Entries Tagged 'gym' ↓

Well finally we’re all clearing the Christmas/New Years period (not to mention my family’s annoying birthdays on the 28th & 3rd!), and as usual my partner is saying she’s put on at least a few kilos. Me on the other hand… I’ve dropped weight, because I’m not at the gym. Ah, the curse of the fast metabolism.

I see see the conversation going on in your head right now, “oh poor you, you have to work out to keep weight on, I wish I had that problem.” Well, its a problem none the less, and these days guys have plenty of pressure on them to be buff & strong… and besides… *I* like being buff & strong! The problem is…

I’m just lazy!

And my body knows it. Its telling my muscle cells, “Yo! We don’t need to maintain all this mass any more, the guy’s not using it anymore!” And I lose weight… but gain a tiny bit around my waist.

What am I going to do about it? I said in my Colorado Experiment post I’d read about a guy called Tom Venuto, so I’ve gone and got a copy of his ebook, and I’m putting his eating practices to the test, while sticking as closely to Colorado style rep schemes as I can.

I’ll see what Tom says to do anyway. I’ll also be dragging my other half along, but to be frank with you, there’ll be no before & after shots – we’re just a little too shy for that.

So stay tuned & I’ll let you know what I think of the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle book, and then I’ll see what results we get from it, month by month.

I can hardly believe its been 3 months since my first post about the Colorado Experiment – but its true!

Thanks for all the emails & comments I’ve received badgering me to add a status report… I needed it!

Ok… So, how did it all go?

In my original post I said that the first few sessions made my muscles the sorest they’ve been for a long time. This effect didn’t last very long. Our routine for 3 months had us hitting the gym 2 times a week (because I’ve got a raging fast metabolism and the Colorado experiment guidelines say to keep the frequency low), but even though we were pushing ourselves hard, we quickly adapted & muscle soreness returned to the usual I get the day after a workout.

The routine we were doing was simple – start out with the exercise I needed the most (because I believe my body produces better results on muscles I work first) and finish with the exercise I needed the least (definitely chest!).

Each exercise was a large muscle group, and each session included every major muscle group via compound movements (these are exercises that involve more than one joint or muscle group), so it was certainly a “whole body” work out.

For me, I started with cable rows.  I’ve got a bung neck, and I feel that the stronger my back is, the better I’ll cope with my day to day hunching over a computer. So one BIG, full on set of back was performed, following the parameters of a Colorado style workout… 5 seconds concentric, 5 seconds eccentric. Each workout usually took around 45 minutes (1 min rest between sets).

And just for the sake of completion, I’d vary my workouts. So one day I’d do bench for chest. One day flys. One day I’d do cable rows for back, the next I’d do upright rows. The only thing I didn’t vary much was pull ups, which I do on an assisted weight machine to offset any chance of hurting my neck.

We followed most of the parameters of the Colorado experiment, but like I said in my first post, we didn’t use nautilus machines.

So what are the results? Are I HUGE?

No… sorry… I’m not now 10 pounds of muscle heavier after 3 months… I’m the same weight.

HOWEVER, I’m not eating to bulk right now… When I get a more convenient gym, I will absolutely let everyone know how I go with this routine while I try & bulk.

Update: I’ve been researching more about the whole “bulking” thing, and came across a guy called Tom Venuto. He’s done a book, “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle“, and the guy reckons “bulking” is a bunch of nonsense. I might grab a copy & review it, and see what he’s got to say about the “feed the muscle” half of the title!

Got any questions? Have you tried a Colorado style routine? Just punch in your details below & let us all know how you went.

Cheers!

My brother & I have recently decided to give a variation of “The Colorado Experiment” a test. We regularly go to the gym 2 to 3 times a week as it is, but are now tweaking our sessions to match this Colorado Experiment we found on the net.

Briefly, the Colorado Experiment says to try very slow concentric and eccentric contractions for each rep, rather than the fast stuff we’re used to. In fact I usually rip each concentric (or lifting or pushing) part of the rep very hard and fast, but now with the Colorado Experiment guidelines, I’m doing a 5 second up count, and a 5 second down count on every rep.

We’re giving ourselves 1 minute rest between sets, but opposed to the experiment (which seems to favour nautilus equipment for commercial reasons) we’re just using compound movements like bench press, squats, lunges, cable rows and the like. Each work out involves every major muscle group in the body to stimulate as much testosterone as possible, and we follow a loose system that lets us get every major muscle group in under an hour in the gym. We’re still only working out 2 or 3 times a week, no cardio apart from the occasional taking the dog for a walk!

My initial thoughts are that its brutally hard, but that might just be the initial getting used to it stage. My muscles are also much sorer than usual, which not not necessarily a positive sign… but it shows that my muscles aren’t used to it, and that I’m challenging them in different ways (and that is important!).

Come by soon and I’ll let you know what benefits I’ve been receiving from the Colorado Experiment inspired workouts we’re doing.

