Fitness Revolution Blog

A close friend of mine recently tried out a well-known workout routine. I don’t want to name names, so we’ll call it “P90XYZ“. This program is a series of intense video workout routines that you’re told to follow along with on a daily schedule, except for one rest day. It’s obvious that the instructor and the participants are not new to extreme exercise or the program as they are all very cut.

Enter a skinny 160 lb – 6’1″ – 24 year old that has had very little exercise experience…

Do you see a potential problem?

My buddy dove right in to the first workout with no idea what he was getting himself into. After pushing himself through the 45 minute video, he promptly visited the bathroom and dropped to his knees in front of the toilet.

Although sick and extremely sore from day 1, he was sticking to the schedule. But day 2 brought an hour long video – which he only made it through half of.

Still determined to complete the program as intended, Day 3 was another hour long workout video – but he fell short yet again.

This pattern led to a loss of confidence, desire, and eventually health as he stopped doing any exercising altogether.

But what was the problem? He followed the program. He worked hard. Why couldn’t he finish?

Because the workout wasn’t made for him.

That particular workout program was not designed for his needs. That’s a main problem with most of the fad workout videos that are on the market today. They are designed for one type of person… not every type. But EVERYONE is different, and we all have different needs.

This is the importance of a One-Rep-Max based workout.

When you start with your One-Rep-Max, you have a starting point that is based on your current ability. When you add a goal and are guided through progressive, periodized strength training, you will always be challenged – meaning growth/progression (no plateaus) – but you have a program that was designed for YOU and will not be overwhelmed.

Needless to say, I’ve converted my friend to Fitness Revolution.

Because Fitness Revolution uses these techniques, it can help you reach YOUR goal, whatever that goal is, and whatever your current fitness level is.

My buddy has been on Fitness Revolution for 2 months and is up to 175 lbs and feeling great. He is motivated and is getting results.

Don’t let anyone tell you a personalized workout is overrated.

Do you know what pace to use lifting? Most people do not know that the pace  for lifting is based on the general goal of the lifter.

(A proud member of FitnessRevolution.com)

IN GENERAL:

A body builder will lift to a four count. That is two counts out, never holding at the top and two counts back down. This is called getting the negative. If you are lifting for strength or athletic power the lift is one count out explosively and two counts returning to the starting position. What is never done is holding at the top. We have all seen people forcing a rep up, in say the bench press, holding at the top and then quickly dropping the weight and trying to get back to the top again. Every time a lift is stopped in the middle, pressure is placed on connective tissue for micro seconds. This is not good. Perform lifts smoothly, do not fully extend arms or legs and do not “stop at the top.” You will find yourself being able to lift more weight and your form will improve. Look at the start and end positions on the website to see the proper beginning and ending positions for each lift.

THE EXCEPTIONS:

There are two exceptions to the rule. The leg extension is performed to a 4 or 5 count with a one second stop in the middle. Do it this way and you will see why. The triceps pushdown also has a stop at the bottom for one second – again, you will feel the difference using a correct count.

BUT NEVER…

…count reps and not the beats. Counting reps always leads to a one push out and a quick “drop and catch” of the weight on connective tissue followed by an immediate push again. People doing this are counting reps only “one – two – three etc.” The proper technique is one, two, three or one, two, three, four. Then do the second rep and count ‘two, two, three, four,” then “three, two three, four.”  Count correctly and you will get much more out of your workouts. And more importantly, you will be less joint sore and injury free.

We want to give a quick thanks to all our FREE Monthly Fitness Tip subscribers! If you’re not a subscriber yet, sign up at fitnessrevolution.com/tips

What sport do you want to do? What weight is the current world champion in that discipline?

Did you know that the weight of a professional bicycle hill climbing specialist is approximately two pounds for inch of height? Therefore a five foot eight inch (68 inch) tall rider would weigh approximately one hundred and thirty six pounds. That is very light for a man of that height. Would you be comfortable at that weight? You may want that weight, but is it really a goal you can pursue? If so then here is a formula that is tried and true.

