Merry Xmas and Happy New Year

It's been an absolute madhouse around here the past few days... we're hosting 16 people for Christmas Eve dinner, which is just about to start.

I've been neglectful of getting out my newsletter on a regular basis over the past few months as I have a couple big projects under way that have been eating up so much time.

But I absolutely refused to let Christmas come and go without a quick (and awful) video of myself, my wife Tanya, and our new daughter Alexava who's almost 11 months old!

So here's the video... don't expect too much, the battery died and my two nieces were screaming at a few points so I had to cut a bunch of stuff out! LOL

Have a wonderful Xmas and I"ll be back with a little post- Xmas goodie for you in time for New Years!

:)
Shane & Tanya & Alexava

How To Do More Chin Ups

Want to know who's serious about getting stronger at the gym? Where do you think you should look? The Bench Press? The Squat Rack? Nope... The people who are the most serious about getting strong at the gym are those who are doing chin-ups.


Of course the bench press and squat are absolute must exercises when it comes to building serious strength, but they're also easy to cheat on. It's pretty easy to pile on more weight, reduce your range of motion, bounce the bar off your chest if you're benching, or do "budgie" squats! So you can't count on finding the most serious strength seekers there. Only at the chin-up bar will you find them.

What's a "budgie" squat? Gee, I thought you'd never ask!

Ever See A Budgie Squat?


Budgie Squat


The problem of course is that with chin-ups (or pull-ups), depending on your starting strength, once most people increase their reps by a few in the first few weeks of training them, they get stuck and most never see any further increase in reps.


This is mostly because of a lack of understanding of how to train for it. Think for a moment about how you train to increase an exercise like dumbbell presses. You do sets of 5, sets of 8, sets of 12 or whatever it may be.


The key is that you employ varied load and volume progression methods. Training to improve your chin-ups is no different. Most people repeatedly try to do more chin-ups each time they train them, but that would be like just trying to squat more every time you squat. It's just not going to happen after your initial period of adaptation.


Additionally, doing more pull-downs won't help, even though you can easily manipulate the load and volume with them. The mechanics of chins and pull-ups are completely different from pull-downs of all varieties, and the effects will only marginally transfer over to chins and pull-ups even if you get stronger on pull-downs.


You'll need to get some bands. They're damn cheap for how effective they are at helping you. So they're a complete must if you're serious about strength training. If you get the Iron Woody Bands, I recommend getting yourself one of each of the mini-band, light-band, and average-band. If you get the Jumpstretch bands, I recommend getting one mini, one monster mini, one light, and one average band. This should be enough to help anyone regardless of your weight get some good volume variations on your chins.


If you live in out in the east end of Ottawa, you should get them from my good buddy Curd Hos from Fitness Warehouse at 613-830-9300. If you live in West or South Ottawa, I recommend getting your bands from my good friend Mike Bade out at The Fit Shop at 613-224-1238.


And if you want to order them online and have them shipped right to you, visit this link: http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?SearchPhrase=bands&x=0&y=0&m=SR


And if that link doesn’t work, just go to www.elitefts.com and use their product search tool, and search for BANDS. EliteFTS only sells the Jumpstretch bands, so once again, you’ll want one each of their average, light, monster mini, and mini. The Jumpstretch bands are slightly different strengths and I recommend getting all four. They’re so cheap though that the difference between omitting the mini-band is only $8. So get them all!



Sample Chin Up Progression Plan

Armed with your new bands, here's a sample of how you might use varied load and volume progressions to increase the number of chin-ups you can do. Let's say you're a 160 lb male who can do 5 chin ups when you're fresh.

Day 1
Chin-ups 3x3
Band-assisted chin-ups 3x8

Day 4
Chin-ups 3x4
Band-assisted chin-ups 2x7, 2x12

Day 6
Chin-ups 5x3
Band-assisted chin-ups 4x8

Day 9
Chin-ups 3x4
Band-assisted chin-ups 3x8, 2x15

Day 11
Chin-ups 2x5, 2x4
Band-assisted chin-ups 2x10

Day 14
Chin-ups 5x4
Band-assisted chin-ups 4x8

Day 16
Chin-ups 7x3
Band-assisted chin-ups 3x10, 2x15

Day 19
Chin-ups 4x5, 3x3
Band-assisted chin-ups 3x8, 3x15

Day 21
Chin-ups 3x3, 3x2

Rest chin-ups 2-3 days then after appropriate warm-up, do one all out set of chins to see what your new max is. Guarantee there's going to be at least 3-5 new reps on there. And this is for someone who was absolutely stuck at 5 reps before.


When employing load and volume manipulations such as those above, it also always pays to look at where your weaknesses are. If you find your weakness is in your forearms, then varying your grips on a lot of your band-assisted work and some of your actual chin-up workouts will be very useful.


Progressions to help include: Wide grip, Over/Under grip, narrow grip, narrow grip pull-ups.

More advanced progressions include towel chins, fat bar chins, 1 towel chins, 1 arm assisted chins.

Another form of progressions with chins can include loaded chins, where you actually add weight, via a waist belt, or isometric holds, and even loaded eccentrics. In a future article we'll use unloaded eccentrics and isometric work to help those of you who can't yet to even one chin-up to get your first chin-up!

Band-Assisted Pull Ups

And further still advanced progressions can include varying the actual movement such as side-side chins, L-Sit Chins, Elbows to Knees Chins, and even Gorilla Chins, and Muscle-ups!


Of course, if you can do a muscle-up, you probably don't need any help doing more chin-up reps as you can probably already do 20 plus chins!


A final key element is keeping a clear and easy to read logbook of all your training plans and current and past logs. Let me ask you this much. Without looking back, can you recall exactly the Day 1-21 outline I provided above? Not likely, so you need to have your plan WITH you at the gym.


Additionally, if you go in with it printed in hand, and you find you can't quite get the numbers I outlined above, what would you do to ensure you still made excellent progress? For starters, if you don't have a logbook that you journal absolutely everything in, you can just forget about it! In fact, I doubt you're even serious about strength training if you don't have a journal. If you ARE serious and don't have a journal.. just get one damnit!@


So now with your journal, if you can't manage the numbers I outlined above, you keep the same relative sets, but drop all your reps to where you can manage and that forms your new starting point. Although chances are if you can't manage those numbers it's because you couldn't correctly do 5 reps with good form.

Which brings me to the last but certainly not least important point...


Exercise technique.

If you've been reading my articles, you know how important it is to use safe and correct technique when you do your exercises. You wouldn't dare go over to the squat rack and try to bust out 5 heavy deep reps with your knees all buckling in and your back hunched over. Nor would you shove your butt up in the air and bounce the bar off your chest to try to get a few more reps on the bench press.


