Sprint yourself slim

by Dinny Morris | Feb 11, 2017 | Dinnys Blog

When it comes to losing weight, most people turn to cardio in an effort to burn fat, expend calories and shed unwanted pounds. In many ways, this makes a certain amount of sense because aerobic activities like jogging, cycling and rowing as well as exercise classes burn mainly fat.

This has given rise to something called the fat burning zone and many people exercise exclusively in this zone in the belief that it’s the best exercise intensity for fat loss. Incidentally, the fat burning zone is around 60 percent of your maximum heart rate and represents a relatively low, comfortable exercise intensity.

While it is true that exercising in the fat burning zone predominantly burns fat, it doesn’t burn a whole lot of it. Fat is very calorically dense and contains around nine calories per gram. Although working out in the fat burning zone does rely on stored body fat, a little fat goes a very long way when used this way. For example, if you burn 100 calories – as a typical ten-minute bout of cardio will do – you’ll barely burn 10 grams of fat. At that rate, it’s going to take a very long time to burn off those unwanted kilos!

Fat burning zone cardio is not only uneconomical and inefficient for fat burning, it can be laborious, hard on your joints, is very time consuming and can even cause the breakdown of muscle through a process called catabolism. The last thing you need when you are trying to burn fat is LESS muscle. Muscle is metabolically active tissue which means it needs energy to sustain it. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be and, therefore, the greater the potential for fat burning.

High volumes of slower paced cardio can also increase the production of catabolic stress hormones – namely cortisol – which further promote muscle breakdown. Less muscle means that you need fewer calories per day which, in turn, will also reduce the number of calories you burn during exercise.

That is not to say that fat burning zone cardio is worthless – just that it is only one of the weapons you have in the war against body fat. Relying solely on slow paced cardio is like only eating your meals with a knife – you’ll get much better results if you use a fork and a spoon as well as your trusty blade.

Slower-paced cardio is an effective way to improve your aerobic fitness and health and can provide a good recovery from high intensity workouts but if in terms of fat and calorie burning, sprinting may well be the best type of exercise you currently aren’t doing.

Sprinting doesn’t have to mean haring off down a running track although there is nothing wrong with doing that. However, when I refer to sprinting, I mean any short, intense bout of physical activity that leaves your muscles burning, your pulse racing and your lungs heaving. In a nutshell, if the activity you are performing takes you out of your comfort zone and forces your body beyond its aerobic capabilities, it can be classed as sprinting.

Sprinting might not burn as high a percentage of fat as aerobic exercise but it burns more calories per minute, causes a metabolic after burn effect called EPOC and also challenges and develops your muscles which prevents catabolism.

Imagine you are driving 30 kilometres in your car. On one trip you take it easy and drive slowly and the next time you push your foot to the floor and drive much faster. Which journey used more cheap generic tramadol fuel? Even though the second journey took less time, you’ll use a lot more fuel when you drive faster. The same is true of your body. The higher the intensity of your workout, the more energy you’ll use. And while that energy might come more from carbs than fat, any caloric deficit will convert to fat loss if you make sure you don’t eat more food than your body needs.  

Sticking with the car analogy, once your get home after your two journeys, how quickly will your car take to cool down after a slow drive compared to the fast drive? The fast drive will have made your car hotter and therefore it’ll cool down more slowly.

The same can be said of your metabolic rate after exercise. On completion of an easy-paced workout, your metabolic rate returns back to normal pretty quickly – your metabolic rate being the speed at which your body burns calories. In contrast, after a high intensity sprinting workout, your metabolism will remain elevated for hours afterward. This is called Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC for short) and can add a whole lot of expended calories to your workout. You can often feel the effect of EPOC – you’ll stay warmer for longer after a sprint workout compared to a slower paced workout and it may take a while for you to stop sweating too.  

Sprinting burns fat like a blowtorch; you only have to look at the physiques of sprinters to see the truth of this statement but how can you build sprinting into your workouts? Good question. I suggest either including sprinting workouts after your main strength training sessions as a “finisher” or replacing some of your regular cardio workouts with sprint workouts. Both options can work fine but be warned – sprint workouts are short but they can be hard so increase the intensity and duration gradually over time.

For best results, you need to sprint long enough and hard enough to go anaerobic which means you exceed the ability of your aerobic system to provide your muscles with oxygen and energy. This should take between 20 to 60 seconds. You’ll know you are anaerobic because your muscles will burn and you’ll want to (have to!) slow down and stop. Rest 60 to 90 seconds and then go again. Five to ten repeats should get the job done.

Here is an example sprint program to try…

Remember to warm up before and cool down before your workouts to maximize performance and prevent injuries!

In terms of sprinting activities – there are so many choices above and beyond hitting the track! You could jump on an exercise bike, use a rower, jump rope, swing a kettlebell, do burpees, dive in the pool and swim, run up flights of stairs, punch a heavy bag…almost any intense form of exercise will work.

