Nine Simple Ways to Increase the Intensity of Any Workout
By Marc David
Beginners usually do not need such advanced concepts simply because as a beginner, pretty much anything will work as it’s new to your body. You don’t need to bump up the intensity because the workout itself is usually hard enough. But for those who have worked out for quite some time, doing a simple routine doesn’t cut it. And for those who are entering a competition and may be on low card, sub-maintenance calories and doing cardio twice a day, adding more and more weight is easier said then done. Where’s the energy?
That’s where some advanced concepts come into play.
These are ways in which you can use the same routines, but thru some clever manipulation, you need not add any weight to make it the most intense routine you’ve ever experienced. This is especially a good toolset to use when you’ve worked out for many years and find it hard to make gains or you have a prior injury that makes it difficult to lift heavy weights. Working out heavier and heavier each time, trying to break your personal best can lead to injury and stagnation.
Using some of these advanced training concepts, you can take a simple bicep curl or bench press and maximize the intensity of the exercise without adding a single pound:
1. Repetition Speeds – Rather then 1 second up and 1 second down, there’s a little know fact that you can take advantage of to double the effectiveness of any exercise. That secret is slowly lowering the weight on the negative part of the movement. By utilizing this alone, you will have increased the effectiveness of any single exercise by 100%. Not only will you be working on the upward movement but you will work the muscle on the downward rather then most people who just let gravity take over. Vary your repetition speeds for an increase in intensity.
2. Tempo Variations – Have you ever seen any programs listed as 4032? That just means 4 seconds on the down motion; 0 seconds at the bottom of the movement; 3 seconds up; 2 second hold at the top. You can do all types of tempo variations to just feel the muscle working and increase the intensity. For example, how about a set of machine bench presses where it’s 8032? 8 seconds down? Not super-slow but very controlled. And with a nice 2 second squeeze at the top. You can take any exercise where you’ve done the same weight and instantly make it much harder and more intense. Without adjusting the weight in the slightest!
3. Tension Manipulation – If you think about it, some exercises like the dumbbell side lateral raise, when the weights are truly at your side (bottom of the movement) the tension is totally off the shoulder muscles. By using tension manipulation you can stop short of this occurring. Take the leg press for example. Rather then do a full rep where you might lock out and pause at the top, how about a slow 4 seconds down, 0 seconds at the bottom, 3 seconds up, and only go ¾ of the way to the lockout, no pause and repeat. This is called “continuous tension” and it will not only increase the intensity of any exercise but it’s slow, controlled and the tension is never off the working muscle.
4. Stretch Exercises – With some exercises, there is a perfect opportunity to get a deep stretch with a weight load on the muscle. The calf press is a good example. How many people have you witnesses doing calf raises quickly using momentum? Several? Next time, take a 2 second pause at the bottom and feel the stretch before doing the next rep.
5. Contraction Exercises – Again, the calf raises can be slightly altered to make it feel like somebody has put a flame torch to the back of your legs. At the top of the movement, rather the lower the weight, hold the fully contracted position for 5 seconds and squeeze! This can be done with a set of Smith Machine squats too. At the top of the movement, squeeze like you are holding a flexed pose for 2+ seconds. It’s one more way of taking the same old exercise and making it different.
6. Super-Sets – Ever heard that with super-sets you can get more done in less time? It’s true. Rather then do a second of barbell bench presses, followed by a 3 minute rest, and then another. How about doing a set of barbell bench presses, immediately followed by a set of cable flyes? You can get more work done in the same time period. The more work you can do in a shorter time frame is a method of making the whole workout more intense.
7. Rest Periods – Take the example above but this time, after the cable flyes, you only rest 30 seconds and repeat. Not only have you done a super-set, but you’ve just shortened the rest period. The intensity bar is sure to show a spike now. By lowering the rest periods, you can effectively make the workout more intense, without adding more weight. Combine this with super-setting and you can do an amazing number of sets in 60 minutes. At one point, I was able to do 48 sets for my legs in 60 minutes! That is insane.
8. Split the Splits – This only applies to individuals that might have a lifestyle where this is possible in a given day. Take for example leg training. It’s very difficult to train the quads, the hamstrings and calves in a single session for the advanced athlete. But if you are able to train quads in the AM and hams and calves in the PM, then you have just obtained an optimal workout. Both are short and intense. Both allow for fully recovery. And focus can be given to particular body parts. The most common type of split of splits is on a leg day where the front of the legs are training at one time and the back of the legs trained at another. Not only is this advanced but it really requires that you have a time period when you can do this. Possibly a weekend if you are disciplined enough to take up an entire Saturday or Sunday.
