If you aren’t using the forums, here’s an example of the kind of dialog and advice people like Greg are getting for free.  There are over 500 posts already – you need to join in.

This is an excerpt from the thread http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/forum/specific-routines/leg-presses-for-a-while/.

gregsfc:

I know free weights almost always trumps machines, but I’ve decided to do leg presses for a while, after many months of squats and an abductor pull.  Today, I was able to press 300.  I know that’s not impressive, but it sure beats my squats after four months of staying under 200.

I’m also doing lunges (which I suck at), front squats (only a set or two), straight-leg deadlift, and on another workout, I do regular deadlifts.

This is all I’m doing for lower body other than a few sets of calf raises every time I go in the gym.

Any comments, questions, or critiques?

9:30 pm
July 17, 2010
Darrin

Well, I’m not physical therapist, but I don’t think that just because your squat has problems that you should be doing leg presses.  Somewhere, you’ve got either form issues, or imbalances, or some other issue that is causing problems from the squat.  Moving to leg presses may

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In our continuing series on weightlifting for women, let’s today talk about

Fears Women Have About Lifting Free-Weights

This is Part 4 of 4 in the series.

Fears women have of getting bulky from lifting weights are unfounded

Click here for part 1, part 2, or part 3.

“I Don’t Want To Get Bulky!”

Way too many women are worried about “getting bulky”.

Holy Cow, you’d think that merely looking at free-weights would turn a woman into a she-man!  The biggest myth aside from the “muscle tone” myth is that women will get bulky from lifting weights.

Let me say this to those of you women thinking this:  unless you are a genetic oddity, meaning like 1 in 1000 or rarer, you are not going to get bulky from lifting free weights.

Last time we talked about ideal workouts for women.  Will they make women bulky?

Many men – who have far more natural growth (anabolic) hormones like testosterone – do everything they can to TRY to get bulky, and they can’t even do it!  Do you really think that with your higher levels of catabolic hormones and lower levels of anabolic hormones you are going to become muscle-bound?  No way.

And what is “bulky” anyway?  I guess some women

Join the forum discussion on this article, or comment below.

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Part 3 of 4

The past 2 articles (part 1 and part 2) in this series were lead ups to this part 3, which is probably what most of you have been waiting for!  Here is how (most) women should train.  This article is not a lifting routine in and of itself – routines like Full Body Attack and The 6x6x6 Routine are great for women, just like they are great for men.  But here are some modifications to keep in mind.

We’ve been asking the question “should women train like men”.  Well, the truth is, most MEN don’t train like men! “Training like a man”

Join the forum discussion on this article, or comment below.

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Ramadan – a month-long holy time for Muslims – is starting soon.  This article will help those of you who practice Ramadan fasting (or actually, just about any intermittent fasting) understand how your eating, lifting, and cardio should be adjusted.

Important Note #1:  I am not Muslim, so am not qualified to discuss the spiritual aspects of Ramadan.  If I get something wrong, please forgive my ignorance.

Important Note #2:  I’m commenting here about body composition goals:  muscle building and/or fat loss.  I am not commenting on athletic performance or competition.  (A short summary of Ramadan fasting and sports performance is here and here but there are many studies on soccer/football performance impacts of Ramadan fasting if you search PubMed.)

What Is Ramadan Fasting?

From Wikipedia, on Ramadan:

The most prominent event of this month is fasting. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat Sahur or Sehri or Sahari (meaning “something we eat at Sahar”), then they perform the fajr (or Sobh) prayer. They have to stop eating and drinking before the call for prayer starts until the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib. Muslims break their fast at Maghrib (at sunset) prayer time with a meal called Iftar. Muslims may continue to eat and drink after the sun has set until the next morning’s fajr prayer call. Then the process starts all over.

For those of you non-Muslims, this sounds an awful lot like intermittent fasting, or semi-fasting.  Except for one important thing:  the timing is reversed.

When I’ve written about semi-fasted cardio and lifting, I’ve assumed

Join the forum discussion on this article, or comment below.

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I stare blankly at my computer screen.  Should I do another top 10 list?  ANOTHER ONE?

After posting for damned near two years I can’t help but feel like I’ve said everything that needs to be said.  The truth is that getting in top physical shape is simple.  Maybe it isn’t easy, but it damned sure doesn’t come down to any advanced mental gymnastics.

It really comes down to only three things. . .

1. Eat real food.
2. Train outside of your comfort zone.
3. Recover.

What else can I say?

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Part 2 of 4

If you missed Part 1, click here.

Muscle Tone is somewhat of a myth – lift heavy, eat right to build muscle and lose fat

The Myth Of Muscle Tone

Most women will say they want to

1. Lose weight, and
2. Improve muscle tone

Notice that these are not in the Ultimate Fitness Goals (UFG) list!  Why not?

Because you don’t want to lose weight.  You want to shed fat.  You could lose weight by losing muscle.  Or by cutting off your left arm.  What you really want is less fat.

And there is no such thing as “muscle tone”.  There’s muscle size and there’s the amount of fat surrounding it.  Those two qualities are the only things you control to give birth to the visual impact of your body that some people call “definition”.  (There’s also the genetic traits you have for body shape, bone-length & width, muscle insertion points, body part proportions, etc. but you don’t control those.)

Super-High Reps?  No

The muscle tone myth leads to the misguided workouts of super high repetitions.  You know, going for

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Friday, Friday, Friday. . . and that means I’m spreading the link love.  Here are my most recent favorites:

Damn right I’m manly.  How else would I get interviewed by The Art Of Manliness?  Check it out: My Interview With ArtOfManliness.com.

What the hell is Forest Bathing?  To check out what Mark Sisson has to say about it, click here.