There is no need to ditch the slow paced cardio but if you want to burn as much fat as possible then you’d be better served by picking up the pace and taking sprinting for a spin.
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AUTHOR

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Dinny Morris

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

How to get six-pack abs

by Dinny Morris | Feb 11, 2017 | Dinnys Blog

In this step by step guide, I will reveal the tricks to getting a six pack of your very own – just in time for the summer!

A well-defined six-pack is one of the most sought after fitness goals but it’s not easy to obtain. Some exercisers never really get what they want despite performing endless sets of crunches and other similar abdominal exercises. It’s very hard to say exactly how long it will take you to develop this fitness holy of holies but if you follow this six-step plan, it should happen sooner rather than later. Remember though, your abs are just one muscle group and your ab training should be part of a well-designed and periodised training program that focuses on not just how you look but how you feel and function too…

Please note: while you might WANT a six-pack, not everyone GETS one because of genetics. Even if you are destined never to have a real six-pack, you can develop a flat, firm stomach and in doing so will improve your health and fitness. Like big biceps or blue eyes, some people are more genetically equipped to getting six-pack abs but you won’t know if that’s you until you try. One thing’s for sure, if you don’t go after ‘em, you’ll never get ‘em!

Step one – get lean

Many people have well developed abs but any muscular detail is obscured by a thick layer of fat. The only way to make your abs more visible is to get leaner. This means dropping your body fat to 10% or below for men and 15% or below for women. This is best achieved with a reduced carbohydrate/calorie controlled diet and regular cardiovascular exercise and interval training plus building muscle, as outlined in point two below. Be aware though that extreme leanness can cause health issues – especially for women – so consider your health when pursuing your six-pack.

Good diets for fat loss include, cyclic ketogenic diets, the Slow Carb Diet, the Palaeolithic diet, any carb cycling diet . So long as you can stick with it and you don’t starve yourself (which can actually promote fat storage and not fat loss) almost any diet will work but make sure you choose ones that keep you healthy. However, the best diet will always be the one that is created specifically for you by a nutritionist.

Step two – build some muscle

Rather than target your abs with lots of direct core exercises such as sit ups, you are better off trying to develop all of your muscles by performing regular strength training. Your abs bridge the gap between your arms and your legs so it makes sense that when your extremities get stronger, so will your abs. It’s not called the core for nothing after all!

Some direct ab work is okay but focusing on overhead pressing, squats, deadlifts etc. will place more load on your abs than any type of sit up ever will. Building bigger muscles throughout your body will elevate your metabolism and make sure you burn as much fat as you possibly can so you reveal your six-pack abs all the sooner. Direct ab work is definitely important but do it at the end of your regular strength training workout as a finisher once the “real” work is done.

Step three – improve your posture

Standing up straight can make the difference between flat abs and a paunch belly. When you hunch forwards, your abs tend to bow outwards and even if you are lean enough to show off a six pack, it will look crumpled and ugly. Stand up straight, lift your chest, lengthen your neck and pull your shoulders back. This will flatten your stomach and make them look far more impressive even if you are not quite lean enough to reveal your six-pack.

Like most of us, you probably spend a long time sat down so it’s very important that you remedy this by strengthening the muscles on the back of your body and stretching those on the front – especially your hip flexors, pecs and even the actual abdominals themselves. This, as well as body position awareness and practice, is the key to better posture and flatter abs!

Step four – learn to brace and vacuum

Bracing describes tensing your abdominals and other core muscles without actually moving your spine. Imagine you are about to be punched in the gut and you tighten up to protect yourself – that’s bracing! You should do this whenever you perform any strenuous exercise and also when you want your abs to look their best. Bracing is the core equivalent of raising your flexed arm to show off your biceps!

Practice bracing whenever you get the chance – it will help harden up your abs and also protect your back when you are lifting heavy weights.

Vacuuming is another “tick” that can help flatten your belly and aid you in your quest for a six pack. It was a favourite pose of many old-time bodybuilders and strongmen and may actually reduce the size of your waist – assuming your diet and exercise program is nailed down of course! Can we talk about vacumn old school technique. Simply exhale and pull your belly in and up to reduce the size of your abdominal cavity. Don’t do this after you have just eaten! Hold for a few seconds and then relax. Be aware though that doing the vacuum can elevate your blood pressure so don’t do it if you are already diagnosed as hypertensive.

Step five – forget about spot reduction

Many exercises make the mistake of performing a high volume of ab exercises in the hope that they will burn off fat from their midsections. Worse still, this is often done on a daily basis. Over hypertrophied abs can actually cause postural issues and harm rather than increase your chances of developing a six-pack. Your abs are just another muscle group and just as you wouldn’t train your legs every day, nor should you train abs so frequently.

As a general rule, limit your repetitions to less than 20 and perform two to three sets of two to three exercises twice a week. This, plus the bracing described in point four, is all you need for well-developed abs.

Step six – work your abs from a variety of directions

When it comes to ab training, most people spend way too much time working on flexion or forward bending exercises and completely forget about the other functions of the midsection. Make sure you include lateral flexion (side bends) and rotation exercises to work your abs from a variety of directions to ensure optimal development. Remember though, all the ab work in the world won’t give you a six-pack if you don’t take care of business in the kitchen and the rest of your training. It is quite possible to have an amazing six-pack but never reveal it because it’s permanently covered in an ugly layer of fat.