9. Ascending/Descending Sets - Nothing more then increasing or decreasing the weight in a given set but do not let this technique fool you. It's a wicked way to just blast a body part. Descending sets are commonly referred to as "drop sets." For example, if you were doing dumbbell curls, you could start with a weight and do 10 reps, then move down in weight for another 8 reps, and move again and again. Ascending is just the reverse. There's no set number of moves downward or upward you can do but the maximum that is efficient is no more then 4 either way. For an interesting twist on this move, use a combination of both. Start with a given weight, use the ascending technique and then immediately use the descending technique. This makes for a giant set using both principles and is very difficult.
By using these nine simple steps individually or in combination, you are ensured to take yourself to the next level of intensity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About The Author:
Marc David is an innovative fitness enthusiast and the creator of the “The Beginner’s Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding”
method on www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com.
He can show you how to reduce your body fat thru diet, how to gain weight or create more muscle thru an abundance of workout tips by training LESS! Not more. He dispels many “bodybuilding myths”, tells you what most people never realize about nutrition, and what the drug companies DON’T WANT YOU to know.
Go to: www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com to find out more about The Beginner’s Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
What's In My Kitchen Cupboards
What's In My Kitchen Part 1: The Cupboards
by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS
If you’ve read my theoretical nutrition articles you’ve likely familiarized yourself with the macronutrients, when they should be eaten, etc. However, it's easy to talk the nutritional talk -- the question is, do you walk the nutritional walk?
By offering you a glimpse at the contents of my kitchen, I hope to give you the opportunity to check your own practical nutrition habits against my own, and see how nutrition theory is put into practice. So let’s go through a tour of my cupboard, covering both pantry items and supplements. By the end of this article, you should see that good nutrition practice involves limits and discipline, but not the austerity that most people assume it does.
Pantry Items:
Rolled Oats
Quantity: 3 lb. bag
Mixed Nuts
Quantity: 2 lb. bag
Mixed Beans
Quantity: 1 lb. bag
Dried Fruit Mix (no added sugar)
Quantity: 1 lb. bag
Legumes
Quantity: 2 x 2 lb. bags (1 bag lentils, 1 bag mixed beans)
Quinoa
Quantity: 1lb. bags
Whole Wheat Pasta
Quantity: 2 x 2 lb. bags
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Quantity: 1 bottle
Canned Tomatoes
Quantity: 3 cans
Canned Beans
Quantity: 3 cans
Flax Seeds
Quantity: ½ lb bag
Miscellaneous Grains
Including oat bran, wheat bran, oat flour
Green Tea
Quantity: 2 boxes of 20 packets each
Spices
Salt, pepper, fresh garlic, basil, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, and cinnamon are a good start. Seasoning mixes are also handy and take the guesswork out of flavoring. For example, right now I have Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Thai mixes in my cupboard.
*Note: the pantry is where the average kitchen goes horribly awry. Cookies, crackers, potato chips, baking supplies, and other hydrogenated and over-sweetened junk, all perched high above on a shelf, ready to snipe away at your hard-earned health and body composition.
If this is your kitchen, carefully position a large trash receptacle directly beneath said shelf. With a smooth sweeping motion, use your forearm to plow these enemies into the abyss below.
The items above are most likely the only ones you need since most of your nutrition should be coming from fresh, perishable foods – those listed in my previously published article discussing what’s in my fridge.
Supplements
Biotest Metabolic Drive (Protein Supplement)
Quantity: 2 x 2lb. containers
Biotest Surge Post-Workout Drink (Workout Drink)
Quantity: 2 x 1lb. containers
Prolab Creatine (Basic Creatine
)
Quantity: 1 300g container
Concentrated Enteric-Coated Fish Oil (Fish Oil)
Quantity: 3 x 50 capsule bottles
Genuine Health Greens+ (Green Food Supplement)
Quantity: 1 x 2lb. container
Biotest ZMA (Zinc-Magnesium)
Quantity: 1 90 capsule bottle
*Supplementation should be determined by your training goals and your resources, both time and money. Other than your post-workout drinks, fish oil caps, the occasional scoop of protein or a MRP, and perhaps some necessary micronutrients, no supplement should be taken year-round. And while it should go without saying that supplements should supplement and not replace a solid training and nutrition program, this is one of the most common mistakes I see, even in intermediate trainees. This is an example of my list based on my goals.