So why would you allow your legs and body to fly all over the place while trying to get more reps in the chin-up? A key point to remember is that when you "cheat", essentially what you're trying to do, is get around your weak link by jerking while in a stronger position. Either generating momentum, or calling on other muscle groups to act prematurely or to keep certain muscles involved longer than they're supposed to.


So when you're struggling to get more chin-ups, remember, your goal is to try to KEEP your weak links working as hard as possible. So cheating is completely pointless.


This isn't to say that some momentum at certain points of certain exercises isn't useful. In fact it is, and it's even a part of some exercises. In the case of Olympic lifts, generating momentum is the whole point. But when it comes to getting stronger and building muscle, when your weak point is holding you back, you need to focus MORE on it, not try to get around it.


There is definitely something primal about chin-ups. Only those who are serious about strength training do them. They pit you against gravity, and while you'll never beat gravity, you can definitely up your chins with sound application of basic load and volume variations.


If you have any comments on this article please leave them in the comments section below.

Your Strength and Fat Loss Coach,

Shane Miller

Finally A Meat That Vegans Can Eat

Scientists have finally done it! They've been at work long hours in their labs, trying to create the perfect meat that vegans can eat. Of course I'm saying this a little tongue in cheek, but in essence this is exactly what researchers from Eindhoven University in the Netherlands have created!

Described best as "soggy pork", the researchers say that what they've created is a sort of "wasted" or very atrophied muscle tissue. One of the things they'll be working on is trying to find ways to "work" the meat.

Can you imagine? A little petrie dish strength training session for a hunk of artificial meat?

Scientists have taken live muscle cells from a live pig, and plopped it into a petrie dish and the cells grew, multiplied and essentially turned into pig muscle.

No one has volunteered yet to taste the meat, but the researchers feel that their pork, could be on sale in as little as five years.

Animal rights groups have had only positive comments so far. Citing that so long as the meat doesn't come from a dead animal, or that no animal was harmed in the production of the meat, then they have no ethical issue with it.

Additionally, considering the continually increasing greenhouse gas emissions from raising animals for slaughter, the idea of growing a steak with zero emissions is definitely interesting.

If the meat is biologically identical to what would come from an animal, is safe and healthy to eat, reduces pollution, and pleases environmental and animal rights groups, then folks, it seems to me like we'll have a winner!

Although it's just in it's discovery stage, since it's not genetically modified or engineered, there would be a guarantee of no pesticides or hormones, and if they say it tastes as good as a pork tenderloin... I may have to try it!

What about you? Would you try it?

Love to get your thoughts on this!

Please leave you comments below.


Source: http://www.sphere.com/article/scientists-create-lab-grown-pork-bacon-industry-unmoved/19262314

Did Tiger Woods Build Muscle With Steroids

I don't know about you, but I've noticed more than a few media releases as of late putting Tiger back in the spotlight about whether he's using or has used steroids to help him build all his muscle.

I've always held the belief that he has never used steroids, as his physique just doesn't seem to have the kind of lean bulging muscularity with a puffy face that steroids tend to give athletes.

Anyone can achieve a physique like this WITHOUT steroids!

I guess in light of Tiger's recent transgressions against his wife and marriage, there is renewed interest into the question of his relatively squeaky clean image. Truth is, even if he comes out and admits to any infidelity, this doesn't necessarily mean that he's lied about using steroids.

Athletes use steroids for a number of reasons. First and foremost, anabolic steroids improve recovery from strenuous training. This is the number one reason why athletes cross the line and use steroids. If they can train harder and still recover effectively, then their sports performance will be enhanced via the increased strength they acquire.

Normally, when someone lifts weights and eats more to build muscle, their muscles will grow, and while their facial muscles may thicken marginally, it would be barely visible. So generally the face doesn't widen to any significant degree no matter how much someone lifts weights. If the amount of food that an athlete such as a powerlifter or bodybuilder needs to eat to build muscle results in an accumulation of body fat, then their face may also appear slightly rounder, but this is due to body fat accumulation.

So when an athlete all of a sudden appears significantly more muscular with the same or relatively lower body fat levels, but their face appears bigger, rounder, or puffier in appearance, this is usually the result of drug use.

Here's a few pro baseball players who've all been alleged to have used steroids. Unless they've admitted it or tested positive for it, then the final jury is all out. But ultimately there should be no real reason other than steroids that a face will appear bigger relative to the body, when bodyfat levels are the same or lower, when muscularity is increased.

Judge for yourself? Steroids or Abnormal Facial Fat Distribution Patterns

Barry Bonds

Mark McGwire

Sammy Sosa Before and After

Another Sammy Sosa Before and After (in this case "after" and "before")

Most professional athletes earn enough money to have their own chef, a great strength and conditioning coach, and typically have enough time to do all the training required to change their body in whichever way would best suit their sport. So it makes sense that PRO baseball players who are good at hitting home runs will want to get as strong and muscular as possible to help them hit more home runs. The same too could be said for Tiger Woods. Anything that makes him stronger is going to help him hit the ball further.

However, Tiger hardly sports a physique that resembles even the PRO baseball players let alone bodybuilders who use steroids, which are the most obvious group of steroid abusing athletes.

In the end, I don't believe Tiger has used performance enhancing drugs.

What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

I'll be back with a post on how to get better at chin-ups tomorrow!

Your Strength and Fat Loss Coach,

Shane Miller

Kirsten Sardelis - 1st Place Women's Figure Medium - Ottawa Figure Championship

Congratulations to Kirsten Sardelis for her first place finish at the Ottawa Figure Championships held earlier this month. Kirsten placed first out of five women in the Women's Figure Medium Height class.

KIRSTEN SARDELIS

2009 WOMEN'S FIGURE MEDIUM CLASS WINNER
OTTAWA BODYBUILDING AND FIGURE CHAMPIONSHIP

Stay tuned for a detailed post on how we got Kirsten into winning shape in just 9 short weeks!

Choosing The Right Training Program

So you’re heading to the gym and ready to rock it! But what are you going to do?

A full body workout like this:

Bench Press 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Press 3x10
Seated Barbell Press Behind The Neck 3x12
Wide Grip Pulldowns 3x10
Seated Rows 3x8
Shrugs 3x10
Squats 3x10
Leg Extensions 3x15
Leg Curls 3x12
Smith Machine Calf Raises 3x20
Seated Calf Raises 3x20


Or a workout from a body part split routine like this:

Day 1: Chest, Biceps, Triceps
Day 2: Quads, Hams, Calves,
Day 3: Back, Shoulders, Abs
Rest
Repeat


With either, you’re heading down the road to nowhere! A regular full body routine that you do every second day has the advantage of giving you more frequent stimulation to grow and get stronger, but with so many exercises and relatively low intensity you’ll quickly adapt to this workout.


