Fitness Strength Training

The Components of a Balanced Fitness Strength Training Program

2009-12-22T17:45:00.000-08:00

I’ve just return from a couple of months touring around a few of the States giving presentations on the Super Smasher Program and conducting a few personal training sessions. Firstly, let me apologize for not regularly providing tips, advice and motivation on this blog. No excuses here.

As for my latest trip, I was really impressed to see how many people were inspired by my program cycle and had either already made great gains from following the program or were very keen to get started.

Interestingly, I meet a number of guys and girls who had tried CrossFit and found the idea of checking the CrossFit website for a new program everyday motivating and hassle free. A common feeling was they liked not having to think about what their next workout was going to be.

However, a number of these people were also disappointed with the CrossFit exercises as they were either too hard (injuries were common) or they weren’t getting great results. I’m personally not surprised. CrossFit is tough and focuses only on a very specific training mythology.

I have always advocated that you must periodize your training cycle. Trying to go hard for every workout is a waste of time and energy; you just can’t maintain that level of commitment week in week out. Not even professional athletes train at their max every training session.

So what is the ‘balanced’ solution? There are times when you have to train hard to get results. There are also times when you need to train at a lower intensity to allow your body time to recover and grow. There are times when you need motivating. The answer is simple: get yourself on an effective full body training program that details your training goals and provides the right exercises to achieve these goals. Make sure the program uses a periodized cycle.

These are the simple ingredients to an effective program that works.

Merry Christmas,

James

Muscle Burn, Pump but Really it’s Overload

2009-09-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve had a lot of questions recently about what is “feeling the pump” or “is it good when my muscles burn?” Generally, all these feelings are a sign of hard training but not necessarily what you are after in training. It’s a subtle difference, but what we all should be striving for is muscle overload.

Muscle overload is the stimulus that induces muscle growth. This growth is not a natural process and must be forced on the body by ‘overloading’ the muscle. From a training point of view, this is the only way your muscles will get stronger and bigger. The greater the overload, the greater the need to adapt and the greater the muscle growth.

You may have heard of the concept of progressive overload and this is where we need to keep making slight adjustments to our routine so our muscles don’t plateau or we become stale. Our muscles have memory and if we keep doing the same exercise each week our body will adapt but not grow.

Ultimately, you need to overload your muscles each workout and attempt to increase the overload from the previous session. The most common way this is achieved is by either increasing the weight or increasing the reps. You must also mix up the exercises so you are not doing the same exercise each time you are in the gym. The only effective way to avoid falling into the comfort zone (and so many do) is to have a long term plan and the appropriate training program. A program designed to achieve your goals will be more effective than simply walking into a gym and making it up as you go.

Jim

Avoid These Muscle Building Myths

2009-09-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

As a professional strength coach I sometimes get asked some pretty strange questions on training. It’s become pretty clear to me that the general public is misinformed on a lot of issues that relate to muscle building and training for muscle growth.

Whether this poor information gets passed on through bodybuilding magazines, friends, or supplement companies is anyone’s guess. All I know is that these myths about training for muscle gain are harmful to your progress.

I am going to dispel some of the more common myths here. If you currently believe in any of these myths then it’s time to change!

Myth #1: More is better

Whether it’s more protein, more creatine, or more workouts, it seems that people have a tendency to take a good thing and overuse it. This is a symptom of our culture of excess, which is especially present in the fitness strength training community where everyone wants to build as much muscle as possible.

Unfortunately life doesn’t work like this. Just because eating 200 grams of protein a day gives you good results doesn’t mean that 500 grams will give you great results. In the case of protein, there is a definite limit to what your body can utilize to build more muscle. There is no way that you need 500 grams per day.

I hear the same type of thing with creatine. Five grams of creatine everyday will give you good results, but increasing the dose to 15 or more grams per day won’t give you any additional benefit since there is a limit to how much creatine can be stored in your body.

The same goes for your workout schedule. If you’re working out 3 days per week and getting good results, this doesn’t mean that 6 days per week will bring you twice the results. Keep in mind that muscle growth occurs while you are resting. For most people training 6 days per week will not allow for enough recovery time between sessions. This leads to a plateau in strength and muscle gains.

