Swimsuit....

I would like to first start off with a small quiz. Here we go. It’s spring semester and even though it has just started, myself and college students all around the world are already feeling the rigors of classes. Moreover, we are all thinking the same thing, “I need a break”. What does all of this say you ask? It says let’s get ready for spring break but before we all hit the beaches of Cancun, Miami, or any other exotic location, we are all thinking on thing. We are all thinking I need to get fit, I need to get those six pack abs back so I can look good for all the beautiful ladies surveying the beach. The ladies are thinking, “I need to lose these love handles so that sexy guy will look my way”. It does not matter if you are male or female; we are all thinking the same thing.

Personally, I have been in college for the past four years, now it’s my last semester and I have yet to go on a spring break trip. Fortunately, opportunity has finally knocked on my door because it seems that I will be bound for Miami. Now that I have finally received the opportunity to enjoy spring break, I want everything to be perfect, abs and all. Starting tomorrow, for the next month and a half up until the day I depart for Miami I intend to put all the knowledge I have to get myself in the best shape possible.

Bigger, Stronger, Faster…

In this blog I feel the need to focus on those experienced lifters who reach a plateau. Remember when you just started out lifting, it was much easier to get stronger, bigger, and faster. In fact most beginners see changes following each workout session. Advanced trainers tend to fall into a plateau effect as they inch closer to their genetic potential. Once you have reached this point then it is time to push yourself to your limits. Furthermore, the stress on your muscles during recovery time begins to increase so you will have to be conscious of how you maintain your body.

In order to arrive at your individual genetic potential, it is important to ignore those people you see that always seem to be in great shape with little effort. Remember each person is different; two people can perform the same workout and receive totally different results. There are three types of body generally seen. The first body type is an Ectomorph which is a person who is naturally skinny and experiences difficulty gain weight or muscle. Second, you have Mesomorphs which are those people who find it relatively easy to gain muscle and have a naturally fit body. Third, you have Endomorphs which tend to gain weight fairly easy but experiences difficulty losing the weight. Personally, my body is between an Ectomorph and a Mesomorph. Due to this I must find a middle approach in regard to my body type. It is best that everyone determine what type of body type they have, this will help in determining what training methods are best for them in particular. Moreover, once the necessary knowledge has been attained about your body then you can begin training YOUR body so you can the best results for you.

Why all the confusion…?

I just left the gym a couple of hours ago after completing a great workout and I found myself wandering one thing, why must they confuse us so much. When I say “they” I am referring to the vast majority of those in the fitness industry. It usually takes most individuals going through four or five fitness programs if not more before they find a program that yields any substantial results. Sadly, I also have had to travel on this beaten path. After wasting valuable time, energy, and more importantly my money, I realized that many of these programs were destined for failure from the beginning.

Think about how you have learned throughout your entire life, by simply reading books and trying to digest all the information is not an efficient learning method. It is not until you get out there and actually see everything you are learning implemented that you begin really understanding. Trying to learn how to properly perform the various exercises featured in a book safely and accurately is ineffective. People are able to learn more from watching someone perform an activity than they ever will by reading from a book. Furthermore, with books and similar instructional material it is difficult to control the learning process as all the information (nutrition guides, fat-loss, and muscle building) are trying to be digested all at once before the individual is able to implement anything. Moreover, most of the information about proper technique etc. learned is most likely lost since they have been unable to implement.

“Flab, why won’t you go away?”

It seems that no matter where I go I come across individuals who constantly struggle to lose the excess weight around their stomach. After working hard in the gym, it seems these people are stuck with those flabby love handles that appear to have no plans of leaving. This appears to be a common problem plaguing people attempting to get that flat stomach/six pack abs.

In order to find a solution for this problem we must determine what we are doing wrong. A large amount of the time individuals waste their precious time doing countless sit-ups, crunches, and other abdominal exercise. My initial attempts of getting six pack abs were wasted as I use to sit in my room and do every abdominal exercise at the time. Focusing on abs specific exercises usually yielded mediocre results and as a means of increasing my resolve I would simply tell myself that I just was not working hard enough. Over the past six year I have been able to pick up tons of useful information from fitness classes I have taken at Illinois State University, personal trainers I have had the pleasure of knowing including my fraternity brother, and through extensive personal research. When it comes to attaining that elusive flat stomach/six pack, the most important thing I have most likely learned is that the trick is to not focus on all these ab specific exercises. Bet right now everyone is thinking it can’t be. The fact of the matter is that the most effective exercises for the stomach region are not ab specific.

