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Goodbye My Friend

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Goodbye My Friend

Goodbye my friend! That's what I am thinking at this point. On Friday my preparation coach informed me that for the next 4 weeks we will have me on extremely low carbs. This means I get 1/2 a cup of brown rice early in the morning and no more starches the rest of the day. I will exist on nothing but vegetables and protein for 4 more weeks. That's why I am saying goodbye my friend.

Another decision we made with great caution was a major increase in my cardio. I am now doing an hour of cardio daily (fasted in the morning). I will then add 30 minutes of HIIT cardio after every weight training session. We need to burn of the final little bit of fat around my midsection.

I say that the cardio change was made with caution because we are concerned about the bounce back effect after my show. We will have to slowly back down my cardio after the show and really watch my nutrition in order to avoid weight and fat gain. This bounce back effect can either be used to your benefit or it can cause massive issues. It is all about being aware of the issue and handling it accordingly. Rather than just accept that there will be post-contest weight gain, my trainer and I are planning to use the anabolic state my body will be in to gain some muscle.

At this point I am very focused on getting my body into the best shape it can possibly be. My pecs are going to be disappointing, but the rest of my body will be looking awesome. I am aiming for a body fat percentage of 6% to 8% on contest day. That number will make me very happy.

I will now simply focus on getting the cardio in so that I can burn the fat. I will practice my posing daily until I perfect it. I will hit the weights hard and will maintain perfect nutrition. It is only 4 weeks, so it isn't a huge sacrifice right now.

If you have experience with contest preparation, leave me a comment about how you handle the final four weeks.

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Saturday Sharing – Episode 4

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Saturday Sharing

Today I’d like to share with you my 6 favorite foods for mass building. Your job is to leave your own list of 6 items in the comments or on your own blog that relate to the topic this week. If you decide to put the list on your own blog, be sure to leave a comment with a link to your blog. Please note that permission is NOT granted top copy the question to a forum or message board for the purpose of having the readers participate in the answering of the topic.

Topic for Saturday, March 17, 2012: Favorite foods for mass building.

  1. Lean beef
  2. Turkey
  3. Chicken breast
  4. Cod fish
  5. Chicken thighs
  6. Whey protein

If you have a Saturday Sharing you'd like to see, send me an email. I would love to feature it in the future.

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How to Do Circuit Training Without Weights

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 Circuit Training Without Weights

Circuit training is generally done in a gym with a plethora of equipment, but circuit training without weights is something that is easily accomplished if you plan things out correctly. By using body weight exercises you can substitute those in for weighted alternatives. The proper body weight exercises are capable of increasing your strength, size and improving your body composition.

Planning

If you want to be successful at this type of circuit training, you must plan ahead. You are going to need three to four circuits that contain between 6 and 10 exercises each. You will need to arrange the exercises in such a way that you get a complete body workout. Your goals will determine the type of exercises you need to include. Want to get in better shape — include any combination of push ups, squats and lunges. Want to build more muscle — add in chin-ups, jumping squats and one-armed push ups. You will want to do each exercise for a set duration or a high number of repetitions.

Equipment

You are going to have to work hard to get variety into your routine when using just body weight exercises. Take a look around your home and find household items that you can incorporate into your routine. Simply use the items you have available to you. Utilize the stairs to introduce a cardio element to your workout by jogging up and down the stairs between sets. Mount a chin-up bar in a door jam for use during your training.

Vary the Workouts

You've all heard the P90X term “muscle confusion[ts_optinbox color=”blue”] [/ts_optinbox].” It is simply saying that you need variety in your training in order to see maximum results. Be sure you change things up on a regular basis. Insure that this happens regularly.

Workout Length

Start with a 5 minute warm up and then train for 30 minutes. End the training session with a 5 minute cool down. Make sure that you include stretching both before and after your training session.

Track Your Progress

I am a strong advocate of tracking your results. Before you start take your weight, body fat percentage and circumference measurements. Each week redo those measurements. Make adjustments as you go along depending upon the results you are attaining. You are going to see incredible progress if you stick to these procedures.

Tell us your experience with body weight training by leaving a comment below.

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How to Stay Motivated Long-Term

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How to Stay Motivated Long-term

The question of how to stay motivated long-term is one I hear quite often. It is something that is 100% mental and while there are tips that can help you stay motivated, it is entirely up to you and how you execute mentally. I have recorded a video on the topic as well as attached some simple tips below.

  • Bite-sized goals are key. We get motivated by achieving goals that are set. Most people forget that small goals are good at first. I personally have set 1 hour goals like “I will drink 2 glasses of water in the next hour” to help with motivation. Try it and when you start stringing together a bunch of accomplished goals, watch your motivation soar.
  • Slowly increase goal length. As you accomplish your bite-sized goals, slowly increase goals to be 1 day in length, then 2 days, then a week. You will continue to see your motivation soar as you accomplish these goals.
  • Enter a transformation contest. The desire to win will be motivation enough for you. You will stay highly motivated by the prize package that awaits your victory.
  • Start an accountability blog. This is a blog where you tell people everything you've done. If you are honest, this is a great way to stay motivated. Who wants to admit that they failed at the plan? You will write about your plan and then keep people updated. They will encourage you and hold you accountable. It is how I got started and it works.

Motivation is something we all deal with, but it is not something that is difficult to beat in the end. Just adjust a few small mental issues and you will be well on your way to success. Please watch the video below and then leave us a comment on how you maintain motivation for the long-term.

[pro-player width='420′ height='315′ type='video']http://www.youtube.com/embed/b4sQBPxTDt4[/pro-player]

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How to Maximize Your Workouts

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How to Maximize Your Workouts

When we think of training, most of us will say it is hard to fit a workout in. These tips for how to maximize your workouts should help. I have used all of them at one point or another and can tell you that when done with focus you can really maximize your time in the gym.

  • Keep your workouts to 45 minutes in length. Many people think that the longer you spend in the gym the better, but that is not true. Research has shown that shorter training sessions are better.At the one hour mark the level of cortisol in your body will rise. This is not desireable. Keep your training sessions short and intense.
  • Switch to high intensity training. As my regular readers are aware, I am a big fan of Arthur Jones' HIT training, but that is not the piont of this tip. Here I am referring to keeping yout rest periods shorter. You should be out of breath as you train. This will add a cardio element to your training and that will help maximize the time you spend in the gym
  • Make sure to have adequate protein intake. Intense weight sessions require a higher level of protein intake. Be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet and you will see the benefits when in the gym.
  • Stay hydrated. Make sure you drink enough water. Studies have shown that even a slight amount of dehydration will decrease your level of performance in the gym.
  • Squeeze your muscles as you lift. Make sure that you are getting a good squeeze both up and down. This will increase the benefit of the exercise.
  • Use HIT training. This time I am referring to High Intensity Training from Arthur Jones. This method just works. You do one warm up set for a body part and then do 1 set of each exercise to failure. You generally train full body in this method. You take the one set of each exercise to total failure. Be sure to track your weight and repetitions and each session try to increase one or both variables.

If you want to maximize your workouts give these tips a try. If you have a tip that is not included here, please feel free to comment below.

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