Your Fat Loss Goals: Are You Missing These Elements?

Your Fat Loss Goals: Are You Missing These Elements?

It’s important to keep challenging your body by changing the weights you use as well as the intensity, duration, rest periods, sets, and exercises. If you have fun with your workouts, train smart and focus on high quality foods, your body will ultimately be the fat burning machine you want it to be!

These simple workouts can be done in less than 30 minutes and all you need is a timer and at least one kettlebell. Make sure you are working to your potential. Don’t be afraid to go heavy since the longest you will be working at one time is for 30 seconds. Proper form is imperative so don’t be stupid!

10 Interval Training Workouts

Link http://www.howtogetthatsixpackabslook.com/Articles/979/10-interval-training-workouts/

Here are 10 interval training workouts that are mentioned as favorites of people just like you.

Fat Loss Myths: 5 Myths And 5 Fat Loss Solutions

Link Fat Loss Myths: 5 Myths And 5 Fat Loss Solutions

Dispell the all to common myths about fat loss. And let's look at 5 Solutions to permanent fat loss

Hybrid Workout Week 6

Ok- so for Hybrid Week 6- I was actually SUPPOSED to be on a beach, but my trip got canceled, and thanks to a variety of aggravating circumstances it never materialized. 2 days, 2 different airports, a malfunctioning airplane and the like…all with a tired, impatient, wiggly toddler…meant I had my first staycation. I *don’t* recommend this for anyone! *sigh* Anyway.

The one positive thing is that I get to head to the gym this week for Week 6 of Hybrid. My weight is amazingly and gradually inching up (yeay!) and I’m still making strength gains. I’m at 116 now and it’s inching upwards.

For my upper body hypertrophy day, I’m trying to challenge myself with shorter than 1 minute for rest periods. For some reason, and maybe it’s because I’ve been starting with incline DB presses I’m not seeing much improvement in weight here. I’m stuck at the 35 and 40 lb DBs but I see 10 lb improvements in lat pulldowns (which come after the chest part on upper body hypertrophy days). I’ve also introduced cross bench DB pullovers and although I’m using the 40s, I’m getting in more reps with the same amount of weight than the last time I tried this. I gradually need to increase the rest from 45 seconds to 1 minute by the time I hit shoulders. I happily note a 5 lb increase for side lateral raises for shoulders (last time it was a special 16 lb DB for 12 and 10 reps for sets 1 and 2, and this time it’s 20 lbs for 8 reps for both sets- yeah!) , break even with seated DB presses for shoulders, but come out better with standing barbell curls.

My happy moment this week was seeing a big improvement in my front squat! This is one of the exercises for the legs that was challenging at first because of the bar placement, but now everything seems to be fitting just right! I break the 100 lb mark which is a personal record for 8 reps, discover how much fun walking barbell lunges are (everyone just kind of clears the way for you! and hello, feel them right away in the glutes!). It’s my first time doing these for lower body hypertrophy day, so I’m using 75 lbs on the extra long olympic barbell for 12 reps, and I am confident I can tackle more weight next time. I come out even with the leg extension but see an improvement in the seated leg curl.

The third day and final Hybrid day this week is a Total Body HIIT day. Seriously- I think I’m fitter than the average bear, but GEEZ this day NEVER gets easier! I complete 20 minutes of HIIT (a total of 10 sprints) on the elliptical then wobble off to the chin, squat, bench circuit. I do rope chinups today and get through 8, 6, and 5 reps.

This is actually not an improvement from before (wah!) but I remember a fellow BBR member saying these get harder as you get heavier. I’m hoping he’s not right! In any event, I’m actually seeing an improvement in the bench and squat weight for the circuit, squatting 95 for 15 reps and 70 lbs for the bench for 15 reps.

This represents a 10 lb increase for the squats. I finish with one of the most butt-kicking cardio machine known to Sumi- the step mill. For those of you that haven’t seen this cardio machine, it’s like an escalator that never ends. 20 minutes on this thing at level 6 and I’m the definition of toast. The awesome thing about this machine is that you can really squeeze the glutes with each step. I haven’t seen this machine at many gyms and probably with good reason. It’s hard as heck!

Please feel free to leave some comments or suggestions below. Lots of people at the gym are asking me what “I’m doing” and it’s fun to be able to represent such an awesome program like the Hybrid! OK time to go eat!

Sumi is an experienced group fitness instructor, personal trainer, full-time public policy manager, and mom to two-year old Shaila.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tufts University and a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University. Her passion for fitness gives her the stress relieving release that keeps her going!

A life-long weight-training addict, some of her most proud fitness accomplishments include: losing all the baby weight just eight weeks after a C-section; bench pressing her own body weight; and placing in her age class in several 5 Ks.

Her personal fitness journey continues to get better and more exciting with time. While she loves to lead by example and inspire people to "go for it," her ultimate goal is to be a great mom.  Her daughter’s name, Shaila, means the Goddess of Strength and Confidence. Sumi owes it to her to be strong and confident so that she, too, can realize her full potential!

Sunny is currently following Will Brink's Hybrid Workout program which comes free with the deluxe edition of Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed.

Related articles

• 5x5 Training For Size and Strength (strengthtraining.suite101.com)
• Lose Fat and Build Muscle with Density Training (fitness.suite101.com)

3 Reasons Why Intermittent Fasting Is A Good Idea!

Link Intermittent Fasting

You may not have heard of intermittent fasting, and so you may not know why it can and should be a part of your workout and fat loss plan. Intermittent fasting is the practice of abstaining from all but water for a period of usually 24 hours to help with the goals associated with fat loss and weight loss in general. The way in which it helps in this arena is by cutting out a full days caloric intake, while still being able to maintain a full workout schedule. Let's look at three main reasons I believe that intermittent fasting is a good idea for anyone serious about fat loss and muscle building!

Click the link above to read the rest of the article

Fat Burning Exercise This Is Extreme Cardio And Fat Burning

Burpee Variations Xtreme Fat Burning Exercises


The Burpee or as you may remember it from high school the Squat Thrust in my opinion might be the best all around bodyweight conditioning and fat burning exercise there is. But as good of an exercise as the burpee is there are ways to up the ante (and conditioning and fat burning effects).


In case you are not familiar with the Burpee here is how you do the basic 6 – count Burpee.



From the standing position:

1) Perform a full, ass-to-the-floor SQUAT w/ arms between the knees, palms and heels flat


2) JUMP back to an upper Push-Up positon, arms straight, abs and core engaged


3) LOWER down smoothly until the sternum grazes the floor between the hands


4) PUSH back up into the plank position, with arms locked, abs and core tight, elbows tucked into the ribs


5) JUMP back to a full Squat, butt to the floor, knees completely bent w/ knee caps tracked over toes, arms between knees and heels flat


6) from the low Squat, explode and LEAP high into the air, landing softly upon the feet

Immediately go into the next rep.

When performed like this, the 6-Count Burpee will increase mobility in the hips and work the abs and hip flexors extremely hard. Thanks to Steve Maxwell for the instruction and video.


Now let’s up the intensity and fat burning with some Burpee variations. These variations include the use of a barbell and a medicine ball.




Those are some serious fat burning exercises give them a try. But go slow and light to start with. I would like to thank Scott Bird of Straight to the Bar for this video.

And This Is Just Sick. This Guy Is A Total Beast.



Great video. So the moral of the story start doing some burpees in your workouts. You can also do them with kettlebells, dumbbells and sandbags. But like I said ease into them at the start.

Till next time.

Your 14 Day Fat Loss Guide From Turbulence Training

Link http://howtogetthatsixpackabslook.com/Articles/?p=242

Craig Ballantyne from Turbulence training has you all set up. Here is a 14 day fat loss guide to fast track your weight loss problems. Go and check it out. It is a day by day guide of what you should be doing starting today.

4 Fat Burning Cardio And Diet Errors and Fixes

4 Fat Burning Cardio And Diet Errors and Fixes

Strength And Conditioning - Try This Total Body Exercise

This morning I have an excellant video demonstration of the Turkish Get Up from Zach Evan Esh the Underground Strength Coach.

