Explaining the Importance of Periodization in Muscle Building
January 10, 2012
When you are asking about the importance of periodization, you have to be thinking about the fact that you cannot train always in the same way if you would like to achieve good results. In case you don’t change something about your fitness routine from time to time your body will get used to it, and you will get settled at a certain level.
If this happens, you can train all you want, there will be no improvements. If you truly want to get better, you have to make the exercises gradually more difficult. This can be done through increasing the volume, intensity or frequency of the training. This doesn’t mean that you have to push yourself too hard. Make sure that your body can adapt to the workout that you choose.
One of the biggest secrets regarding bodybuilding that you should know about is to respect the limits that are set by your own body. If you are trying too hard, you might end up having reverse results, doing more harm than good.
As it has been mentioned, you could increase the volume, speed or frequency, but this still isn’t enough to improve your performances. During the process you also have to stay goal oriented. There are some goals that you have to set in order to truly improve your performance.
VO2max
This is what you have to extend to make sure that your body is producing as much energy as possible. This way you will be able to work out without fatigue, meaning that you will be able to cycle, run swim, skate, row or ski faster and for a longer period of time.
Muscle strength
Muscle strength is another aspect that you have to work on. If your tissues and muscles are strong, you will be able to exercise without being injured, having uninterrupted sessions.
Lactate threshold
This is something you have to lift. It is also known as LT, and in case you manage to lift it, you will be able to perform the exercises faster than ever before without having to deal with fatigue.
Optimizing power
This refers to the fact that you need to develop greater force when it come to the muscles. In this case power refers to the possibility to have faster and explosive movements. This can be achieved through special training sessions, and the previous methods might not be enough to achieve it.
Author Bio:
This is a guest post by FitnessHealthZone.com, a premier blog on health and fitness. The blog offers expert advice, tips and information on topics such as mens fitness, exercises, diet and nutrition, body building, exercise equipment, healthy living, yoga, vitamins & supplements.
10 x 10 Super Circuit Training Routine
October 24, 2011
In less time than it takes to watch a few youtube videos, answer emails, or make a cup of coffee, you can burn as many calories as if you were to go for a brisk mile and half walk. You can do this workout at home, outside, at the gym, or in your hotel room – my point is it can go with you wherever you are!
This power-packed routine will turn up the intensity with more speed and lots of muscles being simultaneously used. Because it is a full body workout, you will feel not only the core, but the rest of your body engaged and energized. You can burn stress and fat with this high-energy super circuit that involves minimal impact. With this overall exercise program you will tone your arms, shoulders, and core, along with targeting the booty and lower body in one swoop of focused movements.
10 -10 minute SUPER Circuit:
30 Scissors jumping jacks (feet cross front and back instead of out and together)
15 Dips (hands close together under hips)
15 Side lunges on each leg
30 Reverse crunches
25 “Jack and and Thrust” – 1 jumping jack, squat down, jump out to push-up position, jump feet back into squat position, stand up and repeat
8 Push-ups hands close together, 8 hands shoulder width, 8 hands wide = 24 total
30 Bent over (hands balance on chair) side leg kicks each sid
e
30 Second plank hold, lift right leg 15sec, lift left leg 15sec
50 Mini heels together plie squats (heels touch toes out 90 degrees, never totally straighten legs, keep hips tucked under – for booty)
30 oblique reaches each side – right hand behind head for support, left hand reaches past right knee
Repeat this series one time and it should just take you ten minutes. Repeat three times for more calorie burn and a great 30 minute workout for the day.
**For more training routines you can check out my fitness and inspiration book, “Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously FUN!” This is a twelve week program, complete with exercise descriptions, photos of each movement, motivational guidelines, tracking system, progressions for each level of fitness, weekly upgrades on fitness programs, and most of all, FUN creative workouts that leave you more energized, looking great, and feeling fantastic!!! Or if you would like a more specialized program to specifically meet your needs and goals be sure to check out my online training programs or online nutrition.
Exercise and Breast Cancer
October 10, 2011
Most of us, unfortunately, have been touched by breast cancer in some way. We may know a friend, sister, or mother who has been stricken with breast cancer. The more awareness and fundraising we create the more research can be done in finding cures. According to most doctors, the best preventative medicine is early detection. This is true in my mom’s case.