Step seven – get a healthier gut
Gut health can play a big part in developing a six-pack. An unhealthy gut can cause bloating and water retention which can reduce definition and can also make fat burning harder than it needs to be – possible causing fat gain even when you are cutting calories.The sleep time from 7 pm to 8 was not enough and wanted to sleep as to Buy Xanax much again. Speak to a nutritionist about maximizing gut health and consider cutting out all sources of poor gut health including artificial additives, common allergens such as lactose, soya and gluten and consider using a probiotic.

So, now you know what you need to do to get your very own six-pack. All that is left now is for you to put these steps into action!

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AUTHOR

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Dinny Morris

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

What you need to know about sports drinks

by Dinny Morris | Feb 11, 2017 | Dinnys Blog

When it comes to sports drinks, there are a huge number of different products on the market to choose from, each one promising to increase your performance, fight off fatigue or help you recover from training faster. In this article I will explain the main types of drinks available and explain which ones are best suited to your training and competition goals…

Water

For many exercisers, water is probably the sports drink of choice and with good reason – it’s exactly what the body is using lots of while you exercise. If your workouts are less than 60 minutes in duration, you are well fed having had a suitable pre-training meal and you don’t feel you need any extra energy to fuel your workout then water is a fine choice as a sports drink. As a general rule of thumb, consume 250ml per 15 minutes of exercise to replace fluids as you are losing them. Drink more if you begin to get thirsty. Water has the advantage of being very cheap or even free and containing no calories. If fat loss is your primary exercise goal, water is really the only choice.

Hypotonic drinks

This variety of sports drink contains a small amount of carbohydrate in the form of sugar which can provide energy for exercise. Hypotonic drinks contain around 2g per 100ml which is just enough to give you a small lift but is insufficient to fuel a long or hard workout. This type of sports drink is best suited to workouts of an hour or less where fluid replacement is more important than refuelling. Hypotonic drinks are absorbed well and are therefore ideal for countering dehydration. They will often contain chemicals called electrolytes which are the minerals lost when we sweat such as potassium and sodium and may reduce cramping. Because of the sugar content, a hypotonic drink could interfere with fat loss.

Isotonic drinks

Containing more sugar than hypotonic drinks (around 6g per 100ml) isotonic drinks bridge the gap between fluid and fuel. These drinks are ideally suited to longer workouts or matches where carbohydrate and fluid replacement are necessary to avoid a drop off in performance. Because isotonic drinks provide energy they may not be ideal for exercisers who are trying to manage their weight but for sports people they may stave off fatigue in the latter stages of training or competition. To make your own isotonic drink, just mix 500ml of unsweetened fruit juice with 500ml of water or, alternatively just buy one of the many isotonic drinks available e.g. Gatorade, PowerAde or Lucozade.

Hypertonic drinks

Containing 10g of carbohydrate per 100ml, hypertonic drinks are excellent for refuelling after exercise but the presence of so much carbohydrate can mean that water absorption is delayed. Hypertonic drinks can be thought of more as food than fluid and are best used after training or alternated with water during longer events. Hypertonic drinks are also great as a convenient pre-training snack if eating solid food isn‘t possible e.g. if training early in the morning. Pure unsweetened fruit juice is a good example of a hypertonic drink but there are also commercial versions available. Sugary hypertonic drinks will definitely interfere with fat burning so steer clear if you are exercising for fat loss.

Protein drinks

Generally considered the reserve of bodybuilders and weight trainers, protein drinks have changed a great deal over the last 20 years. Originally, protein drinks were made from dried eggs which were not very pleasant tasting or very easily digestible. Soya protein was also popular and later protein shakes based on milk were in vogue. More recently protein drinks derived from dairy whey have become popular and seem to be the best in terms of bioavailability and digestibility. Protein drinks are a convenient way of getting extra amino acids (the body’s building blocks) into the diet without having to spend all day cooking and eating meat. They offer portability and come in a variety of flavours from savoury to sweet to suit most people’s tastes. Not all products are created equal though and as whey proteins can be damaged by excessive heating it’s best to look for ones that have been cold processed. If you feel you need more protein in your diet (you should be aiming for around 2g per kilo of bodyweight depending on your workout program and activity levels, a protein supplement may be useful to you but generally, real food is a better choice and remember that protein supplementation doesn’t automatically equal larger muscles!

Protein/carbohydrate drinks

Usually containing a 1:2 ratio of protein and carbohydrates, this type of sports drink can be thought of as a meal replacement making it ideal for athletes on the move. Training hard and often requires frequent feeding and it’s not always convenient to chow down on a normal meal! Often referred to as MRPs (meal replacement products) protein/carbohydrate drinks offer a portable and instant alternative to carrying large amounts of food with you wherever you go. Athletes who are underweight and find it difficult to eat enough food often find that they can consume additional calories easily by using MRPs but this is a double edged sword as those who are interested in losing a few pounds may end up consuming more calories that they need as their MRP may not fill them up very much although it contains plenty of calories.

