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Body Part Routines Are A Joke...‏

A full body workout or ody oart routine? This is a view point from Vince DelMonte, Author & Creator, No Nonsense Muscle BuildingMen's Fitness Magazine Contributor

1. No transfer to reality.

Legs one day, back one day, chest one day, arms one day... why don't we have another day allocated to face muscles and another day for just finger muscles ?! You've probably heard the saying, "Form follows function." The way you train will determine the way you look but it will also determine the way you perform and live life. Yes, many people have improved the way they look with cosmetic oriented training -- bodybuilding -- but it has little to no transfer to functional living. I am assuming that you also want to be fit and be confident knowing that you have muscular strength, power, speed and eendurance. Let me clarify, I'm not against "split routines" where you split up "movements' to different days like squats, pull ups, over head presses one day and then deadlifts, bent over rows and bench press another day.

2. Hormonal response.

Science has shown that the more muscle one uses during a training session, the greater the amount of testosterone and human growth hormone that is released into your body. These are the two MAJOR hormones responsible for building muscle mass. Doing exercises like squats, presses, rows, DB swings, and snatches is like shooting testosterone and hGH through a powerful fire hose into your body! Doing a body part workout like biceps and triceps is like shooting testosterone and hGH into your body with little dinky squirt gun.

3. Training length.

Bodybuilding programs usually prescribe 12-24 sets for ONE muscle group. That's insane! Bodybuilding programs are like saying, "Go sprint a marathon!" It's impossible. Consider this. If I'm doing 12-24 sets on one muscle group then I can only train at 60-70% of my one rep max. Do you think that's actually intense? No! Where are the gains coming from? Where does the strength increase occur? That's why people do these marathon body part workouts for up to 2 hours. And when you train longer then (about) 60 minutes, hGH and testosterone hormones drop and cortisol, a catabolic hormone, begins to rise (leading to muscle LOSS). I will even go as far as to say that body part workouts tailor to wimps because the workouts are easy. They barely make me sweat.

4. Bone and joint strength

Again, science would tell you the only way to strengthen your skeletal structure including your tendons, ligaments and bones is HEAVY lifting. This requires multi-joint movements like deadlifts, cleans, presses, chin ups, rows and squats. Body part programs are filled with isolation exercises like leg curls, extensions, side raises, cable flys etc. These are all exercises that put the weightat the end of a long lever. This puts minimal stress on your skeletal structure because it's difficult to lift even if you're using a "heavy" weight. The only way to build NEW muscle mass on your body is to lift heavier and heavier weights and you can not do that by doing exercises that waste your energy and do not maximize strength gains.

How healthy is coffee? decaf? What about teas?‏

A personal message from mike geary to me,

Apparently, tea is the most consumed beverage world-wide. However, in the US, coffee is the most consumed beverage.

So is this addiction to coffee bad or good for you?

We all have heard the endless benefits of teas and all of the various antioxidant quantities and varieties in green, white, oolong, black, and rooibos teas, as well as other herbal teas. However, the general consensus appears to be a little more vague about whether coffee is beneficial or detrimental to your health.

From the research I've done and viewing opinions on the matter that go both ways, it's my opinion that coffee DOES have some beneficial effects, but it's best done in moderation (such as a cup every other day) instead of the typical 2-4 cups per day that most Americans drink.

One positive benefit is that coffee is a rich source of antioxidants similar to how teas and cocoa are rich sources of various antioxidants. It seems that the high antioxidant content of coffee over-rules any negative components of coffee such as the tars, etc.

Another benefit of coffee is that it contains several minerals as well as chlorogenic acid which can help improve insulin sensitivity and improve liver function in your body. Keep in mind that decaf is NOT considered a healthy choice due to the chemical processing it undergoes to remove the caffeine. This chemical processing can also damage the natural antioxidants in coffee as well as leave a certain percentage of the decaffeinating chemical in the coffee. So you need to drink the full octane coffee to reap the potential benefits.

However, there lies part of the problem. The caffeine in coffee is in higher levels and also has the ability to create addiction to caffeine much more than teas. In teas, not only is the caffeine quantity lower, but it also has a more muted effect than coffee. It is theorized that the caffeine response is more friendly in the body from tea because some of the other compounds in tea help to mute the effect of the caffeine it contains.

