Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Gain Muscle - How I Gained Muscle In Spite Of What I Was Taught
After studying the training advice of the Internet’s hottest fitness guru, I broke down the mountain of facts, tips and strategies down into just a small handful of things I could try quickly and easily to prove to myself whether or not the fundamentals of this guy’s system would really work for me.
While there are lots of specific details I haven’t tried yet, and strategies I haven’t yet implemented, I focused on the few core principles that seemed to speak the loudest to me, that stood out and grabbed my interest.
I felt that I was working out an awful lot without seeing any major gains and this guy was promising that I could see more progress more quickly by training less. He insisted that I could spend less time exercising and get better results. This definitely grabbed me so I determined I would put this to the test first.
What I Had Been Taught
Well, this was not what I had been taught by the huge guys who had coached me in the past. Most of my coaching came from the big guys who worked out in the gyms I went to. I never worked out as long and as hard as they did. I was never interested in consuming as many supplements as they did. And I wasn’t interested in getting as big as they had grown. So everything seemed as it should. I worked out less than they did and stayed smaller. This is just what I wanted on both counts.
Lots of hardcore bodybuilders train with an attitude that more is better and you can’t really overwork your muscles. The muscles will become too exhausted for you to continue to push them before you reach a point where you start breaking down more muscle than you can rebuild in the next day or two. I’m talking about huge guys who workout for 2 or 3 or sometimes even 4 hours at a crack.
New Training Advice
Then this professional fitness trainer comes along and tells me I’m probably overtraining. What? The huge guys at the gym were training way more than I ever did. They taught me that the more you train the bigger you get. Of course, lots of these guys were competing and eating all sorts of things I knew very little about. I didn’t concern myself very much at the time with the expensive supplements they consumed. So, I don’t know if that would partly explain it or not. These guys worked out at least four or five times a week. Hmm…
This trainer, I’ll call him “Mr. Fitness”, said that over-training is very common for lots of athletes and particularly for bodybuilders or those who train with weights. He said we typically take the stance that training as much as possible is the fastest way to massive muscle gains. Did he mean it’s not?
Yes, he did!
He claimed we have to create the proper balance between the amount and the intensity of exercise we do with the amount of rest we get and the time we give our muscles to recover. Well, the gym guys all knew not to work out the same muscle group two days in a row. What else was there to worry about?
A New Insight Into Over-training
He listed some typical symptoms of over-training like higher resting heart rate, weak appetite, high blood pressure, weight loss, trouble sleeping, increased metabolic rate, irritability, early onset of fatigue and I didn’t have any of them so apparently this didn’t apply to me.
Then he mentioned one symptom of overtraining that I did have.
He said if I’m not making strength gains every workout that I’m not fully recovering from my last workout before doing the next one. Well, I only added weight to my exercises when the weight I was lifting felt too light or I was able to do more than 10 reps easily. This had long worked well for me but I did tend to go up and down. Sometimes I felt better using more weight and sometimes less. I was not making steady progress.
According to what Mr. Fitness told me one of the goals of training includes continual improvement. I should get stronger and stronger every single workout. If consistent strength gains elude you then it means you have to decrease the amount of weight you train with. Oh, really? I thought using the most weight I possibly could was the key…
Lots of times I would start working out and realize I didn’t have my full strength this particular day so I’d just go through my typical routine using less weight. According to Mr. Fitness this was a big mistake.
In his theory the reason I felt weak lay precisely in the fact that my muscles hadn’t fully recovered from my last workout yet. By continuing to train at a lower intensity I was further breaking down already overtaxed muscles making it even harder for my body to fully recover and increasing my risk of injury. Hmm…
So what solution does this guy recommend? Go home and rest. Skip the workout entirely.
Eureka – It Works!
I started testing his theory by adopting this approach and then I started reducing my workouts to a maximum of one hour and cut the number of sets I did for each muscle group in half.
At this point I exercise about half as much as I used to. I hardly ever get cramps anymore and I’ve gained muscle mass rather than having lost any. I don’t actually add weight every single time I work out but I’m adding weight more often. Plus, I have stopped dropping down to lower weights so frequently because my body hasn’t fully recovered yet.
So who is Mr. Fitness as I call him? How can you learn to build muscle, get comprehensive workout routines and techniques, stay flexible and limber by stretching, avoid over-training, exercise less, eat the right foods, make rapid progress without drugs regardless of your genetics and start building the strong, fit body you want right now? Click one of the links below and you’ll also discover who Mr. Fitness is.
FREE Downloadable Reports => http://www.musclebuildingshop.com
Monday, September 21, 2009
On The Miracle Of Communication
Communication is a miraculous human achievement that’s far more difficult, challenging and error prone than is commonly appreciated.
