YOUR FIRST CHIN UP EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER DONE ONE BEFORE!

Even when I had achieved a fairly good level of fitness I thought doing chin ups was just a muscle head thing. However, I soon realized that it is a great indication of upper body strength. I started training to do one and was thrilled when I actually achieved not only one but 10. After a serious injury I am back at increasing my upper body strength and attempting my first chin up.

Nick Nilsson of "The Best Exercises You Never Heard Of" has provided this great chin up training guide.

How To Do a Chin-Up If You've NEVER Done One Before
By Nick Nilsson

Performing your very first bodyweight chin-up is a GREAT goal to have. But it's a goal that not many know exactly how to achieve. Learn how to build the strength to do your first chin-up here!

If you've never done a full bodyweight chin-up before, don't worry! With the right training, just about anybody can work themselves up to performing one or more full range chin-ups. In this article, you'll learn all the steps and progressions you need in order get from zero to one!

And it's NOT going to require pull-downs OR self-spotting machines like the Gravitron (I'm not going to take ANY resistance away from you!).

So first off, we need to distinguish between a chin-up and a pull-up. A pull-up is generally done with a wider grip and an overhand grip on the bar. This is actually a HARDER exercise to perform than the chin-up.

The chin-up is done with a close grip on the bar (hands only a few inches apart) with an underhand grip.

The reasons the wide-grip pull-up is harder is that first, the biceps are not able to contribute as much to the movement because your arms are directly out to the sides. Second, the lats (the muscles of the back) don't have as good of leverage with the arms out in this position.

The chin-up places the lats in a better position to contract and allows the biceps to contribute more to the movement.

And this is what we want, because to do that first chin-up, you're going to need ALL the muscle power you can get!

The first consideration to look at when it comes to chinning is your overall bodyweight. If you're carrying a lot of extra weight, it's going to make it that much harder to perform a chin-up because obviously, you're going to have to lift that extra bodyweight up, too!

Dropping extra weight is definitely going to help you achieve your goal of that first chin-up, though it's not 100% necessary...it just means you'll have to build up that much more strength in order to perform the exercise.

When it comes to building up strength for that first chin-up, I prefer to do it over the long-term rather than trying to get there all at once.

The only thing I ask is that you NOT try and perform a full chin-up until I tell you to. That's it. I don't want you trying and failing and getting discouraged. So take it step-by-step, build the foundations...I'll let you know when you're ready.

PHASE 1

So the first step you're going to take is one that is very simple and straightforward...you're going to grab the bar and just HANG from it for as long as you can. That's it!

The reason? I find that a lot of people simply don't have the necessary GRIP strength to perform a full chin-up and building it up with a very specific drill like this helps tremendously.

So at the beginning of every single workout and at the end of every single workout you do (NOT just back workouts but EVERY workout), you'll stand under the chin-up bar, reach up and grab it with a close, underhand grip, then just hang at arms-length for as long as you can until your grip gives out.

This is going to help you get used to supporting your entire bodyweight on the chin-up bar and it's going to build up that very specific grip strength we're looking for.

Repeat this drill until you're able to hang from the chin-up bar for at least 30 seconds before your grip gives out. Once you can do that, you're ready for Phase 2.

** One tip I find very useful is to cross your feet when doing any chin or pull-up related exercise. For some reason, this locks your body into the position more and gives you more pulling strength.

PHASE 2

The second phase of training is going to be partial reps in the bottom range of motion of the chin-up.

Now that your grip strength is built up enough that you can support yourself on the bar for a good length of time, we're going to start adding in movement.

Assume your hanging position. Now pull yourself up 2 or 3 inches and hold for several seconds. Lower yourself back to the hanging position then immediately pull back up a few inches again and hold for several seconds.

Repeat this until either your grip gives out or you can no longer pull yourself up those few inches. Remember, it's a VERY short range of motion but we want to hold that position for at least a few seconds to get target stress on the muscles.

You'll do one set at the beginning of every workout and one set at the end of every workout you do.

I've found this high-frequency approach to work extremely well because it allows your body to gradually adapt over time. You don't set giant goals that you get spooked about and don't think you'll ever achieve - you set small, achievable, repeatable goals that build on each other to get you to the end result.

Once you can do at least 10 reps of this partial-range and pause training, then it's on to Phase 3...

PHASE 3

Now we move on to Negative Training. You may have heard of this before...now you're going to put it to use!

We've built up a foundation of grip strength (which is HUGE) and a foundation of pulling power in the strongest range of motion of the exercise (the bottom few inches). It's time to test yourself against gravity.

Set a chair, bench or box in front of the chin-up bar. Ideally, it should be a height where you can stand on it and put yourself into the top position of the chin-up (chin just above the bar) while still standing on it.

Because what you'll be doing next is gripping the bar, getting into position then lowering yourself down slowly. This is called a "negative rep."

But here's the key that a lot of people miss when it comes to Negative Training...

The idea is to not just passively lower yourself down...the idea is to ACTIVELY FIGHT GRAVITY all the way down!

So when you take your grip on the bar and take your feet off the bench, I want you to try your darndest to pull yourself UP, even though gravity is pulling you DOWN.

This generally will result in a slow downward rep, with you fighting it all the way. When you get to the bottom, let go of the bar, climb back onto the bench and repeat.

In your negative set, perform reps in this fashion until one of two things happens...

1. You grab the bar, take your feet off the bench and can't slow your descent at all, dropping right into the position within a second or two.

2. You get to 6 reps of this negative training in your set.

What do those guidelines mean? In the first one, it means your muscles aren't actually doing any more work and there's no reason to continue.

In the second, when we hit 6 reps, that's plenty when it comes to negative training. If, on that sixth rep, you can still control your descent, you're doing well!

So here's the deal...in your workouts (again one set at the beginning and one set at the end of every single workout you do), do this negative training. This will probably amount to 3 to 5 times per week, depending how frequently you're in the gym.

Keep going in this fashion until you are able to do 6 negative reps and on the SIXTH rep, you can still pretty well control your descent and don't just crash down.

Now, for one calendar week, NO chin-up training. You're going to give your muscles a break from the specific training and allow them to recover.

PHASE 4

The last step before hitting chins on your own is the Flexed Arm Hang. Now that your muscles have recovered from the Negative Training, we're going to set that bench back up and get you into the top position of the chin.

Take your feet off the bench and HOLD that top chin position for as long as you can. Hold it until your arms start to straighten and your lats start to give.

Now FIGHT that all the way down until you're hanging at arms-length on the bar. That's it! Just one set and one rep, done ONLY at the beginning of each workout (when you're strongest), not at the end.

Repeat this procedure (one set of hanging at the start of each workout) until you can hang for at least 30 seconds before you start to lower down.

Once you can do that, it's SHOW TIME!

YOUR FIRST CHIN-UP

Give yourself a few days off from the Flexed Arm Hang phase before doing your first chin. You want to be fully recovered and feeling strong!

Grab the bar (at this point, you will be so used to grabbing the chin-up bar that there will be NO fear associated with it, as there may have been before). You'll KNOW you can do this.

Tighten your grip, tighten your muscles, then PULL!

Because of all the background work you've done, I have a feeling you're going FLY right up!
Heck, when you get the first one, if you feel good, try a second one!

And finally, if you do go through this chin-up program and WHEN you do your first chin-up, send me an email and tell me your story! I want to hear from you!
------------------
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and
"The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at BetterU ). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

MY MAY - DECEMBER ROMANCE STORY

'K' MY HANDSOME SOLDIER

My 28th wedding anniversary is coming up on Monday. It has been an amazing paring.

We still hold hands.

Our story.......

During a break up with my fiance in 1979, acquaintenances set up a blind date between K and me 'as a joke.' They thought it would be amusing to see a 'worldly' 31-year-old divorcee and a shy 18-year-old army reservist together.

I was shocked when I got to the dance and realized how young my date was. I went with the flow not wishing to hurt his feelings. I had a fantastic time with this handsome man but I did not plan on a follow up date. My fiance and I were patching up our broken relationship and were tentatively setting our wedding date for December. I never thought in a million years K would want a follow up date either.

A month or so after the 'date', K phoned me and asked if he could board with me. It would help me with the mortgage and he would be there at night for my daughter when I was working shift work at the hospital. He needed an address in my City to get a full time call out with the army.

My fiance and I discussed it and it seemed like a good solution. My husband-to-be "P" was attractive, self confident, conceited and had not one bit of jealousy toward K.

K became part of my immediate family, I met his friends and family. He was a great tennant.

As my wedding date approached K became more alarmed at my relationship with my fiance - P was a flirt and went off on frequent skiing vacations with the 'boys'; he was financially irresponsible, had unstable jobs and likely drank too much. We were attending pre-marriage counselling classes and week by week the counsellor and I were becoming similarly alarmed.