My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2000, and in June she went in for a mastectomy. Following the surgery was a long and tough road ahead, as she continued treatment with chemotherapy. Not only was she going through the tough chemo treatments, but my dad was too. His cancer came out of remission in February and he began his chemo treatment near the same time. So needless to say, the refrigerator was filled with “his and hers” chemo medicines on opposite sides of the fridge so as not to mix them up. Both survived those treatments, and my mom is still cancer free to this day.
You can click on the short video that I created for you here – Laura Mak\’s Breast Cancer Wisdom Tip
Not only is early detection important, but also based on research from Harvard Nurses Health Study, go ahead and lace up those shoes and get active. Exercises are no longer discouraged like they were 15 years ago. Now it has been shown that exercise can halve your risk of breast cancer recurrence. That is amazing and inspiring to me!!
Exercise is a potent weapon because it naturally decreases the levels of inflammation, reduces stress and helps you maintain a healthy body weight. It can even change your body chemistry so it creates an environment less suitable for cancer to evolve.
Moreover, being active during your lifetime can have a significant impact on your body. According to Harvard School of Public Health, a long time overall active lifestyle can reduce your risk of breast cancer by about 23%. With a statistic like that it certainly makes me think twice about skipping the gym or my walk.
While there are several Breast Cancer awareness foundations that you can donate or contribute to I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you, so you can decide which may impact or inspire you.
ShopWarriorsinPink.com -It’s bright. It’s beautiful. The new 2011 line of Warriors in Pink wear and gear. When you wear it, you say loud and clear that you are a Warrior in the fight against breast cancer. The line continues to feature the Warrior symbols representing strength, hope, love and courage. And, as always, 100% of the net proceeds help support Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.
SavetheTatas.com – This company provides a great shop of items for men, women, youth, accessories, and more. If you don’t want to shopr or you want to participate even more you can host your own Save the ta-tas® Fundraiser, purchase Save the ta-tas® Donation Party Favors, or they have team & event discounts.
Many of their authorized retailers participate in our Donation Matching program, doubling the donation we would give. Culturally, they usually understand a donation in terms of “profits” or “proceeds.” Ta-tas® Brand knows that sometimes little or no profit is made on an item, so they want their customer to be assured they make their committed donation regardless. This is why they calculate our donation by the actual sale price, not the profits made.
Donations are used primarily to support independent scientific research. They are a product brand, and not experts in reading and selecting grants, they have formed a valuable partnership with Concern Foundation. The Concern Foundation matches their donation allowing them to double the funding!
ThriveSurvive.org – This is the newest of the organizations that I am actively working with. This one actually provides information and resources for young adult cancer survivors in the post treatment phase of survivorship. They are a growing population with documented special medical and psychosocial needs. Access to real, relevant, practical information is hard to come by and the community in Los Angeles is disjointed. Many young adult survivors feel alone, too young for most post-treatment services and too old for pediatric services, often never having met another person who has been through what they have been through.
Thrive/Survive aims to create a portal community to enable real-life meetups of young adult cancer survivors, in addition to clear, concise access to information such as understanding local medical practitioners, financial resources (including lenders and property managers willing to work with medically bankrupt survivors) and lifestyle information (cancer-friendly yoga, dietitians and more).
Be sure to visit any of these websites if you would like to give back to breast cancer awareness research. Stay healthy and definitely keep exercising!
**For more training routines you can check out my fitness and inspiration book, “Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously FUN!” This is a twelve week program, complete with exercise descriptions, photos of each movement, motivational guidelines, tracking system, progressions for each level of fitness, weekly upgrades on fitness programs, and most of all, FUN creative workouts that leave you more energized, looking great, and feeling fantastic!!! Or if you would like a more specialized program to specifically meet your needs and goals be sure to check out my online training programs or online nutrition.
Strengthening Your Willpower “Muscle”
October 6, 2011
Do you wish you would more often choose the healthy items at the breakfast buffet and ignore the pastries? Do you ant to be able to stay on the treadmill for the time goal you set, even though each minute is a little harder than the last? Making healthy choices like these requires willpower, the ability to ignore temporary pleasure or discomfort to pursue a longer-term goal.