If you aren't using kettlebells yet you should be. Kettlebells are an amazing tool virtually a hand held gym you can take anywhere. One of the best exercises you can do with one kettlebell is the turkish get up which you are about to see.

If you are not familiar with the get up you will see in a minute how it uses virtually the entire body to do.  I don't know about you but my belief is that ANY exercise kettlebell or otherwise that uses so many parts of the body at once is not only great for total body conditioning but is also a great time saver.

Okay now let me hand it over to Zach.

Kettlebells are ONE tool I use. One of MANY. So, before you have a nervous breakdown about me praising Kettlebells go ahead and take a deep breath and pay attention.

If you’ve been reading and watching my Blog for even just a short while, you KNOW I am a ‘Soul Lifter’ and love to lift ALL objects, including my own body.

But, Kettlebells are one of my favorite tools, they are extremely versatile AND mobile (and hostile

I use Kettlebells for strength, adding muscle, improving conditioning, speed, power and overall athleticism. They are a PIECE of the puzzle.

Below, broken down, step by step, is one of my top 3 Kettlebell exercises. Check it out and then read on to learn how to properly and most effectively implement this bad boy…





Here are a few ways to incorporate the Kettlebell Turkish Get Up


1) Perform these as a warm up for 5 minutes, in an up – down ladder format: 1 rep each side, 2 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps, 1 rep and repeat until 5 minutes is over.

2) Combine The Kettlebell Turkish Get Up with my other 2 favorite Kettlebell exercises, the snatch and the clean and press. Here is how you can perform this combo:

A) Perform the Turkish Get Up until standing

B) Perform 1 snatch + 1 clean & press

C) Lower yourself down and switch hands when on your back

D) Perform the Turkish Get Up until upright

E) Perform 1 snatch + 1 clean & press

F) Repeat for time or desired reps.


If you want fancy go elsewhere.


Results must be your focus here.

Hitting Turkish Get Ups, Snatches and the Clean & Press can AND will transform you into a Bad Mother F**er. IF you work hard enough

Lead from the FRONT.

Well there you have it. As you can see by Zach's video there is virtually no muscle in the body that the turkish get up doesn't use. So don't you think that would be a great exercise to add to your workouts? I have and I love it.

Start off with a very light weight the get up takes a little time to master. One point I want to emphasize is to always keep your eyes looking up at your kettlebell. This is important to keeping your balance as Zach mentioned.

For more Kettlebell workouts tips and exercises check out The Kettlebell Training Page

And don't forget to check out Zach's program The Underground Strength Coach

6 Pack Abs Another Non Traditional (But Highly Effective) Ab Workout

Link http://fatburningdietsandworkouts.com/6packabs2010/

Are you still struggling to get that six pack abs look? You know that lean tight stomach so your not hanging out over your belt line anymore. Click the link above for a NON Traditional ab workout that can help you reach your goal.

Hybrid Workout Part 5 Add Lean Muscle And Burn Fat

After 4 weeks on the program, I take a 9 point caliper test which shows I’ve made the awesome gain of 4.01 lbs (yes I have to mention the .01!) of lean body mass (LBM). According to the calipers, my bodyfat as a percentage of my total body weight has actually gone down. A pleasant surprise to me, although I am feeling a little softer in the abs. No matter! 4.01 lbs of LBM is a huge treat! I just want to keep it going! From last week, it’s hard for me to see any changes but they’re happening somewhere.

Back shot- feel like I'm getting bigger in the back..and waist too.

Week 4 begins with a 5X5 lower body day. I’m still doing 135 lbs for my barbell squat, which is not an improvement over last time, but this time I am focusing on going deeper. I am at war with my sticking point! I also remind myself that this workout takes place after a really poor night’s rest, and indulging a bit from Memorial Day weekend. I’m at the point where my body is truly a well-oiled machine. It knows when I’m not feeding it or resting it right. If you eat clean you know what I mean! My deadlifts do see an improvement, which is great. 10 lbs more on the bar than last time. The best feeling is after a heavy leg day, you just feel so strong!

For my Hybrid HIIT day (and this day never gets easier!) I do 20 minutes of HIIT (5 minute warmup with 30 second all-out sprints and 1 minute recoveries) on an elliptical. I decide to switch up the order of the circuit to do chins first, then squats, and finish with the bench press. I vary the grip on the chins this time, using the short rope extension that normally attaches to the cable pulley apparatus. I wrap this around a high bar and am able to get 10, 9, and 7 reps this way. An improvement! I also go a little heavier on the squats 90 lbs (15 reps) and stick with 65 lbs for 15 reps on the bench. I finish with a 15 minute incline walk (8.0) on the treadmill at a speed of 3.7. I think about really squeezing the glutes here with each step and I can feel the difference the next day!

Upper body hypertrophy day does NOT begin the way I planned. I start with the 40s for an incline DB press (last week I picked these up for set 3), so I figure I should start with them, but can only get out 6 reps for sets 1 and 2 before having to drop to the 35s for the final set. I’m so mad at me, but for some reason it’s hotter than normal in the gym today and I don’t have the same awesome spotter that I had last time, so maybe something else is up. I do much better with the Hammer machine flat bench press, though! Comparing set 3 from my last upper body hypertrophy day, I finish with 125 lbs for 8 reps this time (last time it was 115 lbs for 7 reps on set 3). I feel better already! The weighed dips are still kicking my butt. I don’t see an improvement, but at least I’m not getting worse! Just goes to show you, you can’t always see improvement EVERYWHERE, but you got to celebrate the little successes that you do get!

I finish up the week with a lower body hypertrophy day. I decide to shorten the rest periods to 45 seconds to make my life more difficult. The hybrid program encourages rest periods for hypertrophy days of 60 minutes or less, so I’m going for less today. For the front squat, I’m able to squat more than before (10 lb increase) but with shorter rests and more weight, I’m doing 2 fewer reps.

 I come out even with last time on the straight leg deadlifts and leg extension, but again, less rest is making the weight a bit more challenging. I am thrilled to see an increase in my lying hamstring curl (8 reps for 65, 60,60,60 lbs) compared to my last lower body hypertrophy day (where I stuck to 50 lbs for 12 reps). All in all, I’m getting stronger, though I know tomorrow I might have trouble walking up the steps!!


OK time to go eat!


Sumi is an experienced group fitness instructor, personal trainer, full-time public policy manager, and mom to two-year old Shaila. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tufts University and a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University. Her passion for fitness gives her the stress relieving release that keeps her going!


A life-long weight-training addict, some of her most proud fitness accomplishments include: losing all the baby weight just eight weeks after a C-section; bench pressing her own body weight; and placing in her age class in several 5 Ks.

Her personal fitness journey continues to get better and more exciting with time. While she loves to lead by example and inspire people to "go for it," her ultimate goal is to be a great mom. Her daughter’s name, Shaila, means the Goddess of Strength and Confidence. Sumi owes it to her to be strong and confident so that she, too, can realize her full potential!

Sunny is currently following Will Brink's Hybrid Workout program which comes free with the deluxe edition of Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed

Hybrid Workout Part 4

Yeay! Week 3 on Hybrid starts off with a real improvement for me in strength gains and in weight. I’ve gained 1 lb a week steadily since starting eating (a lot more!) for 4 weeks now, so I’m almost at 115. No doubt, I’ve gained some fat too as the pics at the end of this post will show, but it’s a small sacrifice for seeing strength gains.

 It’s so satisfying to see the numbers go up here in weight carried. I’m glad I take careful notes and always bring my training journal. Most people feel naked without their iPod— me, I can’t get by without my notebook. I repeated the same workout for the upper body hypertrophy hybrid day and here’s how I made out:

Notes

Exercise Reps Weight Reps Weight


Incline DB Press week 1 (12, 11, 9) 30 - week 3 (15, 12, 8) 30, 35, 40

Next time I’m starting with the 40s!