It was an easy decision to break up with this man really. I had two failed marriages from following my heart and not my head. Rather than string him along, I told him I could never marry him and broke off our engagement. K was wiser than his years. He was right, the marriage would never have survived the first year.

Over the next year, K professed his love for me. I was on the rebound and I adored him but the math sure scared me. When I am 50 he will be 37 -when I am 70 he will be 57 etc. After two years the barriers finally wore down. He is the most incredible man - devoted, kind, caring, gentle and loving. His only flaw is his age. I struggled with it. My parents disowned me for many years and would not speak to me for even contemplating a relationship. His parents were more worried about me than him. They stated they did not want me ending up having to support 'two kids' as their son had not yet decided on a post secondary education.

The other flaw in the potential marriage was that I could no longer have children - what a sacrifice for a 20-year-old. It would be doubtful that any adoption agency would help us with our age discrepancy problem. So he would have to accept a life with no children of his own. And he would be dealing with a daughter about to enter the 'terrible teen' years as well.

But, I did fall madly in love with him. Along with the love, I felt a healthy dose of guilt and worry about the 'what ifs' of our age difference. I did not want to be a 'mother figure.' Apparently I was never that. Due to my good genes and fairly clean lifestyle, I did not look my age. I am no "Demi Moore" but I have faired ok.

On a night shift when I was lamenting the torture of my decision a colleague said "Even if the marriage only lasts 10 years, that is more than you got out of your other marriages. Do you love him? My answer was " Yes." From a purely selfish perspective her statement was true. But what about him?

There was no talking him out of loving me. In the back of mind, I made it a promise that I would ask him every year on our anniversary if he wanted to change his mind - should he realize his terrible mistake and want someone his own age or should he want to have his own children. I am not asking this year. I realize I can no longer give him up without a fight.

He has stuck with me through all kinds of crises and vice versa. He loved me when I have been obese or sick or fit and healthy; when I was contributing to income and when I was not.

I came to love his family and friends as my own. My mother reluctantly accepted him to rekindle her relationship with me but was never warm and fuzzy toward him which he stocially endured. She has since passed away as have both his parents. My remaining parent, my step father adores him.

It is amusing that I put up with years of waiting for him and our friends to get through their party years - while they stayed up till 6 am I would pack it in before midnight and now it is often reversed - in their late 40s they want to go to bed fairly early and I generally want to stay up later. We old people don't need as much sleep.

The most recent challenge is retirement. I could feasibly retire in the near future, but I have enough health and energy for two people. I have always had a professional career. I concluded if I work longer he could retire earlier. All retirement would mean for me is quitting my current job and putting my energy into my own business. I doubt I would ever stop productive employment regardless of the age of my husband.

Has it been easy? Of course not. Every marriage has its ups and downs. I cannot lie that at times I want everything I have now but have wished that K was older. But each year the 'what ifs' lessened and eventually disappeared.

Here's to the sweetest, most considerate, loving and gorgeous man anywhere!

Happy Anniversary to the Love of My Life - My lover, my partner, my friend....

p.s. I REMEMBERED THE DATE :)

NO NONSENSE MUSCLE BUILDING - DO YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT AND GAIN MUSCLE????

IF YOU WANT TO LOSE FAT, GAIN MUSCLE AND GET OUTRAGEOUSLY BUFF READ ON...

I have tried many fat loss, exercise and fitness programs, and gimmicks in my lifetime. I only intend on featuring those which have value and which I know work.

For those of you training to build muscle and you have dubbed yourself a 'hardgainer' you really need to purchase the following program. The author will prove you are no such thing!

His program has one years worth of training. It is probably best if you have some experience with weight training but there is a starter program (upside down training) and beginners program and lots of instruction. You will never be bored.

The program has something for everyone - there is a specific fat loss program, and as I mentioned an 'upside down training program' which you really should do at the onset - particularly if you have been training awhile and are stuck or at plateau, or have not been training for quite awhile. It completely shakes things up and turns things around and prepares you for the next phase.

There is a 26-week beginner for both men and women; a 26 week advanced training for men and women. Great online member site. And fantastic animated exercise demonstration tools which can also help you with selection of an alternate exercises should you not be able to do a particular exercise or if you have different tools and equipment.

It includes a stretching flexibility program which I do almost daily. The author encourages most to do the shoulder stability exercises with your upside down training/stretching regime. That is often the area most prone to injury particularly in older adults.

There is nutrition planning - it is all done for you.

The program is quite large - you will need to have your printer cartridge full and a good sheaf of paper - but trust me it is worth downloading and printing. He insists you should read as much as possible before beginning the training - it is worth the read.

You can get going and download the upside down training to get going with your training and prep yourself for the 26-week-training while you are reading all the material. This program is for you if you are absolutely serious about gaining lean muscle and losing fat.

VINCE DELMONTE'S NO NONSENSE MUSCLE BUILDING

Vince is a kinesiologist, author and personal trainer from Ontario Canada

HOME GYM - THE 4 MOST CRITICAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT FOR MORE SERIOUS WEIGHT TRAINING

HOME GYM - THE 4 MOST CRITICAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT

Everyone knows how much I dislike commercial gyms - I prefer to train at home. Often I am asked what equipment to start with for more serious weight training.

Many people immediately think a multi station exercise machine is the first essential piece of equipment. Wrong. See my article on MACHINES VS FREE WEIGHTS. You will be amused to know that exercise machines were invented to "make exercise easier." How dumb is that? They do serve a purpose but if money is limited certainly do not make them your first choice. Yes I have one and use it as a supplement to my equipment. But I can achieve amazing results without it. By far my free weights such as barbells, bench, and dumbbells are predominant in my workout.

The only other essential equipment you will need (and your cheapest purchase) is a foam roller. Choose this over liposuction! Click here for my article on FOAM ROLLERS.

I think the article below from Nick Nilsson covers the essential home equipment well. It is much less expensive than you think.

The Four Absolutely CRITICAL Pieces Of Training Equipment You NEED To Start Your Home Gym WithBy Nick Nilsson

When you're putting together your first home gym, it's easy to get caught up in the promises of fancy multi-station machines and infomercial products. But before you do, save your money and have a close look at these four critical items that you SHOULD start your home gym with!

So you've got some space set aside in your home for a gym. You're ready to take the plunge and get some equipment so you can train without having to wait for equipment, listen to music you can't stand or wipe other people's sweat off machines.But where do you start? What equipment should you get in order to maximize what you can do in the space you have available? Should you get a multi-station machine? Maybe a Bowflex?

What's all this talk about being able to do more than 50 "club quality exercises?"

Right now, put that all out of your head. The equipment you need in order to maximize your space is simple and VERY basic and it will allow you to do literally HUNDREDS of exercises!And the best part is, you can get it CHEAP if you know the right sources...

Essential Home Gym Equipment #1 - Adjustable Dumbells

If I could only have one single type of equipment in my home gym, it would be a good set of adjustable-weight dumbells. You can do a HUGE variety of exercises for every single bodypart with just a simple pair of dumbells.

Getting adjustable dumbells means you can very easily change the weight you're working with while still not using up a whole lot of space in your home gym. If you have pre-made dumbells, you have to set aside space (or get a good dumbell rack) for rows of individual dumbells.If you've GOT the space (and the money!), pre-made dumbells are certainly more convenient to use. But if you're tight on room, lining up your dumbells may not be an option. And, of course, the pre-made dumbells are going to be a lot more expensive to get a decent range of weight for.

When it comes to adjustable dumbells, you've got several options. By far, the most convenient are the Powerblock style of dumbells (Bowflex and Nautilus also have products like this).With this style, all you have to do is basically flip a switch to set your weight on the dumbell. The whole thing is interlocking - they fit into the space of just two dumbells and give you a good range of weights to work with.

The other main options are the "make it yourself" free weight dumbells. With these, you've basically got weight plates and posts. With a good selection of weight plates, you can make a great range of weights.This style of dumbell will be a good deal cheaper than the Powerblock style but, on the downside, it does take more time to put the dumbells together and the weight posts sticking out can be a bit awkward. But overall, for the money, this style is still a very good investment, especially if you're looking to make some heavy dumbells.

Heavy Powerblock dumbells can be quite expensive (they have expansion sets that go up to 130 lbs) but even then, are still a substantial savings over the equivalent amount of pre-made dumbells.

Essential Home Gym Equipment #2 - Adjustable Incline/Flat/Decline Bench

Once you've got the dumbells, the next thing to get for your home gym is a solid bench. Ideally, you want a bench that is easily adjustable to incline, flat and decline settings. The more versatile it is, the more use you'll get out of it and the more exercises you'll be able to do with it.And when I say solid, I mean SOLID. Don't skimp on this piece of equipment. You don't want a bench folding up under you when you're in the middle of a hard set (or EVER for that matter!).

