We are all looking for motivation trust me when I get up a 5 am to workout, dragging my body out of bed is like pulling meat from a lion.
Yes it is hard to get going I am always looking for ideas, tips and tricks to keep me going. LiveStrong.com has come up with dares to motivate it’s members. I think it’s smart, the dares are simple things that  remind us to take care of ourselves. Dares include, taking vitamins, getting enough rest, eating fruits and vegetables. What is really cool you can create  dares as well, so if you want a little motivation check out LiveStrong.com dares. I have a dare also I dare you to try the 125 core challenge I created.

There is a lot of research for and against heavy lifting. For example a new study conducted at McMaster University has shown that a similar degree of muscle building can be achieved by using lighter weights. The secret is to pump iron until you reach muscle fatigue.

“Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can’t lift it anymore,” says Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University. “We’re convinced that growing muscle means stimulating your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time accumulates into bigger muscles.”

Click Here to read the rest of the article.

On the other side of the fence; other studies have shown that lifting heavy with short resting times burns more fat. Researchers from the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education (Oslo) found that using weight that allows for only six reps increases subject’s resting metabolic rate higher and for longer after a workout than 12-rep sets. A study from the College of New Jersey (Ewing) reported that men rested just 30 seconds between sets of bench presses, burned 50% more calories. To burn more calories during and after training (which helps burn bodyfat), use a 6-8-rep range and keep rest periods to less than one minute.

Source Muscle & Fitness Oct.2010 issue.
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Men’s Fitness does a great job in this article of showing you how to stay in shape without a gym. For me personally I don’t belong to a gym because of time. My life at the moment is super scheduled, a day in a life of Nat Jones goes something like this.

5:30 Am Wake up – Walk the dog
5:45 Downstairs Working out
6:45 Workout Complete Breakfast and Supplements
7:00 – Shower
7:20 Dressed walking out the door to catch the 7:40 train.
7:40 catching training
8:20 Arrive in city walk to work.
8:50 Arrive at work ( 2.3 mile walk)
9:00 am get coffee and protein bar work day starts.

I won’t bore you with the details but work usually starts at 9 am finishes anywhere between 5:30 and 7:00 pm on a good day. On a long day I could be there till about  8 pm  than I am taking the work home with me.

You basically get the idea, if I don’t workout in the morning my day is to hectic to even try working out during the day.
The Men’s Fitness article covers euipment you can buy for your home gym and workouts you can do also.
Links:
MF’s Back to Basics

If you’re like me, you’re always on the hunt for good advice on anything fitness. Something I discovered while on Men’s Health.com was their podcast. Which is pretty good, the host Steve Borkowski is engaging and informative. The focus is on the magazine and it’s articles. It is really eye opening for example if you listen to the podcast you will learn about the trainers who make up the routines. Alwyn Cosgrove is a great example. Something that gets lost in the magazine (which I do read) is: what is a good rep. Or how a rep of a certain exercise is supposed to be done. For Alwyn workouts he doesn’t place emphasis on high reps, instead he focuses on proper form which in Alwyn’s case is all about control and timing. For example the push up, according to Alwyn a good push up is when you keep your feet together, and  arms  right under your shoulders. Your spine should be straight, when you lower yourself your chest should touch the floor. To test for this, you should be able to place a broom stick on your back and keep it from rolling off if you form is correct.
Links:
Men’s Health Podcast
Men’s Health Pushup Plus

Something I always say if you want your six pack or eight pack,  you need some carido in your workout.  Men’s health has a great article that gives you some tips on how to get the most out of your run. Here are a few key points that I found beneficial.

Sprinting:
Sprinting raises your resting metabolism, which means you burn extra calories after your workout as well as during your run.

Interval Running:
Run sporadic intervals, with one thing in mind: As soon as you hit a mark, have a new one in sight. “This keeps your brain and body active.” This is also a great way to keep yourself form getting bored.

Train harder:
Is there a portion of your workout that you’re walking when you could be running?
Think about it. Raising your intensity may be more important for burning off belly fat than how often you exercise or for how long.

Check out the article for yourself.