Friday, January 12, 2007
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Every once in a while, something truly revolutionary comes along in the world of strength training. The latest is a system calledEscalating Density Training, or EDT for short. It is a revolutionary training system, but it also has its roots in some basic strength training concepts. One of the most comprehensive sources of EDT information is "Muscle Logic : Escalating Density Training" by Charles Staley, available in bookstores and at Amazon.com. It gives you a solid introduction to escalating density training, simple rules for following EDT, and then provides photos depicting exactly what to do.
To explain where this comes from and how it works, I first have to give you a brief history of Power Factor Training.
Peter Sisco and John Little, who wrote the book of the same title, developed power factor training. In this system, you move increasingly heavy weights in short periods of time in an effort to boost your overall power output. You are only dealing with two variables: time and amount of work.
The power factor system created a way to measure power output by taking the total amount of work that was done and dividing it by the number of seconds it took to produce that work. The difficulty with the power factor training system is that it uses a very small range of motion, eventually becoming static contraction training, which has no motion whatsoever. Muscle contraction without movement makes it very difficult to understand the concept of work, since nothing is actually moving. In my own experience, I maxed-out and plateaued quickly, unable to see continued gains even though I was pushing a tremendous amount of weight very short distances.
For example, I was bench-pressing 550 pounds for half-an-inch, or leg pressing well over 1000 pounds for 1 to 2 inches, but couldn't get past that.
Escalating Density Training takes the concepts of power -- the amount of work produced over a period of time -- and encourages you to perform that work over a fixed duration. In this case, it's 15 minutes. So in EDT, you would perform two exercises alternately for 15 minutes with small rest breaks in between. I started out doing squats and push-ups.
Even though your body may be used to pushing heavy weights, your muscles typically aren't used to doing it for a sustained duration, which is what EDT encourages you to do. The idea is that you do as many push-ups and squats as you can during the 15 minutes, and the next time you come around to that same exercise set, which might be one to two weeks later depending on your schedule, you try to do more push-ups or squats in the same period of time, or use more weight; doing squats while holding onto kettle bells or dumbbells, or push-ups with a weighted vest.
The fun thing about this training program is that it gives you a numeric goal to beat. You know exactly what your power factor rating (seconds divided by reps) was the last time you did this exercise set, so when you're doing it again, you know what you have to beat. You begin to compete with yourself, which makes exercise more fun and rewarding. It's also startling to learn just how quickly you can gain power.
Your body will adapt when you use this program. Even though you may have been extremely sore just doing squats with no weight whatsoever, after a few weeks, you'll find that you can squat for 15 minutes doing 180 repetitions and won't be sore at all. Then, you can start adding weight. If you do this long enough, you may be able to squat 20 pounds, 40 pounds or maybe even 80 or 100 pounds eventually. You'll be both strong and functional, and your leg muscle mass will increase in size because that is a necessary adaptation for increased strength.
The EDT program seems so simple that you might wonder why nobody thought of it before now. Part of the answer is that people who engage in strength training and bodybuilding tend to over-complicate things. They like to have all sorts of cascading systems, numbers of reps and sets, days on and days off, ladders and all kinds of numerical contortions that may not actually lend themselves to the most efficient strength enhancement system.
Escalating density training puts it all in simple terms, and makes the whole thing remarkably easy to follow.
“Muscle Logic” explains the whole system in about 40 pages, and then in the other 200 pages shows you examples of how to use this system. It actually gives you photographs and exercise combinations that you might use. A lot of it is actually redundant, which is my only complaint about the book. It could have been half its size and still been just as good, but overall, “Muscle Logic” delivers exactly what it promises. It shows you how to participate in a revolutionary yet incredibly simple strength training system that could be the most important breakthrough in strength training for everyday people that we've seen in a long time.
I think this system is ideal because it doesn't require a lot of heavy machinery or endless trips to the gym. A lot of these exercises can be started with merely your own body weight, such as the squats and push-ups. It’s also practical for women, who generally want functional strength and not cosmetic strength. “Muscle Logic” shows you how to be truly strong in the way your body moves, not just the way it looks.
If you're interested in experiencing the greatest strength gains possible in the least amount of time, I believe that EDT is a system that will allow you to do it.
