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.

I personally like to lift heavy at least twice a month. Why? Read the rest of this entry »

I decided to make a second video on the Spartacus workout due to all the questions that I’ve received on my first video. This new video contains tips for both beginners and advance users.

Here are all the links that are in my video.

Track your progress download the workout sheet

Keep your pacing and timing download the mp3

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Advice for Beginners:
The Spartacus Workout is a really intense workout, it may make you throw up or faint. I am not joking when I say this. I have had two friends of mine throw up and almost faint.
1. If you haven’t worked out in a while or your not used to doing intense circuit training, don’t try to be superman or superwoman! Pace yourself.
Men’s Health suggest that if you cannot complete the exercise for the full minute do 15 to 20 reps instead.

Another method you can try is doing as many reps as you can within 30 seconds or 45 seconds. Then resting the remainder of the 60 seconds plus the 15 seconds rest as well. So the math looks something like this.
You go all out with x reps for 45 seconds. You rest for the remainder of the 60 seconds which is 15 seconds plus the rest period of 15 seconds. This gives you a total of 30 seconds of rest. I created a printable pdf so you can keep track of how long you can do an exercise for.
In my personal experience things start going south for me during my 3 circuit.

2. Press your internal pause button, take small breaks at the beginning and end of an exercise. This will help you get through the whole 60 seconds.

3. Counting in 10′s I don’t know why but counting in from 1 to 10 helps me push through.  When I get to 10 I start over from 1 basically what I tell myself is that there is only 10 reps to focus on and it helps sometimes. ; )

4. Weight – The amount of weight you should lift according to Men’s Health is weight that is challenging, which basically means you should be able to lift it for a minute. I say go light! Then build from there.
Just like any other workout increase your weight as your body gets used to the exercise and you get stronger.

5. There is nothing wrong with modifying.  Two exercises within the Spartacus workout the Split Jumps and Dumbbell side lunge and touch are both exercises you can modify, the new video shows you how. Once again as your body gets used to the exercises and stronger you will be able to do more.

Read the rest of this entry »

Work has me swamped so I haven’t had a chance to blog or make any
videos. Going to hopefully review some products and a routine or two this
weekend.

At the moment I have been following this workout from
Muscle and Fitness the T-Shirt Workout.
Basic exercises with a solid rest time allowing the muscles to grow.
I had to switch some of the exercises because of the type of equipment
I have at home. For the most part it still covers all the same muscles.
I also incorporate three days  of stomach exercises after the work out.

Day 1
Chest
Incline Bench Press -  4 sets – 8-12 reps
Dumbell Bench Press – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Incline Flyers -4 sets – 8-12 reps
Pullover- 3 sets – 8-12 reps

Shoulders
Overhead Press – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Upright Row – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Lateral Raise (Bosu Ball) – 3 sets – 8-12 reps
Rear Delt Row ( Bosu Ball)-3 sets – 8-12 reps

Triceps
French Press – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Dips ( Weighted) – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
KickBack  – 3 sets – 8-12 reps

Day 2
Back
Bent Over Row – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Pull Ups – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Push Up to Row – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Self Row – 3 sets – 8-12 reps
Stiff Arm Pull Down – 3sets – 8-12 reps

Biceps
Standing Barbell Curl – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curl – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Preacher Ez Bar Curl – 3 sets – 8-12 reps

Day -3-Rest
 

 Day 4
Legs
Back Squat  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Front Squat  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Dumbbell Lunge  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Step Up  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlift  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Lying Leg Curl  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Leg Extentions  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps

Day 5
Traps
Shrug Barbell  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Shrug Dumbbells  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
CorkScrew  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps

Forearm
Reverse Curl  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Behind the back Curl  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Wrist Flexition  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps

Calves
Calf Raise  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Seated Calf Raise  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps
Single Leg Calf Raise  – 4 sets – 8-12 reps

Day- 6 – Rest
Day -7 – Rest

Stomach exercises that incorporate,  I perform these as circuits.

3 sets – 10-12 reps each no rest between circuit with 30 seconds to 60 seconds rest between circuit.
Below are the types of exercises I do. I like to mix and match the exercises as well.

Example  combinations
Leg Raise
Swiss Ball Weighted Crunch
Shotgun

Side Crunch
Swiss Ball leg Raise
Bosu Ball Crunch

Jack Knife
Side Bridge Reach with Dumbbell
Rollout

Swiss Ball Torso Rotation with weight
Hip raise
V-up

Note for beginners: I have been lifting for a while now so my body is acclimated to deal with certain weight and exercises. If you are just starting out, *DON’T LIFT TOO HEAVY start with a challenging weight.
Make sure you stretch and warm up before you exercise to help avoid injury.