The adjustable bench will open up a wide range of exercises for you to do with your dumbells.

On a side note, you might wonder why I place a bench in front of a barbell set in order of "must-have." To be honest, it's a toss-up. Ideally, it would be best to get all four of these pieces of equipment that I'm going to talk about in this article at the same time! You would do just fine getting the barbell set before the bench as well.

Essential Home Gym Equipment #3 - 300 lb Olympic Barbell Set

So you've got your dumbells and a bench. Now it's time to get your barbell set. The nice thing with barbell sets is that at most sporting goods stores you can get a decent set for a good price brand new.When you're getting a barbell set, I HIGHLY recommend going for the Olympic bar set (the 7 foot long bar). The thinner bar (known as a Standard bar) has a much smaller capacity and will start to bend if you load it with more than 200 pounds or so. The thicker bar will be easier to grip as well.Once you've got the basic barbell set, you can very easily get more weight plates as you need them.

*** One VERY IMPORTANT thing to note about free weight...if you can, ALWAYS get it at a local place. If you buy it online, shipping charges will just about DOUBLE the price of your order (they charge for shipping by the pound).

Essential Home Gym Equipment #4 - The Power Rack

You've got resistance (the dumbells and barbell)...you've got apparatus (the adjustable bench)...now you need a "framework" to REALLY maximize the number of exercises you can do.When you have a rack, it opens up not only a much wider range of exercises, it also dramatically increases the safety and potential productiveness of your training.Because here's the bottom line with training at home by yourself...if you don't have a power rack/safety cage, it is NOT in your best interests to do barbell bench press or heavy barbell squatting. If you get stuck under a bench press bar with no help around, you're in big trouble!If you have to bail out on a heavy squat with no power rack to catch the bar, you have to release the bar, let it roll down your back and try and get out of the way as it crashes to the floor. And as fun as THAT sounds, it's no picnic (especially if your home gym isn't on a concrete floor)!

To be honest, I even recommend people who train at commercial gyms to do their barbell bench pressing in the power rack. It's an exercise that has the potential to injure you pretty seriously if you get stuck under it with no help around! Training it in the rack is much safer AND allows you to really push yourself without fear of getting stuck under the bar, which is INVALUABLE when you really want maximum results.

Even a VERY small home gym has space for a rack. My first home gym was in a 10 x 10 room and it worked like a charm! The barbell can be stored on the rack itself, the bench fits right inside the rack when not in use. Many racks also come with weight posts to hold your plates right on the sides of the rack itself, which saves even more space.Here's another great feature about some racks...the possibility of adding a weight-stack pulley to it. I got this with my rack and it was a GREAT investment. It opens up not only all the potential exercises you can do with pulleys but also exercises you can do that combine pulleys with the rack!

Honorable Mention of Essential Home Gym Equipment - The Swiss Ball

While the Swiss Ball (also known as an "exercise ball") isn't listed as an essential here, I also highly recommend grabbing one of these. They're inexpensive and they allow for a great variety of exercises to be performed, especially in combination with dumbells.Be sure to look for a ball that is good quality - burst resistant is a feature you definitely want. If a ball gets punctured (especially while you're on it!), you don't want it exploding underneath you and you falling to the ground. This is not good when it's just you on the ball...MUCH more so if you're using weight while you're on the ball! If the ball gets punctured, it should just slowly let out the air, giving you time to get off the ball.

WHERE TO GET THIS TRAINING EQUIPMENT:

When it comes to free weight, such as barbells and dumbells, your best is to stay local. As I mentioned above, shipping prices will KILL you if you order free weight online or by mail order. You can scout out garage sales for people getting rid of their stuff, or head directly to the sporting goods store.Sports Authority (if you're in the U.S.) generally has good prices on barbells, weight plates and dumbells.

If you're interested in getting a set of PowerBlock dumbells, you can read more about them here:http://www.fitstep.com/goto/powerblock.htm

When it comes to the bench and power racks, there are a lot of different options in terms of brands. Personally, my bench and rack are Body Solid, which I'm quite happy with. They're good quality and were very reasonably priced. Other good brands include Yukon, Nautilus, BodyCraft, and Ivanko.

As far as where to get racks and benches, online is generally your best bet, whether it be retail or getting them used through fitness classified ads.

EBay is another excellent option.

Some online retailers that I've had good success with in terms of overall price and shipping are:
Fitness Blowout http://www.fitnessblowout.com/
MuscleMag NE Pennsylvania http://www.musclemagnepa.com/

Bottom line...search around and compare prices. Feel free to find a good price and shop it around to other places to see if they'll beat it!

CONCLUSION:

If you have the space for it, setting up a home gym is TOTALLY worth doing IF you're the type of person who can self-motivate. Some people don't have the space or simply need the atmosphere of a gym to really make progress - nothing wrong with that!

Your home gym doesn't need to be (and shouldn't be!) complicated. Just a few basic pieces of equipment are all you need to do a tremendous variety of exercises and get great results.The best bodies aren't built with fancy machines or with "club quality exercises." The best bodies are built with hard work and gold-standard exercises like squats, bench press, deadlifts, barbell rows, etc., all of which can be done with the four pieces of "must-have" equipment that I've mentioned here: dumbells, barbells, benches and racks!

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available BY CLICKING HERE . He can be contacted at mailto:betteru@fitstep.com

SHOULD YOU STILL WORK OUT WITH MUSCLE SORENESS?

Nick Nilsson answers this "burning" question! I am sure with a bit of controversy :)

Training With Muscle Soreness - Should You Do It? And Can It Actually Help You Get BETTER Results?

By Nick Nilsson

Muscle soreness is something that every trainer has experienced. The typical advice is to wait until you're notsore to train that muscle again. But what if you can actually get BETTER results by training when sore!

It's safe to say that muscle soreness is something EVERY trainer has experienced at some point in their career. Severity of muscle soreness (known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS for short) can range from mild discomfort when you move to the point of being almost crippling.

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is "should you train when your muscles are still sore?" The answer is not quite as simple as some people make it out to be, though. Many trainers will tell you "if the muscle is still sore, don't train it." And, in truth, for many people that's the safest answer.

But, in fact, by NOT training when you're sore, you could actually be missing out on results AND slowing down your recovery!

So what is muscle soreness? Muscle soreness is basically damage to the muscle fibers as a result of training. Without going into great detail on how it happens and how the recovery process occurs (which is beyond the scope of this article), muscle soreness is your body telling you that it's in need of repair.

Now how can it possibly be GOOD for you to train a muscle again while it's still sore? Here's where we get into a contentious area. After reading this, you may choose to agree with me or disagree with me (if you've read my articles before, you know I'm anything BUT conventional) but all I ask is that you consider my arguments...

Now, if you've never trained a muscle hard two days in a row or trained it while it was still quite sore, you're going to be in for a shock at how unique a stimulus it can actually be. Sure there are arguments against doing that, e.g. the muscle hasn't fully recovered and you'll be tearing it down even more.

But consider this...from an adapatation standpoint, of the following two scenarios, what would give your body the greater stimulus for growth?

If you train the muscle hard once, you'll get a good growth stimulus. Your body immediately starts sending nutrients to the damaged area and starts rebuilding. When the muscle is fully recovered and is no longer sore, you train the muscle again and restart the process. This is the standard way of training and it usually means directly training a muscle twice a week with at least 2 or 3 days in between sessions for that specific muscle.

In the next scenario, you train the muscle hard then the next day, train it hard again. Recovery is nowhere near complete and the muscle is sore when you train it on the second day.

Here's the key...if you think about it, would the body see this second scenario as a greater threat to its survival? Would the body then ramp up its recovery processes to try and prepare for the next challenge, which it (from its recent experience of being hit with the same hard stimulus two days in a row) thinks is coming again very soon?

In my experience, this absolutely happens. The body's response to training is a very simple "stimulus-response" system, but your body is also fully capable of sending more resources where more resources are perceived as being needed.

When you eat, your body sends more blood to the digestive system. Your brain doesn't tell it to do that, it just happens. When you get hot, your body produces perspiration. The same thing happens with training. For example, when you train your biceps, your body sends blood and nutrients to the biceps for recovery. It doesn't send it to the calves if the calves haven't been worked.

If you train your biceps hard two days in a row, your body sees this as a big threat to the biceps and will ramp up recovery processes to specifically protect the biceps. If the biceps are still sore... VERY big threat! THEN you allow the biceps to recover. The two days of training has built much greater recovery momentum, getting more results out of your training.