Creatine drinks

Creatine is one of the few sports supplement products that has stood the test of time and been tested and studied successfully numerous times. Users of creatine often report that they recover faster from workouts, feel stronger during training and competition and gain muscle mass faster than usual when using this product. Creatine drinks often include carbohydrates which enhance its absorption and can be very useful for anyone involved in sports that utilise the anaerobic energy pathways such as field sports. However, not everyone gets noticeable benefits from creatine supplementation but because of the potential benefits – both anecdotal and empirical – it’s worth trying at least once. To get the most from creatine supplementation, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions stay “on” for 6-8 weeks to give the product time to work. If after that period you notice no changes in performance then chances are that creatine is not for you.

Energy drinks

Energy drinks such as Red Bull are becoming more and more popular – not just with exercisers but with the general population. Containing caffeine and varying amounts of sugar, energy drinks give you a lift and may also provide energy. However, if you are feeling tired all the time, an energy drink will merely mask the symptoms of fatigue when really you need to do something about why you feel tired all the time. The occasional use of an energy drink if fine but if you have to use one as a crutch to help you get through your day or every single workout, there is an underlying problem you need to address. Many energy drinks contain artificial sweeteners and other synthetic nastiness which is best avoided whenever possible. If you don’t have Xanax Online anxiety and other things, you won’t feel any effect. Also, remember that most energy drinks contain a LOT of sugar – as much as two tablespoons per serving for some well known brands. Needless to say, this means that energy drinks are not a good idea for most health-conscious exercisers.

So, eight different sports drinks that may be of benefit to you which, with the exception of water, should be considered as “add ons” to a good healthy diet. No sports drink will ever be able to replace a healthy diet but may add to it and could possibly provide you with an edge in both training and competition.
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AUTHOR

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Dinny Morris

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

You don’t know squat – learn all about the king of exercises

by Dinny Morris | Feb 11, 2017 | Dinnys Blog

Squats, especially barbell squats, are often referred to as the King of exercises. Why? It really depends on who you talk to! For some, squats are the King because they are probably the most functional exercise you can perform. Sitting down to read this article, you did a squat. You’ll do another when you get back up, another when you sit on the toilet or get in and out of your car… it’s all but impossible to get through a day without doing some squats.

Also, leg strength is vital for just about every sporting activity from running to jumping to kicking. Squats develop strength in spades.

Finally, squats, especially heavy squats, are strongly linked to triggering a cascade of anabolic or muscle-building hormones to be produced inside your body. It is for this reason that squats are closely linked to not just increasing leg strength but whole body strength.

Of course, to get the most from squats and squatting you need to do them right so read on if you want to learn to master the King of exercises!

Muscles used

While squats ARE a leg exercise, in weighted squats, your upper body must work really hard to keep the bar positioned properly on your back and ensure your torso remains safely uptight. However, most people perform squats for the lower body benefits so let’s focus on those muscles. Most squatting variations strongly involve:

Quadriceps

Hamstrings

Gluteus maximus

Abductors

Adductors

Erector spinae

Core

Who are squats good for?

Squats are good for just about everyone – from aging grandmothers to Olympic sprinters. They develop the muscles that are needed in just about every daily and sporting activity. If you want increased leg size and strength, a more toned butt, to be able to jump higher or run faster, to have healthier knees, stronger bones or improve your general conditioning, squats will get it done.

Who should not do squats?

While only one study back in 1961 (conducted by Dr. Karl Klein at the University of Texas, USA) has ever suggested that squats were bad for your knees, if you already have knee pain, you may want to use one of the less demanding squat variants. The same is true of hip pain. A good squat does not put too much stress on your back but if you are unable to squat with impeccable form or you have a pre-existing back problem, the compressive force associated with heavy back squats squats may not be ideal and you should choose a less weighted variation or one where the weight is positioned in such a way to take strain off the lower back.

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Finally, if you lack sufficient mobility and flexibility to squat without rounding your lower back, skip squats for now as rounding your lower back is a shortcut to injury when squatting.

Proper squat performance

Whether you are squatting 200 kg or just with your bodyweight, you need to squat properly to get the most from this exercise and avoid injury. For ease of explanation, this technique description is for barbell back squats. Most forms of squats are performed similarly and using the same main teaching points.

1. With the bar in a squat rack set at mid-chest height, duck under the bar and grab it with a wider-than shoulder-width overhand grip.
2. Push your upper back against the center of the bar.
3. Grip the bar tightly and hold it in place on your back – pull it down so it is positioned solidly.
4. Stand up and unrack the bar – make sure you brace your back and keep it straight and never rounded – take 1-2 steps back.
5. For basic squats, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes out slightly. However, if you want to focus more on your quads move your feet in a bit or more your hamstrings and adductors, move your feet out. Find the position that is rigth for your leg length, height and personal comfort and goals.
6. Lift your chest, arch your lower back slightly and inhale.
7. Push your hips back as though you are reaching for a chair a little too far behind you. Bend your knees and, under control, sink down into a squat. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Push your knees out and keep your chest up. Keep your knees over your toes; this will stop them from caving inwards or going in the wrong direction.
8. When you hit the desired depth, reverse the movement by pushing your hips up and straightening your knees. Squeeze your glutes and stand tall like a soldier but do not overextend your hips or let your pelvis roll under as this may cause injury. Exhale as you ascend.
9. Stand up straight, reset your position and inhale. Down you go again!
10. On completion of your set, walk back into the rack and replace the bar.