In the end, if you wish to expedite the process of reaching your goals, you'll do the following:
Perform an inventory of all the food in your house, excluding nothing. Everything goes on the list, even if you didn't buy it and don't intend to eat it. If it's in the house, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it, so everything is fair game.
Compare your list to mine (both the items on this list and the items in my fridge article).
See how close you’ve come. If you’re close (on both the items to have and the items not to have), keep up the great work. If not, round up all the offending grub, and give it a warm send off as it pulls away in the back of a garbage truck.
For those who think it would be more charitable to drop it all off at a food bank, I have news for you: the poor don't want your mother's half-empty box of Ho-Ho's either. If you really want to help, make a donation, drop off some good food, or volunteer your time.
Populate your kitchen with the foods above, and you will have built the foundation for nutritional success.
SEE ALSO:
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out Dr Berardi’s complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing 5 nutrition guides, two audio CDs, two DVDs, and our Gourmet Nutrition cookbook, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.
And what's more, you get a free lifetime membership to his private, members-only website, where you can talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches.
Find out more about Precision Nutrition
by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS
If you’ve read my theoretical nutrition articles you’ve likely familiarized yourself with the macronutrients, when they should be eaten, etc. However, it's easy to talk the nutritional talk -- the question is, do you walk the nutritional walk?
By offering you a glimpse at the contents of my kitchen, I hope to give you the opportunity to check your own practical nutrition habits against my own, and see how nutrition theory is put into practice. So let’s go through a tour of my cupboard, covering both pantry items and supplements. By the end of this article, you should see that good nutrition practice involves limits and discipline, but not the austerity that most people assume it does.
Pantry Items:
Rolled Oats
Quantity: 3 lb. bag
Mixed Nuts
Quantity: 2 lb. bag
Mixed Beans
Quantity: 1 lb. bag
Dried Fruit Mix (no added sugar)
Quantity: 1 lb. bag
Legumes
Quantity: 2 x 2 lb. bags (1 bag lentils, 1 bag mixed beans)
Quinoa
Quantity: 1lb. bags
Whole Wheat Pasta
Quantity: 2 x 2 lb. bags
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Quantity: 1 bottle
Canned Tomatoes
Quantity: 3 cans
Canned Beans
Quantity: 3 cans
Flax Seeds
Quantity: ½ lb bag
Miscellaneous Grains
Including oat bran, wheat bran, oat flour
Green Tea
Quantity: 2 boxes of 20 packets each
Spices
Salt, pepper, fresh garlic, basil, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, and cinnamon are a good start. Seasoning mixes are also handy and take the guesswork out of flavoring. For example, right now I have Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Thai mixes in my cupboard.
*Note: the pantry is where the average kitchen goes horribly awry. Cookies, crackers, potato chips, baking supplies, and other hydrogenated and over-sweetened junk, all perched high above on a shelf, ready to snipe away at your hard-earned health and body composition.
If this is your kitchen, carefully position a large trash receptacle directly beneath said shelf. With a smooth sweeping motion, use your forearm to plow these enemies into the abyss below.
The items above are most likely the only ones you need since most of your nutrition should be coming from fresh, perishable foods – those listed in my previously published article discussing what’s in my fridge.
Supplements
Biotest Metabolic Drive (Protein Supplement)
Quantity: 2 x 2lb. containers
Biotest Surge Post-Workout Drink (Workout Drink)
Quantity: 2 x 1lb. containers
Prolab Creatine (Basic Creatine
)
Quantity: 1 300g container
Concentrated Enteric-Coated Fish Oil (Fish Oil)
Quantity: 3 x 50 capsule bottles
Genuine Health Greens+ (Green Food Supplement)
Quantity: 1 x 2lb. container
Biotest ZMA (Zinc-Magnesium)
Quantity: 1 90 capsule bottle
*Supplementation should be determined by your training goals and your resources, both time and money. Other than your post-workout drinks, fish oil caps, the occasional scoop of protein or a MRP, and perhaps some necessary micronutrients, no supplement should be taken year-round. And while it should go without saying that supplements should supplement and not replace a solid training and nutrition program, this is one of the most common mistakes I see, even in intermediate trainees. This is an example of my list based on my goals.
In the end, if you wish to expedite the process of reaching your goals, you'll do the following:
Perform an inventory of all the food in your house, excluding nothing. Everything goes on the list, even if you didn't buy it and don't intend to eat it. If it's in the house, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it, so everything is fair game.
