Quick - 3 Exercise Circuit

Here is a circuit that I did this morning. It has 3 exercises you must perform. You will do a total of 5 sets for the entire workout. This workout will target your Chest, Back, and Legs. It shouldn't take you longer than 45-50 minutes to complete. I would suggest this type of workout just to mix things up from time to time, especially when your body is getting used to your current workout and you need something different.

Smith Machine Bench Press : 1 set of 10 reps

Smith Machine Squat

superset with
Smith Machine Squats : 1 set of 10 reps
superset with
Smith Machine Deadlift : 1 set of 10 reps.

You do not rest when completing the 3 exercises. You will do all 3 exercises then that equals 1 set. You will do a total of 5 complete sets. The goal is to try and do all sets with good form with little rest as possible.

Smith Machine Deadlift

Your heart rate should be pretty high through the entire workout which will help with fat loss if that is one of your goals.

Get out there and give it a try.

AP

Smith Machine Bench Press

Hill Sprints = Great Fat Burning Cardio

Hey guys,

Hope everyone is doing great today. Today is my off day for lifting in the gym, and since im visiting family and friends in the next city over I figure I would take advantage of a an awesome hill located next to Menchville High School and get a good cardio workout in.

These kids have the right idea!

Here is a tremendous article about doing hill sprints for burning fat - http://jasonferruggia.com/hill-sprints-for-fat-loss/

Doing hill sprints does not take that long and you will actually burn more fat and calories doing these short sprinting workouts compared to running on a treadmill for an hour and going insane in the process.

A sprinters body

What I did was very simple and nothing extreme and you should really give it a try as soon as you can.

This mornings "off day" cardio workout :

• 1/4 mile walk

• 1/4 mile medium paced jog

• STRETCH

• 10 hill sprints up the hill. Run as fast as you can and be explosive with every step you take then jog back down the hill and without resting turn around and sprint back up the hill. Do this 10 strait times.

• Rest for  5 minutes.

• 5 hill sprints. Just repeat what you did for the previous 10 hill sprints, only doing 5 this time.

• Then I "power walked" .. just walk at a fast pace for 2 miles and then your done. This workout only took about 15-20 minutes max. 

Here is a great video of my good buddy Gary Deagle at the same hill I was at this morning, demonstrating how to do hill sprints. Gary is the owner of Your Time 24-7 Fitness. They have two locations now, one is in Chesapeake  VA and they just recently opened up a brand new location in Yorktown, VA. Gary has many years of experience as a personal trainer and really knows his stuff about health and fitness. 

10 tips for working out and reaching your fitness goals

• Have a specific goal before starting a program. Do not just go to the gym everyday not knowing what you are working for. If you know what you want (lose a certain # of pounds, gain a certain # of pounds, drop BF %, gain strength in certain lifts, etc) then you will be more motivated and focused to reach that goal. 
• You do not grow muscle while working out. (what you see at the gym is called "the pump", that is just all the blood flowing to those muscles as you work them) You get stronger when you rest. So you need to always try and get 7-8 hours of good sleep every night. 
• Diet is the most important factor when trying to reach any fitness goal. You will not lose weight or body fat or get bigger and stronger if you are eating fast food everyday. You need to try and stick to a clean diet as much as you can. 
• Have some clue about the human anatomy and where certain muscles actually are. If you do not know where a muscle is just Google it. If you unsure on how to do a certain exercise then Google it, or use www.bodybuilding.com They have every single exercise with a video explaining how to do it. I use it whenever I am unsure of something. 

• Keep a detailed training log with you when working out. You can not know if you are progressing if you do not have everything you do written down. There is no way you can remember how many reps and what weight you did for a certain exercise one week later after you did it. This is critical to your success in reaching your goals. 
• Breakfast should ALWAYS be your largest meal of the day. When trying to lose body fat, eating fat is good for you. Do not be fooled by marketing scams that get you to believe that you shouldn't ever eat fat because then you will become fat. Good fats are essential do a healthy diet.
• DO HILL SPRINTS . . . this is maybe the best form of cardio you will find in my opinion. Do hill sprints for a good 10-20 minutes strait and you will easily start dropping the pounds. Do not get on a treadmill and jog for 60 minutes this does nothing for you but making you exhausted and damages your joints.

