Build Muscle Lose Fat - Health and Fitness News

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It's been a very hectic summer. Lots of cycling for my 160 mile charity bike ride that took place a couple of weeks ago. In August, I went on my first vacation in about five years. Spent 10 amazing days in sunny (and HOT) Arizona. Probably the best 10 days of my life. Had an absolutely incredible time. Even managed to squeeze in a few workouts.

After that, I really had to get back on track for this year's MS 150, which was completed a week and a half ago. Over 7,000 riders this year, rode 160 miles over 2 days. The weather on Sunday was absolutely perfect. Saturday, not so much. It poured for the first 25 miles or so of the Saturday ride. Not the best way to start. Everything was soaked. I can't wait to see how much money we raised this year. Once again, it could not have happened without all the amazing volunteers. It was another huge success and I look forward to my 14th (or is it 15th?) ride next year.

I hadn't even been able to take on online training clients the last few months due to other obligations and projects.

Now, it's time to hit the gym hard again. My weight was down to 163 by the time of the ride. Yeah, skinny! Happens every year. I'm back up to 167 now and want to get up to about 190 before cutting down again.

So, I've put together a new program that I'll stick with the next 4 weeks before making some slight changes and adding some intensity techniques as well. I've been doing this routine for the past week and I can tell you this - everything is sore!

Here's how it lays out:

Workout #1 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Decline Bench Press 8 x 8 (30 seconds between sets)
Flat Bench Flyes 3 x 15 (3o seconds between sets)
Seated Dumbbell Press 8 x 8 (30 seconds between sets)
Lateral Raises 3 x 15 (30 seconds between sets)
Lying Tricep Extensions 8 x 8 (30 seconds between sets)

On the 8 x 8 exercises, I will reduce the rest between sets until I can get 8 x 8 with only 15 seconds between sets. When I can do that, I will up the weight and go back to 30 seconds rest, reduce down to 15, up the weight, etc.

On the 3 set exercises, when I can complete all 3 sets of 15 reps I will increase the weight.

I will only take 1 minute between exercises. It's a fast paced workout.

Workout #2 Legs, Abs

Squat 1 x 20 (with my normal 10 rep weight - this is incredibly intense)
Leg Curls 3 x 15 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Stiff Legged Deadlift 1 x 20
Squat 1 x 20 (much lighter weight than the first set)
Standing Calf Raises 8 x 8 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Oblique Twists 3 x 15 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Weighted Crunches 8 x 8 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Reverse Crunches 3 x 15 (30 seconds rest between sets)

Workout #3 Back, Biceps, Forearms

Chin Ups 8 x 8 (30 second rest between sets)
Seated Row 8 x 8 (30 second rest between sets)
Pullover 3 x 15 (30 seconds rest between sets) seated High Row 8 x 8 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Incline DB Curls 2 x 10 (include rest pause reps at the end of the second set, then partial reps, then stand and do regular curls
Incline DB Hammmer Curls 2 x 10 (same intensity techniques as regular curls)

I'm breaking down the routine into the following split.

Monday - WO 1
Tuesday - WO 2
Wednesday - WO 3
Thursday - Off
Friday - WO 1
Saturady - Off
Sunday - Off

Monday - WO 3
Tuesday - WO 2
Wednesday - WO 1
Thursday - Off
Friday Workout 3
Saturday - Off Sunday - Off

As you can see, I am only hitting legs once a week. This is due to the intensity of the 20 rep squat program. You may want to experiment and see if a slightly higher frequency works better for you. You may want to try twice per week and then go to once per week as you increase the weight and intensity.

This is a pretty intense program that will work for both muscle building and fat burning as long as your nutrition program is in place.

As always, go here to submit questions. I have received a bunch and will start answering them in future issues of the newsletters.

Now that my vacation is over and the bike ride is completed, you'll again see this newsleter on a regular basis. Hope all is well with you!

No BS, No Excuses,

Gregg Gillies

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October 7, 2006 10:57 - Building Muscle: Pleasure and Pain

Don't break this weight training rule. I just did. I didn't take my advice and now I'm paying the price. As I've mentioned previously, I took some time off from weight training to train for a fund raising cycling event. So this past week was my first week of weight training in about 5 weeks. What happened? I didn't take it easy, that's what happened. I tell everyone I train, take it easy the first few times you train, either after a layoff, or if you just haven't done a particular exercise in a while. This way, you won't suffer excruciating, maybe even debilitating muscle soreness.

