Building Muscle Mass

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Building Muscle Mass

By Pauline Nordin

There is a lot of bad information out there on the subject building muscle and how to stay fit. We're being told over and over again about how difficult it is for women to gain some muscle mass due to our hormonal setup. Male trainers convince the majority of female trainers to go for the high reps method, thus burning fat and get "toned". Does that lead you to any results? Well, maybe, if you're totally new to training! Otherwise this will get you nowhere, but it will absolutely bore you out until you drop…

I tell you, and I know I'm right, that anyone can reach their fitness goals. That's it. The only things you need is Discipline, motivation, patience and perseverance and remember, practice makes perfect even regarding having these characteristics. Here I will go through some major things you need to know so you're reach your goals.

Train With Heavy Weights

Considering yourself training heavy since you do 8-12 reps? Well, scale down to 4-6 and you're good to go. The kind of muscle fibres that yield the greatest power are also those who grow the most. The only way to stimulate growth is working within the power zone which is 3-6 reps per set. Heavier weights equals bigger muscles! Have you ever seen a muscular person train with relatively light weights?

In the gym you're not supposes to succeed every set. If your muscles could handle the load the whole set, your body think "ok, we managed that one, there's no need to improve and recruit more muscle mass". You asked your body for something and it delivered. Now, ask for more and you're forcing your body to adapt. The only way for your body to survive your hard training is to get stronger and stronger often means more muscle mass!

Stop Those Marathon Workouts

Many people confuse muscle building with fat burning, believing you burn more fat doing high reps with no or little rest between the sets. Here's the truth, weight training is the best way to effectively build muscle mass which burns fat for you all day. The more mass you've got, the more fat and energy you burn all the time.

The catch is that weight training breaks down muscle, it doesn't build them! So, when you're doing too many sets for too long a period, your muscles get totally broken down. Add some cardio postworkout and you can be sure you're killing every little chance of adding muscle tone!

What you need is no more than a total of about 8 - 10 sets per workout excluding warm-up sets. That's not much you may say, but believe me, when you're working harder than ever, you'll see those results coming! Don't be afraid to rest between the sets either: you definately need 2-3 minutes to recuperate.

Do Cardio Separately From Your Weight Training

Too musch cardiovascular training eats muscle. Never do it after your weight training. I know all experts tell you to do that, but here are some facts: weight training is mere a stimulus for the muscles to grow and if you break them down too long (for more than about 45 minutes) they will never recuperate and rebuild. When adding cardio afterwards your body is so demolished and this destruction continues until you down a protein and carb shake! The sooner you replenish your muscles with some energy, the faster it will get back on track!

The same thing goes for doing cardio on an empty stomach. That's the worst thing you can do! Any strenuous activity at that time will break down your muscles. Be sure to have a small breakfast preworkout and keep your cardio sessions short but intense. Many so called experts tell you to do about an hour of cardio at moderate intensity. I say you'll get better results doing short interval style cardio instead. You need no more than 20 minutes, 3-5 times a week. High intensity cardio burns no fat during the activity but it revs up your system 24/7, just like weight lifting does!

Have Many Small Snacks

The best way to make your body build muscle is to give it energy. The most important time of the day is postworkout. What you need is a protein / dextrose shake with l-glutamine and creatine. Opt for 30 grams of protein and the equivalent amount of sugar (dextrose). Don't skip this meal, that's the worst thing you could do! If you're really serious about muscle building, you down one third of your postworkout shake prior to your weight lifting. Doing that puts your system in an anabolic (building) state!

Now, by doing this, you're on your way to transform you body. About 40 minutes later, have another small snack, this time have 2-4 rice cakes and another half of a protein shake. This keeps your system building. The last most important snack is 1 hour after the second one. Now, you can have 1/4 a cup of oats and 1/2 a cup of low-fat cottage cheese.

Seems like a lot of eating? Remember, these are small, small meals which gives you body energy to reverse the breaking down of muscle mass, but not so much it gets stored as fatty tissue!

Eat The Right Stuff At The Right Time!

Protein should be your first priority since it's the building blocks for muscle mass. Make sure you get some every time you eat. Aim for about 1 1/2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Carbs gives you energy and forces the protein into your muscle cells, but too much of it and you'll have a hard time to get rid of bodyfat. By having about 1/3 of your daily amount of carbs about 1 1/2 hours pre workout and then have the rest afterwards, you'll have plenty of energy to train heavy but no carbs will get stored as fat.

Don't forget about the good fats either! Have about 20-30 gr each day in the form of fish oil, CLA, flax seed oil etc. The best way to lose fat and not get hungry is eating about 1-3 pounds of green veggies each day. No, I didn't make a mistake writing that! 1-3 pounds of veggies was right.

It takes a lot of energy for your system to digest veggies and that makes you feel full and satisfied. Try to eat too much of starches when you eat that much greens! These were just some things you should adapt to your regimen, but remember, all you need is discipline, Motivation, perseverance and patience and the results will come. I promise you!

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Should Females Strength Train Differently Than Males?

By Joe DeFranco, Owner, Performance Enhancement Specialist DeFranco’s Training Systems.

Should Females Strength Train Different Than Males? – When people ask me what are the biggest differences between designing strength training programs for females compared to males, my answer usually surprises them. That is because the basic principles should be the same for both genders: train bodyweight exercises before using external resistance, train the core (abs & low back), favor multiple-joint exercises instead of isolation movements, and focus a good deal of their training on the “posterior chain” (hamstrings, gluteals and low back).

Despite the many similarities of male and female strength training, there are subtle differences to consider. First of all, females mature earlier than males. Therefore, in general, females can begin strength training earlier than males. Also, since females have less muscle mass, on average, than males, they are also more susceptible to deconditioning. That is why a female strength training program should have the athlete continue to train during the competitive season. This is because the drop-off in strength is more dramatic for females when strength training is stopped.


Overall, strength training offers female athletes the same benefits that it offers male athletes! Regardless of their sport or gender, any athlete can benefit from increased sprinting speed, strength, balance, decreased body fat levels and a reduced incidence of injuries – all of which a properly designed strength training program can provide. Also, studies have proven that strength training can have a positive effect on bone density, which will decrease your risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Even with all of the positive research out there with regards to strength training and female athletes, I still get asked the same question all of the time, “Will I end up looking like a man if I lift weights?” The answer is, “Absolutely not!” Much of the difference in muscle mass between males and females is attributed to hormones, specifically, testosterone. On average, men produce ten times more testosterone than females. Unless you’re a female who is taking anabolic steroids or other male hormones, lifting weights will NOT make you look like a man! Also, there is a difference in muscle mass distribution between men and women, especially in the upper body. So it is important to remember that male hormones and muscle mass distribution are the two main reasons that men usually carry more muscle than woman. These are 2 of the main factors why men who are strength training look more “bulky” than females who are strength training.

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Strength Training Exercises Programme For Women: Strength training is vital for women, but the programme depends on their event, not their gender.

A survey of US schoolchildren in 1985 comprising various motor tests showed that the average 18-year-old girl could perform only one pull-up. It also showed that the sit-up-in-one-minute score peaked for girls at 14 years, with abdominal strength endurance declining from then on. The standing long jump test also indicated that on average girls peak at 14 years. In comparison, the average boy scored significantly higher on the test and improved until 18 years old.