Tips for maximum benefits and mistakes to avoid

Squats are challenging so if you are going to do them, you might as well do them right! Follow these tips to ensure you get the most benefits possible with the least amount of risk. Again, most of these tips pertain to barbell back squats but many can just as easily be applied to other squat variations.

1. Wear flat, solid shoes – running shoes are great for running but that sponginess will not help you when you squat. They’ll compress and destabilize you and who needs that when you are lifting heavy weights? Instead, wear minimalist shoes, Chuck Taylors, weightlifting shoes or just your socks if your gym will allow it.
2. Do not rack the bar on your neck – that really hurts! Instead, place it low on your traps and across your shoulders where the muscle mass will support the bar in relative comfort.
3. Wear a T-shirt or chalk the bar to prevent it slipping from the sweat that will build up on tyour back. A singlet may look cooler but the sweat and subsequent slipperiness can make it really hard to hold the bar in place.
4. For heavy back or front squats, always use a squat rack. Squatting heavy weights outside of a rack can result in serious injuries.
5. Initiate all squats by pushing your hips back and then, just after, bending at the knees. This will help preserve your lower back arch and maximize the use of your hamstring and glute generic tramadol er muscles. Breaking at the knee first is both inefficient and dangerous.
6. Keep your chest up and look directly forward at all times. Look down and you’ll round your lower back. Look up and you’ll lose hip-drive power. Keep your neck neutral. Your spine is a bit like a car trailer, where your head goes, the spine goes in the opposite direction – that’s why head position is so important for spine health.
7. Push your knees out forcefully as you descend. This will maximize your hamstring strength and prevent your knees dropping in which stresses this joint unnecessarily.
8. If your heels lift when you squat, you have tight calves. Do not ignore this problem and place plates or a slat of wood under your heels – stretch your calves more and also foam roll them, you will be very surprised how your squat improves!
9. To prevent your lower back from rounding, brace your abs like someone is going to punch you in the belly.
10. Vary your foot width until you find the perfect position for you. Wider is often better for taller lifters while narrower works well for those with shorter limbs.
11. Tight Hip flexors can play havoc on locking out or standing fully upright and can even interfere with proper glutes activation. Stretch and foam roll your hip flexors and quads if this is a problem for you.

Variations

Barbell back squats maybe the King of exercises but with so many squat variations vying for attention, the King is only just on the top of the pile! There are lots of different ways to get your squat on so whether you are a beginner or a stone-cold expert, there is a type of squat just for you. Variations are listed in approximate order of difficulty from easy to advanced.

Bodyweight squat – the basic bodyweight squat is a great calisthenic exercise that can be performed almost anywhere. For high reps it’s a real cardio blaster too. Place your hands behind your head to develop the necessary upper body flexibility for barbell squats. Keep the chest high and try to think about activating the lower traps to help keep the back straight during the squat.

Goblet squat – a nice way to introduce squatting with weight, goblet squats involve holding a single dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest and just below your chin. This forces you to keep your chest up and sit back into the squat. Put a rubber resistance band around your knees to practice pushing your knees outward. When performed properly, this exercise should cause some next-day abdominal soreness and your core has to work really hard to keep your spine stabilized.

Split squat – also can be known as a Bulgarian split squat, this exercise requires flexibility and balance and places the emphasis on one leg at a time. Take a large step forward and then stop – get your balance. Bend your legs until your rear knee lightly touches the floor. Keep your body upright and go straight down – not forward. Stand back up and repeat. Hold dumbbells for a more demanding workout. This exercise also stretches out tight hip flexors. Place your foot further forward from the bench the bench to work the glutes and hamstrings more or bring your front leg back to hit the quads more.

Front squat – with the barbell racked across the front of your shoulders instead of the back, this exercise promotes a much more upright torso position and is said to place more emphasis on your quadriceps. Preferred by athletes over the back squat, front squats require a high degree of upper body flexibility and are generally performed using a narrower than shoulder-width stance. If you lack flexibility to hold the bar in place, stretch your lats and also consider using lifting straps to make the rack position more comfortable.

Hack squat – named after famous old-time wrestler George Hackenschmidt, this exercise involves placing a barbell on the floor behind your ankles, bending down and grabbing it with both hands before standing up using your legs. A tricky movement initially, this exercise will give you a very effective quad workout.

Squat jump – performed with a light weight or no weight at all, squat jumps use the same squatting movement discussed previously but ends with a powerful leap into the air. This will develop power rather than strength – power being your ability to generate force quickly. If you have knee problems or past surgeries this is the one to really avoid.

