Spartan body

With the recent dvd release of "300". There are millions of men out there that want to achieve that look. So today i figured i would drop some hints on how to make your work out a little more spartan.
First off the actors for 300 were already decent sized guys who prior to filming mainly just needed to cut fat.
Here's the 4 simple things you can do

Shorten your rest periods

use large muscle movements - lifts that move the most muscle burn the most fat and build the most muscle

change your cardio to intervals and sprints- look at a sprinter and look at a marathon runner , which looks more spartan

make use of circuit training - this can really combine the other 3 tips
a simple full body circuit could be
21 dead lifts
400 meter sprint
10 pull ups
then repeat 3 times with as little rest as possible

Get fit -

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Teaching about weight training exercise, weight loss and cardio fitness for free.

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leg training

Today on msn (my homepage).There was a short artcle on slimming down legs for women, i guess it could of been for guys, but thats nor here or there. The artcle basically just covered simple loading parameters for any body part training , so basically start with 1 set of 12 move towards 3 sets of 12 as you get more accustomed to weight training .
This is all fine advice as far as i am concerned but it didn't bother to mention what exercises will give you the best results , i figured i would chime in here.
For legs i think the best exercises are
squats varaitions
deadlift variations
lunges
pull throughs
step ups
glute ham raise
and stability ball leg curls
skip the fluff and get results !
-Richard

what i am reading

as far as a general diet , what to do to get lean book goes the book i am reading right now "TNT diet" from men's health is by far the best book and plan i have seen . i used a method very similar during my most recent cut , i had let my self get chubby and drop 10 inches in 10 months. Ideally if I could get my clients to eat exactly how i wanted them to to get lean this would be it.
TNT diet stands for targeted nutrition tactics , in short it provides multiple carb cycling routines you can do to provide the best results depending on your goal , it's a easy to follow very effective method .

supplementing with protien ,...the basics

For anyone who has been working out for a while and seeks any goal , fat loss , muscle gain or strength. I think there are 3 basic supplements you should consider taking.
first off is protein , generally speaking most people don't get nearly enough protein in their diet . Every time i review a clients diet it is nearly void of protein . Taking a protein shake first thing in the morning or between meals when you are not able to get to whole food is a great idea . It gets you the muscle building blocks you need , increase thermo genesis and keeps you from making an emergency pit stop at mickey d's when you can't stop thinking about food.
p.s. a double big mac and fries everyday is not a effective route to your fitness goals

no excuse not to exercise

effort is the most important thing in life

bigger muscles

This weeks Q and A
subject: How long does it take for a teen to get big ?

Question: i'm a 17 yr old teen who's been going 2 the gym for the last 3-4
months.My objective is to change from skinny to toned / fit body (broad
shoulders, firm pecs, big lean arms & abs). Lately my body is beginning to get
toned - especially my arms but i was wondering how long will it take before i
can get big(not musclely big, just fit nice body). i go the gym 3 times a week -
mon, wed & fri, doing different parts each day. i usually do intesifying work so
my muscles can grow but it takes AGES ! i eat the right food, take protein
shakes & have several days rest so my muscle recovers. What else can i do ?

Btw, im half persian - chinese, 5ft 11 & have a lean / athletic type physique.
Can you plz tel me all is there is to know from your personal experience.

Answer: Hey Dani,
It's hard to say how long it will take for you to gain weight, i can tell you if
you don't do the right things, you won't ever get big.
let me give you some good tips on how to gain muscle
- If you train 3 days a week do full body work outs that are under 1 hour long.
- Eat more food , if you are not gaining weight , you are not eating enough
plain and simple . Eating the right food and training will make sure the weight
is lean muscle weight.
- Drink a protein shake right after you work out , thats the most important
time.
- Focus on getting strong on major movements - row , dead lift , squat , bench ,
pull ups
those are the lifts that get you big
good luck !
Richard doughty
richarddoughtyfitness.blogspot.com

if you need a good program to gain some serious fitness model muscle check out muscle gaining secrets by Jason Ferruggia

time to get ready for next summer ??