Here's yet another advantage to training a muscle when it's still sore...even if you don't train it hard, you will still be sending blood (and therefore nutrients) to that muscle, helping it to recover faster than if you didn't train it at all. So even if you're not up for a hard workout for a sore muscle, even giving it some light to moderate work will still help with recovery.

So I've talked about training a muscle two days in a row...what about when you're scheduled to train it a couple of days later and it's still sore at that point? The same concepts apply - your body will STILL perceive that as a greater threat and increase recovery.

The only times I would NOT recommend training when sore is if the soreness causes you to use poor form in your exercises or if the soreness is so bad that it makes the exercises too painful to do.

For instance, if you just did deadlifts for the first time in your life and the next day, you have a VERY hard time sitting down without falling down into the seat, you may want to wait a bit before doing deadlifts again. Your form will change because of the pain and it could lead to injury.
But if your muscles are a bit stiff or sore, go ahead and train them. Your body will ramp up your recovery processes in response.

How do I know training the body with this frequency can be effective? I'll give the best example I know (WARNING - if you're a proponent of high-intensity, very infrequent training, this will make you shiver in your boots!). This is NOT a program I would recommend lightly to anyone because at this time, being on vacation from work, I was basically only eating, sleeping and training...no stress, no extraneous activity.

This was one of the most extraordinary programs I ever put myself on, not only in terms of workload but results as well. It involved doing total body workouts twice a day, six days a week.

This meant 12 total-body workouts per week, increasing the workload every week.
I used partial training, negative training, low reps and high reps. For the entire first week, I was EXTREMELY sore but I stuck with it and trained everything twice a day, no matter how sore I was.

After 3 weeks of this training, I backed off, still doing 12 training sessions per week but splitting the body in half - I was still working my whole body every single day and doing partials and negatives.

During the back-off phase, my recovery processes were practically unstoppable! NOTHING I did could make me sore (and believe me, I tried!) and my strength and muscle mass shot way up.

Conventional wisdom would believe I would be completely totaled at the end of a program like this, overtrained, small and weak. My results? In 6 weeks, I went from 208 lbs in bodyweight to 228 lbs. And as an example in strength gain, I went from a 295 bench press for 1 rep to 350 lbs for 1 rep.

This is a VERY extreme example of training through muscle soreness and using maximum workout frequency. But the take-home lesson from it is this: you CAN get great results by training even when you're sore! Your body will react to the stress and ramp up recovery in response.

One quick tip: if you want to decrease post-workout soreness, try taking 500 mg of Vitamin C about an hour before your workout. This helps protect against muscle soreness.
------------------
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" AVAILABLE BY CLICKING HERE . He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

STOP WORRYING ABOUT LOSING YOUR BREASTS THROUGH WEIGHT TRAINING. MYTHS ABOUT BREASTS AND WEIGH TRAINING

DON'T WORRY THIS WON'T BE YOU

We are a mammocentric society. I won’t go in to how a functional body part became a sex object.

Many women worry about losing breast size when embarking on a weight loss and weight training journey. Breast tissue in younger women is most often made up of glands and milk ducts. Later in life it is mostly fatty tissue. Breasts also contain lymph vessels and nodes.

When I was a teen I was a bone rack and my breasts were in proportion. Most of my friends had early development and from age 12 or 13 were extremely well endowed. I was jealous for a nanno second. They wore baggy clothes to hide the objects. Why? They were annoyed by the fact that the only thing noticed was their breasts as evidenced by cat calls and whistles, not to mention that during conversations with the opposite sex, there was no eye contact. The males just could not seem to focus on their face.They complained a lot about their shoulders and backs from the stress of the weight of the breasts. You will find very few large chested women displaying their breasts except perhaps those who display them for a living. Women with large breasts generally dress conservatively.

I hear comments from women worried about the flat chested women in body building but mostly I hear comments from their significant others about not wanting their wives to lose their breasts. Glad my partner is a butt/leg man. However, after attending the body building show with me he was a tad alarmed. I explained a) I am not training for body building – I am training for figure and b) the leaning out or cutting is for a short period so the muscles are predominantly in view and any fat loss from the breasts will resolve when normal body fat is restored after competition (if I competed).

A body building trainer Karen Sessions told me she has been body building for 20 years - she leans out for competition and after - she is still full chested!

Have I lost breast size during my weight loss body transformation? You bet. Thankfully. In my obese stage I was fat everywhere. I did not appreciate my breast size. It was not comfortable and I hid it with elastic garments and baggy clothes. Being a 40 DD was not a pleasant experience for me. Not to mention that the weight was causing drooping and I fully anticipated my breasts would end up at my knees eventually. There was nothing attractive about it at all.I am still reducing body fat. I can tell I still have a bit too much body fat by the size of my breasts and my waist but I am almost there. Am I flat? Not at all. My body fat is 19% and I am still a 36 D. I am hoping that comes down a bit more. It will be nice to have my chest in proportion with the rest of me but that seems to be the last place I an losing fat.

Interestingly, because my chest muscles are developing as well as my lats, traps, shoulders,

arms and abs – I have not only created an awesome frame for my breasts but the strong musclular support structures all developed through weight/resistance training have given me a non surgical lift and great cleavage which is scar free and better than any surgeon could accomplish with implants.

Body builders who compete a lot and have very low fat for longer periods (not healthy) may get implants. I can spot them from a mile. They are very fake, disproportionate and obvious. I don't know what is attractive about purchased breasts. I chuckled during the body building show when my husband could pick them all out. He did not find them the least attractive. Who likes ‘fake’?

What I really enjoy is buying bras again. I have not worn them for 20 years because it was too painful and the large support bras are so ugly. I am having a blast buying sexy clothing from La Senza and Victoria’s Secret. I have the right to be sexy even at 60. Now that I am more balanced I can wear anything and it is much easier to get clothes. It will be easier still when I reduce body fat a tiny bit more and reduce bust size a bit.

Here are some body building myths plus awesome chest exercises to build great support for your beautiful new breasts (built from weight loss from resistance training and great nutrition).

Don’t forget the whole body should be trained – all the other muscles act as a frame and create balance. I have provided links on various methods of performing these chest building exercises.

The message is, don’t worry about your breasts. Unless you are competing and lowering your bodyfat % briefly to around 12% or lower (for some - 18% or lower), your breasts will be fine and very much in proportion. Support them well during exercise. Don’t overdiet or overtrain – lose weight and tone up at a steady reasonable pace and watch out! You will have awesome breasts and outstanding cleavage. Have fun shopping.If you are competing there are plenty of bra types with uplift, push up etc to get you thru until your body fat is back to normal. For goodness sake think twice or a dozen times before considering implants.

From Pauline Go an article on myths of weight training

“Many women associate weight training with reduced breast size. This again is a misconception garnered from watching professional female bodybuilders. A woman's breast is made up mostly of fat tissue and when this tissue reduces, breast size gets smaller. However, weight training strengthens and firms the underlying chest muscles and helps to perk up the breasts. Women will find their breasts getting more curves and a cleavage, which was earlier non-existent.

”This link discusses the topic and explains how developing the underlying chest muscles is uplifting to your chest and provides beautiful cleavage.

Iron Dolls author Karen Sessions

Here are some links on performing chest exercises

Machine bench press

Flat Bench Press (barbell)

Dumbbell bench press

Incline Press (Smith Machine)

Incline Press Barbell

Chest Dips (difficult)

And this link also for chest dips

Chest Flyes with Dumbbells and Ball

Chest Flyes

Note the difference in the hold of the dumbbell and direction of arms between the press and the flye .

DRAMATIC LEG GAINS - TRAINER REVEALS IMPROVING YOUR HAMSTRINGS WILL IMPROVE YOUR SQUAT

Hamstring Training Tips

Build Your Hamstrings for Balanced Legs
By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT

Author of Killer Quads - Advanced Leg Training System

Are your hamstrings hindering your overall leg development, strength and leg balance? Did you know that you can increase your squat up to 25% just by developing your hamstrings with proper hamstring training?

The truth is that many people don't have the slightest clue how to properly train their hamstrings for development, growth, or strength. It's time to break out of the norm, push the sissy exercises aside and get to some real hamstring training.

Hi Karen
Great information on hams! I had just been trying to find some real info and bam! here it was . I am grateful. Thanks!

~Myra Colmenero-Macmillan

Hamstring Training Tips
Build Your Hamstrings for Balanced Legs

If you are like most lifters there's a good chance that you have been not giving
your hamstrings the full attention they need. Hamstrings seem to be one of the most neglected muscle groups and this can be for many reasons:
• Out of sight out of mind
• Intimidation
• Failure to train a weak muscle group
• Didn't see any progress after 2 hamstring training sessions

Well-developed hamstrings are a commodity in the gym. Sure, they are wanted by most people, but very few will put in the time and dedication it takes to build a nice set of hamstrings.

