Beethoven and Barbells? (aka “Variations on a Workout Theme”)
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- Created on Wednesday, 08 May 2013 21:00
- Written by Scott Fishkind ACE CPT/IMPACT Instructor-NESTA/YFS-IYCA
A 
great composer can take a small musical motif and turn it into complete composition. In much the same way, workouts can be designed by taking a small number of foundational movement patterns (ex. Lower Body/Upper Body Push/Upper Body Pull) and organizing them into different structural formats. Between the vast array of possible exercises and many structural formats available the possible variations are almost endless.
Drop It Like It's Hot
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- Created on Thursday, 02 May 2013 13:48
- Written by Shaka Smith, MP Competitor
Summer
is around the corner! You may have slacked off the last few months but don’t panic. Here are three easy tips that require you to do some dropping of your own.
1. Drop the carbohydrates!
If you’re trying to bring your best, whether or not you’re out of shape or in shape, dropping the carbohydrates will put a little extra gas in the tank on the way to your lean physique. A 2008 study published in the journal Hepatology found those who stuck to a low carbohydrate diet lost on average a little over 9.7 pounds within 2 weeks, having an increased fat burn over those who stuck to a low calorie diet and even burning fat off the liver which has been associated with different ailments, including obesity and diabetes. The low carbohydrate group were restricted to less than 20/g per day. Having been on a low to zero carbohydrate diet myself, I can tell you it is no easy task, but the results are undeniable!
Building Pythons
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- Created on Monday, 15 April 2013 18:16
- Written by Tim Staggs CPT National Level NPC MP Competitor
When
was the last time you had a bicep workout that you knew was going to give you a crazy pump and leave you sore for days? Hopefully not too long ago, but if it’s been a while the wait is over. This workout is designed to work your biceps from many angles while still going heavy at times. Here are a couple tips to maximize your workout.
Get FIT with H.I.T.
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- Created on Friday, 05 April 2013 05:31
- Written by Regie Simmons, MP Competitor & Body Fuse Sponsored Athlete
By
a show of hands how many of you think that it’s necessary to perform 2-3 hours of cardio per day to get lean? Don’t be afraid. There is no incorrect answer. Well, not really but let’s pretend that there isn’t a single correct answer.
So, what do you think?
Is that your final answer?
How Much Do You Bench Bro?
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- Created on Wednesday, 27 March 2013 19:06
- Written by Adam Bonilla CPT, MP Competitor, Body Fuse Sponsored Athlete
Pop
quiz for all of you guys who are trying to build muscle out there...
Who is most likely to have a result of more muscular hypertrophy
(increase in muscle size) from the 2 options below?
A: Bench Press - 10 reps at 100 lbs for 4 seconds negative 1 second
positive and 0 transition time 4/1/0
B: Bench Press - 15 reps at 111 lbs for 2 second negative 1 second
positive and 0 transition time 2/1/0
Agility Ladder Training for Men's Physique
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- Created on Saturday, 16 March 2013 21:59
- Written by Scott Fishkind IMPACT Trainer
Men’s
Physique competitors are really a hybrid between a Bodybuilder and more “traditional” athlete. One of the things that distinguishes all great athletes who perform with their feet on the ground (as opposed to an athlete such as a cyclist who creates movement from a fixed position) is the ability to move in multiple planes of motion.
Three People that Help You Recover Like A Pro
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- Created on Monday, 11 March 2013 19:25
- Written by Timothy B. Roberts: CPT & MP Competitor
When
we are all training constantly and pushing our body to its limit, it becomes important to apply some outside healing techniques. There are specific people that may hold the key to helping you recover more quickly. Here are a few of the people that I have found particularly helpul.
Frosty Gets His Intense Winter Workout
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- Created on Thursday, 07 March 2013 23:45
- Written by Tim Staggs, CPT & MP Competitor
I
hope everyone had an incredible February! I thought I would do something completely different this month and think outside the box for a workout for you. I’m always seeing these great workouts that people down south get to do in the winter while in Michigan I am stuck going to the gym to get my exercise in. So I must apologize in advance to everyone who doesn’t get snow, this workout is not for you. The workout I have for you is completely different than anything you have ever seen published in any exercise journal or RX article, I can guarantee that!
Should I BULK in the Off-Season?