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Beginners

If you are a person that for most of your life have not exercised or may have struggled, you might ask the question, “Where do I begin”, well go no further I have the answers. Barring any medical problems, you should begin by test your physical limits to get an idea of how much your body is able to handle. When you hear the word exercise, it does not always mean going to the gym and slapping a few plates onto a barbell and proceed to chucking it up. If you are just starting out you can begin by changing small things in your life. For instance, instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of driving to the store around the corner from your house, try walking. In addition to television, why not find other hobbies such as swimming, biking, basketball, racquetball, etc. to occupy those Saturday and Sunday afternoons you have off.

For those individuals who would like to take it a step further, either joining a gym or buying a couple dumbbells to use in your home can be alternatives. The important thing to remember is that you need to take it easy until your body is accustomed to more rigorous activity. This means only working out for about a half hour to an hour and using weights appropriate for you fitness level. It is important to stretch before and after exercise session. This will loosen up your joints and reduce the risk of injury. Furthermore, only perform around ten exercises per session and about two to three sets per exercise. Working out about three days out of the week (M/W/F) should be adequate for beginners. There is no need to rush; everyone has to start at the bottom.

Technique! Verrrry IMPORTANT!!!

I want to take a second and talk about using proper technique when exercising. I know a lot of you are happy that you got your new gym membership and cannot wait jump right in and start exercising. The fact of the matter is that without learning how to utilize proper technique when exercising, the chances of being injured are very high. I can remember countless times where I have gone to the gym and seen horrendous exercise techniques. On countless occasions I have seen guys stack incredible amounts of weights onto a barbell, proceed to the bench pressing position and begin to bounce the barbell off their chest. Furthermore, these individuals will arch their backs and hold their breaths.

There are numerous reasons why people utilize poor techniques when exercising. Some may be new to the world of weight training and simply do not know proper training techniques. A number of people employ poor technique as a means to compensate for the weight being too heavy for them. No matter the reason for this it is important to learn proper technique in order to avoid injury and to get the most out of your workout. In order to perform good technique when exercising, you must adhere to three principles. First, you must be sure that whenever you perform an exercise, whether it’s on a machine or with free weight, you must apply proper body alignment and posture so not to put any unnecessary stress or pressure on a particular joint. Secondly, you must perform correct breathing because though you may receive a very small boost in strength it puts great strain on your organs. Finally, employing a correct tempo reduces possibilities of injury and helps to stimulate muscles.

Living Healthy (Diet & Exercise)

One would be surprised at how many people are unaware of the tremendous relation diet and exercise has to one another. So many individuals spend an immense amount of their hard earned money on their gym membership and stacker two pills hoping to shed those unwanted pounds. Furthermore, people waste their money on various kinds of drugs and weight loss shortcuts just to be in the same situation that they started. Though it is important to exercise regularly, some people fail to understand that alone exercise will only yield subpar results. Proper dieting is ABSOLUTELY important if an individual expects to see the results they want. A lot of guys are probably say, “what do you mean by dieting, men don’t diet”. Dieting does not mean a person should go out and starve themselves; this is high misconception with people looking to lose weight great or small. Dieting means eating foods filled with necessary amino acids, protein, etc that the body needs to operate at peak performance. Dieting includes baking ones food versus frying them. The important thing to remember is that in addition to spending time in the gym doing those bench presses, running on a treadmill for an hour, doing those pull ups, etc. it is also important to give your body the tools it needs to construct the new you. If a person spends a hour and a half in the gym then goes and eat a big juicy burger from Big Al’s, then all the hard work is erased so work smart. Diet and exercise is the key.

FIT for Life

I am a person that believes staying fit is not just for when one is trying to get that six pack abs for a spring break trip in Cancun to impress all the girls but that it is important to simply be healthy. Many health risks can be attributed to simply not getting adequate exercise. Half of the population in the United States is categorized as being obese. This is a terrible epidemic that plagues so many. All it takes is for people to get out and be active. Many individuals find hobbies like basketball, tennis, soccer, racquetball, etc. Whenever people hear about being “fit” or exercising they feel as though they have to go out and get a six pack. Being fit does not necessarily mean going out and trying to be a body builder. A person can be fit without having bulging muscles. Not only does exercise prevent or rather reduce the occurrence of health risks but exercise is said to release endorphins which makes one feel happier. Not to mention exercise puts people in better shape which makes everyday tasks easier. Most of the time people spend hours either watching television, playing video games, surfing the internet, etc. Out of all those hours used doing these various activities that are not making one healthier why not take an hour and dedicate it becoming a healthier happier person. This is the best choice a person can make. It is important to not wait around. A healthier YOU is around the corner, grasp it!!!