Hammer Chest Press week 1  11,9,9 (90) - week 3 10, 9, 7 (100, 110, 115)


Weighted Dips week 1 4,6,10 5,( 5) - week 3  No weight 8,8,6 5, 10, 10


Chins week 1  8,7,7 - week 3  8,4,5

Chins were better last week but I did MUCH better with the weighted dips. Compromise!


Hammer machine low row week 1  12,12,12 (70) - week 3 8,9,9 (90)


Partial rep deads in power cage week 1 8,8 (135) - week 3 8,8 (135)


Seated DB Shoulder Press  week 1 12, 8 (25,30) - week 3 12,8 (25)

Hmm, week one better effort but I’m starting to feel my form slip. Better to stay safe.


Side Lat Raises week 1 15,15 (15) - week 3 15,12 (15)

We really need a 17.5


Standing barbell curl week 1 12,8,8 (40) - week 3  12,8,8 (40)

Same here, but I try a new move on sets 2 and 3- keeping my back against a wall makes it HARDER



Skullcrushers 15,15,7 (40,40, 50)  8,8,8 (50)

Big improvement! But was clearly being too conservative in week 1!

So- I’m no mathematician, but using the incline DB press and hammer machine press as an example, and comparing the weight carried on set 3, that represents (I think!) an increase in strength of 33% for the incline DB press and 27% for the hammer machine chest press. Whoa, did I really do that right?


The next day is lower body hypertrophy day…and I’ve never met a leg day I didn’t like. Rather than bore you with another chart, I did want to make the important point that I am seeing strength gains here too! Comparing front squats (love to hate em!) on set 3 on week 1 I was using 85 lbs, this time around (week 3) it’s 90 lbs. That’s a 5% improvement. Not huge, but front squats are one of those things where I’m super strict with form and tempo.

 Plus, I’m still figuring out the most comfortable spot for bar placement. It’s getting easier though! For barbell lunges, comparing set 3 again, I’m seeing an 8% increase in weight carried (125 lbs and now 135 lbs). For leg extensions, same weight (130) but one more good rep out of each set (8 versus 9) so that is certainly an improvement. I break even with straight leg deadlifts, 115 lbs for 12 reps for 4 sets, but I have to remind myself that the one minute rests really keep my heart rate up and make packing on too much weight a bad idea, at least for me. No matter, there’s nothing that makes you feel like you’ve worked HARD when you’re lifting that bar off the low pins!

Total Body Hybrid HIIT is next up on the agenda. Unfortunately I’m really getting the hang of just how agonizing true HIIT training is. I choose the elliptical machine and use my gymboss interval timer to make sure I complete 10 sprints at 30 seconds with 1 minute recoveries (which by the way, go by WAY too fast!). For those of you who think you know what HIIT is, think again! 20 minutes and I’m TOAST.

 My squat, chin, bench circuit is improving too! I can squat 85 lbs for 15 reps (10 lbs over last time), bench 65 for 15 (5 lbs over last time), and well…the chins are another story. For sets 1,2, and 3 I get 10, 8, and 5- diminishing returns indeed! I work on hitting the remaining reps for sets 1 and 2 by jumping up and working the negatives, but by set 3 my tank is on E! I finish with 20 minutes on a stairstepper. I think I’m really starting to understand (sort of) why people get “addicted” to cardio- it feels sooooooo good when it’s all over!!!

Racking up for squats is always a happy moment!

Day 4 is a upper body 5X5 where I really see some improvement in the bench press. When I started, I was benching 85 lbs for a 5X5 and I’m now able to do 95 lbs for the same workout. So exciting! For back I do one arm DB rows with 50 lbs, and before I started Hybrid I was using the 45 lbs. So, all in all, despite gaining some body fat, I know some of it is muscle, and it was a great week!

Sunny is currently following Will Brink's Hybrid Workout program which comes free with the deluxe edition of Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed.

Burn Fat With This 1 Fat Burning Exercise

Link http://howtogetthatsixpackabslook.com/Articles/?p=217

Click the link above to get the article and video of the bear. Don't know what the bear is? It is the end of your I have no time to exercise excuse.

Strength Conditioning And Health Here's Some Motivation To Succeed

Yesterday I told you about Tom Venuto of Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle and the Body Transformation contest he is having. Well hopefully you went and checked it out if not or even if you  did and are on the fence about Tom's program check out the story about last years female winner Hannah the mother of 3.

This is a little long, but even if you don't want to get involved it can give you so great motivation.

One of the best ways to succeed is to model successful people. Instead of trying to re-invent the wheel, you copy a winning formula that already exists. This can short-cut your trial and error learning curve by months or even years. The problem is, where do you find a role model? Who do you trust? Whose advice do you listen to? If the success you want is a better body, then who better than a body transformation contest winner? (like the amazing champion you’re about to meet…)


On May 24th, we are opening registration for our Burn The Fat 2010 Summer Body transformation challenge. “Contest central” will be located at the Burn The Fat Inner Circle.

With this new challenge coming up, I figured it would be a perfect time to call upon our last year’s champions to pick their brains and find out how they achieved body transformations so amazing that it won them the title of Overall Burn The Fat Champion.

Today I’d like you to meet Hannah Mauck, 2009 Burn the Fat Feed The Muscle Holiday (winter) Challenge women’s champion. Hannah slashed 12 pounds, and burned off 6% body fat in just 7 weeks.

You can’t help but be amazed at the results you see in her before and after photos. But what the pictures don’t say is that Hannah is also a mom of three, ages 5, 3 and 1. She made her contest winning transformation even while taking care of her children, over the busiest time of the year, with the most temptations (the winter challenge ran from Thanksgiving through New Year’s!)

That really puts her achievement into a whole different perspective, not to mention it kills any excuses you might have about family obligations getting in the way.

We interviewed Hannah after her win and pulled out her top body transformation tips. Whether you’re planning to enter our upcoming summer Burn the Fat Challenge or you just want some body transforming tips for your own personal use, this advice is pure gold!

Tom Venuto: how do you think you pulled off such a great fitness transformation while you were managing a family and what would be your advice for other parents who might be worried about getting their pre-baby bodies back or who are concerned about not having the time to work out or make healthy food with kids running around?


Hannah: Thinking I didn’t have time was exactly the reason I was in the predicament I was in, health and body-wise, in the first place. But when I found your Burn the Fat book and I read through, it really clicked with me. I knew that I could do it in a manageable amount of time.

All your techniques – the tracking, the accountability methods and the planning of the meals and workouts actually led me to having a lot more time, because I was more organized and I wasn’t trying to put something together at the last minute. I knew exactly what I would be doing and when I would be doing it.

Also, losing weight and spending the time working out has given me so much more energy and brain clarity, that actually, I have more free time. I’ve been able to get more done by investing time in working out. Not having time is not an issue once you actually focus on your goals. As far as getting my pre-baby body back, my body is better than before I had babies. So that’s not an excuse either.

Tom: It seems like you were pretty meticulous about what you were eating. How closely did you track your calories or your macronutrients, the grams of the protein, carbs and fat? If I read your journal right, you used some kind of electronic device to track everything. How did that work for you?

Hannah: I did track pretty closely. I didn’t even know what a macronutrient was, by your definition, until a couple weeks into your program. Then I realized that was important. I started putting that data in and that really helped me to see where my downfalls were. It leads to a lot of accountability when you have to enter food.

Using the iPod for tracking was really great. I got that idea off the Burn the Fat Feed The Muscle Inner Circle forums, where somebody else was using a program on their iPod. It’s really convenient, because you can have it with you all the time and you can enter your data right away and you can actually make adjustments throughout your day by what you’ve eaten or haven’t eaten. That was really helpful for me.

Tom: Obviously, you got a lot leaner, so that revealed the muscles that might have been there already, but you definitely showed more muscularity in your after picture. This is where you can really help us out. You can help the “greater cause” for us: that is, convincing women to lift weights, when they think they’re either going to get bulky or unfeminine. What do you have to say about that now?

Hannah: It’s not an easy task for women to put on muscle and you don’t look bulky even after you do. But I would also add that we all have different body types. Some of us are going to work out and we’re going to stay looking tall and lean and slender. Others are going to work out and we’re going to be a little bit more muscular naturally.