Best cardio to lose fat

• Do not train for more than 45-60 minutes at single time.

Sprinting on the beach is also a great way to do your cardio

• You should try and do an intermittent fast in some way. You can do a 24 hour fast 1-2 times a week. You can do a 16 hour fast. There are many different forms of intermittent fasting. This is a great way to cleanse your body of all the toxins and "reset" yourself when training and dieting. 
• HAVE FUN.. going to the gym or doing some form of exercise should never feel like a chore. You should want to do it. Mix up your training and cardio so you do not get bored and less motivated to go.  Find something that motivates you deep down inside and hold on to that and use that to fuel your workouts. Do not just go through the motions when at the gym, why are you there if you are not trying to get better and take a step at reaching your goals. 

These are just a few tips to help you get started on your path to reaching your fitness goals.

Always give it your all every time you workout , get better every single day, every single rep, every single sprint.

This should be your mindset every single day in life

Yours in health,

AP

Lose Weight by Eating Hot Sauce?

Good Morning Friends,


I've been doing some research and also trying this out for myself. And I would like to say that Hot Sauce CAN help you lose weight..But let me clarify a bit more.


Everyone that has tried to lose weight knows it can be an annoying, stressful, and it feels more like a chore than anything else. A lot of people give up a few weeks after a new diet or when something doesn't give them "drastic" results like it said on the commercial or the magazine article. Here is a quick tip that may help you lose those lbs also may help your overall health. 


When cooking use some hot sauce instead of that sugary BBQ sauce you pour all over it. 

A few benefits of using hot sauce on bland tasting foods:


1. " In an Australian study of men and women, researchers discovered that levels of insulin dropped by thirty two percent after a hot spicy meal." (this well help your burn more fat)


2. When eating hot sauce it can help improve your digestive system..but also too much of it could hurt it. Just don't pour an entire bottle on your eggs in the morning is my suggestion.


3. IT ADDS FLAVOR TO YOUR FOOD. GIVES IT MORE ZIPPPP


4. Hot sauce could actually help battle depression, Every time you eat something hot, you release endorphins.


5. If you have a cold, it could help you feel better because it can clear out your sinuses.


6. Not much research has been done / proven but it may also help lower your blood pressure if it is too high.


7. It is a natural appetite suppressant. By adding some of this magical flavor enhancer to your meals, you will feel much more full and some studies have shown you will eat sometimes 200 less calories while sitting down for a meal. 


8. It makes your thirsty.. I know this is a no brainier but by making it hotter you will then drink more water and this also helps in reducing the amount of calories you ingest. 


9. It can help speed up your metabolism. We all know that your metabolism is what helps you burn those calories so by adding some hot sauce to your meals you can help get that metabolism fire burning!   


10. JUST TRY IT


Another option you may want to try if you are really battling those nasty food cravings is, whenever you get a craving for a late night snack or you want to grab that doughnut or candy bar just pour a drip or two of hot sauce on your tongue and drink a glass of water. I bet that you will not want to eat it anymore after that. 


Here is proof that this little behavior modification can work. This man has lost over 70lbs. (along with exercise and eating a good diet)


Dr. Spiro Antoniades, an orthopedic surgeon from Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, came up with the idea to down a shot of hot sauce every time he got a craving for something unhealthy, like doughnuts or cookies. After a while, he had punished himself to the point that those goodies just didn't seem very appetizing anymore. He has actually published a book about his methods. They may be a little far out there for most of us. But believe me when I tell you from my personal experience that I used to HATE hot sauce, but now I don't mind it at all and actually enjoy having it on my foods that I make. 


Let me know if it helps you at all. 


Yours Truly,


AP

IS IT VACATION TIME YET??

