Fitness Facts

Squats are a great lower body exercise, but which variation is best - sumo or regular? Let's explore the key differences between these two squat types so you can pick the one that is best for you. Understanding Sumo Squats The sumo squat uses a wide stance with the feet turned out. This targets the inner thighs and glutes more than a regular squat. The wider positioning reduces the range of motion versus a regular squat. To do a sumo squat, stand under the barbell and position it across your traps. Take a wide stance, turn your toes out, and unrack the weight. Push the hips back and bend at the knees until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Drive through the heels and back to the starting position. Benefits of Sumo Squats Sumo squats target the glutes and inner thighs more than traditional squats due to their wider stance. This makes them great for strengthening these areas. Their wide stance and upright torso allow for a shorter range of motion, enabling you to lift heavier loads. This can accelerate strength gains, especially in the glutes. In addition, the upright torso during sumo squats reduces lower back strain, potentially making them a safer choice for those with back concerns. Exploring Regular Squats The traditional squat uses a shoulder-width stance with toes facing forward. This stance enables a greater range of motion, allowing you to squat deeper than with a sumo squat. Regular squats target the quadriceps muscles extensively. To perform a regular squat, take a shoulder-width stance with toes facing forward. Stand under the barbell, position it across your traps, and unrack the weight. Send the hips back and bend at your knees until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Then, drive back up to the starting position. Benefits of Regular Squats Regular squats, with their shoulder-width stance, enhance quad development due to the greater range of motion from the narrower stance. This improves functional strength and mobility for daily activities. Also, regular squats follow a more natural movement pattern, making them accessible for beginners or those new to training. Major Muscle Groups Targeted by Sumo and Regular Squats Sumo and regular squats are both excellent exercises for targeting major lower-body muscle groups, though they each emphasize different areas: Quadriceps: Both squat variations actively engage the quadriceps, the large muscles at the front of your thighs. These muscles are crucial for knee extension. Glutes: The glutes are also activated in both regular and sumo squats. However, the wider stance of the sumo squat recruits the glutes to a greater degree, providing a highly effective glute workout. Hamstrings: These muscles at the back of your thighs are involved in both squat types to help control the descent and assist in standing back up. Adductors: Sumo squats, with their wider stance, are particularly effective at recruiting the adductor muscles of the inner thigh muscles. These muscles are important for hip stability and leg adduction. Core Muscles: Both squat variations engage the muscles of the core, which include the abs, obliques, and lower back. These muscles work in tandem to maintain balance and keep the torso upright during the squat motion. How to Incorporate Both Squat Variations Into Your Workout Routine Doing both sumo and regular squats provides a comprehensive lower-body workout. You can alternate between them each session to switch your focus. For example, do sumo squats for high-rep, endurance training, and regular squats for low-rep, strength building. Or vary your stance width within a workout, doing wide-stance sumo squats followed by narrow-stance regular squats to challenge different muscles and enhance overall lower body strength. Squat Variation FAQ How do sumo and regular squats impact muscle growth and strength? Both sumo and regular squats build muscle and strength but target your lower body differently. Regular squats' shoulder-width stance emphasizes the quads, while sumo squats' wide stance hits the glutes and inner thighs more. However, both work the hamstrings equally. For full lower body development, alternate between sumo and regular squats and challenge all your muscles. Which squat variation is better for beginners? If you're new to squats, start with regular, shoulder-width stance squats. They require less hip and ankle mobility. Regular squats mimic functional, everyday motions like sitting. After mastering regular squats with light weight, add sumo squats for variety. Just remember, sumo squats need more hip flexibility, so warm up your hips properly before attempting heavier loads. How can diet enhance the results of squat exercises? For effective muscle growth from squats, get enough protein, carbs, and calories in your diet. Protein powder can give your muscles the amino acids they need to repair and grow after squat sessions. Carbs provide the fuel for intense workouts. Make sure your total calories align with your goals, whether it's gaining muscle or leaning out. Getting sufficient healthy calories helps your body build new muscle tissue after you've challenged it with squats.

In recent years, the popularity of home gyms has skyrocketed, with fitness enthusiasts of all levels opting to exercise in the comfort of their own home gym. Having a home gym offers convenience, flexibility, and the ability to tailor home workouts to your specific needs. However, before embarking on any home gym/ home workout area, it's essential to determine if your space is suitable and how to create a home gym that meets your fitness goals  and allows for great home workouts, without breaking the bank. However, before you set out to do any damage to the bank, there are several things you must first consider to see if you even have the potential for a home gym that you can equip with enough equipment so that you can  get a good home workout.   Room Size: Determine the size of the room or designated area where you plan to set up your gym. Ensure it is spacious enough to accommodate the equipment and allow for comfortable movement during workouts.   Ceiling Height: Check the ceiling height to ensure it is sufficient for exercises like overhead presses, pull-ups, and jump rope activities. Ideally, the ceiling should be at least a foot higher than your height to prevent any accidents.   Ventilation and Lighting: Adequate ventilation and lighting are essential for a pleasant workout environment. Ensure there is proper air circulation and sufficient natural or artificial lighting to create an inviting space.   Selecting Basic Equipment: Building a home gym doesn't have to be expensive. But, it's not going to be cheap either. Most home gym owners start with the basics and gradually add equipment as their budget and needs allow. Here are some essential pieces of equipment to consider:   Power Rack: For any lifter, a power rack is going to be the centerpiece of a home gym. It allows for a variety of exercises, including squats, bench presses, and pull-ups, and – since it's your squat rack, in your own gym, you can also do biceps curls!). Look for a sturdy, well reviewed, brand  that can handle the weights you plan to lift.   Adjustable Dumbbells or Barbells: Invest in a set of adjustable dumbbells or barbells, as they offer versatility and save space. With adjustable weights, you can perform a wide range of exercises and gradually increase the load as you progress.   Adjustable Bench: A weight bench is crucial for exercises like bench presses, step-ups, and inclined seated exercises. Choose a bench that is adjustable, sturdy, comfortable, and fits well with your squat rack. Resistance Bands: Resistance bands are inexpensive yet effective tools for strength training. They can be used for various exercises, as well as various modes of assisted weight lifting. Opt for a set with different resistance levels. Jump Rope and Mat: As basic as this sounds, a jump rope is an excellent cardiovascular tool for warm-ups or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Additionally, a rubber or foam mat provides cushioning and protects the floor, not to mention your joints. Consideration for Floor Weight Capacity: The weight capacity of your floor is an important factor to ensure safety and prevent damage, especially if people live below you. Consider the following: Consult a Professional: If you're unsure about your floor's weight-bearing capacity, consult a structural engineer or general contractor. They can assess the floor and provide specific guidelines based on its construction and load-bearing capabilities.   Distribute Weight: Distribute the weight evenly across the floor by placing equipment strategically. This prevents concentrated stress in one area and reduces the risk of damage.   Use Rubber Mats or Platform: To protect your floor, place rubber mats or a lifting platform beneath heavy equipment like the power rack or weights. These mats provide cushioning and minimize the impact on the floor's surface.   If you have neighbors below you, you'll have to deal with some kind of noise mitigation – mats, insulation, platforms or a combination.  Honestly, building any kind of legit weight lifting gym on anything other than a cement slab is going to present significant limitations. You have to consider the neighbors downstairs as well as the strength of the floor, depending on what you want to put in your gym. A yoga studio is one thing, a full blown power lifting gym is another.   Addressing Safety Concerns: Safety should be a top priority when setting up your home gym. Consider the following measures:   Adequate Space and Clearance: Ensure there is enough space around equipment to perform exercises safely. Provide ample clearance to avoid collisions or accidents during movements.   Proper Equipment Assembly: Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully when assembling equipment. Ensure it is securely and sturdily put together to avoid any accidents or malfunctions. Use real tools! Not butter knives, foldable pliers, or the cheap piece of crap they provided. If you don't have a tool kit, you better include one on your budget.  Home gyms need maintenance. Proper Flooring: Use appropriate flooring to prevent slips and injuries. Rubber flooring either in rolls or large mats, or interlocking foam tiles is the most common options used in home gyms. They offer traction, cushioning, and protection for both equipment and users.   Mirrors and Proper Lighting: Install mirrors to check your form during exercises, especially for movements that require proper alignment. Adequate lighting is also essential for visibility and reducing the risk of tripping or falling, not to mention essential for a good selfie.   Building a home gym can be a gratifying, cost-effective and convenient solution for fitness enthusiasts of all levels and disciplines. By assessing your space, selecting basic equipment, considering floor weight capacity, and addressing safety concerns, you can construct a home gym that aligns with your fitness goals while ensuring safety and functionality. Remember to start with the essentials, gradually expand your equipment collection to create an environment that supports your needs. You'll enjoy the convenience and flexibility of working out at home, either as your exclusive workout facility, or a meaningful option for when you just don't  have the time during your regular gym's operating hours to fit in your workout. Having a home gym means you'll never have to say you missed leg day.