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- Created on Sunday, 03 March 2013 22:01
- Written by Adam Bonilla CPT, MP Competitor
We’ve 
all had friends from the gym that have too high of a percentage of body fat for their health. They use the excuse that they are in a “bulking” phase. I’ve seen some guys put on 50 lbs in one off season. But, is this necessary to maximize lean mass gains? Working as a trainer for 13 years I’ve heard 1,000’s of times “in order to grow you have to eat bro!” People go to the extreme to get in extra calories and are taking in Pop-Tarts for post workout and eating McDonalds for a quick calorie heavy meal. Let’s face it most people who are doing this are using “bulking” as an excuse to eat whatever they want and aren’t concerned with two things, first their overall health in terms of saturated fat intake and cholesterol levels and second their net gains.
Back to basics: THREE Superb Back Exercises
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- Created on Wednesday, 20 February 2013 19:48
- Written by Mehmet Edip, Fitness Model / Fitness Author
Just 
because you can't see your back in the mirror doesn't mean you shouldn't train it. A good back will give your physique a wide and powerful look, and it will also give you the illusion of having a smaller waist. How do you build a strong V shaped back? Read on as I detail my top three back exercises that will hit your lats, middle and lower back...
Boulders for Shoulders
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- Created on Thursday, 14 February 2013 16:03
- Written by Tim Staggs, CPT & MP Competitor
It’s
been 30 days since you hit my leg workout. I’m hoping you are back to walking normal and you’re ready for a change to your shoulder workout. Here are a FEW TIPS to help maximize the results of the workout.
TIP 1: When doing shoulders really focus on form and do not sacrifice it no matter what. Shoulders are the easiest body part to injure and many times the most nagging. Shoulder surgery is not fun and can be a 6 month recovery.
TIP 2: When doing side laterals or front raises make sure you bring the weight SLIGHTLY above the shoulders. I see many people in the gym without a good range of motion and unless you bring that weight SLIGHTLY above the shoulder you will be missing out on some key growth.
The General Adaptation Syndrome
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- Created on Sunday, 10 February 2013 12:48
- Written by Scott Fishkind IMPACT Trainer
No 
matter how long I’ve been training, or how much I learn, one thing remains the same; my complete and total awe of the vast intelligence contained within the human organism and its ability to adapt to various stimuli. Resistance training is a perfect example of this! Most experienced trainers know that lower reps and volume, tend to primarily elicit strength gains. These tend to be the result of neurological adaptations (especially in the early stages of training). Protocols based on higher reps and overall training volume tend to be more effective at producing muscle growth (i.e. hypertrophy) via structural changes in the actual muscle tissue itself.
3 Six Pack Myths and 1 Answer
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- Created on Tuesday, 22 January 2013 21:15
- Written by Tom Cinzori, Master's Men's Physique Competitor
How 
many times have you spent the last half of your workout on the special ab machine at the gym or doing countless sit-ups only to see no results? You’ve done every abdominal workout that you’ve heard of to no avail. Are you finding that getting that ever elusive six pack you want to show off in your board shorts seems unattainable. Here are 3 “Six pack” myths that may be holding you back or at least wasting your time.
Chest Training - Train for Growth Not for Ego!
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- Created on Saturday, 19 January 2013 01:41
- Written by Adam Bates CPT
“How much do you bench?” 
As you are reading this article, I am sure that is a question that you have been asked many times. It seems to be the measure of alpha male prowess when you are chatting to someone in a bar. You are rarely asked, “how much do you deadlift?” or “how much do you squat?” Yet out of these movements I have mentioned, the bench press is probably the one where technique between training for a maximal lift and training for aesthetics varies quite considerably. Sure there may be slight changes in feet placement when deadlifting or squatting for a maximal lift as opposed to when focusing on muscular aesthetics, but for the most part the technique is the same. The bench press however is quite different. For this reason it is no wonder that one of the most common errors I see in the gym is a guy trying to push as much weight as possible for reps on a bench press rather than focusing on working the muscle group they are trying to improve. This then spills over to other chest exercises too. Let’s take cable crossovers for example, it seems that the “cable-press-over” has become one of the most common moves you will see in most gyms! With the focus on moving as much weight as they can, a trainer ends up doing something closer to a press with cables rather than a crossover.