I think everyone should just embrace their fittest body and learn to be comfortable with their body type, whether you’re a little bit more muscular, or you’re more of the ectomorph or leaner type. I think my body type is a little more mesomorph – It’s a little easier for me to gain muscle, but that in no way added any bulk. We just become a little more defined.

The muscle showed once I lost the fat. But none of my measurements were bigger than before I started the challenge. So it did not, definitely did not add any bulk.

Tom: Some people get overwhelmed with the amount of information in the Burn The Fat book, let alone the huge archives we have at the Burn the Fat Inner Circle. Even though you were a relative newcomer to our community, you went right to work and picked it up so fast. What’s your secret? How did you learn all this so quickly and put all the information into practice so fast?

Hannah: I think the key for me was timing. I stumbled onto an ad of yours on the internet for Burn the Fat, then very shortly after that, you announced the Burn the Fat Challenge over the 2009-2010 holidays. I felt like my babies were old enough and I just needed to get busy, so I was mentally very ready for a change at that point. So I do think you have to be ready to change. .

Then, enrolling, and being involved in that challenge was really the key for the implementation. The holiday challenge was 7 weeks so I didn’t have time to just say, “Oh, I’m going to read that later” or “I’m going to do that later.” I had a goal and a deadline and a challenge so I had to focus and read it and do it now. I think it was really the challenge that helped me to implement everything so fast.

Tom: You said that you had days with low energy and days you felt really hungry. That’s going to happen to just about everybody who has their calories reduced for fat loss. So what did you do, either physically or mentally, to stay on your eating plan even when you were hungry, and stay on your training plan even when you were tired?

Hannah: One thing is I would tell myself that I’m in charge of myself, so I can have anything I want, as long as I wait 30 minutes. A lot of times, just delaying that instant urge to put something in my mouth would be enough to either make it to the next meal or realize I didn’t want it. Another thing was that being around kids and food all day long, I had to tell myself I wasn’t the garbage disposal. That may sound funny, but when you’re picking up food all day long, it’s easy to finish off the kids’ portions of this or that. So I put a halt to that and it really helped me. Drinking a lot of hot tea was another way that satisfied both my sweet tooth and cravings for other things.

As far as being tired, sometimes it was just mental and I pushed through it. I really saw a reward and felt more energy from just getting up and doing the workout. Other times, especially as a mom, I think you have to listen to your body and sometimes you need sleep. There were nights where I was up all night with a sick kid. The next day, I just allowed myself to sleep, or have a nap. That really helped with being able to recover and stay on track, because if I got overly tired, I was not able to make good judgment decisions, as far as what I was eating. Sometimes you just need to sleep.

Tom: In one of your very first challenge journal posts, you wrote, “Blechhh. I can’t believe I posted those pictures.” I know that posting before pictures takes a lot of courage. A lot of other women – and guys – in the challenge felt the same way, because I heard it from so many of them. People asked me, “Do we really have to post pictures to be in this contest?” So I’m curious: Looking back, how do you feel about having posted your before picture, when you can now put it next to your after picture?

Hannah: At the time, I definitely thought I was insane. That’s not the type of thing I would have ever done or considered doing at that point. The pictures were almost what made me not do the challenge. But now, I feel like that was invaluable and I totally understand that requirement today. Measurements and numbers are great, but they’re hard to believe in your head. Being able to actually see the change in your body in a picture – that’s totally invaluable. I wouldn’t be able to believe the numbers without seeing the picture. The picture also really kept my feet to the fire. There was no way to hide what you really looked like with the pictures right there.

And the difference between pictures and the mirror??? HUGE. I can’t really even explain that. Something happens when you look in the mirror that does not happen when you look at a photograph. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know how our brains fool us that way. But I could look in the mirror all day long and not see what I can see from a photograph.

Tom Venuto: For anyone who’s thinking about entering the next challenge and they’re terrified to take their picture and post it in the website, what would be your advice to them – coming from someone who felt the same way, but did it anyways?

Hannah: I completely sympathize and I understand how hard it is. But it really is invaluable and it’s the best way to really admit where you’re currently at and to see the milestones you pass and be able to see the changes in your body. It’s definitely invaluable.

Tom: Our summer transformation contest is the big one – 98 days across the entire summer, but our winter contest only ran from Thanksgiving to the first week of January. You came down 6% body fat in those 7 weeks. To put that into perspective, for most people, it would take 12 weeks to drop 6% body fat. About a half a percent a week is typical fat loss. How did you get results that were so far above average and what is your advice for other people who want to make a “results not typical” transformation?

Hannah: The first thing would be the goal setting techniques from your book. The goal card really helped me – just having that written down goal, instead of some vague idea that I needed to improve, kept me totally focused. Second was using feedback from measurements and actually tracking my progress numbers and being accountable to others on the forum. Third was the pre-planning of when exactly I would work out and what I would do, and menus that I would follow.

Tom : Do you think this whole Burn the Fat Feed The Muscle challenge changed your perception on how much you can transform your body in a short period of time, as in our 7 week challenge?

Hannah: Absolutely. I had no idea it was possible. I’ve always looked at those ads, showing pictures of people changing and I thought like that was just a huge fake. I thought it really wasn’t possible and that it would take at least a year to see visible changes of long, hard, hard work, and that has always been a deterrent for me. So knowing that I can put in a concentrated effort for a certain amount of time and actually see visible results is really encouraging to me.

I feel like you could probably advertise the next challenge by saying that if you just finish the challenge and stick to your goals, you will achieve the untypical results, the above average results. Because so many of the finishers did, just by having the accountability of a challenge like this that you don’t have doing it alone. So many of them worked so hard and lost so much weight or changed their body composition so much. It was just amazing to see.


Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle

Lose Body Fat Not Muscle Or Water Weight

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Join The Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Body Transformation Contest

Burn The Fat Weight Loss and Fitness In 98 Days Join The Contest
Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle by Tom Venuto is one of the most successful weight loss and fitness products around today. Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is the #1 best selling diet and fitness ebook in the history of the Internet. In fact, it's one of the best selling e-books on ANY subject in the history of the Internet -... And there's a reason why...

It's because thousands of women and men of every age are burning off BODY FAT - not muscle or water weight - and they're doing it naturally, without supplements, pills or "magic potions," simply by using the proven, scientifically-accurate and common-sense advice found inside this amazing diet and fitness guidebook.

I don't want to get in to a whole review here for Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle but if you click the link you can go to my review.

So Tom is having a Body Transformation contest. The deadline is May 30th 2010. To give you an idea what it's all about I took this from Tom's site.

* Tools For Body Transformation Success: *

Motivation and Rewards (MAUI! and other great prizes)

Group Support (you'll be joining thousands of "burners", all cheering you on!)

Personal and group Accountability (the program is structured, so you'll be accountable for your results - you can even join a team if you want "double accountability!")

A powerful program with a proven track record (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle - official fat burning program of the Burn the Fat Challenge)


* A New You In Just 98 Days! *

This is one of two challenges sponsored by Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle every year. Our holiday (winter) challenge takes place over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's - Those 49 days fly by fast.

The Burn The Fat 2010 summer challenge - which is open for entry between May 24th and May 30th this year - runs twice as long - 98 days - which is why we've nicknamed it "THE BIG BURN!"

That means you have ample time and opportunity to make a HUGE, MASSIVE change in your body (a LOT can happen in 14 weeks!)

The best part is, the changes in your body will be the IDEAL kind - you'll be burning off pure body fat, not just water weight or lean body mass - and you may even find yourself gaining some lean muscle in the process.

This is like no fitness contest you've ever seen before, because:

You are competing against yourself for personal improvement, not against others.

This is NOT a "weight loss" contest. This is a body composition transformation contest.

This is a lifestyle transformation - NOT a crash diet or anything extreme.

The offer is simple: Buy a copy of the ebook, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle or purchase an Inner Circle membership and get free admission into the Summer Challenge.