In the ever-evolving world of bodybuilding and fitness, one emerging trend has been the increased demand for shorter workouts. Many individuals, from recreational lifters to elite athletes, are gravitating towards high-intensity, time-efficient training sessions. This blog aims to explore the reasons behind this trend, examine the scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of shorter workouts for building size, strength, and speed, and address the notion that shorter workouts of higher intensity can be effective. Additionally, we will discuss the minimum threshold for workout duration and the optimal workout duration for individuals aiming to increase strength, speed, and maintain a favorable body composition. Lastly, we will touch upon how nutritional needs may change in support of shorter workouts.   Scientific Evidence Supporting Shorter Workouts: Several scientific studies have examined the effectiveness of shorter workouts compared to longer workouts in terms of building muscle size, strength, and speed. These studies have shown promising results:   High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods. Research has demonstrated that HIIT can be as effective as longer, moderate-intensity workouts for improving cardiovascular fitness and promoting fat loss.  HIIT has also been shown to elicit favorable changes in muscle size and strength.   Resistance Training: Studies have found that shorter, high-intensity resistance training sessions can induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gains compared to longer, lower-intensity workouts. These findings suggest that the total duration of a workout may not be the sole determinant of muscle growth and strength development.   The Credence of Shorter, Higher-Intensity Workouts: The idea that shorter workouts of higher intensity can be effective holds merit. By focusing on maximizing effort and intensity during a shorter timeframe, individuals can potentially stimulate muscle fibers more efficiently, leading to increased strength and power gains. The key lies in properly structuring the workout, incorporating compound movements, and minimizing rest periods to maintain elevated heart rate and intensity throughout the session.   Minimum Threshold for Workout Duration: While there is no universal consensus on the minimum threshold for workout duration, experts generally agree that a certain duration is necessary to elicit significant physiological adaptations. However, this threshold can vary based on individual factors such as fitness level, goals, and training intensity. It is important to note that even shorter workouts can be effective if they are properly designed and executed with sufficient intensity and focus.   Optimal Workout Duration for Strength and Speed: The optimal workout duration for individuals aiming to increase strength and speed while maintaining a favorable body composition depends on various factors. Generally, shorter, high-intensity workouts ranging from 30 to 45 minutes can be effective in achieving these goals. By focusing on compound exercises, progressive overload, and incorporating interval or circuit training, individuals can efficiently stimulate muscle growth, enhance strength, and improve speed.   Nutritional Needs to Support Shorter Workouts: Nutritional needs may change when following shorter, high-intensity workouts. Since these workouts require greater energy expenditure in a shorter time frame, individuals should focus on pre-workout nutrition to provide sufficient fuel for optimal performance. Consuming a balanced meal or snack containing carbohydrates and protein 1-2 hours before the workout can help ensure adequate energy availability. Additionally, post-workout nutrition, including protein and carbohydrates, is crucial for muscle recovery and growth. The increased demand for shorter workouts in the bodybuilding and fitness world is supported by scientific evidence and the effectiveness of high-intensity training approaches such as HIIT. Shorter workouts can be as effective as longer sessions in building muscle size, strength, and speed, provided they are designed with proper intensity and focus. While there is no universally defined minimum threshold for workout duration, shorter, high-intensity workouts ranging from 30 to 45 minutes can be effective in achieving strength, speed, and body composition goals. Remember to tailor your nutritional approach to support shorter workouts, ensuring adequate energy availability and proper post-workout recovery. Ultimately, individual preferences, goals, and specific training programs should guide the duration and intensity of workouts to optimize results and maintain overall fitness.

In recent years, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has gained significant popularity in the bodybuilding and fitness world. Many individuals are turning to HIIT as an effective and time-efficient method to achieve their fitness goals. This blog aims to explore the reasons behind this growing trend, delve into scientific studies that support HIIT training over high-volume, low-intensity workouts, address potential downsides of HIIT, and examine the injury risks associated with this form of training. Furthermore, we will highlight three or four elite athletes who have incorporated HIIT into their training routines, showcasing its effectiveness for achieving peak performance.   Scientific Studies Supporting HIIT Training: Numerous scientific studies have highlighted the benefits of HIIT training compared to high-volume, low-intensity workouts. Here are some key findings: Fat Loss: Research has shown that HIIT can be more effective for fat loss compared to traditional steady-state cardio exercises. The high-intensity intervals and subsequent metabolic effects lead to increased calorie burn and enhanced fat oxidation, both during and after the workout. Cardiovascular Fitness: HIIT has been proven to improve cardiovascular health and fitness markers, such as aerobic capacity and cardiovascular function (2). The intense bursts of exercise followed by short recovery periods challenge the cardiovascular system, leading to significant improvements in endurance. Muscle Retention: HIIT has demonstrated the ability to preserve lean muscle mass while promoting fat loss (3). Unlike long-duration, low-intensity cardio, HIIT provides a stimulus that helps preserve muscle mass, making it an attractive option for individuals aiming to improve body composition.   Potential Downsides of HIIT Training: While HIIT offers numerous benefits, it is essential to consider potential downsides: Intensity and Recovery: HIIT can be physically demanding, requiring individuals to push their limits. This level of intensity may be challenging for beginners or individuals with certain health conditions. Adequate recovery time is crucial to avoid overtraining and mitigate the risk of injury. Joint Impact: The repetitive high-impact movements involved in some HIIT exercises, such as jumps and sprints, may place additional stress on the joints. Individuals with pre-existing joint conditions should exercise caution and modify exercises as needed. Individual Variability: HIIT workouts are not a one-size-fits-all approach. The intensity and duration should be tailored to individual fitness levels and goals. Consulting a fitness professional or personal trainer can help design a suitable HIIT program and minimize the potential downsides.   Injury Risks in HIIT vs. Low-Intensity Training: The risk of injury in HIIT versus low-intensity training depends on various factors: Form and Technique: Performing exercises with proper form and technique is crucial to minimize injury risk in both HIIT and low-intensity training. Focusing on maintaining good form throughout the workout is essential for injury prevention. Gradual Progression: Gradually increasing the intensity and duration of HIIT workouts allows the body to adapt and reduce the risk of overuse injuries. It is important to listen to the body and avoid pushing beyond personal limits. Individual Factors: Individual factors such as pre-existing injuries, fitness level, and mobility limitations can influence injury risk. Paying attention to these factors and modifying exercises as needed can help reduce the likelihood of injury.   Elite Athletes Embracing HIIT Training: Several elite athletes have incorporated HIIT training into their routines, showcasing its effectiveness for achieving peak performance. Here are three notable examples: Usain Bolt: The world-renowned sprinter incorporated HIIT workouts into his training to improve his explosive speed and power. HIIT allowed him to simulate the intense bursts of energy required for sprinting events. Serena Williams: The tennis superstar integrated HIIT sessions into her training regimen to enhance her overall fitness, agility, and endurance on the court. HIIT helped her improve her explosive movements and recover faster between points. Conor McGregor: The mixed martial artist relied on HIIT workouts to develop his conditioning and explosive power. HIIT training played a crucial role in enhancing his cardiovascular fitness and performance during fights.   The rise of HIIT training in the bodybuilding and fitness world can be attributed to its proven effectiveness in promoting fat loss, improving cardiovascular fitness, and preserving lean muscle mass. While HIIT offers numerous benefits, it is essential to approach it with caution, ensuring proper form, technique, and adequate recovery. Individual variability and considerations must be taken into account to mitigate injury risks. By incorporating HIIT into their training routines, elite athletes such as Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, and Conor McGregor have demonstrated its potential to optimize athletic performance. Embrace the power of HIIT and unlock your fitness potential through intense, time-efficient workouts that deliver remarkable results.