I went to get my new license tag, partly as a way to take a break and free my mind from my focused work habits. I came to the Vehicle Registration office door and read a bold red and white sign shouting that my proof of insurance will be required. I looked at the form in my hand and for the first time started reading the fine print. Sure enough, it said I needed to bring my proof of insurance with me to get a new sticker.
Alright, I thought, lucky thing I decided to come down in person or I might have mailed in my payment without including proof of insurance and wasted a complete cycle of work only to have to it repeat again, this time with all the proper papers.
In the course of mailing, I may have read the form more carefully and noticed the additional requirement, yet maybe not. So much depends on attitude, state of mind, fatigue, the vagaries of mood and the urgency of seemingly random items “pre-occupying” our attention. At any rate, leaving my place in line which was dead last anyway, a quick dash to my car’s glove box and I have proof of insurance in hand.
At the counter again I ask if I can pay by credit card to which I receive a very cogent answer. “Yes, but we charge 3%.” I respond “what about a debit card?” to which she replies “That’s 75 cents.”
Okay, now if I’ve got this straight she’s saying that using a credit card will cost me 3% and using a debit card will cost me 75 cents. Alright, 3%, on what amount? What’s the fee for these tabs again? I think it’s about $75. Okay so, 3% of one dollar is 3 cents, then 3% of $75 is 3 times 75. Okay, wait a minute, before I actually do the math I’ve got an incoming message from my memory banks.
My memories inform me that that dozens of times, no, make that hundreds of times in the past, when I assumed I had understood an initial communication, assuming it was correctly structured and that my own assumptions were sound, I was wrong. Hold it... another incoming message on the heels of the first one saying the repercussions of acting on miscommunications can be severe, so be careful not to do this.
Alright, so the best thing for me to do now is to throw out another question to verify that I’ve understood what was said to me correctly and that it was stated accurately. So I ask, “so there’s a charge either way?” to which I receive a kindly-natured “what am I speaking a foreign language, I just said it’s 3% for a credit card and 75 cents for a debit card.” Aha! So I had it right the first time. Good.
Okay, now I have to come back with a line to continue a relatively graceful and effective conversation with the attractive woman behind the counter so I ask “what’s 3% of 75 dollars?” rather than multiplying it in my head. Why? Because it’s not so much that I need the answer as that I need to smooth communications and bring this transaction to a quick and successful conclusion, not to mention that my mental fatigue was the driving force getting me out of the house in the first place.
She says “it’s almost 2 dollars.” Well, 3 times 75 is 225 so that’s over two dollars. So I say, “so a debit card is less” and hand her my debit card. She says “yes”, takes the card and completes the transaction. The actual fee was only $70 but 3% of that is still more than 2 dollars.
She suggested I put the new sticker on my car within the next couple of days and I offered “you never asked me for proof of insurance” to which she quickly came back with “oh, that car is insured.” “You can tell that” I mused. She said “Yes, pretty good, huh?” “Very sophisticated” I replied, remembering the red sign with white letters that drove me to my car’s glove box just a few minutes before.
So we have relevant inner, unspoken thoughts, relevant outer spoken thoughts, and lots of irrelevant thoughts and side impulses buffeting us as we scan tone of voice, facial expression, body posture, physical attractiveness, interpersonal chemistry and how many people are on line behind me... Simple, right?
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
No Nonsense Muscle Building Review: Facts, Research, Customer Feedback
Product Name: Vince DelMonte’s No-Nonsense Muscle Building Program
Author: Vince DelMonte
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars]
Version: Version 3, fully-downloadable, no hard-copy shipped
Price: $77.00 (upgradeable)
Recommendation: A comprehensive, best-of-breed, full-body fitness, health and nutrition program for those striving to increase their muscle mass quickly.
Guarantee: 60 Day 100% Money Back Guarantee
No-Nonsense Muscle Building was developed by Vince DelMonte, a former Canadian Fitness Model champion, who has been researching and promoting effective natural bodybuilding and fitness methods for nearly a decade.
DelMonte was a skinny guy who considered himself a “hardgainer”. It was very hard for him to gain muscle mass even when he lifted weights. After literally getting hit by a truck while competing in a triathlon, DelMonte was extremely unsure of his future health and fitness.
He credits meeting a former national bodybuilding champ (who wishes to remain anonymous) with helping him to learn to build his body using “long-forgotten, old-school, natural” techniques. Building on the foundation of this transformational experience Vince DelMonte created his muscle building program to teach others how to develop their bodies without wasting time and money experimenting with useless supplements.
Vince’s approach is broad and comprehensive. He explains the theory behind his workouts, includes detailed meal plans and diet tips, supplementation, how to prevent injuries, stretching and bodyweight exercises, plus tips on testosterone and cortisol levels.
