Interesting things are happening in my life lately and you're
going to hear all about them in the next week or so. I'm going
to need your support and advice.
I wanted to do a little more critical thinking today as far as
exercises and reps.
Last week I talked about the fat burning zone and the benefits of
interval training and my email box was flooded with emails about
interval training and how jogging has caused so many joint problems.
Great to hear from you and keep 'em coming.
Ok let's get on with it...
When choosing exercises for your program you need to consider what
exercises are going to be most beneficial for your goals.
What you want to do during your workouts is use as much muscle as
possible. That means multi-joint exercises (squats, bench, pullups,
deadlifts, rows, presses) are best because they will work more
muscle then a single joint exercise (bicep curl, tricep kickback).
Take into consideration the size of your muscles as well. For
example, doing squats are far more beneficial then bicep curls. Why?
Well your biceps are roughly only 3% of your entire muscle on your
body. Doing the squat works over 50% of your total muscle.
So when you're thinking from a fat loss perspective, working out
your bigger muscles will build you an overall greater lean muscle
growth. The result of that is a higher metabolism, which is of
course, what you want because you'll burn a higher amount of fat
throughout the day.
Do I have my clients perform bicep curls? A little bit. Most of
time we'll stick to 3-6 sets a week and actually push it kind of
heavy for 6-10 reps.
Same thing applies with tricep specific exercises, EXCEPT we'll do
10-15 reps because I've found that the stress put on the elbow joints
doing a heavier weight under 10 reps increases the risk of injury by
a fair bit.
Generally we'll stick between 6-12 reps for most exercises but I'm
going to mention that in the next email.
hope that helps,
Cheers,
Dan Grant
www.dangrantfitness.com
PS - Remember, look at the pros and cons of what you're doing. If
it's increasing the risk of injury then re-evaluate. That's why
i rarely do long cardio with my clients and it's also the reason
we stick with over 10 reps for lying tricep extensions.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Super Quick Workouts For Your Busy Schedule
Have you ever had those days, weeks or even months that just seem to be so out of control that getting a workout in is the last thing on your mind?
Just because you feel that way, does not necessarily mean that there is not time for a solid, fat burning workout. Here are some ideas I use with my clients that will help you out, even if you only have 15 minutes to spare. As a bonus, you won’t need any of your own equipment to do these workouts, although they can be done in a gym too.
There are many ways to incorporate these short workouts into your day. If you are feeling tired and need an energy boost during the day, the 4-minute workout below will get your blood pumping and your energy high in no time.
The Fastest Workout Ever
Got 4 minutes? The following workout is based on research done by a man called Dr. Izumi Tabata. It’s called the Tabata Protocol.
What you do is pick 2 to 4 bodyweight exercises. For this example, we will choose bodyweight squats and pushups.
For 20 seconds, perform as many bodyweight squats as possible, safely. Then rest for 10 seconds. Once the 10 seconds is up, immediately do 20 seconds of pushups. Then rest for 10 seconds and then go back to 20 seconds of squats, and so on, until you have completed 4 minutes (or 8 intervals).
If you repeat that process 2 to 3 times you are going to be shedding fat in no time.
Here are a couple pointers for performing this style of workout. If you have weights that you would like to use, then set your intervals up so that you are doing an upper body exercise immediately after a lower body exercise, and vise versa.
If you are only using just your bodyweight, add in full body calisthenics movements, such as jumping jacks, running on the spot, burpees, etc.
The Race to 100, 200, 300 and Beyond
If you are super short on time, but need to get your workout in, then my advice is to race yourself. Pick a challenging amount of pushups, squats and an abdominal exercise of your choice. See how many of each you can do in one minute and then multiply that number by 2 or 3 depending on how much time you are going to have or depending on your experience level.
Let’s say you can perform 25 pushups in 1 minute, 50 squats in 1 minute and 30 crunches in 1 minute. If you are a beginner or really crammed for time, multiply those numbers by two.
So your goal is to perform 50 pushups, 100 squats and 60 crunches as fast as you can. This will be how the race works. Perform as many pushups as you can. Then immediately try and perform as many squats as you can. Then try and complete as many crunches as you can. Then repeat the cycle until you have reached your desired target number of each exercise.
You can take as many breaks as you like. Keep track of your time so you can observe your progress.
Fun at the Playground
If you find some of your time is spent with the kids at a playground then why not join in on some of the fun yourself. If you are a little shy about getting out there, then hold a race with your kids. Make it a game.
