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M4:D36 (D336) Increase Intensity With Drop Sets

September 26, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

You are at the gym and you are determined to lift with maximum intensity.  You approach the dumbbell rack to do a set of curls.  How can you make this the most intense set of curls ever?  Simple, follow the drop set plan.

A drop set is when you take your exercise to the point of momentary failure, switch to a lighter weight and take that to the point of momentary failure and continue on down to the lowest weight.  When using dumbbells this can be a set number of drops as determined by you before you begin.  When using a barbell it ends when the bar is empty.

So you decide to make the curls more intense by using drop sets.  You know that you can curl 30 pound dumbbells for 12 repetitions.  You grab a pair of 30's and put them on the ground.  Next you grab 25's, 20's, 15's, 10's and 5's.  You line them all up on the floor so they are in order by weight from highest to lowest.

You step up to the 30's and you begin your set.  You get to 13 reps and you fail.  You immediately put down the 30's and immediately pick up the 25's and begin working again.  You continue this until you have gone to failure at every single weight level.  Only do one set like this in your bicep workout, but it will be a set that makes the entire workout extremely intense.

Another approach to drop sets is to have 2 weights you want to work with.  In the example of the curls, perhaps you'd have 30's and 20's lined up.  You would take the 30's to complete failure, set them down and immediately take the 20's to complete failure. 

Working out with drop sets is a sure fire way to increase the intensity of your workouts.  Whatever body part is subjected to this method will be screaming and on fire by the time you are done.  You will spur on growth like non other.  In addition, drop sets are a great way to get over a plateau in your training.  I personally enjoy using this technique on lat pull downs, curls, bench press, overhead press and many other exercises.  Give it a try and let me know your thoughts.

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Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Today was an interval cardio session on the elliptical machine.  30 straight minutes of gut wrenching work.  I am starting to reconsider my cardio schedule as I move forward.  I have something planned that I will reveal this weekend that might cause me to change my approach. 
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

"One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind." Malayan Proverb
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

Have you used drop sets before and what was your experience using them?  Comment this post to answer the question. 
 

 
PIC

Mission 2, Day 36: Reflection time on a rest day

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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M4:D35 (D335) Methods for Increasing Intensity

September 25, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

There are many ways to increase intensity while lifting weights.  I am going to be doing a 7 part series over the next 7 days on the various means for increasing the intensity of your lifting sessions.  My goal will be to educate you on the many different ways you can up the intensity of your lifting.  Over the following 7 days I will cover:

  1. Drop sets
  2. Time repetitions
  3. Super sets
  4. Giant sets
  5. Negatives
  6. Twenty-ones
  7. Pyramiding

This series will be essential reading for anyone interested in good weight workouts.  You won't want to miss a single post during the next 7 days.  Please feel free to jump into the discussion with your comments about what I am going to share.  It will make the experience better for me and everyone else involved.

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

  

This workout was the one Carlos had me create.  He wanted me to see that I could modify the existing workout with the principles that I learned about H.I.T.  What I did was replace each movement in my Monday and Friday workout with a corresponding one for my Wednesday workout.  Switching to Front Squats was strategic as those really target the front of my quads.  That along with more Quad Blaster work really blasted my legs today.  This first workout was to feel out where the weights should go, but I felt really good about several of the exercises.  This type of training has been great for me so far.  I am just about finished with the third week and things are going well.

 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” Benjamin Franklin 
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

Have you ever used any of the techniques I have previewed above and if so, which ones?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

Mission 2, Day 35: Car-dee-oh!

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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More proof for the Experiment of One

September 24, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

This article about carbohydrates is more evidence for the Experiment of One:

http://www.examiner.com/x-795-Fitness-Examiner~y2008m9d23-Carbohydrate-Threshold-Part-Two–One-Size-Doesnt-Fit-All

Read it and absorb what it is saying.  One size does NOT fit all.

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M4:D34 (D334) Cutting Calories?

September 24, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

There are many approaches to losing fat and cutting calories is just one of them.  It is important to figure out what your body is doing and then come up with a plan to assist it in dropping body fat properly.

Your Body

Your body gets its energy from its tissues and stores when the total caloric intake is less than the total caloric output.  If you hit this point there will be fat loss and lean body mass loss.  Men lose fat easier than women because of the higher level of testosterone in their body. 

The woman's body resists changes in body composition as a protective mechanism to conserve energy stores.  This makes it harder for women to get down to an acceptable level of body fat, but I said harder, not impossible.

Cutting Calories Methodology

If you cut calories correctly it will assist you in losing fat.  One way is to reduce calories by about 4 calories per pound of lean body mass.  This aims to preserve as much lean body mass as possible.  You need to subtract calories from each meal.  Calories cut should come from dietary fat, saturated fats, cholesterol, sweets and sugar first.  These items are major fat causing culprits.

You should avoid reducing calories from complex carbohydrates because they help to maintain blood sugar levels and also provide a good source of energy for your body.  Fat also burns more efficiently in the presence of complex carbohydrates. 

You should never reduce calories from protein when trying to burn fat.  Processing protein in the body requires alot of energy and this aides in burning fat. 

Eating

You should be eating a minimum of 5 times a day.  This accomplishes several purposes.  You are providing your muscles with a constant source of materials to rebuild from your workout.  You also avoid the starvation response that happens when you don't eat enough. 

Just Calories?

Cutting calories will help with burning fat, but it is not the only avenue you should be traveling down.  You need to get on an intense weight
training program as well.  By lifting weights and making your muscles grow you are creating a larger engine.  That larger engine will assist you in burning fat.  You will become an efficient fat burning machine.  That's the ultimate goal.

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Today was an interval cardio day.  I did it on the bike today for variety.  This, of course, is my new interval method involving getting my heart rate up to 145 and then holding there for 2 minutes and then allowing my body to recover back down to 105.
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

"Your self image is your pattern!  Every thought has an activity visualized.  Every activity belongs to a pattern.  You identify with your pattern or thought.  Your patterns leads your life."  J G Gallimore
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

What patters are you setting that will lead your life?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

Mission 2, Day 34: Round about

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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M4:D33 (D333) The Top 5 Reasons You Should Lift Weights

September 23, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

Today we discuss the top 5 reasons for lifting weights.  Let's see if any of the reasons resonates with you.

1.  Lifting Weights Decreases Your Chance of Injury

Weight
training strengthens the muscles, bones and tendons in your body.  This helps reduce the effects of arthritis and other degenerative diseases.

2.  Lifting Weights Increases Your Metabolism

By training with weights you gain muscle.  This increases your metabolism.  This in turn aides in burning fat.

3.  Get More Out of Life

You will improve your quality of life by lifting weights.  You will be able to participate in many activities until much later in life.

4.  Fat Loss

Every pound of muscle you build burns an extra 50 to 100 calories a day.

5.  Life Becomes Much Easier

Being strong will help you cope better with every day activities.  When you strengthen your body you also strengthen your mind.  This aides in your future success in all your endeavors. 

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

  
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

“I learned that we can do anything, but we can't do everything…at least not at the same time.  So think or your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them.  Timing is everything.”  Dan Millman
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

Which of the 5 reasons above most resonates with you and why?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

Mission 2, Day 33:  Push, push, push!

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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