Myth #2: Supplements are the answer

No one ever comes right out and says they believe supplements are the answer, but based on the number of questions I get about which supplement to use I know this is the case for many people.

The fact of the matter is that your training and nutrition programs are going to bring you 95% of your results. That’s a hard pill to swallow for a lot of people (pun intended). Properly executing a solid training and nutrition program will never be as easy or cool as taking the latest miracle supplement, but the results are always better.

If building muscle were really as easy finding the right supplements don’t you think everyone would be huge and muscular already? 95% of your results come from your training and nutrition program.

Myth #3: Your genetics are to blame

I get this all the time from the skinny guys. They tell me that it’s impossible for them to gain weight no matter what they do. They tell me how they eat thousands of calories and train hard, yet they don’t gain an ounce. They may as well resign themselves to being skinny because they don’t have the genetics to build muscle.

This is not true! Sure, some people are more genetically gifted in the muscle building area than others, but we all still have the same basic physiology.

When I look at these guys’ training and nutrition programs I can usually spot at least 10 huge mistakes that are holding back their gains. They think it’s genetics, but really it’s the actions they are taking.

These guys need to stop using genetics as an excuse. What they need is an objective observer to put together a fitness strength training and nutrition program that is suited specifically to their needs.

As one of my trainees once told me, “The better I eat and harder I train, the better my genetics get.” Tony Schwartz

How to train your arms for huge growth

2009-08-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

For many people, obtaining bulging biceps, beefy horseshoe triceps and powerful forearms is a high priority in training simply because these muscles are almost always visible and seem to be an easy way of displaying the fact of "hey, I work out everybody!" Though, almost everyone spends countless hours over the course of every year curling and pumping their biceps and hammering their triceps, there are many people who continue to look in the mirror only to see lanky limbs with little change in size and shape staring back at them.

This can be extremely frustrating for many, as they reflect on the numerous hours spent in the gym with a current result of little or no gains from all that hard work. At times, the thought and vision of obtaining 18-20 inch arms can seem like no more than a hopeless dream, instilling impatience and frustration within. Below are some exercises and useful advice in getting the most from your arm training in the fastest time possible, so that the only ups and downs you'll incur are on the full muscle bellies of your arms!

Muscle balance is key. One should first realize that the triceps make up 2/3 of the arm and should therefore receive more overall training than the smaller opposing muscle group of the biceps. Any person with big arms will most undoubtedly have huge triceps to comprise that shocking arm mass. Placing too much emphasis on the biceps and not enough on the triceps is one common trap in which beginners and intermediate bodybuilders alike can easily fall into. It mostly comes as a notion of automatically thinking, "I want big arms, so I must curl and curl and curl my way to bigger biceps", and this is where the saying, "more is not always better" could not be more true!

Your Biceps

The biceps is a relatively small two-headed muscle group, that when trained with the proper intensity and exercise selection, can be built up fairly easily without mega-set training! I would say that at most, you shouldn't have to apply more than 7-9 intense sets for building "head turning" biceps.

The best way to achieve this is to pick from the most common basic exercises for biceps and then apply the type of intensity that is going to force your muscles to adapt each and every workout by either adding more reps within your target range or adding small increments of weight. Some basic mass building exercises for the biceps includes:

Standing Barbell Curls
EZ Bar Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Standing DB Curl
Seated Dumbbell Curls
Preacher Curls
Hammer Curls
Your Triceps

Your triceps on the other hand can and should take a slightly more intense hammering when trained. The triceps is a more complex three-headed muscle group that (as mentioned before) accounts for most of your arm's mass. When training triceps, you should strive to increase not only the overall size of the muscle, but you should make an effort to intensely hit and develop all three heads of the muscle group equally, by incorporating various exercises that place more emphasis on the different heads.

Packing on triceps mass adds to the appearance and size of your arms from all angles, but especially when viewed from the side and behind. Basic mass building exercises for the triceps include:

Lying Triceps Extensions
Close-Grip Bench Press
Cable Pushdowns
Overhead Rope Extensions
Dips

Strive to find out which exercises work best for YOU using trial and error over time. Weed out the ones that don't work so good and incorporate the ones that you can feel working your triceps the hardest, then keep a couple of "alternate" exercises in mind to substitute in every so often for variety purposes.