Hola Amigos y Amigas,

With the help and assistance from a fellow fitness enthusiast and my good friend Gary Deagle   , I am going to start doing this pretty simple routine for a while. My goal at this moment is to of course drop my BF% and be in the best shape of my life and in the best possible looking state once my vacation to Nags Head , N.C comes around on May 21st. 

So I will be lifting HEAVY and busting my ass on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I will be going through some super sets but also the good old fashioned body split workouts where I may go all chest (upper body) on Monday as hard as I can possibly go and use every ounce of energy towards that. Then do maybe nothing but legs(lower body) one day and possibly nothing but back the other day. I shall keep you updated on what I do on these days so you can all have something to possibly follow if you would like to. But there are also great workouts I have already posted previously especially once that have to do with super sets.

I am also going to be doing a fasted walk 5 days of the week every morning before I do anything else. I also plan on doing a little bit of intermittent fasting to help with the fat loss. I plan on doing two 16 hour fasts each week and see how it goes. Basically after I eat dinner around 7pm or so Monday night I would then not eat again until 11am the next day (basically around lunch time). During that morning of the fast I am going to do nothing but drink pure clean water and of course some green tea (I have fallen in love). 

I also plan on doing 2-3 sprinting sessions during the week. They will never last longer than 20-30 minutes. 

Planks on the beach....I LOVE IT

So here would be a brief break down of my weekly plan to sum everything up:

Monday - Fasted Walk (30 minutes) ... Lift Heavy (45-60 minutes) Med-High Carb

Tuesday - Fasted Walk (30 minutes) ... H.I.I.T session (no longer than 20-30 minutes) (16 hour intermittent fast) Low Carb

Wednesday - Fasted Walk ( 30 minutes) ... Lift Heavy (45-60 minutes) Med-High Carb

Thursday - Fasted Walk (30 minutes) ... H.I.I.T session (no longer than 20-30 minutes) (16 hour intermittent fast) Low Carb

Friday - Fasted Walk (30 minutes) ... Lift Heavy (45-60 minutes) Low Carb

Saturday - H.I.I.T session (no longer than 20-30 minutes) Low Carb

Sunday - REST

If you have any specific questions about what I am doing, I would love to hear from you. Or if you have advice or any personal experience let me hear it!!! I am always looking to improve what I do with regards to my health. 

Yours in Fitness,

AP

"BE INTENSE EVERY REP ON EVERY LIFT AND EVERY SPRINT!"

My Beach House for the week! JEALOUS?! 

Fasted Walking

Lose weight by walking?!?

YEP, thats right.. something that most of us take for granted every single day is actually one of the best things we can do for our health.

If you want to see faster results when trying to lose weight, I would suggest doing a "fasted" walk around 5 days a week. What I mean by a fasted walk is right when you wake up in the morning DO NOT eat anything or take any calories in. Your body is already in a fat burning state and so by doing some form of cardio first thing in the morning your body will target your fat and burn that off.

This is also a good life tip in my personal opinion. Even if this means you must wake up 30 minutes earlier than you usually would before class or work.

Try this routine first thing in the morning at least on the weekdays when most of us have to be up sometime in the morning.

1) Get out of bed bright and early. Do not hit that snooze button 2-3 times and get that extra 10-15 minutes of sleep, you could be losing weight at that very moment.
2) Do one big "Good Morning" stretch .. I think everyone knows what I am referring to here.
3) Drink one LARGE glass of water to get your metabolism started, you are also dehydrated anyways after sleeping for the last 8 hours.. so this is a very important step to your morning routine.
4) NOW GO WALK.. Walk around your neighborhood for around 30 minutes at a good pace. You should get around 2 miles in actually which you don't even notice because your walking. If you are afraid of the cold weather or if it is raining and you have a treadmill in your home/apartment use this instead. Just watch half of last nights Sportcenter then hop off (everyone knows the new ESPN Sportscenter doesn't come on till 9am)
5) While your outside listen to your surroundings , enjoy mother nature. Most times when people are outside , they never pay attention to what is really around them. This is your time to yourself, I think everyone should try and take at least 20 minutes out of every day and just be alone and relax a bit and not worry about anyone but them self. So leave that Ipod at home and just enjoy life and the simple things.
6) Come back home and make a good healthy breakfast. Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day ALWAYS. You will start dropping pounds in no time with this morning routine. I PROMISE YOU.