you guys most likely think i am nuts , but i already have my work outs planned up to next summer. personally i think waiting till late spring then jamming in the 3 hours a day in the gym and eating next to nothing is a terrible way to get your beach body.
So now that i have 9 months untill i walk outside with no shirt on again it gives me plenty of time to get ready.
For everyone reading this you have 8 months untill memorial day (the offical beach goers start of summer) comes around again. If you are quite over weight you can safely lose 40 lbs of fat before then and if you are a guy a little on the skinny side youcan easily gain 10 lbs of muscle and still have time to get your abs in gear

get started dont waste another day

still need the work out to get you there ?
check out turbulence training.com

eating 101 lessons numero uno

When trying to make a change in your body compasation, diet is the factor that can make the biggest difference . Now i dont mean to say you can get a great body with a great diet alone , dont get me wrong you need to get your ass in the gym , But you cant out train a poor diet.
heres a list of the foods you should spend 90% of your time eating
FOOD LIST
Proteins
boneless/skinless chicken breast
turkey breast
salmon
tuna
swordfish
haddock
tilapia
flounder
round steak
sirloin steak
flank steak
beef tenderloin (filet mignon)
lean ground beef, chicken, turkey
orange roughy
egg whites and whole eggs
lean pork
crab
lobster
shrimp
buffalo
whey powder


Complex Carbs
brown/white rice
whole wheat pasta
oatmeal
yams
sweet potatoes
red potatoes
beans (pinto, black, kidney, lentils)
farina (Cream of Wheat)
rye cereal

Fibrous carbs
romaine lettuce
celery
asparagus
broccoli
cauliflower
brussels sprouts
cucumber
green pepper
red pepper
zucchini
spinach
Fruits
bananas
apples
blueberries
strawberries
rasberries
grapefruit

Fats
real cheese
olive oil
flax oil
fish oil
almonds
natural peanut butter
natural almond butter
Avocado


now that you have a better idea of where to start for proper eating habits
check out TurbulenceTraining.com. for a great fat loss program

quick tip

Focus your time on the big money exercises

There is an 80/20 rule in the fitness industry. 20% of what you do will make up 80% of your results. That 20% are the things we should our time on. Exercises I would consider to be big money exercises are squats, lunges, planks, rows, chin ups and bench press / push ups. If you want to get lean, or gain muscle these are the exercises the bulk of our time should be spent on.

a word from my favorite fat loss trainer

The Best Ways to Burn Belly Fat

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
turbulence training.com

Best Ways to Burn Belly Fat

I often get asked, “What’s the best way to burn fat and lose my belly?” People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals.

Well, to say I've done them all would be an understatement.

With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I'm pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.

But first of all, I want to frame my responses. I'm going to talk about what works for people that have a limited amount of time to exercise, mostly because I expect your readers don't have 90 minutes per day to devote to a workout, unlike the typical audience of a fitness magazine.

That's why there is a huge disconnect between some of the information found in magazines and the ability of the reader to apply it to their lives.

We just don't have 6-8 hours per week for exercise, nor do we need it. If you're a triathlete, you might need that, but not someone that just wants to lose fat and gain muscle.

Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...

Use bodyweight exercises to warm-up, strength training supersets to build muscle, and then finish your workout with interval training to burn fat in a short amount of time. I've structured my system so that you are in and out of the gym in 45 minutes, three times per week.

You'll do 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises to warm-up. This is a much more efficient approach than spending 5 minutes walking on a treadmill, which really doesn't prepare you for anything except more walking on a treadmill.

Then we move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This cuts our workout time, while still giving us maximum results. We only need 20 minutes for this, and we'll use basic exercises, and sometimes even more bodyweight exercises, depending on the client's goal for muscle building.

And finally, we'll do 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals at the appropriate fitness level for the client, interspersed with short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a cool-down. And that's the workout. Again, about 45 minutes total.

Compare that to what most people do, which is run, jog, cycle or use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight. Sure, that will burn calories, but it doesn't build a better body.

