part 1 of this routine with Part 2 every other day with
a day of rest in between each workout for 6 to 8 weeks.

Here is a good example of how to apply this routine:

Week 1
Monday: Bench Press and Dead Lift
Wednesday: Parallel Bar Dip, Pull Up and Squat
Friday: Bench Press and Dead Lift

Week 2
Monday: Parallel Bar Dip, Pull Up and Squat
Wednesday: Bench Press and Dead Lift
Friday: Parallel Bar Dip, Pull Up and Squat

Continue to do this routine in this fashion for 6 to 8 weeks.

Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Did you know there are at least four great reasons to eat more fruits
and vegetables?

1) It is easy to do.

2) Almost all are low in calories and fat.

3) They are a good source of vitamins and minerals and provide fiber.

4) They may help reduce cancer risk.

Here are some actions to get you started and keep you going. Try two
or three actions now and try more later.

Buy many kinds of fruits and vegetables when you shop, so you have
plenty of choices, and you don't run out. Buy frozen, dried, and
canned as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

First, use the fruits and vegetables that go bad easily (peaches,
asparagus). Save hardier varieties (apples, acorn squash) or frozen
and canned types for later in the week.

Use the salad bar to buy cut-up fruits/vegetables if you're in a
hurry.

Keep a fruit bowl, small packs of applesauce, raisins or other
dried fruit on the kitchen counter, table, or in the office.

Pack a piece of fruit or some cut-up vegetables in your briefcase
or backpack; carry moist towelettes for easy cleanup.

Keep a bowl of cut-up vegetables on the top shelf of the
refrigerator.

Add fruit to breakfast by drinking 6 oz of 100 percent fruit juice
or by having fruit on cereal.

Add fruits and vegetables to lunch by having them in soup, salad,
or cut-up raw.

Add fruits and vegetables to dinner by microwaving or steaming
vegetables and having a special fruit desert.

Increase portions when you serve vegetables and fruits. Season
them the low-fat way with herbs, spices, and lemon juice. If sauce
is used, choose a nonfat or low-fat sauce.

Choose fruit for dessert. For a special dessert, try a fruit
parfait with low-fat yogurt or sherbet topped with berries.

Add extra varieties of vegetables when you prepare soups, sauces,
and casseroles (for example, grate carrot and zucchini into
spaghetti sauce.

The Huge Growth Diet

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:14:00 +0000

Meal #1
Oatmeal or shredded wheat w/milk
2-6 Eggs - use 1/2 yolks
2 Slices of Whole grain toast

Meal#2
Protein drink
8-12 ounces milk
1/2 - 1 banana
1-2 scoops protein powder

Meal #3
Lean Red meat
Baked potato or rice
8-12 ounces of milk

Meal #4
1-2 cans of Tuna
2-4 slices whole grain bread
Lite or no-fat mayonnaise
1 banana
8-12 ounces milk

Meal #5
Large plate of pasta
3-4 ounces lean ground beef
small salad w/oil and vinegar dressing
8-12 ounces of milk

Meal #6
Lean red meat or chicken
1-3 baked potatoes
1 serving of mixed vegetables
8-12 ounces of milk

This diet will provide roughly between 3500-5500 calories depending on the size of the portions. You may need to adjust the calories upwards or downwards, depending on your present condition. Here are some general guidelines:

To lower calories:
1) Utilize smaller portions
2) Increase fibrous carbohydrates while decreasing starchy carbohydrates
3) Eat less red meat
To increase calories:
1) Eat slightly larger portions
2) Use a weight gain supplement instead of protein powder
3) Use 2% or whole milk

We cannot stress enough the importance of being as consistent as possible about your diet. Do not skip meals or eat poorly.

Basic Weight Training Principles

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:12:00 +0000

Progressive Training
Progressive training is the idea of trying to make progress with
each and every workout. The first aspect of progressive training
is to start off slow and increase the intensity of your workouts
as you go along.

Example: If you are about to start a new training program that
calls for you to do six different exercises for five sets each,
start your first workout by doing one set of each exercise. Do
two sets of each exercise in your second workout. Keep adding one
set of each exercise each workout until you reach the full five sets.

The second aspect of progressive training is to progressively get
stronger with each workout.

Example: If you were able to do 8 reps with 200 pounds on the bench
press in your last workout, try to do 9 reps in your next workout.
Once you can do 9 reps, try to do 10 reps, then increase the weight.
If you did 3 sets of 11 pull ups in your last workout, try to do 3
sets of 12 reps in your next workout. This applies to all exercises.
Always try to do more with each and every workout. Mentally prepare
yourself and psych yourself up before you head to the gym. Tell
yourself that you are going to do more in this workout than in the
last workout. This is the way to make real progress.