Update: See the results of the Colorado Experiment Test, here.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t want to go to the gym, I hate looking at myself in all the mirrors” or, “I hate the gym and all the losers checking themselves out in the mirror.” I have, plenty of times. Both of these can certainly be valid concerns, and are without doubt held by a lot of people. You may feel uncomfortable looking in the mirror at the gym, or perhaps you’re a little overweight & it makes you feel self conscious. Fair enough. I can let that slide as we’re all human and by nature we avoid things that make us uncomfortable.

However, what I won’t let slide is the gym’s that are popping up promoting the fact they’re mirror free. I believe this shows two things… One- The owner’s know how to listen to people’s fears. No worries, that’s ok. But more importantly, it shows a lack of care, expertise, and a lack of brains. A lack of care because mirrors are not there for huge muscle bound guys and girls to show off and act like clowns or indulge their ego. And a lack of expertise because they should be well aware of that fact.

What are mirrors there for then? Despite your hatred of gym mirrors, they are useful, and they should be required pieces of equipment because it increases gym safety by allowing gym-goers to practice better form. Not to mention bodybuilders are actually sports people too. Mirrors are required to perfect poses they use in competition, and despite their professionalism body builders also need mirrors to perfect their form and remain uninjured.

There’s no troubles if your gym contains machines only… the machine will dictate what form you use, but if your gym has free weights (as good gyms do), you need mirrors where you can monitor your form, and reduce your risk of injury.

To get over your fear of mirrors, I can suggest a few things:

• Just face it. Fear has been called “False Evidence Appearing Real”. Get out in front of that mirror, amongst the big guys (if there are any), and just get on with it. Facing your fear is the best and perhaps only way to conquer it. You might even find out that they’re not all a bunch of idiot meat heads after all (but some inevitably will be- welcome to humanity).
• Go gym shopping for a few months. Most gyms will offer you a week or two of free membership so you can try it out before committing. Use this to your advantage and find a gym that isn’t full of massive steroid pumping guys and make it your home. The only problem with this idea is that “meat heads” as we stereotypically call them, seek out well equipped gyms, therefore we can pretty accurately assume something is wrong with the gym if there’s no “meat heads” in sight.
• You may be able to avoid the meat head and bicep ogling population by choosing different times of day. Experiment.
• If you’re a female, and you’re more concerned about being the only gal amongst a bunch of testosterone jacked guys with no other eye candy in sight, join a female only gym, or hunt for a gym with a female gym-going population. They do exist. Or see option 1. Face your fear.
• The last & worst option is- don’t work out at a gym with mirrors. Just do like everyone else does and do steady state cardio for an hour, and then wonder why your weight fluctuates so much and you don’t permanently keep it off. See what I’m ranting about, here.

I hope you enjoyed today’s soap box. And I hope you find it useful. Remember, while I like to say everything you do should be based in having a bit of fun, avoiding the mirror may sabotage you in more ways than one.

If you’re one of the many, many people out there that struggle to remember how to perform particular exercises, or how to execute common weight training movements, then check out the fantastic and free website from The Training Station Inc.

You’ll find over one-hundred animated figures that quickly give you a no-nonsense and surprisingly accurate idea of how to perform a range of exercises. For example, the dumbbell pullover animation correctly shows that you need to keep the dumbbell level with your head, and keep your elbows bent.

Clearly, if you still aren’t sure on what you should be doing after watching these animations, ask your personal trainer… If you’ve found a good one that is! If you haven’t, maybe you should see my previous article on the subject.

Otherwise, check out arguably the best book available on performing exercises with perfect form: Strength Training Anatomy, by Frederick Delavier. It’ll show you exactly how to perform the core movement to avoid injury, as well as exactly what muscles you’re activating. If you’d also like to incorporate variation into your movements to shock, confuse & abuse your body into losing fat or gaining muscle, Fred’s book will show you how.

I’ve used this book for years and can personally attest to how valuable it can be when it comes to designing your own programs, or rechecking that the technique you’ve settled into is in fact the correct, safe technique!

Are you letting your ill-founded notions of progress get in your way at the gym? Have you started your exercise program or gym-going schedule only three or four months ago, but already becoming frustrated with your lack of progress? Cut yourself some slack, your frustration & apparent lack of progress might be the only thing getting in your way.

A quick lesson on fat. If you’re into exercise to lose fat & look good, hear this: The unsightly fat that hangs around beneath your skin (called subcutaneous fat) is not the only fat you’ll find (or lose via exercise) in your body. Did you know you have reserves of fat inside your body too? You also have intramuscular fat, and visceral fat. Intramuscular fat is the fat found in your muscles (think fat marbling in a cut of steak), and visceral fat is fat found around your organs.

Why the lesson on fat? Well, I just want you to realize that fat won’t just drop off your body from exactly where it’ll make you look best in your new dress, or make your gut look good in your new suit. In fact, fat can be very stubborn when it comes to coming off the “problem areas”, such as the stomach for men, and the hips and bum for the girls. Thanks very much, DNA!