1. Find a professional athlete that you admire in a discipline you like. Be sure that discipline fits your skill set. For example, if I am five feet six inches tall, it will do me little good to project myself as an NBA first round pick. This would be unrealistic. Never the less, it might not be unrealistic to study someone near that particular profile – say Spud Webb, a great NBA point guard from 1985-1998. By going on line we discover that Mr. Webb is 5’7” or 67 inches tall and weighs 133 lbs. This, again, is almost 2 pounds per inch of body height. Now I can calculate the pounds per inch that people in sports like basketball or other similar sports play at an optimal weight.

Got the idea? Now we have a place to start.

2. Once you have found the weight of an athlete you admire or want to emulate, assess your body weight in terms of where you are and where you want to be. Are you too light? If so then do several months or a full year of our maximum size program and pay particular attention to the need to add calories and properly stack your nutrients for maximum gains.

Are you too heavy? Then a year of cut routine would be in order. Weight loss without losing muscle size would be a logical goal.

Plan to exercise and follow a proper eating regime. Which is more important – diet or exercise? You hear the question on the gym floor all the time. Since the answer cannot be specifically quantified, the question is properly answered with a series of additional questions.

Can you workout and not eat properly?

Yes, but this will not get you to your best maximum goal. If you workout and ignore nutrition you will make some gains, but not get the full affect of the properly applied training.

Can you eat properly and not work out and get to your goal?

The answer to this one is self evident: No one can get there without a properly structured progressive resistance program. It has been tried in all sports – with no success. Want proof: Ask a local coach at the high school or collegiate level that does not have a progressive lifting program to show you the team strength records before and after the season. The drop off will astound you. Yet some people still think they can eat their way to good health without exercise.

It is necessary to work out properly using a program that measures your one rep max and develops a phase training system for the proper amount of training for your goal. For example: To gain size, more size workout weeks in a year properly spaced out in the annualized plan is necessary. For more weight loss without muscle loss, a blend of adaptation and weight loss with some periods of muscle development is necessary. To gain strength without gaining size a different mixture of programs is desired. It is also necessary to eat properly for each phase of training to optimize the effort spent in the gym to reach strength, athletic and lifestyle goals.

Sign up for a V.I.P. AfitnessAddiction.com membership and select a program to meet your needs. Bigger, smaller, more muscle, less fat or a combination of these programs as your goals come into view. Start or continue your body transformation for general good health and to play a better game. We cannot promise you a professional sports career. We can promise you an individualized approach to help you reach your goals.

What is a “pre-workout stacker” and why should I use one?

A pre-workout stacker is the measured intake of certain chemicals, vitamins, energy boosters, amino acids  and amino acid components designed to enhance and insure that the body will respond to the training that is about to occur. Weight lifting and strenuous exercise requires the use of muscles and the expenditure of great amounts of energy and the release of certain products of cellular respiration (cellular respiration is the actual work performed by cells in the body requiring the expenditure of energy in the chemical reaction at the intra cellular level.) This means simply that the body uses the available muscle tissue to perform work. When the muscle is used to its fullest extent, the body then tears down the muscle. The pre workout stacker enables the body to do work more efficiently by opening blood vessels, assisting in the actual work related chemical reactions and then the subsequent removal of the waste products of respiration from the muscle cells and tissue. Additionally, some stackers have amino acid (protein components) designed to immediately begin the process of muscular repair and regeneration that occurs after a workout.

What is a “post-workout stacker and why should I use one?

A post workout stacker is the measured intake of a compound designed to aid the muscles in recovery and tissue repair and to assist in the formation of capillary beds to transfer nutrients and waste into and out of the muscle tissue. The post workout stacker generally has sugar, vitamins, some branched chain amino acids (BCAAs are the building blocks of proteins that are necessary in tissue creation and repair. In short after tearing the muscle slightly in the workout, the post workout stacker aids in recovery.

What is the best way to choose a stacker?

Everyone has a different opinion and the marketplace is loaded with stackers. Some people will like the feel and effect of a certain stacker. Other people will not like that same stacker at all. So to decide, you should go to a gym’s nutrition center before a workout and ask to have a single “shot” of a certain stacker. Usually a nutrition shop adjoins a gym as a profit center for the gym or an independent operator. Ask the clerk to mix a single shot of a stacker for you and drink this 20 minutes before working out. Try different ones each workout until you find one that assists you in the workout and you like the overall affects.