Include pushups, pull-ups (courtesy of the monkey bars), sprints or laps around the playground, etc. Be creative and have some fun. You can also create an exercise game in your backyard. It’s great fun and it will keep everybody healthy and happy.
__________________________________
short doesn’t mean easy
Just because you are strapped for time doesn’t mean that you can’t get an intense and challenging fat burning workout in. Remember to perform the exercises with proper form the whole time to ensure you remain injury free.
Have a great workout! :)
Cheers,
Dan Grant
Just because you feel that way, does not necessarily mean that there is not time for a solid, fat burning workout. Here are some ideas I use with my clients that will help you out, even if you only have 15 minutes to spare. As a bonus, you won’t need any of your own equipment to do these workouts, although they can be done in a gym too.
There are many ways to incorporate these short workouts into your day. If you are feeling tired and need an energy boost during the day, the 4-minute workout below will get your blood pumping and your energy high in no time.
The Fastest Workout Ever
Got 4 minutes? The following workout is based on research done by a man called Dr. Izumi Tabata. It’s called the Tabata Protocol.
What you do is pick 2 to 4 bodyweight exercises. For this example, we will choose bodyweight squats and pushups.
For 20 seconds, perform as many bodyweight squats as possible, safely. Then rest for 10 seconds. Once the 10 seconds is up, immediately do 20 seconds of pushups. Then rest for 10 seconds and then go back to 20 seconds of squats, and so on, until you have completed 4 minutes (or 8 intervals).
If you repeat that process 2 to 3 times you are going to be shedding fat in no time.
Here are a couple pointers for performing this style of workout. If you have weights that you would like to use, then set your intervals up so that you are doing an upper body exercise immediately after a lower body exercise, and vise versa.
If you are only using just your bodyweight, add in full body calisthenics movements, such as jumping jacks, running on the spot, burpees, etc.
The Race to 100, 200, 300 and Beyond
If you are super short on time, but need to get your workout in, then my advice is to race yourself. Pick a challenging amount of pushups, squats and an abdominal exercise of your choice. See how many of each you can do in one minute and then multiply that number by 2 or 3 depending on how much time you are going to have or depending on your experience level.
Let’s say you can perform 25 pushups in 1 minute, 50 squats in 1 minute and 30 crunches in 1 minute. If you are a beginner or really crammed for time, multiply those numbers by two.
So your goal is to perform 50 pushups, 100 squats and 60 crunches as fast as you can. This will be how the race works. Perform as many pushups as you can. Then immediately try and perform as many squats as you can. Then try and complete as many crunches as you can. Then repeat the cycle until you have reached your desired target number of each exercise.
You can take as many breaks as you like. Keep track of your time so you can observe your progress.
Fun at the Playground
If you find some of your time is spent with the kids at a playground then why not join in on some of the fun yourself. If you are a little shy about getting out there, then hold a race with your kids. Make it a game.
Include pushups, pull-ups (courtesy of the monkey bars), sprints or laps around the playground, etc. Be creative and have some fun. You can also create an exercise game in your backyard. It’s great fun and it will keep everybody healthy and happy.
__________________________________
short doesn’t mean easy
Just because you are strapped for time doesn’t mean that you can’t get an intense and challenging fat burning workout in. Remember to perform the exercises with proper form the whole time to ensure you remain injury free.
Have a great workout! :)
Cheers,
Dan Grant
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Jogging vs. Sprinting as pertaining to your fat loss
Alright, let's get back to the basics.
You've heard before that we have to get our heart rate in a
certain 'zone' so we can burn fat at its highest rate, right?
When you look at it from a percentage way, it makes total sense.
Kind of.
Fat is your primary source of energy right now as you read this
email. So, theoretically, you should be losing some fat right now.
I understand that jogging will burn calories and therefore will
burn a little fat but the after effects of it are pretty much
nothing.
What I mean is you aren't burning an optimal amount of fat
at rest, AFTER your workouts.
Now, when you compare the bodies of sprinters and marathon runners
you can see that sprinters have a lot of lean muscle and minimal fat
and when you look at the body of the majority of marathon runners
you can see that they are skinny by barely any muscle.
Most people I train want the sprinters body. So we don't do any
long cardio. It just hasn't proved to me to be totally effective
with fat loss, so I rarely do it. I have my clients do bike
sprints, hill sprints, treadmill sprints. Not at the level that
elite sprinters do, of course, but it's consistently shown to give
my clients superior results then regular cardio does.