Tip: Grab a TENNIS BALL when you go for your morning walk. Tossing it around and throwing it off walls or just bouncing it up and down will make the walk less boring if you are afraid of being bored; it will also help your hand eye coordination. Hand eye coordination is a very important skill in life that many of us lack. Doing this will help tremendously! You also can squeeze the ball if you are stressed, but I hope your not stressed this early in the day.. YOU JUST WOKE UP! It also could help build hand strength while squeezing the tennis ball.

DID I MENTION IT'S FUN?!?

Stay Thirsty  HEALTHY My Friends,

AP

Eating Tips

Here are a few quick Mind and Body Eating Tips that will help you lose those few extra pounds.

1. Chew your food slowly. This will help burn more calories (the more you chew the more you burn). And this will also help over eating because it will give your body time to process what your eating and tell your brain you are full.

2. Drink 1 full glass of ice water before you eat your meals. This will help burn more calories because your body burns more when the water is colder (the body must eat itself up for the ice water). This will also help you trick your brain into thinking your are already full when you are eating and will help you from over eating.

3. Do not watch t.v when you are eating. Studies have shown that when you watch t.v and eat, you eat faster and you consume more calories then compared to when you are sitting at the table with the t.v off.

4. Eat in front of a mirror. Studies have shown that if you actually watch yourself eat, then you will consume less calories and not eat as much than you would if you did not look at yourself while you ate.

5. Measure out your portions. Or if you are not up to this stage yet, look at what your putting on your plate and take off 1/3 of what you put on. Make your serving size 1/3 smaller at each meal and you will start losing those extra pounds in no time.

Yours in Health and Fitness,

AP

Todays Cardio Workout - 2/21/11

Here is a workout you probably wont be able to complete without taking a few breaks here and there. I'm just gonna be honest and say this will have you pouring sweat after our warm up.

Today is devoted to nothing but cardio so here we go.

This morning I did 20 minutes on the stair master with intervals. Then I did 25 minutes on the elliptical to start my day off.

Here is the REAL workout for you guys.

Perform a  


Jog
Jumping jacks
Heisman (jumping side to side)
123 Heisman (moving side to side with 3 fast small steps)
Butt Kicks
High Knees (running in place, with high knees)
Mummy Kicks
Do it 3 times and increase your pace each time you do it. This should be about a total of a 9-10 minute warm up. 


Get some water then do some stretching.


The fun part : 


Do all 15 of these exercises for 15 minutes strait! 

• Suicide (side to side touching the floor)
• Switch kicks (exhausting)
• Wide football sprints
• Stance Jacks
• Pedal (two lunges, then sprint, followed by 2 more lunges, etc)
• Hooks and Jump rope (8 hook punches, several high jumps, 8 punches etc)
• Power jacks (like jumping jacks, but you go deep in a wide lunge)
• Level 2 drills (8 push ups followed by 8 run lunges, repeat)
• Frog Jumps
• Power Knees (switch every 30 seconds)
• Mountain Climbers
• Ski Down (jump side to side as if skiing)
• Scissor Runs
• Suicide Jumps (squat down, jump back to a push up, stand up again)
• Push up jacks (push ups with wide feet)

DONE

Now grab a drink of water and stretch so you dont cramp up later :)

AP

30 Day No Sugar Challenge

This coming Monday February 14th, 2011 I will be doing a challenge. The challenge is to not have any sugar/sweetener for 30 days.

I am going to buy a small book and start writing down every single thing that goes into my body. Not only will I be able to track and calculate what nutrients I am taking in, It will help me make sure I don't have any sugar for the next month.