Weightlifting plateaus are a common hurdle faced by serious lifters on their journey to achieving their fitness goals. These plateaus occur when the body adapts to a training routine, leading to a slowdown in progress. To continue making gains, it is crucial to keep the body guessing and prevent it from settling into a state of efficiency. In this blog, we will explore three effective tips to overcome weightlifting plateaus and stimulate new muscle growth.   1. Implement Progressive Overload Techniques: One of the primary reasons for hitting a plateau is that the body becomes accustomed to the same training stimulus. To break through this barrier, it is essential to employ progressive overload techniques. Progressive overload involves consistently increasing the demands placed on your muscles over time. Here are a few effective methods to incorporate progressive overload into your training routine: a) Increase Weight: Gradually increase the amount of weight you lift during your exercises. This places greater stress on your muscles, forcing them to adapt and grow stronger. However, remember to maintain proper form and technique to prevent injuries. b) Adjust Repetitions and Sets: Altering the number of repetitions and sets can also be an effective way to challenge your muscles. For example, you can increase the number of sets, decrease the number of reps with heavier weights, or introduce drop sets and supersets to intensify your workouts. c) Modify Rest Periods: Manipulating rest periods between sets can enhance the intensity of your workouts. Shortening the rest time increases the metabolic stress on your muscles, promoting muscle growth. Conversely, longer rest periods allow for recovery and can be beneficial for strength gains.   2. Vary Training Modalities: Consistently performing the same exercises and routines can lead to a stagnation of progress. To overcome plateaus, it is crucial to vary your training modalities. By introducing new exercises, training methods, and equipment, you can challenge your muscles in different ways. Here are some techniques to keep your body confused and prevent adaptation: a) Functional Training: Incorporate functional movements and exercises that mimic real-life activities. Functional training engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously, enhancing overall strength, stability, and coordination. It can involve exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, and kettlebell swings. b) Supplementation: Adding specialized supplements to your routine can provide a boost in performance and help overcome plateaus. Creatine, for example, has been proven to increase strength and power output. Beta-alanine can enhance muscular endurance, while branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) aid in muscle recovery.vCross-Training: Engaging in different physical activities outside of weightlifting can improve overall fitness and help break through plateaus. Incorporate activities like swimming, yoga, cycling, or martial arts to challenge your body in new ways and prevent stagnation.   3. Manipulate Training Variables: Manipulating training variables is an effective strategy to keep your body guessing and prevent adaptation. By altering aspects such as exercise order, tempo, and training frequency, you can create new challenges and stimulate muscle growth. Here's a couple of  key variables to consider: First, Try changing the sequence of exercises during your workouts. Performing exercises in a different order can challenge your muscles and nervous system in unique ways. This variation stimulates different muscle fibers and prevents your body from settling into a predictable routine. Next, you can modify the tempo at which you perform your exercises. Slow down the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement to increase time under tension, or speed up the concentric (lifting) phase to enhance explosive power. These changes in tempo add novelty to your training and encourage muscle growth. Overcoming weightlifting plateaus is a challenging but essential part of progressing towards your fitness goals. By implementing the three tips discussed in this blog, you can keep your body confused and prevent it from adapting to your training routine, thus facilitating new gains. Remember to incorporate progressive overload techniques to continually challenge your muscles. Gradually increase the weight, adjust repetitions and sets, and manipulate rest periods to push your muscles beyond their comfort zone. Varying training modalities is another effective strategy to overcome plateaus. Include functional training, try new exercises, and experiment with different equipment to stimulate muscle growth and enhance overall strength and stability. Additionally, consider incorporating specialized supplements and engaging in cross-training activities to diversify your routine. Lastly, manipulate training variables such as exercise order, tempo, and training frequency to keep your body guessing. Changing these variables introduces novelty and prevents your body from adapting to a predictable routine.   It's important to note that patience, consistency, and proper nutrition are key factors in overcoming plateaus. Allow your body adequate time to adapt and recover, and fuel it with a balanced diet that supports muscle growth and repair. In conclusion, plateaus are a natural part of the weightlifting journey, but they don't have to derail your progress. By implementing these tips and continuously challenging your body, you can break through plateaus, achieve new gains, and reach your desired fitness milestones. Stay motivated, stay focused, and never settle for anything less than your best.

Bodybuilding is brutally hard work. You not only have to follow a very strict diet and make sure you get all your nutrients, in the right combinations, but you also have to take your intensity in the gym up to a level you’ve never reached before. You have to train like a beast - a crazed wild beast. Going to the gym and getting this work done is serious business. But, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. An incredibly simple little thing that’s a whole lot easier than sticking to your diet and working out like an animal. Pay close attention, because if you ever pay attention to anything I tell you, this is it. I know a lot of you might already know this, but, if you’re like countless others I’ve trained and counseled over the years, you don’t think it’s a big enough deal and don’t pay attention to it. And, while it’s probably the easiest thing you could possibly do, it’s still overlooked at every level of bodybuilding and fitness training. Here you go:  You have to rest. If you don’t make rest and recovery a priority you’re not going to succeed. It’s not just a nice break from the action, and it’s not optional. Rest is imperative. You have to take days off from the gym to help your body fully recover. And, even more importantly, you have to get enough sleep. Trust me. When I showed up in Venice Beach, California, to get ready for the Olympia, the opportunity to go out and have a good time was everywhere. I was young and single and always happy to go out and have a good time. One of the hardest things in the world was to say no to everyone wanting to go out and hit the clubs, and go home and hit the sack. But I knew I had to let my body heal. When it came time to compete, I destroyed guys who had a lot more natural size and ability than I had. Why? They worked hard in the gym, but then they went out and partied all night. I know a lot of young people feel it’s their duty to run the streets at least a couple of nights a week. There’s an even bigger temptation to do that as you see your body starting to getting bigger and leaner. The more jacked you look, the more you want to go out and show it off and see what kind of trouble you can get into. Remember the TV show, Jersey Shore? I grew up there – l was one of those guys (Only bigger, leaner and less of a Guido) I can tell you that what you see on TV is the way it’s done there. It’s a real lifestyle. And living it will not make you a champion. Run the streets like those guys and you won’t reach your goals. Period. I’m not your dad and I can’t tell you what to do. And, I don’t want to. But I can tell you that your body is not made to be pushed to its limits and not be given a chance to rest. That’s why I recommend you schedule at least TWO off days per week if you really want to get big and ripped. Lowering your intensity on workout days so you can add in another workout day isn’t going to give you what you want. Get in the gym, go balls to the wall, then get out of there. When it comes to sleep, you have to get at least eight hours. When I made the jump, at age 22, to be a professional bodybuilder, I knew I needed my sleep. Lee Haney taught me how to get the most out of my workout without destroying my muscles.  But no one had to tell me to get to bed at a reasonable hour and let my body recover. Everything I’ve learned in my career has simply been a confirmation of what I already intuitively knew. Especially when it comes to sleep. Sleep does two things for you. First, it lets your muscles heal from the beating you’ve given them in the gym, allowing them to get bigger, leaner, harder, and more defined. Secondly, it lets you recharge your nervous system so that you don’t drag in the gym during your next work-out. Instead, you can go in there with determination on your face, ready to make an assault on the weights. I get a lot of credit from my peers for having the absolute best work ethic they’ve ever witnessed. I’m proud of that. But what a lot of people don’t realize about my approach to bodybuilding is that I was just as serious about resting. Days off were days off. Nighttime was for sleeping. I even took a solid, half-hour nap every afternoon to make absolutely sure my body was getting all the rest it needed. I can guarantee you that if I had run around all night like everyone else, I would have accomplished next to nothing as a bodybuilder. On your day of rest do something special with your loved ones—wife, children, significant other, friends. Do some- thing normal. If you’re allowed a cheat meal, have it on a rest day. It keeps you well rounded so that you don’t get tired of the gym. It also keeps those who are special to you if not satisfied, then maybe at least appeased. I know bad habits are hard to break and changing them can be a real challenge. But getting adequate rest is absolutely imperative. Start making it a priority to get more rest, even try sneaking in a thirty minute catnap if you can. When it’s time for bed, turn off the computer, the television and all your devices, get in bed and close your eyes. If there are things you didn’t get done today, don’t worry about it right now. Get your sleep and you’ll get more done tomorrow—in life and in the gym. Remember, life is all about choices. You can choose to be like all the other young guys and run around until sunrise, or you can choose to sleep and give your muscles the opportunity to repair the damage you’ve inflicted on them in the gym, so you can keep growing bigger and better. Always remember that you stimulate growth in the gym, but you grow outside the gym, while you’re resting, especially while you’re asleep. Being diligent about getting the rest you need between workouts is the only way those intense training sessions will ever bear fruit in the form of massive biceps, triceps, pecs, lats, quads, hams, delts, and calves. You simply can’t build your  body without proper rest.