Back to coffee... the caffeine addiction that most people get from coffee is one of the major problems associated with drinking multiple cups per day. Also keep in mind that it's best to drink coffee black... instead of with cream, sugar, fake creamers (which most have trans fats), or artificial sweeteners. If you don't like it black, try to use a touch of stevia, a very small amount of sugar, or a little touch of real maple syrup. One of my favorites is to make a cup of coffee, add a little cocoa powder (even more antioxidants), and a little stevia or real maple syrup. Sort of a "mocha-maple coffee". Mmm good!

Since teas have much lower quantities of caffeine and still have tremendous antioxidant benefits, having daily teas appears to be a smarter alternative than daily coffee. If you really love coffee, I do think there can be some benefits to it, but like I mentioned, my opinion is that it's best only a couple times a week instead of every single day to prevent the strong caffeine addiction.

A little fact about teas... Did you know that green tea, white tea, black tea, and oolong tea all come from the same plant? Yep. Black tea is the fermented leaves.Green tea is non-fermented leaves.White tea is young buds.Oolong tea is from the stems. They all have different concentrations and compositions of various antioxidants, so it can be beneficial to include some variety into the teas that you get. Another lesser known tea is called Rooibos tea (red tea) native to south africa. This tea also has high levels of antioxidants but in different compositions than the other teas. So with all of this about tea and coffee being considered, what I like to do is rotate 4 or 5 different teas and have a different one almost every day of the week, and then have coffee no more than once or twice a week.

One of the benefits of this variability is that you really diversify your antioxidant intake (as well as eliminating boredom since you're drinking something different every day). Enjoy! **I forgot to mention last week...

To give you some extra motivation this year to get in the best shape of your life, entering a contest is one of the best ways to do this... Remember the Body for Life Contests that were so popular years ago? Well people really did get in the best shape of their lives partially because of the competitive factor of being involved in a contest. There's an alternative this year to the Body for Life Contest (and you have a much better chance of winning as your pool of competitors is much smaller than BFL!)... You can join Craig B's TT contest. The last day you must join if you want a shot at winning the prizes is January 21, 2008. Here are the prizes: Grand Prize - $2000 & a 3-year Platinum TT Membership Second Place - $1000 & a 2-year Platinum TT Membership Third Place - $500 & a 1-Year Platinum TT Membership You must purchase a copy of TT to enter into the contest and you will keep a training journal and enter your before/after pics on the membership site that you'll get access to. If you want that extra bit of motivation to get in the best shape of your life and also have a chance at winning $500, $1000, or even $2000 at the same time, then purchase a copy of Craig's TT program and get started at: http://beyondcardioworkouts.com

If you've already purchased a copy of this and want to enter the contest, you should have received the details from Craig. If not, you can contact them at their site above for the details. Remember, if you want to compete in this contest, you need to start asap and get your photos and info submitted on the membership site by no later than Jan 21, 2008. It's a 12-week contest similar to BFL. Alright, I'll be back in a couple days with more lean body secrets. Til then, don't be lazy... be lean.

Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition SpecialistCertified Personal TrainerFounder - Truth About Abs

Relieve Muscle Soreness

Muslce Soreness After A Workout? Try some of these!

1. Static Stretching.

Focus on slow and gradual stretching. Stretch each muscle just to where you begin to feel the stretch then hold that position until you feel the muscle let go. Do not bounce or force the muscle unless you want to create more harm than good.

2. Light Exercise.

Muscles that are not used will become stiff and take longer to become pain free. Gentle, non-stressful exercise will increase the circulation and relax your muscles.

3. Massage.

Good old fashioned massage acts much like light exercise or gentle stretching by increasing your circulation and coaxing the muscles to relax. The differences are that with massage you need do nothing other than simply enjoy, and the massage therapist can locate and work with those areas of your musculature most in need of attention.

4. Cold.

Cold water or ice breaks the pain/ischemia/spasm cycle by increasing the circulation and interfering with pain signals. Ice is also an excellent anti-inflammatory agent and will greatly speed healing. I run my muscles under cold water for 3-10 minutes after a workout.

5. Alternating Hot and Cold.

Since the thought of hot often seems more soothing it is included here, but in combination with cold. Hot water will relax muscles and increase circulation but will also increase inflammation and swelling within muscle fibers. Therefore it is important to alternate with cold and end with cold. This can take the form of a sauna and swim, a whirlpool and cold plunge, a hot and cold shower or a hot bath and ice. After 3-10 minutes of cold, run the hot shower on your legs for 1 minute. And than repeat a few times.