These statistics merely illustrate what everyone knows, that women naturally develop less strength than men. The differences can be explained by the fact that at puberty boys have increased testosterone levels which promotes muscle development and bone growth over the next few years, whereas girls have increased oestrogen which promotes quite fast pelvic bone growth and fat storage around the hips and thighs.

After puberty, boys' relative fat mass decreases from 16 to 13 per cent, while girls' relative fat mass increases from 18 to 26 per cent. Indeed, research has shown that most of the differences in strength between men and women can be explained in terms of differences in lean body mass and muscle and fat distribution. Women have smaller arm girth and greater arm skinfold thickness than men, similar leg girth but greater leg skinfold thickness than men. This different distribution of extra fat and smaller muscle mass accounts for much of the disparity in strength between the sexes, women being about 66-75 per cent as strong in the legs and 50-60 per cent as strong in the arms.

Nevertheless, research has shown that normalising for lean body mass, which takes out the overall differences in muscle and fat, muscle pound to muscle pound women are similar in strength to men.


Can women respond
to strength-training?
In the past, it was believed that strength training was unsuitable for women because they were 'incapable' of improving their strength. But more recent research has put paid to this theory. Professor Jack Wilmore from the University of Texas showed that after a 10-week training programme women showed a 29 per cent improvement on the bench press and 30 per cent improvement on the leg press, compared to a 17 per cent and 26 per cent improvement from men. However, while the men showed hypertrophy (enlargement) in the leg and arm muscles, the women did not. Wilmore hypothesised that the reason for the increased strength in women must be due to an increased ability to recruit muscle fibres and coordinate the movements. Later research has been equivocal - some has shown that women can increase muscle mass significantly, some has not. The tentative conclusion must be that in general most women find it more difficult to gain muscle mass.

Recently an official summary of all the research regarding strength training for women was presented in the US by the Women's Committee of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. They reported that:
1. Women improve fitness, athletic performance and reduce injuries through strength training, just as men do
2. Physiological responses of males and females to the use of weight training and resistance exercise are similar
3. Women should train for strength using the same exercises and techniques as men
4. There is no significant difference between the sexes in the ability to generate force per unit of cross-sectional muscle. Men display greater absolute strength than women largely because they have a greater body size and higher lean-body-mass-to-fat ratio
5. Women do experience muscle hypertrophy
in response to resistance exercise, but the absolute degree is smaller than in men.

The conclusion to be drawn is that women are equally as strength-trainable as men. If female athletes want to achieve elite performances they must ensure that comprehensive strength training is fully covered in their training schedules. Competitions, unlike laboratory research, do not compensate for lean body mass. It is the fastest who wins, and that's the end of it. If you want to be that winner, you have to optimise your strength. In my opinion, that is a training priority.


What sort of training?
That being said, the next question is, what is the best form of strength training for women? The answer is not a matter of gender but more a matter of the particular requirements of the athlete's event, being the same for both men and women. Looked at from this point of view, any athlete must improve her (or his) strength if their profile is less than the strength demands of their event.

To devise the best strength programme based on the event's requirements, we have to analyse the event in terms of muscle use, the type of contractions each muscle uses, the biomechanics of the movement and whether maximum strength or strength endurance is the goal. This kind of 'needs analysis' should govern the design of any strength programme. As an illustration of such an analysis, let's look at running the 10K.

In the 10K event, the major leg muscles all work dynamically, such as the quadriceps, the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, hip flexors, calf and dorsi flexors. All these muscles are active at some point during the gait cycle and so it makes sense to strengthen them. However, they must all be strengthened in the right way to maximise 10K performance and injury prevention.

In 10K running 97 per cent of the energy for muscle contractions comes from aerobic metabolism. Thus the predominant muscle-fibre units recruited at 10K pace will be the aerobic Type 1 and 2a units. The more anaerobic Type 2a and 2b units may only be recruited towards the end of the race as the the muscles tire and glycogen is depleted. (Type 2a fibre units can utilise both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.)
For this reason, the 10K strength programme must have a strength endurance emphasis which targets mainly the Type 1 and Type 2a fibre units. It has been shown that strength athletes who perform a few sets of a few repetitions of very heavy weights, eg, four sets of five reps, have selective hypertrophy in the Type 2b fibres, which wouldn't necessarily benefit the 10k runner, whereas bodybuilders who perform higher volumes of lighter weights, eg, six sets of 12 reps, show hypertrophy in the whole range of muscle fibres.

Although 10K athletes do not want to start bodybuilding, it could be argued that for the leg muscles a strength endurance training programme of high repetitions and lighter weights would be the most suitable for a 10K athlete since the Type 1 and 2a fibres will be targeted effectively. To improve strength endurance, 3-5 sets of 12-20 repetitions with 45-second rest periods are recommended.

The choice of leg exercises must reflect the biomechanics involved in the running movement. For example, since most thigh muscle activity occurs when one foot is in contact with the ground, single-legged exercises with the foot in contact with the ground or equipment will be most relevant. Single-legged leg press, lunges or one-legged squats are all exercises of this nature which target the muscles in the thigh and bum areas. The range of movement of the joints is also relevant.

For example, as the foot strikes the ground, the knee joint is slightly bent (about 20o). Then the knee flexes to absorb the impact (to around 40o) and then extends again before toe-off. The quadriceps muscles act to control the shock-absorbing knee flexion movement. Certain strength exercises should be chosen to focus on this range of movement, eg, limited-range leg press, especially to help prevent the anterior knee pain which women are prone to because of a greater femur Q angle causing more inward rotation of the knee.


Don't overlook the trunk and hips
The other major body part that requires strength training for running is the trunk and hip area. Here the major muscles involved during running are the erector spinae (back), abdominals (stomach), obliques (side) and abductors (top of the bum). These muscles are not so obviously involved with running as the leg muscles, yet nonetheless serve a very important role in pelvis and trunk stabilisation and posture control. Biomechanical research has shown that for the legs to work effectively in propelling the body, the pelvis and trunk area must be rigid and supported by its muscles, otherwise the drive from the legs will be wasted.

These hip and trunk muscles must also be trained for strength endurance, for similar reasons. However, since they do not work as dynamically as the leg muscles, the exercises chosen should reflect their more static, supporting role. These muscles are best trained with a combination of isometric or static exercises and slow, controlled dynamic exercises of small, specific range.

For example, lying on one's front over the end of a bench and extending the arms out into a Superman position and maintaining it is an isometric exercise for the back muscles. Three sets of 10 x 10 seconds holding a straight line from the back to the hands will help maintain an upright posture as the muscles must hold the back and shoulder girdle in a rigid extended position.

An example of a slow and controlled exercise which targets a small range is the reverse curl or reverse crunch exercise for the stomach. This involves lying on one's back with legs fully bent. Then, raise the hips an inch off the floor by pulling with the lower abdominals and lower again, keeping the legs completely still. Here the abdominal muscles have to work continually to raise the pelvis and then lower it again, even though it is a small range of movement. This kind of exercise is more relevant to posture control than the more conventional sit-up. After all, when we run we keep our upper bodies still, so being very strong at flexing the trunk forwards is not necessarily related to efficient running.

In general, the hip and trunk muscles must be trained for strength endurance (low resistance/ high volume) using static exercises and exercises with specific ranges of movement for posture control. The choice of exercises must reflect the need to maintain a rigid back with a level pelvis to be able to push off with the legs. Balanced strength in this area also helps prevent lower back and hamstring injuries. In my opinion, the trunk and hip area is very important for 10K strength-training programmes; strong legs will only do so much if the trunk is not a well-supported, rigid structure. Would a motor racing team put a Formula1 engine in a car with a Formula 3 chassis?