Am I against regular cardio?
Not really. It's proven to help a lot of people lose weight.
I've also seen it cause a lot of ankle, knee, and hip problems
due to the constant pounding when you run for a long time over
and over again.
I've never seen anyone have an injury while doing interval training
or have interval training cause a nagging injury like jogging does.
That makes it even better because that means I'm dealing with a
healthier person when I train them and they don't have to suffer
from these nagging pains all the time.
Long cardio has proven to be good for your heart, but research is
proving that interval training is even BETTER for your heart and
lungs then long cardio, which brings into play the overall vitality
of my clients.
If you're getting this then you have looked at my e-course
describing an interval session to you. If you haven't or this
was forwarded to you then shoot me a line and I'll send you the
link.
Monday I'm going to talk a little bit about rep ranges and the
effects they could have on building lean muscle.
Have a happy and healthy day,
Dan Grant
PS - Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-running, I just feel that
the overall benefits of interval training out weight the benefits
of long cardio by a fair margin. Cheers.
You've heard before that we have to get our heart rate in a
certain 'zone' so we can burn fat at its highest rate, right?
When you look at it from a percentage way, it makes total sense.
Kind of.
Fat is your primary source of energy right now as you read this
email. So, theoretically, you should be losing some fat right now.
I understand that jogging will burn calories and therefore will
burn a little fat but the after effects of it are pretty much
nothing.
What I mean is you aren't burning an optimal amount of fat
at rest, AFTER your workouts.
Now, when you compare the bodies of sprinters and marathon runners
you can see that sprinters have a lot of lean muscle and minimal fat
and when you look at the body of the majority of marathon runners
you can see that they are skinny by barely any muscle.
Most people I train want the sprinters body. So we don't do any
long cardio. It just hasn't proved to me to be totally effective
with fat loss, so I rarely do it. I have my clients do bike
sprints, hill sprints, treadmill sprints. Not at the level that
elite sprinters do, of course, but it's consistently shown to give
my clients superior results then regular cardio does.
Am I against regular cardio?
Not really. It's proven to help a lot of people lose weight.
I've also seen it cause a lot of ankle, knee, and hip problems
due to the constant pounding when you run for a long time over
and over again.
I've never seen anyone have an injury while doing interval training
or have interval training cause a nagging injury like jogging does.
That makes it even better because that means I'm dealing with a
healthier person when I train them and they don't have to suffer
from these nagging pains all the time.
Long cardio has proven to be good for your heart, but research is
proving that interval training is even BETTER for your heart and
lungs then long cardio, which brings into play the overall vitality
of my clients.
If you're getting this then you have looked at my e-course
describing an interval session to you. If you haven't or this
was forwarded to you then shoot me a line and I'll send you the
link.
Monday I'm going to talk a little bit about rep ranges and the
effects they could have on building lean muscle.
Have a happy and healthy day,
Dan Grant
PS - Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-running, I just feel that
the overall benefits of interval training out weight the benefits
of long cardio by a fair margin. Cheers.
Monday, February 18, 2008
The Key to Dealing With Fitness Roadblocks
Everybody has them. Everybody has to deal with them. You start out on a journey to reach a goal you’ve set for yourself, and then out of nowhere, a roadblock pops up. You find a way to get around it, and then a new problem comes out of nowhere. You don’t plan for them, you definitely don’t want them, and eventually they just get overwhelming, so you may decide to quit on your goal.
We don’t plan for these unwanted and annoying issues. When we set our goals, we see the end result of achieving them and that’s what can get us motivated on the path to reaching it.
Getting Started
When people start a fat loss program, they are usually fired up about it and start out with a vengeance. The typical situation is the New Year’s Resolution gym rush. You buy your membership and swear that this will be the year you get in shape.
You hit the gym for a few weeks and then little roadblocks start showing up. Maybe work becomes a little more stressful. Maybe the kids get sick. Maybe there’s too much snow on the ground to get to the gym. Maybe you expected to see better results by now.
Whatever the reason, these bumps start to play little tricks on the mind. People start to tell themselves that it’s alright to miss today; they’ll just pick it back up tomorrow. Some do get back on track, many don’t.
The Continuous Battle to Succeed
If you do get back at it and start to make some progress, the weight may not seem to be coming off like it was in the beginning -- another road block.
