Just made this vid with Michelle Falsetta. We did a whole body strength/conditioning day using some of my favorite tools for the job, such as sand bags, TRX trainer, and Prowler sled. From this vid, one can see highly effective workouts are not difficult to develop with a few key tools. If interested in more info, etc on any of them, see my recommended product page HERE.
Enjoy!
Deborah is not a competitive figure/fitness type, but stays in great condition year round. I’m trying to convince her she should compete! Here’s a chest/back day I did with her recently. Some areas of form to improve on, but she’s getting there for sure:
Stephanie is an NPC Figure Competitor. We did this yesterday at Golds near me. She was trooper and pushed hard through any challenges! No “toning and firming” silliness here!
Note: It’s hard to judge depth from where I was standing, but on seeing the vid, she have could have gone deeper. I thought at the time she was hitting right at parallel which is fine when working with 3-6 1RMs, but she was above it on the back squat.
The HCG Diet is all the rage right now. It’s also another major diet industry scam. While at the Arnold Classic, Shari, (of FitTalkNews.com) interviewed yours truly regarding the HCG Diet. My apologies for the poor audio, it was very noisy, but (hopefully!) you can still hear the essential message: Avoid this diet program. For additional information, I also recommend people read the reports from the Mayo Clinic, a recent NY Times article, and the write up by Ellisa Lowe if you want a more extensive discussion of the science (or lack there of!) on the HCG Diet.
This vid is a follow up to prior comments I made regarding these sneakers that promise to firm up your legs and butt. After viewing this vid, you can see prior comments: The Facts About Building the Perfect Booty!
If you want to read up on the studies mentioned in this vid, see: American Council on Exercise: Study Finds Toning Shoes Don’t Work
Muscles are sexy!
I have to admit I had a couple of doubts about writing this piece, but I figure my 3 year old is too young to read this just yet, and by the time she is able to do so, I would have done at least a million things far more embarrassing.
Among the many, many positive side effects of picking up some heavy metal and pounding the weights is that it can boost your libido, and tremendously.
Feeling strong and looking strong is sexy.
Everyone, man or woman, wants to look and FEEL great naked. If you’ve never thought that picking up a barbell or stroking the steel in the power cage could be fiercely sexy and empowering, maybe you should give it a try.
At first when I started thinking about this article, I thought, I can’t possibly relate to this, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I absolutely can. Several clients of mine have experienced a significant amount of weight loss (in the range of 20-30 lbs) and on a person with a small frame, the change is VERY noticeable. So WHAT on earth is wrong with THAT? Successful weight loss is something to celebrate, right? Well, of course it is, particularly when you make it STICK. You’ll want to be prepared for not just a new wardrobe, but for some potentially unwanted attention, curious comments, general nosiness about what you’re eating, what you’re doing in the gym. As a close friend put it, what might go behind the “fear of success” is the “fear of visibility.” As a trainer, I know that people watch me when I lift and can be especially curious of what I eat, so I can certainly imagine what might be going on with you.
I lost the baby weight, and sacrificed a cupcake or three.
With 20-30 lbs off your frame (or less or more), you become much more noticeable. While I certainly congratulate the great weight loss successes, it’s not like we’re saving lives or creating world peace here. Nevertheless the amount of unnecessary and undue attention that will be heaved upon you will make you feel like quite the hero. At some point, after you get tired of your clothes swimming on you, you may find yourself tired of being public property- with everyone and their momma watching what you eat, why you eat that, and WHY you’re eating all the time. This has happened to me, so I relate, but I had to tell myself that people really are that insecure about their bodies and relationships with food. Someone even had the nerve to imply I had an eating disorder. If anyone’s seen how much I eat, the comment was truly stupid and laughable.
What effects does birth control pills have on your ability to gain muscle as a woman? I attempt to give some useful info in this video below:
Below is some -but not all – of the info and data I was looking at to help with my comments in this vid for the more science minded:
Effect of administration of oral contraceptives on the synthesis and breakdown of myofibrillar proteins in young women.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2009 Oct 22.
Hansen M, Langberg H, Holm L, Miller BF, Petersen SG, Doessing S, Skovgaard D, Trappe T, Kjaer M.
Institute of Sports Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract
I wrote an extensive article on sarcopenia (age related loss of muscle masss) in 2007 HERE. As expected, this has become a big area of research and interest. An article just published in the NY Times business section entitled “Doctors Seek Way to Treat Muscle Loss” covers the commercial interests in this condition. Various comments I don’t agree with, but it’s clear, as I predicted, this would be an area of focus once it was fully appreciated how much $$$ it costs the health care system and how much $$$ can be made from a magic pill to treat it.
Doctors Seek Way to Treat Muscle Loss
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: August 30, 2010. NY Times
It’s always surprising to me the number of people who train hard to lose weight, or gain muscle, etc, but don’t test their body fat, or know what their body fat is. Below is a list of reliable gadgets for testing your body fat. This vid covers that important topic. If you don’t test your body fat, you really have no idea what is working and what is not in your plan if attempting to lose fat and or gain muscle mass!
Inexpensive accurate body fat testers:
Amazon for Kindle