And I'm suffering that soreness because I didn't take it easy enough on my on training this past week. Walking is a painful experience today. Heck, sitting is painful. Even my calves are sore, which never happens. Adn that workout was on Tuesday!

No BS, No Excuses,

Gregg

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October 11, 2006 16:07 - Muscle Building Supplements and the "Proprietary Blend"

I get asked about fat loss and muscle building supplements a lot. I also get asked about my specific supplement regimen. I don't have one set supplement program. I use a lot of bodybuilding supplements but not at the same time. It depends on my goal.

For example, I didn't use supplements all summer besides protein powders, meal replacements and regular old fashioned vitamins and minerals.

Why?

Because my gym sessions were brief and not very intense due to the fact that I was bking over 100 miles a week.

Now, I'm back into the gym and working out very intensely four times a week with weights and three times a week with cardio, including a high intensity sprinting session on Saturdays. So I'm currently taking a lot of muscle building supplements and will go over what I'm taking, why and when in an upcoming issue of my newsletter (see below).

Right now, I want to direct you to a great article by nutrition and supplement expert Will Brink about muscle building supplements and the positives and negatives of the 'proprietary blend' and what that means for you. Check it out at Muscle Building Supplements and the "Proprietary Blend"

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October 23, 2006 09:59 - A Muscle Building Supplement That Works?

A Muscle Building Supplement That Works?

As my regular Fat Loss Secrets Revealed or Fast Mass Tips! :newsletter readers know, I'm a big fan of certain supplements but not a fan of the supplement industry in general. Most supplements are nothing more than a waste of money. However, some are very effective and make reaching our muscle building and fat loss goals a lot easier.

So, I am always looking for something that truly works. And, I hate to admit it, but I believe I found one. Why do I hate to admit it? Because it comes from a supplement company that definitely does not count me as a fan. The supplement company is known for it's extremely deceptive and over the top advertising and this company tops them all.

Ever since they went into business, their ads have centered on outrageous before and after pictures that no mere mortal could hope to duplicate, nor were the results because of the supplements. How can I say this? For most of the men, they use bodybuilders in off-season shape for the before picture and in contest shape for the after picture. And for the women, they use fitness models for the before and after pics. And I'm talking about women who were working as fitness models long before the before and after pictures were taken.

As most of you probably know by now, I'm talking about Muscle-Tech. Now, I do believe that Muscle-Tech puts in their products what's on the label. They aren't one of those companies. But I believe they use very deceptive advertising practices.

However, as I stated earlier in this article I have found a muscle building supplement from Muscle-Tech that I really like. What is it? It's called Gakic.

Muscle-Tech has called Gakic an "advanced muscle-fatigue-toxin reducer." What does this mean? It's supposed to help you extend your sets - an immediate 10.5% increase in strength -which should help you build muscle mass faster than before.

Gakic is not a cheap supplement and I had no desire to try it. But considering it's still around and I like to keep on top of what's going on so I can pass it along to you, I've given it a try over the last few weeks and the bottom line is this - it works! I can workout longer and harder, which in theory, should allow me to build muscle faster than before.

And Gakic doesn't give you the jitters like a lot of people feel when taking nervous system stimulants.

I was able to crank out more reps on all of my worksets, sometimes one, sometimes four or five depending on the exercise and the number of reps I was doing in the set. I also felt less fatigued overall at the end of my workout.

If you are looking for something to help you power through your high intensity muscle building weight training workouts, I recommend you give Gakic a try for a month and see what it can do for you.

References:

1) Buford B., et al. (2004). Glycine-Arginine-Ketoisocaproic Acid Improves Performance of Repeated Cycle Sprints. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36(4):583.

2) Stevens B., et al. (2000). High-Intensity Dynamic Human Muscle Performance Enhanced by a Metabolic Intervention. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 32(12):2102.

Learn How To Boost Your Metabolism, Burn More Fat with Less Effort, And Lose All the Weight You Want... Fast!" by grabbing my free report: Fat Loss Secrets Revealed

Discover How to Build 21 Pounds of Muscle or More in 12 Weeks or Less! Grab my free report: Fast Mass!

October 24, 2006 17:05 - Building Muscle Mass with Brutal Leg Training

If you want to build muscle mass and do it quickly you need to focus on your largest muscles, your back and your legs. Unfortunately, no body parts are as brutally painful to train as the back and the thighs so most trainees just go through the motions and then they wonder why they aren't building If you've been following my Fat Loss Secrets Revealed or Fast Mass Tips! newsletters, you know that my leg training the last few weeks has been as follows:

One Legged Squat - 1 set of 20 reps for each leg using the weight you normally use for 10 reps. You can do this on a hack machine or on the Smith Machine.