Sugar really isn't that good for us in the first place, and usually after I eat or drink something with a lot of sugar. I end up feeling pretty crappy later on. I get that "sugar rush" but then get the crash comes along with it.

Seems like almost every single thing we see out on the market these days has some kind of sugar or artificial sweetener added into it. I do expect to be pretty cranky and moody for the first week or two, because when going cold turkey on anything it usually hurts the worst in the beginning. But I know that I will survive, and the feeling of being able to cut something out of your  life to enhance your overall health is going to feel amazing.

I will take "before" photos either Sunday night or Monday morning. This will also be about the time that my first 30 days of my 90 day program are complete.

"Week 4"

Hopefully after finishing my challenge it will show me how much I really don't need to have sugar in my diet.

This should be interesting... now I wont be posting daily updates on the challenge. But I will about 15 days in (2 weeks) and let you know how my body is taking it. I will say that since I have started my 90 day program I  haven't had to much sugar in my diet anyways, but now I will completely cut it out for 30 days. Wish me luck guys.. HERE....WE......GO!

Cheers,

AP

P.S : Also starting Monday the 14th, I am going to start including the workout "Insanity" into my routine to get even more results before my deadline.

Meal of the Day - 2/3/11

Here is a meal you may enjoy..then again you may not. But it is healthy and VERY EASY to prepare. When it comes to cooking I always like to choose easier healthy meals to prepare then ones that take hours and hours. I like most people that I know can be in a rush at times and just wanna grab it and go or sit down in between classes and chow down.

I call this a Tuna Scramble!

HAHA I know it is a very lame name but it is what it is.... ENJOY :)

Instructions:

Take 5-6 egg whites and put them in a bowl or any kind of dish. (just like if you were gonna make scrambled eggs) Then open 1 can of tuna fish. Now on medium heat pour your egg whites into your pan, then put your tuna fish into the pan. Now just scramble it up like scrambled eggs. Add some pepper and a dash of salt if you would like for taste. You are done ! Eat and Enjoy your food. Enjoy every single bite knowing that you are eating healthy and you made it yourself. 2 things I would be proud of if I were you :)

Tuna Scramble

You may be able to make this into two separate meals. I personally could not finish the entire thing. So I just wrapped the rest up and popped it into the fridge and will finish it off in a few hours.

I also added Hot Sauce to give it some more flavor because it is a little bland. If you have been eating egg whites then you know what I mean lol.

I also added 3 tbsp of peanuts to add a little crunch to the meal. You may add some slices of fruit or Greek Yogurt. Make this dish yours!! This is only the starting point for what you can do with it. 


I hope you like it!


AP

Fat Burning Cardio That Will Kick Your Ass!

Alright folks.. I have something fun in store for you guys today. A pure cardio workout that will wipe you out and get that fat burning. I only have 2 rules if you are going to attempt this workout.

1. BE INTENSE AND DON'T TAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF.

2. WORK AS HARD AS YOU CAN DURING THE WORKOUT AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GOOD FORM THROUGHOUT, BECAUSE FORM IS EVERYTHING. SO WORK YOUR ASS OFF PEOPLE!

Now that we are clear, here is what you will do. You are going to start with a good warm up of the entire body and perform both static but primarily dynamic stretching. Do not attempt this without loosening up and being stretched out.

They have nothing to do with this workout. Im just ready for summer 

Cardio Circuit 1:


1) Dumbbell Hang Pull - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


2) Offset Dumbbell Reverse Lunge - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


3) Single Arm Dumbbell Swing - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


4) Thrusters - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


5) Single Leg/Single Arm Underhand-Grip Dumbbell Row - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


***Do this entire circuit then rest for 2 minutes then repeat the entire circuit again.***


*When you repeat it the 2nd time around, switch arms/legs that you used for exercises 2 , 3 , and 5.*

>>>OK, Now I am introducing Part 2 of the circuit. After you have completed the 2nd round of the 1st circuit. Rest for 2-3 minutes and begin Part 2. 