So there you go a body transformation with the help of one of the most respected trainers in the fitness industry and the chance to win some great prizes.

Here is the link to the Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Contest. Good Luck!!!!

A Hybrid Workout Part 3

Sumi’s Hybrid Journey Week 2

22 May || by Sumi Singh

Posted in Sumi's Hybrid Program Journal, Training Programs, Women's Health

I’m following the every other day training protocol for Hybrid, and this week begins with a total body Hybrid HIIT protocol. I decide to look up Will’s suggestion for trying his “killer conditioning” day (sounds fun!). In his video, Will uses a piece of cardio equipment that looks like an elliptical/stairstepping machine. Honestly, there are so many choices at the gym, and all the fancy gadgets and screens confuse me a bit, but I pick one that looks similar to the one in his video.

After a brief 5-minute warm up, I do 1 minute low intensity followed by 30 seconds all out 100% tongue-hanging-out panting-like-my-dog effort, and repeat. I did that for 15 minutes, which is literally all I could stand. I get off and my legs are wobbly but I can still walk. Success!

I can’t do math and work out at the same time, but I count the intervals when I’m done and I’ve nine, which sounds like too many. I’m thinking next week I’m going to try this on a machine I’m more familiar with!

Next up is the squat/chins/bench press weight circuit. I’m sweaty and determined. Last week I substituted lat pulls for the chins because I could only complete 12 on round 1 (not 15 like advised), but this week I’m determined to stick to my chinups even if I don’t hit the 15. For set 1 I got to 12, but for round 2 and 3, I barely hit 8 good ones, am mad, so finish 5 reps by jumping up, and working the negatives. I keep telling myself that this will get easier!

I finish with 20 minutes on another new machine (to me), the stair master. At first, I step on the pedals and sink down to the floor like a water buffalo. I look nothing like the cardio bunnies around me who hop on this thing like gazelles.

Why don’t I see these gals on the weight room floor? I ask this question later of the guy at the front desk, and he tells me it’s because they all think weights will make them “bulky.” I’m thinking “really??? Have they seen me? All 112 lbs of bulkiness??” Anyway, I select a function called “glute blaster,” because I figure my glutes need all the help they can get. After this, I head back to the pullup bar and finish 12 chinups…for fun! My heart is pumping and I’m sweating…err glowing!

The next day is a 6X6 upper body core workout. I am really looking forward to this-I get 3 minute rest periods (yum!) and get to push 80% of my max. Today calls for bench presses (love `em), deadlifts (my fave next to barbell squats and pullups!), incline DB presses, and weighted chins (never done them).

I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m able to lift more already on my bench press over from last week on my 5X5 day! I easily get to 6 reps at 85, bump it a little to 90 to get 6 again, and finish a little less peppy with 5 reps at the same weight. Still after supersetting with deadlifts at 135 lbs (I take no break between the bench and the deads, only once the superset is complete do I rest for 3 minutes) I feel good about my effort. I then superset with incline DB presses (I pick up the 40 lbs but only get out 4,6,and 5 reps). It was a challenge from start to finish but I know the 35s would be way too light. Ugh- I need a 37.5!!

The icing on the cake was discovering I could do weighted chins!! When doing regular chins on my Hybrid HIIT day, I’m already a little spent from the circuit, so I assumed the weighted chins would kick my butt. I’m able to do 12 with 5 lbs, so figure I should pick up the 10s on the next two rounds. I’m happy to be able to do more than 6 reps. 8 to be exact! Next time, more weight on that chain!

The next day is a 6X6 lower body day. So far, I haven’t met a day on the Hybrid that I don’t like. I love them all equally! I choose barbell back squats supersetted with leg curls and leg presses paired with straight leg deadlifts. The power rack is my best friend. I warm up for a 135- lb squat with the warm up protocol described by one the brilliant BBR mods. It’s not like what I used to think about warm ups (i.e., 20 reps with a light weight, but a 5,3,2,1 rep scheme with progressively heavier weights).

I get warm and tell myself I’ve come a long way with the weight, but as I approach the last rep and attempt break below parallel on my squat I feel my form give and the power rack pins come to the rescue. Very frustrating! Getting to ¾ of the way is never an issue but below that it’s a whole new challenge. Something to work on for sure and comments welcome!

Still, despite my frustration I know I’ve improved on the leg curl (70 lbs for 6 reps straight after a 135 is good for me- considering I fought with 70 lbs on a 5X5 the previous week!). Though you can’t see the plates too well, I’m currently leg pressing 380 lbs for 6 reps (I think you can tell by the look on my face though- yikes!). Those gals in the fitness mags who smile through this are either pressing nothing for the sake of the shoot or are superhuman. This ain’t pretty!

The final day of this week is another HIIT training day. But before I begin today’s protocol, I head off in the morning to watch a local figure and bodybuilding show. These athletes have trained hard and dieted harder, so I’ve got plenty of admiration for their hard work and sacrifice.

I’m posting some pics of me with some of the Master’s Bodybuilders and the show’s organizer. (Can you see how happy I look next to those guys…ahem. Maybe too happy.) There’s also a shot of the figure girls and women bodybuilders on stage. From a distance they all look amazing. The show’s organizer tells me that she thinks women’s bodybuilding is a dying sport. Only 4 of them compete today, and there are at least 3 times as many figure girls. I also have a chance to chat with the families and friends of the competitors. It’s a very friendly, supportive environment, even though one husband jokes that his wife has been really cranky during the last few weeks of dieting (she wasn’t around to hear that!)



After the show I head home for my final day of Hybrid this week. I’m doing this workout at home, but luckily I have all the tools to get today’s workout complete. I put my toddler down for her nap, and while she’s off in dreamland, I begin my workout.

I set the incline at 1.5, warm up for 5 minutes on the treadmill, and begin with a sprint at a pace of 6:22 for 30 seconds, walk for 1 minute and repeat the madness for 10 cycles. I can only hope my neighbors below forgive me because I assume I’m pounding our floorboards! I have no idea if this pace is a true sprint, but it’s 9.4 out of 10 as far as level of intensity.

The model I’m using only goes up to to 10! I know I worked hard because the squat, chin, and bench circuit kick my butt. Still not able to complete the full 15 for the chins, and my ability to complete them gets harder and harder by circuit 3. But as aggravating as it is, part of my really enjoys the battle. It’s a fight to the end! I finish with a 20 minute walk at a 14:45 pace at a 2.5 incline.

OK, time to go eat!

About Sumi

Sumi is an experienced group fitness instructor, personal trainer, full-time public policy manager, and mom to two-year old Shaila. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tufts University and a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University. Her passion for fitness gives her the stress relieving release that keeps her going!

A life-long weight-training addict, some of her most proud fitness accomplishments include: losing all the baby weight just eight weeks after a C-section; bench pressing her own body weight; and placing in her age class in several 5 Ks.

Her personal fitness journey continues to get better and more exciting with time. While she loves to lead by example and inspire people to "go for it," her ultimate goal is to be a great mom. Her daughter’s name, Shaila, means the Goddess of Strength and Confidence. Sumi owes it to her to be strong and confident so that she, too, can realize her full potential!

Sunny is currently following Will Brink's Hybrid Workout program which comes free with the deluxe edition of Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed.

7 Minutes For Fat Loss And Better Health?

Today I have an article for you from well known fitness and health author Jon Benson.

7 Minute Science The science behind brevity training by Jon Benson, Author of 7 Minute Muscle

A few months ago I released a book whose title was more reminiscent of a line out of "There's Something About Mary" than a serious work on fitness. "7 Minute Muscle" -- yep, it's getting more and more difficult to distinguish fact from parody.

Here's the real irony: Of the 27 testimonials I've received so far that I deem worthy of publishing on the web, over a dozen were from fitness professionals. I'm not talking about "doctors" with a gut as large as their paycheck. I'm speaking of men and women with both academic and real-world experience in the fitness and bodybuilding world.