Training the upper body
To complete the strength analysis, we must consider the upper body. This area is less important for 10K running, but for an all-body, balanced strength programme some upper-body exercises should be included. Upper-body strength will also help with posture and an effective, easy arm action. Once again, I would recommend a strength endurance emphasis.

A practical way to train the upper body without devoting too much time to it would be to cover most of the major upper body muscles in two or three exercises - for example, seated row together with bench press, or pull-ups together with dips, would target most of the chest, shoulder, upper back and arm muscles.

To summarise the strength training programme for the 10K, all the major muscles involved in running need to be trained with a strength-endurance emphasis. The exercises chosen also need to be biomechanically relevant in terms of movement, single-legged and foot-fixed, and any important joint ranges of movement. This will improve the power and efficiency of running action and help reduce knee injury risks.

Training the trunk muscles for endurance, using static and postural specific exercises will increase efficiency by improving the rigidity and support of the trunk. It will also help reduce low back and hamstring injury risks. Exercises covering the upper-body muscles will complete a balanced strength programme that is specifically targeted to the athlete's event.

This kind of analysis can be done for any event or sport. First, the correct muscles and movements have to be pinpointed and the role they play in the sport determined. From this the relevant strength-training exercise protocols can be designed for the muscles involved. Women athletes should definitely use this method as the starting point for their essential strength training requirements.

Raphael Brandon

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The Old School Training Method Routine for Women


Monday

Stiff-legged Deadlifts 1 max set of 20 reps.
Overhead Press - 5 sets of 5
Squats - 5 sets of 3
Seated Calf Raise - 2 sets of 20
Cardio - moderate intensity, 10 minutes doing 2 different types of cardio. ex - 10 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes bike.
Tuesday

Interval or high intensity cardio. ex - running 30-45 minutes
Wednesday

Barbell Rows - 5 sets of 5
Bench Press - 5 sets of 5
Deadlifts - 1 set of 20
Standing Calf Raise - 2 sets of 20
Walking lunges
Cardio - moderate intensity, 10 minutes doing 2 different types of cardio. ex - 10 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes bike.
Thursday

Interval or high intensity cardio. example - running 30-45 minutes
Friday

Shrugs - 5 sets of 5
Barbell Curls - 5 sets of 5
Dips - 5 sets of 5
Squats - 5 sets of 5 with weight from Monday
Cardio - moderate intensity, 10 minutes doing 2 different types of cardio. ex - 10 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes bike.

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Facts and Myths

Since the 1950’s women have been strength training to aid in their sporting performance. Yet, unfortunately, misconceptions about weight training haven’t grown old with the times. Typically, women shy away from such a valuable exercise because they are afraid of bulking up or getting “manly.” Well, let’s explore the truth below, and see what’s really going on, ladies!

Myth #1: “I’m going to get big and bulky like Hulk Hogan!”
Ladies, you will not bulk up, plain and simple. And no, big manly muscles will not develop over time; in fact, the female body builders you see on television typically train for four hours a day while consuming anabolic steroids over the course of several years. Hey, even men can’t bulk up unless they take supplements! The reality: You will gain a better body composition! That is, your ratio of fat mass to lean muscle mass will start favoring that muscle mass. For instance, one study of young women who were weight training an average 3 days per week over the course of eight weeks lost about 3.5 pounds of fat mass and gained around 1.75 pounds of lean, beautiful muscle.

Myth #2: “I’ll gain weight and look fat!”
Actually, muscle is denser than fat mass, so it’s going to take up less space in your body. While pound for pound it may “weigh” slightly more than fat, the reality is that you will not in the least bit look larger, fatter, or bigger. In fact, you will look leaner. Your pants size will decrease in inches as will other areas of your body. You see, weight is only a number, and you can’t count on that number as a true representation of what you will look like. More accurately, you should be looking at inches lost to represent body transformation. Weight lifting will certainly help with this. Moreover, muscle gain balances in ratio to fat loss.

Myth #3: “Pilates and Yoga are just as good as Strength Training.”
This isn’t quite accurate. While the benefits of yoga and strength training are great, strength training wins the prize. In terms of degree, weight training is definitely the supreme method for building muscular strength. Pilates and Yoga focus on very controlled movements that depend on body weight to build muscle. As well, they are wonderful exercises to aid in meditation and relaxation. However, incorporating them into your exercise routine instead of strength training isn’t a great idea. They should be considered an enhancement rather than a replacement.

Myth #4: “I will have to eat more protein when I weight train.”
The fact is the typical American eats far more protein in a day than they should. In fact, if you make a fist with your hand, you will be viewing a good size portion of meat. Yet, most restaurants serve around three times the size of that portion. Moreover, only power athletes really need to consume extra protein in a day, and this is a minimal increase at that.

Myth #5: “Weight training is too expensive and time consuming.”
First, if you have time to watch the O.C. or any popular weekly program, than you have time for a few weekly strength training sessions. It’s all about priorities, ladies. And in the long run, the benefits of a better body will outweigh some program you can’t even remember. Depending on the type of strength training you do on a typical day, you’ll only need 20 minutes to an hour out of your 24-hour day. Also, weight training can fit into any budget. Just check out your local sporting goods store for a variety of free weights at decent prices. Similarly, it may be a good idea to check out Google for better deals on free weights. Comparing prices is always consumer savvy, and you may be able to find some smashing closeouts on the ever popular ebay. Moreover, if you’re a student you should check out your gymnasium facilities because student gyms are often free or memberships are offered at next to nothing prices. As for joining a gym, make sure to ask for an initial trial, to see whether it suits your personal needs and goals. Another helpful tip is to try to find a deal depending on the time of year. For instance, during the holiday season gyms often offer wonderful rates or specials. And some even offer couples specials. So, you may want to motivate your partner to join in your plans.

Myth #6: “Women should avoid high-intensity training.”
You don’t have to avoid strength training machines ladies. And certainly don’t be too shy to add on weight just because you think it may look unfeminine. This merely correlates to our culture’s perceptions about femininity and delicacy, which is totally off and ridiculous. In fact, lifting solely dumbbells may not be enough resistance to gain the lean body you’d truly like. Moreover, you have more in you than you can imagine, ladies. You definitely have the capacity to strength train at higher intensities and volumes. Additionally, higher volumes and capacities are the means to creating adaptation in muscle, cartilage, bone, ligaments, and tendons. So, to reap the best of benefits, at least once per week perform a weight routine at the maximum repetition for all exercises.

Myth #7: “Abdomen machines work better than the crunch.”
Please, please, please don’t let another infomercial sway your gut instinct: They just aren’t any better in performance than the tried and true abdominal crunch! All of this high tech machinery needs to be put to the grave. Often, they are difficult to use and inaccurate performance becomes normal by participants. And what’s more is the expense! Well, the crunch is free, easily learned, and just plain better than any machine you could own.

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10 Laps to a Healthier You!

By: Angela Mraz

Some people like to run while others like to walk. And often, those that run may soon find a better excuse to walk. Running or jogging is a great way to burn calories (approximately 100 calories for every mile ran), really works the cardio system, tones and shapes the legs and if your run uphill, attack those glutes too. Not everyone is built to run pretty (like a gazelle) or pain free (knee pain, shin splints, muscle pulls, blisters, etc). Improper body mechanics, whether by lack of knowledge or due to bone and joint structure can lead to injury, pain, and discomfort?