For example – one additive, beta alanine, makes the skin tingle when added to a pre workout stacker. Some athletes love the feeling while others do not like the feeling at all and will avoid any product with large amounts of it in the stacker.  Try different stackers until you settle on one that agrees with you and gives you an added energy boost during your workout.  Since these products come in 50 serving containers, it is better to buy a single serving before deciding if the stacker gives you the desired metabolic assist during your workout.

Be careful to read the labels and do your homework prior to using any stacker and never exceed the recommended dosages. Young, fit athletes have been wheeled out to emergency rooms and intensive care because they used multiple doses or multiple products at the same time. Stackers are beneficial and usually safe when used in the prescribed manner. Consult your local experts including your physician if necessary to assist you.  People in nutrition centers and stores love to talk about their nutritional products.  Let them know about your search for the right pre workout stacker and they will gladly assist you. Most people will not try to pressure you into a certain brand or product after you have told them that you want to try to find a quality pre workout stacker to boost the quality of a workout.  These folks make a living with satisfied return customers who have a routine and use the right product for the job.

Stackers really do boost the quality of your workout. It is up to you to find the one that is right for you. Did we mention flavor? After a full 50 or 70 shot jar of your stacker, you may get sick of the flavor. So if you find a stacker that metabolically does the job for you, you might consider buying two smaller jars of that brand stacker in different flavors. This will keep you from having flavor burnout with your stacker.

Can I use the same stacker as my pre and post workout stacker?

Actually, no. read the labels and you will see that there are almost completely different components in pre and post workout stackers. The pre workout stacker dilates blood vessels with caffeine or other vasodilators and aids in energy transport. The post workout stacker is heavy on building and repairing cells with protein, protein precursors, vitamin and mineral replacement. These are two completely different functions and require completely different stackers.

Here are some of our favorite stacker and supplement suppliers. Try them out!

GYM “FUNNIES” and why they aren’t.

The man in the plastic bags – honest – on the treadmill with sweat pants and hooded sweat shirt  OVER the bags thinks he is losing weight.

Wrong:  Professional bicyclists know that the moment you feel the need for hydration and you feel over heated you are defeated. Studies show that muscles put out only 70% of their maximum output when the athlete is overheated.

Therefore, the man in the plastic bags – honestly he was in plastic bags – is not losing weight. He is overheating.  So if the idea is to go long and slow to lose weight on a treadmill, WILL HE BE ABLE TO GO LONGER?

Of course not .

No way.

No chance.

Absolutely not.

The body is overheating.

The body is failing.

Where did this come from?

Probably this man saw a boxer or wrestler “make weight” by shedding fluid.

Here is the key: Fluid loss is not weight loss.

Good weight loss is the use of the body’s stored reserves – AKA FAT. Losing fluid and overheating the body can have serious consequences – but none of these consequences are weight loss.

Let us design a program for you based on your weight loss goals. We can do this safely and effectively. You do the work and we create the design of your customized program. This program is yours and no one else has your specific program – unless that person can lift precisely the same weights as you can for precisely the same exercises. In other words if you have a weak shoulder or a dominant side from a racquet sport, the AfitnessAddiction.com program will address these issues with specific exercises and weights that are right for you.

And yes we do this for $19.99 per month and send the daily workouts to your handheld mobile application or to your email address.  After you sign up with us go to AfitnessAddiction.MOBI and see your workouts directly on your handheld device – at the gym!!!!!

Magical really…read our testimonials…This works….

IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT NORMAL TO BE INJURED WHILE LIFTING WEIGHTS!!!

                              One trainer using the AFITNESSADDICTION.COM model recently commented that he had begun training a local 14 year old high school baseball player. The boy in this case was playing for a local high school coach who recently decided that all baseball players should lift weights.

Curious to find out what had been going on he asked him to explain the routine. The player said that 5 times per week the coach had the baseball team working in the weight room doing a series of dead lifts and various squats into clean and jerk combination moves.

What is wrong with this approach?