Researcher Roy F Baumeister, PhD, has found that willpower operates like a muscle. It can be strengthened, but also easily exhausted.
To better understand how your willpower “muscle” works, read this lowdown from Kelly McGonigal, PhD, health psychologist and yoga/fitness instructor at Stanford University.
Increasing Willpower
According to the physiology of fitness, temporarily exhausting a muscle should lead to increased muscle size or improved ability to use fuel. The same is true for willpower.
Try controlling one thing that you aren’t used to controlling, and aim to do it every day. Like physical exercise, this act of self-control can be uncomfortable at first but over time it is no longer a struggle. The willpower muscle has learned a new skill, and with practice, the act of self-control is less likely to deplete willpower. If all acts of willpower reflect a single strength, then training any individual act of self -control should strengthen all acts of self-control
The Limits Of Willpower
Research shows that willpower inherently limited. No matter how physically fit we are, exerting ourselves inevitably leads to exhaustion. The same is ture of inner strength: self-control depletes willpower in much the same way that exercise temporarily depletes physical power.
Because willpower is limited, each act of self-control is a win-lose effort, helping in the immediate situation but making us more likely to lose control later. Refraining from gossiping at work makes it more difficult to hit the gym after work. Resisting the impulse to splurge at your favorite store makes it more difficult to turn down dessert. This means that it’s important to set priorities and give ourselves a break on the things that aren’t at the top of the list.
Conserving Willpower
How can you make healthy choices without depleting willpower? Margaret Moore, found and chief executive officer of Wellcoaches Corporation, advises planning in advance as a strategy for conserving willpower. “You don’t want to be standing in front of the fridge saying you don’t have a clue what to eat. The weakest moment of self-control is when you are hungry and tired. Too much choice tends to overwhelm us. If you have to make a lot of choices, you’ll deplete your self-control.”
Likewise with exercise, when you are feeling strong, set up a weekly date to meet a friend at the gym. Commit andjust show up – no choice and no willpower needed.
Willpower Basics
The idea that willpower in inherently limited doesn’t mean you are doomed to self-control failure. A strength model of willpower gives you a realistic way to plan for success. Try the following:
- Because willpower is limited, it is important to set reasonable goals and priorities. Conserve your willpower for what really matters
- Forgive temporary setbacks. A single mistake doesn’t mean you are weak. It may just mean you have already succeeded to the limits of your current ability, and now you deserve a rest or reward to restore your strength.
- Recognize that willpower is not “all in the mind,” and supply your mind-body with the fuel it needs to face life’s challenges. This fuel includes rest, a healthy diet and a steady supply of positive experiences.
- Understand how the demands of your job, family and other relationship may interfere with you ability to stick with a health or fitness program. Look for ways to reduce stress to support any major life change.
- Conserve or bypass willpower by focusing on other strengths: planning, commitment and positive motivation.
This handout was a service of IDEA.
Fast and Fierce Fitness
August 2, 2011
Are you a woman who’s always carting the kids around, working, running errands, working, meeting the plumber, working, cleaning the house and…. countless other day-to-day tasks? Yet you are tired of being tired – and all the other old “excuses” – and…
- Have a few “trouble spots” you’d like to work on
- Want to fit into your favorite “old” jeans again
- Would love to strengthen your muscles beyond those “grocery bag” bicep curls
- Know diet alone won’t cut it
- Need an organized plan you can do at home or at the gym… and in a reasonable amount of time
In other words, you’re busy but ready to SEE RESULTS with a REAL workout that fits into YOUR schedule. One that will improve your health, confidence, relationships, professional life, finances and even your faith.
But does such a thing exist? You bet, and you can get started right now with the program I created.
I designed the “Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously Fun!” (a.k.a. “5F”) workout program and e-book to truly inspire you to regularly engage in physical activity. After all, being physically fit can fill you with happiness and provide a plethora of wellness. It helps you think clearly, walk confidently, feel great and look even better. Like I often say: Be Fit. Be Smart. Be Happy. And I believe this is a gift we all truly deserve.