There isn’t really a way to increase the stimulus without increasing the total volume through more sets, reps, or weight… and the volume is already too high to sustain a decent intensity.


Many people figure this much out on their own and progress to a body part split routine. However, the higher frequency of training stimulus afforded by full body training programs generally delivers superior results to split routines except for the most advanced (and usually steroid using) bodybuilders.


With steroids muscles grow even if they’re not being trained, and consequently hitting a body part just once or twice a week is enough stimulation to elicit a growth response.


Body part split routines recruit the lower threshold motor units which have less potential for strength and mass accumulation, although they’ll pump up pretty nice and you’ll look like you’re growing in the mirror. Unfortunately once the pump disappears you’ll be no further ahead.


If your training age is less than a year, on a body part split routine you’ll grow initially, but that growth will quickly taper off except for the genetically gifted who may continue to see gains with this type of routine. But chances are, those folks will grow and get stronger with any routine.


If you insist on using body part split routines, you’ll likely burn out or get injured frequently, precluding any significant accumulation of muscle mass. And if you don’t, then you probably
aren’t training hard enough to grow on any routine.


Enter The Full Body Split Routine

A full body workout involves all muscle groups of the body. But each muscle group can be trained with different movements, and consequently a full body split routine is a program that has multiple training days, and each training day trains the full body but with a different emphasis each time.

Obviously if your goal is to get a huge bench press, and you try to lift heavy on the bench every two days, you’re going to be in for trouble. But substituting overhead presses, pushups, dips, and various other angled pressing movements you can get a serious strength training program each and every time you hit the gym without baking any of your joints.


To set up this type of workout, we pick full body, compound movements. The general template is laid out as follows:


Full Body Split Routine Template

Main Quad or Hip Dominant Lower
(ex: Squat/Deadlift/Cleans)

Main Horizontal or Vertical Push 1
(ex: Bench Press, Military Press, Barbell Press Behind The Neck)

Supplemental Quad or Hip Dominant Lower 2 (optional)
(ex: Step-ups/Split Squats/Good Morings/Romanian Deadlifts)

Main Horizontal or Vertical Pull 1
(ex: Barbell Rows, Pull-Ups)

Horizontal or Vertical Push 2(optional)
(ex: Dips, Dumbbell Military Press, Incline Dumbbell Flyes, Suspended Push-Ups)

Horizontal or Vertical Pull 2 (optional)
(ex: Rope Face Pulls, Dumbbell Pullovers, Straight-Arm Pulldowns)

Hip Abduction or External Rotation (optional)
(ex: Sideways X-Band Walking, Seated Band-Resisted Abduction, Side-Lying Clams)

Core work (static, dynamic, bilateral, unilateral, isolateral)
(ex: Front Plank, Side Plank, Roll-outs, Leg Raises, Floorclimbers, T-Twists)

Shoulder Prehab (external rotations, internal rotations, etc…)
(ex: Side Lying External Rotations, Kneeling Band-Resisted Internal Rotations, Swiss ball IYTWA)


Below I’ve given you a sample program with three workouts, and I’ve listed which exercise each one is from the template above. With a few small exceptions, each workout fits into the template pretty well. The Kettlebell clean and push press and the Suspended Atomic Pushup are both hybrids involving upper and lower or upper and core and the same time.



Day 1 (Monday)

Squats 5x5 (Quad Dominant Lower)
Incline Dumbbell Press 4x6 (Horizontal Push 1)
Glute & Ham Raises 4x8 (Hip Dominant Lower)
Bent-Over Barbell Rows 4x10 (Horizontal Pull 1)
Weighted Side Plank 3xmaxtime (Core static)
Side Lying External Rotations 3x15 (Shoulder external rotations)


Day 2 (Wednesday)

Deadlifts 5x3 (Hip Dominant Lower)
Weighted Pushups 5x10 (Horizontal Push 1)
Split Squats 3x12 (Quad Dominant Lower)
Wide Pull-Ups 5xmax (Vertical Pull 1)
Mountainclimbers 3x20 (Core dynamic, isolateral)


Day 3 (Friday)

Kettlebell Clean & Push Press 4x6 (Hybrid – Hip Dominant Lower & Vertical Push 1)
Front Squats 4x6 (Quad Dominant Lower)
Suspended Inverted Rows 4x12 (Horizontal Pull 1)
Sideways X-Band Walk 3x12 (Hip abduction)
Suspended Atomic Push-up 3x20 (Hybrid – Horizontal Push & Core dynamic, bilateral)


As you see just because it’s in the template, we don’t necessarily do it every time. But over the course of time as you modify your program you drop one and add another. If you try to do everything from the template every single workout, it starts to look like the typical full body training program, similar in many ways to the pretty useless workout I listed at the beginning of this article.



What !? No Arms???

You may notice there’s no direct arm work listed, but if you are training both pushing and pulling exercises three times a week with the higher intensities this type of training allows, you should notice that your arms get all the training they need.

However, if you are gun-hungry, and you insist on training those arms separately, the best way to do it is to incorporate it into the template by substituting a bicep movement in place of your Horizontal or Vertical Pull 2, and substitute a triceps movement in place of your Horizontal or Vertical Push 2. Choose exercises like Dips, Close-Grip Bench Press, Bodyweight Triceps Extensions, or Skull Crushers for best results.

If you need your workouts to be as short as possible, still targeting your whole body, and insist on throwing in arm training, then choose only one horizontal or vertical pushing movement, and then do a biceps exercise in place of a horizontal or vertical pulling movement.

On the subsequent workout you switch it around and do only one horizontal or vertical pulling movement and then substitute a triceps exercise for your horizontal or vertical pushing movement.

This allows you to train push + biceps on one workout, then pull + triceps on the next. While not optimal for over all growth response, it will deliver slightly more biceps/triceps value at the expense of over all size and strength growth.

If you want to include a bit of direct shoulder work such as Incline EZ-Bar Raises or Dumbbell Bent-Over Rear Lateral Raises, substitute them for either the Horiztontal or Vertical Push 2 and the Horizontal or Vertical Pull 2.