In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes for your workout and you spend it all on a cardio machine, when are you going to train the rest of your muscles and sculpt a better body?

So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It’s fast, it works, and it’s fun!

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit turbulence training.com

The Best Ways to Burn Belly Fat

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
http://richarddou.turbulence.hop.clickbank.net

Best Ways to Burn Belly Fat

I often get asked, “What’s the best way to burn fat and lose my belly?” People want to know if aerobics is better than strength training, or if traditional cardio exercise is better than intervals.

Well, to say I've done them all would be an understatement.

With over 15 years experience helping others, training myself, training for sports, spending countless hours in the gym, AND actually conducting laboratory research studies on different exercise methods, I'm pretty confident in knowing what works and what does not.

But first of all, I want to frame my responses. I'm going to talk about what works for people that have a limited amount of time to exercise, mostly because I expect your readers don't have 90 minutes per day to devote to a workout, unlike the typical audience of a fitness magazine.

That's why there is a huge disconnect between some of the information found in magazines and the ability of the reader to apply it to their lives.

We just don't have 6-8 hours per week for exercise, nor do we need it. If you're a triathlete, you might need that, but not someone that just wants to lose fat and gain muscle.

Having said all that, the bottom line for getting a better body is...

Use bodyweight exercises to warm-up, strength training supersets to build muscle, and then finish your workout with interval training to burn fat in a short amount of time. I've structured my system so that you are in and out of the gym in 45 minutes, three times per week.

You'll do 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises to warm-up. This is a much more efficient approach than spending 5 minutes walking on a treadmill, which really doesn't prepare you for anything except more walking on a treadmill.

Then we move into the strength training supersets, where we use two exercises performed back to back with minimum rest between each. This cuts our workout time, while still giving us maximum results. We only need 20 minutes for this, and we'll use basic exercises, and sometimes even more bodyweight exercises, depending on the client's goal for muscle building.

And finally, we'll do 18 minutes of interval training. A warm-up, followed by six short intervals at the appropriate fitness level for the client, interspersed with short periods of low-intensity recovery. Finish with a cool-down. And that's the workout. Again, about 45 minutes total.

Compare that to what most people do, which is run, jog, cycle or use the cardio machines for 45 minutes straight. Sure, that will burn calories, but it doesn't build a better body.

In fact, there are a few "dark sides" to long slow cardio, including less-than-optimal results, the potential for overuse injuries, and it is an inefficient form of exercise. If you only have 30-45 minutes for your workout and you spend it all on a cardio machine, when are you going to train the rest of your muscles and sculpt a better body?

So the best way to burn belly fat is with a combination of strength training and interval training. It’s fast, it works, and it’s fun!

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss

the basics of proper eating

Before you get into what diet to lean your self towards weather that be south beach, Atkins , the zone or body for life you need to understand the structure of a proper diet. So as the saying goes see the forest for the tress, you need to make sure you are looking at the big picture. If you pick a diet format you think is going to work for you, it wont do you much good if you cant get the major factors down because you are too busy focusing on the details.
The major steps you should focus on first are
Eat 4-5 small meals a day
Be prepared, If you know the when, where and what for your next meal you are much less likely to make a quick stop for a double quarter pounder with a large coke. Stick to one plan, it wont do you much good to do one type of diet for breakfast, one type for dinner and one type for a late night snack

Goals !

Setting Goals
First is first, if you are yet to start training now is the time to establish a goal. Before you can get to where you want to be you need to know where that is. As you sit at your computer reading this I want you to take a second, sit back and think real hard about what you want to gain out of spending time at the gym. Is it a look that you want to see when you look in the mirror or is it an activity that you would like to perform better. If it’s vanity you are striving for find a picture of where you want your body to be in a set period of time, assess where you are currently, I find taking measurements to be the most accurate and straight forward method, then a build a time line to your goal. For those seeking fat loss realistically you want to shoot for 2 lbs of fat lost a week at the maximum. Now go out set some goals!
Shoot for the stars!