Cardio sucks. Plain and simple.  No one likes cardio, especially on a diet designed to get you ripped. In a perfect world, you should be able to get ripped by manipulating your diet and training in such a way that you wouldn’t need to do any cardio. But this world is far from perfect, and if your aspirations are aimed at getting ripped enough for the stage, or anywhere close, you’re going to, in addition to starving to death on your diet, find yourself on a stair climber, a treadmill, rower, bike, etc. doing cardio, on top of your diet. Back in the Arnold era, there were guys who actually did no cardio, but you can’t compare the condition those guys brought to the stage to how ripped bodybuilders get today. Clearly, there was a big difference, and the biggest difference was the addition of cardio to the diet phase. Too much cardio can sacrifice muscle and way too much cardio can actually cause your body to hoard fat! And, of course, not enough will not get you ripped. However, cardio is not the bodybuilder’s friend. . . So, there’s a fine line you have to tread here, between enough, not enough and too much cardio. The cardio implementation barometer is always going to be your sticking point. You have to pay close attention to how your fat level is dropping with weekly monitoring. While the mirror, and even another set of eyes, are great measures of body fat, the best, the most accurate, is taking weekly body fat measurements. How you do that is quite simple. Forget those complicated contraptions such as bioimpedance machines, Bod Pods, scales that measure body fat, etc. These things are never accurate and never consistent. The best way to measure body fat is by some kind of skin fold caliper. They range in price and complexity from $9.00 for a simple plastic, spring loaded caliper from China, to the $400 digital Skindex model, and a variety in between. Any of them will do. Obviously, the more you spend, the more accurate the total measurement will be, but you really don’t need that. What you need is to see the skinfold measurements at the various testing sites go down, week by week. It really doesn’t matter what the total percentage is. The key is getting good at taking the measurement. Getting a good skin fold measurement is an art and it takes practice to get it right. Thankfully, there are plenty of good videos available on YouTube to show you how. It’s important, for accuracy’s sake, to take your measurement on the same day of the week, at the same time of day, under the same circumstances – before or after you train, or do cardio, take a shower, weather or not you’ve been in the sun or the tanning bed, eat, etc. Almost everything affects the water content under your skin, and the leaner you are, the greater the variance will be. Learn to take a good skin fold measurement, do it consistently, and you will get a good idea of which way you’re going. All you want to see is the skin fold measurements going down. There are various sites you should test. There are various formulas out there requiring anywhere from three to seven sites. What I’ve learned is that most accurate areas that indicate measurable change are: • Biceps • Triceps • Oblique • Sub scapula • Thigh Having someone take these measurements for you is really the most preferable. Taking the biceps and triceps measurements by yourself is a bit difficult and the sub scapular is impossible to take on your own. Most, if not all, gyms have trainers or diet centers that take body fat measurements. Or, you always have your training partner. Before you go jumping on a piece of cardio equipment, there are a couple of things you should try first when you hit the inevitable sticking points. First, change up your workouts by picking up the pace. Add in an unrelated exercise between sets of your main exercise (super sets), reduce the rest period between sets, add in drop sets, giant sets, high rep sets, etc. Anything to get your heart rate up and increase energy expenditure. The next thing you can do is adjust your diet. But at some point, you can only reduce your total calories so much; you’ll eventually either go out of your mind or run out of food. Before you hit that wall, it’s time to do cardio. Because you stayed relatively lean in your off season, you shouldn’t have to add very much cardio to get the job done. Remember, you want to get away with as little as possible. Now, there’s two kinds of cardio: steady state, or low intensity cardio, and high intensity interval training (HIIT). I start off with low intensity and then graduate to HIIT as I get closer to the show and the sticking points get tougher to push through. First I’ll start off by adding three cardio sessions a week, of 20 min each. You’ll want to do these sessions either first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, or after you train. This is when your glycogen levels will be the lowest, forcing your body to liberate fat stores for energy. Your heart rate is going to be an important indicator, because if it’s too high the immediate energy requirement will be more than the liberated fat can satisfy, causing your body to convert protein to glucose for its faster burning energy needs. Because you’re running on empty, that protein is probably going to come from muscle. The proven range for optimal fat burning occurs when your heart rate is beating at 70 – 75 precent of your maximum heart rate. To make that calculation, you simply subtract your age from 220. That number is then multiplied by .70 and .75 to calculate your optimal fat burning range. If following this plan for a week or two doesn’t yield results, bump it up to four days a week at 30 minutes a session. Then you can bump it up to six days a week for 45 minutes a session. The goal here is to add cardio as your body changes, slowly increasing it as your body hits plateaus. Eventually, right at about the hour mark, rather than increasing your time on the treadmill, you’ll switch over to HITT. The easiest way to modulate your HIIT cardio is to divide a minute into a 20 second and a 40 second interval. We’ll call that minute a “set” and endeavor to start out with 15 of them. Five days a week. First walk on a treadmill at your regular 70 – 75 precent pace for five or ten minutes to warm up. Then, set the treadmill at a decent angle, probably five or six, and set the speed of the belt so that when you run on it, it’s an all out 100% sprint, as fast as you can possibly go. Do that sprint for 20 seconds, then grab the side rails and jump your feet to either side of the belt. Rest there for 40 seconds. Then, jump back on the belt and sprint for 20seconds, rest for 40 seconds, etc., until you hit 15 of those, 20/40, one minute sets. You can add sets, and/or another day, gradually, if your fat burning slows down or stops. HITT is far more exhausting than steady state, but the trade off is that you don’t have to do as much. You’ll probably never have to do more than 20 sets (20 minutes), six days a week. Cardio is one of those things that will cause your body to strive for efficiency. If you do 30 minutes of steady state cardio on the treadmill with your heart rate at 75% of your maximum, eventually your body will accomplish this work, utilizing fewer and fewer calories. That’s why we change it up. The goal is to keep your body confused.