The book does a great job of teaching you how the system works and how to get started no matter what your age, gender or current level of strength. Don't be misled by the huge bicep on the cover of this book; this book is for everyday people who want to gain strength and all the benefits that go with it, including enhanced bone density, increased resilience, reduced risk of injuries, improved joint and ligament strength, plus all the cardiovascular and weight loss benefits. If you follow this system, you cannot help but get healthier and stronger.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
5 WAYS TO STAY IN SHAPE WITHOUT THE GYM
2. Recreational Sports- Playing any type of recreational sports will definitely get the blood pumping but it will also improve muscle strength and hand eye coordination.
3. Calisthenics- involves any type of exercise that involves the use of only your body for weight or resistance. Each and every last one of the exercises listed below can increase muscle strength, muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness, and shape the body to look more toned.
4. Swimming- Swimming is an extremely good exercise for the entire body. Swimming works the back , the abs, the legs and the arms. Its pretty much just like doing the flutter kick exercise, except you're laying on your stomach and you you your arms to thrust your body through the water.
5. Kick Boxing-is a perfect entire body exercise. Many women like to do this workout because it allows them to let off steam after a rough day. Kick boxing works the back, shoulders, abs, obliques, quads, arms and calves. Kick boxing is an excellent workout for anyone one looking for immediate physical results.
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CHANGING DIET TO ADAPT TO EXERCISE
When you start a new exercise program, it is important to enhance your overall diet with sports nutrition to maximize your athletic performance. Professional athletes who depend on optimal athletic performance for their careers, make sports nutrition one of their top priorities.
The tricky part is knowing which nutrition plan will work best for your particular activity. Different amounts of different nutrients are needed for strength sports such as bodybuilding and weight lifting than for endurance sports such as cycling, running, and swimming. You can find many books about sports nutrition, but here are a few main points to help you get started.
Balance Your Diet to Maximize Your Performance
To enhance your athletic performance and your health, you’ll need to balance your intake of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fluids. The right balance will improve your body composition which can increase your strength, speed, and coordination. While a balanced diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products lean meats, beans, and essential fats, you may need to increase your intake of carbs, fats, and proteins if you increase your amount of physical activity. Sports nutrition will also help you recover more quickly after intense workouts.Carbohydrates for Exercise Energy
Carbohydrates are the main nutrients that provide energy and fuel for muscle contractions during moderate to high intensity exercise. Athletes can optimize their performance by eating whole grain carbohydrates, such as whole grain pastas, whole grain breads, and brown rice before workouts. The carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which produces energy. Any glucose that is not used right away will get stored in the muscles and the liver in as glycogen. Glycogen is the source of energy that is used most during intense exercise—from sprinting to weight lifting.Fats for Endurance
Fats can increase your endurance by fueling low intensity exercise for long periods of time. While you don’t want to eat too much fat for your body, a low-fat diet will not provide the endurance you need for endurance sports, such as triathlons or marathons.Proteins for Recovery
While protein is not an ideal source of fuel for energy needed when you exercise, an adequate amount of proteins are needed to repair and rebuild body tissues and muscles that are broken down during exercise. Protein can also be broken down to make glucose for energy if you have not eaten enough carbohydrates to last for your entire workout.Hydrate After Exercise
After you exercise, it is best to replenish your fluids by drinking water, juice, sports drinks, or milk within 30 minutes. Drinking fluids immediately after a workout will help to speed muscle recovery.Performance Enhancing Supplements
Many athletes also use supplements to increase their speed, strength, and endurance. Supplements can be useful tools for professional athletes whose sports are also their jobs. Before starting any supplements for sports nutrition, consult with your health care provider about which supplements will work best for you.HYDRATION PT. 2
Hydration
Hydration pt.2
So, in my last blog about hydration I gave you a basic understanding of how important water is for the body. I provided, it's different functions for the body and how to properly hydrate yourself.Today I want to provide you with a little more info on water and also I want to talk to you about sport drinks. Its been proven that cold water is absorbed by the body in the stomach faster than warm water. An even lesser known fact is that the more cold water you drink, the more you lose weight. The reason this is possible is because your body has to expend energy to warm the cold water up to equal your body's temperature.