There were exceptions of course. My friend John Berardi, while saying some nice things about the work, couldn't endorse it due to the emphasis on shorter training sessions. That's cool. Everyone has a different approach. But the overwhelming number of folks with consonants behind their names -- those who read the book and applied the principles -- had wonderful things to say.

There's a reason for that: The workout protocol is based on the science of hypertrophy as well as psychophysiology, the study of the mind/body connection.

I will delve into the mental aspects of the protocols in a later article. For now, since most of you are experienced, educated and (dare I say it) hard-core, let's delve into the meat.

7 Minute Muscle is primarily a density-based training system. It demands varying rep ranges done within specific time periods. The protocol factors six of the primary variables of hypertrophy, or muscle growth: Intensity, Load, Volume, Density, Time and Force. (Time includes rest intervals as well as the time required to perform a given task.)

A layman's take on one of the basic laws of physics states that time and energy are interrelated. Doing the same amount of work in less time demands more energy, which translates into more power. While power is a factor in training, our interest is focused on forcing muscle growth and adaptation. This is also an element of time and energy. More energy expended in less time = more power.

If you break down the typical 3-4 set bench press routine, with reps starting at 12 and ending in the 4-6 range, with longer rest intervals between heavier sets, you'll find that the aggregate weight lifted is "less" than a protocol like 7 Minute Muscle, which uses 'less' weight (easier on the joints) but demands more work in less time. In other words, X amount of repetitions done with Y amount of weight in just 5 minutes (phase 1 of our two-phase protocol) ends up being greater than your typical 3-4 set protocol, despite the fact that more weight is used in the latter.

Other routines, of course, utilize this factor of density. Vince Gironda's infamous 8 sets of 8, EDT and so-forth. 7 Minute Muscle goes a bit further by varying rest, load factors and repetition range. Reps will vary from as low as one rep to as much as ten, and all of this is at the trainee's discretion. They have only one objective: Increase the aggregate repetition count from one training session to the next.

 Since time is limited (broken down into two phases: A Power Phase of no more than 5 repetitions and a Mass Phase of no more than 10 repetitions) the trainee is given a system that more accurately measure the seventh and most crucial factor of hypertrophy: Progression.

More work in less time. Variable repetition ranges. Variable rest intervals. And all in seven minutes (for beginners.) Intermediate and advanced-level trainees are given 14 and 21-minute protocols if they wish to implement them. I myself rarely go beyond 14 minutes, as that is all that's required to stimulate muscle growth.

I will cover health factors, cardiovascular work, ab training, and the science of mind and body in future articles. For now, give 7 Minute Muscle a shot. There's nothing funny about it, except for the fact that you'll be laughing all the way home from the gym as you finished your killer workout while your buddies were still warming up.

A Hybrid Workout Journey Part 2

Good Morning,

This is the first week in the hybrid training program that I recently told you about. Sumi as you may recall is following the hybrid workouts of Will Brink in his Bodybuilding Revealed program.

Hybrid Week 1!


15 May by Sumi Singh

Sumi's Hybrid Program Journal, Training Programs

Week 1 on the Hybrid was AWESOME. Day 1 was a 5X5 chest and back day. I was warned 5X5s would take some “getting used to” as I have never followed a program that has such long rest periods between sets. The hardest part was figuring out what was 80-85% of my 1 rep max was as that’s a fairly new concept for me also. That was the weight I could successfully handle for about 5-6 reps while maintaining correct form. I was also warned it would take a few weeks to really dial in the correct loading (which changes depending on what part of the program you are following) so I’m still getting that figured out, which will be apparent from the number below.

Regarding rest, I’ll agree that after a great set of squats and deads with a BIG weight, you do need all the rest. For me, it was mainly to regain the right mental attitude! Most people, especially women, are used to taking short rests between sets and have not really worked with such a planned program that forces you to work at specific weights, times between sets, etc.


5X5 upper body day

Bench Press:

95 lbs X 4 (ugh! That made me feel totally weak)

85 X 5

85 X 5 (big fight with that last rep)

80 X 5

85 X 5 (regained my attitude)

Thought on the above: I see lots of room for improvement on weight. I’ve benched my own weight (110) for a 1 rep max so am on a mission to improve here! Some guy at the gym admired my “strict form” so that made me feel a little better! Strict form with lower weights beats “heavy” weights with sloppy form any time!


Deadlifts: (one of my favorite exercises, ever)

145 lbs X 5

145 X 4 (ack!)

140 X 5 (dropped weight a touch, but it felt “easy”)

145 X 5 (felt back rounding on last rep. Some guy lent me his fancy brand wrist straps saying it really helped him, but for me it was just another thing to get used to. No thanks for me, at least for now!)

145 X 5 (lost the wrist straps and a perfect set. Way to end!)

Deadlifts!









Day 2 was a 5×5 lower body day. Totally excited to get this one in, as I love training legs and LOVE the barbell squat.


Barbell Back Squat: (one of my favorite exercises, ever)

125 X 5 (ok too easy. Certainly not 80-85% of a 1 rep max)

135 x 4 (4! 4! That’s it? I think I sat too deep on this one. The power rack pins saved me!)

130 X 5

130 X 5 (regaining my confidence now)

135 X 5 (Yeay! Can’t wait for the next squat day)



Lying Leg Curl:

80 x 4 (grr. Too heavy, bar barely touches butt on last rep)

60 X 8 (grr. Far too easy)

65 X 7 (still too easy)

70 X 5 (ouch, that’s the weight)

70 X 5 (now I know where to start next time!)


Hybrid HIIT Day!

Nothing like an intense, sweaty, heart pumping session to make you feel like you’re really getting in a great workout. It has been months since I stepped on a treadmill so it was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. I decided to follow Will’s suggestion of walking at a medium pace for 5 minutes, and running for 1 and repeating several times, which is more interval training then true HIIT, but I’ll get the HIIT part of the program done as I get used to the overall program. It took me a couple tries to figure out what my “running” pace was. A 7 minute mile was the number. After 20 minutes, my heart was pumping and I was ready for my squat, chinup, and bench press circuits.

I was disappointed that I could only eke out 12 reps of unassisted chinups, so decided to do pulldowns for sets 2 and 3. Oh well- at least I have a target number to aim for! My trusty gym workout buddy, George said, “why don’t you just use the assisted chinup machine to get to 15?” but as I have learned from Will and crew, assisted machines don’t translate well to actual chins ups, so best to just work on those chins! The circuit truly kicked my butt! By set three on the final set of bench presses, the last rep was a fight!

I finished with 20 minutes on a machine I never ever use…a rowing machine. After I stood up I felt it everywhere, and especially in my glutes. Who knew? My new favorite piece of cardio equipment!


Upperbody Hypertrophy Workout: Memo to self: take more caffeine pre workout:

First of all, those 60 second rest periods were WAY to short! For the most part when I lift, I normally take 2 minutes, so cutting that in half was a real challenge. Plus, I had typically split all my upper body work in the past (i.e., a back day only, or a chest day, etc etc) so getting chest, back, shoulders, bis, and tris all in fried in one hour was a challenge! I had to drop weight all across the board (very humbling for us show -off types), but even so, with more reps and less rest the workout was a battle to the end. And OW!!!: chinups and weighted dips with weight belt were insane! This one guy did clap for me though and my upper body was TOAST. Here’s a pic of me doing some bicep curls.

For Day 4 of the program, I was looking forward to lower body hypertrophy day. Same structure as the upper day (i.e., more reps, less rest) and I started with an exercise I don’t do very often, the front squat. Body Building Revealed teaches you to be strong from all angles, and although I can carry a much bigger load for a back squat, the front squat is a whole new feeling.

 I also did Barbell lunges (NOW I can get more weight on that bar!), Leg extensions, Straight leg deads, Leg curls (that was awesome, my hams were fried from all the high volume work!), and finished with some calf work. My overall take from today was that I’m still figuring out the appropriate load for this sort of routine, so now I know that next time, I can strive for more! I left the gym feeling strong.

Well, that’s my first week report of doing this program, and so far, it’s fantastic stuff. Oh and I’m posting a pic of my body on week 1 of the program. After 2 weeks of eating almost 3000 calories (according to FitDay) I’ve gained a whole pound, and so far body fat has remained constant. I’m a work in progress!