But if you approach running or jogging like any new sport it can be a wonderful addition to your arsenal of aerobic exercises. Now what do I mean by the approach? Simple - prepare, start out slow and steady, always ease into something new, don't be afraid to take a break and walk, stretch, and get plenty of rest before hitting the road or track again. And as the summer months approach make sure you drink plenty of water and never ever run during the hottest points of the day which are typically in the mid afternoon.

Quick and important side note: this article is written about running or jogging on a track. In most instances you can run with the peace of mind knowing that nothing is going to get in your way or run into you. You can really get into or lose yourself into the music that is playing through your headset. This workout can also be done around your block. There is where the caution comes in! When running or jogging on the streets you must always be aware of your surroundings. Always have some form of identification on you in case something should happen. Cars will always win the war of space occupation! And unfortunately nowadays drivers always seem to be in a hurry.

Hey, spring is finally here! And for us east coasters, thank God! Albeit, the temperature outside is 65 plus degrees, the frequent gusts of cold wind are a quick reminder of winter's not to recent departure. Instead of going to the gym for an aerobic workout I decided to drive to my local park and run some laps on the track. There was an abundance of people there today. Several groups of children playing soccer, your typical jogger carrying a walkman and running in brand new sneakers, a couple of people balancing themselves on roller blades, and a few bikers racing up and down trail ways. As I mention previously, it was my intention to run a couple of laps as soon as I got there but I found myself mesmerized by the brilliant sunlight and gaggle of activity. When I finally made my way down the bleacher stairs I decided to run with a little bit of creativity. Here is my new program.

Program - 10 Laps - (Described here for the novice runner/jogger)

What You Need:

A stop watch or watch with timer on it.
A track to run on.
Knowledge Point:

On a typical "standard" track, 1 lap = ¼ of a mile. Hence 4 times around the track = 1 mile.
Before Running Or Jogging:

Make sure you stretch.

Most important stretches would be for your lower back, shoulders, groin, hams, quads, and calves.
Try to run in a decent pair of sneakers which are designed for running.
Wear a sports bra and other types of clothing that will not irate areas of your body.
Make sure your health is in good order. Check with your physician before you start any new exercise program.
Laps 1 & 2 (warm-up) Clockwise Direction:
Walk, don't run... 1st lap is intended to get your joints lubricated and muscles warmed up. On the 2nd lap try walking a little bit faster.

Laps 3 & 4 Counter Clockwise Direction:
Break into a slow jog. Complete both laps at a comfortable pace.

Crunches:
Wait a second who said anything about ab work? Mine as well - while we are here! Perform 1-20 crunches (depending upon your ability)

Laps 5 & 6 (straight-a-ways & curves) Clockwise Direction:
On the straight-a-ways you will run as fast as you can without sacrificing form. Slow down around the curves (resume your slow jog or walk if you feel like you need the rest).

North, East, South, and West:
Stand in the middle of the track (small deep purple circle in center of purple oval) run to the North edge of the track and run back to the center (small deep purple circle) and perform 1- 20 crunches. With little to no rest run to East side of the track, run back to the center and perform 1 - 20 jumping jacks.

With little to no rest run to the South side of the track, run back and perform 1 - 20 crunches. With little to no rest run to the West side of the track, run back and perform 1 - 20 jumping jacks.

Note: You can add any type of exercise to be performed in the center circle. For example: push-ups, bends and thrusts, running in place for 30 seconds, etc.
Laps 7 & 8 Counter Clockwise Direction:
These are walking or light jogging laps. You can switch things up, like walking straight a ways and running curves, or walking lap 7 and jogging lap 8. It's entirely up to you and may vary on your energy levels for that day.

Laps 9 & 10 (timed laps) Counter Clockwise Direction:
Here in lies the test and success part of the program. Both these laps should be run at a pace that is comfortable but with some speed. The goal is to get around the track as quickly as possible. At the conclusion of lap #9 check your watch/timer and make a mental note of the time. Keep running and do not turn off or reset the watch or timer. Lap #10 should be run as quickly as possible as well. At the conclusion of lap #10 stop the timer/watch. Write down this time and the time for lap #9. Now you have lap times that you can try to better the when you run this program again. Part of a successful fitness program is keeping a journal or marking down accomplishments.

Let's say that it took you 2 ½ minutes to complete lap #9 and a total time of 6 minutes to complete both lap #9 and #10 (average of 12 minutes per/mile). If you can better these times the next time out then you can see and prove accomplishment.

Always remember that fitness should be fun. When the weather is in your favor, take advantage of it. These types of running/jogging programs can also be performed with a partner - great for motivation. Stay the course!

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12 Tips for a Bikini Ready Body.

By: Fawnia Mondey

Yes, summer is here, and will be here every year, so whether you are within reach of your bikini body, or would like to gather your ammo and fine tune for next year, here are some safe, all-natural diet tips, taken from the new book The Bikini Diet by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, PH. D.

Don't drink fruit juices or juice-based products while "dieting". Get your nutrition from calories you chew rather then swallow.

Shoot for 25 to 35 gm of fiber per day.

If you get hungry, eat a few ounces of protein to tide you over until your next meal.

Eat at least two servings of fish per week to get healthy fats.

Spice up your food with red pepper, which boosts metabolism.

Drizzle sugar-free syrup over cooked carrots for a sweet treat.

Drink green tea liberally - it helps burn fat.

Try no to let yourself get bored, stressed out or depressed, if possible. Try yoga, meditation, and herbs such as kava and ginseng for stress. Regular exercise, journaling and supplements such as fish, St. Johns wort and 5-HTP can help alleviate depression.

Outwait your food cravings. They generally last no longer then 10 minutes.

Distract yourself with a nonfood related activity, such as exercising, reading, pursuing a favorite hobby, listening to music, writing letters, surfing the internet (like you are now) or soaking in a hot bath.

Make a list of 25 things to do rather then eat, and keep it handy for times when you feel tempted to eat (when you shouldn't).

Freeze strawberries and other berries. They take longer to eat and provide a candy-like treat.
Herbal Remedies That Fight Bloating - (excess water weight)

Do you have a little excess water weight (bloating) you'd like to shed? If you are heading out in a bikini, you'll want it gone! Try one of these herbal tricks for bloat. (Herbal combinations in capsules or teas are also available for water retention. Follow manufacturer's instructions.)