Now you have to find out why. Is it your nutrition? Is it your exercise program? Instead of seeking the answers, many people at this point get very frustrated, because the process might not be going as smoothly as they thought it would, so they just stop doing it. That’s the unfortunate truth of the matter.
Winning the War
How can you get past these roadblocks? It’s fairly inevitable that they will show up at some point, but the choice is yours as to how you’re going to let them affect you. Your work and family commitments might win out on any given day, but it’s up to you to be victorious in the long run.
The one thing I see in people who quit is that they were constantly focused on the journey. They can only see how hard it is, and then they don’t even bother to continue. Yep, unfortunately, fat loss can be tough and the journey to success can seem endless, but it’s really the way you visualize it that matters. People who succeed see things a little differently.
The people who I see succeeding (with the very same challenging issues) are always focusing on the end result. It doesn’t matter what happens. They realize it’s not going to be a walk in the park all the time and know that pushing through the challenges will only bring them closer to their goals. They trust that the whole process will be worth it when they get to their goal.
If you need help with specific fitness issues, consult the professionals at your gym or a personal trainer. If it is work or family issues that prevent you from regularly exercising, you may need to adjust your schedule accordingly. Try getting your family involved and engage in physical activity that is fun for the whole family.
_________________________
get to the point
So if you’re struggling with a few unanticipated roadblocks and are thinking about quitting, my advice for you is to stop focusing on the journey. If you quit now and decide to try again later, do you really think the challenges won’t be there when you start again? It will only be that much harder to get started again once you’ve been absent from the gym.
The reality is that the challenges will always be there. So you really have only two choices. Quit or win. If you want to win, then take this advice: stop focusing on the journey and focus on the result.
Make sure YOU have a GREAT day today!
Cheers,
Dan Grant
We don’t plan for these unwanted and annoying issues. When we set our goals, we see the end result of achieving them and that’s what can get us motivated on the path to reaching it.
Getting Started
When people start a fat loss program, they are usually fired up about it and start out with a vengeance. The typical situation is the New Year’s Resolution gym rush. You buy your membership and swear that this will be the year you get in shape.
You hit the gym for a few weeks and then little roadblocks start showing up. Maybe work becomes a little more stressful. Maybe the kids get sick. Maybe there’s too much snow on the ground to get to the gym. Maybe you expected to see better results by now.
Whatever the reason, these bumps start to play little tricks on the mind. People start to tell themselves that it’s alright to miss today; they’ll just pick it back up tomorrow. Some do get back on track, many don’t.
The Continuous Battle to Succeed
If you do get back at it and start to make some progress, the weight may not seem to be coming off like it was in the beginning -- another road block.
Now you have to find out why. Is it your nutrition? Is it your exercise program? Instead of seeking the answers, many people at this point get very frustrated, because the process might not be going as smoothly as they thought it would, so they just stop doing it. That’s the unfortunate truth of the matter.
Winning the War
How can you get past these roadblocks? It’s fairly inevitable that they will show up at some point, but the choice is yours as to how you’re going to let them affect you. Your work and family commitments might win out on any given day, but it’s up to you to be victorious in the long run.
The one thing I see in people who quit is that they were constantly focused on the journey. They can only see how hard it is, and then they don’t even bother to continue. Yep, unfortunately, fat loss can be tough and the journey to success can seem endless, but it’s really the way you visualize it that matters. People who succeed see things a little differently.
The people who I see succeeding (with the very same challenging issues) are always focusing on the end result. It doesn’t matter what happens. They realize it’s not going to be a walk in the park all the time and know that pushing through the challenges will only bring them closer to their goals. They trust that the whole process will be worth it when they get to their goal.
If you need help with specific fitness issues, consult the professionals at your gym or a personal trainer. If it is work or family issues that prevent you from regularly exercising, you may need to adjust your schedule accordingly. Try getting your family involved and engage in physical activity that is fun for the whole family.
_________________________
get to the point
So if you’re struggling with a few unanticipated roadblocks and are thinking about quitting, my advice for you is to stop focusing on the journey. If you quit now and decide to try again later, do you really think the challenges won’t be there when you start again? It will only be that much harder to get started again once you’ve been absent from the gym.
The reality is that the challenges will always be there. So you really have only two choices. Quit or win. If you want to win, then take this advice: stop focusing on the journey and focus on the result.
Make sure YOU have a GREAT day today!