So after all this bad news, what have I got for you? Just some very basic and I believe, effective advice. Forget about the scales, just keep learning about safe and effective ways to exercise and eat healthily, and above all, make your program fun and a long term lifestyle choice. Your fat will eventually come off. Its just a matter of persistence, and when your exercise is fun, that persistence will be all the more easy to maintain.

90% of success is persistence. The other 10% is learning how to use the exercise time your persistence brings you.

Avoiding bad personal trainers is key to your health, and your future as a fit, healthy human being in control of your body. I count very few people I know who see a personal trainer regularly. Why? Because they aren’t educated on what makes a personal trainer great, and because there aren’t many great personal trainers out there!

The main problem though, is education. How do you suppose you’ll choose a personal trainer who is interested in not only making you fit, but ensuring that you stay healthy and stay injury free, without knowing what to avoid when you’re shopping for one?

Our health is without question our most valuable thing we own. Even if you’re a billionaire, you’re not going to be enjoying your wealth if you have agonizing neck or lower back pain… which is why I believe we all need to educate ourselves to a basic level on what to avoid, and what to know when looking for a personal trainer.

Firstly, I believe the most important trait when choosing a personal trainer is their passion for training. Not how they jump up and down and smile the most, but how passionate they are about making people fit and healthy. Ask them, “Why do you like personal training?” On some level they should give you a response which involves helping people, but you need to go a little deeper…

If they’re passionate, wouldn’t you think they also seek to educate themselves to the utmost, in order to meet their claims about helping people? After all, how committed would you say a trainer is who did an online course, and hasn’t read anything else about training methods since they completed the course last year… or at the end of the last century?

You need to, for your own sake, ask them where and how they keep their knowledge up to date. Do they subscribe to industry journals? Do they consume books written by experts every month? Do they go to seminars or consume information regarding cutting edge techniques? Even Joe Lunchbox can accumulate a better understanding of training principles than most trainers by reading a book written by an expert in exercise every month, so why isn’t your trainer updating & expanding their knowledge too?

This personal trainer you hire is putting your body at risk, for probably less than $50 an hour. Think about that. You can’t put a price on your health.

There’s a bunch of other ways you can avoid hiring a bad personal trainer, but I believe that just by interrogating your trainer (in a friendly way of course!), you’ll be able to work out if they want to train people because they’re passionate about it, or because it gives them spare change to go out and get drunk on the weekend.

Here’s a few other ways you can tell your trainer is as useless as a bicep curl in a squat rack:

• You aren’t given a detailed screening upon seeing your trainer, including but certainly not limited to- your exercise history, your injury history, your goals, and any health risks you have.
• They make you do cardio during their personal training session. Unless its a special kind of cardio, like High Intensity Interval Training… they’re wasting your money and your time.
• Your trainer doesn’t track your progress, or worse, doesn’t show YOU how to track your OWN progress.
• Your trainer doesn’t bother changing your exercise program. Bring on the end of your exercise program due to a massive boredom attack. Exercise needs to be fun.
• Your trainer doesn’t explain why you’re doing particular exercises. I’ve always believed a good personal trainer’s end goal should be to “eliminate” their clients, one by one, by educating them properly about how to train optimally, and how to nourish themselves with proper food.
• Which leads me to my next tip. Is your trainer teaching you about food? How do you expect to lose weight when the advice you get is, “eat healthy”. A good trainer should offer to come to your house & raid your fridge & cupboards, and go shopping with you. A good client (i.e. you) should be prepared to pay for this vital service.
• Your trainer watches and chats up the hot guys & girls on the treadmill while they assign you half an hour of cardio.
• Your trainer is overweight, dangerously underweight (and they aren’t marathon runners) or you catch them smoking in the car park. Do they look the part? Why not? Is it because they really aren’t that passionate about it at all?
• Your perfectly good question (I’m 99.9% sure it was a good question) is handled by your idiot personal trainer with the response, “ah, don’t worry about that”. Again, we need to find a great trainer who wants to see us go one day, because we don’t need them anymore! Don’t worry… these highly evolved individuals almost always have more clients than they can handle, because they get lots of happy customers giving referrals.
• Your trainer (again with the education I know!) doesn’t make a point of getting back to you if they don’t know the answer to your questions. Or better yet, they don’t know and make up an answer. You get suspicious- and your google search reveals they were wrong. Avoid this trainer like the plague, their ego is getting in the way of your progress, and it might end up hurting you. Permanently.
• Your trainer never goes near the free weights, and just assigns you to the machines. You know, the ones with detailed pictures & instructions written on them already… that you can read… without your useless personal trainer. Free weights have many, many, benefits over machines that you can find googling “free weights vs machines”.
• Your trainer has you work all the ‘show’ muscles, and never any of the ‘go’ muscles. What are show muscles you ask? The beach muscles- arms, chest, abs. The go muscles? They’re the ones that stop you from becoming unbalanced and injured- back, legs, buttocks, postural muscles.

If your personal trainer avoids my list of shame above, they might actually be one of the good ones. But as I say, we want education for you, and education and passion from your personal trainer. Without both, you’re bound to progress slower, or worse, hurt yourself unnecessarily.