6. Movement In The Pool.

Water supports your muscles and makes them easier to use. If you are extremely sore it will be easier for you to use your muscles in the pool either walking, stretching, or gently swimming.

No more soreness? Get continue to get our butts working!

Empowering Quotes

"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."- William Jennings Bryan

"Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference."- Nolan Bushnell

"Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent."- Marilyn vos Savant

"Don't fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have."- Louis E. Boone

Chilli - A Common food that boosts your metabolism‏

An Article by Mike Geary, TruthAboutAbs.com

**How Your Spice Cabinet Can Boost Your Metabolism**

I've written before about the power of certain herbs and spices in terms of antioxidant capacity and other health benefits. If you remember, I wrote a couple months ago about the super-food status of cinnamon and how powerful a health food (or rather spice) that it can be.

The next super-spice -- Chili!

I was just reading about a recent Australian study that documented how you can burn more calories, increase your metabolism slightly, and help control your blood sugar and insulin levels by including chili peppers and chili spice (or cayenne) in your foods.

Keep in mind, this may be a minor "detail", but when you add up a lot of these types of "details", you can make significant changes to your body over time. As you've probably heard in the past, the active ingredient in chili pepper (capsaicin) can cause slight increases in your metabolic rate and calorie burning from a meal.

This has been reported many times in both animal and human studies. However, in this Australian study, Madeleine J. Ball, MD, one of the researchers from the study, sought to find out how chili pepper affected blood sugar and insulin response after a meal. As you know, chronically high insulin levels in your body can not only cause deposition of excess body fat, but also can lead to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

The study was split into groups of subjects that ate meals without chili spice, and other groups of subjects that ate meals with chili pepper. As it turned out, the chili pepper eating groups had lower insulin levels and more stable blood sugar after the meals than the groups that ate the same food without chile.

According to Dr. Ball, "the chili is probably having some effect on the ability of the body to clear -- or remove -- insulin from the bloodstream". Aside from the temporary calorie burning boost and insulin controlling response, apparently chili pepper also has significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties...

So if you can handle a bit of spicyness, go ahead and enjoy adding some extra cayenne or chili pepper to your pot of meat & bean chili, your morning eggs, meat dishes, and other meals, knowing it's possibly giving you a slight edge in the fat burning department. One of my favorite meals that I've been eating a lot of lately is my home-made chili. I make big batches of it, and that leaves leftovers for quick and healthy meals whenever you need them.

The Knee-In Exercise

The Knee-In Exercise
Area Targeted = Lower Abs

The knee in exercise develops, strengthens, and defines the lower abdominal area. It also includes the upper abdominal area and the external obliques as well.
How to position yourself for knee ins
Lie flat on your back, with your legs extended straight out. Place your hands beneath your buttocks so your sitting bones are resting on top of your thumbs.
Keeping your feet together, lift your legs and feet three to six inches off the ground.

How to perform knee ins

Take a deep breath in and focus your attention on your lower abdominal muscles.
Breathe out and flex your lower abdominal muscles while pulling your knees in toward your chest. You'll want to try to bring your knees in to a ninety degree angle if possible.
Once you've reached your peak, squeeze out all the air from your lungs by flexing your lower abdominal muscles as hard as you can for one to two seconds.
Keeping the tension on your lower abdominal muscles, take a deep breath in and begin to extend your legs out toward the floor until they are three to six inches from the ground again.
Keeping your feet from touching the floor, take another deep breath in and repeat the movement until you have completed your set.

What your knee ins should look like

Things to remember when doing knee ins

Don't allow yourself to rock back and forth. Rocking reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and could lead to injury. Take your time with this exercise and keep your body steady and controlled.
Picture any fat you may have melting away from your lower abdominal area and hard, well-defined muscles replacing any fat that was once there.
Don't let your feet touch the ground and try to keep your knees and feet together.
Keep your mind focused on developing your lower abdominal muscles, and visualize your lower abs looking exactly the way you want them to eventually look throughout the entire exercise.
Remember to breath naturally with each repetition.
If you would like a little bit more of a challenge you can bring your knees in closer to your chest if you'd like, but try not to lift your lower back off the ground.