If you are planning to compete in a physique competition, then you better start working on those hamstrings. Every back and side pose involves them, and having a great set of hamstrings will give a balanced and polished physique.

Even if your goal is not to step on stage, having well-developed hamstrings can benefit you in many other ways in the gym, such as adding power to deadlifting and squatting movements.

While most people claim to train their hamstrings, they really neglect them in the form of leaving them to just a few sets of leg curls at the end of an intense quad workout. This gives the hamstrings an unfair advantage, as they don't really get any real quality training.

The muscles of the hamstrings cross the knee and hip joint, allowing you to flex your knee and bend at the hip. Since the hamstring muscle crosses at these two locations, you must train hamstrings using both joint movements to take full advantage of hamstring development.

Let's build some hamstrings...

Advanced Leg Training Secrets REVEALED!

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

The stiff-legged deadlift (SLDL) is a compound exercise and one of the best mass building exercises for the hamstrings. Form is of considerable importance. If you do not have proper form, you can be a victim of injury. Be sure to begin this exercise using light weight until you learn the form.

The SLDL is not a back exercise. Too many people put their lower back into the exercise as they lower the bar. This is wrong. The proper way to do the SLDL is to move the hips back and out of the way as you lower the bar. Lower the bar as far down as comfortable. Don't force yourself to go lower than you naturally can.

Romanian Deadlifts

The Romanian deadlift is another good compound ham exercise. Again, form is of essence. While this exercise is similar to the SLDL in the sense that you have to move your hips out of the way, the difference is that you bend the knees a little more so they are not “stiff” throughout the movement.

Build Shapely and Well-Balanced Legs
Hamstring Curls

Hamstring curls put more emphasis on the lower portion of your hamstrings. You won't build large hamstring with just curls, but they do have their place in quality hamstring training.

Curls can be done lying, standing, or the seated position. The challenge in hamstring curls is keeping the focus on the hamstrings and not using your glutes or calves to move the weight.

Hamstring TrainingTips:
1. If your hamstrings are inferior to your quads, give them a training day of their own so you can give them 100% undivided attention.
2. Always start hamstring training with a compound exercise.
3. Put your hamstring training at the beginning of the week when you are motivated and fresh.

Hi Karen,

Thank you so much...this newsletter is what i was needing this month..you always come though for me.
Thanks Again,
Vanessa Sellers

Conclusion to Hamstring Training Tips

Everyone has a body part that lags behind and the best thing you can do is give that body part more attention to bring it up to speed for physique and strength balance. When your hamstrings are balanced with your quads, you will have a beautiful set of legs.

Build a set of head-turning legs TODAY!

Fitfully Yours,
Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
aka: MsFit

P.S. Are you looking for the most advanced leg building information? You get get all the facts on how to build a great pair of legs in Killer Quads - Advanced Leg Training System! ________________________________________

About the Author

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.

Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their
body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves. http://db2a1gpkt9h0bbv9t3gkr7dk3s.hop.clickbank.net/________________________________________

6 COMMON FEMALE BODY BUILDING MISTAKES - FROM AUTHOR OF IRON DOLLS

I have read Iron Dolls cover to cover several times. It is full of the best female body building information I have read to date. Here are some tips from Author Karen Sessions.

6 Common Female Bodybuilding Errors
By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPTMsFit

How to do build beautiful female muscle? Many might say muscle is built by weight training, but that's only part of the equation.

Now, how do you build beautiful female muscle? The answer is weight training with the proper intensity, right form, and training just enough to stimulate growth.

If building muscle was so easy, how come so many ladies aren't building desired muscle mass so easily?

It's because many ladies are falling victim to the 6 common female bodybuilding errors.

When you can identify the 6 common female bodybuilding errors you can tweak your training

program and successfully make satisfying muscle gains.

Female Bodybuilding Error #1

Not challenging oneself is the biggest muscle building mistake I witness. Granted, some women train hard, but few challenge themselves each training session.

You can squat 185 pounds for 8 reps and work hard, but unless you challenge your body to do one more rep or 5-10 more pounds, your muscle gains will be stagnant.

Muscle growth occurs when maximal force is applied using progressive overload.

Female Bodybuilding Error #2

Failure to employ heavy compound exercises is another training issue. You are not going to build well-developed and dense muscle by doing chest flys and leg extensions.

A compound exercise is a multi-joint exercise, where all the muscles and joints of that specific area are called upon to execute the movement. Compound exercises are the backbone to any muscle building program.

If your training program is lacking compound exercises, it's lacking muscle growth potential.

Build AMAZING Muscle in Minimal Time!

Female Bodybuilding Error #3

Lack of consistency is the third muscle growth error I witness. You are not going to build muscle by working out haphazardly. You have to set a scheduled plan and follow it with full force.

Female Bodybuilding Error #4

Failure to give a program enough time to prove itself is another common error. If you want your muscle building program to give you results, you have to be patient.

Jumping from one program to the next is only cheating yourself. How are you going to find out

what works for your body if you continually change programs each week without rhyme or reason?

If you want to ensure muscle building success, log your workouts so you can visually see the progression, and be sure that you are challenging your muscles every workout.

Female Bodybuilding Error #5

Expecting overnight changes is a very common female bodybuilding error. You can make changes, but they are not going to appear overnight.

When you see well-developed built ladies, they worked hard for that physique. They didn't just pick up a weight and eat right and have that body overnight. Such well-built physiques followed the proper training principals and avoided these common female bodybuilding mistakes.

Burst Though Muscle Building Plateaus!

Female Bodybuilding Error #6

Another common female bodybuilding error is training too often. Don't say you are not guilty of it because everyone has trained too much at one time or another.

Weight training for muscle growth doesn't need to be a weight training marathon, and you don't need endless sets and reps every day in the gym. In fact, if you are guilty of overtraining, you will halt your muscle growth.

The purpose of weight training is to tear down the muscle so it can rebuild into a stronger and dense unit. Once you tear down the muscle in the gym, the work is done.

You can have a stable muscle building program just by training 3 times a week for 45 minutes, doing about 3 exercises per muscle group, 2-3 sets of 4-8 reps.

That's it. More is not always better.

Conclusion to 6 Common Female Bodybuilding Errors

If you are serious about building muscle, then stop the training marathons. Set a schedule of training 3 days a week and follow one program for atleast 8 weeks to give it a fair shake. Be consistent and don't expect overnight miracles.

Fitfully Yours,Karen Sessions NSCA-CPTMsFit

P.S. If you have absolutely made up your mind that you want to be build serious muscle, then I suggest you read Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuilding Secrets REVEALED . This eBook is jam-packed with detailed information on everything from dieting to advanced training techniques.

About the Author
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a multi-certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.

Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves.

**The contents of this article should not be considered as medical advice. You should consult a physician before starting a fitness program.

This newsletter is protected by copyright, 2007, Karen Sessions, All rights reserved.

REPORT ON THE BODYBUILDING SHOW - FIGURE COMPETITION - AGAIN

It was soooooooooo long.

I was always taught that it is rude to arrive late and leave early during a live show.

I learned something today. You frigging have to do it at a body building show or die of starvation,dehyration and extreme boredom.

The 'theatre' does not allow food to be consumed inside (not even a damned protein bar although the lobby is full of sales booths) yet people were bringing the judges food and snacks - I almost grabbed stuff off their plates and I was a spectator. And eating in front of starving competitors - how mean is that?

It is the second show I have attended. The first was in November in Toronto. That show was short and sweet.

There were a whole bunch fewer competitors in Toronto. I don't know why that was. It is a very big city. Perhaps the competition had qualifiers such as prior wins where the Kelowna one does not.

It was the "Western Canadian Tested Bodybuilding Show"

Categories: body building men - junior, light, medium, heavy and ?light heavy, masters, grand masters - same with womens - minus the junior category. Then short, medium, medium tall, tall figure competitors, masters figure and fitness.

Yikes there were a lot of competitors. Particularly women. The other interesting thing is most of the figure competitors had far better physiques that the ones in Toronto. Go figure! Way to go BC - you are getting it right.

All I could say - was - how the heck are the judges going to pick? They all have similar beautiful physiques - I have no idea how they will choose.

That is when the fun began. Jeepers Creepers. Because there were so many in each lineup they had to bring up smaller sub groups and put them all through the poses, then the next subgroup and so on...it was a blur

The morning prejudging which I though should be over in no more than 2 hours - went on for 5 hours. I ran out of steam at 4 hours and had to leave. My tapeworm fainted at least three times. I wasn't even competing. Those poor women having to hold their poses soooo long and in the starving and dehydrated competition mode.