Bruchu
Cranberry
Dandelion
Horse Chestnut
Parsley
Uva Ursi

Since I tend to drift from drinking enough water, I start drinking at least 10 cups a day right away. The last 3 - 4 days while drinking herbal, diuretic tea, I cut my water in half.
Get in 1 hour of cardio each day at low-middle intensity.
Every day, do a full body workout with light-weights, alternating two different programs. Do your abdominals every day.
If I can't get to the gym, I'll do a circuit workout at home. I start with; 15 deep squats, 20 forward lunges, 15 pushups and 25 sit-ups. I repeat this circuit 4 times through.
Take a fat burner 3 times a day. I use Xenadrine EFX or Rage from Universal, red berry flavor. Make sure you read your labels and monitor the way you feel if you are new to fat burners.
Do not eat after 6:00 PM.
Eat clean staying away from gaseous foods such as cabbage, onions, broccoli, cooked tomatoes, beans, wheat, fruit and dairy products.
Eat 4-5 meals a day slightly smaller than my normal servings. Go easy on the condiments. For the last three days during the diuretic phase, omit any high salt food, condiments and drink distilled water.
Drink herbal diuretic tea for the last three days before my target date. I find a dandelion root based tea from the natural food store. Another good one a lot of my friends have used with success is a product called Super Dieters Tea. This one does not sit well in my digestive track, which reminds me to warn you to be watchful of any ill affects of any new product you try. There are lots to choose from if one does not work out. Another good product is Absolute Nutrition Watershed from Bodybuilding.com. The flushing properties of any diuretic only lasts for around 3 - 6 days depending on your system. After this our bodies realize what is happening. It starts to try to reverse the process and retain water instead. Do not take diuretics all of the time! They will loose their effectiveness.
Take a multi vitamin with minerals. You loose a lot of minerals through taking diuretics.
Take an Epsom salt bath for the last two nights (naturally draws excess water from the tissues that cause bloating).
Paint on a body and face bronzer. A tanned body appears more fit and trim.
Get a facial. The healthy glow makes a big difference.
Men often look pounds lighter and more fit in swimsuit situations if they remove excess body hair (for some, this takes real commitment).
Don't forget to center yourself. Serenity, gratitude and love of life are really the great beautifiers.

[POWERJIM]

A Womans Battle.

By: Lisa Sutton

On the way to the gym the other day, while stopped at a red light, I happened to see two teen-aged girls, probably no more than fourteen or fifteen, walking down the sidewalk--certainly not a sight that would ever command my attention beyond a passing glance if that. However, these two young girls captured my attention. They wore tight, sleeveless half shirts and shorts cut high onto their thighs.

Yah, That Nasty

Immediately, I noticed that both of them were rail thin. I was thunderstruck. I couldn't believe my eyes! From where I sat in my car, I could see their collarbones. Their arms and legs were so thin that their knee and elbow joints looked disproportionately large and out of place. I watched them pass by and as they continued down the sidewalk, I couldn't help but note their protruding shoulder blades.

A few weeks later, mental images of these two young girls re-emerged as I leafed through a Victoria's Secret catalogue and noticed all of the waif-like figures that filled its pages. On every single page were images of the most unhealthy, mousy-looking women that I'd ever seen in my entire life. If women are supposed to strive to look like the models in these catalogues, then we are all in really big trouble.

Is This In?

Is this really the personification of "attractive" or what women in this society think that they are supposed to emulate to be desirable? As opposed to confident, self-assured young women, these women appear weak and sickly. In my opinion, they look like victims, subject to anyone's whim. It's disgusting. So, what happens? Teenage girls are inundated with these images of what the media considers "attractive" and end up looking like they just stepped out of the cemetery. Personally, I think that it's absolutely criminal.

Intent upon understanding this mindset from the inside, I asked one of my training clients who once admitted that she struggles with her own body image. To give you some perspective, this woman is young, early twenties, attractive, and very, very, thin. Recently, she renounced her obsession with the scale and decided that she wanted to train with weights so she hired me and together, we began the journey toward physical fitness and self-awareness.

Through the course of our conversation, I learned that many of her contemporaries refused to lift weights as they were utterly convinced that lifting weights would give them bulging muscles and make them "look like men." She explained that her decision to weight train met with some stiff resistance from her comrades. Apparently, to these women, an increase in muscularity is synonymous with relinquishing their "femininity."

For these women, weight lifting and increasing in muscularity conjures unfavorable images of amazon women from ancient cultures. According to myth, the amazons were female warriors that fought in battle right alongside of the men and were the complete antithesis of everything that this society considers "female." In fact, the very word, "amazon" literally means "without breast."

Which makes sense considering that to facilitate the efficient use of a bow and arrow, legend has it that upon the birth of a female infant, the amazons would sear one breast so that it would not develop. Consequently, the mere mention of the word "weight lifting," to most women brings to the forefront mental pictures of humungous, breast-less, likely unattractive, physically imposing women.

The Image

So, on one end of the continuum lie images of massive female warriors which society condemns and on the other end, lie images of wafer-thin models which society considers feminine and attractive. Given many women's association of increased muscularity with amazonian-type, "manly" physiques, its not at all surprising that young girls strive to become paper thin thus "feminine" which results in malnourished, underdeveloped teenaged girls that remain little better than one meal away from their coffins. Outright criminal.

Every time that I train a woman, I am fighting against the images of what this society considers "attractive" and "desirable." With every single repetition, my female clients are waging a battle within. On the one hand, they want to be healthy and physically fit but on the other hand, they are deathly afraid that lifting weights and increasing muscularity will make them look too "masculine" thus undesirable.

I have one question. Since when did men obtain a monopoly on muscularity? When did it come about that muscular men are attractive and muscular women are amazons? What is to be gained by keeping women from developing their physiques to their maximum genetic capabilities? Do women that weight train transform into The Hulk?

Absolutely not. Why? Because women just do not have the requisite testosterone to build large, bulging muscles. Absent anabolic steroids, it ain't gonna happen.

What I have noticed, however, is that when women weight train and begin to fill out their own physical frames, they begin an inner transformation. These women experience an increased sense of self-esteem, a more positive self-image, and become much more self-assured. Women, who previously apologized for their very existence by walking with their heads down and shoulders slumped, walk a little bit taller and exude a bit more self- confidence.

Instead of attempting to erase their own existence with a wafer-thin appearance, women that strive toward fitness by developing their physiques and increasing their strength command power through their very presence. Are these "amazon-like," "masculine," thus undesirable attributes? Well, I suppose that it depends upon whom you ask.

The Undesirable

To those that find themselves threatened by a self-assured woman, strength and muscularity are undesirable; i.e. "amazon-like." But, for those that are internally secure, a woman that commits to developing her muscles and increasing her strength are the pinnacle of attractive and does not rival a woman's "femininity."

For my money, strength, muscular development and femininity are not inversely related. On the contrary, increased strength and muscularity are the cornerstones upon which to build an unwavering self-image and an unforgiving sense of self-confidence. If you are a woman that battles with self-image ask yourself this, do you want the power to define your own self and what is considered feminine, attractive and desirable or are you willing to merely accept what the media shoves down your throat.

Women need to reclaim the power to define what is feminine, attractive and desirable. Take control and define your own self. At the end of the day, the choice remains entirely yours.

Great article. One suggestion - you use the word "muscularity" a lot, consider alternating with some synonyms. Interestingly, when I went to my thesaurus and looked for a synonym through MSWord, the number one word it gave me was masculinity, followed by: manhood, manliness, potency, etc?

Thanks

[Hawkwind]

Cranberry and Uva Usi are da bomb. Cranberry is also great for you kidneys.

[POWERJIM]

Aerobics an in-Depth Look.

Aerobic exercise, particularly aerobic dancing, is one of the most popular type of fitness activities. Aerobics classes, which give students the opportunity for continuous dancing and movement, are offered throughout the world. The rise in popularity of televised and videotaped aerobic exercise programs reflects the enthusiasm for this form of exercise.

The word aerobics is often used synonymously with exercise, but the concept is often misunderstood. Aerobic literally means "with oxygen" or "in the presence of oxygen." Today, aerobics also means a form of endurance exercise where people move to music.

At first, aerobics referred to dance movements put to music, but the scope has expanded to include low-impact aerobics, high-impact aerobics, water aerobics, step aerobics, funk aerobics, slide aerobics, and country-western line aerobics. The current interest in aerobic exercise is the result of the wide-spread interest in improving appearance, health, and longevity.