And again, if you’re really strapped for time but feel it important to get in some direct deltoid work, make your template modifications like this:

Day 1: Horizontal or Vertical Pull + Incline EZ-Bar Raises
Day 2: Horizontal or Vertical Push + Dumbbell Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Of course you could always keep it all pushing one workout and all pulling the next such as:

Day 1: Horizontal or Vertical Pull + Dumbbell Bent-Over Rear Lateral Raises
Day 2: Horizontal or Vertical Push + Incline EZ-Bar Raises


There is really no limit to how you combine the exercises so long as you generally move from high CNS (compound movements) to lower CNS (isolation movements) throughout, and keep core and rehab work until the end.


As always, your feedback, questions, and comments are most welcome and encouraged, whether in agreement or critical.

You know I love it!.

:)
Shane

Creatine Ethyl Ester - Bang or Bust

As you know I’m a big proponent of creatine for it’s ability to increase the anaerobic alactic energy system’s (phosphagen system) time to depletion. In the body, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the the ultimate energy compound that all cells of the body use.

In producing energy, ATP is reduced to Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP). ADP can then be reconverted into ATP when it receives a P molecule from Creatine Phosphate (CP). So a greater pool of CP in the body allows this reaction to continue for a longer period before glycolysis is started.

Supplementing with Creatine Monohydrate (CM) supplies the body with additional Creatine which joins up with P molecules which have been released in the reaction where ATP converts into ADP.


Creatine Monohydrate has been studied exhaustively for more than 20 years. It’s safety and effectiveness has been well documented.

Companies looking to cash in on the effectiveness of Creatine as a nutritional supplement are always looking for a new compound that can bind to Creatine and be sold as safe and effective. Unfortunately most of these new products reach the market long before they undergo sufficient testing to be proven to be safe and effective.

Creatine Ethyl Ester

A relatively new entrance to the Creatine market is Creatine Ethyl Ester (CEE). CEE has been marketed and sold under many names including:

BSN CellMass
Xyience NOX-CG3
Higher Power Creatine Ethyl Ester
Controlled Labs Green Bulge
Universal Animal Pump


If the names of the products above weren’t enough to scare you off, check this out… at www.criticalbench.com, a supposedly well respected website on strength training, they have an article entitlted “Creatine Ethyl Ester Review & Information”.

You can check out the article for yourself here: http://www.criticalbench.com/Creatine-Ethyl-Ester-Review.htm

In this review they start off with a subtitle “Creatine Ethyl Ester Guide: Absorbed Better Than Regular Creatine Monohydrate!” This sounds like a fact to the uneducated reader. The article then goes on to discuss the well-known benefits of Creatine Monohydrate (CM). The article then suggests that a limiting factor in the effectiveness of (CM) is it’s absorption.

To clear up any confusion as to whether other more expensive and potentially dangerous forms of creatine are more readily absorbed than CM, a study comparing new forms of creatine in raising plasma creatine levels was published in the Journal of International Sports Nutrition on November 12, 2007; Volume 4, Page 17.

In this study which compared CM, Tri-Creatine Citrate, and Creatine Pyruvate, it was stated “Differences in bioavailability are thought to be unlikely since absorption of CrM is already close to 100%”, and in this study, CrM is the acronym for Creatine Monohydrate.

In essence, they’re making it clear that CM has a nearly 100% bioavailability, which basically means that www.criticalbench.com is full of MALARKY!

If you don’t know what “malarkey” means…

click here: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/malarky

Anyway…

The article goes on into some absolutely unrelated pseudo-whacky-mumbojumbo part-this, part-that science that tries to make the reader feel like the info is beyond their comprehension, so “obviously”, it’s important scientific stuff.

At this point they quickly come back to earth, speak in English, and tell the reader that whatever they were just speaking about means that “the dosage requirements will be lower and the esterified creatine will be absorbed better (that’s the MALARKY again), and that the infamous “creatine bloat” will be eliminated.

The article continues with some other garbage, but then the real unbelieveable part… you’re not going to believe this… they list a slew of scientific references to “support” their article on Creatine Ethyl Ester.


GUESS WHAT?

Not even a single reference of the nine listed references are about Creatine Ethyl Ester!!!!

Yes, you read that correctly!

Every single reference is about the effectiveness of Creatine Monohydrate!

So they’re trying to pass off the “Hypey” pseudo marketing science as real science to sell Creatine Ethyl Ester, and then when they actually list the “real” scientific references to supposedly support their position, they’re actually listing science that only supports Creatine Monohydrate.

What does this tell you? It shows that most people don’t read the references, but believe that if the company has listed some, then they “must” be telling the truth!


Rest assured, references that I list in support of THIS article actually support my position.


The latest information about Creatine Ethyl Ester to make you re-consider whether you would buy it or not was published just a few days ago and clearly demonstrates that Creatine Ethyl Ester is a pronutrient exclusively for CREATININE, not Creatine.

The study suggests, “that there are no physiological conditions that would result in the production of creatine from Creatine Ethyl Ester.”

For this reason, once again, I will reiterate the value of Creatine Monohydrate over all other forms of Creatine available on the market.

The following is a list of chemical-ish sounding names that are found in various products marketed and sold to be better than CM. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it will at least give you a few to watch out for:

Creatine Ethyl Ester
Tri-Creatine Malate
Tri-Creatine Citrate
Creatine Malate
Creatine Pyruvate
Creatine Ethyl Ester Malate
Creatinol-O-Phosphate-Malic Acid
Creatine Alpha-Amino-N-Butyrate
Creatine Gluconate
Creatine Ethyl Carbonate Ester
Tri-Creatine Orotate
Magnesium Creatine Chelate
Creatine Pyroglutamate
Creatine HMB


Of this list, not all are completely useless, but most are just significantly more expensive ways to get slightly less than you get from Creatine Monohydrate. The exception is Creatine Ethyl Ester, which as I’ve mentioned above turns into Creatinine not Creatine in the body.

Creatinine is a naturally occurring compound in the human body and is in fact a marker of kidney function. Eleveated levels can indicate kidney damage, however it is uncertain as to whether ingestion of substances that elevate Creatinine levels is safe or not.


Now that I’ve bashed all these other creatine products I will admit that CM is not perfect. In doses over 5g some people experience stomach upset, it doesn’t mix well in liquids, and roughly 30% of those who use it don’t find much benefit from it at all.

Personally, I’ve used it off and on for over 15 years in doses of 5g at a time, with sometimes as much as 20g in total per day without any stomach upset, and with great results. When I haven’t used creatine for a while 6-8 weeks, I can start up and usually get an additional lean mass gain of about 5-10 lbs depending on my calorie intake. I give CM a full 5 stars for effectiveness and bang for your buck. The prices are rock bottom these days. Just make sure you look for “Creapure” on the label. That’s the company that supplies the best powder to the supplement companies.