Either way you can benefit from drinking cold water whether you're attempting to gain or lose weight. Now, let's switch gears here and talk on sports drinks. Its been suggested through recent scientific study that drinks containing about 10% sugar are almost as readily absorbed as cold water. Sugary drinks have also been shown to improve endurance in events or workouts lasting 1-3 hrs. Keep in mind though, if you're attempting to lose weight or burn fat, sugary drinks will provide carbohydrate energy to the working/exercising muscles and stave off fat metabolization for use as energy. So to keep things simple just remember, if your intent is for performance purposes, then consume sports drinks, but if you're attempting to lose weight or burn fat, then drink water only.
The glycogen stored in the muscle will burn out in about 20 mins and that will force the body to use stored fat for continued energy. The biggest benefit of consuming sports drinks is of course electrolytes. Proper hydration combined with electrolytes will provide the body with a good electrical charge with in the body fluids for the transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and proper body fluid levels and acid-base fluid balance.
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HYDRATION
Secrets about Hydration
Hydration Part 1
Your heart rate increases when the body isn't cooled properly which could result in heat stroke or heat exhaustion. The average human can survive without food for weeks on end but can only survive without water for 3 days. Water can be used to dilute solutions in the body and transport them to the various tissues including the transport of waste products. Thirst is not an accurate measure of the body's hydration requirements simply because age and environment can alter the thirst mechanism. The best way to effectively hydrate the body would be to set a schedule. You could handle the schedule one of two ways. You can either do 1 gallon per day or 2-3 cups 2hrs prior to working out and another 1-2 cups 15 mins just before working out. During exercise, about 4 oz of water should be consumed every 15 minutes to replace water lost through sweat and maintain blood volume.
As a guide for each pound of body weight lost through sweating while exercising, drink two 8 oz glasses of water. A loss of only 2% of body weight through sweating can bring on the onset of a lack of hydration. Here are some of the early signs of a lack of hydration:dizziness, fatigue, headache, and loss of appetite.
HOW TO FIGHT CELLULITE pt 1
How to fight cellulite
With the rise in work hours and the demand on people to perform better on their jobs, there has been a continual rise in health problems. Most health problems aren't paid that much attention to, until its to late to deal with them, but some are and since now people are more concerned about their facial features, or their hair or nails there's more attention taken to maintain the outer appearance. Now, seeing as how my particular field of expertise is to help you look better AND feel better i want to help you fight the very thing that's been working against you. Sorry men but this part is just for the women only....Cellulite seems to be a long standing problem for many women nowadays. And i want to help you find a way to look in that full length mirror in the morning and smile when you look at your body. In order to figure out the off switch for cellulite you have to figure out what the on switch is or what is it you're doing to actually cause you to get cellulite in the first place......So what causes cellulite to get on me?!!!!!!!!!............So glad you asked!!!!!! Here are the reasons you get cellulite!!!!
Causes of Cellulite!!!!!!!!!!
- Genetics and Heredity Genes highly determine your chance of developing cellulite. It is also primarily a female issue and affects 90% of women.
- Not Enough Water Drinking lots of water will help flush toxins out your body. Since cellulite is a mixture of fat, water, and toxic wastes that the body has failed to eliminate, drinking plenty of water can help diminish cellulite.
- Poor Diet A poor diet consisting of alcohol, processed foods, and caffeine contributes to cellulite since the toxins they produce get trapped in fatty tissue. Some say that spicy foods can contribute.
- Smoking Here's another reason you should quit; smoking promotes cellulite by damaging the connective tissue in your body. This causes the dimpled effect in cellulite.
- Medication Diet pills, sleeping pills and diuretics all lead to cellulite. Birth control also increases cellulite formation because of its tendency to produce high levels of estrogen. It also leads to water retention which inhibits the body from flushing the system of toxins, leading to the formation of cellulite.
- Sedentary Lifestyle The results of a sedentary lifestyle, poor circulation and muscle tone, can cause cellulite development. Lack of exercise hardens the connective tissue in the skin which causes dimples.
- Crash Diets Crash diets increase the risk of cellulite because the body thinks it's starving. It attempts to consume saturated fats which help build cellulite. Unfortunately, these fats block the arteries and get trapped in tissues as well, preventing sufficient waste and toxin elimination.
