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The Perspective on Progress

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The Update

As I progress towards the home stretch of Mission Grand Prix I realize that perspective is really everything. As the person directly working the change, my perspective gets clouded at times. That's why my preparation coach, Chris Albert, is there to keep me focused. A recent incident on the phone will explain the situation better.

“I'm not losing fat fast enough!”

During a text exchange with Chris, I texted him that I was not losing fat fast enough. He called me immediately to discuss my situation. He asked a bunch of questions, mostly aimed at figuring out why my mindset was in this condition.

“You were pretty lean when I saw you on Friday.”

Chris had just seen me 4 days prior on a Friday. During our conversation he commented that he felt I was getting leaner and leaner based upon what he saw during that meeting. His next question really hit me hard.

“How many times have you been in a competition?”

Yes, Chris asked me about my experience in this situation. I had to admit that I was a complete novice. This is my first ever competition. I have no idea how the body responds or how quickly. To me, 7 weeks out is not a very long time. To Chris it is an eternity.

“You will be leaner and in better shape than ever before!”

Chris told me to calm down. He said that he promised I would be in the leanest shape of my entire life by the time I stepped on stage. He explained a few things about the body and fat loss to me. I listened intently and came to a few conclusions.

“I have come to some conclusions!”

I have concluded the following things about getting ready for a competition:

  • Having a preparation coach is a great way to stay focused on the right things.
  • The body responds to some things immediately and others it takes time before responding.
  • Fat loss is a major combination of factors–nutrition, weight training, cardio training, current condition, length of time on a diet, etc.
  • There are tricks to blow fat off the body quickly if necessary, so there's never a reason to panic

I know I am going to be ready for the show on April 14, 2012. My mind is in it to the max.

Have you ever worried about not meeting a fitness deadline?

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Saturday Sharing – Episode 3

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Saturday Sharing

Today I’d like to share with you my 6 favorite back exercises 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, February 18, 2012: Favorite back exercises for mass building.

  1. Deadlift
  2. Bent over barbell row
  3. Seated Cable Row
  4. T-Bar Row
  5. 2 arm standing bent dumbbell row
  6. One arm lat pull down

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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5 Benefits of Circuit Training

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Circuit Training

Circuit Training changed my life!!  Previous to training in circuits I had lifted about three days a week and ran about 6 days a week.  Now I circuit train 3 times a week and that’s my cardio and my strength training all in one!!  I lost about 10 pounds, but it was all fat. 

Here’s the Top 5 Benefits of Circuit Training:

1.  TORCH FAT!  THE FASTEST WAY POSSIBLE TO GET LEAN!!  According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, studies have shown that circuit training can be just as beneficial or even MORE beneficial as cardiovascular exercise to improve overall conditioning.  It produces equal or greater caloric expenditure than steady state cardio, increases strength levels and produces a greater caloric after-burn.

 

2. INCREASE STRENGTH AND MUSCLE!  Using moderately heavy weights to challenge yourself in a circuit-style workout will not only increase your heart rate, but it also pushes you to use more power from your muscles, thus making you stronger!  This also increases your muscle mass and we all know more muscle = less fat!

3. SAVES YOU TIME!  And time is of the essence since we have such busy lives!  If you train in circuits your heart rate will be elevated through the entire workout thus making it a cardiovascular workout.  But you are also doing your strength training too.  You can do an entire day of circuit training for certain muscle groups like a chest/ back day, or you can do a full-body circuit style workout.

4. WORKS YOUR ENTIRE BODY!  Like I said, you can design your circuits to just include two or three muscle groups, or you can design the workout to work your whole body.  This of course saves you time, but it will also be a really tough workout!  From head to toe, you will feel the burn!  Try the workout below to see what I mean

5. MAKE IT HIIT!  If you have been following me for a while you know what I mean when I say HIIT. If you don’t you need to read this blog. Throw in a set of plyometric exercises like squat jumps or burpees, or something dynamic like medball slams and voila.. now you have done your cardio, your HIIT and your strength training!

TRY THIS WORKOUT TO GET YOUR CIRCUIT TRAINED LEAN BODY!!!

Chest flyes x 12

Single arm dumbbell row x 10 each arm

Squat jumps x 15

Bicycle crunches x 30

Repeat for 3 rounds.

Lat pulldown x 12

Military Press x 8

Burpee/ push up combo x 10

sit ups x 20

Repeat for 3 rounds.

The Get In Shape Girl

For more workouts like this, Come Train with Me!!

 

Sign up Now!!

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How to Use Active Stretching

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stretching

Active stretching is an essential element of your warm up routine. Active stretching involves foam rolling and stretching movements that are not static. The idea is to remove the force that is caused by static stretching, thereby reducing the potential for injury. Active stretching relies only upon the muscle being stretched. There is no additional force applied.

An example of an active stretch would be lifting your leg up high and holding it there without anything extra keeping it extended. You rely only upon the leg muscles to hold the position. This type of a stretch will increase your flexibility as well as your strength.

Active stretches should be held for 10 to 30 seconds in length and should involve 1 to 2 stretches per muscle group. It should be noted that this type of stretching is not recommended before an athletic event. It can cause problems with balance and reaction time as well as reducing power output.

I highly recommend using a foam roller prior to weight training. Foam rolling removes adhesions in the muscles and helps avoid injuries. For instance, it is possible that due to poor posture during the day you create alignment issues or adhesions in the muscles. A good session of foam rolling will correct those issues for you. You should be sure to roll the IT band on both of your legs. That will help relieve the stress you experience in your lower back. You can then roll your glutes, back, shoulders and calves. It can be a very painful experience. You must go very slow and when you feel some discomfort, stay on the spot and apply pressure until the discomfort level decreases. By consistently foam rolling you will find that the discomfort will decrease over time.

What ideas do you have for staying injury free?

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How to Build Awesome Shoulders

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shouldertraining

If you are like me, you want to have that great X shape that you see on the professional bodybuilding stages around the world. A big part of attaining that shape is the look of your shoulders. Putting mass on the shoulder area is difficult only because of the high potential for injury in that area. I want to present to you the following list of how to build awesome shoulders.

Each of the above articles focuses on the concept of keeping the shoulder area healthy. You want to stretch your shoulders out carefully because mobility in that area is essential for building mass safely. I personally recommend the Rotater for this very purpose. It is a simple device that really helps with both shoulder flexibility and rotater cuff strengthening. It is designed to improve the health of your shoulders.

If you want to build mass in the shoulders, take the time to take good care of your shoulders. Keep them healthy because a damaged shoulder will cause problems with most every other lift you want to do.

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