Archive for the ‘Bodybuilding’ Category
Cardio or Weights? Which Comes First?
by Bill Goins
One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a fitness professional is, “If I am going to do my cardio and strength training on the same day, which comes first?”
Experts are definitely split on this issue. The majority of fitness experts will advise you to do the cardio after the weight training, because if you do cardio first, it uses up much of the energy source for your anaerobic work (strength training) and fatigues the muscles before their most strenuous activity. This same view holds that strength training first will deplete the muscles’ stored carbohydrates (glycogen or sugar), and therefore, will enhance fat burning during the cardio workout due to the lack of available sugar for fuel.
The Best Equipment is You
Go to any gym and what do you see?
Bodybuilding and fitness equipment fills every square inch that’s not already occupied with sweaty bodies.
But do you really need all this equipment to sculpt, tone, and carve you into body perfection?
In my opinion, the absolute best bodybuilding equipment you could ever use for building muscle and burning fat at the same time is your own body!
The 5 Best Beginner Bodybuilding Tips
Everyone (even Arnold) had to start somewhere, right?
For the beginner, bodybuilding can be confusing.
All those machines… all those metal plates… all those no-neck brutes to laugh at you if you find yourself flipping around like a hooked bass when the barbell is resting on your Adam’s Apple after an unsuccessful last rep.
Spare yourself the embarrassment and you’ll also get faster results from your muscle-building workout.
Follow these 5 powerful beginner bodybuilding tips and you can enter the upper ranks of gym rats at your local iron jungle in no time…
Simple Bodybuilding Supplements That Work!
Accelerated advancements in muscle building over the past few years have sparked a surge in supplements to help bodybuilders achieve better results faster.
However, unless you’re a lab geek, it’s virtually impossible to keep up with what’s really working, what’s hype, and whether it’s a good fit for your muscle-building program.
Fact is, “muscle-building” covers a pretty large area yet there are several factors that go into optimizing your growth…
…and the best bodybuilding supplements support each of those factors.
Building Muscle Mass: How Many Reps?
A lot of people who are going to the gym for building muscle mass get this wrong…
They confuse “bodybuilding training” with “strength training”.
But training to build muscle and training to gain strength is NOT the same thing my friend!
Don’t get me wrong…strength training will make you stronger and it will help you pack on a little more size.
But if you’re trying to pack on LOTS of extra muscle, this type of training will actually hold you back from maximizing your muscle gains.
Old School Shoulder Training For Thick & Meaty Delts
Nothing tops off a well defined physique like a set of wide, thick shoulders, eh?
It makes your chest look bigger…
Your waist look smaller…
And accents your arms even more!
If you find yourself a bit low on shoulder mass, then here’s an old school shoulder training trick that uses the the grand-poo bah of all mass builders as the core exercise.
Champion Powerlifting Airman: ‘It’s All About Fitness’
by Thomas G. Kistler
It doesn’t matter that he holds 21 military national weightlifting records; or that he set eight American powerlifting records; or that he lifted a record-setting 1,492 pounds at the recent 2011 Raw World Powerlifting Championships; or that he has been selected for the rank of chief master sergeant.
What matters most to Senior Master Sgt. Troy Saunders, the functional manager of vehicle management for Air Mobility Command, is fitness. That’s what got him started down this path, and it’s still an important part of his life every day.
When Saunders was 8 years old, he decided to become a decathlete just like the star of the 1976 Olympics, Bruce Jenner. But to compete in the decathlon he needed to be fit.
“So I started running, and in junior high and high school I was doing all the decathlon sports,” he said. “I was never a great runner as far as marathon distances, but I did it anyway.”
Realizing he excelled in strength sports, Saunders concentrated in those areas and eventually focused on weightlifting. Even so, he competed in the shot-put on the 2010 Air Force track and field team.
In addition to Bruce Jenner, another influence on Saunders’ life of fitness was Jack LaLanne.
“That’s the only thing I knew about fitness when I was growing up,” said Saunders. “My exposure to any kind of fitness thing was usually older stuff. Then, it was all about hard work, good diet, pride in yourself … Midwest values as far as working hard.”
Those values of hard work and of doing what he said he would do carried Saunders along his path of healthy living and fitness. He said he would compete in the decathlon and he did. He said he would compete in powerlifting and not only compete, but also break records. He competed and now holds 21 records. He said he would get his professional card in bodybuilding, and today he’s active in the sport.
Saunders’ values and dedication to fitness and physical accomplishment also transferred to other aspects of his life.
“It was time to get my degree, so I became focused and finished it,” he said. “It was time for me to really focus on what it took to make chief and focus on that aspect of my career. All the things I’ve done had a foundation in fitness very early in my life. It seemed like to me that if I set a goal to do something and took the steps, focused on nutrition and did the work, it would happen.”
And happen it did. At the 2011 Military National Powerlifting Championship, he set a deadlift record of 644.75 pounds in the 198 pound class, which was a good match for the record he set in March 2010 at the Military National Powerlifting Championship in the 220 pound class by deadlifting 650.25 pounds. This success comes from his fitness philosophy.
“Fitness is a very individual thing,” Saunders said. “Regardless of the fact that we have a fitness test that we have to pass, you should make fitness a part of your life.”
“Do something as an integral part of your life that you enjoy, that you can sustain for lifelong purposes beyond your time in the military,” he added. “Fitness is priceless from the fact that it offers you a lot of benefits health-wise, and long-term, when you’re 60, 70 or 80 years old. If you’ve lived a long, fit life, like Jack LaLanne, you’re going to enjoy life a lot more.”