Leg Curls - 3 by 12-15 reps with only 30 seconds rest between sets. After going to failure on the final set do partial reps in the contracted position (the top of the rep). You may need a training partner to help you get the weight into the contracted position. The reps should only be a few inches of motion. Once you can no longer do this, do partial reps just above the bottom of the rep stroke until you can't do any more partial reps.

Full Squats with a Barbell - 1 x 20 Do these in a power rack for safety and squat ass to the floor.

Stiff Legged Deadlifts - 1 x 20

Standing Calf Raises 8 sets of 8 reps Do one leg at time, alternating legs without any rest until all 8 sets of 8 reps have been completed for each leg.

That's it. I only train legs once per week.

Now, I made a slight change today that was brutal. For the first exercise, instead of 1 set of 20 reps for each leg, I did 10 sets per leg of 5 reps each. Like I mentioned above for the standing calf raises, I alternated legs without stopping until all 10 sets (20 really, 10 per leg) were completed. Brutal? You bet! Effective? Damn straight!

Try upping the intensity of your leg training and see how much muscle you can start building when your largest body parts start growing!

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October 26, 2006 12:42 - Weight Training Routine Changes for Continued Progress

Ouch! My legs are still quite sore from Tuesday's new, brutal and effective training routine. Yesterday was chest, shoulders and triceps.

After a few weeks on my previous weight training routine, I made a number of changes to this workout as well, in order to keep my muscles from getting used to the program and preventing mental burnout.

I always get a fresh round of motivation when I change my program around.

Here's how my weight training program for chest, shoulders and triceps laid out for the past three weeks:

Workout #1 Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Decline Bench Press 8 x 8 (30 seconds between sets)
Flat Bench Flyes 3 x 15 (3o seconds between sets)
Seated Dumbbell Press 8 x 8 (30 seconds between sets)
Lateral Raises 3 x 15 (30 seconds between sets)
Lying Tricep Extensions 8 x 8 (30 seconds between sets)

On the 8 x 8 exercises, I will reduce the rest between sets until I can get 8 x 8 with only 15 seconds between sets. When I can do that, I will up the weight and go back to 30 seconds rest, reduce down to 15, up the weight, etc.

On the 3 set exercises, when I can complete all 3 sets of 15 reps I will increase the weight.

I will only take 1 minute between exercises. It's a fast paced workout.

My new routine that I used yesterday looks like this:

Chest

Decline Bench Press - 2 warm up sets of 10 and 5 reps. Then 3 work sets with the same weight. I shoot for 8 - 10 reps on the first set and then take only 20 seconds rest between sets. After 2 minutes rest, I performed one more set with a reduced weight and did a staged set. I performed only the bottom part of the rep, keeping the tension on my pecs the whole set, with no locking out at the top.

Once I hit failure, I continued the set by performing only the top 5 or 6 inches of the set, where I'm the strongest.

Flat Bench Flyes - 3 sets with the same weight. 20 seconds of rest between sets

DB Incline Bench Press - 3 sets with the same weight. 20 seconds of rest between sets

Shoulders

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 3 sets with the same weight. 20 seconds of rest between sets

Lateral Raises - 1 triple drop set. In other words, I performed 3 sets without stopping. For example. 25 lb x 10 reps, then grab the 15 pounders and crank out more reps to failure (usually 4 - 6), then grab the 5 lb dumbbells and rep out to failure. You may only get 2 or 3 reps on this last set.

DB Upright Rows - 2 x 10 - 12 reps

Triceps

Flared Elbow Pushdowns - your elbows flare out instead of keeping them in tight against your body. You can use more weight and you'll really feel this in your tricep muscles. 2 x 10 - 12

Decline Lying Tricep Extensions - Another triple drop set just like the lateral raises

Weighted Dips - 2 x 10 - 12 reps to finish off the chest and triceps. On the second set, I'll do a staged set, just like the last set of decline bench presses.

As you can see, this routine is quite a change from the previous one. I'll stick with this for about 3 weeks. After that, I will go a few workouts with less volume and no intensity techniques, just plain old straight sets. This will allow my body to recharge from all the intensity training I've been giving it so I can avoid overtraining and keep making progress.

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