There is no denying the fact that muscles get attention, especially when they’re big and not covered in fat. A well muscled, well conditioned physique is usually the envy of all who view it. It’s hard to disagree that muscles are cool. Of all the muscles getting the attention at the beach or around the pool, there’s actually a preference, particularly among females, for a formidably built chest. Of all the other muscle groups, it’s the chest that stands out and gets the attention. There is even research to suggest that women, when given a choice between a male figure with a developed, muscular, chest vs a scintillating set of man boobs, will instinctively prefer the muscular version. This is thought not to be because of sexual desire, but because the muscular chest fosters feelings of safety and protection. The muscular chest indicates the man will be a good hunter, provider, protector. This is what would instinctually attract the female, in order to assure the survival of the species. The girly man clearly looses out. The chest also represents the metrics which is accepted as the universal measure of strength. When an obviously built individual is asked, “how much can you lift?” the question is almost always referencing the bench press - the most chest-centric movement in weightlifting. There is no question that a sculpted muscular physique starts with the chest - it enters the room first, it is, unequivocally, the mark of a man.  But, if you want one, you have to build it, here’s how… Before we get into the nuts and bolts of building an impressive set of pecs, you should probably understand a bit of the anatomy that encompasses the region. There are four pectoral muscles that make up the human chest. These include the pectorals major, minor, subclavius and the anterior serratus. These muscles connect the bones of the shoulder and upper arm to each side of the sternum. While the subclavius is indeed important for the biomechanics of the chest, it’s pretty much invisible, no matter how lean the individual. You wouldn’t even see it on Skeletor. The serratus are certainly cool looking - they look like the gills of a shark – but, most lifters associate them with abdominal muscles and not part of the pec structure. The former two muscles are the most visible and the most impressive, particularly the pectorals major and pectoralis Minor. The pectoralis minor lives under the pectorals major. It looks like a small three pronged fork that originates from the anterior aspect of the scapula and inserts on the 3rd, 4th and 5th ribs. Its function is to stabilize the scapula by drawing it forward and down against the wall of the thorax. It is not what is erroneously referred to as the “upper pec.” because it lies under the pec major, you can't see it, but, as it develops, it pushes the pec major out giving it the look of added bulk. Pectoralis Major The pectoralis major is the most prominent muscle that makes up the chest. The large, shell shaped, sheet of muscle originates from the upper humorous and inserts both on the medial clavicle (clavicular head) an on the sternum (sternal head). Its function is to adduct, and medially rotate, the upper arm, and draws the scapula forward and down. The clavicular head also acts individually to flex the upper limb, and it helps hold your shoulder down when you have to push down, or out, with your hands. Regardless of what it does, the pec major is the big chest muscle everyone wants. Building It Quite possibly the best chest that has ever graced the Mr. Olympia stage belonged to Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was absolutely immense. Arnold professed to building it with just two exercises – bench press (either barbell or dumbbell) of varying angles, and flies of varying angles. Of course he's been photographed doing things such as pullovers and dips, but his consistent workouts concentrated on the basics – bench and flies. The Best Exercises For A Bigger Chest Flat Barbell Bench Press - This is perhaps the most popular exercise on earth. Also one of the most dangerous. Many a bodybuilder has torn a pec on the bench. So, we can't stress enough the importance of good form. Position yourself under the bar so that it rises just above your nipples. Grip the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip and make sure your wrists are straight and in line with the bones of your forearm, not stretched backward  - if you let that happen, it will cause your elbows to pull forward and put your shoulders in a very dangerous position. Un-rack the bar and bring it down, slowly, until it touches your sternum. Initiate the push upward with your elbows and exhale as you drive the bar up until locked out. Slowly lower the bar and grab another one. You'll want to do 6 - 8 sets of 8 – 12 reps. Incline Dumbbell Press - This exercise really focuses on the clavicular head of the pectoralis major. It can build the separation that some confuse as an “upper pec.” Address this exercise with all the precaution and form as with barbell presses. Move slowly and deliberately using a weight that keeps you in good form – no squirming in the bench or wildly arching your back -  for 5 sets of 10-12 reps to failure. Flat Bench Dumbbell Fly - This can be a horrifically dangerous exercise if done sloppily, with too much weight. This is what's known as a “finishing move.” You're not lifting a lot of weight here, but rather deliberately and and with full range of motion, repeatedly contracting your pecs. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lay back with your arms extended straight up over your chest with the dumbbells touching. Gradually open your arms by pivoting in your shoulder and bending your elbows. Bring the weights down, with your forearm perpendicular to the ground, until your upper arm just breaks parallel. Then, squeeze your chest and drive the dumbbells up with your elbows. Contract your pecs at the top and hold them flexed for one beat, then gradually lower the weights back down for another slow, controlled rep. Do  4 sets of 15 -20 reps to failure. Done correctly, this workout should torch your chest so badly you'll not be able to move your tongue for the gravies pain. Take it in and enjoy it, you’re on your way to building an impressive chest!

The big giant extra bulbous booties and skull crushing amazon quads and hamstrings the Wellness girls are packing these days have gotten quite a bit of attention. Of course not all of it it's good. There's always going to be the distractors who think it's too overdone, too much, unbalanced..... you've heard it all. But, some people thrive on the creation. The wellness division in bodybuilding is growing like the booties it espouses. People love it. For the guys who are into it, watching a champion level wellness girl run through her workout is a sight to behold. For some women, that kind of workout is just what she's looking for.   Now, imagine not one, but two, champion wellness girls being thrashed into submission by an IFBB pro bodybuilding legend (who took second to Lee Haney in the Olympia three years in a row) on their leg day.  Well, Gaspari Nutrition did it for you. Aliona and Fafa, two stunning examples of Wellness booty and quad royalty, descend upon Alphalete gym in Houston, TX, and hand over their workout to Rich Gaspari.  In what could only be perceived as unbridled brutality, these two girls endure an insane old school leg workout that would cripple a mere mortal.  Drop sets, forced reps, negatives, partials, you name it and Rich inflicted it upon them. And they took it all in stride. Absolutely incredible video footage of the workout can be found here https://youtu.be/_8V2FRbrb7s Now, some guys may look at that and, if not become intimidated, at least be impressed. Or not like it at all. However, a woman may look at this and say, yeah that's great for them, but I don't want to look like that. But..... a lot of women in the gym these days are taking ques from the Wellness girls and employing many of their techniques into their regular workouts. They may not be willing to take it as far as Aliona or Fafa, but anywhere along the way could be just fine. In fact, the majority of Wellness fans are women! This is because many women – and men too for that matter – understand that besides skin and bones, there's only two other elements that make up the human form. One is fat and the other is muscle. Muscle is moldable, fat is not. Your body decides where fat will be stored and many times it's in the wrong place. Muscle, on the other hand, is marble for the sculptor. We have total control over where the muscle goes. And, as we all know, you can't flex fat.  So, any beautification to the female corpus is going to come from muscle. How you grow it and where is the quandary. Tips from Wellness champs is like taking driving lessons from a formula 1 Champion. There's no way what they tell you wont work. Intense physical exercise is what builds muscle. A well balanced and controlled eating plan provides the required energy to put yourself through the kind of grueling workout necessary to build muscle as well as keep body fat in check.  Certain supplements such as Gaspari's Glycofuse, SuperPump and Citrulean can help with the process by providing energy, fuel and nutrients for the muscle and a great pump.  Whatever it takes, the sculptor's goal is to build muscle and burn fat. These are the chisel strokes that create the flowing lines of a well trained physique or just a beautiful body. Take it as far as you like – from looking totally satisfied in your bikini or all the way to the stage, this is the kind of workout that can't possibly fail.  THE WORKOUT Legs Extensions 4 sets of 20 reps  *Last set triple drop to failure with negatives    45 Degree Leg Press (legs close) Supersetted with Hack Squats (toes pointed out) 3 sets of 15 reps each   Inverted Leg Press   Supersetted with Front Squat Machine (legs wide)   3 sets of 15 reps each    Adductor  supersetted with Abductor  3 sets of 20 reps each

