Good morning everyone! I just left the gym after a vigorous workout hope you will join me in a fitness regime if you have not already. I returned to the gym after not working out from September 2011 through March 2012. I have to tell you it was really hard going back and trying to workout with any real intensity. Physically difficult but mentally depressing realizing how much I had lost and all the work in front of me. My weight was up to 240 lbs, the heaviest I have been ever in my life. A 38" waist started me thinking but seeing myself on a video was the motivation I needed.
Initially I was frustrated and ready to quit because I could not do what I wanted and it was somewhat embarrassing as fellow gym members began questioning me about my inability to lift heavy weight. My response was to follow a process of lifting that did not allow me to move to a heavier weight until I had reached at least 10 reps on any motion. Moving from my maximum bench press of 425 to barely being able to bench 225 for more than 5 reps was a crushing blow to my ego. Putting ego aside and suppressing my ego I moved forward a little at a time. I am happy top say I have progressed tremendously and I am now benching 335 and getting 8-10 reps with 275. I also have reduced my weight to about 218 with a 32-34" waistline. No trick to it just hard work and following a process.
At present I am alternating my workouts from very heavy with minimal reps to moderate weight with high repetitions. As I post I will be posting my workouts under a tab I will add named About me. So follow along get some tips and workout routines and if you need help you may contact me here or on Facebook. Personal training is available as well as I have been certified for at least 20 years and I stay abreast of all the latest information.
Below you will find some information about fitness and how to increase your lean muscle mass. I will add some explanation as well.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/26/reasons-youre-lean-want/?intcmp=features
Top 10 reasons you're not as lean as you want to be
Published August 26, 2012
Askmen.com
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iStock
You work hard in the gym, you watch what you eat, you go running every morning, but you're still not as lean as you want to be. What gives? It could be one of many things according to strength and conditioning coach Nick Mitchell, who was recently named London's Best Personal Trainer 2010 in Time Out magazine.
The founder of Ultimate Performance Personal Training says: "With all the good will in the world, your training may not be enough to get yourself into shape. If you're committing any one of these sins, you'll never be as lean as you want to be."
Here are the top 10 suggestions as to why you may not be as lean as you'd hope to be.
You Eat Too Much Fruit
The founder of Ultimate Performance Personal Training says: "With all the good will in the world, your training may not be enough to get yourself into shape. If you're committing any one of these sins, you'll never be as lean as you want to be."
Here are the top 10 suggestions as to why you may not be as lean as you'd hope to be.
You Eat Too Much Fruit
Instead, it just lingers around reaping metabolic havoc via a process known as glycation, whereby the fructose binds to amino acids leading to such lovely things as fat gain and metabolic aging. Renowned clinical nutritionist Robert Crayhon has said that “Fructose is the guest that won’t go home once the party is over.”
Your body stores sugar for emergencies via the bodies natural processes and adding sugar to your diet increases the amount of work you have to do to burn it off. This important because in order to burn fat you must burn the sugar off first and this takes 20 to 30 minutes. This is why 20 minutes or less of cardio prior to your the remainder of your workout does not produce the results you desire. I recommend doing cardio as the last part of your workout after the fight or flight fuel is depleted.
You Are Lazy
You Are LazyYou have been sold the story that a few easy jogs and some low-calorie meals are all you need to be lean. Get real.
If you are aspiring to become a Men’s Health cover model, then you need to graft and work at it -- every single day. Three-times-a-week sessions in the gym just won’t cut it, and some of you may even need twice-a-day training. To look extreme, you have to train extreme.
No comment this speaks for itself. Do not believe the hype of the crappy gimmicks sold on TV.
You Obsess Too MuchThere is a fine line between dedication and obsession. The former is necessary to transform your physique; the latter will ultimately lead to burn out, elevated cortisol levels and poorer overall condition.
Take a leaf out of the book of men who maybe knew a thing or two about getting in ridiculous shape, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman. Two totally different characters united by their ability to focus completely on the task at hand, and then switch off and relax outside of the gym.
Yoga and meditation are good ways to relax and prevent the production of cortisol a powerful hormone that increaases belly fat.
You Don’t Lift Heavy Enough WeightsHeavy weights build muscular physiques. Yes, I know that Olympic gymnasts look great but they are genetically elite midgets who are in fact capable of astounding feats of strength. Don’t pump out sets of 25 reps in the gym; instead, strive to always get stronger and spread out your repetition ranges.
Do workouts of 6 reps per set one week, then 12 reps the next, then 5, 8, 4, and back to 6. Trust me, when I tell you that this is one of the very best ways to develop an impressive body.
The idea is that your muscles have their own memory which allows them to adjust to your routine if you are doing the same one all of the time. You will plateau and no progress is made. I have often heard people say they are on a maintenance program. There is no such beast. Either you are making progress or you are losing ground. Life does not stand still and if you do it will pass you by.