Designing The Aerobic Workout

An aerobics class begins with a warm-up. The warm-up activities at the beginning of the class should be low intensity and prepare the person for more vigorous activities during the formal work-out period. As the exercise moves from the warm-up to the actual exercise routine, it is important to control exercise intensity. An exercise program easily tolerated by one person may cause fatigue and injury in another.

The goal of the aerobics section is not to work at the highest intensity possible, but rather to exercise at a comfortable intensity that can be maintained yet still provide a conditioning effect. Target heart rates are often used to help people control exercise intensity.

Calculate Your Target Heart Rate Here!
If the heart rate during exercise is in the appropriate target zone, then the exercise intensity is adequate for training the oxygen transport system. Some researchers have suggested that exercise heart rate during aerobic dance exercise may not be a valid means of predicting exercise intensity in the activity.

While the exercise intensity may vary during the class, it is important to prevent excessive efforts. This can be achieved by restricting the movements, using less arm movement and slowing the pace if the participants are exceeding their target heart rate zone.

Using these techniques, the exercise intensity can also increase if the heart rate falls below the target zone. A minimum intensity is important if the class members are to train their oxygen transport systems.

The class should contain a cool down period to aid in the transition between exercise and rest. The cool-down may be concluded with some relaxation activities. (See table below for more information on designing the aerobic workout.)

Component Time Content
Warm-Up 5-10 minutes Isolation exercises
Full body movements
Stretching exercises
Aerobics 20-45 minutes Aerobic warm-up
Peak aerobics
Aerobic cool-down
Cool-Down I 5-10 minutes Controlled large muscle movements
Stretching exercises
Resistance Training 15-20 minutes Abdominal exercises
Upper body exercises

Lower body exercises
Cool-Down II 5-10 minutes Flexibility exercises
Relaxation exercises

Essential Components Of An Aerobics Exercise Program

The essential considerations for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition are the same for any type of aerobic class. These components are as follows:

Mode of activity: Any continuous physical activity that uses large muscle groups and can be rhythmic and aerobic in nature.

Frequency of training: Refers to the number of times per week a person should exercise. Exercising three to five days per week is sufficient in improving cardiovascular fitness.

Intensity of training: Healthy adults should participate in a fitness activity at an intensity level between 60-90% of their maximum heart rate.

Duration of training: The duration should be between 20 to 60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity. The duration can be on the shorter end of this range for athletic people whose activities use a high intensity of training (80% to 90% of maximum heart rate).
Those who utilize activities with a lower range of intensity (60%-70% of maximum) should maintain that activity for a longer time. Because of the potential hazards associated with high-intensity activity, low-to-moderate intensity activity of longer duration is recommended for the general population.

Progressive Resistance Training: Recognizing that overall body fitness includes muscular fitness, participating in resistance training is currently being recommended.
Participation in resistance training of moderate intensity at least two times a week should help develop and maintain a healthy body composition. The goal of resistance training is not to improve cardiorespiratory endurance, but to improve overall muscle strength and tone.

Music and Aerobics

Music not only provides the timing for exercise movements, it also makes exercise more fun and helps to motivate participants. Music is the basis of dance-exercise programs. General guidelines have been adopted for selecting the appropriate music tempo for the various components of a dance-exercise program.

Slow tempos under 100 beats per minute (BPM) are generally used for stretching, while tempos of 100-120 beats per minute are frequently used for warm-ups and cool-downs. Floor exercises are often performed to tempos of 110-130 beats per minute. However, the tempo for floor exercises should be slow enough to allow for control and the full range of movement.

Aerobic dance activities are generally performed at a tempo of 130-160 beats per minute. The lower impact aerobics (low-impact dance-exercise and step aerobics) should be kept at a lower tempo of 118-125 beats per minute.

Shoes

A suitable shoe for aerobic-dance exercises needs good forefoot flexibility and an adequate heel lift to accommodate the stresses on the Achilles tendon and calf. Step shoes, cross-training shoes, and aerobic shoes offer superior forefoot cushion along with desirable foot stability, largely because of the wider heel.

The tread on some running shoes does not provide suitable freedom of movement on some surfaces used for aerobics.

High-Impact Aerobic Activities

High-impact aerobic dance is a good way to improve fitness. This type of aerobic activity combines music with kicking, bending, and jumping, and provides the same benefits as running, bicycling or swimming. Intensity levels during high-impact aerobics usually reach the upper end of the target heart rate zone (80%-90%).

Higher intensity is created by including a lot of bouncing and jumping movements using larger muscle groups. Movements involving arm patterns which are positioned above the heart are also used to increase the intensity. High-impact aerobic dance is generally performed at a tempo of 130-160 beats per minute (BPM).

Low Impact Aerobic Activities

Because long-term participation in some aerobic activities (for example, jogging, running, high-impact aerobic dance, and rope skipping) may cause damage to the hip, knee, and ankle joints, many fitness experts are promoting low-impact aerobic activities. Low-impact aerobic dance, step aerobics, water aerobics, and brisk walking are examples of this kind of fitness activity.

Low-impact aerobics replaces jogging and jumping with steps that place less stress on the joints. Low-impact aerobics is less intense than high-impact aerobics (Music cadence of 118-125 BPM). As long as exercisers work out at their target heart rate, they get all the benefits of high-impact aerobics while decreasing the risk of injury.

The main difference between low- and high-impact aerobic activities is in the use of the legs. Low-impact aerobics do not require having both feet off the ground at the same time. Thus weight transfer does not occur with the forcefulness seen in traditional, high-impact aerobic activities.

In addition, low-impact activities may include exaggerated arm movements and the use of hand or wrist weights. All of these variations are designed to increase the heart rate to the target heart rate without damaging the joints of the lower extremities. Low-impact aerobics are excellent for people of all ages.

Aerobic Types

Step Exercise

Recent studies have supported the theory that step exercise, when executed for the appropriate duration at the appropriate intensity, meets the criteria for developing cardiorespiratory fitness.

But less information is available on reliable caloric expenditures during step exercise, specifically at different popular step heights. Oxygen uptake increases in direct proportion to the bench height.

Step classes provide an excellent workout, but they also raise unique safety concerns. The proper technique, the right bench height, and the proper shoes will provide an effective and safe step-training experience.

The proper technique consists of stepping directly down on the step with the leading leg. Many people have the tendency to reach too far back with their leading leg. This causes the body to lean slightly forward, placing extra stress on the foot, Achilles, and calf. Participants should also step with a flat foot.

This is necessary to maintain balance, and will also reduce the amount of stress on the leg, ankle and foot. Stepping too frequently on the ball of the foot, increases the risk of arch related injuries due to the concentrated impact forces in the forefoot area.

Stepping with a bounce causes the participants to remain on the ball of the foot. It is best to place the entire foot on the step.

Most (apparently healthy) people should begin with a four- to six-inch step platform. If participants find themselves leaning forward too much, they may be using a platform that is too high for their skill level and body proportions. This can lead to pressure on the lower back.

Also, if the participant is stretching or hopping onto the step, it is obviously too high. As a conservative guideline, the knee should not be flexed at an angle greater than 90 degrees during stepping movements. Bench stepping may not be the best activity for people with patellofemoral problems.