Cyclical Training
It is hard to indefinitely keep up the type of intensity that is
required for real progress. To stay on the exact same routine forever
and to keep increasing the intensity level is hard to do. Your mind and
your body will rebel. You get tired and bored with your workout and you
do not feel like going to the gym. That is why it is important to train
in cycles.

Change your workout every six or eight weeks. Add some new exercises and
delete some of the old ones. You can also change the order of your
exercises. This will keep your workouts from getting tedious and boring.
Your body will respond better to a varied routine.

Instinctive Training
This is an advanced training concept. Instinctive training means going
into the gym and training according to the way you feel. In order to
apply instinctive training effectively, you need to have experience with
all of the exercises and all of the training methods for all of the body
parts. You also have to be experienced enough to have developed self
motivation. If you are still a beginner and you have to force yourself
to go to the gym everyday, then you are not experienced enough to apply
instinctive training effectively. But remember, some exercise is better
than no exercise. If you are tired and bored with your routine and you
are thinking about skipping your workout, go to the gym anyway. Tell
yourself that you are only going to do the exercises that you feel like
doing, and you are going to leave whenever you want to leave. Sometimes
you end up getting one of your best workouts ever. You are listening to
your body and responding to what it is telling you.

In Cyclical Training, we talked about training in cycles and changing
your workout every six to eight weeks. However, if you are doing a
routine that you really like and you feel like staying with it for ten
weeks or twelve weeks or even longer, then that’s what you should do.
This is another way of applying instinctive training. You can get a lot
of good training ideas from our website and other fitness websites and
books and magazines. You can also get good ideas from other people in
the gym that might have more experience than you. But in the long run,
only you are going to know what is best for your own body. When you
can learn to apply instinctive training, that’s when you will make
the best possible gains.

Good Nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Make sure that you get all the essential nutrients for good
health. Eating a wide variety of foods from all the food groups will
help you get the vitamins and minerals you need. If you eat less
than 1,200 calories a day, you may benefit from taking a daily
vitamin and mineral supplement. Adequate protein is important
because it prevents muscle tissue from breaking down and repairs
all body tissues such as skin and teeth. To get adequate protein in
your d iet, make sure you eat Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs,
and Nuts every day. These foods are all good sources of protein.

A daily fiber intake of 20 to 30 grams. Adequate fiber helps with
proper bowel function. If you were to eat 1 cup of bran cereal, 1/2
cup of carrots, 1/2 cup of kidney beans, a medium-sized pear, and
a medium-sized apple together in 1 day, you would get about 30
grams of fiber.

No more than 30 percent of calories, on average, from fat a day,
with less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat (such as
fat from meat, butter, and eggs). Limiting fat to these levels
reduces your risk for heart disease and may help you lose
weight. In addition, you should limit the amount of cholesterol
in your d iet. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found in animal
products such as meat and eggs. Your d iet should include no
more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day (one egg
contains about 215 milligrams of cholesterol, and 3.5 ounces of
cooked hamburger contain 100 milligrams of cholesterol).

At least 8 to 10 glasses, 8 ounces each, of water or water-based
beverages, a day. You need more water if you exercise a lot.

These nutrients should come from a variety of low-calorie,
high-nutrient foods. One way to get variety -- and with it, an
enjoyable and nutritious d iet -- is to choose foods each day
from the food groups.

High Intensity Training Techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Super Sets
A super set is when you alternate two different exercises for two
different body parts. Example: If your are working chest and back
in the same workout, you can apply super sets by doing one set of
bench presses and one set of pull ups. The idea is to work one
body part while the other body part is resting. You will get
through your workout faster and more efficiently.

Forced Reps
A forced rep is when you do as many reps as possible on your own,
and then you have your training partner help you do a few more reps.
Example: If you are doing bench presses with a maximum weight for
8 reps, do your eight reps, then have your training partner help
you by lifting up slightly on the bar.

Negative Resistance Reps
A negative resistance rep is when you push the bar up and then your
training partner applies pressure on the bar on the way down. Try to
resist the pressure by pushing back up on the bar.