Cheers,
Dan Grant
Thursday, February 14, 2008
What's on My Book Shelf...
People frequently would like to know what I'm reading or what books I would reccomend that they read.
To be honest, it really depends what you're looking for.
I'm really into mindset and trying to figure out everything there is to know about it and obviously I'm always looking at fitness stuff and business stuff.
So I made 3 lists.
Mindset/Spirituality/Leadership List (I know....kind broad)
Inspiration by Dr. Wayne Dyer (I'm a big Wayne Dyer fan so pretty much anything of his I'd reccomend) - this book is will be pretty 'out-there' to a lot of people though.
Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden - this man is nothing short of amazing...the greatest coach in sports history in my opinion.
Focus on the Good Stuff by Mike Robbins - great, positive read
Fitness List
No-Nonsence Muscle Building by Vince Delmonte - Vince knows his stuff here
Athletic Body in Balance by Gray Cook - I saw Gray at a seminar back in November where he was doing a 3 hour presentation that literally left me speechless...one of the smartest men in this business for sure.
Core Performance by Mark Verstegen - Mark's a top guy in the industry and this book covers everything in a simple and easy to understand fashion with exercises and everything. Definently reccomended.
Business List
One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen - it's a mindset and business book so I REALLY liked it because of that. I think every business owner should read this book.
Portable Empire by Pat O'Bryan - I found this book an easy read and picked some good points throughout.
Think Big and Kick Ass In Business and In Life by Donald Trump - I just finished this one and learned a lot about the Donald and his attitude. Very interesting and helpful to me. I got a lot out of this book and I'm sure you would to.
Well there's a little list. I'm constantly reading books of all kinds so if you have any favorites you recommend then let me know.
Have a great one,
Dan Grant
To be honest, it really depends what you're looking for.
I'm really into mindset and trying to figure out everything there is to know about it and obviously I'm always looking at fitness stuff and business stuff.
So I made 3 lists.
Mindset/Spirituality/Leadership List (I know....kind broad)
Inspiration by Dr. Wayne Dyer (I'm a big Wayne Dyer fan so pretty much anything of his I'd reccomend) - this book is will be pretty 'out-there' to a lot of people though.
Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden - this man is nothing short of amazing...the greatest coach in sports history in my opinion.
Focus on the Good Stuff by Mike Robbins - great, positive read
Fitness List
No-Nonsence Muscle Building by Vince Delmonte - Vince knows his stuff here
Athletic Body in Balance by Gray Cook - I saw Gray at a seminar back in November where he was doing a 3 hour presentation that literally left me speechless...one of the smartest men in this business for sure.
Core Performance by Mark Verstegen - Mark's a top guy in the industry and this book covers everything in a simple and easy to understand fashion with exercises and everything. Definently reccomended.
Business List
One Minute Millionaire by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen - it's a mindset and business book so I REALLY liked it because of that. I think every business owner should read this book.
Portable Empire by Pat O'Bryan - I found this book an easy read and picked some good points throughout.
Think Big and Kick Ass In Business and In Life by Donald Trump - I just finished this one and learned a lot about the Donald and his attitude. Very interesting and helpful to me. I got a lot out of this book and I'm sure you would to.
Well there's a little list. I'm constantly reading books of all kinds so if you have any favorites you recommend then let me know.
Have a great one,
Dan Grant
Friday, February 8, 2008
What the hell does Tiger Woods Do?
Here's a guest article from Craig Ballantyne:
Tiger Woods is off to an incredible start in 2008, winning 3 tournaments in
3 starts. He did it again this weekend, winning another tournament, but its
no surprise based on his physical strength and mobility.
Not only does Tiger look like he gained even more muscle in the off-season,
it looks like he has Mark McGwire's arms, almost. Although again, Tiger is
doing this all without steroids.
Tiger is physically dominating the sport. Heck, he's even driven Phil
Mickelson to start exercising and to lose weight. Phil looks so much better
now that he has lost 20 pounds.
I'd be very interested to see Tiger's workout program. Is there anything
fancy in it? Or is it just the basics? How does he gain strength without
sacrificing mobility? That is one of the biggest mistakes
most "bodybuilding" type routines make...if a golfer did bodybuilding type
training, it would most likely ruin his game just as easily as getting fat
and out of shape.
Does Tiger use a lot of bodyweight exercises? Does he do cardio or interval
training? If anyone has the inside scoop on that training program, let me
know.
