Best ways to train

That’s not a typo in the title, I did mean best ways and not best way. Because there is no one way to train optimally. Or … there is. Confused? Good 

So many trainers and "gurus" are telling us that their way is the way, the only way you’ll ever … burn fat, build muscle, etc. Some of them are just repeating something they’ve read in a magazine, some have really tried the program they claim is the one to end all search for your solution. However, they are all wrong, to a degree.

There is no universal program that will truly end all search. What works well for one person, may not do a d***d thing for the other; or at best give them slower and weaker results, which is of course, discouraging!

Where you will have the best chance at finding the right program for you, which is what you want after all, is when you find the program inventor/discoverer or whatever you want to call them, who was at a similar point in life to where you are now, before they changed to become the person you admire today.

Let’s say you’re a scrawny person, the kind that cannot seem to put on any weight no matter what you do. If you like the looks of an internet "guru" you will be tempted to follow their advise, right? But make sure you follow the advise of one who was a scrawny "before" person (Jeff Anderson being one of those), not the former fatty!

The same goes if you are now overweight or obese. Look for a "guru" who used to be overweight or obese themselves before they developed their program and look as fabulous now as you want to look by your goal date (Such as Jon Benson).

You may still not find the optimal program for your body, your ambition, your lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to shop around a little, look at other programs as well. Your body adapts, it gets used to what you ask of it. After a year, the program that worked perfectly may no longer be the best thing for you, or you want to have two programs to switch between every 6 months or so.

When you get the "HIIT or nothing" cardio pushers vs. the "steady state cardio is the only way" they are in fact both right; it just depends on how their bodies work and accept the different cardio training. It’s a little more complicated than that really, but just to keep it simple for now, I’ll put it down to body-type and previous training experience. What the HIIT-guys probably don’t think about either, is that everyone can’t do those spurts they ask for - not necessarily because their hearts or lungs can’t handle the pace, but the bladders could have that stress related leak problem, and running certainly is not an option in that case.

The same thing could well be the case with weight programs. It’s not because one says to use only circuit training or the other says to use as heavy a weight as you can and rest between sets, that either is right or wrong. These are just different routines, different ways of targeting the muscles and tricking them into adding strength and size. Some of the exercises you may not be able to do, either physically or mentally (and by that I mean that you can’t seem to get the mind-muscle connection from an exercise), but there are always alternative exercises for any body part. The "guru’s" claim that you must use only the exercise chosen in the program … don’t let it phase you and keep you from doing that program if there is just one or two exercises you feel you need to switch, it’ll still work!

In light of all this, why am I then doing Combat The Fat, since it’s designed by an ex-army guy and a hard-gainer, when I’m an ex-couch-potato and gain easily? Good question.

Reason nr one, good old female curiosity 

Reason nr two, the guy is over 40 and had added some "winter fat" all of a sudden, and he used this program to burn it off, so it could work on me too.

Reason nr three, the army gets all kinds of people in as recruits, hard gainers, people who gain (fat) easily, all three  -morph types, so it had to work, right? Well, it does.

I’m jealous  Lewis has a 4-pack already! In just 6 weeks, he gets a 4-pack! I know, men and their testosterone, right? They drop that bodyfat faster, the pack on muscle faster, and as a result look better/good faster. The pictures tell me I’m looking better than on day 1, which is obviously why I say this program works; and there are 6 weeks left till the challenge dead-line. I am confident that I’ll at least have a shadow of a 4-pack by then! (so there!)

In any case, if you do opt for a 12-week challenge - almost every program has them, especially in spring - remember that life does not stop after those 12 weeks.

You may not win the challenge itself, but you will have won your own self respect and admiration ("hey, I can do this! I work out regularly, eat clean, and I’ve dropped x-nr of lbs of fat or gained so many of muscle"!). Don’t stop because the challenge is over!!

My plan is to keep it up for 13 weeks in fact, then take a week off (possibly doing the EODD detox, not sure yet) and start up again for another 13 weeks of the same Combat The Fat program before taking two weeks off. By then, we’ll be mid-October, and I have no idea what I’ll be doing after those two weeks off while my parents are visiting from Europe, but I do know I won’t just sit on the couch all winter! BFFM? Jon Benson’s new program to be launched next week? I have NO idea right now, but I’ll let you know when the time comes!

The message I’m trying to get across is basically to shop around for a couple of programs that suit you; then stick to them, switching between one and the other to ward off boredom and keep your muscles "guessing" at what’s going to hit them next. You can also mix and match programs … pick the EODD for the nutrition part, especially if you don’t feel like calculating and weighing and doing more maths than cooking; use CTF for the fat burning training; switch to BFFM for winter training or keep CTF until you have the bodyfat levels where you want them … it’s up to you. You will be the one designing the perfect program for you!

You are the one who knows you best, so listen to you and take care of you while you’re still there to do it!

Never mind what you did before, how you erred and messed up and got to the out-of-shape state you’re in (assuming you are). You build the future starting now, the past is … well, gone really isn’t it!? So forget it, or learn from it and move on to better ways and better days!

