 In the fitness community there is always a debate whether or not this this can be achieved. I often get active and fit people asking me the question, “I want to lose 20lbs of fat and gain 15lbs of muscle. How can I do this at the same time? Typically it’s men asking this question who are somewhat lean to average body fat (13-19%), they are muscular, and they have hit a plateau. They also tend to be stuck in between wanting to be leaner and wanting to be more muscular. Hence them wanting to do both at the same time. They don’t want to gain fat while building muscle which typically happens a little even with the best programs. Or they are afraid of losing muscle while getting leaner. A little muscle loss is common while losing body fat. Also, dehydration and lack of fuel can make you look and feel like you are losing muscle when you are not. This can change immediately if you were to have a healthy cheat day in which you will see your muscles fill out and strength increase. I write this for the athletic person seeking the secret “Gain 10lbs of muscle and loose 20lbs of fat in 2 months!” program that the magazines are always trying to sell.
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Many people already know the basics of this exercise, but they often lack a few key points in their set up before and during the first rep. Also, proper loading of the dumbbells is very important especially as you start to lift heavier. For some, this information will make all the difference in their chest workouts. This blog is for those:
 Here’s an update of what I have been up to:
 “If you don’t touch the bar to your chest your reps don’t count!” Or “You are not doing a REAL bench press”
These are the old high school weight room rules and does not apply any more. Sure, if you are a powerlifter you must touch the bar to your chest to make the lift in competition. Most of us working out in the gym are not powerlifters and have much different goals. Touching the bar to your chest can be very rough on the shoulders especially if you lack the range of motion. Many people can’t even use the bench press because it bothers their shoulders let alone bring it all the way to their end range of motion with heavy weight.  Many people have tight calves for various reasons: Poor gait mechanics, wearing raised heals, bad posture, or simply from their genetics. This results in a lack of ankle mobility. Dorsiflexion, which is the motion when the toes are brought closer to the shin, will be limited with tight calves and can cause a number of problems.
Those who stretch consistently typically stretch their calves, but they often forget one very important stretch: The soleus stretch. The two muscles of the calf are the gastrocnemius and the soleus. While other muscles do exist around the back of the lower leg and knee, these are the two that we most concerned with. The soleus is the dominant muscle being used when pointing your foot in a bent knee position. 
It’s that time of year again!! Everyone’s motivation is high to get in shape. I say use it and get a jump start on your workouts! A few tips on your New Year’s fitness plans:
So let's get workin out! Beginner Workout: Do all exercises in a row for 1 round. Do 4-6 rounds with 1-2 minute rests in between. Longer rests can be taken if needed.
 You may have heard it takes 21 consecutive days of doing something to make it a habit. Good or bad. This concept greatly applies to changing your lifestyle in order to achieve your fitness goals.
Ok, so being someone who likes to back up his information with research, I will say that the 21 day rule is not a definitive mark for COMPLETELY forming ALL new habits or breaking old ones. Some may take 2 weeks while other habits may take almost a year. The point is this: after roughly 3 weeks of solid effort to eat well and exercise, your new fitness lifestyle becomes MUCH easier to maintain. Remember that it always takes work beyond 21 days, but your discomfort while doing it becomes much less.  For those of us who like to “bulk” and “cut”, it is now time to bulk or as I rather call it, do a muscle building phase. There has been some backlash on this method lately for good reason. A “bulking” phase does not mean eat and drink everything in sight. That is not the right way to build muscle and it actually makes it harder to lose fat come time for the “cutting” phase. I’m also convinced it makes problem areas more problematic. Believe me, I know too well.
Recently I was reminded of how much additional activity is needed for those with a sedentary lifestyle to lose fat. Most of us have a sedentary job which we drive to and then get home to sit in front of another computer or TV.  Active Jobs Make a Big DifferenceThe average sedentary woman will burn 1,750 cals a day and average man 2,300 cals a day. Take those same people and put them on their feet with light activity for 8 hours a day and now they burn 2,250 and 3,000 cals respectively. This activity level would describe such occupations as a nurse, server, or small-medium package handler. If you take these two people and have them at a job with moderate labor, they now burn 2,900 and 3,500 calories respectively. That is a difference of 500-1200 calories burned per day!
As a trainer, it is EXTREMELY easy to make those with active jobs lose fat. Give them a few extra workouts a week, make them adhere to a healthy diet, and watch them lose fat at an incredible rate. For the sedentary individual this happens MUCH slower as one would expect by the numbers above. They need to have their nutrition near perfect in order to lose fat at a considerable rate. |