Overhead squat – the overhead squat builds total body strength, stability and mobility. Hold a barbell overhead using an overhand, wider-than shoulder-width grip. Squat down while keeping your arms held aloft and the weight over your feet. This exercise is tough with just an empty bar and a killer when you are hoisting heavy weights. Once again though, you’ll need good mobility in the thoracic area and lats to be able to perform this exercise effectively.

Pistol squat – pistols or one legged squats are hard to master but can help ensure your legs are equally developed. To perform a pistol, stand on one leg with your free leg held slightly in front of you. Squat down and simultaneously lift your free leg clear of the floor. At the bottom position your free leg should be parallel to the floor. Stand back up and repeat. Hold a weight in your hands (as per the goblet squat) to make this exercise more challenging.

Whatever your fitness goal, squats will get you there faster. In the old days of physical culture, exercisers squatted with religious fervour and claimed they were the key to total body fitness and strength. Squats fell out of favour because they are such hard work but hard work is what produces results and that is why they are the King of exercises!\

Always seek the help of a professional PT or Physiotherapist to ensure you are correctly able to perform the exercises.
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AUTHOR

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

Long-term cooperation with the providers brought confidence Adipex Online in them.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Dinny Morris

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Top SIX kettlebell exercises

by Dinny Morris | Feb 11, 2017 | Dinnys Blog

Looking not unlike cannonballs with handles, kettlebells are a fun and functional exercise tool. They’ve been around for hundreds of years and have been hovering in the background of fitness training since the early 20th century but, in the last few years or so, kettlebells have really stormed to the forefront of fitness and are being touted as being the ultimate exercise tool.

There is no denying that kettlebells are awesome. You can lift them, press them, pull them, swing them and throw them in all manner of ways. Does that make them the ultimate exercise tool – that’s hard to answer.

For developing explosive strength and power, muscular endurance, conditioning and all-round fitness, kettlebells are very effective. However, if it’s pure, brute strength you want, barbells are where it is at, simply because it is easier to load a barbell with the requisite loads necessary to build strength.

Also, where a barbell is adjustable by simply adding or removing weights, a kettlebell is not. This means that you’ll have to have access to a variety of kettlebells according to the exercises you are going to perform and also, if you train at home and buy your own kettlebells, be prepared to upgrade your kettlebell collection as you get stronger and require heavier, more challenging weights. As kettlebells aren’t cheap, this can prove costly and remember, those lighter kettlebells you have now “outgrown” are still sat there looking like a pile of cash that you just can’t spend. And, of course, for many KB exercises you need pairs of kettlebells so you have to double your expenditure…

So, while you can train exclusively with kettlebells, there is no reason you have to. Think of kettlebells are a nice workout tool rather than your entire tool box. That way you can enjoy their benefits and not bother worrying about their limitations.

If you do decide that kettlebells are for you, there are dozens of exercises you can perform – some being better than others. From all those exercises, is it possible to distil that list down to as few as five essential exercises? I think it is! In general, these exercises are unique to KB training or offer significant improvements over similar exercises performed using different workout tools.

Number one – halos

Halos are a great shoulder and core exercise. Performed in your warm-up, they help mobilize your shoulders in readiness for more demanding exercises. With heavier weights, they can be used to develop upper body and core strength.

•         Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent
•         Hold your kettlebell by the side handles so it is upside down and in front of your chest
•         Raise your left elbow, invert the kettlebell and pull it over toward your left ear
•         Circle the weight behind your head – your left forearm should be parallel to the floor and the weight right-side up
•         Move the KB over to your right ear and then back to the front
•         Immediately reverse directions and circle the weight the other way around
•         Keep your chest up and abs braced throughout

Number two – kettlebell swings

If you only ever do one kettlebell exercise, make it swings. With a light weight for high reps, swings are an almost unbeatable cardiovascular and fat burning exercise. With heavier weights for lower reps, swings will increase your explosive hip drive – essential in just about every sport. Swings are also supreme butt, hamstring, cardio and core exercise so make sure you include them in your kettlebell workouts!

•         Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the KB held in both hands in front of your thighs
•         Brace your abs, lift your chest and pull your shoulders down and back
•         Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward from your hips. Do not let your lower back round
•         Lower the weight between your knees but keep your arms straight
•         Snap your hips forward and use this power to swing the KB up to around eye-height
•         Swing the weight back down and as the weight descends, push your hips back and get back into the starting position
•         Repeat while maintaining a smooth and steady swing rate of around 30 swings per minute
•         This exercise can be also performed one handed or using two kettlebells at the same time – one in each hand.

Number three – get ups

Sometimes called the Turkish get up although it’s unclear why, this exercise involves a number of elements all rolled into one, hopefully smooth and harmonious, movement that will strengthen, stabilize and mobilize every joint in your body. It’s also a great core and coordination exercise. While this exercise can take a while to master, your hard work will really pay off as the get up is one of the most rewarding exercises around.