Cardio Circuit 2: 


6) Dumbbell Chop - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


7) Plank Walk Up to Push Up - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


8) Rotational Dumbbell Straight-Leg Deadlift - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


9) Squat Thrusts - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


10) Jump Squats - 40 seconds as many reps as you can then rest for 20 seconds.


Then rest for 2 minutes and REPEAT Part 2 of the circuit again (just like you did on circuit 1). You should now have done 4 total circuits. This whole workout should not have taken longer than 20-22 minutes.


You should now be pretty exhausted but we aren't done just yet! :) 


Now I want you to rest for 3-5 minutes then grab 2 heavy dumbbells (I used 70lb dumbbells). Take these 2 dumbbells to the basketball court and go to the baseline. Here is the fun part.


Pick up a dumbbell in each arm and perform a farmers walk to the other side of the basketball court (baseline to baseline). Farmers Walk - hold a dumbbell in each arm at your side and walk as fast as you can, keep your head up and neck long. Do not look down..Look strait ahead. Then set down the dumbbells and SPRINT back to the starting baseline and then SPRINT back to the dumbbells you put down. Pick up the dumbbells and perform a farmers walk back to your original starting point and put them down. Rest for 60 seconds and then do this for a total of 3 sets. 

Performing Famers Walk with Kettle Balls..They can be substituted if you prefer them

You are finished with todays cardio workout. I hope you enjoyed it. 


After this workout I decided to get a little extra work in. So I did the following:


- 150 Free Throws
- 25 layups from each side of the basket
- 50 Jump Shots (usually from around the 3 point line)


Get better every single day people.


AP




- Here is an explanation of the 10 exercises if you do not know what I am talking about -

Dumbbell Hang Pull - Grab a pair of dumbbells and let them hang at arm’s length in front of your body, your palms facing behind you. Now bend at your hips and knees, and lower the dumbbells until they’re just below knee height. That’s the starting position. Now, in one movement, thrust your hips forward, straighten your knees, and raise up on your toes as you pull the dumbbells as high as you can by bending your elbows and raising your upper arms. Then reverse the movement and repeat.


Offset Dumbbell Reverse Lunge - Stand tall holding a dumbbell in your left hand next to your shoulder, with your arm bent. With your right foot, step backward and lower your body until your back knee almost touches the floor. Push yourself back to the starting position and repeat. On then next round, hold the dumbbell on your other side, and step back with the opposite leg.


Single Arm Dumbbell Swing - Hold a dumbbell at arm’s length in front of your waist, with your knees slightly bent. Without rounding your lower back, bend at your hips and swing the dumbbell between your legs. Keeping your arm straight, thrust your hips forward and swing the dumbbell to shoulder level as you rise to a standing position. Then simply swing the weight back and forth.


Thrusters  - Stand holding a pair of dumbbells next to your shoulders. Push your hips back, then bend your knees and lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. As you push your body back up from the squat, press the dumbbells above your shoulders until your arms are straight. Then lower the dumbbells back down to your shoulders, and repeat.


Single Leg/Single Arm Underhand-Grip Dumbbell Row - Grab a dumbbell in your right hand, then bend at your hips and place your left hand on a bench in front of you. Raise your right leg so that it’s in line with your upper body. Now let the dumbbell hang straight down from your shoulder, your palm facing forward (an underhand grip). That’s the starting position. (If you prefer, you can use an overhand grip (so your palms would be facing behind you), instead of an underhand grip.Pull the dumbbell to the side of your torso, by raising your upper arm, and bending your elbow. Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. That’s one rep. On your next round, switch arms and legs.



Dumbbell Chop - Grab a dumbbell and hold it with both hands just above your right shoulder. Swing the dumbbell down and to the outside of your left knee by rotating and bending your upper body in the same direction. Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. On your next round, switch sides, this time holding the dumbbell over your left shoulder and chopping to down and to your right.