1. The boy is 14 years old and has no weight training experience. He is a beginner.
2. The boy has done no adaptive work and is now doing heavy power lifting with no fundamental work in progressive resistance training.
3. The boy will be injured lifting these sets day after day – possibly seriously – possibly permanently.
4. This coach does not understand that some exercises are not exercises. These exercises are competitive lifting events and are not designed for everyday workout routines.

Conclusion:

The weights, rep limits and number of sets is not correct for the sport in question and the age and experience of the athlete.

This is an injury waiting to happen.

It is almost CERTAIN TO HAPPEN unless something is done.

Coaches routinely prescribe workouts that are not appropriate for their teams because youth sport coaches are NOT PERSONAL TRAINERS.

Did you know that the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York requires cadets to perform a series of strength and cardio minimum certifications? And, if the cadet can reach that minimum certification he is then free to choose or develop his or her own workout program?

Last summer, two third year cadets from West Point were touring the United States and dropped in to workout at a gym where a personal trainer using the AFITNESSADDICTION.COM model for his clients worked. He was shocked to see these cadets using a program which was an American off shoot of the Russian power lifting protocol from the late 1950 era. He interviewed the cadets who swore that the program was helping them develop their strength. They had done some research into power development and were working out on their own with a program they found. Neither future officer played a sport at the service academy. Both felt that the injuries they sustained WHILE LIFTING were NORMAL for ANYONE who lifted weights.

1. One had a torn shoulder rotator.
2. The other had a knee ligament injury that required a brace to workout. (And the injured knee buckled during the workout to such an extent that a group of local accomplished weight lifters gathered around the young men and strongly suggested that they discontinue the sets they were performing. Their form was so bad and the weight so excessive that two of the watchers asked the gym fitness manager if the gym could force the cadets to stop lifting and ask them to leave the club).
3. Both claimed that their mandatory timed mile runs were increasing rather than decreasing.

      4.   Both claimed that their strength gains were worth the pain and injuries.

It is not normal to be injured while training.

This is a serious misapplication of a specific type program. These athletes were continuously lifting amounts of weight that approximated and exceeded their one rep maximum limits. There was no developmental period. It was strictly week after week and month after month of extremely heavy weight training. They had selected the wrong program and they were damaging themselves and possibly their careers in the military. They were not power lifters. They were third year college students who needed a maximum strength program that would not create the body of a power lifter.

Our program costs $19.99 per month. It is custom tailored to your specific goals. It is based on your one rep max and can stress – maximum strength, weight loss, balanced core program or a maximum size program. The type program can be reset during the year and is completely unique for that individual.

You pay us $19.99 per month. We only collect one month at a time. No gym games – no sign up fees – no gym style funny business.  If it is easy to sign up, it should be easy to quit. That seems fair. You pay us $19.99 per month.  You are in control. If you are unhappy or don’t want to work out, then you can terminate the billing on line through your computer – that’s it, that’s all, the end, finished. Be safe out there. We want to help.

Sign up today and get your first month FREE, thats right FREE…. Hurry offer ends soon!!!

SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT MY WEIGHT IF I AM DOWN THREE PANT SIZES?

Is my scale my friend or my enemy?

This question was put to us recently by one person using the WOMEN WEIGHT LOSS ANNUAL PROGRAM.  The answer is actually very simple and we need to keep two thoughts in mind:

Thought number one:

Muscle weighs more than fat.

Thought number two:

Ten pounds of muscle requires 500 calories PER DAY for optimal maintenance.

Muscle weighs more than fat and muscle needs protein and calories to maintain its size and composition.

So what is your ideal body weight?

Who can say unless you have been optimally fit for your age, your height and your body shape?

So what we should consider so much more than what we want to weigh is what – or who – we want to look like.  If we want to be down several pant sizes and we feel great but we weigh the same, what does it matter? (This is of course not true for someone who is morbidly obese and needs to lose a very large amount of weight. For that person the scale is a significant ally). But most people want to trim a few pounds, get fit and look great.