Aerobic stepping should be performed at a rate between 118 and 122 BPM. In some facilities step music has climbed as high as 126 to 128 beats per minute (BPM). With faster music, there is an increased risk of compromising stepping technique. Participants may not have enough time to go through full extension when stepping up, and knees tend to stay bent continuously, stepping up and down.

Continuous stepping with constantly flexed knees may lead to an increased risk of joint injury. At speeds exceeding 125 BPM, even intermediate and advanced students have difficulty maintaining proper form, and there is a rise in complaints of aching knees and backs.

Working at 118 to 122 BPM is the optimal range for burning calories, conditioning muscles and minimizing the risk injury. Step training has become extremely popular and appears to be a relatively safe and effective workout as long as caution and discretion should be used.

Power Stepping

"Power-stepping," or "high-impact stepping," on the bench platform has been successfully introduced over the last year or two; however, it should be limited to highly skilled and aerobically fit participants.

Power refers to the amount of work that can be accomplished per unit of time. When applied to specific aerobic step moves, the term power means that intensity levels and ranges of motion are increased to challenge participants' skill and fitness capacities more than usual.

Power stepping maneuvers can include explosive actions such as leaps, runs, hops and lunges as well as nonexplosive actions such as lunges, squats, step-ball-changes and marches.

Double Step Aerobics

The quest for challenging workouts is ever-present. With the development of step aerobics over 5 years old, the step workout is evolving to offer a greater challenge to fitness enthusiasts.

In the regimen's latest incarnation, a second bench is used, adding a new dimension to the linear (forward and back or side to side) movement afforded by a single step. Two steps allow you to move in circles, shaping and toning front, back, inner and outer leg muscles as well as working hips and buttocks more thoroughly.

Water Exercise

Water exercises pose an extremely low risk of injury, while providing an opportunity to improve cardiovascular endurance, increase muscular strength, decrease body weight, and improve overall fitness levels. Since water supports and cushions the joints, participants can run, jump, and stretch without the forceful impact that causes strains and injuries on dry land.

Water also provides a natural resistance that is 12 to 14 times greater than that of air, so during normal movements, muscles work harder than they would on land. Circuit training, interval training, water-walking/jogging, deep-water aerobic exercise, aqua bench training, aqua play, athletic team training, aquatic rehabilitation assistance, and personal aqua training are some examples of the various aerobic programs that are available in the water.

Interval Exercise

Interval exercise consists of alternating higher-intensity exercises and lower-intensity exercises. Interval exercise provides an advantage for people interested in weight loss and weight management.

Clients can work for short periods of time at a calorie expenditure much greater than the person could support for the workout's entire duration. At the end of the interval session, the person can burn substantially more calories than if he or she had tried to maintain steady-state exercise.

Funk Aerobics

Since the early 1990's, street dancing is fast becoming one of the most popular aerobic exercises. Popularized by rap music, classic funk, and the growth of vigorous "Street Jam" dancing in music videos, street dancing is viewed as an excellent method of having fun and developing cardiorespiratory fitness. People who exercise using stationary bicycles, rowing machines, or automatic stair steps can easily become bored.

However, street jamming to the sounds of popular artists, such as Bobby Brown, M.C. Hammer, or Janet Jackson, provides an exciting way to increase fitness and socialize with others at the same time.

Country Aerobics

The latest introduction to the aerobics room is country line dancing. These country line dances are ready-made for adapting into aerobic routines. Many participants find them not only fun, but they are also easy to do.

Country music and dance steps can be incorporated into just a few routines within ongoing classes or developed into a complete specialty fitness class with country tunes accompanying everything from warm-up to cool-down.

According to recent figures for the music industry, country western is the fastest-growing segment of the music market among all age groups, especially middle age people. Music should be kept within the 124-128 BPM range.

Slide Aerobics

Adjustable slides are available to adapt the sliding area to an individual's size and strength; and there are various sliding surfaces. Since the slide is a recent development little research has been done on the benefits and risks. It is also unclear on which design is most effective or safe. But there are many options for product selection.

Dance aerobic programs have become an a primary form of exercise for millions of people around the world. In addition to the desire to achieve the multiple benefits of aerobics, there will always be a desire to include in one's life fitness "for the fun of it."

[POWERJIM]

Learn About The Benefits Of Using A Swiss Ball!

By: ISSA

Go into just about any gym in the United States, and you will more than likely see them; big, beach ball-looking objects, usually scattered around the area set aside for stretching and abdominal training. These invaders into the gym scene have actually been around for many years in therapy settings. Commonly known as "swiss balls" after their place of origin, few pieces of training equipment have seen the almost overnight widespread popularity that these apparatus have. However, there is an alarming new trend that is also making it's way around gyms everywhere, and that is the over-use of swiss ball exercises by a lot of trainers and their clients.

Practice What You Preach!

Before we get much further, let me first say that I own and use a swiss ball for myself, and the training of my clients. In some cases, like when I have to travel to a client's house, the swiss ball will play a major role in training. They are an excellent way to train the core musculature - i.e. your abs and lower back, or your stabilizer muscles - along with adding variety and fun to the workout. But these reasons are no excuse for those of you with gym access to spend the majority of your or your clients' training time balancing on a ball. Like most new gimmicks to hit the fitness scene, exercisers everywhere have gone overboard with swiss balls, actually hindering their own training.

To illustrate my point, let me relay a scenario that I recently saw at a gym in which I train. While doing a squat workout (as Dr. Squat says, everyone MUST squat!) I noticed a young man instructing a young lady on how to do a lunge with one foot placed up on a swiss ball. Never mind the fact that the ball was way too big for her frame, that it was forcing her hips completely out of position, and that she could barely get 4 good inches of motion from the move - what got me was the question I kept asking myself - Why?

Using The Swiss Ball As A Substitute?

I had been watching her out of the corner of my eye since she and her trainer had come to the area of the gym with the power racks. She was not in bad shape, but she definitely was not a candidate for specialized work. Yet, she did not perform one set of deadlifts, squats or even leg press. Instead, all she did was those lunges with her foot up on the ball. For the amount of time and effort that she put in to complete the 5 sets of those lunges, she could have done 5 sets of squats or deadlifts and gotten a much larger return on her investment.

This is a key point that most swiss ball fanatics tend to overlook - yes, the swiss ball exercises are new and exciting, but what do you give up to do them? In this case, the trainer had his client give up squats or more conventional, intense leg training exercises in favor of some cute movement that he had read about in a muscle magazine. No doubt he impressed the client with his "expertise" in this new field of fitness, but he sold her results short doing it.

The problem as I see it is not the swiss balls, but the information that is being dispensed by the fitness media regarding them. They are looked upon by some as the Holy Grail of training, that one missing piece of the puzzle that will make all the difference in someone's muscle-building and fat-loss endeavors. Unfortunately, this is not the case. They are simply a tool to be used when the time is right. Yet no one seems to mention when exactly that time is. This has lead to a lot of confusion among exercisers as to how to successfully integrate the ball into their own training. In the spirit of clearing up some of the confusion, here are some guidelines to go by when using swiss ball exercises:

Guidelines For Swiss Ball Exercises:

While a variety of methods are encouraged, perhaps the one area in which a swiss ball can be used on a consistent basis is abdominal training. Swiss balls allow a full range of motion; the exerciser can easily roll forward during crunches to take any strain off the lower back, and they allow for numerous variations of abdominal exercises. A routine of weighted crunches (crunches with a plate held across the chest for resistance), reverse crunches and russian twists performed on the ball will lead to an impressively chiseled and strong midsection.