Rest. You may noticed that have I only rested  one day this week. It is suggested that you get two days of rest during the week to give your muscles time to heal etc. I vary my resting days from week to week depending on my diet and my mood. Working out relieves my stress, enabling me to keep my head during the week.

If you like this routine or need explanation of the exercises please contact me.

Sunday:
Men’s Health Arm Workout B:

Chin ups – Reps – 8,6,4, Failure 2mins rest btwn sets
Dips -Reps – 8,6,4, Failure 2mins rest btwn sets
Military Press -Reps -8,8,8 1 min rest btwn sets
Bent Over Row -Reps -  8,8,8 1 min rest btwn sets
French Press – Reps -8,8,15 30 secs of rest btwn sets
Circut -
Incline Curl
Seated Curl
Prone Curl
6 Reps each exercise – 30 secs of rest btwn each exercise
exercise – 3 Circuits

Monday:
Spartacus!

Tuesday:
Legs and Shoulder – Burn

Basic exercises that do the Job.
Legs -
Squats
Reps -  8-10,  3 sets + 1 super set  – 1 min rest btwn sets
Pyramid your weight start light than go heavy,
On the 3rd set go right into the super set no rest lighten your weight 50- 60% and Squat to failure

-
Curtsy Lunge
Side to Side
Unit Squat
Uni Stiff Leg Deadlift
Weigh Challenging – Reps  -  8-10
-
Calf Raise
Weigh Challenging – Reps – 8-10,  3 sets + 1 super set  – 1 min rest btwn sets
On the 3rd set go into right into the super set no rest lighten your weight 50- 60% and go to failure

Shoulders-
Weigh Challenging – Reps – 8-10,  3 sets + 1 super set  – 1 min rest btwn sets
On the 3rd set go into right into the super set no rest lighten your weight 50- 60% and go to failure
Arnold Press
Upright Row
Lateral Raise
Front Raise
Rear Delt Row

Ab Burn Day 1-
Rollout
Chair Knee Raise with Medicine ball
Hanging Leg Raise
V- Up with Medicine ball
Russian Twist
Sets – 3 Reps – 10 Rest 30 secs or  no rest btwn sets

Wednesday:
Men’s Fitness Build Muscle! Burn Fat!

Ab Burn Day 2-
Leg Extended Tuck
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunch
Mountain Climber Swiss Ball
Bench Jack Knife
Core Rotation

Thursday:
Rest

Friday:
Spartacus!

Saturday:
My heavy Day -
I like to workout for about two hours and I don’t change up the routine to much.

Bench Press –
5 Sets – Reps – 3 Rest a minute between reps lift as heavy as you can

Close Grip Bench Press –
3 Sets – Reps -8 Rest a minute between reps lift as heavy as you can

Incline Bench Press –
3 Sets – Reps -8 Rest a minute between reps lift as heavy as you can

Pullovers -
Weigh Challenging – 3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest 30  seconds between reps

Close Grip Floor Press
Weigh Challenging – 3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest 30 seconds between reps

Squats –
5 Sets – Reps – 3 Rest a minute between reps lift as heavy as you can

Lunge –
Weigh Challenging – 3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest  30 seconds between reps

Stiff Leg Deadlift
Weigh Challenging – 3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest 1 minute between reps

Deadlift
Weigh Challenging – 5 Sets – Reps -3-5 – Rest 1 minute between reps
lift as heavy as you can

Bent Over Row -
Weigh Challenging – 3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest 1 minute between reps

Pull Ups-
3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest 30 seconds between reps

Hammer Curl -
Weigh Challenging – 3 Sets – Reps -8 – Rest 30 seconds between reps

I am going to start posting the workouts for the week, just in case you want to try them for yourself. My training starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday. I rest one or two days during the week. This week I am doing Full Body workouts, core, arms and leg.

I am sharing the following workouts through the FitnessBuilder iPhone app. Note you must have the FitnessBuilder iPhone app for me to share workouts with you.
Please contact me and let me know the email and workout you are interested in.

Spartacus
Men’s Fitness Build Muscle! Burn Fat!
Muscle and Fitness Home Leg Workout 1
Muscle and Fitness Home Leg Workout 2
Muscle and Fitness Home Leg Workout 3

This week workouts for 3/21/10

Sunday:
Spartacus
Martial arts training

Monday:
Men’s Fitness Build Muscle! Burn Fat!
Martial arts class.

Tuesday:
Men’s Health Arm Workout A
Muscle and Fitness Home Leg Workout 1
Martial arts training

Wednesday:
Spartacus
Martial arts class

Thursday:
Rest

Friday:
Men’s Health Arm Workout B
Muscle and Fitness Home Leg Workout 2
Martial arts training

Saturday:
Spartacus
Muscle and Fitness Home Leg Workout 3
Martial Arts Training