I would not leave however, until I saw the entertainment part. For me that is watching the fitness class routines - holy cow those women are flexible, strong and entertaining.

The evening show was no faster - for that part, they give 'bios' too. As well as the manditory I'd like to thank my mother, father, cousin Emilio, sister Sheila, Body Fit Gym etc etc...2 1/2 hours into the evening show, they still had not yet made it to the figure competition class - the group I really wanted to see. We were only about 1/3 way through the show. Heck - had to leave without seeing what I went for so I will have to look up the winners on line.

Yes the male body builders were hot and one Vernonite Darrin won his class but believe it or not I don't have time to spend looking at hot men. Although I very much admire the female body builders dedication and accomplishment, it is just not my area of interest either. Just not me. So both those categories and sub categories of each were first.

And hubby, bless him, sat through all of it with me uncomplaining (him not me)but in the end it was me who wanted to leave first - weird. But I am not toning my @$$ as long as I am sitting on it watching others pose for hours on end.

I was in learning mode so I did learn a few things.

Lesson 1. Get the schedule ahead of time and go only in time to watch the class of interest and leave when they are done. That is acceptable spectator behaviour for this type of show. Some people just attend to see one competitor and leave immediately after.

Next.
A group of older women I met last year were lobbying to have the grand masters figure added otherwise we over 50 year olds are competiting against 35 year olds. I am 26 years older than that. For some reason they have grandmasters bodybuilding but not figure. I guess the group I mentioned did not succeed because the category is still absent and I see they did not bother to compete this year. I don't blame them. What is the point.

So.

Lesson 2. If I want to compete in this show next year it would have to be in the women's grand masters body building not figure and I don't I am not interested. So...I'll find another show.

And
I find it is easy to strike up conversations at these things. So I happened to notice the woman behind me was very 'bodybuilding' looking and had a perfect tan. I was 'pre-worried' about the tanning stuff and was hoping to find a sunless, tanning bedless method of tanning. So I asked her "What tanning method do you use?"

She said it was an airbrush method which she does herself and told me she air brushed her competitors the day before. She said it was much better than the tanning spray booths and added that no pre-tanning in the sun or tanning bed was required. It was awesome - I got her business card. She also mentioned she was a personal trainer and had 6 girls in the competition. She teaches posing and I have been looking for someone who at least lives in the Province who teaches posing. But I was most interested in the tanning method.

Lesson 3.

One of her competitors was sweating a bit holding excessively long poses under hot lights. OMG. Big brown/black streaks with a streak of white where it dripped off streamed down her neck, chest, and tummy. I don't think she knew. We were very very embarassed for her and I have no idea how she would feel when she realized what happened when she got backstage. I for one would kill my trainer/tanner. Or at the very least maim them.

Eeeewww kay back to square one on the tanning.

On to the next lesson.

During the morning pre-judging I recognized a Vancouver personal trainer/promoter who I happened to know had a bunch of her personal training clients in the show - she was at the judges table. I thought that is weird. I said out loud isn't that ..........so and so??!!!!What'sup with that?

A guy beside me whose wife was competing in figure said - yeah and oh boy is it hot backstage. The competitors are livid and saying what a conflict of interest it is.. and how unfair is that... and it is all so political....

Lesson 4. Appears body building may be like olympic skating. Just great.

Lesson 5 - ignore, put head in sand, train, eat clean, get ripped ;)

BODY BUILDING COMPETITION - HOMEWORK - ATTENDING ONE - AGAIN

Attending as many body building competitions as I can is part of my homework for training for the body for one.

Ok for those who wished me luck today......I am not competing! I am watching.

It is educational and inspirational. Sometimes long and boring too :)

My first was the IDFA Natural Body Building competition in Toronto in November 2008. It left me a bit confused at the time although I found it exciting. Tosca Reno and Robert Kennedy of Oxygen Magazine were sitting right in front of me.

Tosca explained on one of her blogs that even though the figure category sort of came about for the 'in between competitors' the ones who weren't interested in model competition and the ones who did not want to compete in body building, it appears that the judges are tending to pick the more muscular women. This almost requires another category once again - I guess it would be the in between in between.

I found that in most cases I did not understand the judging choices but Tosca's comment probably sums it up - the contestants seem to be migrating toward the body building physique again in figure competition. So I am very interested to see what the upcoming competition is like in the judging.

In was in the Gym Bag buying my tickets when a very tall attractive woman came in. I overhead the conversation and it was not a stretch that she was competing.

I thought thank God I am not tall - or young - I would hate to have to be competing against her. At the same time she inspired me.

So ..we'll see what the local competition is like....

TRAINING AND DIET ON THE GO

I was just on the road for four days.

The first hotel I stayed at - I arrived at 9.30 pm and after a long drive looked forward to a hard work out in the gym. Not. The gym was under renovations. It was too dark and an unfamiliar neighbourhood to go for a run. I could have figured out something but preferred to wait until I could do my full workout the next day. We went out for the most delicious Thai meal instead. I just concentrated on dishes with lots of veggies and protein and no rice or noodles.

The next few days were great - I had the Vancouver sea wall to walk/run as well as a great gym at the next hotel by the time I was due to do my weight training.

The gym was packed and all the participants very lean - a number of Gwyneth Paltrow type physiques from way too much cardio and no toning along with a few awesome female physiques - lean and toned with great muscle definition - that inspired me.

And what a great venue - on the treadmill watching all the activity of hundreds of people walking, jogging, cycling, roller blading outside along the ocean. I briefly found it hard to believe there was an obesity problem in Canada.

The biggest problem was diet. Generally I pack a cooler but the trip was too long for that and I was short on time.

Oh boy. Upscale restaurants just do not want to do plain unadorned food and a lean plate. One morning at breakfast the closest thing I could find to healthy without a ton of carbs and fat was an egg white veggie omelete with low fat goat cheese. Hold the tropical fruit, hold the potatoes and hold the toast. They want to load you up with starches. I rarely eat starches so I am sure that diet habit is one of the secrets of my successful weight loss. It basically is a filler. Think about that. Do your body and GI system a favour and fill up with fruits complex carbs and fibrous carbs - veggies

The waiter just could not leave it alone. He wanted to bring me stuff. He felt the plate was bare - I should have had him bring a smaller plate ;) Finally I let him add some broiled tomatoes 'pesto.' I didn't have the heart to tell him I eat about every 2 to 2 1/2 hours and eat six smaller meals and I don't need a huge 3 meal a day diet.

Everyone else had the buffet a total waste of money for me. If you have a buffet it is because you intend to get your money's worth - not a great idea for your body. It will simply store your 'money's worth' as fat.

I tell my husband "don't worry about me" I can usually adapt something off the menu but dinner on Friday night was a real challenge. At the chosen restaurant there was nothing unadorned - everything was dripping in rich sauces. I could not even find a simple salad.

Finally for an appe I had the iceberg lettuce wedge NOTHING ON IT. The waiter looked at me increduously his eyes saying "you have to be kidding" People especially staff at restaurants don't seem to believe I actually prefer to eat plain and simply. I love the way I feel. Anytime I eat rich foods I feel awful after and I don't enjoy feeling that way.

Anyhow, I had the plain lettuce brought. He was very relieved when I agreed to accept olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I did not say I would not put anything on it. I just wanted to make the choice.

Ooohkay so next came the entre. I wanted Ahi tuna rare nothing else - no rice - no potatoes. They had to throw something on the plate so I asked for seasonal veggies and a few tomato slices. It was great. I eat carbs but I am very carb sensitive and I eat mostly fibrous carbs and eat complex carbs earlier in the day or I would be asleep in my plate. We were also going to be attending a formal dinner where I would have no control over what was being served and I would have to eat clean until then so that I would not end up ill.

After my meal instead of having to undo my pants and feel drowsy and sick and have stomach cramps and bloating, I felt great.

My dessert was coffee. My friend and I asked for a side of milk instead of cream. Hey maybe I am demanding but isn't it interesting that I like things very plain but I am the demanding one? Huh?

So at the formal I did have all the things that usually make me sleepy, bloated and ill no choice - if I didn't I would have been starving. It just isn't cool to pack a cooler to a formal military dinner.

I felt dreadful within hours and the next day. I guess I will have to eat ahead of time next time and forego the pre-picked meal.

SANDRINA TALKS ABOUT KEEPING FIT IN MEXICO

Byline by Sandrina

I live in Mexico and am a professional dancer. I teach, perform and attempt to keep in shape by walking everywhere. In this country full of fabulous meals that consist of staples like beans and rice, flour and corn tortillas, the richest sour cream, the most amazing custard flan and not to mention the best junk food I've ever encountered, it can be a challenge to eat healthily all the time. Tequila doesn't count as food does it? There are gyms in my city, but I never see any women in them. I have been tempted to attend the one down my street, but have fears about what I will encounter in a place full of so much testosterone. Best to go for walks with my dog Magdalena, although she sniffs incesantly at every corner and has happily embraced mexican time. Not a brisk walk by any means.