Compare your list to mine (both the items on this list and the items in my fridge article).
See how close you’ve come. If you’re close (on both the items to have and the items not to have), keep up the great work. If not, round up all the offending grub, and give it a warm send off as it pulls away in the back of a garbage truck.
For those who think it would be more charitable to drop it all off at a food bank, I have news for you: the poor don't want your mother's half-empty box of Ho-Ho's either. If you really want to help, make a donation, drop off some good food, or volunteer your time.
Populate your kitchen with the foods above, and you will have built the foundation for nutritional success.
SEE ALSO:
For more great training and nutrition wisdom, check out Dr Berardi’s complete system, Precision Nutrition. Containing 5 nutrition guides, two audio CDs, two DVDs, and our Gourmet Nutrition cookbook, Precision Nutrition will teach you everything you need to know to get the body you want -- guaranteed.
And what's more, you get a free lifetime membership to his private, members-only website, where you can talk exercise and nutrition 24/7 with thousands of fellow members and the Precision Nutrition coaches.
Find out more about Precision Nutrition
10 Most Common Workout Mistakes
10 Most Common Workout Mistakes!
By Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE
Although regular exercise is good for body and soul, diving head first into an advanced exercise programme is not encouraged. It can even be dangerous if you don’t avoid some common mistakes.
If you're a beginner, your body isn’t prepared for the types of strains exercise can place on it. As a result, engaging in an exercise programme with little foresight and planning can lead to burnout, frustration and injury.
If you want to maximise your workout, it's going to take a combination of motivation and the correct information. So let's review the 10 most common mistakes that can be easily avoided.
1. Skipping the warm-up. Muscles need time to adjust to the demands placed on them during exercise. Before hitting the gym or jumping into your regular cardio workout, you should take a few minutes to gently walk, cycle or whatever you choose to prepare the body for heavier activity. Breaking a light sweat will get your blood pumping, warm up muscles and ligaments, greatly reduce your risk of injury and increase the effectiveness of your workout.
2. Skipping the cool-down. Due to time constraints, many people head straight to the showers after their last repetition or as soon as the timer on the treadmill dings. Instead, take a few minutes to lower your heart rate close to its resting rate. This will reduce your risk of injury and give you a few minutes to incorporate some relaxation into your routine.
3. Not stretching. Flexible muscles are far less likely to be pulled than tight ones. Stretch before a heavy workout or after your workout as a warm-down. Never stretch a muscle without warming up first to reduce your risk of injury even further. Regular stretching greatly increases your flexibility.
4. Lifting too much too fast. Placing demands your muscles are not prepared to handle is the best way to injure yourself. Gradual, progressive resistance is a far more effective and safe way to increase muscle strength. You should select a weight that allows you to do 10–15 repetitions. If you can’t do 10 reps, the weight is too heavy. If you can easily do 15, then increase the weight by five percent.
5. Using too light a resistance. If you are doing over 15 reps or have not increased your resistance in over two weeks, it is time to progress. If you want to improve, you have to keep your muscles stimulated. If you continue to do the same weights with high reps, you will maintain your current physique and not advance.
6. Being a Weekend Warrior. The mistake of the person who tries to fit a week's worth of exercise into a Saturday afternoon! For weight loss, it's more effective to sustain a moderate workout for longer periods of time than to exercise intensely for only a few minutes. For others, the expectation that a workout must be intense to be effective can lead to burnout or injury while others abandon their training altogether.
7. Waiting until you are thirsty to drink. Only camels can go without water! For the rest of us it's a necessity! Don’t wait until you feel thirsty because you are already dehydrated at that point. Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after your workout.
8. Using bad form. It's much more effective to choose a lower level, speed or weight and perform the exercise properly than it is to go too fast or too heavy and use poor form and momentum. Lower the intensity to the point at which you can maintain good posture. An example of poor form would be leaning on the Stairmaster handrails or swinging the dumbbells during a bicep curl.
9. Resting too much. While it's true you don't want to overdo it, taking too much time in between exercises can decrease the training benefits and set you up for injury. Allow for about 30 seconds between toning exercises -- which is usually just enough time to move to the next station and set up. You should exercise intensely enough to work up a light sweat, get your heart beating and feel a sense of satisfaction for having completed your workout.
10. More is better. It's not necessary to spend over an hour doing cardiovascular exercise. Studies show that the risk of injury outweighs the benefits after 60 minutes. Sessions of around 45 minutes most days of the week are recommended for weight loss.