Reputation
Vince DelMonte and his No-Nonsense Muscle Building approach has received endorsements from an unusually large number of renowned health experts, including:
Dr. John Berardi – Human performance and Nutrition expert
Jon Benson – Author, Lifecoach, Fitness Authority
Nick Nilsson – Author and Fitness Expert
Dr. Robert Dimaggio – Founder and Editor of IronMagazine.com, Fitness trainer
Eric Carlson – Fitness Trainer, Author, Speaker, Fitness Model Champion
Dr. John Berardi - Human Performance and Nutrition Expert
Jennifer Nicole Lee - Author and Professional Fitness Coach
Approach
DelMonte’s approach is based on periodization weight training. Generally this involves a planned course of progress over time where various training elements like repetitions per set, number of sets per muscle group, number of exercises per session, intensity or load (heart rate or amount of weight or resistance), rest periods between sets, and so on, can be manipulated in an attempt to optimize results. This form of training has been used successfully by athletes training for particular events, competitions or sports where a training schedule is planned to peak at a set time or where specific body parts are targeted to reach desired peaks of conditioning.
The major rival form of weight training, perhaps more common and certainly simpler, is called High Intensity Training (HIT). The fundamental principles of HIT are that exercise should be brief, infrequent, and intense or performed with a very high level of effort. The only training element usually adjusted with this approach is the amount of weight used for each exercise. Ideally, this is continually increased over time while still pumping out a set of 5 to 7 repetitions (reps).
Advocates of both styles of training insist their method is best, though the more I researched the comparison the less I could see any clear winner. If one method works well for you then it is obviously better than one that doesn’t or that you haven’t tried. Some trainers suggest HIT training until you reach a strength plateau where you just don’t seem able to increase the weight for your minimum number of reps. Then they suggest switching to a form of periodization or switching exercises temporarily, as a way to stimulate different muscle fibers and make a breakthrough. The HIT method often encourages pushing the muscles to failure while Vince cautions to avoid overtraining and views adequate rest and recovery as a kingpin to consistent muscle growth.
No-Nonsense Muscle Building is targeted at those who have tried traditional weight training methods without reaching their desired results, those who Vince DelMonte calls “hardgainers”.
– M.A.Green
Reviewer Excerpts
"No-Nonsense
“Vince cut to the chase and told me what I needed to know about how to get fit. The book was fun to read, the workout worked, and I love the meal plan. Great product!” – from a customer review at reviewica.com
“There is no doubt that it works. I have always been kind of skinny and not able to gain much muscle, but I noticed gains within 2 weeks after I started using this. Even if it was kind of long, you can just skip over what you don't feel like reading.” – from a customer review at reviewica.com
“It appears "preachy" at first, however, the book transforms your brain into becoming a muscle gaining machine by using methods that are proven to work. Included are nutrition guides (vegetarian, healthy mass and inexpensive food guides are also included), workout guides (outline every aspect of your workout), and bonus e-books and audio-courses that assist in your goal to gain muscle (Upside Down Training, No-nonsense Body Shaping, The Unforgiveable Sins, Fat-Cutting).” – from a customer review at reviewica.com
“I noticed within a few weeks I could see my six pack showing. I highly recommend this.” – from a user at the Bodybuilder.com Forum
“Well, there are only a few things I don’t like. No nonsense
Then, I realized I was simply crazy. I’ve encountered far too many half asked muscle building guides that were full of fluff and skimpy on the hard-hitting details, while No Nonsense Muscle Building goes step-by-step into everything I needed to learn about building serious muscle.
The second thing I don’t like about No Nonsense Muscle Building is that the reports are distributed in PDF format (this is the most common way eBook reports are formatted, which allow for you to download them extremely easily)
The only reason I’m complaining about the PDF format is because No Nonsense Muscle Building isn’t exactly a ’short report’. It’s literally a book-length manuscript with tons of diagrams and how-to’s. You pretty much have to print it out in order to follow along. I went through two ink cartridges printing it out myself. (You could always read it off your computer screen, but I like to have a copy that I can hold in my hands)
Also, Vince’s instructional videos that come with the course are of such high quality and so full of detail that each runs over 10, even 20 minutes. Because of this it would take me and my slow internet quite some time to download them. I found myself sitting in front of my computer, sipping a cup of coffee eagerly waiting for them to download.” – a customer review at ezinearticles.com
“Hey man I have the program and its very worth it. Read the book, apply his knowledge and follow the workout program and I guarantee you’ll get results. I did it last winter and then I followed it with his No nonsense fat cutting program which you will get when u purchase the muscle building guide. I just completed the fat cutting program and I am competing in a bodybuilding and fitness expo in 2 months. You can also contact Vince through email which u will get and I talk to him regularly about pre contest diets and routines for my competition. Good luck.” – a customer review at answers.yahoo.com
CLICK HERE for Free Bonuses & Upgrades and to see Vince DelMonte’s full offer…