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VITAVEGAMIN TAKES LIQUID NUTRITION MAINSTREAM
Liquid Vitamins/Supplements- why are they becoming so popular today? There are several reasons for the popularity of liquid nutrition that will be discussed in this article. However, it is necessary to first point out that it is essential for everyone to take nutritional supplements in some form every day. Our body cannot make vitamins and minerals by itself, so we are all responsible with supplementing our diets with the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. We can get these essential vitamins in one of two forms: liquid vitamins or pill form vitamins. There has been an increase in the popularity of liquid vitamins recently with increasing complexity and new age ingredients that go beyond simple vitamins to include antioxidants, herbal extracts, and other specialized ingredients that promote general health and well being.
So, what are the benefits to liquid vitamins? First, remember when you were a kid and they had to force you to take your nutritional health supplements? This is nothing new, as no one likes to swallow a giant vitamin. Large, pill form vitamins are a nuisance, and people often avoid taking their vitamins because they have to choke down a large pill. With liquid nutrition, this issue obviously does not exist. Almost everyone can swallow a liquid supplement with no trouble. So, the first and most important pro of liquid vitamins is that they are easier to take.
Second, the delivery system of liquid vitamins is much faster. Liquid is more easily absorbed into the body than pill form supplements. As soon as liquid vitamins hit a person’s tongue, the process of absorption begins, and the liquid vitamins can begin taking effect immediately.
The third pro of liquid vitamins is that they only need to be taken once a day instead of three times a day, as some pill vitamins require. Fewer doses per day are cheaper, as it requires a person to purchase less of the liquid vitamins than one would have to purchase with pill vitamins. Fewer doses per day are also beneficial to the person who has a sensitive stomach, because there are fewer opportunities for liquid vitamins to cause stomach upset.
Now more than ever, it is essential that everyone supplement the food that they eat with vitamins and minerals. Whether this supplement is taken in the form of liquid vitamins or pill vitamins is largely a personal decision. However, as this article has pointed out, the benefits of liquid supplements most likely outweigh the drawbacks.
Quality and scientific formulations are the key. Vitavegamin is a premium blend of high grade vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other ingredients to maintain general health and well being, produce in an FDA approved GMP facility. Just as hundreds of energy drinks attempted to follow the footsteps of RedBull, there will be others who will follow the footsteps of Vitavegamin.
For more information visit www.vitavegamin.com
By: Nutrition Guru
So, what are the benefits to liquid vitamins? First, remember when you were a kid and they had to force you to take your nutritional health supplements? This is nothing new, as no one likes to swallow a giant vitamin. Large, pill form vitamins are a nuisance, and people often avoid taking their vitamins because they have to choke down a large pill. With liquid nutrition, this issue obviously does not exist. Almost everyone can swallow a liquid supplement with no trouble. So, the first and most important pro of liquid vitamins is that they are easier to take.
Second, the delivery system of liquid vitamins is much faster. Liquid is more easily absorbed into the body than pill form supplements. As soon as liquid vitamins hit a person’s tongue, the process of absorption begins, and the liquid vitamins can begin taking effect immediately.
The third pro of liquid vitamins is that they only need to be taken once a day instead of three times a day, as some pill vitamins require. Fewer doses per day are cheaper, as it requires a person to purchase less of the liquid vitamins than one would have to purchase with pill vitamins. Fewer doses per day are also beneficial to the person who has a sensitive stomach, because there are fewer opportunities for liquid vitamins to cause stomach upset.
Now more than ever, it is essential that everyone supplement the food that they eat with vitamins and minerals. Whether this supplement is taken in the form of liquid vitamins or pill vitamins is largely a personal decision. However, as this article has pointed out, the benefits of liquid supplements most likely outweigh the drawbacks.
Taking Liquid Nutrition Mainstream
Although there have been Liquid Supplements on the market for some time, they have not yet been accepted as mainstream, until now. A new product called Vitavegamin is set to change all that. Similar to RedBull that set the pace for the energy drink category, Vitavegamin is set to do for liquid nutritional supplements. High grade supplements that have proven health protection and benefit are alternatively reffered to as Alternative Health Care. People turn to unconventional therapies and herbal remedies for everything from hot flashes and trouble sleeping to cancer and heart disease. They crave more “care” in their health care. Alternative medicine, including the use of nutritional supplements, is slowly becoming accepted by a growing number of health care insurers. In just the past few years more insurers have started offering patients limited coverage for such practices as acupuncture, nutritional counseling and other complementary or alternative forms of care. Quality and scientific formulations are the key. Vitavegamin is a premium blend of high grade vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other ingredients to maintain general health and well being, produce in an FDA approved GMP facility. Just as hundreds of energy drinks attempted to follow the footsteps of RedBull, there will be others who will follow the footsteps of Vitavegamin.