•         Lie on your back with a kettlebell in your left hand. Extend your arm and press the weight straight up. Keep your arm vertical
•         Bend your left leg and place your foot as close to your butt as you can. Place your right arm on the floor at around 45 degrees to your body. This is your starting position
•         Push down through your left foot and punch your left arm up to the ceiling while rolling over onto your right elbow. Push off your elbow and up onto your hand so you are sat up. Keep your eyes fixed on the kettlebell and your arm vertical
•         Lift your hips off the floor and into a sort of side plank. Pause for a second to get your balance
•         Step back and under with your right leg so you are in a kneeling half-lunge position with your supporting hand still on the floor and the arm holding the kettlebell still vertical
•         Push off the floor so your torso and arm are upright
•         Slowly stand up and bring your feet together
•         Reverse the motion by stepping back and into the kneeling lunge
•         Lie back down and repeat

Because this is a technically demanding exercise, focus on perfecting get ups while using a light weight and with low repetitions – no more than five per side. High repetitions of this exercise are not especially beneficial.

Number four – windmills

Windmills work your core, shoulders and legs and develop mobility, flexibility, stability and strength; all in one move.

•         Stand with your feet a little wider-than shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell above your head in your right hand
•         Push your hips over to the right and slide your left hand down your leg toward your foot while keeping your right arm vertical. Bend your left knee as little or as much as necessary to reach your foot
•         Keep your eyes on the kettlebell at all times
•         Slowly stand back up again and repeat
•         For a less demanding workout, hold the kettlebell in your opposite hand and lower the weigh down toward your foot while reaching up with an empty hand
•         For a more demanding workout, hold a kettlebell in each hand and keep your legs straighter

Number five – goblet squats

Goblet squats are an excellent leg exercise that promotes really good squatting technique. If you have trouble performing regular barbell back squats, goblet squats can fix whatever ails you so you can progress onto “real” squats in no time at all.

•         Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward
•         Hold your kettlebell by the side handles and hold it at chest-height so the handle is touching your chin. Tuck your elbows into your ribs
•         Lift your chest and slightly arch your lower back a little
•         With your weight in your heels, push your hips back and bend your knees
•         Push your knees outward as you descend
•         Squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor
•         Keep your torso fairly upright and avoid rounding your lower back
•         Stand back up and repeat

Number six – deadlifts

While deadlifts are normally done using a barbell (although you can deadlift almost any object that needs picking up off the floor) one of the safest and easiest ways to learn to deadlift is with a kettlebell. A kettlebell is easier to handle and maneuver and will help you master basic deadlift technique before moving onto a barbell.

Number six – deadlifts

While deadlifts are normally done using a barbell (although you can deadlift almost any object that needs picking up off the floor) one of the safest and easiest ways to learn to deadlift is with a kettlebell. A kettlebell is easier to handle and maneuver and will help you master basic deadlift technique before moving onto a barbell.

•         Place your kettlebell on the floor between your feet. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
•         Push your hips back and bend your knees; reach down and grab the kettlebell handle with an overhand grip
•         Keep your arms straight, your core tight, your chest up, your shoulders back and your lower back slightly arched. Your hips should be just below shoulder height. Look at the floor around three-meters in front of you
•         Drive your feet down into the floor while keeping your weight on your heels. Break the weight away from the floor and then drive your hips forward as you stand up straight
•         Do not lean back at the top of the movement – just stand upright
•         Lower the weight by pushing your hips back and bending your knees – do not round your back
•         Reset your position and repeat

There are plenty of other kettlebell exercises you can perform but in terms of benefits versus effort, these six are very hard to beat. You could even perform this list of five exercises as a single, standalone workout if you so choose – just start at the top of the list. Kettlebell training does seem to live up to the hype but remember, it is just one of many ways you can overload your muscles and will only do you good if you actually do your workouts!

Although kettlebells are great, if you have hip mobility issues, disc bulge, bad posture, or thoracic or shoulder knee problems, some kettlebell exercise could cause these issues to worsen – especially if you don’t perform them properly. Make sure you get professional instruction so you learn how to do these awesome exercises properly from the get-go.
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AUTHOR

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Dinny Morris

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Don’t believe the hype – common muscle-building myths

by Dinny Morris | Feb 11, 2017 | Dinnys Blog

There are lots of myths surrounding exercise, fat loss and muscle building. Myths are often based on something called “bro-science” which means they started or are spread by the guys in the gym who say “Hey bro – you gotta try this!” Other myths come from companies trying to sell you something.

Sadly, there are no short cuts to success and believing or following any of these too-good-to-be-true myths will reduce the effectiveness of your workouts and will cost you a lot of wasted time, effort and even money.

To help you get the most from your training, here are some of the most common muscle-building myths you need to avoid.

Isolation exercises shape your muscles – the shape of your muscles is dictated by several things; the length of the muscle belly, the length of the tendons and exactly where the tendons attach onto your bones. None of these things are changeable. Isolation exercises, where movement occurs at only one joint, allow you to target a specific muscle preferentially but will not change its shape. Muscles get bigger or smaller but their shape is largely genetic and unmodifiable.