You Have No Knowledge of Hormone ControlIf you are overstressed, under sleeping, eating too much sugar, and never have any downtime, then chances are that you are not looking too hot right now. If you can’t get a handle on your own hormones, then good intentions and hard gym work will be for naught.
Educate yourself on insulin, cortisol, growth hormone, and testosterone, and the best ways to optimise your own natural production. Better yet, seek out the advice of someone who has taught Charles Poliquin’s BioSignature Modulation theories -- this can really fast-track you down the path of physical excellence.
Again cortisol is the culprit since stress produces cortisol which produces Belly Fat
If you are aspiring to become a Men’s Health cover model, then you need to graft and work at it -- every single day. Three-times-a-week sessions in the gym just won’t cut it, and some of you may even need twice-a-day training. To look extreme, you have to train extreme.
No comment this speaks for itself. Do not believe the hype of the crappy gimmicks sold on TV.
You Obsess Too MuchThere is a fine line between dedication and obsession. The former is necessary to transform your physique; the latter will ultimately lead to burn out, elevated cortisol levels and poorer overall condition.
Take a leaf out of the book of men who maybe knew a thing or two about getting in ridiculous shape, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronnie Coleman. Two totally different characters united by their ability to focus completely on the task at hand, and then switch off and relax outside of the gym.
Yoga and meditation are good ways to relax and prevent the production of cortisol a powerful hormone that increaases belly fat.
You Don’t Lift Heavy Enough WeightsHeavy weights build muscular physiques. Yes, I know that Olympic gymnasts look great but they are genetically elite midgets who are in fact capable of astounding feats of strength. Don’t pump out sets of 25 reps in the gym; instead, strive to always get stronger and spread out your repetition ranges.
Do workouts of 6 reps per set one week, then 12 reps the next, then 5, 8, 4, and back to 6. Trust me, when I tell you that this is one of the very best ways to develop an impressive body.
The idea is that your muscles have their own memory which allows them to adjust to your routine if you are doing the same one all of the time. You will plateau and no progress is made. I have often heard people say they are on a maintenance program. There is no such beast. Either you are making progress or you are losing ground. Life does not stand still and if you do it will pass you by.
You Have No Knowledge of Hormone ControlIf you are overstressed, under sleeping, eating too much sugar, and never have any downtime, then chances are that you are not looking too hot right now. If you can’t get a handle on your own hormones, then good intentions and hard gym work will be for naught.
Educate yourself on insulin, cortisol, growth hormone, and testosterone, and the best ways to optimise your own natural production. Better yet, seek out the advice of someone who has taught Charles Poliquin’s BioSignature Modulation theories -- this can really fast-track you down the path of physical excellence.
Again cortisol is the culprit since stress produces cortisol which produces Belly Fat
You Think Fortified Cereals Are “Health Foods”If you really think you’ll get lean eating cereal, then I have some swampland I’d like to sell you:
Cereal is bad in pretty much every way, bar the taste of course. All the studies from the 1980s that espoused the health benefits of cereal were sponsored by one very large, very well-known cereal manufacturer. Instead, have eggs and steak for breakfast, and go and buy the excellent Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.
You Do Too Much Regular CardioWe have all seen them, the cardio bunnies toiling away on their treadmills. What we usually don’t see, however, is any change in their physical appearance. This is because the body is a very clever organism and adapts to most forms of cardio in a matter of weeks.
Sure, you will still be working hard, but your metabolism shifts a gear and goes into cruise control rather than working too hard. So, instead of wasting too much time worrying about cardio, simply lift a few more weights, sprint a few more hills and eat a few less carbs.
You Party Too MuchWe all need a quick lifestyle check once in a while. If your physique goals are not progressing the way you want them to, then it often pays to examine what is going on in your social life. Just because your buddy is ripped and can get away with a few brews every Saturday night doesn’t mean that you can. In fact, he is the exception and the only thing that counts is you and how different factors impact upon your body.
Late nights, drinking, smoking -- all of these will substantively negate your otherwise hard work in the gym and in the kitchen. If a great physique is your goal for the summer, then it’s time to knock the vices on the head for a little while. And then, when you do party, think how much fun it will be sporting a new six pack.
You Think Abdominal Training Is EasyNo, it’s not. If done correctly, abdominal training can be excruciating. The concept of banging out 50 quick sit-ups disappeared along with the ozone layer in the 1980s.
Abdominals are actually fast-twitch muscles and this means that relatively low (40 seconds) time under tension is optimal for development and muscular growth. This means 15 reps max.
You Believe the Myth of DisciplineThere is no such thing as discipline, all we have is love. Either you love being lean and ripped, or you love burgers, fries and donuts. Stop making excuses about having a “lack of discipline” and man up -- what do you love the most?
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