If you are going to do swiss ball work for any other muscle group, do it AFTER your main exercises. The prevailing line of reasoning says to do them first, in order to exhaust the stabilizers and target the prime movers more efficiently. I disagree for that very reason. Why would you want to attempt a 5-rep squat after exhausting your stabilizers? This is just begging for trouble. Exhaust the prime movers first with high intensity work - the kind you get from the core lifts of squat, deadlifts, bench press and barbell rows - and then hit the stabilizers. Since the prime movers are fatigued, the stabilizers will be forced to work even harder, effectively targeting them in a more efficient manner, while not detracting from the intensity or safety of your core lifts.

Limit your swiss ball work to no more than 2 - 3 sets per muscle group being exercised. Now, read that again. That does not mean 2 - 3 sets per exercise, but 2 - 3 sets per muscle group, total. If that means one set each of 2- 3 different exercises or 2 - 3 sets of one exercise, do not overdo the swiss ball work. If you have that much energy left you would get better returns on your investment by doing another set of a basic lift for that muscle group. Stabilizers are usually smaller muscles that do not need to be targeted with countless sets in order to train. Remember; they have already been working to stabilize your core lifts.

Run from anyone who tells you that you should be able to stand on the ball and perform a squat on it. While it's a neat trick, last time I checked no surface on this planet is that unstable, making the time and effort necessary to achieve this trick a literal waste of time.
If you want to learn how to do this in order to impress your workout partner then that's your business, but any trainer or "expert" that suggests that this is a skill you must possess is not living in reality.

So there you have it, four guidelines to go by when trying to integrate the swiss ball into a scientifically based training program. Remember that Arnold never used a swiss ball in his training, yet developed one of the most admired physiques of all time.

In addition, ISSA co-founder Fred Hatfield never touched a swiss ball on his way to becoming the first man to squat over 1000 pounds in competition. In other words, while the swiss ball is a great tool to put in your bag of tricks, it can never replace good old hard work and moving a mountain of iron. Stick with the basics, and you will garner far better results for your efforts.

Thanks

[POWERJIM]

The Myth of Toning!

By: Chris Goulet

Introduction

When many people talk about being "toned" what they are referring to is a firm body with muscular definition and shape. This is generally a fitness goal that many women have (but also men) with the majority of their emphasis usually on their arms or more specifically their triceps.

Mistakenly, due to the media many people (mostly women) think in order to "get toned" all they need to do is very high repetitions and very little resistance with moderate to long rests. They also don't take into account cardiovascular activity or diet in order to get "toned".

The Myth Of "Toning"

Lets dissolve the misnomer of "tone" right now. The firming-up or toning is due to an increase in muscle tissue as well as a low enough bodyfat percentage to see the definition and shape of the muscles and get rid of the "jiggle". Muscles do not go from soft to hard or hard to soft - they either shrink or grow in size. Muscles themselves do not "firm-up" or "tone".

Strength Training & Fat Loss For Tone

There are no two ways about it - In order to achieve the look of muscle tone or a toned body you need to engage in strength training as well as shed the layer of fat covering your muscles.

Traditional resistance training alone doesn't produce the toned look desired, especially when an individual resistance trains in the fashion previously mentioned with unnecessarily high repetitions, little resistance, and little if any stress on the muscle. A calorie deficit also needs to be created in order to shed some of the subcutaneous bodyfat (fat under the skin). Period.

The Myth Of High Repetitions To Get Toned

Just because you are not looking to get "bulky" or add muscle mass doesn't mean that you should shy away from stressing your muscles with relatively heavy weight (women and men). Effort needs to be given and your muscles need to be stressed in order for them to change and grow. And simply going through the motions will produce little if any results because the muscle is not being stressed enough and therefore has no reason to adapt and change its current condition.

Generally, training with a resistance that produces fatigue between 8-12 repetitions works well for most individuals. That doesn't mean that you can give up after the 8th or 12th repetition - it means that there is no way that you can get the 13th. If you can get 13, then the resistance is not enough. Don't forget to include cardio conditioning into your fitness program in addition to your strength training.

Getting Fat Loss Benefits From Strength Training

Strength training and cardio don't necessarily need to be exclusive from each other - you can get a cardiovascular and fat burning benefit from strength training both directly and indirectly. Indirectly, the more muscle tissue that you add through strength training the greater your basal metabolic rate (resting metabolism) will be and therefore you will be burning more total calories and fat at rest. This is more of a permanent solution to weight loss.

Directly, if you use large body movements and keep rest periods short you will elevate your heart rate and therefore be getting the same immediate calorie and fat burning benefits as traditional cardiovascular exercise. This is the more temporary solution to weight loss. These two reasons are why every weight loss program should include weight training. You can kill two birds with one stone this way - you can get the resistance training benefits as well as the cardio benefits in one short and sweet workout if designed correctly.

Generally you should use repetitions as low as 10 and no higher than 15 for most exercises and muscle groups. You generally should be taking short rest periods in-between sets - ideally no longer than 30 seconds for most exercises and muscle groups (in order to keep heart rate elevated as well as give the muscles a brief rest and recovery period before the next set). Again you should come to failure at the end of every set and not just be going through the motions. Don't be afraid if you can't complete as many repetitions as you did the previous set - that is to be expected because the rest periods are so short that the metabolic byproducts haven't had a chance to be completely removed yet.

Eventually your body will adapt to the metabolic stress and become more efficient at recovery and you will be able to lift more weight in a shorter period of time. If you dip below 8 to 10 repetitions you should decrease the weight though. Having a simple stopwatch or keeping your eye on the second hand of the clock in order to time your rests may be a good idea in order to stay on task when beginning this type of training. After you become accustomed to this kind of training you will know when to do another set without watching time because it will be ingrained.

Circuit Training: A More Efficient Toning Workout

In order to have a shorter and more efficient workout as well as ensuring your heart rate is elevated and remains elevated, you may want to consider circuit training. Circuit training is where you go directly from one set of an exercise to another exercise that works a different muscle and so on. So you have a series of exercises where you go straight from one to another with absolutely no rest - hence the name "circuit training".

You may take a brief rest if need be only after each circuit. This type of training requires being focused (so headphones or avoiding distractions is a must for an effective workout) but it is extremely effective at burning fat and building strength, endurance, and muscle and creating that toned look.

Making It Work For You

When designing your program keep in mind that larger muscle group movements such as those that involve legs and back and others that incorporate numerous muscle groups at once such as the bench press burn more calories than isolated exercises like dumbbell biceps curls.

Examples of excellent exercises to achieve an elevated heart rate include but are not limited to: any variety of squats, deadlifts, straight-leg deadlifts, any variety of lunges, bench step-ups, etc. Keep in mind that movements that involve multiple muscles (bench press, etc) or large muscles (legs and back) require longer rest periods than isolation exercises (curls, crunches, etc).

Don't be afraid to get creative and combine movements either. An example might be doing a repetition of the dumbbell shoulder press and then going fluidly into a repetition of the dumbbell biceps curls and then back and forth for a complete set of 20-30 total reps (10-15 each). This is where a reputable personal trainer may come in handy to develop "non-traditional" exercises for you with your goals in mind as well as to show you how to perform them properly.

As long as the resistance is sufficient enough to create fatigue by no more than 15 repetitions, your rest periods are very short, if at all, and you have a solid nutritional program, you'll see your muscles tighten-up, firm, and become more pronounced giving you that tone that you desire.