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Monday Madness: Split Squat Hell

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Split squats look innocent enough when you observe them, but as soon as you attempt the movement you realize that you've entered hell!

Split squats do an amazing job of working your quads. Depending upon how you insert them into your workout and how you handle the set and rep scheme, you will provoke many different reactions from your body.

How to Execute a Split Squat

Load up a barbell in a squat rack and put a bench behind you. Put the bar across your shoulders as though you are doing a standard front squat. Step back and put one foot up on the bench and the other in front of you like a lunge position. Descend down by bending the leg not on the bench, but keep the other foot firmly attached to the bench. Rise back up and then repeat the motion for the prescribed number of repetitions.

Moderate Reps and Moderate Sets

One approach is to use 12 repetitions with 3 sets. When I mention how many repetitions please note that I am referring to each side. Do 12 repetitions with your weak side and then 12 repetitions with your strong side. Repeat this for 3 sets. You will find out that your legs will be shaking and you will have a hard time walking. The DOMs sets in almost immediately.

As Few Sets as Possible

Another approach is to pick a number of repetitions (like 40) and then aim to complete that amount of repetitions with the fewest number of sets possible. This forces a higher volume into your workout. It can be very painful, but you will see results if you push hard enough.

Split Squats After Back Squats

By inserting split squats directly after back squats in your standard workout you will find them much harder to complete. The back squats will sufficiently tire out your quads so that the split squats make them work even harder. This is a method I strongly recommend.

Split Squats Before Leg Extensions

Yet another way to insert split squats into your workout is to do them prior to leg extensions. It will make the leg extensions burn like never before. Give it a try.

 

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Saturday Sharing: Get That Cardio Done!

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Get that cardio done! I am sure that is something you have had issues with because most of us have.

There are some people who are gifted enough with their genetics that they only have to weight train to get super lean. Most of us are not even close to that lucky and need to do our cardio for that lean look to come. It isn't some thing that just happens for us. That is why getting the cardio in becomes so important. I have the following tips that will help.

Make the Most of Downtime

I have soccer practice for my son every single Thursday. I use that time to get some much needed cardio exercise in. I've done this for years when my kids are in a sports practice. It is wasted time that you can claim back and get your cardio done.

Park Further Away

I always park as far away from my location as possible. I then walk to the store, office, etc. from the far end of the parking lot. It is an extra bit of cardio and it works.

Take the Stairs

Whenever possible I take the stairs. I try to avoid elevators and just walk. The extra walking gives me the extra cardio I need.

Get Up Earlier

I have also learned to get my cardio in first thing in the morning on non-weight days. It makes it so that I am never making excuses for doing my cardio like I would if I did it later in the day.

Just Do It!

The main thing you should take away from this article is to just get the cardio done. It is the only way most of us will get truly lean!

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Be the Best You that You Can Be

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Be the best you that you can be. That's the advice I was given when I decided to get involved with bodybuilding. it is one of the best pieces of advice ever given to me. It is the reason I love bodybuilding so much. You see, when you are trying to transform your body it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. The only thing that matters is what you do.

Compete With Yourself in the Gym

One of the best aspects of lifting is that you get to compete with yourself at the gym. My approach is to always do a little bit better than my previous training session. If I hit 365 for 4 reps on a deadlift, next time I need to lift more weight or more reps or both. It is a competition, but not with the person next to me. I am strictly competing with myself. It gets me to a new place mentally.

Compete With Yourself in the Kitchen

I am always aiming to hit my macros dead on. Most of the time I fail, but I get them very close. My goal in the kitchen is to beat my previous day. I want to get closer and closer to my final macro numbers. This competition with myself gives me focus that I don't usually have. It is amazing and fun.

Compete With Yourself in the Mirror

Bodybuilding is all about asthetics. By competing with yourself in the mirror you are doing whatever it takes to improve your overall look. Is one shoulder looking smaller than the other? Fix it through hard work at the gym.

Competition Builds Your Body

Each of these three competitive ideas will help change your body into what you are wanting it to be. The hard work you put in will always pay off if you are competing with yourself. By beating your previous best in all areas you can do nothing but get better and better.

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Tracking Body Measurements for Success

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When you are travelling somewhere you can take many roads to get to where you are going. I personally use an app called Waze to cut down my driving time. When trying to transform your physique, tracking body measurements is like using Waze.

We are all going to produce results–positive and negative–by the activities we partake in. If you take the time to plan then you should also take the time to measure. I personally measure weight, body fat percentage and my circumference measurements weekly. Here is an example of the spreadsheet I use.

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This type of tracking really keeps me dialed in. For instance, have a look at the above. It is my actual current log. I am looking to burn fat and maintain the muscle I worked hard to gain. On 2/28/2015 my scale weight increased more than 3 pounds. That immediately concerned me. However, take a look at the body fat percentage. It dropped 1.3% for the week.

Taking your body measurements on a regular basis is going to be your road map to success. You will know when changes you make are working and when they are not. Instead of taking a stab in the dark, the picture will become very clear to you. It is easy when done this way.

I have avoided a lot of stress by using this spreadsheet. I am going to make something like this available in my upcoming membership area here on Fitness Expose.

So, if you are not tracking your progress start doing so today. You are going to see that body measurements don't lie and they will guide you towards the right path just like a good road map or Waze.

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Eat So You Hit Your Macros

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Macros are extremely important in attempting to hit your fat loss goals. Macros are an often overlooked aspect. Your macros enable your diet to be healthy and nutritious. They insure that you are not leaning too heavily on one particular type of food.

I often laugh because of the debate about “clean eating” vs. “If It Fits Your Macros” style eating (see Saturday Sharing: My Thoughts on the IIFYM Debate and Expose Podcast #1: Let's Talk IIFYM on this topic). My good friend and mentor, Chris Albert, had this to say on Facebook about the topic:

Chris Albert IIFYM comments
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Chris is 100% correct. While the “clean eating” group would frown on eating a pop tart, the IIFYM people are not wrong when they say it is OK as long as you hit your macros. The most successful ebook about fat loss, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto, teaches us to use macros to hit our fat loss goals. This is not a new concept by any means. So how do you do it?

For me it is about planning ahead. When I first started closely tracking my macros I planned every single meal ahead of time. I observed what combinations of foods brought what macro ratios. I then learned how to build a good menu without the need for massive advanced planning. However, it all started with planning.

I use the MyMacros app on my iPhone. I would sit down and plan what I wanted to eat. I would enter it into MyMacros as I was planning. I would then see what the macro ratios were and adjust them accordingly. I did this for weeks. It was at that point that I could just do it instinctively. Yes, there are still times when I am low on a particular macro as I near the end of the day or I am short on calories, but I simply grab a food choice and eat to bring the numbers in line for the day.

Please note that I do not obsess about the macros, but I do try to get them as close as I possibly can. I focus more on getting in the calories I am supposed to be eating.

Give this a try. I do not think you will be disappointed. It is an awesome system for keeping things in line. You will feel better in the long run.

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