A Hybrid Training Journey

Good Morning,

I wanted to bring you something I find very interesting. We are going to be following along with someone that is working on developing some lean muscle while keeping her body fat in check. her name is Sumi Singh and she is following Will Brinks Hybrid training program as laid out in his Bodybuilding Revealed program.

So as Sumi posts new updates on her progrees I will bring them to you. So here is her first post.

Welcome to my training journal that will follow my progress and experience with Will’s Hybrid Program. I have been a member of his BBR forums for some time now, and have greatly benefited from the info I found there. I kept reading about the impressive results people were having with this program, and decided to give it a try!


Although I have been very dedicated to both exercise and nutrition, I have not tried anything quite like this in the past, so I’m excited to get started. I hope BrinkZone members will follow along with my progress, and help me keep motivated. I plan to add pictures and other updates as I get used to all this. I’m also new to blogging,so bear with me.

What is the Hybrid training program ?

Will Brinks Hybrid Training is…

• One of the most productive programs you will ever follow and is described as a “best of all possible worlds” routine.

• A fairly advanced multiple training program designed to produce the best overall blend of hypertrophy and leanness.

• Uses a variety of rep ranges, volume, tempo without overemphasizing any one energy pathway over the course of 12 weeks.

• Not for the beginner or poorly motivated.

• Downright fun, highly effective for altering body composition and strength gains, and for the strength athlete looking to try something different and non-traditional.

With all this in mind and having reviewed the training protocol and asking as many questions as possible from the Hybrid Program creator and Body Building Revealed author, Will Brink, I can’t wait to get officially started with my own journey on Hybrid on May 8.

I’ve been a group fitness instructor for over 5 years, am a certified personal trainer, work full time as a public policy advocate, and am mommy to a busy and beautiful two-year old princess.

Every week I’ll detail my goals, stats, and progress (with pics!).

Here’s a little detail about my goals , stats, and diet.

As far as goals go, for me, it’s to get stronger and build lean body mass by keeping my body guessing with this workout. Variety is key here. For me, I can easily measure strength by documenting increases in reps and/or poundage after repeating the same workout in a week or so. Squats, deadlifts, bench presses, weighted pullups/dips, barbell rows…those are some of the exercises I want to see some gains in.

At around 111.5 pounds (on a good day!) another obvious goal is to get my weight up to 115, at a minimum. At 5”4 (and ¾!) I can stand to gain weight. I think the only other time I felt OK about deliberately gaining weight was when I was pregnant! So this should be fun. I’m accomplishing this by eating roughly 2500 calories a day, making any adjustments if I see weight drop. I doubt that will happen considering all the food I’m eating. The meal plan is below. I’m not calling it a diet!

To measure lean body mass, I followed Will’s recommendation to get a body fat measuring tool called Accumeasure. After a couple of tries, the thing insisted my body fat was 13.2%. I’m not quite so sure though. A 9-point caliper test had me at 16% and a handheld bioimpedence tool had me at 15%. So, maybe I’m somewhere at 15%. I’ll repeat all the same tests in a few weeks time. I’m thinking maybe 2-3 weeks…

Finally, because the program incorporates REAL high intensity interval training, I’m looking forward to seeing gains in recovery, how fast I can step, run, or row during the working intervals. With the help of my trusty Gymboss Interval Timer, I know I’m going to be sticking to those work times.

Of course, no one can expect to take on a program like this without eating (and in my case, a LOT). Here’s the meal plan:

Meal 1: 8 egg whites, one yolk, ½ cup oatmeal

Meals 2, 3, 4, and 5. 6 oz of lean meat, 1 cup veggies, ¾ cup brown rice. Lather, rinse, and repeat. 1 TBSP almond butter every other day.

Meal 6: 7 oz lean fish, ½ cup veggies, 4 tsps Barlean’s Omega Swirl Fish Oil (yummy!)

OK time to go eat! Wish me luck, strength, and lean body mass

Will Brink is the owner of the Brinkzone Blog. Will has over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.

 His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors. Will is the author of the popular e-books, both acommpanied by private members forum access , Bodybuilding Revealed & Fat Loss Revealed.

Talk to you soon Jag252

5 Fat Burning Cardio Workouts

Link http://howtogetthatsixpackabslook.com/Articles/?p=173

Strength Training Slow Or Explosive Lifting?

Slow VS Explosive Lifting: The Controversy Continues…


By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS     Director, Staley Training Systems

“Injuries are not caused by methods per se, but by the inappropriate, premature, and/or excessive application of methods.”

– Charles Staley

In all the years I’ve been involved in sports conditioning, I’ve never seen an issue with as much longevity and potential for heated debate as the question of whether or not it is necessary, safe, and or effective to perform “explosive” or “ballistic” movements in the weight room.

If you’re active on the internet, you’ll discover endless, passionate (and often, ugly) confrontations between those who advocate slow lifting speeds, and those who espouse so-called explosive training techniques, such as Olympic lifting and it’s derivatives, and plyometric training methods.

While it is true that explosively-performed (i.e., high velocity) repetitions can be potentially more dangerous than low velocity movements, it’s just as true that heavier weights, since they put more tension on the musculoskeletal system, are potentially more dangerous than lighter weights. So it really becomes an issue of using the right tool for the right job.

Remember, in order to train a biologic system, you must apply stress to that system. Too much stress leads to injury; too little leads to little or no effect; just the right amount leads to a training effect.

As you read this article, please refer to the section below which outlines the more technical terms used herein (click here or scroll down). These terms are often used inappropriately, which leads to even more confusion.

Also, please resist the human instinct to either agree or disagree with the statements I will make. Instead, simply listen. Observe. Correlate the material to your own experiences. In this way, you’ll give yourself the best opportunity to come to an intelligent decision regarding this issue.

What is Training?

Training involves the exposure of a biologic system to the systematic application of increasing stress at a frequency, intensity, and duration below that system’s maximal tolerance limit, which, over time, causes a resultant increase in that system’s tolerance limit (1).

Different training methods cause different adaptations. For example, sets lasting between 20 and 70 seconds seem to promote hypertrophy better than sets of greater or lesser duration (2). Sets performed with incomplete rests develop anaerobic capacity through a greater proliferation of capillaries in the muscle(s) being trained (3). High repetition sets develop Type I (slow twitch) fibers, while low repetition sets with heavy weight challenge Type II (fast twitch) fibers.

Long-term performance of an exercise which takes a muscle through less than it’s full range of motion promotes a shortening of that muscle, while chronic use of exercises which take the muscle through it’s full range of motion encourage the muscle to become longer (4).

These examples of the specificity principle strongly imply that the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems are capable of adapting to explosive movements just as they are capable of adapting to any other type of stimuli provided.

This is the real key to understanding this issue...that the athlete moves through an appropriate series of progressions which allow a sequential exposure to a gradually increasing stimulus. If you skip any part of this progression, or if you progress too quickly, injury may result as you exceed the body’s “maximum tolerance threshold” to that stimulus.

Defining the Issue

Before we proceed further, please appreciate that this issue is a difficult one to analyze, since there are several ways to lift a weight.

For example, powerlifting is not normally considered an “explosive” event, since at 1RM levels, the bar moves very slowly, due to its mass. Nevertheless, the lifter is attempting to maximally accelerate the bar. So, are we discussing the actual speed of the lift, or the attempt to maximally accelerate the weight (even if the implement speed is low to to its mass)?

Also, we must distinguish between lifting weights at a fast tempo, and lifting weights in an accelerative manner (increasing the speed over the duration of a repetition). Further, are we speaking of lifting light to moderate weight, or heavy weights?

For instance, when performing the deadlift, using a fast lifting speed with a light weight would simply reduce both the tension, as well as the time under tension, of the involved musculature, leading to a compromised training effect.

However, when deadlifting a challenging weight, you stand a better chance of making the lift if you attempt to accelerate the bar. It is important to understand that this is a smooth acceleration, not a rapid “jerk” on the bar, which would in fact, increase the likelihood of injury.