Remember, exercise is only one link to a complete programme of well-being. Mental, spiritual and psychological "workouts" are just as important. Your body will repay you! The only thing left is to just do it... safely.
Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, 2004 Personal Trainer of the Year - Online Training. Kelli is a 20 year fitness industry leader. She has 3 fitness related degrees and 24 Fitness, Nutrition and Lifestyle related certifications. Kelli is the former Lead Fitness Expert for eDiets and eFitness and remains a regular contributor. Kelli is the author of Feminine, Firm & Fit - Building A Lean Strong Body in 12 Weeks www.FeminineFirmandFit.com.
She has transformed thousands of bodies just like yours. She is available for phone coaching, online training, grocery shopping tours, seminars, and media opportunities. For more information go to www.KelliCalabrese.com
or e-mail Kelli@KelliCalabrese.com
By Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE
Although regular exercise is good for body and soul, diving head first into an advanced exercise programme is not encouraged. It can even be dangerous if you don’t avoid some common mistakes.
If you're a beginner, your body isn’t prepared for the types of strains exercise can place on it. As a result, engaging in an exercise programme with little foresight and planning can lead to burnout, frustration and injury.
If you want to maximise your workout, it's going to take a combination of motivation and the correct information. So let's review the 10 most common mistakes that can be easily avoided.
1. Skipping the warm-up. Muscles need time to adjust to the demands placed on them during exercise. Before hitting the gym or jumping into your regular cardio workout, you should take a few minutes to gently walk, cycle or whatever you choose to prepare the body for heavier activity. Breaking a light sweat will get your blood pumping, warm up muscles and ligaments, greatly reduce your risk of injury and increase the effectiveness of your workout.
2. Skipping the cool-down. Due to time constraints, many people head straight to the showers after their last repetition or as soon as the timer on the treadmill dings. Instead, take a few minutes to lower your heart rate close to its resting rate. This will reduce your risk of injury and give you a few minutes to incorporate some relaxation into your routine.
3. Not stretching. Flexible muscles are far less likely to be pulled than tight ones. Stretch before a heavy workout or after your workout as a warm-down. Never stretch a muscle without warming up first to reduce your risk of injury even further. Regular stretching greatly increases your flexibility.
4. Lifting too much too fast. Placing demands your muscles are not prepared to handle is the best way to injure yourself. Gradual, progressive resistance is a far more effective and safe way to increase muscle strength. You should select a weight that allows you to do 10–15 repetitions. If you can’t do 10 reps, the weight is too heavy. If you can easily do 15, then increase the weight by five percent.
5. Using too light a resistance. If you are doing over 15 reps or have not increased your resistance in over two weeks, it is time to progress. If you want to improve, you have to keep your muscles stimulated. If you continue to do the same weights with high reps, you will maintain your current physique and not advance.
6. Being a Weekend Warrior. The mistake of the person who tries to fit a week's worth of exercise into a Saturday afternoon! For weight loss, it's more effective to sustain a moderate workout for longer periods of time than to exercise intensely for only a few minutes. For others, the expectation that a workout must be intense to be effective can lead to burnout or injury while others abandon their training altogether.
7. Waiting until you are thirsty to drink. Only camels can go without water! For the rest of us it's a necessity! Don’t wait until you feel thirsty because you are already dehydrated at that point. Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after your workout.
8. Using bad form. It's much more effective to choose a lower level, speed or weight and perform the exercise properly than it is to go too fast or too heavy and use poor form and momentum. Lower the intensity to the point at which you can maintain good posture. An example of poor form would be leaning on the Stairmaster handrails or swinging the dumbbells during a bicep curl.
9. Resting too much. While it's true you don't want to overdo it, taking too much time in between exercises can decrease the training benefits and set you up for injury. Allow for about 30 seconds between toning exercises -- which is usually just enough time to move to the next station and set up. You should exercise intensely enough to work up a light sweat, get your heart beating and feel a sense of satisfaction for having completed your workout.
10. More is better. It's not necessary to spend over an hour doing cardiovascular exercise. Studies show that the risk of injury outweighs the benefits after 60 minutes. Sessions of around 45 minutes most days of the week are recommended for weight loss.
Remember, exercise is only one link to a complete programme of well-being. Mental, spiritual and psychological "workouts" are just as important. Your body will repay you! The only thing left is to just do it... safely.
Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, 2004 Personal Trainer of the Year - Online Training. Kelli is a 20 year fitness industry leader. She has 3 fitness related degrees and 24 Fitness, Nutrition and Lifestyle related certifications. Kelli is the former Lead Fitness Expert for eDiets and eFitness and remains a regular contributor. Kelli is the author of Feminine, Firm & Fit - Building A Lean Strong Body in 12 Weeks www.FeminineFirmandFit.com.
She has transformed thousands of bodies just like yours. She is available for phone coaching, online training, grocery shopping tours, seminars, and media opportunities. For more information go to www.KelliCalabrese.com
or e-mail Kelli@KelliCalabrese.com
Learn about Good Nutrition
Can You Really Learn Good Nutrition in 8 Days?
by Robert Adams, CPT, Head Fitness Expert
My FREE Online Personal Trainer
When my colleague and friend, Dr. John Berardi, dropped me an email the other day letting me know about his new nutrition course, I admit I had some doubts.
Don't get me wrong, I like JB and respect his work, but I was skeptical about the course itself. 'Body Transformation with Precision Nutrition -- in 8 Days' -- indeed. Eight days?
But I'll read anything, and I'm always looking for new ways to approach and teach nutrition, so I decided to give it a look. And in the end, I really enjoyed it.
The course starts with three consecutive online questionnaires, which were cool - they get right to the point, highlighting your weaknesses and offering solutions. Even just reading the questions called attention to some of the areas I could improve upon, and I know this stuff.
Each lesson offers a concise, no-nonsense message, one that beginners and experts alike will benefit from hearing. John does a great job of putting aside the fads and getting down to the point. He makes no mistake about telling you exactly what will lead to failure, and what will lead to success.
John also does a great job of going beyond the actual food to talk about how to ensure you actually follow the plan. What good is a great diet if you don't follow it?
And best of all, he tells you exactly what rules to follow, in no uncertain terms. His 10 Rules cover everything from what to eat to when to eat it. Very good stuff, which I didn't expect in such a short course.
Now, nothing's perfect and this course is no exception. My one gripe is that I wish there was a little more detail on meal plans, perhaps a recipe or two, or some examples. But in fairness, you can get a good idea from the rules and lessons, and JB covers meals and meal plans extensively in Precision Nutrition (his superb nutrition program, which I highly recommend). So it's a small, forgivable gripe.
All in all, this is an excellent little course, and in eight days you'll learn more about what really works nutritionally than most people do in a lifetime.
The bottom line is that if you're not in the shape you want to be, and you want to learn how to turn things around with nutrition, I strongly recommend that you check the course out yourself. It's available for free at:
The Precision Nutrition 8-Day Course
by Robert Adams, CPT, Head Fitness Expert
My FREE Online Personal Trainer
When my colleague and friend, Dr. John Berardi, dropped me an email the other day letting me know about his new nutrition course, I admit I had some doubts.
Don't get me wrong, I like JB and respect his work, but I was skeptical about the course itself. 'Body Transformation with Precision Nutrition -- in 8 Days' -- indeed. Eight days?
But I'll read anything, and I'm always looking for new ways to approach and teach nutrition, so I decided to give it a look. And in the end, I really enjoyed it.
The course starts with three consecutive online questionnaires, which were cool - they get right to the point, highlighting your weaknesses and offering solutions. Even just reading the questions called attention to some of the areas I could improve upon, and I know this stuff.
Each lesson offers a concise, no-nonsense message, one that beginners and experts alike will benefit from hearing. John does a great job of putting aside the fads and getting down to the point. He makes no mistake about telling you exactly what will lead to failure, and what will lead to success.
John also does a great job of going beyond the actual food to talk about how to ensure you actually follow the plan. What good is a great diet if you don't follow it?
And best of all, he tells you exactly what rules to follow, in no uncertain terms. His 10 Rules cover everything from what to eat to when to eat it. Very good stuff, which I didn't expect in such a short course.
Now, nothing's perfect and this course is no exception. My one gripe is that I wish there was a little more detail on meal plans, perhaps a recipe or two, or some examples. But in fairness, you can get a good idea from the rules and lessons, and JB covers meals and meal plans extensively in Precision Nutrition (his superb nutrition program, which I highly recommend). So it's a small, forgivable gripe.
All in all, this is an excellent little course, and in eight days you'll learn more about what really works nutritionally than most people do in a lifetime.
The bottom line is that if you're not in the shape you want to be, and you want to learn how to turn things around with nutrition, I strongly recommend that you check the course out yourself. It's available for free at:
The Precision Nutrition 8-Day Course
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