If you decide you want to try it, you should notice that you get an extra rep or two out on many of your sets. Over time this increases the training effect and you can experience significantly greater increases in strength and muscle growth.

The brands I trust for Creatine Monohydrate powder are Ultimate Nutrition, AllMax, ProLab, and Optimum Nutrition. They all use the Creapure product, and they all offer a micronized powder. Micronization reduces the size of the particles making it much easier to mix in liquids compared to the non-micronized powder which when added to water will just sit at the bottom.

In the end, if you choose to continue to dump your hard earned money into the hands of the people who manufacture these other forms of Creatine, be my guest… it’s your money, not mine!



References:


1. Spillane M, Schoch R, Cooke M, Harvey T, Greenwood M, Kreider R, Willoughby DS “The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels.”, J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009 Feb 19; 6:6

2. Jäger R, Harris RC, Purpura M, Francaux M. “Comparison of new forms of creatine in raising plasma creatine levels.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Nov 12;4:17

3. Giese MW, Lecher CS. “Non-enzymatic cyclization of creatine ethyl ester to
creatinine.” Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Oct 16;388(2):252-5


4. Giese MW, Lecher CS. “Qualitative in vitro NMR analysis of
creatine ethyl ester pronutrient in human plasma.” Int J Sports Med. 2009
Oct;30(10):766-70

The Truth About Co-Q10

In my career to date, I have worn a number of hats. I’ve been a sought-after strength and conditioning coach for athletes, a coach, trainer, and diet-guru for bodybuilding, fitness, and figure competitors, a boot camp instructor, and a nutritionist for all of my clients. Today I'm going to tell you the truth about Co-Q10.

Nutrition for my clients generally involves education on how foods affect the body and how to construct their ideal diet for their individual circumstances—that have generally been about getting stronger, faster, muscular, and leaner.

I’ve also had a few clients who weren’t in great health and have counseled them on nutritional practices that have significantly improved their health.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, the nutritional changes do not involve nutritional supplements because improved and varied whole-food consumption solves most people’s problems.

As with anything, there are exceptions, and this article will provide you with the Truth About Co-Q10.

Co-Q10 is a vitamin-like substance present in the mitochondria (furnace) of every cell of the body. It is a co-enzyme involved in a number of key energy production pathways and has important anti-oxidant properties. Our bodies naturally produce it, and it is found in many foods we eat.

Interestingly Co-Q10 is found in the highest concentrations in heart muscle tissue. When the heart has sustained damage, or where heart disease is present, there is a significant drop in Co-Q10 content.

Many studies have shown a beneficial effect of Co-Q10 supplementation in people with compromised heart function, however, the unfortunate effect of politics in medicine and science to this day prevents a positive conclusive stance by any major medical association or institution. That there is no profit for big pharma in the equation is the leading reason for the lack of backing of Co-Q10.

There have been enough studies showing significant positive results to merit further research, unfortunately while science must do further studies to prove it’s effectiveness, many people will miss out on the benefits of this very safe compound.

Of all the research done, a number of factors are well agreed upon:

1. Vegans and those avoiding consumption of red meats often have very low Co-Q10 levels.
2. Statin and beta-blocker medications can lower Co-Q10 levels by as much as 40%.
3. Low levels of Co-Q10 are often found in high-volume endurance exercise trainees.
4. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and low HDL cholesterol, are common conditions in those with low Co-Q10 levels.
5. Low levels of Co-Q10 are common in people forty and over.
6. People in their twenties and younger generally have healthy Co-Q10 levels.


Considering that optimal function of all cells requires sufficient Co-Q10, and that deficiencies in this extremely important compound are commonplace in those taking medications for so many conditions that reduce Co-Q10 levels in the first place, it just makes plain sense to supplement with this important compound.

Additionally, the safety of Co-Q10 is indisputable.


In the end, it might be decades before Co-Q10 is endorsed by any medical association as a potent tool in the arsenal against many diseases. Fortunately, it is low cost, very safe, and you have the right to exercise your own choice to take it if you fit into any of the categories where deficiencies are common.


If you have any comments, I would love to hear them!


References:





1. Söderberg, M. (1990). "Lipid Compositions of Different Regions of the Human Brain During Aging". Journal of Neurochemistry 54: 415–419


2. Sarter B. ”Coenzyme Q10 and cardiovascular disease: a review”. J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2002 Jul; 16(4):9-20. Review.


3. Kishi T, Watanabe T, Folkers K. Bioenergetics in clinical medicine XV. “Inhibition of coenzyme Q10-enzymes by clinically used adrenergic blockers of beta-receptors”. Res Commun Chem Pathol Pharmacol. 1977 May;17(1):157-64.


4. Ghirlanda G, Oradei A, Manto A, Lippa S, Uccioli L, Caputo S, Greco AV,
Littarru GP. “Evidence of plasma CoQ10-lowering effect by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study”. J Clin Pharmacol. 1993 Mar; 33(3):226-9.


5. Kalén A, Appelkvist EL, Dallner G. “Age-related changes in the lipid compositions of rat and human tissues”. Lipids. 1989 Jul; 24(7):579-84.


6. Thibault A, Samid D, Tompkins AC, Figg WD, Cooper MR, Hohl RJ, Trepel J, Liang B, Patronas N, Venzon DJ, Reed E, Myers CE. “Phase I study of lovastatin, an inhibitor of the mevalonate pathway, in patients with cancer”. Clin Cancer Res. 1996 Mar; 2(3):483-91.

Workout Of The Week

Warm-up
5 minutes of skipping

Soft-tissue work
Foam roller: Quads/ITB/T-Spine/Hams/Lats
Tennis ball: Piriformis/Glute Medius/Infraspinatus

Activation Exercises, Mobility, and Dynamic Stretching
1. Glute Bridge w/medicine ball adduction 20 sec isometric hold + 20 reps
2. Serratus pushups 15 reps
3. Rectus Femoris/Tensor Fascia Lata stretch (required to open anterior hip)
4. Pec major stretch (required to allow for squats)
5. Wall slides 10 reps (help activate lower traps)
6. Band pull-aparts


Strength Work

KB Clean & Push Press
6x16kg, 4x20kg, 3x24KG, 3x3x28KG

Cambered Bar Squats
Work up to 5x6x(Bar+110 lbs)

Blast Straps Pushups (BTR)
5x18, 16, 15, 15, 13

Glute & Ham Raises
1x10x&, 1x10x12, 2x10x15, 1x14x&

Chest-supported Dumbbell Rows
12x30, 12x35, 3x12x40

Weighted Plank
1x75 sec x 25, 1x75 sec x 35, 1x65 sec x 45

Seated Hip Abduction With Band
3x20 x mini jumpstretch


Time 90 min.