Pre-Exhaust Sets
A pre exhaust set is when you use an isolation exercise to tire a
muscle out, and then you use a compound exercise to continue to work
the muscle. Example: Dumbbell Flys are an isolation exercise for the
chest muscle. Do a light warm up set followed by a medium warm up set.
Next, do a heavy set for as many reps as possible. Without resting, do
a set of Bench Ppress. The chest muscles will be tired out from the
dumbbell fly's, but the shoulder and triceps muscles that you use for
the bench press will be fresh. Make sure that you use a spotter for
the bench press. You will have to use a lighter weight on the bench
press than you normally would.

Count Down Sets
To perform count down sets, you will need access to an Olympic weight
set, a power rack and 2 training partners. Example: How to apply count
down sets to the shoulder press: Put the Olympic bar on a power rack at
about shoulder level. Do a light warm up set and a medium warm up set of
shoulder presses. For an example, let’s say you can do a maximum set of
shoulder presses for 8 reps with 125 pounds. Put 4 ten pound plates on
each side of the bar. That equals 80 pounds plus 45 pounds for the bar.
This is a total of 125 lbs. Take the weight off of the rack and do as
many reps as possible. Put the bar back on the rack. Have your two
training partners pull 1 ten pound plate off each side of the bar. Do
not rest. Pick up the bar and do as many reps as possible. Put the bar
back on the rack. Have your two training partners pull 1 more ten pound
plate off of each side of the bar. Without resting, pick the bar back
up and continue to do reps. Keep going until the bar is empty. You can
apply count down sets to any exercise that uses a barbell.

Helpful Holiday Diet Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:57:00 +0000

The following suggestions will help you make healthy eating
decisions while cooking and celebrating during the holidays:

Plan ahead
Think about what you want to eat and how the carbohydrates and
calories fit into your meal plan. If concerned call ahead and
ask what will be served to help you develop your menu choices
or think about alternatives in advance.

Eat something before you go
Have some protein, or a light snack before you go, so you won’t
be tempted to overeat when you get there.

Keep your perspective
Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet your goals. Simply,
adjust your eating habits at the next event and/or plan time to
be more active.

Portion control
Try selecting one serving of a few items that are low in fat, sugar
and salt.

Exercise
Put on your walking shoes and head for the pavement or the mall.
Spend your extra holiday hours making sure you take your walk once
(or even twice) a day to lower blood glucose levels. Or, increase
your other activities – rake some leaves, take the steps instead
of the elevator, walk the dog or play with the kids.

Radical Rowing

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:59:00 +0000

Do you row? Rowing is one of the best ways to significantly build up the
back. One of the guys with an “all-time” best back is Ollie McClay and
he built that very bad back primarily through rowing movements – tons of
rowing movements. Rowing is one of the best possible tools you can use
to form an awesome back. Targeting the back is vital because the back is
the biggest muscle group of the human torso. The legs anchor the lower
body and the back anchors the upper body. The better your back, the
better your upper body. If you want to turn your back into a mass of
hard rock, rowing is the answer.

In addition to the standard form of rowing (bent rowing, cable rowing,
dumbbell rowing, etc.), you can add more muscle to your back with a more
radical form of rowing. This radical rowing combines a couple of
elements to make a superb workout. These elements include the Dorian
Yates heavy duty rowing approach along with some explosive action.
Together they add up to a radical rowing movement that will shock your
back into new growth.

Dorian Yates had a unique approach to rowing – he used an undergrip and
a partial bent position to rack up heavy duty stimulation on his back.
The reverse grip rowing seems to allow for a more direct pulling action
of the back. To perform this style of rowing, grab a barbell with an
undergrip (palms facing your body) and bend forward to a position where
your body is bent at the waist slightly above parallel. Also bend
your knees slightly to help absorb the stationary side of the load.

As you start the rowing, explode! Don’t pull at the typical moderate
pace. Instead, rock that bar up into your upper abdomen region as hard
as you can. Explosive rowing will bring the fast-twitch muscles into
play. As you row, focus on getting those elbows pulled up and back as
far as you can for a super deep stretch of the back muscles. Lower the
weight back down strongly (basically let it drop down if you have rubber
mats), then explosively pull the weight back up again. Perform this
explosive action for 5-7 quick, strong repetitions. Get in 4-5 sets
and watch what the radical approach to rowing will do for your back.

5 Easy Ways To Burn More Fat

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:30:00 +0000

1. Do not eat poor quality carbohydrates before bed.
Poor quality carbohydrates are those that contain sugar
or are highly processed. These would include most breakfast
cereals, breads, snack foods, candies, and even fruits and
juices. Eating these foods immediately prior to bedtime will
likely result in increased fat deposit and will prevent your
body from maintaining a successful fat-burning mode.