The Most Important Aspects Of Arm Training

The most important aspect of arm training is the use of proper form and technique. A small error in either of these two areas can account for less than great results or even worse, injury. Go into any gym and you are guaranteed to see many people training arms, but if you take a closer look, you will see many of these same people heaving large dumbbells or heavily loaded barbells around, only to notice that they are using their back, legs and every other muscle in their bodies to lift the weight up in a haphazardly way in order to complete their reps.

Worst case scenario is, maybe YOU are a culprit of doing/having done this sometimes as well. In any case, it is time for YOU to get used to doing things the right way! Take the time to learn and practice the proper technique of each exercise you perform. You may have to decrease your current weight load on a lot of exercises, but the end result will be better results!

When performing any exercise for the arms and looking to maximize size, you want to make sure to pick a weight that allows you to complete 6-10 full reps using perfect form, where you reach muscular failure within this range. If you cannot get at least 6 good full reps in, the weight you've chosen is too heavy and should be lowered. If you are able to get more than 12 reps on your last set, the weight is too light, and a heavier one should be used for next time.

For exercise selection, you want to select those exercises that allow you to "feel" the muscle working to its fullest! By this, I mean, you are able to contract your muscles fully, feeling the muscle working harder on each successive rep while feeling the burn as you slowly perform the negative portion of each rep. Incorporate and choose exercises that fatigue the intended muscle quickly and realize that your arms do not know whether you are using a 100 pound barbell or a rope attachment with 50 pounds resistance, as long as you are able to create a forceful contraction and stress the muscle optimally where you KNOW and can feel your muscles working their hardest.

The Secret to Huge Arms!

The secret is... there is no secret! That's right, there is no secret to building "seam splitting" arms, yet very few people's guns ever reach the 18-20 inch mark. Why is it that for so many people the dream of possessing 18-20 inch arms remains only that, a dream? What most people don't realize is that training your arms is only half the equation at the very most.

You can go to the gym arm day after arm day and blast your triceps, biceps and forearms into oblivion, but if you don't eat, sleep and rest properly between workout sessions, your arms will not grow even an 1/8 of an inch! Think of the work you do in the gym as the "spark" for growth. The continued fuel for growth comes after your workouts - immediately after! Making sure you take in a quality whey protein shake along with enough simple carbs for your bodyweight during your post-workout meal is what will set the benchmark for continued growth from the previous exercise session.

From that meal forward, you must supply your body with proper protein, complex/fibrous carb, and fat requirements in order to adequately and steadily supply your muscles with the proper tools required to recuperate and grow properly over the next several hours. Most of this growth will take place while you sleep, so make sure to feed your muscles with foods that will provide nourishment during the night-time hours. A favourite meal of mine to consume right before bedtime to assure my muscles will be supplied with nutrients needed for maximum growth while I sleep is as follows.

1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
1 ½ cups of steamed broccoli
1 cup of skim milk
1 glass of water

The cottage cheese and milk provide a long-lasting and steady supply of protein with minimal fat needed for muscle repair and growth, while the broccoli provides fibrous carbs full of nutrients which won't be stored as fat while the body's metabolism slows down during sleep. Water intake is important to maintain proper hydration, utilize fat stores and assist in proper food absorption throughout the 8 hours of sleep to come.

What is written above is what's needed for serious arm growth, but this article doesn't mean much unless YOU go to the gym, apply the principles, put in the effort, eat enough clean foods for your bodyweight and goals, and give your body the rest it needs to recuperate and grow! Lack in any of the above areas, and you will see less than desirable results, for each factor is linked to the next. Do not train to make gains for next week, train to make gains EVERYTIME you work-out!

Training stimulates the muscles for growth, diet and rest are the essential tools which allow your muscles to grow, and consistency is the key to long-term muscle lean muscle gains remember that! Train, eat, rest and pay your dues over time to enable yourself "the right to bare seam splitting arms"! This article is courtesy of Todd Fitchett

Fitness and Health

2009-08-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

"Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach." Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity." JFK

"The five S's of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit." Ken Doherty

Strength Training Requires Commitment

2009-08-16T16:26:00.001-07:00

"It is only through work and strife that either nation or individual moves on to greatness. The great man is always the man of mighty effort, and usually the man whom grinding need has trained to mighty effort." Theodore Roosevelt

Looking Around the Gym for Inspiration

2009-08-14T23:25:00.000-07:00

Don’t do it!!! One thing that really frustrates me in the gym is watching all the guys wasting their time by doing exercises incorrectly. I’ve also worked with a number of guys who have stated they do certain exercises and use various techniques after watching someone in their gym doing it. This is not the way to learn how to train.