Garbage Cereal - Rant

If my mom is reading this, she'll get a good laugh because she knows just how much I love good old Golden Grahams cereal. As a kid, if I could have chosen to subsist solely from one "food" source it
would have been Golden Grahams cereal hands down!


Why? Well I was a kid for one, and even if you'd told me how bad that stuff is I wouldn't have cared. I mean, as a kid, you're invincible. And the idea of "nutritional value", just didn't exist to me as a kid.


Fortunately I've grown up... at least in that regard! LOL


My beef with the cereal companies is how they market their products. I was at the supermarket last week and I had the "lovely" experience of watching a kid pressure his mom into buying him four utterly garbage-filled cereals.


I am going from memory here, but they were:

1. Lucky Charms
2. Count Chocula
3. Cinnamon Toast Crunch
4. Fruity Cheerios


As a (relatively) educated adult, that list sounds like a dessert list to me. But this mother gave in to her sons pressure and bought them all. I actually had to pretend to be deciding between a couple other products on the opposite wall so I could stay and listen in to the whole fiasco.


The mother said she wasn't sure if the cereals were nutritious enough, and it was actually the boy who pointed out a number of marketing and labeling facts that eventually convinced the mother to buy them.


From my recollection, there was mention of:

1. "Low in fat"
2. "Whole grain"
3. "Fruit has vitamins&minerals"
4. "Heart Healthy"


The cereals chosen were all low in fat, but really, who cares? More than anyone else, kids need fats. Of course they need healthy fats, not the kind you WOULD see in cereals if fats were not so taboo these days.


Whole grain. This is about the biggest joke ever. Just because you start with a WHOLE grain, doesn't mean after pulverizing the hell out of it that there's much left of any nutritional value. That's actually the whole point of cereals. Take Cheerios for example. Made from Whole Oats. Wow.. that's great. But if you take 1/4 cup of actual oats, after all the processing that General Mills does to them you get a whole BOX of Cheerios. So the cereal companies are basically diluting the nutritional content of the WHOLE grains in their products.


Of course they have to fill it with something, so what do you suppose that would be?

JOKE INGREDIENT LIST

Check out the ingredients list of this Berry Burst Cheerios garbage cereal. Can you believe they have the gall to put a little heart right square in the middle of the page that says "May reduce the risk of heart disease".


Read the ingredients list and you tell me if you think this cereal "might" reduce your risk of heart disease, or flat-out CAUSE you to get heart disease!


Here's another one...


As if being filled with corn starch, corn syrup, and corn meal wasn't bad enough, they even use corn as their "WHOLE GRAIN" base from which to make the cereal. It's absolutely abominable!


IMPORTANT VIDEO

Check out these VIDEOS I found on the GENERAL MILLS GARBAGE CEREAL website. These videos are short--basically because there isn't much to say that takes longer than 3 seconds about their cereals when it comes to health--and are designed to make you feel confident that you're serving your family healthy foods. They have a registered dietitian speaking in effort to boost your confidence in the health of these products.


First of all, as a registered dietitian, talk about prostituting oneself out to the highest bidder. Technically, everything she says is correct. But it does nothing to change the fact that those cereals are nothing more than vitamin fortified desserts that "start" with a WHOLE grain base.


Have I not made it clear enough that GRAINS aren't the end all and be all of nutrition? Yes they have lots of fiber when you eat them in the form they grow in or with minimal processing, and they do have some vitamins and minerals, but grains' biggest component is starch. Like we need any more of that!


Check this out... good old Cheerios, which used to be the cereal my mom would buy us all the time because she said it was the healthiest, has now sold out to the sugar demons. How many different sugary Cheerios cereals are there now?

Cheerios Variety

There are ten varieties of Cheerios, and seven of them have an image of fruit on the front of the box. Of the seven that have an image of fruit:


- Regular Cheerios and MultiGrain Cheerios actually have no fruit in it at all


- Berry Burst Cheerios has freeze-dried fruit (near zero nutrition)


- Banana Nut Cheerios has banana puree in it (can you imagine what that looks like when it is poured out of the massive drum at the factory... it's gonna look and taste like a grey sludge... no yellow colour) another near-zero nutrition


- Apple Cinnamon Cheerios has apple puree concentrate in it, which did come from apples, but no longer bears any semblance at all to the original fruit (another near zero nutrition)


- Fruity Cheerios has pear puree concentrate in it, which is basically no different than apple puree concentrate, it's just a sugary liquid with trace vitamin and mineral content (another near zero nutrition)


- Yogurt Cheerios has dried strawberries in it, which I would like to think may be somehow better than the others, but I just know it's not (another near zero nutrition)


So as you can see the marketing practices of these companies try to present their cereals as healthful with fiber, fruit, vitamins and minerals, when in the end they deliver virtually nothing.


Don't get me wrong, I could enjoy a bowl of cereal, I do have a sweet tooth, but if I were to do so it would be a 10% meal, and truthfully, so long as Hagen Daaz exists, they'll be my 10% meals!


At least Hagen Daaz doesn't try to be "Healthy"!


As always I welcome and encourage your comments, both good or bad.

Better Fat Loss, Fight Cancer, and Prevent Heart Disease with Trans Fats

Who Else Wants To Know How To Get Better Fat Loss, Fight Cancer, and Prevent Heart Disease with Trans Fats

Trans fats have been condemned to hell by the media, and while man made trans fats are definitely not good for you, not ALL trans fats are created equal. In this article I will show you how specific trans fats will give you better fat loss, help you fight cancer, and prevent heart disease.


Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is a type of trans fat that has been studied extensively due to its huge potential for helping with obesity, cancer, and heart disease.


Trans fats are produced naturally in the stomachs of ruminant animals such as deer, moose, kangaroo (not a true ruminant, but an exceptional source of CLA), bison, beef, sheep, and goats.


One particular trans fat called t-10, c-12 CLA has been shown to reduce fat mass and increase lean muscle weight in a number of different studies, while a number of other studies have shown the trans fat called c-9, t-11 CLA has effects that reduce inflammation and risks of cardiovascular disease.


Interestingly there are other studies that show the direct opposite to be true. Does this even surprise you? The one thing we should all know by now is that whatever science studies and proves is true, will often be found to be false in a subsequent study. This has happened numerous
times with studies on vitamins.


However, when both types of trans fat CLA are studied together, most studies showed reduced body fat mass, increase lean muscle tissue, and reduced incidencs of both cancers and heart disease markers.


The key element is that when science tries to isolate the effects of different substances, often the study methods influence the outcomes. But left to it's own devices, the human body will reap the benefits without experiencing the negative effects noticed in the studies.