You know you are on the right path when you can tell stories like this. . .  Be sure to read True passion from Zach Even-Esh.

Getting your mind right might be the most important factor in your fat loss quest.  Check out Fat Loss Head Games from Rusty over at fitnessblackbook.com.

That’s all for this week.  Enjoy your weekend!

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OK, I’ve been talking about TacFit quite a bit lately.  Being former military, the program resonates with me on a level that it might not for others upon first glance.  But I assure you, whether you are fresh off the couch or already “high speed low drag”, TacFit has something for you.  And I know this because I got on the phone with the creator of the program, Scott Sonnon, and grilled him for over 40 minutes.

To listen to my interview with Scott, click here.

In the interview Scott reveals:

• How the TacFit program has a specific scaling and scoring method so anyone can use the program.
• The unique benefits of rotational movements that are integral to the program.
• How to be sure your exercise program creates “go muscle” and not simply “show muscle”.
• The importance of training the body through several planes of movement.
• And much more. . .

To listen to my extensive interview with Scott, click here now.

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Women often find that they can keep their weight about the same over many years by just eating sensibly and light cardio.  But often, in their mid thirties or forties, they start getting “soft”.  By only looking at the scale they don’t notice it.  But what has happened is that they have slowly lost muscle and slowly gained fat.  Their shirts and pants still fit (for the most part) but their body composition is far less attractive.  And equally (or more) importantly, they are on a track to become helpless in their older age.  Muscle loss is equated to functional loss – and functional loss is a loss in quality of life.  Muscle loss in your 30s and 40s is slow enough to not be noticed but once you get to your 60s and 70s and 80s, you may be no longer to lift a milk gallon over your head.  Let’s make sure you never get that weak ok?

Should Women Lift Like Men?

This site is geared towards men.  After all, I am one.

But we all have women in our lives – wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, etc.

So whether you are a woman, or know one, or just play one on TV, this post is for you.

Part 1 of 4

So Should Women Really Workout Like Men?

For the past few years, all the “experts” keep saying how a woman should lift like a man.  But is it true?

The answer is yes and no.  I’ll boil it down to one (long) sentence for you:

Women can and should do nearly the same exercises as men, but because women have different goals and different chemistry, the ideal program will usually be different than what a man would use.

I’m going to break this series down into 4 parts.  And if you post an intelligent comment to any of these, then afterward shoot me an email at support@worldfitnessnetwork.com and I’ll send you

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For as long as man has realized that intentional physical movement can improve health and fitness, bodyweight exercises have been integral to training.  Below are 10 reasons that I love bodyweight training:

1.  Foundational for other training methods. In my opinion, becoming proficient with bodyweight exercises is mandatory before adding external resistance.  If you can’t perform a full range of motion squat with just your bodyweight while maintaining good postural alignment, stepping into the power rack and throwing a barbell across your shoulders is premature.  If you can’t do push ups with near perfect technique, perhaps you should hold off on the bench press.

2. Anywhere is your gym. I once knew a guy who would do push ups in a Starbuck’s bathroom.  Maybe that’s a little weird but it goes to show that nearly anyplace can be used for bodyweight training.  Your living room or the neighborhood park are fine choices, but don’t be afraid to go outside of the norm and do a few squats in your cubicle at work.

3. No equipment needed. Bodyweight training is the cheapest, most convenient training there is as there is no equipment necessary. . .  sort of.  I’ll stand by what I’ve said in previous posts in that a pull up bar is mission critical.  But that pull up bar can be a sturdy tree branch or the top of the swing set at the park.

4.  Can be scaled down for beginners. If you are brand new to fitness, bodyweight exercises are where you should start.  Can’t do a push up – not even from your knees?  Place your hands on the wall or the back of your couch.  Can’t squat so that your hip crease is below your knees at the bottom of the movement?  Fine – gradually increase your range of motion, striving for some improvement each session.

5.  Can be scaled up for advanced practitioners. If the standard push up is too easy, try putting your feet on a chair or working on one-armed push ups.  If the burpee is getting boring try doing it with a tuck jump thrown in the mix.

6.  Near infinite variety. Maybe a little creativity is necessary, but there are near endless combinations and varieties of bodyweight exercises. Scott Sonnon’s TacFit Program is a prime example of bodyweight movement ingenuity.

7.  Train across different modes. Looking for upper body strength training?  Try the hand stand push up.  Balance and flexibility?  Give pistols a go.  Blow torch some body fat?  Knock out 100 burpees.  Bodyweight exercises can run the gamut of objectives from strength to endurance to body composition to coordination.

8.  Fun. Try doing a few rounds of bear crawls and crab walks and tell me you aren’t smiling.  Basic tumbling skills like rolls and cartwheels are always a blast.  And then there are those crazy parkour folks if you like your fun a little more “extreme”.

9.  Conducive to group training – no matter how large. Whether you are gathering the family for a backyard workout or organizing physical training for a few hundred soldiers, bodyweight exercises will get your group in shape.

10.  Ultimate excuse eliminator. Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere with no equipment, scaled up or down to meet any fitness level, and they’re fun.  And what was your excuse again?

For a bodyweight program that is cutting edge enough to be used by elite military units the world over, be sure to check out Scott Sonnon’s TacFit Program.  It launches today, and you can get it for 51% off for a limited time… For all of the details on TacFit, click here now.

(Note: If you buy Scott’s program today through my link, I get a small commission.  If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I only recommend programs that I personally use and believe in.  Scott’s program is pretty hardcore and I highly recommend giving it a try… Check it out here)

What are your favorite bodyweight exercises?  How do you implement them into your training?  Let me know in the comments below.

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