Even God rested on the seventh day. You need to rest too. Building any kind of muscular athletic body is hard work. The more performance you desire, generally the more brutal the work. You not only have to follow a very strict diet and make sure you get all your nutrients in the right combinations, but you also have to take your intensity in the gym up to a higher level than you did the last time you were in there. Some of you take it to a very extreme level and train like a crazed wild animals. Regardless of the level you take it, going to the gym and getting the work done is serious business and, like it or not, it takes its toll. Training and dieting like a bodybuilder for instance – like me – is really hard work. Its seriously hard work. But, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. An incredibly simple little thing that's a whole lot easier than sticking to your diet and working out like an animal. Pay close attention, because if you ever pay attention to anything I tell you, this is it. I know a lot of hardcore bodybuilders already know this—but, some actually forget it, or ignore it. Unfortunately, it catches up with them after a while, and then it's too late. For some, really too late. You might already know the secret too. But, if you're like countless others I've trained and counseled over the years, you don’t think it’s a big enough deal and don't pay attention to it. And, while it's probably the easiest thing you could possibly do, it’s still overlooked at every level of bodybuilding and fitness training. You know what it is? Are you ready? Can you handle it? Can you take it on with the same sense of urgency and importance as you do your workout? Here you go - You have to rest. Yes, rest. If you don't make recovery a priority you're not going to succeed. It’s not just a nice break from the action, and it’s not optional. It’s imperative. You have to take days off from the gym. And, even more importantly, you have to get enough sleep. In fact, I would argue that ignoring the need for sleep is having a devastating effect on our society at large. I have a friend in the medical profession who swears that Americans do serious damage to their health due to lack of sleep. Trust me, when I showed up in Venice Beach, California, the opportunity to go out and have a good time was everywhere. I was young and single and always happy to go out and have a good time. One of the hardest things in the world was to say no to everyone wanting to go out and hit the clubs, and go home and hit the sack. But, I knew I had to let my body heal. When it came time to compete, I destroyed guys who had a lot more natural size and ability than I had. Why? They worked hard in the gym, but then they went out and partied all night. I know a lot of young people feel it’s their duty to run the streets at least a couple of nights a week. There’s an even bigger temptation to do that as you see your body starting to getting bigger and leaner. The more jacked you look, the more you want to go out and show it off and see what kind of trouble you can get into. Remember the TV show, Jersey Shore?  I grew up there – l was one of those guys (Only bigger, leaner and less of a Guido) I can tell you that what you see on TV is the way it's done there. It's a real lifestyle. And, living it will not make you a champion. Run the streets like those guys and you won’t reach your goals. Period.  I’m not your dad and I can’t tell you what to do. And, I don’t want to. But, I can tell you that your body is not made to be pushed to its limits and not be given a chance to rest. That’s why I recommend you schedule at least TWO off days per week, if you really want to get big and ripped. Lowering your intensity on workout days so you can add in another workout day isn’t going to give you what you want. Get in the gym, go balls to the wall, then get out of there, go home and rest. When it comes to sleep, you have to get at least eight hours. When I made the jump, at age 22, to be a professional bodybuilder, I knew I needed my sleep. Lee Haney taught me how to get the most out of my workout without destroying my muscles. But no one had to tell me to get to bed at a reasonable hour and let my body recover. Everything I’ve learned in my career has simply been a confirmation of what I already intuitively knew. Especially when it comes to sleep.  Sleep does two things for you. First, it lets your muscles heal from the beating you’ve given them in the gym, allowing them to get bigger, leaner, harder, and more defined. Secondly, it lets you recharge your nervous system so that you don’t drag in the gym during your next workout. Instead, you can go in there with determination on your face, ready to make an assault on the weights. I get a lot of credit from my peers for having the absolute best work ethic they’ve ever witnessed. I’m proud of that. But what a lot of people don’t realize about my approach to bodybuilding is that I was just as serious about resting. Days off were days off. Nighttime was for sleeping. I even took a solid, half-hour, nap every afternoon to make absolutely sure my body was getting all the rest it needed. I can guarantee you that if I had run around all night like everyone else, I would have accomplished next to nothing as a bodybuilder. And I seriously doubt I'd be the owner and CEO of a $100 million supplement company. Let me add here that rest isn’t just for bodybuilders and fitness fanatics. It's for businessmen and women; it is for stay-at-home moms; it is for students – particularly in college!  I know how tempting it is to stay up studying late at night all week and then hit the clubs and parties all weekend. But, no one is at their best without proper rest. It’s simply not how we were created. There’s a time to work, a time to play, and a time to rest. And, when it's time to rest, you have to actually rest. On your day of rest do something special with your loved ones—wife, children, significant other, friends. Do something normal. If you're allowed a cheat meal, have it on a rest day. It keeps you well rounded so that you don’t get tired of the gym. It also keeps those who are special to you, if not satisfied, then maybe at least appeased. I know bad habits are hard to break and changing them can be a real challenge. But, getting adequate rest is absolutely imperative. Start making it a priority to get more rest, even try sneaking in a thirty minute catnap if you can. When it's time for bed, turn off the computer, the television and all your devices, get in bed and close your eyes. If there are things you didn’t get done today, don’t worry about it right now. Get your sleep and you’ll get more done tomorrow—in life and in the gym. Remember, life is all about choices. You can choose to be like all the other young guys and run around until sunrise, or you can choose to sleep and give your muscles the opportunity to repair the damage you’ve inflicted on them in the gym, so you can keep growing bigger and better. Always remember that you stimulate growth in the gym, but you grow outside the gym, while you're resting, especially while you're asleep. Being diligent about getting the rest you need between workouts is the only way those intense training sessions will ever bear fruit in the form of massive biceps, triceps, pecs, lats, quads, hams, delts, and calves. You simply can’t build your body without proper rest. Now you know the secret. What are you going to do with it? Why not hit the sack early tonight and sleep on it.....  

The best three-day workout routine is the one you're going to do three days a week. It's absolutely pointless to embark on a fitness program, with a well researched list of exercises for a three day workout routine, if you're not going to do it consistently, three days a week. I'm emphasizing “three” because it’s a screaming deal if you can get away with it. Devoting a three-day workout routine to a seven day week is a pretty paltry commitment, considering what you intend to accomplish. And that's really the issue. What is the purpose of this fitness program? If your goal is to build a bodybuilder physique, there is pretty much little you can do with a three-day routine of even the best mass building workouts. Unless you can commit to training all day long for those three days, building mass with just a three day workout routine is going to be, for most people, disappointing. That's not to say it can't be done. Certainly, there are bodybuilders who have applied the high intensity training philosophy to their bodybuilding workout plan, and were able to pack on some mass, as well as gain strength. But, they are the exception, not the rule. The level of intensity you'd have to generate to pack on mass in just three days a week is legendary to say the least; not many people can do it, at least not long enough for it to bear fruit. If that's still the direction you want to go, then the list of exercises you're going to do is pretty small. You're going to have to stick to the basic compound exercises and train your body to failure every time you train. Like I said, the list of exercises is going to be small. A three-day workout routine would be split into two days, focussing on your upper body; one of those days devoted to pulling moves, and the other to pushing. The third day would be legs.   Your routine would look something like this: Monday – Upper Body - Push: Bench PressSeated Shoulder PressWeighted DipsRope Triceps Extensions Tuesday – OFF Wednesday – Upper Body - Pull: DeadliftsSeated Pulley RowsWeighted Pull-UpsBarbell curls  Thursday – OFF Friday – Legs: SquatsLeg ExtensionsHamstring Curls Hyper ExtensionsSeated CalvesStanding calves  Saturday – OFF Sunday – OFF Sets and reps are going to vary based on the individuals, their level of training, and the time available to spend in the gym. You also have to remember, there's a time commitment for food shopping, meal prep, and rest. There's also no allotment for cardio. If you intend to gain strength and muscle mass with just a three-day a week commitment, you're going to have to cover all the bases and make the time you do spend in the gym count.

