Archives for 2009

• Change up your repetition scheme. If you are doing low reps and heavy weight, change things up to use higher reps and lighter weight.
• Change up the number of sets you are doing. If you are doing 3 sets, increase or decrease the sets depending upon how you are recovering.
• Decrease the frequency of your workouts. Yes, I said decrease your frequency. It works. If you are working out 3 days a week, reduce it to 2 days a week for a period of time.
• Make sure you are following the progressive overload principle. You should be adding weight and/or repetitions each workout. If you have been doing this and are stuck, try one of the other tips in this article. If you have not been doing this, what's your problem? Get with it and start progressing!
• Take a step back. If you are deadlifting 300 lbs. and just can't seem to add weight or repetitions, step back about 20%. That's right, lower the weight down to 240 lbs. and start progressing again. You will be surprised to find that you will blast right past the 300 lb. roadblock in no time at all.

While some of these tips seem counterintuitive, they all work and work well!  If you find yourself stuck at a plateau, dig out these tips and try them out. 

The Types of Cardio You Can Do

H.I.I.T. – High Intensity Interval Training

This one isn’t for wimps.  I am not talking about straight up intervals here, I am talking about intervals with extremely high intensity.  The intervals will be 9.0 MPH for the high end and 5.0 MPH for the low end. 

Steady State

Steady State cardio (SS for short) is a great way to burn fat.  You have a much lower risk of injury when you do SS cardio.  This will generally involve a low intensity, long duration session of cardio.

Max OT Cardio

This type of cardio is very specific and must be done on a machine that allows you to maintain a good pace.  The idea is to do 16 minutes of cardio and maximize the distance you travel during that time.  Each time you do it you aim to increase the distance you travel. Naturally, this adds to the intensity each time.

Crafting a Good Cardio Program

Like weight training, it is important to mix up your cardio.  It doesn’t have to be too extreme.  Lately I have been doing SS cardio and Max OT cardio.  I find that the Max OT style fits well in my afternoon cardio sessions.

Follow these guidelines to craft an excellent cardio program.

• Don't overdo the intensity.
• Be aware of your body to avoid injury
• Mix up the machines you use
• Avoid adaptation by changing up the type of cardio you do
• Be consistent with doing your cardio
• Try adding fasted cardio to your program for maximum fat loss

Go Heavy

When training the legs, use a heavy weight and decent form.  Don’t be scared by how hard you will breathe during your leg training.

Go Intense

When training the legs, up the intensity.  Go beyond.  Don’t let the pain stop you from achieving your goals.  Remember, larger legs means the rest of your body should be larger as well.

Go to Failure

When training the legs, take your sets to failure.  This will generate maximum stimulation for your muscles and skyrocket your growth potential. 

Go Feed Your Muscles

It isn’t just your legs that need to be fed.  Always eat correctly before and after your training.  This will help to build muscle and aide in the recovery of your legs after your tough workouts.

Skip reminds me of Carlos DeJesus in so many ways.  He doesn’t believe in being dogmatic.  He refuses to tell you exactly what will work for you because he believes you have to discover that for yourself.  Skip is very patient with the callers to his bodybuilding show and takes his time to get his message across.  I’ve spoken in the past about Skip and his radio program and just how impressed I’ve been with the information he shares.

Marc is known as the No Bull Bodybuilding Guy for a reason—he doesn’t mess around.  Marc will tell you what is on his mind.  He is passionate about bodybuilding and fitness.  Like me, he believes there is too much bogus information out there.  He also believes, like me, that too many people are in the fitness game just for the money and for no other reason. 

Marc has some excellent materials available on his websites.  His informative site, http://www.justaskmarc.com, is all about bodybuilding and how the average Joe can get the most out of it.  His blog site is http://www.bodybuildingsecretslive.com. 

Marc is the type of guy you are going to want to connect with.  He can also be found on Twitter:  @marc_david  If you are looking for a bodybuilding coach you can trust, Marc is definitely that guy.