Once we finally make it the 6 or 7 blocks to the beach, she gets to run free, and chase her ball while I finally get to walk faster and run after the ball to keep it from getting swallowed by the Pacific when she loses interest for something smelly and more interesting. Who would think that a stroll on the beach could be so exhausting, but we seem to always work up an appetite. No really, believe me, it is a very long beach.

Ah, where to start about the food. There's no reason to cook at home although I do enjoy it when I'm feeling inspired and have company. But at the outdoor market near where I live, there are three little lunch counters all in a row that serve meals all day. I like to watch the amazing women rolling masa harina into balls and pressing them into tortilllas. I can order a whole meal for less than four dollars. Today I had Carne Asada; which is a fancy term for a thin piece of beef steak, with a little salad, and of course: tortillas, beans and rice. There is a major lack of green vegetables with food served in restaurants. Unless you cook veggies at home yourself, you can go weeks without ever encountering a bit of broccoli.

But really, tacos are the most popular food in Mexico, cliche as it sounds. Even in the middle of the night, one can always find a taco cart on the street. They also exist for breakfast, lunch or whenever. Some tacos are served sit down at the front restaurant portion of people's homes. Tacos look and taste nothing like what we are taught in Canada is a taco. These are soft flour or corn tortillas, about 6 inches round, freshly made and warm and what goes in them is almost unlimited. Whatever it is, it's just a scoop on top of the taco, you add the garnish of onions, salsas, cilantro etc. and then fold it over and that's it. Tacos with roasted meat in little pieces either beef or pork and cooked in a myriad of ways. The organs and other parts of the pig are never wasted and make wonderful tacos. I"m talking lips, tonque, brains, feet, deep fried skin, you name it. And it's very tasty, each in its unique gravy. You can get tacos with shrimp, fish, or made with prickly pear cactus called Nopal. It is de-needled, and cut up in lovely green slices and fried. And very good for you. On practically every corner, you will find a roasted chicken stand.

Carbohydrates seem to be the most apparent and abundant food, and of course the most inexpensive. Corn is everywhere, in cakes and deserts, in tortillas, and soups and also served as Elote; which is taken fresh off the cob and served in a plastic cup with a little of the cooking water, mayonaise, powdered cheese and lots of salsa and lime. It's actually very tasty, however, the evidence of a high carb diet is really noticeable in the love handles of almost everyone over the age of 25. Nobody eats a meal without a handful of tortillas and Coca Cola ranks as a national beverage. Fitness isn't really a high priority for a society where getting enough to eat is often the main goal for the day. Keeping healthy and fit is a luxury for many. But it does exist, in the more financially stable. As in any country, its a question of economics.

And another thing I've noticed; Mexican women in general, are definitely more curvaceous than what is thought to be a typical American standard of beauty. And what is cool is that these curvy fleshy women are adored by their men. This is one of the reasons I love latin society; large bottoms, curvy hips and a "little extra" of everything are highly desirable traits. Here, I notice the women move with grace and sensuality, they don't fuss about whether their tummy is sticking out of their pants, or whether there is a jiggle at the back of their legs as they strut their high heels down the steet in short shorts that I would loath to be caught wearing in public. They ooze confidence while retaining the charm of vanity since like most women I know, they have a love affair with clothes, makeup and hair products. Perhaps as my time here increases, I too will don a pair of short shorts and high heels and (in public view) walk effortlessly over the crazy cobblestones roads.

DON'T MAKE CARDIO MISTAKES - CARDIO QUEEN SYNDROME

I made cardio mistakes for about two years and hardly lost an ounce until I decided to work with a personal trainer.

Karen Sessions provides tips on cardio

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Cardio Queen Syndrome
By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
MsFit

By now you are well aware that increased activity burns calories and fat. Exercise is essential to your health and well being, but could you be taking part in too much of a good thing? The old adage, more is not always better, is a good rule to live by.

When it comes to fat loss, you need to be in tune with your body and learn how to listen to it. The idea behind fat loss is to manipulate the body often. As long as you are a step ahead of your body's actions, you will be on top of the fat loss game.

What exactly does that mean? How do you stay a step ahead of your body? Let's explore this concept a little further.

Megan is an e-client of mine. When she began her fat loss endeavor she started cardio six days a week for forty-five minutes and saw great results in a matter of weeks. Her new cardio program was exhilarating. It pumped her up mentally and physically and gave her a newfound energy she hadn't felt in years.

It wasn't long before she extended her forty-five minute ritual to an entire hour for six days a week. With the extended time, she saw even more results. She was delighted.

Eventually, the daily hour cardio chore was wearing on her. Her changes ceased, she was constantly fatigued, and began to hate cardio with an intense passion.

To combat the plateau, she added yet...more cardio on top of fatigue and hatred for exercise. Her grueling hour sessions turned into an hour and fifteen minutes to even longer, an hour and a half.

Nothing is more aggravating than putting all your time and effort into something that takes you no where.

Her fat loss results stalled dead in their tracks and even seemed to reverse. How could something once so productive now be destroying her weight loss efforts?

What may surprise you is that excess cardio can be counterproductive. Any cardio or weight training session lasting over a continuous hour does more harm than good.


Get a Figure or Fitness-Ready Body in Weeks!

Keep Cardio Productive

Cardio is heart healthy and it's a great exercise, but if your goal with cardio is to burn fat, you need to take it with a stride and make it fat burning productive.

I come across many ladies who are quite active. This is all fine and dandy, but when they are active and top that with teaching spinning classes, kick boxing, high energy videos, and general cardio machines, this can be a recipe for disaster, setting your further back than when you started.

Don't go overboard with cardio. Keep it simple, yet effective.

Cardio Intensity

Cardio intensity is a factor to keep fat burning beneficial. This does not mean to do an all out killer cardio routine that leaves you crawling from the gym in a near death status, but to simply shake things up a bit to force the body to respond.

A good way to master cardio is with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). There are many variations of HIIT and my favorite is the 2/2 ratio.

Example of 2/2 Ratio HIIT

Minutes 1-2 - Warm up
Minutes 3-4 - Low intensity
Minutes 5-6 - High intensity
Minutes 7-8 - Low intensity
Minutes 9-10 - High Intensity
Minutes 11-12 - Low intensity
Minutes 13-14 - High intensity
Minutes 15-16 - Low intensity
Minutes 17-18 - High Intensity
Minutes 19-20 - Low intensity
Minutes 21-22 - Cool down
With HIIT, your body never falls in a rut because you are constantly changing the intensity to prevent cardio adaptation.

Progressive Cardio

Another successful cardio tactic to use is Progressive Cardio. Your body can adapt to anything in a short amount of time and Progressive Cardio can stop adaptation before it occurs. Progressive Cardio is simply increasing your cardio each week by either the numbers of day or the amount of time to invite change and prevent staleness, provided you don't overdo it.

Example of Progressive Cardio

Week 1 - 4 times a week for 20 minutes
Week 2 - 4 times a week for 25 minutes
Week 3 - 5 times a week for 25 minutes
Week 4 - 5 times a week for 30 minutes
You will notice how each week is a step advanced from the previous. This is how you make cardio work in your favor to burn fat.

Get the Competitive Figure and Fitness Secrets!

Adopt Weight Training

Have you even seen someone in the gym doing endless hours of cardio and still look soft and unfit? That is because she is lacking lean muscle, which is built from weight training and excessive cardio burns muscle.

Weight training builds lean muscle mass. The more muscle you add to your frame, the less you need to rely on cardio. Muscle is metabolically active and allows you to burn more calories at rest and at play. Of course, this does not mean to kick cardio to the curve, but having a balance of both in your program will keep things interesting and will give much better body transformation results.


Summary to Cardio Queen Syndrome

Once you understand how you can manipulate cardio, you will be able to master the fat burning game. Realize that you don't need three or four different cardio methods stacked on top of one another. Just use cardio wisely and you will have the advantage. Remember, cardio is a fat loss tool, not the determining factor.

To learn more on how to make cardio more effective, check out my eBook Figure Competition Secrets. With this information in your possession, you can stop out fat and build a beautiful and fit body.

Fitfully Yours,
Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
aka: MsFit


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About the Author

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.

Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves.
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**The contents of this newsletter should not be considered as medical advice. You should consult a physician before starting a fitness program.