Saunders is scheduled to sew on his chief stripes in October. His next weightlifting competition is the World Raw Powerlifting Championships in March 2012.
Fit for Duty: Operation Heavy or Not
Work every muscle in your body and burn more than 700 calories! We are back with “Operation Heavy or Not.” Plus, CDR Dave Keblish provides some advice on how to keep your feet in good condition.
Hope you enjoy the workout!
Bodybuilding.com Announces 2011 Military Challenge
Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, and athlete-trusted supplement company, MusclePharm, have officially kicked off the 2nd annual 2011 Military Challenge. The competition is open for entries to all active and reserve United States military members and their spouses from July 15 – August 15, 2011.
Bodybuilding.com and MusclePharm are looking for the best of the best in the U.S. Military. Whether someone is already in great physical shape or wants to utilize this 12 week challenge to transform their body, the most important factor is showing that an individual physical fitness goal can be met while being a top motivator for others. Winners will be chosen by an internal judging panel that will look at the contestants’ ability to reach their Military Challenge goals and their ability to inspire others in the military with the aid of the world’s largest online social fitness community, BodySpace.
This Works BETTER Than Protein to Build Muscle!
Every serious lifter looking to build muscle and burn fat has a tub-o-protein in their pantry, right?
(Arguably) you’re not really “serious” if you don’t, right?
But there’s an old school supplement that works even BETTER than your fanciest-schmanciest protein powder…
…and it’s one of my “must have’s” for maximizing your gains!
Fit for Duty: Operation Rapid Response
Get ripped with this toning and body building workout. Plus, we have information on proper calorie intake and the importance of properly rehabilitating an injury.
Hope you like the workout!
Bodybuilding Supplement Shocker!
When it comes to building muscle, I’m a big fan of adding the right supplements to your bodybuilding plan.
But I hate being held hostage by greedy supplement manufacturers who hock worthless junk supplements to hard-working gym rats.
And one of the sneakiest tricks played on us…
Muscle-Building Landmines
With all the hard work and sweat you put into your exercise regimen at your local iron jungle, the last thing you want to do is short change your gains by making these 3 common mistakes…
1. Not setting short term, realistic goals
It’s easy to get sucked into the supplement company ads promising gains of “20 lbs in the next 3 days!”. while posing a steroid-using pro behind a bottle of “magic pills”.
How to Increase Growth Hormone for More Muscle!
To build muscle and burn fat at the same time, it’s absolutely critical to maximize your body’s natural production of growth hormone.
Released from your pituitary gland, growth hormone production peaks around puberty, and then slowly fades away as we age and plays a key role in the maintenance of muscle, bone mass and the balance of body fat.
This hormone is so powerful that even WITHOUT following an exercise program and healthy diet, it can build muscle and burn fat!
The Toughest Pushup You’ll Ever Love
The best bodyweight exercise for your chest is the pushup. No kidding, right?
Want to get “advanced”?
Elevate your feet on a bench and you’ll make the exercise harder and shift more of the focus to the “trouble spot” of your upper chest.
Still no surprises, right?
Ok, now do this…
Sneaky Trick to Bench 50% More Weight
The following exercise trick will amaze you with its power to instantly increase your max workout weight by 25–50% the very next time you step up the the bench press.
Here’s how to do it…
First, pick a weight that you can bench for about 10 times and do just 6 reps. Do 3 sets of these with about a 2 minute rest in between as a warm-up.
The Right to Bare Arms
Do you have the RIGHT TO BARE ARMS this summer? Teammates, be honest when you ask yourself this question – will you feel comfortable wearing a sleeveless shirt or no shirt at all this summer? If the answer is no – THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Good news – you have time!! But you need to start this month and getting started is easy…real easy…drop down and start pushing Mother Earth. Start now and you’ll be getting high fives and “congrats” by summer!
6-Inch Mass Building Shoulder Shocker
Military Presses are a foundational exercise in any mass building routine for your shoulders.
Problem is, for tall, skinny hardgainers like me, long arms and Military Presses don’t mix well.
If you have longer arms, you have a much larger range-of-motion on pressing exercises and this makes it very difficult to micro-target a muscle group without first fatiguing your other muscles of your arms.
But since shoulders are a prime target muscle group for tall, skinny guys to bulk up and “look” bigger, we need a way to overcome this genetic limitation.
Get Fit for the Superbowl!
Teammates, with the Superbowl around the corner, it’s time to grab your Perfect Pushups and start knocking them out as February 6th gets closer.
Get your teammates prepped and position food and drink strategically as you knock out pushups during the SuperBowl. It’s fun, easy (unless your team goes on a scoring rampage!) and rewarding!!! Anyone got another contest in mind? Post it at the Perfect Fitness Facebook page.
Post-Workout “Super Food” to Gain More Muscle Mass
I’m not sure how to tell you this but…you’re losing muscle.
It’s not your fault really, but your taste buds are betraying you and are holding you back from getting insane muscle growth from your workouts.
You see, food conglomerates have dumped loads of salt into all of our foods.
In fact, even a lot of the meat you get in the grocery is “plumped up” with injected sodium to make it look bigger, weigh more, and even cost more!
And although you do need salt in your diet, too much of it causes your body’s potassium levels to take a nosedive.
“So what?” you may ask.
