Archive for: December 2008

I thought you would enjoy this guest article by Jon Benson. This works.

Many fitness pros just plain don’t believe that you can burn fat while building muscle at the same time. Any time I read an article by some doctor or expert claiming it’s biologically impossible to gain muscle on a hypocaloric diet (a diet low in calories) I have to laugh.

??I do more than just make claims – I have proved this to be true many times. I’ve had my body fat hydrostatically measured during several peaks. In all but one I showed an increase of muscle mass and a decrease of body fat during a 12-16 week period. The one time I didn’t show an increase in muscle mass when was I was training the most in the gym. That may not make sense right now, but it will in a moment.

Read the full article here: Build Muscles in 7 Minutes!

These are among my favorite exercises and are very effective.

With a dumbbell in each hand, allow your hands to hang down at your side, palms facing in. Look straight ahead. Slowly raise your hands to the side until you reach about shoulder level. Rotate the dumbbells slightly, thumbs turning down and pinky turning up. Raise your arms a little above shoulder level.Hold a second, then lower.

Use a light weight for 12 reps, then add about 5 pounds per dumbbell and do a set of 10 reps, then 5 more pounds and do a set of 8 reps. Your shoulders will explode. If you have to in the beginning, you can use the same poundage throughout.

Now follow the basic instructions but this time raise your hands to the front until the weights are about even with your eyes. Palms are facing down throughout.

Add these 2 shoulder exercises and watch the shoulders grow.

This is a tough one and you need to start with a light weight. Be careful. You do not want to drop the weight on your foot.

Get a flat weight – maybe try a 5 lb plate to begin. The plates with a rim are great if you have them because there is much less chance of dropping them.

Grip the plate with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other. Simply raise your arm forward while gripping the weight. Do 8 – 10 reps if you can, then switch to the other hand. Work your way to 3 sets and increase the weight when you can safely do so.

This will help strengthen the forearms and will strengthen the grip as well.

Aside from abs, the biggest complaints I hear about from women tend to be hips and the rear. I run a lot of road races and run them at a pretty decent pace. I have been passed by a number of women who, despite the fact that they are obviously in very good physical condition (after all, they are ahead of me), have large hips.

One girl wrote me and told me her exercise routine. It was one heck of a routine. She still had problems with her hips and thighs bulking up. With the routine she followed, it seems obvious this is just a troublesome area for many women. What can be done?

Edward Jackowski’s had some good advice in Hold It! You’re Exercising Wrong!.

For women or men with wide hips he recommends jumping rope. Start with 5- to 10-minute bouts, if you can, then work up to 20-minute sessions. Make sure you have a rope with swivel handles from a sporting-goods store, and wear well-cushioned shoes.

Another good one for hips and rears is to get on your hands and knees and slowly raise your right leg behind you and up as far as you can. Hold for a count, then slowly return. Do the left leg. Try working your way up to 3 sets of 10 – 15 reps.

Lunges are also good for firming the thighs.

If you want to include running into your exercise program, congratulations! In my opinion, running is one of the best aerobic exercises you can do. It not only builds your heart muscle and helps you lose weight, but it also builds bone density in your legs.

How do you start though?

We’re going to start very slowly. Before beginning this running program, you should have been walking for 30 minutes at a time at least 3 days a week for 3 – 4 months. If you haven’t been, start doing that first, then return here later. Sorry. Running is a very strenuous exercise and just starting to run is not recommended.

There is no time limit here as to when you jump to the next session. That’s on purpose. I want you feeling comfortable at one level before going to the next. We’re going to assume here that you want to eventually run the full 30 munutes. If not, just stop when you get to a level you desire. That might even be level 1.

Level 1. Walk 5 minutes to warm up. Then begin to jog slowly for up to 1 minute. You should be breathing a little harder when you run, but you should still be able to talk (not sing though). If you are breathing too hard, slow down. Now walk until you feel totally recovered! If it takes you the rest of the workout to feel recovered, well, at least you got a minute in. When you feel recovered, do it again. Keep doing this until your workout is done. Be certain you finish your workout by walking at least 5 minutes. That’s the cool down period.

Level 2. All levels require you to walk 5 minutes both before and after. You may want to increase your workout to 40 minutes. (Don’t give that look – it’s only a suggestion). Now, try to increase your running periods to 2 minutes at a time between walks. Again, walk until you are fully recovered. You can stop at this level and continue. You’ll be getting a good workout with minimal strain and it will definitely help you stay in shape.

Level 3. If you’re going on, add 1 minute to your runs until you get up to 5 minutes running at a time. Next, try to cut the walk session to 1 minute. If good physical conditioning is your goal here, you may definitely stay at this level. This is not as easy as it sounds. But hey, it’s easier than it was when you first started, right?

Level 4. If you want to run the entire workout (except for the warmup and cooldown), simply keep adding more and more time to your runs until you are running for 20 or 30 minutes straight. That’s it. There is no time limit to hit each of these goals, and you can stop at whatever level you feel like staying at.

This program is not designed to train you for racing, speed, or other. If that is what you decide to do, read my other articles. This program is simply designed to help you get in shape and stay that way. Remember, one key is to be certain you can talk at all times during your training, without gasping for air. If you follow this rule, your workouts will be energizing, and you will gain the fitness level you desire.