This newsletter is protected by copyright, 2005, Karen Sessions, All rights reserved. You may use this newsletter in your e-zine or website as long as the copyright and links remain intact.**

© Copyright 2005 Karen Sessions All Rights Reserved

IT'S OFFICIAL. I AM A RUNNER UP IN THE TOSCA RENO EAT CLEAN CHALLENGE CONTEST

I have an official letter from Tosca Reno advising me I am a runner up in the contest along with a $1000 cheque which is going into my figure competition training fund.

I would like to thank Tosca Reno, Robert Kennedy Publishing publisher of Oxygen Magazine and other muscle magazines as well as publisher of Tosca's books, as well as Editorial Assistant Vinita Persaud for encouragement.

Tosca who still competes at almost 50 years old, along with Oxygen Magazine have inspired me to train to develop the figure/fitness physique at almost 61 years old.

There are a few before and after pictures of me on this site. I have posted Tosca's before and after above. If she and I can achieve this level of fitness at our ages, so can you!

WOMEN'S WEIGHT TRAINING MYTHS

I find Karen's ebook IRON DOLLS a must have resource for women who are interested in weight training or body building. I have learned SO MUCH!

She is allowing me to publish this article. I hope you enjoy it!

4 Myths on Women and Weight Training

By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
MsFit

Guys...your wife is watching your biceps getting bigger! Is she jealous? Does she want to start “bodybuilding” but is afraid of getting TOO big? She’s secretly want’s that finely chiseled body, too!

Here’s how she can build muscle for a lean, sexy physique without the fear of embarrassing you with bigger arms as you walk down the beach...

There are a lot of myths around women and bodybuilding and they just don’t seem to die. I’d like to share with you an article that sheds light on women and weight training that will pave the path for your wife or girlfriend to adopt the bodybuilding lifestyle with you.

That’s right. We’re going to bust the women and weight training myths right NOW!

Who better to do that than a woman who weight trains and understands your wife’s fears regarding women and weights?

Women and Weight Training Myth #1 – Weight training will make woman huge and manly.

BUSTED - Like most people, when you think of women and weight training you automatically relate that image to the professional female bodybuilder strutting her oiled-up mammoth physique across stage and striking a pose.

What’s NOT mentioned is that 99.9% of the professional female bodybuilders supplement with steroids to develop superhuman muscles.

By the law of nature, women do not produce near the amount of muscle building hormone, testosterone, necessary to build huge swollen, vein-popping muscles. A woman is just not capable of building that type of massive muscle simply by lifting weights.

Bottom line: Weight training will NOT make a woman big and overly muscular.

Women and Weight Training Myth #2 – Women who weight train will lose their breast size.

BUSTED – (pardon the pun) Breast tissue is made up of primarily fat tissue. A loss of body fat will result in smaller breast size.

Weight training develops muscle tissue. Adding strength training will develop the underlying chest muscle on a woman and can add more shape to her upper body, creating those eye-pleasing and sexy curves. In addition, a good chest training program will add stunning high cleavage for that perfect fit in a dress or bikini.

To put it bluntly, the only way for a woman to lose her breast size is if she loses a lot of body fat.

Women and Weight Training Myth #3 – A woman’s muscle will turn into fat if she stops weight training.

BUSTED – There is an astronomical amount of women who won’t weight train for fear their muscle will somehow magically turn into fat if they stop weight training.

Again, muscle and fat are two completely different tissues responsible for their own functions. Muscle is metabolically active (calorie burning) and fat is metabolically inactive (fat storing).

Muscle CANNOT Ever, In Any Case, turn into fat any more than fat can turn into muscle. One can only build or lose muscle OR gain or lose fat. The two separate tissues are not interchangeable.

Women and Weight Training Myth #4 – Muscle weighs more than fat.

BUSTED – It’s no wonder women believe this ridicules statement. Dr. Phil has been known to say it in his highly publicized weight-loss book.

It’s a fact that a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same, a pound. What most women don’t realize is that a pound of muscle is denser and takes up less space than a pound of fat.

Therefore, having more developed muscle on the female frame with less body fat will make her leaner, tighter, and give off that “toned” look they are after.

Bottom line: Adding natural muscle mass through weight training accentuates a lady’s femininity.

Endless Benefits for Women Who Weight Train:

* Has training partner by default * Improves stamina
* Improves sex life * Lifts and shapes the booty
* Relieves depression * Builds a shapely physique
* Improves posture * Controls weight
* Builds positive self-image * Creates a positive attitude
* Builds character * Boosts immune system
* Clears the mind * Creates more energy
* Benefits other sports * Raises resting metabolic rate
* Slows the aging process * Decreases chance of injury
* Builds a stronger heart * Creates anti-aging effect
* Improves digestion * Relieves chronic pain
* Builds stronger bones * Improves circulation
* Improves flexibility * Lowers LDL (bad)
* Increases HDL (good) * Lowers hypertension
* Lowers risk for cancers * Lowers risk of heart disease
* Lowers the risk of diabetes * Makes you a happy partner

A woman with a well-shaped body through weight training will feel better about herself. In addition, she’ll better understand the process you go through to develop your physique, and have a better appreciation for weight training.

There’s a special bond with a couple that trains together.

Fiftully Yours,
Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
MsFit


P.S. If your lady want's to develop a stunning and feminine body, Iron Dolls - Women's Bodybuilding Secrets is the ultimate guide for such goals.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the Author

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a multi-certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.

Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves.


**The contents of this article should not be considered as medical advice. You should consult a physician before starting a fitness program.

This newsletter is protected by copyright, 2007, Karen Sessions, All rights reserved.

NATURAL BODY BUILDING - IS IT? NATURAL?

I gotta tell you when I read ahead (I am a control freak what can I say) about figure competition, I seriously thought I just might not be able to make it jive with my new found love of health and fitness or my nursing “hat.
"Why you say?"

Well I was not feeling that there was anything natural about natural body building and figure competition.You know, the muscle hypertrophy, the tanning, the leaning or cutting, the 5” heels, the supplements, the temporary lost breasts,dehydration to make the muscles pop, pre-comp enemas, preparation H muscle wraps. I have been wrestling with this for some time.

It hasn’t kept me from continuing training – I love that too much to give it up..but I was concerned. Then I really thought about it (not much else to do on the commute to work) and figured, what the heck IS natural these days. Even NATURAL stuff can make you sick.Some examples..people who try to grow 'organically' and are not aware of some dangers like – improperly composted or rotted heifer dust (manure) AND can infect themselves with Ecoli.

I read about a person who took all kinds of Chinese herbs without proper advice and ended up hallucinating and becoming psychotic. Have you BEEN to a natural treatment appointment? Bet you can’t leave without a whack of medicinal herbs supplements, and testing with a plethora of strange machines for which there is no or little scientific research to support. Most of our foods have been tinkered with over the years to produce better bigger more copious crops while we have not evolved as fast to be able to assimilate the end result. So what is ‘natural’ about what we eat?

But still...there are some challenges I will have to work on and see if I can come up with a compromise.Tanning for example. I have spent years protecting my skin. I thought in this day and age there would be a product to put on topically and there are…but apparently you still need a ‘base’ such as the sun or tanning beds or the products look streaky. That really is not an option for me - tanning that is.

My clinical esthetician says it well “A tan is damaged skin.” Not to mention the skin cancer risk. So I will have to do more research on that.

During my initial weight loss program which had worked too well for a short period I lost weight fast and furiously (my trainer adjusted everything very quickly to slow the weight loss down) but for a brief period I had lost quite a bit in the ahem…hooter department. Actually with my weight loss I actually enjoyed that part of the downsizing – it sure spared my overtaxed shoulders and I had a lot more clothes choice. Not to mention I could wear some of most gorgeous bras comfortably from Victoria's Secret or La Senza. Before I was only able to wear ugly elastic garments.

Now I feel am am the perfect size but I worry after perusing numerous body building pics devoid of breasts (except for the obvious tear drop silicone ones) that I would have a boy figure. I guess I should have tried to find some ‘off season pictures’ because apparently the cutting and leaning is a very brief period for competition and everything including the ‘girls’ come back when out of the competition mode.

Phew.. I really really did not want to be mistaken for a boy – I was once on the beach when I was 12 and I certainly do not want to relive that experience!

In a later post you will find out how you actually get a breast lift through weight training - along with a healthy body fat level - you will retain and enhance your breasts better than ever before.

So..onward … I have a strong feeling that everything will work out fine. If you want to know a lot about figure competition or women’s body building you may want to check out Karen Sessions ebooks. They are excellent.

Iron Dolls
Figure Competition Secrets
The Competitive Edge

Her books are very professional, and detailed and she gives great online support. You can also train online with her and it is very very reasonable.

And always remember to Eat Clean AND DRINK LOTS OF WATER - IT IS FREE (well at least till they put the water meters up - but still good value for the money ;)