Check out www.atozfitness.com for all programs we have tested and trust. Remember there are a number of free e-book downloads by the same authors as the programs, so you can have a sneak-peek into their way of thinking and explaining before you decide who you want to give your trust to.

Oh, and you don’t have to have a female trainer if you’re female and male if you’re male … a muscle will respond just as well regardless of trainer gender! The main difference I’ve found, is that many "female programs" are too soft in the approach; which is why Karen Sessions is on the AtoZ page … nothing overly soft about that Iron Doll 

There is a free download of hers on the page; as well as one from Jon Benson on cardio, and a chapter by Tom Venuto from the old All Stars e-book  if you sign up for the AtoZ Fitness Newsletter; so yes, you can find your program or combination of programs, knowing they are not there to fill up a web page, but to give you the best choice possible when you decide to make that lifestyle change or look to find a plateau breaker, or just variation.

And if you feel you need someone to be accountable to, or you want help setting up the whole program, I’m just a click or two away at www.trainwithsarah.com

Most important though: have fun with it !!

Train with a smile on your face, it makes it easier!!
Sarah, CPT
www.trainwithsarah.com

Adaptations To Sprint Training
By Vince DelMonte

If you are looking to improve your physical conditioning, sprint training is one of the best ways to go about doing so.

Many individuals prefer sprint training because it takes a lot less time than traditional forms of cardio that have you going for thirty to sixty minutes at a time and there are a great number of benefits that will be seen when you do this more intense form of sprint training workout.

EPOC

One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from sprinting is the EPOC effects it creates. This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and is where the body will expend a great deal of calories returning the body back to its former state after the workout.

Because sprint training is so intense, this will contribute to a large calorie burn after you have finished the workout. To even further increase the EPOC that is seen, consider doing hill sprint training. Since this is even more intense in nature, it will further challenge your body.

Metabolic Adaptations

Next, when you perform a number of sprint training workouts, the body will upregulate its ability to produce enzymes that are going to work at increasing the storage capacity of the muscle for energy substrates such as ATP.

This then has the corresponding effect of allowing you to work out harder for a longer period of time without fatigue setting in. Note though that this occurs when you are working more on the aerobic side of things, so while it is intense, you are still utilizing oxygen.

If no oxygen is present, you will only be able to last 5-20 seconds, regardless of how well conditioned you are (the better condition you are though, the harder you will be able to work during that time).

Phosphate Metabolism

The next benefit you’ll get with sprint training is its effect on phosphate metabolism. Phosphate creatine stores comprise a major component of the body’s fuel source for muscular activity, so anything you can do to increase this is going to be beneficial.

Myokinase is an enzyme that is responsible for resynthesizing the energy from phosphate creatine, and with sprint training, it will increase its concentration within the muscle tissue by up to 20%.

Glycolysis

The next adaptation that will occur after you’ve been doing sprint training for a period of time is that of glycolysis. This is the primary form of metabolism used during a 10 second all out sprint and contributes between 55 and 75% towards energy production during exercise.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK), an enzyme that catalyses the phosphorylation of the glycolytic intermediate fructose 6-phosphate), has also been shown to increase when sprint training is performed, along with the enzymes of lactate dehydrogenase and glycogen phosphorylase (other enzymes responsible for the glycolysis system).

Intramuscular Buffering Capacity

Finally, the last adaptation that’s seen with sprint training is the buffering capacity of the muscle. During glycoglysis, various byproducts are created such as lactic acid, and when these accumulate, it causes the extreme feelings of fatigue in the muscle tissues.

This then forces you to stop exercising as the fatigue sets in and often will be the end of your workout.

Overtime, sprint training will increase your ability to buffer these byproducts so that you can then workout for a longer period of time while maintaining that intensity.

So, next time you’re debating about whether to do a sprint training session or a moderate paced cardio session lasting for 40 minutes or so, opt for the sprint session.

The benefits you’ll receive are far more numerous and fat loss will be kicked up a notch as an added benefit. Keep in mind that for these type of benefits to occur, you want your sprints to last somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 seconds to 40 seconds, with a work to rest ration of about 1:2. Repeat this process a total of 6 to 8 times and begin and end with a five minute warm-up and cool-down.

Click-Here to visit Vince Delmonte's site and get all of the following f.ree gifts.


 

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About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com

He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly by using the correct cardiovascular and weight lifting techniques.

Using HIGH Reps To Build Muscle? Three Ways To Do It That Will Shatter ANY Muscle Growth Plateau!

By Nick Nilsson

Normally, when you think "muscle," you probably think "low reps"...but I've got
three ways to use HIGH reps to slap the muscle on you FAST.

When I say "muscle building," I'm sure the first thing that jumps into your head is NOT high-rep training!

In fact, when trying to build muscle, most trainers will actively stay FAR away from anything resembling high reps (and when I say high reps, I mean anything more than 13 to 15 reps per set).

Here's the thing...that can actually be a HUGE mistake!

Just like heavy weights and low reps, the higher rep ranges can be a VERY valuable and even ESSENTIAL tool in your muscle-building arsenal.