Incidentally, I define “good form” a bit differently than most. If you enter a workout with pre-determined parameters such as number of sets and reps, tempo, optimal body alignment, range of motion (which may be complete or partial) length of rest periods, and you maintain these parameters, you’re using “good form.”

So for example, you may set out to use a 2 second tempo, which is relatively fast (and may or may not be safe, depending on the exercise, your experience, the weights being lifted, and a host of other factors). However, if you set out to do a 4 second tempo, and due to fatigue or inattention it ends up being a 2 second tempo, this shows a lack of control, which in my opinion, heightens the potential for injury.

So, although many people cite the dangers of “fast” or “explosive” lifting, I hope you can now appreciate that the issue is far more complex than most people consider. During this article, I will make reference to explosive, ballistic, and accelerative lifting techniques, in an effort to cover the various possible methods.


Is Accelerative Activity an Inherent Characteristic of Human Movement?

The phenomenon known as the stretch-shortening cycle (or SSC) strongly hints that the body is, in fact, designed for ballistic and accelerative stress (5).

To illustrate this concept, I’ll ask you to imagine the act of throwing a baseball, overhand style.You grab the ball, extend your throwing arm behind you, and, just as the arm nears complete extension (the eccentric portion of the throw), you rapidly reverse the motion (the concentric phase) and release the ball.

Now, just as an experiment, extend the arm back, and pause for three seconds before you throw. It’s intuitively obvious that the second throw, aside from feeling totally unnatural, will travel much slower and result in a shorter throw.

When you throw (or jump, hit, etc) correctly, the musculo-tendinous unit stores potential kinetic energy during the eccentric phase of the movement. At full stretch, the muscle begins its reversal into the concentric phase. If you use proper timing (the “switch” between eccentric and concentric must be very rapid), you can recover all that potential energy and return it during the concentric phase. If you wait-even for a split second- the energy will dissipate.

A simpler way to visualize the SSC is to imagine the muscles as elastic bands that stretch during eccentric activity, and contract during the concentric portion of the movement. (Incidentally, plyometric training programs, usually consisting of various jumps and throws, are designed to train the elastic potential of the musculoskeletal system.)

If you watch people carefully in various situations, you’ll notice that, whenever there is an option to accelerate a load, people will take that option.

On stairclimbing machines, people will, especially as fatigue sets in, tend to step in a bouncy, choppy manner. When a heavy box must be lifted from the floor to a high shelf, a person will accelerate the box throughout the lift.

Further, the motor cortex will normally choose a movement pattern where more muscle groups can participate in the effort, in order to conserve energy and avoid dangerous levels of stress to any single muscle involved in the movement.


Optimal Progression Ensures Safety

Now the question becomes “If this is how muscles work in everyday activities, should we train muscles this way?” My colleague Paul Chek often asserts that “First isolate, then integrate.” What Paul means by this is that before asking the chain to produce high levels of force, one should first strengthen each link of the chain, especially the weakest links.

When training a link, you must “isolate” that link...in other words, create a movement or exercise where associated links have no ability to assist in that movement.

Since muscles are the links in any kinetic chain, another way to view this progression is to “First, train muscles, then train movements.” Either way you choose to conceptualize it, most accelerative lifting movements (such as modified Olympic lifts such as power cleans & snatches, push-jerks, jumps, throws, etc.) involve large numbers of muscles.

Therefore, if these individual muscles are brought to maximum strength levels prior to accelerative, multi-joint movements, the athlete lessens the potential for injury. However, if any link in the chain is relatively weak, that link would logically have a greater potential for injury during any explosive type exercise that involves it.

As an example of the proceeding progression, an athlete wishing to perform power cleans might spend 6-9 weeks developing strength in the quads, hamstrings, spinal erectors, trapezius, glutes, scapular retractors, and gastrocs, and then gradually switch to more explosive training methods, while maintaining the strength of the individual muscle groups, using a reduced volume (about 30 to 50 percent) of work.

In my experience working with Olympic weightlifters, I have used various permutations of this progression and have never witnessed a serious injury.

A recent study by Brian P. Hamill (please see sidebar entitled Multi-Sport Comparative Injury Rates) collaborates my observations (6). In his analysis of statistics derived from surveys and competitions, Hamill found that competitive weightlifting is safer than many other sports, including soccer, recreational weight training, and (believe it or not) badminton.

In his analysis, Hamill suggests that qualified supervision is the most important precondition for safe participation in both competitive weightlifting and recreational weight training.


Should Bodybuilders Perform Ballistic, Explosive, or Accelerative Weight Training?

Legions of successful competitive bodybuilders have achieved their goals without using these techniques. However, it has been my experience that many top physique stars have achieved their success in spite of their training methods and habits, not because of them.

When you have a superior somatype and a favorable hormonal system to support it, and when you have a superior ability to train hard on a consistent basis, you don’t need to sweat the details. Recreational pharmacology should be factored in, also.

But let’s assume that you’re at least the fourth generation of your family to stand upright. Let’s also assume you have a job, and limited chemistry skills. Let’s further assume that your training program could benefit from a bit of variation, and even some fun.

If you fit this profile, and if you employ qualified supervision (I’d recommend calling the United States Weightlifting Federation at 719-578-4508 in order to find a qualified weightlifting coach in your area), I would urge you to explore these methods.

The downside? For starters, HIT Jedis will call you a fool. Also, you may abandon bodybuilding for the sport of Olympic weightlifting. You also run the risk of slow twitch fiber atrophy, as your Type II fibers hypertrophy to unprecedented size. Finally, you may suffer guilt pangs as you find yourself actually enjoying training again. On balance, I’d say it’s worth the risk.


SIDEBAR - Is “HIT” Dead?

For years, the most vocal faction of coaches and athletes in opposition to explosive lifting techniques has been known as “HIT” an acronym meaning “High Intensity Training.”


The HIT doctrine took root through the teachings of Arthur Jones, and has been furthered by Mike Mentzer, and several collegiate strength coaches. HIT has traditionally favored single set, low-speed, machine based movements, and has been vehemently opposed to multi-set periodized approaches, explosive lifts and plyometrics, and free weight exercises.

Recently, however, the HIT “Jedi” (the self-appointed term for adherents of the HIT philosophy) have all but merged with the mainstream on issues of number of sets, repetition ranges, and the use of free weights. They remain steadfast on the use of explosive lifting techniques, however.


In the recently released HITFAQv2.0a , the section describing “proper form” advises “raising and lowering the weight in a deliberate, controlled manner.” The FAQ continues “Anytime, anyone, be they Mr. Universe, or whomever, tells you to move a weight fast, in an ‘explosive’ style, just walk away. That person is a fool.” (I always thought that anyone who took comfort in applying blanket statements to a wide range of circumstances was a fool, but maybe I’ve got it wrong!)


Important Terminology


1) Torque:

The effectiveness of a force to produce rotation of an object about an axis (7). Measured as the product of force and the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the axis of rotation. The SI (International System) unit of torque is the newton-meter (N.m)


2) Force:

That which changes or tends to change the state of rest or motion in matter (7). Force may increase or decrease the velocity of an object. The SI unit of force is the newton (N).


3) Work:

Tthe product of an expressed force and the distance of displacement of an object, irrespective of time (7). The SI unit of work is the joule (J). To measure work, you would multiply the force applied by the distance the force was applied over.

4) Power:

The rate of performing work (7). The SI unit of power is the watt (W). To measure power, you would

5) Velocity:

A change in either the speed or direction of an object, or a change in both the speed and direction of an object (8). Most people use the term velocity to describe a change in the speed of an object.

6) Explosive Strength:

One of two elements of speed strength (power) -the ability to apply a maximal force against an external object (such as a shot put or barbell), or ones own body, as in sprinting or jumping, in minimum time (9).

7) Ballistic:

Infers movement which is accelerative, of high velocity, and with actual projection into free space (10). Ballistic activities include throwing and jumping.