This week I decided to do a quick visual survey in my gym to see how many guys were doing exercises incorrectly. This occurred over five days for about an hour each time. What I saw blew me away. Over 50% of guys I observed were either wasting their time or risking injury through incorrect technique. The most common mistake was not fully lowering the weight during the down portion of an exercise or performing the rep too quickly.

If you are unsure if you are using the correct technique in the gym, ask a qualified trainer to show you to the proper and safe way to perform the exercise. Don’t forget to follow a proven training program also design by a professional trainer. Everyone wants to get the maximum results from the time they spend in the gym so stop wasting time and learn to train effectively and efficiently.

Jim

Using Unstable Surfaces for Maximum Fitness Strength Gains

2009-08-08T02:46:00.000-07:00

Research shows that the lower part of the body, particularly the legs, is the most overlooked and under developed aspect of our bodies. Unfortunately, you see so many guys out there with no balance to their physic. It’s great to have big biceps and a barrel chest, but your body will look out of proportion if you don’t consider your legs.

In fact, training your legs has a number of other benefits such as increasing testosterone that will assist you gaining muscle mass in other areas! When you train your ‘lower half’, the major groups of the body are emphasized producing strength that generates power right throughout your body.

So what is the best way to build your lower body and legs? Most people would answer “free weights” and that is partially true. We all know (and some people are even a little scared) the importance of foundation exercises here; squats, lunges and power cleans. You get the picture.

Now back to what the research is saying. We know that true power is generated from your core by having strong legs and that free weights are more effective than machine weights. The way to ensure you are getting a complete workout is to exercise on an unstable surface. By that I mean using a stability or swiss ball. You’ve all seen them in the corner of the gym or being used in the ‘girls’ classes but research has now proven that performing some of your workout on these unstable surfaces recruits more muscle fibers than traditional exercises such as normal squats.

Some of the exercises I recommend include one and two legged squats on a half stability ball (often known as a bosu ball) and working up to squats standing on a full stability ball. This will take some practice but the benefits are definitely worth the effort. Another great leg exercise is the stability ball hamstring curl. This exercise is performed laying on your back, heels on the ball and your but raised off the ground. Roll the ball in towards you by bending your knees and hips, hold then straighten your legs to roll the ball to the start position. Try varying this exercise and making it harder by placing only one leg on the ball. This will also recruit your abdominal muscle as your body needs to work hard at balancing itself on the ball. What a great way to work two body parts at once!

Swiss ball abdominal exercises should also be a regular component of your weekly schedule. I have found using a stability ball once a week for abdominal exercises has dramatically improved lower back and core strength.

While this article has focused on the importance of the lower body, it should be noted that unstable surface training is vitally important for upper body development as well. Some great exercises include push up on stability ball, shoulder press (while standing on bosu ball) and dumbbell chest press (lying on stability ball).

You don’t need to do these exercises every workout but rather use them to mix up your workout. Remember to periodize your training and some form of stability work should be included in your fitness strength training program each week.

Jim

Latest Fitness Information

2009-07-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

“The operative assumption today is that someone, somewhere, has key information or a better idea; and the operative compulsion should be to find out who has that information/idea, learn it, and put it into action-fast!” Jack Welch

When I first read that quote I was blown away; Jack could’ve been talking about my Fitness Strength Training Program! Need I say anymore?

Jim

Secret to Fitness Strength Training Success

2009-07-17T03:36:00.000-07:00

There is no single secret to success. Success in anything you want in life is the result of preparation, learning from failure and hard work.

Here at Jim’s Super Smash’r Fitness Training, I have done all the preparation for you. There is no need to look any further than this program; it would be a waste of time. As to the learning from failure, been there done that! Following a proven fitness strength training program removes this option from your vocabulary. Now with the last component, hard work, I have made it as easy as possible and laid out the very best 8 months of training routines currently on the market. All you have to do is take action and start the program today!