I've got three high-rep training techniques I want to share with you right now. And I'm going to explain EXACTLY why each one is critical to your muscle-building success.

1. Very Light Weight, Very High Reps

Yep, I know this sounds absolutely CRAZY. How can light weight and very high reps do ANYTHING for building muscle? Here's a hint…it's not about resistance…it's about physiology.

In order for a muscle to grow, first you've got to stimulate growth by overloading it with resistance - no argument there. But AFTER you've stimulated the growth, you've got to supply NUTRIENTS to the muscle cells to help them rebuild.

What if your blood supply is poor to the trained muscle? Got a muscle group that doesn't pump up very easily? It's probably one of your hardest muscle groups to develop. Poor circulation means fewer nutrients get to that muscle for recovery and rebuilding, leading to reduced growth.

THAT is where light weight and very high reps come into play. You see, VERY high reps have the effect of increasing capillarization in muscle tissue (simply defined, capillaries are the tiny blood vessels where blood cells release their nutrients to the rest of the cells in the body).

Bottom line, you do a set of 100 reps and your body responds by increasing capillary density in the targeted muscle, which SETS THE STAGE for future muscle growth.

The high reps sets don't directly CAUSE muscle growth (the resistance isn't high enough), they just improve blood circulation to the target muscle so when you DO train heavy and for lower reps, your target muscle gets more nutrients and can grow and recover more easily.

Want to put this tip to work?

Pick a "hard to pump" muscle and at the start of EVERY workout you do for that bodypart (e.g. every time you train biceps), do a single set of 100 reps with a VERY light weight. Basically, pick an exercise and just CRANK out the reps. Do this EVERY time you train that bodypart and you soon will start to notice a difference in how easily that muscle pumps up and how well it grows.

2. Moderate-Weight, High-Rep Training

This sure sounds like an oxymoron. After all, how can you use moderate weights when you're performing high reps!

As a matter of fact, you CAN. In fact, it's one of THE best training techniques you can use for building muscle FAST. It's a technique even elite powerlifters (who normally train with VERY low reps) use to increase muscle mass.

There are definitely certain exercises that lend themselves more to heavy-weight, high-rep training. Squats, for example, are the best example for this technique (you may be familiar with the popular "20-Rep Squat" program),

This moderate-weight, high-rep training has many of the same circulation benefits of the VERY high rep training but with the advantage of increased resistance, which will help directly stimulate muscle growth in addition to helping improve circulation.

Using myself as an example, I used squats with this technique and worked up to performing a set of 40 reps with 315 lbs (believe me, THAT was fun…). I've also managed a set of 25 reps with 225 lbs and a set of 70 reps with 135 lbs on the bench press.

This technique can be used with any exercise, really. You'll find some exercises work better for it than others but basically, you're taking a weight that is a bit lighter than your normal working weights and you're just focusing on cranking out the reps.

Like the previous technique, I find this is best done at the beginning of a workout when you're still fresh. You'll be able to get more reps out of the exercise that way. Some trainers like to use it as a back-off set (powerlifters generally use it this way), doing the high-reps with moderate weight after finishing with the heavier stuff.

So next time you're about to do squats, put a moderate weight on the bar and just see how many reps you can crank out! Forget about what you're going to do on the rest of your sets - just get as MANY as you can. Your legs will be hit with a whole new muscle-building stimulus!

3. High-Rep Partial Training

This final tip brings us into an interesting area. High-rep partial training actually allows you to do high-rep training with HEAVY weight! In fact, you will be AMAZED at how much weight you can use with this style of training.

We're going to be getting the benefits not only of the increased circulation that I mentioned with light-weight, high-rep training, but we're also going to get the substantial muscle-building benefits of using HEAVY weights at the same time.

Another benefit…because you're using heavier-than-normal weights, you're going to be working your connective tissue very effectively as well. And, because you're using high-reps, you're going to be forcing a LOT of blood into that connective tissue, which is notorious for its normally poor blood supply. This helps immensely with strengthening and healing.

High-rep partial training is fairly straightforward to perform. It's best done in a power rack, where it's easy to adjust the range of motion. For example, using bench press, you can set the safety rails to a few inches below the lockout position.

Working in only that top range of motion (which is the strongest segment of the range of motion) means you can use a LOT more weight than you normally could for the full-range exercise.

So you set up the bench, set up the rails and add some weight. Now you just perform as many partial reps as you can! To give you an idea of weight and reps, I've done sets of 50+ reps with 315 lbs on high-rep lockout partial bench press.

High-rep partial training can be done at any point in your workout, as an addition to your "normal" training (1 or 2 sets) or as the complete bodypart workout on its own.

The Final Word

Overall, I'm a big fan of high-rep training for building muscle, when PROPERLY used. These three techniques are VERY effective for not only setting the stage for muscle growth but actually building the muscle itself!

If you're interested in a program that makes use of ALL of these techniques, definitely check out my latest book "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass."

I make use of each one of these techniques during various phases of the program. When it comes to building muscle FAST, I've not found a program that works better:

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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," “Muscle Explosion,”"The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available by here 

He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.