Now you certainly don't need to be a powerlifter, bodybuilder, or gymnast to
be a good golfer...as you can see by the physiques on many other men and
women on tour. However, you can't let your strength or mobility be the
limiting factor in your game. So you need to train...
The best things to do are...
1) Use a variety of bodyweight exercises to work on your strength and
mobility. This can be part of your warmup or can compose your entire
workout. Like I said, you don't need to be a powerlifter to be a golfer.
First, start with the basics like pushups, bodyweight squats, inverted
bodyweight rows, stick-ups, lunges, and the plank and side plank for your
abs.
Then once you've mastered those, move on to spiderman pushups, spiderman
climbs, mountain climbers, one-leg romanian deadlifts, stability ball leg
curls, hanging leg raises, pullups, chinups, and decline pushups.
There are dozens, if not hundreds of bodyweight exercises you can do to burn
fat, get stronger, and improve your mobility. This will help you hit longer
and more accurately on the golf course.
Plus, it will increase your stamina and focus late in the game - combined
with good nutrition of course.
2) Work with a good golf coach to identify your weaknesses. Is your lack of
hip mobility messing up your swing? Is your work posture ruining your
shoulder mobility? Etc.
3) Eat right for fat loss and mental energy. You won't get tired on the
course. I believe this is one of the most under-rated aspects of Tiger's
game. If you watch him play, you'll see him snacking at various points in
the day. And he ain't eating junk, unlike many of the older players on the
scene. Plus, good nutrition allows him to recover between rounds and between
workouts.
If you follow these three steps, you'll have a better body, you'll burn fat,
and you'll golf like a champ. Use your bodyweight, not machines, to become
fit like Tiger Woods.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Tiger Woods is off to an incredible start in 2008, winning 3 tournaments in
3 starts. He did it again this weekend, winning another tournament, but its
no surprise based on his physical strength and mobility.
Not only does Tiger look like he gained even more muscle in the off-season,
it looks like he has Mark McGwire's arms, almost. Although again, Tiger is
doing this all without steroids.
Tiger is physically dominating the sport. Heck, he's even driven Phil
Mickelson to start exercising and to lose weight. Phil looks so much better
now that he has lost 20 pounds.
I'd be very interested to see Tiger's workout program. Is there anything
fancy in it? Or is it just the basics? How does he gain strength without
sacrificing mobility? That is one of the biggest mistakes
most "bodybuilding" type routines make...if a golfer did bodybuilding type
training, it would most likely ruin his game just as easily as getting fat
and out of shape.
Does Tiger use a lot of bodyweight exercises? Does he do cardio or interval
training? If anyone has the inside scoop on that training program, let me
know.
Now you certainly don't need to be a powerlifter, bodybuilder, or gymnast to
be a good golfer...as you can see by the physiques on many other men and
women on tour. However, you can't let your strength or mobility be the
limiting factor in your game. So you need to train...
The best things to do are...
1) Use a variety of bodyweight exercises to work on your strength and
mobility. This can be part of your warmup or can compose your entire
workout. Like I said, you don't need to be a powerlifter to be a golfer.
First, start with the basics like pushups, bodyweight squats, inverted
bodyweight rows, stick-ups, lunges, and the plank and side plank for your
abs.
Then once you've mastered those, move on to spiderman pushups, spiderman
climbs, mountain climbers, one-leg romanian deadlifts, stability ball leg
curls, hanging leg raises, pullups, chinups, and decline pushups.
There are dozens, if not hundreds of bodyweight exercises you can do to burn
fat, get stronger, and improve your mobility. This will help you hit longer
and more accurately on the golf course.
Plus, it will increase your stamina and focus late in the game - combined
with good nutrition of course.
2) Work with a good golf coach to identify your weaknesses. Is your lack of
hip mobility messing up your swing? Is your work posture ruining your
shoulder mobility? Etc.
3) Eat right for fat loss and mental energy. You won't get tired on the
course. I believe this is one of the most under-rated aspects of Tiger's
game. If you watch him play, you'll see him snacking at various points in
the day. And he ain't eating junk, unlike many of the older players on the
scene. Plus, good nutrition allows him to recover between rounds and between
workouts.
If you follow these three steps, you'll have a better body, you'll burn fat,
and you'll golf like a champ. Use your bodyweight, not machines, to become
fit like Tiger Woods.
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Monday, February 4, 2008
Did you cheat like me?