Plank Walk Up to Push Up - Start to get into a pushup position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of your hands. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Now brace your core by by contracting your abs as if you’re about to be punched in the gut. Without allowing your body posture to change (don’t let your hips sag!), place your left hand on the floor, then your right hand. Then push your body into the “up” position of a pushup. Now do a pushup. Then lower yourself back to your elbows into the plank position, by placing each elbow on the floor again. Repeat as many times as you can.


Rotational Dumbbell Straight-Leg Deadlift - Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and hold it next to your side. Stand on your left foot with your knee slightly bent. Lift your right foot off the floor and bend that knee slightly. Without changing the bend in your left knee, bend at your hips (don’t round your lower back), and lower your torso as you rotate it to the left and try touch the dumbbell in front of your left foot. Reverse the move to the starting position and repeat. On your next round, switch arms and legs.


Squat Thrusts - Stand with your arms at your sides. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body as deep as you can into a squat. With your hands on the floor, kick your legs backward so that you’re in a pushup position. Then quickly bring your legs back to a squat and stand up.


Jump Squats - Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart. Place your fingers on the back of your head and pull your elbows back so they’re in line with your body. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and squat down. Then jump as high as you can. When you land, squat and jump again. If that’s too easy, hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides as you perform the exercise.

:)

The Best Way to Gain Muscle is to Lose Fat?

THE FOLLOWING IS A PORTION OF AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY JOHN ALVINO. I CLAIM NO RIGHTS TO THIS ARTICLE. I DO AGREE WITH THE BASIC PRINCIPLE BEHIND IT THOUGH. READ ON FOR SOME GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT LOSING FAT. 

You see, following a properly executed fat loss phase, your body becomes considerably more sensitive to the MOST anabolic hormone — insulin.

For those of you who don’t know, insulin is a storage hormone.  It can shuttle glucose (blood sugar) and proteins into muscle cells.  This is great for anyone who wants to build muscle.

So an effective muscle building diet will encourage the release of insulin.  Initially, when you start a diet like this, you will definitely see gains in your lean muscle mass.

But before long, your insulin receptors will become saturated and get resistant to insulin.  In other words, the same amount of insulin that was effective at shuttling nutrients into your muscles at the start of the diet will not be enough after a couple short months.

Your body will respond to this by releasing more and more insulin.  More insulin equals more muscle, right?  Wrong!
Unfortunately, there is a flip side to insulin.  Remember, insulin is a storage hormone.  Sadly, it is just as effective at storing fat as it is at storing muscle!

You see, once your muscles (and liver) are full of glucose, and your receptors are getting resistant, insulin will dump glucose into fat cells. So you will be getting fatter and your body will get more and more efficient at shuttling nutrients towards fat cells.

And this, my friends, is the beginning of the classic muscle building plateau.  The bad news is that this phenomenon is extremely frustrating.  The good news, however, is that it is completely avoidable!  All it takes is a temporary shift in your short-term goals.

For 8-12 weeks, you should focus on losing body fat.  The fat loss plan you should follow MUST be one that maintains ALL of your hard earned muscle while INCREASING insulin sensitivity.
To best accomplish this, your plan must include:

1) Heavy training- If you switch from heavy lifting to light circuit training, you will lose a significant amount of muscle mass and strength, guaranteed.

2) Carbohydrate cycling- Eat carbs on your heavy training days and more specifically around your workout.  This will provide energy and necessary muscle glycogen for optimal recover.1) Heavy training- If you switch from heavy lifting to light circuit training, you will lose a significant amount of muscle mass and strength, guaranteed.

On non-training days, reduce the amount of carbs to allow for more fat burning and increase insulin sensitivity.

3) Calorie waving- In order to lose fat, you must burn more calories than you intake.  But if your calories stay low for too long, you will risk losing muscle and slowing your metabolism.  So be sure to increase your calories to maintenance level at least two times per week.

4) Control your cardio- High intensity interval training (HIIT) definitely burns more fat than slower steady state cardio does.  But doing too much of it can have a negative effect on your recovery abilities and lead to muscle loss.  Therefore, you should only do HIIT in small doses.

AP