Here is a good thought:

Pick someone you want to look like – a triathlete maybe or a fit actor or actress. Find out or measure their height in inches and prorate their weight to your size. Then create a goal which is close to that “weight to height ratio” and you will be very near the place you want to be.  And wow, if the person is super fit you will be AMAZED at the number of times you find that their weight far exceeds what you thought it would be PER INCH OF HEIGHT. Why? Because muscle weighs a great deal more than fat and lean dense muscle is the best type of muscle you can develop.

This is not body builder muscle but functional, high strength to size and weight muscle. We can first create size then strengthen that muscle for everyday use, competitive sports fitness or general good health and weight loss and weight maintenance.  (Note that we also have an annual maximum size program. This is for the person who wants to gain as much size as quickly as possible).

Here are a few conclusions that you can draw from this article:

1. I can eat more and stay thinner if I build muscle. Why? Muscle needs lots of calories for maintenance.
2. I can tailor my appearance with resistance and proper cardiovascular training.
3. The scale does not know if I have ten pounds of muscle or ten pounds of fat on my body.  The scale does not know how I VALUE that weight. Is it GOOD weight – muscle and strong connective tissue or BAD weight – body fat leading to declining health and permanent health related impairment of the quality of life? (Seniors- take note and use our senior programs).

So in a general sense, the scale can be very helpful in gauging morbid weight loss. But the scale is minimally helpful to most people who are not in a specific competition that has weight limits (think wrestling) or has a penalty for excessive weight that is extracted by the sport (think jockeys or professional motocross riders). The rest of us should generally give little regard to what the scale says.

Unless you are in one of these categories – and we do use our model to train and assist these people – you should probably think a little less about what you weigh and consider these questions as the answer to the dilemma:

What do I look like? Is this what I want to look like?

How do I feel? Do I feel dynamic, strong and powerful in my body now?

If you like the answer to these important life/body questions, then the scale is meaningless.

If you do not or you want an excellent maintenance program, then use our AFITNESSADDICTION.COM individually customized program of your choice to reach your goals. Only $19.99 per month!!

DO IT THE RIGHT WAY WITH AFITNESSADDICTION.COM

Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. We look at going to the gym without an annual workout plan and expecting to see change in your body composition as the fulfillment of Einstein’s definition. Doing something is better than doing nothing right?

Not necessarily so. Look at our blog post on serious gym injuries and then…

Do it the right way. Do it with AfitnessAddiction.com.

A gym member walked up to a trainer and said, “I am doing three sets of ten reps and adding five pounds of weight each week. That’s good right?” The trainer wisely replied, “I don’t really know. What phase of training are you in?” 

Most people in the gym are guessing. Maybe doing something is better than doing nothing – maybe not. If you do not know where you are or what you are trying to accomplish, you cannot get there.  The trainer who was asked about three sets of ten correctly responded.…

Was the person working on strengthening the muscle at the same rate as the tendons and connective tissue? Had he been on an extended vacation? Was the person coming off of an injury?

Was this an athlete who was at the end of a season?

Was this an athlete at the beginning of a season?

Is the person attempting to put on size – a hypertrophic affect?

 Is the person trying to lose weight?

How long has the person been doing this?

What percentage of the person’s one rep maximum lift is the person using?

What is the rest period between sets? What is the rest period between days?

What actually happened here?

Most likely this was a routine question for the trainer to field, but the answer is correct. Without a specific program and a specific goal there is no answer to the question. Perhaps the individual wanted a little “free training advice.”  The member of the gym wanted free advice without paying trainer for his expertise.  Free advice is the worst advice.

Here are the AFITNESSADDICTION.COM options:

1. Enter the type program you want? Do you want to generally gain size, gain maximum strength, maintain and develop symmetry or lose weight?
2. After signing up for the program you want, you will receive a workout that can be done AFTER you determine your Select your group.  Are you an adult, senior, youth or needing a woman’s specific program.
3. one rep maximum lift for each exercise. No you do not actually lift your one rep maximum weight. You do from one to ten reps and the program calculates the weight you will use for each distinct phase you are in. These are typically three weeks to six weeks.
4. Review your progress and should you change your mind you can go to your PREFERENCES page and actually change your year ly program– say from core to weight loss or from weight loss to core.
5. Decide if you want to receive today’s workout on your computer or as a mobile handheld application.
6. Signup your friends for the AFitnessAddiction.com program that they need.  Maybe they are guessing and asking personal trainers in the gym for unpaid unsolicited tips. We are only $ 19.99 per month!!