However, it’s worth noting that you can place an emphasis on different muscles within a group of muscles by changing the position of your limbs. For example, wide-footed squats or leg presses emphasize the inner part of your thighs while narrower-footed squats will emphasize your quads. Likewise, wide grip bench presses emphasize your pecs while narrow grip bench presses are more of a triceps exercise but were talking compound exercises here and not isolation exercises and it is not possible to preferentially recruit a particular area of a muscle – only emphasize different muscles within a group.

You can gain more than half a kilo of muscle per week – gaining muscle is a slow and laborious process and while your bodyweight weight can rise or fall by several pounds per week, those fluctuations are mostly water weight. Gaining half to one kilo of muscle per month is much more realistic and is great progress – many people won’t even be able to do that. Still, half a kilo is great – just look at a half kilo of steak to see how much muscle that actually is!

Split routines are best for building muscle – split routines allow you to work a single muscle group with more volume than a full body workout but this is not always a good thing. Most split routines only allow you to hit a muscle group once per week and for muscle building, this is not frequent enough. In addition, if you can do an hour of chest exercises, that would suggest that your workout intensity is far too low. Full body workouts allow for increased workout frequency and increased intensity and, for many exercisers, that is the perfect recipe for building muscle and strength.

Supplements are essential for success – contrary to what you might have read in fitness magazines, you don’t need supplements to build muscle and strength. Yes, some supplements may help but they are far from essential. At best, a supplement will give you a very small advantage but many supplements are all but worthless. Spend your money on plenty of nutritious food rather than miraculous-sounding supplements. Think of supplements as being the icing on the cake. You can eat a cake without icing but the icing on it, is pretty much useless. Not that I’m saying you need to go out and eat cake mind you!

Weight training makes women bulky and masculine – women can gain muscle but because they produce around one-tenth of the anabolic or muscle-building hormone testosterone, they cannot gain muscle as rapidly or to the same degree as men. Most men find it hard to gain muscle and they are hormonally equipped for it. Weight training is very unlikely to make a women bulky or masculine – especially if they avoid following a bodybuilding-type workout program.

Fat turns into muscle and muscle turns into fat – if you stop training and don’t alter your diet to reflect your reduced activity levels, your muscles will shrink and your fat stores will grow.One has not turned into the other. Likewise, if you start buy ativan in pakistan training and also eat a little less, your muscles will increase in size and your fat stores will decrease. In neither scenario has fat turned into muscle or muscle turned into fat. It’s like oil and water – totally different substances.

Lifting weights makes you slow and muscle-bound – if you can lift a heavy weight slowly, you’ll be able to lift a light weight quickly and while following an unbalanced program may make you less mobile, a well-designed workout should enhance athleticism. Olympia-sized muscles can make some everyday tasks awkward but very few people ever get that big. The fastest athletes in the world are who they are partly because of strength training.

There is one secret, best, muscle-building program – all programs work providing they are sufficiently challenging, you can recover from them and they are progressive. There are lots of programs that meet this criteria but not one of them is the best, most perfect, only workout that you’ll only ever need. All programs stop working after a few months as your body becomes accustomed to them. Anyone touting “the only program you’ll ever need” is after one thing only – your money! Periodization, the long term manipulation of a program to ensure it continues to produce results, trumps any single program ever touted as being the best.

The gym is the only place to build muscle and strength – your muscles know only one thing; overload. It doesn’t matter if that overload comes from a state-of-the-art $25,000 leg press or doing squats with a log across your back. So long as you overload your muscles they will grow. Subsequently, it is possible to build muscle and strength almost anywhere – not just the gym. Check out the physiques of gymnasts; they very rarely if ever lift weights and yet they are more muscular than a lot of bodybuilders. Providing you overload your muscles progressively, eat right and get plenty of rest, your muscles will get bigger and stronger whether you are lifting rocks of pushing barbells. How big, of course, depends on genetics.

You can lose fat and gain muscle at the same time – Losing fat requires that you eat less than normal while gaining muscle requires that you eat more. Losing fat and gaining muscle are diametrically opposing processes that cannot happen simultaneously. Gaining muscle while keeping your fat levels the same can give the impression of simultaneous muscle gain and fat loss but, in reality, the only thing that has happened is the ratio of muscle to fat has changed.

If you train like the champ – you’ll look like the champ! – lots of guys copy workouts from magazines and websites written by genetically blessed and often on drugs bodybuilding champions. twelve weeks later, battered, sore and injured, they end up really frustrated that they don’t look like the program’s author. The thing is, when you have all the great genetics and a boat load of steroids, almost any workout will produce great results but that same poor training program won’t amount to anyhting if you are normal guy with average genetics. One of the advantages of personal training is getting workouts that are designed specifically for you by someone who understands and respects your genetic limitations and how best to work around them. Don’t do workouts or exercises not designed for you – you won’t get the same results.

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

Avoiding these myths can save you years of frustration. Remember, when it comes to muscle-building information, get it from reputable sources and if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!
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AUTHOR

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.

Dinny Morris

Hi, my name is Dinny Morris. I’m a personal trainer and in sunny Sydney, Australia.

I work with men and women at all levels of their physical development, from overweight couch potatoes who want to get in shape, to professional athletes and natural bodybuilders who want to beef up strength and body mass.