“If you stay ready you don't have to get ready” - Suga Free People always ask me how l get so lean? My answer is simple, l stay lean. If I stay lean I don' t have to get lean. Right? I mean, that's pretty simple. Ah, but is it? A casual stroll through the domestic terminal of your basic international airport, in any city (my de facto example of the most diverse cross section of America), and you will find an extraordinary number of people who don't pay attention to Suga Free, cuz, they ain't ready. Well, maybe for a pie eating contest, but nothing remotely espousing a healthy body fat level, let alone anything to the extreme that we expect from a bodybuilder. So, stay lean?  Yes, if you want to be lean, stay lean. I was an obese kid and I've stayed lean for over 40 years.  If there's anyone who doesn't have the genetics to be lean, it's me. If I can do it anyone can do it. If that was a cliche, here come the rest of them: “yeah, easier said than done.” “Easy for you to say, you workout all the time.” “I can't diet.” “I have bad genetics.” Blah, blah, blah......  All you're doing by saying and falling for that crap is affirming a negative. Our sport is full of people who have overcome the most incredible adversity and accomplish the most amazing things, including getting shredded. Most of us have no adversity to overcome, except that which we create for ourselves, and can't seem to uncover any part of a six pack, let alone the whole thing. Staying lean is not rocket science. It merely requires that you stay, with the exception of the odd cheat meal once or twice, a week, on a diet. Period. All the time. By diet, I don't mean eating like a bodybuilder. I mean eating like a dieting bodybuilder. “Oh, but that's hard.” So is buying a Ferrari, unless you have the money. Dieting is easy, if you have the discipline. And, discipline – or willpower -  is a matter of one thing – a decision. A very simple decision: Do I stay on my diet or not? The problem is that your brain gets in the way. Let me give you an example.  Let's say you climb into bed after a long hard day. You're dead tired. You could fall asleep the second your head hits the pillow – which, you've fluffed and arranged just exactly how you like it. Your head sinks languidly into it, you wriggle your body one last time into that amazingly comfortable position you and the sandman love, you've maybe even tucked another pillow between your knees. You're an inch from dreamland. Then, you look up and realize you left on the bathroom light. What do you do? What few of you will do is just get up and turn off the light (you guys are probably pretty lean too). Most of you will hem and haw and needlessly complicate the issue, and procrastinate because you just don't want to get up out of bed, especially if it's cold. Some will actually just leave it on! It's a simple decision though, just get up and turn off the light! Like the saying Nike made famous, just do it. Dieting to stay lean is no different. Most of you reading this know that and know damn well what it takes to stay lean. You now there's no magic pill, no magic drug, no magic method, nothing secret. The matter is doing what it takes -  doing what's hard, doing what's uncomfortable. Problem is, humans like to be comfortable and do what's easy. You can't have it both ways. You want to stay lean? Then you know what to do. It's a simple choice – just like getting up out of bed and turning off the light. Unfortunately, temptation rears it's ugly head and then, the next thing you know, you're just another squishy American strolling through the airport. You know that in order to stay lean you have to eat good, clean, healthy food, in a favorable macro ratio, and burn more than you take in, so that the body will liberate stored fat to make up the difference. Simple. The only problem is just doing it. So, what do we do? Come up with excuses of course. And some are pretty good: “I have kids and the junk they eat is always in the house” (why do you buy it for them?), “Diet food is too expensive” (duh), “No time to prep the food,” “I have no energy on a diet,” “I get too hungry,” “I get hypoglycemic,” “I crave pizza.....” Blah, blah, blah. It's all meaningless bullshit. Suck it up buttercup. Everything desirable has a price. If you want to stay lean, quit complaining and just do it. It's either that or stay fat. Simple equation: Diet = lean. No diet = fat. (remember the bathroom light). Now, here's where the big debate that has raged for decades comes in. One camp says “calories in calories out.” This basically means that if you eat fewer calories than your base metabolic rate indicates, you'll lose weight. It doesn't matter what you eat, so long as you create a calorie deficit. The problem here is “weight” is an ambiguous term. You can hack off an arm and get back on the scale and it will read less. You get the desired intent, but the effect is not too good. What you want to lose is not “weight” but rather, body fat. Which brings us to the other camp. They say that if you eat only “clean” food – lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats, you can eat all you want and, with adequate exercise, you'll lose body fat. The only problem with either camp is that they're both only partly right.  If you want to become, and stay, lean what you need to do is eat a balance of high protein, moderate good quality fats and few complex carbohydrates, spaced out over five to six small meals a day with a total calorie count somewhat less than your base metabolic requirement.  It's important that you keep a nice even flow of nutrients coming in so that your body does not perceive starvation and slow down your metabolic rate. This will not only stymie fat loss, but also muscle growth. So, just how much below your base metabolic rate should you eat when you consider your activity level? Too low and your body will strive to hang on to those reserves you have on board, too high and you wont lose fat. Unfortunately, there's no specific formula for this, it's a matter of trial and error. If you use an accurate measure of your body fat each week, you'll want to lose between 0.5 – 1.0% of body fat per week. Slow and steady. Once you arrive at your desired body fat level, gradually increase the size of your meals until you level out where you feel and look lean. Then stay lean.  A little help from high quality supplements? Absolutely. But, they're NOT the answer. Of course they can help and I can swear they make a big difference. But, the work and the sacrifice is going to be 85% of the deal. Luckily, modern silence has given us supplements that can help the fat burning process. Not only fat burners, but also low calorie protein powders offering complete protein with few calories or added fats, and quality vitamins and minerals to make up what a calorie restricted diet may leave out.  At the end of the day, it's going to be exercise, a well constructed, low calorie meal plan, combined with state of the art supplements, dedication, consistency and discipline that is going to deliver incredible results that can last and last and keep you lean. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you.

“Intensity” is one of those terms that's as subjective as it is ambiguous, if not just completely downright misconstrued. It is, however, the apex requirement in your list of things you're going to have to learn to generate if you intend on using your tine in the gym to  increase your strength/ performance.  Every athlete knows this. In fact, it is widely accepted among the fiteratti that the best athlete is the one who can focus the hardest, concentrate, and generate the most intensity. Every single world class athlete known to man is prone to this formula. There are literally no exceptions.  The problem with intensity, particularly maximum intensity, is that you can't just tell someone to go do it – lift with intensity. Unfortunately, it's as vitally important to athletic success, as it is difficult to describe. When asked to define intensity, you might want to offer to define something easier instead, such as  love, hope, God.....   Intensity is on another level. Mostly because the more you generate, the more it hurts. Your brain's inclination is to make you stop doing what hurts. In this case, the notion to stop must be replaced with “keep going,” “Don't' Stop!,” “Five more!” And so on.  And that right there is the difference between the champs and the also-rans. Suffering.  Intensity hurts. High intensity hurts a lot. But what's “a lot?” Surely one man's “a lot” is not another's. If you ask a woman if child birth hurts “a lot” she'll probably say it does. Yet, we see women with seven kids. So, it can't hurt that much, or can it? So, it depends on what you can tolerate. Now, I'm certainly not comparing a high intensity workout to child birth (a true high intensity workout should make childbirth feel like a rough pedicure) however the underlying pain threshold is just as confounding. Some women breeze through it while some women – if you've ever spent a few hours in a delivery ward – seem to have a bit more of an issue with it.  Now, the wisecrack I made a second ago about the pedicure goes to subjectivity. Surely childbirth is excruciating, however, the point is, you've got to make some kind of imaginary threshold, because “intensity” is far more a mental infliction as it is a muscular one.  No matter how big and strong you are, eventually, gravity is going to win any battle with the iron. It is at that moment – when will is overtaken by physics -  that the peak deployment of intensity has been reached. Think of hanging off a bar on a tower crane 1,000 feet in the air. Eventually, gravity is going to be responsible for decorating the concrete below with a nasty splattering of your blood and guts. The moment before that happened, its safe to say that 100% intensity  was applied to your grip strength.   So, childbirth, popping off a crane tower to your death and training intensity should be thought of in the same breath. Metaphorically, of course. But in practice in the gym? Back in the day, a typical leg workout has many times ended with a lifter being crushed in the power rack, dragging himself across the floor on his elbows, heaving his last seven meals into the garbage can and writhing on the floor until his nose stops bleeding (I have pics). Extreme? Yes. Intense? No question. But, is it necessary?   And therein lies the rub...  As far as the human body goes, strength/ muscle gain is a survival mechanism. The body is not interested in the muscle you want, it's only concerned with the muscle it needs. The way to convince the body it needs more is by generating intensity. The greater your training intensity, the stronger the message the body receives. That, and that alone, is the stimulus for muscle growth.  What are some of the signs you're exhibiting maximum intensity? 1 – vomiting during workouts 2 – nose bleeds during heavy lifts 3 – intense soreness in the days following a workout 4 – Cramping  5 – Difficulty walking or going up and down stairs after legs 6 – Profound muscle growth and increased athletic performance So, forced reps, negatives, partials, rest-pause, drop sets, static holds..... Whatever you can employ to drive your intensity to the point where your muscle literally fails – like right before you pop off the 1,000 foot tower crane. Or, for you ladies, the searing pain of childbirth. The point is, while the pursuit is physical, the game is mental. The brain decides what's enough, not your body. It's you job to do the convincing.  Greater intensity = greater results. How you generate it is your game.