The Benefit of Progressive Resistance Training for Chronic Lung Disease   (COPD) sufferers – can be delivered with the AFITNESSADDICTION.com progressive weight training program. See – reported online article and studies posted below on November 18, 2009:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People with chronic lung disease like emphysema or bronchitis can strengthen their arms and legs with resistance training, and this strength may help them perform everyday tasks more easily, a new review of 18 studies confirms.

Rehabilitation programs are intended to help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who often experience loss of muscle strength and fatigue, learn to exercise safely, Dr. Simone D. O’Shea of Charles Sturt University in Albury, New South Wales, Australia and her colleagues note in their report in the medical journal Chest.

There has been a growing emphasis in such programs on progressive resistance training, in which a person moves increasingly heavy weights to improve their strength, the researchers add. They undertook a review of the literature on resistance training for COPD patients to update current understanding of the benefits and risks.

Small but significant increases in strength of arm and leg muscles were seen after short-term progressive resistance training, O’Shea and her colleagues report, but the two trials evaluating whether patients added muscle mass and reduced their body fat were inconclusive.

Five of the studies included in their analysis looked at cycling endurance. When compared to no exercise at all, cycling offered some endurance benefit, but aerobic training was more beneficial, and it wasn’t clear whether combining the two types of exercise offered additional benefit.

The four trials that looked at measures of daily function showed benefits for stair climbing and the speed at which a person was able to rise from a chair, and these benefits were greater than those seen with aerobic training. But the design of these trials meant they could have overestimated the benefits of exercise, O’Shea and her colleagues say.

Often, the researchers note, COPD patients don’t have access to weight machines, so it’s important to determine if home exercises with resistance bands, free weights, and other simple equipment could be helpful.

“Long-term strategies for maintaining health in COPD patients are essential; therefore, an examination of longer-term outcomes, suitable maintenance dose exercise prescriptions, and long-term adherence is warranted,” they conclude.

SOURCE: CHEST, November 2009.

With afitnessaddiction.com you can gain the strength you need to help you feel better. Check us out on the web. Join us today for just $19.99 per month!

THERE IS NO ONE “BEST WAY” to lift weights.

At fitnessrevolution.com we customize your lifting based the result you want and teach you to “count your way” to the body you want.

If you simply want to lose weight you will go through several phases of training and each has a specific type of lifting involved to gain a training effect. The weight you lift will be based on the amount of weight you can safely and easily lift. There are exact percentages that you will lift and a style of lifting that you will do. The style is the key. Don’t just casually lift the weight, concentrate on the FORM.

DID YOU KNOW?

If you are a body builder generally you will lift with a four count. You will push out slowly for two counts and resist the weight slowly for two counts while going through specific phases of training. Even in these phases, the counts may vary.

If you are an athlete, you will want to use a power push for a one count and a two count for resistance. This is a total of three counts.

You will see lots of people in the gym lifting to a two count. That is one count out and one count in. This is not the right way to lift. Generally these people are counting their reps and they are thinking only about completing the reps and not thinking about each individual rep. For example, a person lifting to complete 15 reps might be saying in their head something like one, two, three – and only counting the reps. If that person were thinking correctly, it would be “one -two-three, two-two-three, three-two three.  In other words, just throwing the weight up and dropping it back without RESISTING WEIGHT as the exercise is performed is actually dangerous. The weight is being dropped back onto the tendons, joint areas and connective tissues – and for micro seconds, the weight is being handled by the connective tissue and not the muscle tissue because the weight is not supported by the muscles. This is bad form and can lead to serious injury.

Lift correctly and live long. We can help you set up a customized program that is downloaded via our mobile internet connect at fitnessrevolution.MOBI. You can have the weights and reps sent to you daily. You can change your preferences and changes the days and your routine will appear faithfully on your computer or handheld device. We provide daily workouts and check your weight limits every few weeks as you move through the phases. No more guessing costly personal trainers – a scientifically designed exercise program designed specifically with you in mind – all for only $19.99  per month !!!!