Even better is that your being fit not only positively affects you, but everyone around you, including your family, friends and co-workers. This harmonious effect then extends past your world and into your community and beyond. And yet…
– According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 33% of Americans are obese and 25% are overweight. That means over half of Americans have 20lbs or more to lose! Even with obesity being a common news theme, statistics like that are downright shocking.
– Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, shows that 63.1% of adults in the U.S. were either overweight or obese in 2009. This is an even higher statistic. But then there’s this. . .
– Regarding females alone, 2-4% of girls and women will struggle with an eating disorder or borderline condition. That translates into 5-10 million females!
Together those statistics tell us more than 65% of Americans have some sort of unhealthy relationship with their weight… from one extreme to the other! Scary isn’t it? Even scarier is that these extremes are both growing and deadly.
So what can we do about it? It all starts with one word: balance.
INSPIRING BALANCE AND CHANGE FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
That’s right. Without balance in your life, you will never find that happiness and wellness I mentioned earlier. Because balance CENTERS and GROUNDS you. It gives you a sense of CALM, a place to come back to when life gets a little (or a lot!) crazy. And I know no better way to achieve balance than through physical fitness. Better yet, through a structured, consistent, challenging and fun, fun, fun program like Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously Fun!
I know this because fitness has been there to keep me balanced my whole life. I was a gymnast growing up and even competed on scholarship in college. And I didn’t stop there.
I went on to earn my Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. This is one of the most recognized designations in the fitness industry, and it enabled me to do something I absolutely love… working with collegiate and professional athletes!
But I’ve also continued to feed my competitive spirit as an IFBB Fitness Pro competitor, and I’m proud to say I’ve been very successful…
Most notably, I won the prestigious NPC Nationals in just 1 record-setting year (when most competitors take several) to earn my IFBB Fitness Pro card. I’ve also earned a top-10 ranking internationally as one of the most recognized competitors in the fitness industry.
Even through my successes and progress I, too, have fluctuated in weight and intensity over the years. Just 20lbs, give or take, depending on what I had going on in life or was focusing on physically then… gymnastics, competition, lifestyle health or just overall wellness. And while that 20lbs wasn’t nearly what many people are dealing with these days, it still felt pretty drastic to me.
Since fitness had just always been my way of life, though, I also always had a training regimen to lean on. A program that was targeted and changed to meet my goals at that time. And THIS kept me CENTERED… balanced. Because…only consistency in physical exercise can you achieve a fit lifestyle.
Thankfully, this consistency is something you can learn. I’ve seen it time and time again with my clients when I help them move past the short-term, quick fixes to achieve their fitness needs, goals and desires with a targeted workout program.
And now…. IT’S YOUR TURN to achieve your own fitness dreams – maybe some you’ve never even thought of – with Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously Fun!
My 12-week workout program is for woman just like you who want to finally follow through and…
– Work on those trouble areas
– Get more energy to last throughout the day
– Combat weight-related diseases like high cholesterol and high blood pressure
– Combine cardio and resistance training into one workout
– Hit all your muscle groups
– Burn serious calories
– Tighten your midsection
– Lengthen and lean out your legs
– Develop your arms
– Challenge yourself
– Try a FUN workout for a change
All IN JUST 30 MINUTES a day with the help of my guidance, step-by-step breakdowns and color photos of each exercise! PLUS, you can do my 5F workouts at home, in the gym or while traveling with the most basic fitness equipment out there.
And when you’re done… fitness WILL be a part of your lifestyle, too. You’ll be so used to carving out time for yourself everyday, getting your blood pumping, sweating up a storm… it will just be ingrained into your life. Besides… You. Will. Look. And. Feel. Fabulous. Why in the world would you want to stop?
That’s right… you won’t. You’ll keep going. Now you just have to get started. And I will be the one to guide you to your fitness goals with Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously Fun!
**For more training routines you can check out my fitness and inspiration book, “Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously FUN!” This is a twelve week program, complete with exercise descriptions, photos of each movement, motivational guidelines, tracking system, progressions for each level of fitness, weekly upgrades on fitness programs, and most of all, FUN creative workouts that leave you more energized, looking great, and feeling fantastic!!! Or if you would like a more specialized program to specifically meet your needs and goals be sure to check out my online training programs or online nutrition.
-
FEATURED IN