Pondering whether or not a 30-minute workout is enough to build muscle is a bit like wondering if 30-minutes is enough to cook a meal. Sure, it could be. Depending on who you are. It could also be a disaster. Clearly, it's what you do with those 30-minutes that may or may not trigger muscle growth. Whether it be a good circuit workout, “popsugar” workouts, or whatever 30-minute fitness thing you can come up with, the reality is, that it's largely irrelevant. What is relevant – the only thing that's relevant. - is exercise intensity. And I'll tell you why.... The human body enlarges a muscle group by either one, or both, of two processes. The first is called hypertrophy - the enlarging of existing muscle fibers. This is the body's first response to prolonged and progressive physical stress. In the acute phase, the body pumps blood to the muscle being exhausted, bringing it more oxygen, more glucose and releasing creatine phosphate stores to help generate more energy. This is known as a “pump.” You literally feel your muscle engorge with blood, veins popping out (if you're lean enough to see them) and you can feel your skin tighten. It's an absolutely real and undeniable response. As the pump ebbs later on, while you're resting, the extra pumped in blood leaves the muscle, and with it goes all kinds of undesirable cellular rubble that you created when you tore down your muscle during a period of intense stress (your workout). During the subsequent recovery period, an increase in protein synthesis will take place, utilizing various essential amino acids, particularly valine, that got pumped in with the extra blood, to build complete muscle cells, which gradually enlarge individual muscle fibers. Now, if the continued and ever increasing stress persists into days and weeks, the body eventually becomes inefficient. It cannot keep up with the increased demand being placed upon it and it cannot satisfactorily recover in the given amount of time. The next response the body initiates in order to survive is the activation of satellite cells that live on top of the muscle fibers. These satellite cells then multiply and join together, while absorbing a host of nutrients and various hormones, to create new muscle fibers. This is called hyperplasia. It's important to note, that the birth of new muscle through hyperplasia, merely falls into the fray. Like an escalation of troops in a war. It will immediately be subject to the effects of hypertrophy – if the stress continues to be progressive, prolonged and intense. You also have to remember that this is merely the stimulus side of building muscle. The actual growth takes place while you rest and recover. The object of going to the gym is to convince the body it needs more muscle, but it's not where the muscle is built. You get swole in bed. So, the question is, actually: is 30-min enough time to stimulate the body's adaptive survival response, to initiate hypertrophy and subsequently - hopefully - hyperplasia? Any time such a question is asked, it can only logically be answered first with “it depends.” That's because it does. It depends not only upon what you do during that 30-minute fitness session, but also, and I say more importantly, how you do whatever it is you're doing. And that, my friends, is it - distilled all the way down to the very essence of what it takes for the body to build muscle – intensity. As I eluded to earlier, building muscle has nothing whatsoever to do with your desire for big biceps. The body builds muscle for one reason and one reason only – survival. Increased muscle mass is a survival response to a specific physical stress. The only way to get your body to build muscle is to keep it under stress. The question is, for how long? There is the theory of “time under tension” which infers that the longer the muscle is under tension, the greater the stimulus to increase muscle mass. While this is to some degree true, the “time” part of it is a bit ambiguous and leads to tremendous inefficiency, which ultimately mitigates recovery time. “Time under tension” is another way of quantifying reps and sets. To how many reps and sets do you subject a muscle in order to stimulate the growth response, and is 30-minutes enough time to do it? When you set out to put together a good circuit workout, what is your goal for reps and sets? How do you figure that out? Ask any successful bodybuilder how many reps and sets they recommend to build muscle and you'll get a different answer every time. This is because, without a universally accepted and tangible goal, anything anyone can suggest is – at best – vague, ambiguous and inefficient. How many reps? 8? 10? 12? 15? How many total sets per body part? 10? 20? 30? And who's right? “Jay Cutler is Mr. Olympia and he did This.... Yeah, but Ronnie Coleman is also a Mr. Olympia and he did this, this and that....Well, Lee Haney is another Mr. O and he doesn't follow either of those philosophies, he does XY and Z....” Who's right? They all are ranked the best in the world! Well, one bodybuilder – who never became Mr. Olympia, but should have - actually popularized the most logical answer to this question. The most obvious point to stop a set is when the muscle fails. He took that point a bit further and insisted that you really only need to do that once. In1978, Mike Mentzer became the only bodybuilder in history who, to this very day, has ever scored a perfect 300 to win the Mr. Universe. Mentzer popularized the “one set” theory, originally proffered by Nautilus founder, Arthur Jones. As the theory goes, the most logical point to stop a set is when the muscle can no longer execute the message sent from the brain to contract. According to Jones, via Mentzer, once you have reached the point where there is a momentary interruption in the neurological firing between the brain and the muscle being contracted, you have reached the most logical end of a set. And, anything more, or less, is a waste of time. This is the ultimate execution of intensity, and the most successful way to build muscle. Dorian Yates lent credence to that concept by winning six Olympias in a row using short, high intensity, workouts. That's not to say it's the only way, just the most efficient. Remember, muscle growth happens during rest. Your objective should be to minimize the amount of time it takes to stimulate muscle growth and maximize the amount of time spent recovering, so you can grow. If you're interested in the health benefits of some kind of 30-minute fitness program, you can probably accomplish something in that amount of time, but you're not going to get big. So, to adopt this Heavy Duty style of training - where one set taken to failure per exercise - it's entirely possible to stimulate the body's muscle growth messaging in 30 minutes. The only problem is, most people who set out to find “failure” merely find fatigue. Failure – true failure – lies well north of fatigue and the searing pain associated with getting there has been equated to having a tooth drilled without novocaine. This makes the concept of “failure” a bit too subjective, and a bit too masochistic for most tastes. That's why volume training is more popular. But you'll have to spend much more than 30-minutes training that way to build muscle. Which, is inefficient and shortens the amount of recovery time you can devote to growing. And, of course, it certainly doesn't hurt as much. Nevertheless, the fact has been well established that, within the confines of 30-minutes, it is entirely possible to convince the body it needs more muscle. So, yes, a 30-Minute Workout is Enough To Build Muscle. It just depends on your ability to manufacture intensity. Same goes for you guys with a personal trainer. A 30 minute personal training session can be enough to stimulate muscle growth. As long as your trainer is mean enough to push you there.

Creatine, more specifically, creatine monohydrate, is one of the most studied dietary supplements in history. Reams of peer reviewed and published research indicate numerous ergogenic benefits of creatine supplementation, as well as eating creatine rich foods (meat). Depending on how you cycle creatine, and how much creatine a day you take, the apparent gains in muscle mass have caused many a coach to wonder if creatine is a steroid. Well, right off the bat, creatine is not a steroid, or even a drug. It's a naturally occurring compound of three amino acids, (glycine, arginine, and methionine) that the body manufactures, as well as utilizes from a diet of creatine rich foods. In the human body, creatine is found mostly (95%) in skeletal muscle. (The rest is distributed by the bloodstream to the brain, testes, and other tissues). Creatine’s primary metabolic role is to combine with a phosphoryl group to create creatine phosphate, which is used to facilitate the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the production of energy, when protein, carbs and fat are oxidized. The result, of one phosphate being lost from ATP, is a new compound called ADP (adenosine di-phosphate), which the body will use to convert back into ATP using creatine. So, the process starts with ATP, the conversion of ATP to energy leaves us with ADP. Add creatine and the body reforms ATP and stores it in the muscle, providing energy when you need it. When researchers gave test subjects creatine, they noticed that very little of it was excreted. This means that the body actually does store it - in muscle it turns out. This means that supplementing with creatine, or at the very least, eating a diet in creatine rich foods can help energize longer, harder, workouts. Creatine supplementation can help further increase ATP so you can workout harder. This is really important for athletes whose activities rely on short, fast, explosive movements. Your onboard supply of creatine phosphate is the body's preferred source of energy when you perform such anaerobic activity. Apart from the intense power they're able to generate on creatine, what bodybuilders love about creatine is the way it attracts water to muscle. Hydrated muscle not only looks bigger and more pumped, but hydration plays an important roll in protein synthesis in muscle. Research on creatine has also demonstrated benefits that can benefit anyone, not just athletes. Better bone density, glucose metabolism and brain function have also been notably improved with supplemental creatine. Loading creatine, while not completely necessary, does bring on its effect sooner. The recommended creatine dosage for the loading protocol is a five day period of 10 - 15 grams a day (split into two or three doses to avoid stomach upset) to saturate the muscle and then back down to 5 grams a day for maintenance. There’s a lot of talk about how to cycle creatine and if it’s necessary. While there’s certainly no adverse affect to taking creatine for the rest of your life, the body does tend to regulate itself. Over time, your body will strive to maintain only the creatine levels it needs, not how much you need to keep your pump. So, it is conceivable that your body will excrete some of the excess creatine from supplementation or downgrade the number of creatine receptors, or a little of both. That being an accepted argument, it would be best to stop taking creatine for three - four weeks after an eight - 10 week cycle, then go back on. You can cycle creatine on and off like that indefinitely. As far as creatine safety goes, to date, there is absolutely no credible research that demonstrates any danger to using it. Naturally, if you exceed the recommended dose you could have some digestive disruptions, but that’s true for just about anything. When you look at any of the reams of research that exist on creatine, you should remember that well over 90% of that research has been on creatine monohydrate. While the supplement market is rife with supplements containing creatine malate, nitrate, and buffered creatine, there is no research that demonstrates that any other form of creatine is any better than monohydrate. So, is creatine a safe supplement? It absolutely is, and it's effective too!

Do you want to look like you can bench press 300 pounds, or do you actually want to be able to truthfully say that you can bench press the 300 pounds?

 

Dan Palacios of Kinetic Training in Davie, Florida takes Team Gaspari members Alex, Aliona, Melissa and Alex through a training regiment designed for military personnel and policemen to improve their tactical skills. This outdoor workout works all muscles in the body for complete physical conditioning!

Rich Gaspari takes Jose and Alex through an old school chest and back superset workout, just like the sets he used to do to prepare for the Olympia and the Arnold Classic.