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”

Jim

7 Muscle Mass Building Tips

2009-07-13T18:30:00.001-07:00

One of the most common questions I get asked is “how do I gain and retain muscle mass?”. Guys are always looking for mass gain secrets and this is one of the reasons I’ve decided to release the Super Smash’r Fitness Strength Training Program to the public. In this program you’ll find all my very best workouts and principles in an easy to use step-by-step program.

Some of the principles and ideas you may want to consider when building muscle include:

1. Chase the pump. There has been a lot of debate recently about the need to get the pump during a workout. The pump is when the capillary beds in the muscle start fully working making the muscle more efficient at using growth promoting nutrients. This ultimately leads to bigger stronger muscles.

2. Extra heavy for extra growth. There is no way around it, if you want size you need to lift heavy weights. While this seems obvious, you can only do this by training with a partner and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.

3. Training partner. Train with a buddy that is on the same program or has the same fitness goals. You’ll keep each other motivated and push each other to your limits.

4. Sleep. Your body repairs itself during sleep and produces important testosterone during the sleep cycle. Listen to your body but I recommend a minimum of 8 hours of effective sleep a night.

5. Increase natural testosterone production. In my Fitness Strength Training Program I give a detailed description of why testosterone is important and the best ways to fire up your own natural sources. Compound or primary exercises increase natural testosterone production.

6. Build the center of your power. The core area of your body (abs, oblique’s and lower back) is the most important part of your body. Train these areas smart and hard for maximum power transfer to other parts of your body.

7. Train using all 4 types of resistance training methods. Learn and use all tricks available to stimulate your muscles and avoid getting stale. To many programs focus on 8 – 12 reps. Move beyond the basics for advanced gains.

For all my tips and explosive growth secrets, visit Fitness Strength Training today to download your copy of this amazing program.

“To be successful, you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, the n resolve to pay the price to get it.”

Jim

Fitness Strength Training - today!

2009-07-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today.” Nolan Bushnell

Want to take action today? Simply download your copy of Jim’s Super Smash’r Fitness Strength Training Program; as used by the elite Special Forces for guaranteed Military Fitnessso you can get to work on building your new body today!

The power of the mind when exercising

2009-07-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

One of the most underrating and least known influences on peak performance is the power of our own mind. If you speak to any elite athlete you’ll understand the importance of this power in achieving success and your life goals. Every successful person has goals which they review each day in vivid detail. For you to get the body of your dreams, shred that excess fat and gain those bulging muscles you have always wanted, you must have written goals and a clear picture in your mind of this end state. Review this vision often and critically review your performance to ensure you stay on track towards this goal.

As part of the Super Smash’r Fitness Strength TrainingProgram, I’ve included a free bonus section that details a few simple procedures you can use to harness the power of your mind. Mental fitness is like physical fitness and you need to exercise both if you are to achieve your desired body shape. My program is the only total body program that takes a holistic approach to health and fitness to ensure your success in everything you desire.

“Build a picture in your mind first, and then get to work creating it”

Jim

Movie review: Bigger, Stronger, Faster

2009-07-13T17:01:00.000-07:00

I just watched “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” on the weekend and while being initially skeptical as to the balance of reporting, I was surprised by its fairly objective view on steroid abuse. The most interesting focus of the doco is when the Christopher Bell attempts to draw the line between performance enhancing drugs and prescription / legal drugs. This provides and fascinating comparison and shows the line is more blurred than you may first realize.

This doco is not directly about my favorite topic, ie fitness strength training, or elite fitness, but it does explore some of the reasons why people capitulate and turn to performance enhancing drugs for greater muscular gains. As you may have guessed from my background and my Super Smash’r Fitness Program, I’m anti drugs of any kind as I believe you can get all the fat loss and muscle gains if you are committed to following a proven training formula. Fitness Strength Training is such a formula.

"Anything is life worth having is worth working for"

Yours in health and fitness

Jim

Welcome to Fitness Strength Training

2009-07-13T04:41:00.000-07:00

As I’ve been getting a few questions lately since releasing my Super Smash’r Program to the public, I’ve decided to include a blog on the site to answer common questions and provide a few free fitness tips.

Please check in often to find the latest training secrets as used by the Special Forces community and elite athletes. Military Fitness for those that want serious gains!

“Pain is weakness leaving the body”

Jim