2. Increase your muscle mass! The more lean muscle you have,
the more calories your body will burn even at rest. Muscle
is extremely active metabolically. Do some resistance training,
add some muscle, and crank up that metabolism.

3. Never let yourself get too hungry, or too stuffed. It really
is all about moderation. Time your meals so that you eat before
you are starving . . . doing this one simple thing will cause you
to almost always eat less. When you do eat, stop when your
satisfied not when you are so stuffed you cannot even get
down another bite.

4. Double up on your cardio training. From time to time it may
be beneficial to the fat-burning process for you to split your
cardio training into two short sessions rather than one longer
one. Studies suggest that people who do 30 minutes of morning
cardio and then 30 minutes of evening cardio lose more fat
than those doing just one 60 minute session.

5. Eat more high fiber foods. Most of us do not get enough fiber
in our daily diets, and that’s just a shame. Fiber not only
promotes overall general health, but also can significantly
aid in your fat-burning efforts. Leafy greens and salads are
ideal sources of fiber.

The Workout Your Mother Warned You About

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:34:00 +0000

For the last three months, I have been following this workout, and it built
my mass, strength and ripped my body fat to a very low level.

Mon. 10 sets of 10 of the following:
Flat bench press
Seated military press
Lying tricep extensions
Dips

Tues. 10 sets of 10 of the following:
Squats
Bent over rows
Flat bar bicep curls
Power cleans

Wed. 10 sets of 10 of the following:
Deadlifts

Thurs. 10 sets of 6 of the following:
Flat bench press
Seated military press
Lying Tricep Extensions
Dips

Friday 10 sets of 6 of the following:
Squats
Bent over rows
Flat bar bicep curls
Power cleans

.....On the following monday, you do the same exercises as your regular
Monday workout only you do 10 sets of 3, Tuesday, same exercises, 10
sets of 3, Wed. Deadlifts, 10 sets of 6, Thursday, start over with 10 sets
of 10, and just keep this routine rolling, with 10's, 6's, and 3's. It is an
awesome workout, and after about 4 weeks, you will notice that your
gym time is really paying off.

The Logical Method of Fat Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:29:00 +0000

Reducing body fat can be done safely (without losing muscle),
simply, methodically and in a predictable fashion so that the
individual achieves his goal on a predetermined date. The
process begins by establishing one's present maintenance
level of calories. This can be accomplished by keeping a
five-day food diary wherein you record everything you eat,
including the quantity, for that period. At the end of each day,
sit down with a good calorie-counting book and tally the total
calories for that day. On the fifth day, take the five daily totals,
add them up for a grand total, divide by five, and you'll have
your daily average calorie intake. If you didn't gain or lose
weight over that five day period, your daily average calorie
intake will also represent your daily maintenance level of
calories.

Once you've established your daily maintenance level of
calories, reduce your food intake so that you are 500 calories
below maintenance. Since there are 3500 calories in a pound
of fat, a 500 calorie daily deficit will lead invariably to a loss
of one pound of fat a week. Over a period of time, as you
continue to l ose w eight, your maintenance level of calories
will go down, and weight loss will slow down or come to a halt.
When this happens, reduce your calories another 500 or so
and the weight-fat loss will proceed.

Weight Lifting Myths And Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Myth: Always use a belt when lifting weights.

Fact: If you're an athlete who trains with a w eight belt, you are not
developing your own stabilizing core to function with all of the other
muscles. This is a problem, because when you go onto the field, the
strength developed in the w eight room cannot be transferred completely
because you don't have a w eight belt with you. You actually limit your
performance by using a w eight belt.

Myth: Leg lifts are great for the lower abs.

Fact: When most people lift their legs while on their back, they
actually inhibit their lower abdominals and strengthen their hip
flexors. In order to train your lower abdominals correctly, you should
slowly lift your hips 1 to 2 inches off the floor, which will raise
your legs and feet a few inches higher.

Myth: Behind-the-neck Lat Pull-downs are a great exercise for your lats.

Fact: This exercise puts you in a position where your shoulder ligaments
stretch out - destabilizing your shoulder. This, in turn, can lead to
compressed nerves at the neck. Aside from that exercise, there is no
time in your entire life where you will be required to pull anything
behind your head like that. By doing a lat pull-down in front, you will
still develop size and strength in your lats.

Myth: The best way to burn f at is aerobic exercise and dieting.

