Entries from July 2008 ↓

Here’s a list of techniques you can employ when new muscular growth is no longer in your favor:

1. The Mind-Muscle Connection. Direct as much focus as you can toward the muscular contraction. This requires you to have a clear mind and full attention on what you are lifting. It’s a great way to overcome strength barriers, and guess what, that means more growth in the long run!
2. 21’s. Simply put, these are partial reps - perform 7 reps for the lower half of the motion, 7 reps for the upper half of the motion, and finish with 7 full-range reps.
3. Century Sets. A century is 100 years, so a century set is 100 reps. Easy enough… or is it?
4. Reduced Rest Periods. Causes an influx of growth hormone release for new lean mass and less fat, depending upon how much or how little rest you give yourself.
5. Isolation. While isolation exercises shouldn’t be your only tool, they make good finishers for additional growth.
6. Squeeze the Hell Out of the Bar! This will cause surrounding fibers and joints to contract and expand more forcefully, not to mention, stronger forearms!
7. Super-slow! Take your sweet time with this technique and slow down your cadence to about 10 seconds down and 10 seconds up. Ouch!
8. Cheated Reps. Yes, you’ve been told that bad form doesn’t have its place. And it’s true. Don’t say I didn’t warn you first!
9. Burn Outs. Lift until you can’t lift anymore. Lift until it hurts so bad you want to run home crying. Lift until those funeral plans start running through your mind!
10. I Lift, Then You Lift. Grab a buddy to come join in on some fun. You can even turn it into a little competition if you wish! Perform one rep, then your buddy does the same. You for 2 and then him/her for 2, all the way to 12-15 reps, and then go backwards! A prime grunt-fest!

My Dear Readers,

If you have noticed, the posts have died down as of recent. I have found it difficult to find access to a computer around the resort (and on top of that, I forgot my laptop), so the airport terminal internet cafe will have to do for now! I just want to reassure everyone that I have not abandoned ship, I’ve just been busy with vacationing. I’ll be returning Saturday and you can expect some good things to come in the next few posts!

Yours truly in good health and fitness,

Josh

“More is better,” says America. In fact, with weight training, it’s the exact opposite- more can be worse.

Johnny Boy is a hard gainer. He’s was making great progress in the gym the past few months since he started working out, but now his progress has come to a screeching halt. Out of confusion and desperation, Johhny decides he will ramp up the time he spends in the gym and the number of days a week that he coasts the gym floor. Week by week, he grows smaller (yes, he grows smaller!) and finds himself in a world of hurt.

As if his newly shrunken muscles weren’t enough, Johnny begins to feel overly fatigued and very lethargic. He experiences delayed soreness- it’s not that immediate soreness he is used to feeling. He begins to lose motivation. Johnny feels so irritable. He begins losing sleep. A look in the mirror shows he’s developing a spare tire around the waist- he’s getting fatter. Frightened at the lack of progress, he hits it harder in the weight room. Come Monday, while on the bench press, his ego takes over and he slaps on more weight than he can handle. On the way down, *snap*! He’s just torn his right pectoral muscle! He’s now a victim of injury.

Now, while the story above is entirely fictional, it entails the process of overtraining. But what causes overtraining?

• Lack of sufficient rest and recovery
• Malnutrition
• Workouts with too great a volume (too many sets)
• Workouts with too great an intensity for too long in duration.

The best thing to do is avoid overtraining altogether. Here’s how it’s done:

• Make sure you give the body part worked 48-72 hours of rest.
• After 6-8 weeks of training, take a week off from the weights.
• Sleep for 8-9 hours every night or get in at least a few “power-naps” to recoup lost sleep.
• Eat at or above maintenance if your workouts are demanding.
• If you intend on training with a higher volume, keep the intensity low.
• If you intend on training with higher intensity, keep the volume low.

It has been decided that Fat Loss Inferno will retail for $99. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure I empty your pockets!

Actually, I’m just joking. After some deep though, I’ve decided it would be best to release Fat Loss Inferno for free. That’s right. It won’t cost you a thing. All I will ask from you is that you give me your feedback and let me in the great results you experience.

I presume the ETA for Fat Loss Inferno will be sometime in early August. Just remember to subscribe to the MuscleFeed, so you can be among the first to read Fat Loss Inferno.

Breakfast is one of, if not the most important meals of the day. You come out of a fasted state due to several hours of sleep and your body is most receptive to nutrients upon waking. Replenishing these nutrients is vital to blunt high levels of cortisol (which will cause muscle breakdown). Here’s a delicious pancake recipe that will fuel the early waking hours of your day!

Protein Power Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of flax seeds
• 1/3 cup of dry oatmeal
• 1/4 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 cup of ground up almonds or pecans
• 1/3 cup of favorite protein powder (vanilla flavors usually work best)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  Mix all of dry ingredients together.
  
  Liquid Ingredients:

• 2 whole Omega-3 eggs
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 3 tbsp cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries (or mix ‘em all!)

  Mix all liquid and dry ingredients until smooth. Pour batter on skillet at medium heat and flip after 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 1-2 servings.

  Throw in Cary’s® Sugar Free Syrup as a healthier alternative to regular maple syrup.