I went to the Washington Capitals game Saturday night
versus the Atlanta Thrashers. I'll tell you what,
there's nothing like Saturday night hockey for us
Canadians. The game wasn't so hot, 2-0 for the Thrashers
but I loved every minute of it, plus I got a game
puck. Not bad, eh?
There's one thing I didn't really watch too closely
while I was there and it was my diet...I can confess
that I cheated a little bit.
I didn't cheat too much though because I didn't really
want to go bankrupt from going to a hockey game...man the
food is pricey. I had one of those pretzels for $5.00.
So essentially it was my cheat meal for the week.
Do you have cheat meals?
Meals where you can 'treat' yourself to something that
you love and it's not really too healthy?
I typically recommend you try to at minimum eat 90%
'right' and 10% not-so-right.
So if you eat 6 meals a day and multiply that by
7 (days in the week) you get 42 meals in a week.
So that works out to about 38 'good' meals and 4
'cheat meals'.
I know 38 may sound really tough to do but it's really
all about planning. Take 1 hour to plan out your
meals for the week on Sunday. It will make everything
so much easier.
Another point I'd like to make is to NOT have cheat
days. A lot of fitness pros out there teach to have
cheat days, but that's bogus and will do a lot more
harm then good.
Plan out your cheat meals and split them up throughout
the week.
Maybe it will be popcorn at a Friday night movie. Maybe
it will be a piece of cake at a birthday party. Maybe
it will be having desert along with your romantic dinner
on Valentine's Day. Maybe you had a cheat meal last night
and had some pizza while watching the SuperBowl.
I've been getting a good about of nutrition questions
sent to my inbox this week and I hope you keep sending
them. Send them to dg (at) myfatlossrevolution.com (replace
the (at) with @ ).
One suggestion I'd like to make if you do have a question
about your nutrition is to send a 3-day journal of what
you've eaten so it will make it faster to get a response
back to you.
Sound good?
Till next week,
Dan Grant
http://www.degreesofchangefatlossplan.com
PS - The new blog is coming...there's been a few delays,
but it will be all worth it. What I need are some article
ideas for the site, though. Can YOU help me out? If you
can just click 'reply' and send me some of your ideas.
PPS - thanks in advance :).
versus the Atlanta Thrashers. I'll tell you what,
there's nothing like Saturday night hockey for us
Canadians. The game wasn't so hot, 2-0 for the Thrashers
but I loved every minute of it, plus I got a game
puck. Not bad, eh?
There's one thing I didn't really watch too closely
while I was there and it was my diet...I can confess
that I cheated a little bit.
I didn't cheat too much though because I didn't really
want to go bankrupt from going to a hockey game...man the
food is pricey. I had one of those pretzels for $5.00.
So essentially it was my cheat meal for the week.
Do you have cheat meals?
Meals where you can 'treat' yourself to something that
you love and it's not really too healthy?
I typically recommend you try to at minimum eat 90%
'right' and 10% not-so-right.
So if you eat 6 meals a day and multiply that by
7 (days in the week) you get 42 meals in a week.
So that works out to about 38 'good' meals and 4
'cheat meals'.
I know 38 may sound really tough to do but it's really
all about planning. Take 1 hour to plan out your
meals for the week on Sunday. It will make everything
so much easier.
Another point I'd like to make is to NOT have cheat
days. A lot of fitness pros out there teach to have
cheat days, but that's bogus and will do a lot more
harm then good.
Plan out your cheat meals and split them up throughout
the week.
Maybe it will be popcorn at a Friday night movie. Maybe
it will be a piece of cake at a birthday party. Maybe
it will be having desert along with your romantic dinner
on Valentine's Day. Maybe you had a cheat meal last night
and had some pizza while watching the SuperBowl.
I've been getting a good about of nutrition questions
sent to my inbox this week and I hope you keep sending
them. Send them to dg (at) myfatlossrevolution.com (replace
the (at) with @ ).
One suggestion I'd like to make if you do have a question
about your nutrition is to send a 3-day journal of what
you've eaten so it will make it faster to get a response
back to you.
Sound good?
Till next week,
Dan Grant
http://www.degreesofchangefatlossplan.com
PS - The new blog is coming...there's been a few delays,
but it will be all worth it. What I need are some article
ideas for the site, though. Can YOU help me out? If you
can just click 'reply' and send me some of your ideas.
PPS - thanks in advance :).
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