Fact: The best way to burn f at is anaerobic exercise and eating
regularly. Most strength training consists of anaerobic exercise. The
anaerobic lactic acid energy system inside the muscle cells is where
the muscle gets the energy to lift w eights. The anaerobic energy system
is far less efficient than the aerobic system, so that much more fuel is
burned by anaerobic activity than is burned by doing the same amount of
work aerobically. Metabolic rates can stay elevated hours after an
anaerobic workout, while the metabolic rate drops along with the heart
rate after an aerobic workout. More f at is burned for a longer period of
time by working out anaerobically. D.ieting does not work well because
when you restrict the amount of c alories consumed a day, your body
reacts by lowering your metabolic rate so that less c alories are needed,
instead of burning more f at to make up for the lost c alories. The best
way to change your d iet is to decrease the caloric intake in a
wave-like pattern, so that your body does not adapt and more f at is
burned. Another important thing to do is to eat six small meals a day
instead of 3 larger ones. The reason behind this is that if you eat 3
meals a day, you get hungry and your body starts to lower your metabolic
rate, which means that less f at is burned. If you eat 6 smaller meals,
you don't get as hungry, and your body maintains a higher metabolic rate,
meaning that you burn more f at.

Myth: Weight lifting causes big muscles.

Fact: You can create a program which increases strength without any
increase in muscle size. Muscle size is only one component in strength.
Another important one is the nervous system. The nervous system can almost
exclusively be trained so that it can activate muscles harder and longer,
which increases the strength in those muscles, without allowing the
muscles themselves much if any increase in size. This is great news
for women who don't want to bulk up, but still want to get stronger.

High Protein Smoothie Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Blueberry

6 oz. light (reduced sugar) f at-free blueberry yogurt, frozen
(This is one container of Yoplait)
1 cup blueberries, fresh
1 cup non-f at milk
Optional protein powder for increased nutrition

Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smoothie consistency is
reached! 1/2 cup frozen blueberries may be added to make it thicker.

Nutritional Information:
Serves 2, per serving:
Fat: 0 g
Calories: about 128

Melon Madness

1 cup of peach f at-free yogurt, frozen
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup cantaloupe
1/2 cup honey dew melon
4 ice cubes
1/2 cup strawberries (or subsitute with watermelon)
Optional protein powder for increased nutrition

Put yogurt, milk, and strawberries into blender. Blend on high for
about 30-45 seconds. Then add in cantaloupe, melon, and ice. Blend
once again on high for 1 minute.

Nutritional Information:
Serves 2, per serving:
Fat: 0
Calories: 190

Bigger Biceps and Forearms Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (Stacklabs.com) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Best Bicep Exercises

Dumbbell Supinating Curls

One of the very best size-builders, this exercise engages two
functions of the biceps muscles, curling and supinating (turning
the hands upward). Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms
toward your body. Curl them simultaneously, turning your hands
upward as you do so. Your palms should be up about half way
through the movement.

Close Grip Vertical Curls

Since dumbbell curls are essentially a wide grip exercise
effecting the outer biceps head, the second exercise is done
with a close grip working the inner head. Use a curling bar
taking the inside grip, or a straight bar with a 4" hand
spacing. Lean over a vertical curling bench. On the angled
bench, you lose tension at the top. Vertical curls provide
resistance at the point of complete contraction, building
that much-sought-after high biceps peak. Brace your upper
arm firmly against the pad. Do full movements, holding the
bar at the top for 1/2 second. Lower slowly.

Hammer Curls

This exercise works the brachialis, the muscle between the
biceps and triceps. If you haven't done this for a while,
you'll notice instant size gains within days of including
hammer curls. Do these standing or seated. I prefer
simultaneous curls, but you can alternate arms for variety.
start the same as you did the supination curls, palms
toward you. Curl the dumbbells keeping the thumbs-up
position.

Best Forearm Exercises

Pulley Wrist Curl

Attach a revolving bar to a floor pulley cable. Squat in
front of it, bracing your lower arms on your thighs. Lower
the bar to your fingertips. Bring it to your palms by curling
your fingers, then curl your knuckles toward you wrists. Hold
and lower slowly. The pulley gives you continuous tension
while the tension varies with a barbell. You'll feel a
tremendous pump in the forearm flexors.

Reverse Grip Wrist Curl

Sit on the end of a bench holding a barbell. Lower your hand
forward, then bring it up as high as possible. You'll feel
this in the forearm extensors level with the backs of your
hands.

These two exercises isolate and stimulate stubborn forearm
development. (Incidentally, reverse curls are NOT a forearm
exercise, except in a secondary way. It would be like doing
military presses for the triceps, or bent over rows for the
biceps!)