Interestingly, when studies of the effects of CLA consumption involve its natural form INSTEAD of taking it as a nutritional supplement, once again, the health benefits are shown, with little to no adverse affects. (see I'm not writing this to sell any magic pills or potions to you!)


Another very important fact is that grass-fed animal meats contain between 300%-500% more CLA than their supermarket grain-fed counterparts.


So don't touch the stuff you find at your regular supermarket, unless it is clearly marked to be "GRASS-FED". If your local supermarket doesn't carry grass-fed meats, try your local butcher or health food stores.


One final study that I'd like to bring to your attention found that mothers who ate and drank organic grass-fed cows' meat and milk had 50 % higher rumenic acid (a type of trans fat) levels in their breast milk. In humans, rumenic acid is converted into CLA, which is responsible for the above noted effects.


The jury on this one, as always, is clear. Eat what nature provides for you in the form it exists in in nature, and you will reap the benefits. Try to put it into a magic pill, and you can't be sure that you will get the effects you seek, and you may even get some you don't want.


Over time science will study various nutritional substances and show that one thing works and another doesn't, and then later their studies will show the opposite. The incredible human body always knows exactly how to use all the nutrients in exactly the right way to get the best possible health benefits.


When selecting foods always choose organic if possible, choose fresh whenever possible, choose pasture raised forage and grass-fed meats, and in general, be wary of foods that require a big label that tries to convince you of their health benefits.



References:


Banni S, Angioni E, Murru E, Carta G, Melis M, Bauman D, Dong Y, Ip C (2001). "Vaccenic acid feeding increases tissue levels of conjugated linoleic acid and suppresses development of premalignant lesions in rat mammary gland.", Nutr Cancer 41 (1-2): 91–7

Donnelly C, Olsen AM, Lewis LD, Eisenberg BL, Eastman A, Kinlaw WB. (2009), "Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) inhibits expression of the Spot 14 (THRSP) and fatty acid synthase genes and impairs the growth of human breast cancer and liposarcoma cells.", Nutr Cancer. 61 (1): 114–22

Amarù DL, Field CJ. (2009), "Conjugated Linoleic Acid Decreases MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Receptor Levels.", Lipids 26

Lee Y, Thompson JT, de Lera AR, Vanden Heuvel JP. (2008), "Isomer-specific effects of conjugated linoleic acid on gene expression in RAW 264.7.", J Nutr Biochem 26

Ha YL, Grimm NK, Pariza MW (1987). "Anticarcinogens from fried ground beef: heat-altered derivatives of linoleic acid.", Carcinogenesis 8 (12): 1881–7

Fite A, Goua M, Wahle KW, Schofield AC, Hutcheon AW, Heys SD. (2007), "Potentiation of the anti-tumour effect of docetaxel by conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) in breast cancer cells in vitro.", Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. (Scotland, UK) 77: 87

Kritchevsky D. (May 2000), "Antimutagenic and some other effects of conjugated linoleic acid.", Br J Nutr. 83 (5): 459–65

Belury, M.A. (October 2002). "Inhibition of carcinogenesis by conjugated linoleic acid: Potential mechanisms of action.", Journal of Nutrition 132 (10): 2995–2998

Ip C, Scimeca JA, Thompson HJ. (1994), "Conjugated linoleic acid. A powerful anticarcinogen from animal fat sources.", Cancer 233 (3): 1050–4

A C Watras, A C Buchholz, R N Close, Z Zhang and D A Schoeller, "The role of conjugated linoleic acid in reducing body fat and preventing holiday weight gain.", International Journal of Obesity (2007) 31, 481–487

Pariza MW, Park Y, Cook ME. (Jul 2001), "The biologically active isomers of conjugated linoleic acid.", Prog Lipid Res. 40 (4): 283–98

Tricon S, Burdge GC, Kew S, et al. (September 2004). "Opposing effects of cis-9,trans-11 and trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid on blood lipids in healthy humans.", Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 80 (3): 614–20

Lukas Rist, Andre Mueller, Christiane Barthel, Bianca Snijders, Margje Jansen, A. Paula Simoes-Wust, Machteld Huber, Ischa Kummeling, Ursula von Mandach, Hans Steinhart, and Carel Thijs. (2007). "Influence of organic diet on the amount of conjugated linoleic acids in breast milk.", British Journal of Nutrition 97: 735–743

Get My Help

Hey Folks,

Gotta make this quick, but scroll down to the comments section and tell me in as much detail as you can exactly what kind of content you'd like to receive from me.

Tell me exactly what will help you most...

Nutrition?

Training?

Mindset?

Social support?


You tell me?


I deliver!


Deal?


Until next time!

:)
Shane

The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of

In today's post I'm going to talk about some of the best arm exercises you've never heard of. I know that sounds kinda strange, but the truth is, most people have a pretty limited repertoire when it comes to arm training.

I'll admit, I haven't written much about arm training, because for the most part unless you're a bodybuilder or you need bigger arms for whatever reason, most people will get all the arm
development from just pushing their limits with all of their pressing and pulling movements.

That said, it doesn't mean that you won't benefit from some dedicated arm training, and there are some pretty good combinations of common exercises that can thoroughly thrash your arms. But what happens if that extra inch on those pipes really DOES matter?

**** If you couldn't care less about arm training, then just ****
**** stop reading here. I don't want to waste your time, ****
**** and this post is all about arm training. ****

Ok, good, you're still with me...

So, what then? Grabbing those dumbbells for another set of curls can get a little monotonous at times. So what are you supposed to do?

The first thing you need to do if you want to spark some new arm growth is to identify why your current arm routine is not working.

There are 5 common mistakes that I see regularly at the gym when people are training their arms.

Mistake #1 - Using Too Much Weight

With the possible exception of standing barbell curls and close grip bench press, which offer a neural benefit when trained heavy, the goal of direct arm training exercises should be to fatigue the
muscles thereby inducing the hormonal cascade that precipitates a local growth response.

I can't tell you how many times I see folks doing what looks like a "Reverse Grip Dumbbell Clean". It's pretty ridiculous. Pick a weight that allows you to complete the reps with decent form, but also don't worry too much if there's a little extra body movement.


Mistake #2 - Not Using Enough Weight

Generally guys won't make this mistake, so this mistake applies mostly to you girls out there who with good intentions are trying to not commit mistake number one. Most guys have massive egos that are way too big to ever risk making this mistake. God forbid some particularly beefy chick is committing mistake number 2 with more weight than you are while committing mistake number 1.

Whoa... did I get that right? Follow me?