Inner Muscular Symmetry
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- Created on Tuesday, 08 January 2013 13:36
- Written by Scott Fishkind IMPACT Trainer
Muscular 
Symmetry is the hallmark of an aesthetic physique. A more subtle, yet no less important, aspect to muscular balance is your inner muscular symmetry. This consists of developing appropriate strength and flexibility between opposing muscle groups not only for the sake of appearance but for musculoskeletal health as well!
Muscles in the body tend to work in pairs that have opposite functions (called Functional Antagonists). For example the biceps on the front of the arm bends your elbow while the triceps on the back of the arm straightens the elbow.
As you can imagine if the biceps was in a chronically tight position you would have a situation where your arms would favor a flexed position as its “normal” resting state. This would also put your triceps in a chronically stretched position. I’m sure we’ve all seen guys in the gym who spend 90 % of their arm workouts doing curls and walk around with their arms bent 24-7!
The most problematic imbalances involve muscles that affect posture.
"I've Fallen and Can't Get Up" Leg Workout
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- Created on Saturday, 05 January 2013 23:22
- Written by Tim Staggs, CPT & MP Competitor
I 
hope you enjoyed my back workout from last month. Now that we warmed your body up from the chest and back workouts, I thought it would be time to get serious and move to the legs. Just like the other workouts this is not designed for the beginner. This is designed for individuals that have put some time into the gym, have learned and mastered the form of these exercises, and whose bodies are use to a little pain ;-). Make sure you drink plenty of fluids leading up to and after this workout as always. Feed the body the nutrients it needs to get through the workout and have that post meal ready to start recovery immediately. Have fun and hit me up on Facebook and tell me what you liked best about it.
Training the Trapezius
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- Created on Thursday, 20 December 2012 20:37
- Written by Doug Brignole Former Mr. America / Mr. Universe
Training 
the traps can be a bit tricky, because of the unique anatomical configuration of the muscle. It’s fan-shaped - originating over a broad area along the upper spine, and narrowing down to a much smaller insertion on the shoulder blade (scapula). Because of this configuration, it is able to pull the shoulder carriage straight upward, slightly back and upward, straight backward, back and slightly downward.
Part of the trapezius already works, during a typical back workout that involves rowing. The lower portion of the trapezius works when we do pulldowns, provided the pulley is slightly in front of us (thereby causing us to pull slightly backward, as well as downward). This is why we usually do standing shrugs for our traps - because the upper part doesn’t get enough stimulation from rowing and pulldowns.
Back Attack: THE TRAINING ROOM
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- Created on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 23:10
- Written by Tim Staggs, CPT & MP Competitor
I 
hope you enjoyed my chest workout from last month. I thought I might continue with a back workout to even things out a bit. This should give your back a little shock and awe!! This workout is not for the beginner…..you have been warned. Try it out and let me know what you think. Hit me up on Facebook and tell me what you liked best about it.
BACK ATTACK: The Lift...
Considering Hiring a Trainer?
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- Created on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 02:28
- Written by Timothy B. Roberts: CPT & MP Competitor
So
you are thinking about hiring a personal trainer. That is terrific, because more people are working out with their very own exercise consultant than ever before. Personal trainers are not just for Hollywood stars and the “rich and famous” anymore! For good reason, since personal trainers can make the difference between a great workout and a ho-hum one—or even no workout at all. Your personal trainer will motivate you, keep you on track and make sure your workouts are safe, enjoyable and effective.
Of course, you want your personal trainer to exhibit the same qualities you demand of any provider of professional services, say, your tax preparer or dentist—a high degree of knowledge in their field, demonstrated expertise, plus a personality that’s compatible with yours.
The Recovery Day
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- Created on Tuesday, 04 December 2012 23:54
- Written by Scott Fishkind IMPACT Trainer
Recovery 
is a critical component of any sound training program and there are many ways it can be implemented. One can recover more passively via total rest or getting bodywork done (i.e. massage), or more actively through a variety of low to moderate intensity activities.
Personally speaking, passive recovery days have rarely worked well for me. They always tend to leave me feeling physically and mentally sluggish. Over time I’ve found that I received more benefit using an active approach that combines a low intensity resistance training circuit along with different flexibility techniques. This “Activation Session” creates a full body stimulus without placing too much stress on the musculoskeletal or bioenergetic systems.
I highly recommend doing this type of session away from the gym environment to avoid the temptation of morphing this activation session into a full-blown workout (i.e. “I’ll just do ONE set of Bench Press”…. and then its “off to the races!”).