For more information visit www.vitavegamin.comBy: Nutrition Guru
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5 TIPS TO HELP YOU SHED WEIGHT w/ TAVA TEA
Tava Tea
In case you haven't discovered Tava Tea at this point, you will absolutely love what you uncover about Tava Tea. It is actually an ancient Chinese herbal tea that assists with a whole long line of things from bringing down stress and anxiety, cholesterol-reducing, building up your immunity mechanism, plus much more. One of the only "side effects" with tava tea is that it often makes you drop a few pounds. Thankfully for lots of people, that's precisely what they're desiring, to lose weight with the help of simple things like having some tea.5 suggestions which will assist you to speed up unwanted weight loss.
1. Drink 2-3 glasses of tava tea every day. One time in the am, later on for a snack and another later in the day is a good method of getting the tea directly into your whole body to start getting all the amazing benefits.
PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER SUPPOSE TO'S
So i'm up at 12 or 1 in the morning and i'm watching t.v, you know just flicking through channels. And i stumble upon these fitness infomercials where you see Insanity workouts and P90X, and i'm sitting here thinking two things to myself. 1. how did they get this much money to do what they do and 2. who was it that gave these guys they're certification to teach people how to get in shape. The reason i say this is because there is no way that people should be doing these types of workouts this immediately. And you really cant fault the people because its not like they know any better, they are however the blame for not doing their research before starting a workout plan and nutritional diet. But no worries because i'm here to set the record straight about how the average unlearned run of the mill fitness client should prepare himself when it comes to getting himself in shape for whatever the reason may be.
America Needs Trainers
For the average person, it's more economical for them to buy a hundred dollars worth of workout video information. To pay a personal trainer an average of fifty dollars per session seems a bit steep nowadays with the financial state of this country. Most people, are seeing personal fitness trainers as a luxury rather than a necessity, i respectfully disagree with them. Consider for a moment,....consider that well over 30% of this country's inhabitants are overweight and that's not even counting adults that's just counting high school on down. For adults, the numbers are 3x's as bad. I think that definitely makes personal training a necessity rather than a luxury. And if the personal trainer is as good as advertised then its money well spent to get this country back in shape.
Now, lets just say the average person described in the paragraph above is slopping away on the couch in the middle of the night. He sees a way to get in shape without putting too much of a strain on his pockets. The infomercial does its job by making the workout look hard but fun. They entice the slopper by telling him he can get in shape quick without paying a personal trainer and without paying a gym membership fee. The advertiser/personal trainer tells you everything you want to hear but not what you NEED to hear.
Before you get involved with working out there are steps that need to be taken that are imperative to you not only getting in shape, but doing so without hurting yourself in the process. I'll cover those steps in the next article.
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Sunday, March 18, 2012
6 THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE GYM
Ever go to the gym after working all day, and you just have one of those days where, you just don’t want to be there, but you don’t want that membership fee to go to waste so you go anyway? Then once you get there your mind isn’t focused so it starts wondering around and then everything that you wouldn’t notice on a day when you’re pumped to workout, just becomes more noticeable? Well, I’ve had a few days like that, and in honor of those days I decided to give you a little list of things i noticed and hated about the gym.
5.5. When a guy is bench pressing and instead of breathing normally he has to bark like a dog after every rep.
5. Whenever you bench press and the guy spots you, and his genitals have to hang over your face.
4. When you’re working out on a certain machine and someone wants to use it next, they just sit & watch you workout until you finish.
3. Whenever i’m on the treadmill and there’s about 3 or 4 treadmills between me and the next person and someone decides they want to breathe and sweat and run all over the treadmill that’s right next to me.
2. When people use the gym as a hook up spot instead of coming there to work out.
1. When I’m changing in the locker room and i have to see a bunch of old men stepping out the shower buck naked.
What experiences have you had at the gym that just made you hate going at times? If you had one then add it to the list!!!!!
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