The point is, girls, that you might feel it un-ladylike to grunt in the gym, but other than testosterone, there is a reason you usually find guys are more built than you, it's because they're not afraid
to put some meat and potatoes into their lifting!

So if you can get 15 reps (or god forbid even 20) with the same weight of bicep curls for a full three sets and you aren't scrunching up your face in the process, it's time to up the weight and drop
your reps.


Mistake #3 - Mirror Focus vs. Muscle Focus

Sigh... yes, this one applies again, mostly to us guys (I know I've committed this one in the past... it's so hard not too! ;).

There's something about a mirror and what it does to how we perceive ourselves while training. When guys tend to train their arms, it's as if the mirror doubles the size of our arms while we're watching.

I mean really, have you seen the look on guys' faces while they're training their guns? They may have pistols, but they see anti-aircraft artillery canons in the mirror! LOL

What we see in the mirror is ego-fueled, it doesn't necessarily give us the best information about the effects on our muscles of what we're doing.

Muscle Focus gives us far more information. Without the mirror, you're forced to think about what you are feeling in the muscle rather than just what you see.

Trust me... what you feel is MORE important. I have stopped using the mirror for virtually all training over the past year, and I have learned to identify my body position more than ever before. I have
also learned to identify when to force out a few more reps and when to call it a set. The result has been far more effective training.


Mistake #4 - Using The Insanity Training Principle

Presumably you're training your arms because you want them to get bigger and stronger. Ok. We're good. So if you've been using the same old exercises... let me guess.. Standing barbell curls, preacher EZ Bar curls, then concentration curls...

Am I close?

Point is, if you haven't been making any progress with your arm training (hint: use a tape measure, and look at the weight you're lifting), and you've been following the same old arm training routine... regardless of who wrote it and whether or not they had huge arms, if you aren't making progress from it, why are you doing it?

It's called the Insanity Training Principle. Following the same old routine that hasn't given you any results for a long time, and expecting that it will all of a sudden manage to give you great results.


Mistake #5 - Fear of Shrinkage

If you're really afraid of shrinkage... just stay away from steroids!

Seriously though, mistake #5 can be thought of as a adjunct of mistake #4. Many people reach a point in their training where they aren't making any more progress with their training, yet they keep following the same routine for fear that if they stop, they'll shrink away to nothing.

If you're seriously pounding away at the weights and nothing is happening, you could very well be over-training. Not too many people over-train, but it is possible, and if you are over-training,
backing off for a lighter week, or cutting out arm training all together for a week, or even taking a look at the possibility of using some different bicep and tricep exercises can really make a
big difference.

And speaking of DIFFERENT arm exercises, my colleague Nick Nilsson has put together a great book called: "The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of"

I was actually speaking to Nick a few weeks back when he asked me to review his new book. I was intrigued by the title because really, since the elbow is a hinge joint, how many ways can you really
train the arms anyway?

After reading it... 68 apparently! That I hadn't thought of before!

Here's the review I sent back to Nick:

> Hi Nick,
>
> Thanks for the opportunity to review your new book called The Best
> Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of. To be honest I was mildly
> jaded going in as the last few articles I'd read on arm training
> were pretty lame.
>
> Your book completely blew me out of the water! I know that sounded
> kinda "hypey", and if you've ever read my stuff, you'll know it's
> totally not my style to "hype" stuff up, but to be honest, I'm
> totally stoked to try some of the exercises in your book.
>
> If your readers are seeking a way to stimulate new strength and
> muscle growth, this is it! With your crazy stable of
> mad-scientist arm exercises, I think it would be impossible not to
> make some crazy new gains!
>
> There I said it... yes Nick, I think you are a mad scientist! But
> I guess that's ok, I presume you kinda like to be thought of that
> way. ;)
>
> Well you're a genius anyway!
>
> Shane Miller, CPT, CSN
> Your Strength and Fat Loss Coach
> http://www.your-strength-and-fat-loss-coach.com
> http://www.your-beach-body-boot-camp.com
>
>
> I hope that is a decent review that you can use with your readers.
>
> I can't wait to show my readers your book, I know they're going to
> love it.
>
> If you need me to change anything, please let me know.
>
> All the best,
>
> :)
> Shane


So there you have it folks, that's the review I sent to Nick, and while this book isn't for everyone, it's definitely going to be a huge asset to anyone who's bound and determined to grow their arms.

You folks know who you are. If you want to pick up a copy of Nick's book, visit the link below:

The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of

Chances are if you've read this far anyway, then you're definitely interested in arm training, and you really won't believe how many exercises there are for really effectively training your arms.

That link once again is:

The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of

I know tomorrow when I train I'm definitely going to do a set of "Bodyweight Preacher Curls"... yeah... try to imagine that one!


Until next time,

:)
Shane Miller, CPT, CSN
Your Strength and Fat Loss Coach
www.your-strength-and-fat-loss-coach.com
www.your-beach-body-boot-camp.com

Strength Training Workout of The Week

Due to popular demand, I'll be putting up the strength training workout of the week. Each week when I work with my one-on-one private studio clients, there will often be a workout that is so good, in fact, I'll even get jealous that they get to do it and not me. So I may post it as the strength training workout of the week.

For you guys who are my one-0n-one private studio clients, you may recognize one of these workouts as your own! ;)


Warm-up
Skipping 5 minutes

Soft Tissue Work
Foam Roller: Quads/IT Bands/Lats
Tennis Ball: Piriformis/Glute Medius

Activation Work
Glute Bridge w/Medball between the knees
20 sec isometric squeeze then 10-20 reps

Serratus Pushups 10-15 reps

Wall Slides 10 reps

Tube External Rotations 10-20 reps ea. side


Strength Training Workout

Always work up to your heaviest weight for each exercise with a couple lighter warm-up sets first. For example, if your working weight for 5 reps on Box Squats is 150 lbs, then you might do your warm-ups as follows: 1x6x45, 1x5x95, 1x3x135... then move onto your work sets.

For exercises where technique is more of an issue and you aren't using that heavy of a weight for your working sets, you may find you don't need any warm-up sets. This may also be true of subsequent exercises for each body part, as they will be warmed up well from the previous exercises.

1a/ Box Squats 5x5
1b/ 1-Dumbbell Push Press 4x6

2a/ Supported Pistol Squats 3x10
2b/ Weighted Pushups 4x10

3a/ Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts 4x8
3b/ 1-Blast Straps/TRX/Barbell Inverted Rows 3x10

4a/ T-Twist Abs 3x20
4b/ Band X-Walk 3x10


Move from one exercise to the next immediately within each superset group.

Rest a minute between each superset group.


Do this workout, then let me know how it went in the comments section!

Kill it!

:)
Shane