A Deeper Look - The Importance of Strength Training

Over the years as an athlete trainer and a coach, a lesson that I have learnt and continued to learn is the importance of strength. I cannot emphasise this enough. Smart planned consistent strength training is vital to good health. These days I have been finding my niche in exercise for rehab and special populations (senior citizens, pre and post pregnancies, basic orthopaedics) and athletic strength and conditioning. I keep seeing the same thing over and over again. A simple weakness in a few muscles can cause terrible discomfort for people. Though I have been able to assist many people into recovering faster and easing their pains and discomforts, I thought I'd share a few of the things I learnt about the importance of strength training.

Strong muscles are necessary to hold your body up properly! 

1) Strength training strengthens the whole body and all its systems - Strength training generally trains the entire body- bones, muscles, nerve activity, tendons, ligaments, internal organs, cardiovascular systems etc.


2) Strong muscles protect the body - Strong muscles doesnt necessarily mean deadlifting 300lbs. It also isnt the priority to make you look good though its a byproduct. However, strong muscles help your balance preventing falls, In the event of a fall, a stronger muscle can contract harder and prevent more serious damage from happening. It can protect your joints and internal organs.  Whiplash most times is a caused by weak musculature. A strong muscle will help your balance, protect joints and internal organs, and stop serious whiplash.

Courtesy: pixabay.com

3) Strong muscles help in posture - Posture is underestimated. Incorrect posture is the cause of most back pains, neck pains, mobility issues, etc. A large cause of incorrect posture are weak muscles or muscle imbalances ( a group of muscles too tight and another group too weak).
Posture is largely connected to muscles and if muscles are weak you literally get bent out of shape!

Courtesy: www.ergonomics-info.com

  

4) Muscles - Bone relation - Strong muscles helps bones stay in place. We already saw how muscle and bone is necessary for posture. However another aspect of strong muscles are its ability to overcome the strength of the bones. Take for example the unfortunate even of a limb- bone breaking.
Assuming its not a complicated or extremely serious fracture what holds that bone in place rather than slinging off is the fact that the muscle is holding it in place. I heard a story of a person who walked about a mile with a broken leg! He was on a deserted road and limped his way to help. Another instance I heard about was of an amateur bodybuilder in South Africa. He put on so much muscle mass and strength that he broke his bones. He didn't take necessary supplements for bone health.

Im sure you see the further importance of strength training. Of course you do need proper guidance for specific aspects of strength. If you have any questions you can get in touch with me.

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Mind Muscle Connection: Concentration when training

To get the most out of your training you have to be focused and get a mind muscle connection. It is just not about lifting weights or how many reps you can crank out. To build quality muscle you have to make sure the right muscles are contracting or working.

This also helps keep your form in check and as a result prevent injury, gain strength and grow some muscle. It is not as easy as it sounds though. When I first started off, my dad (who is my coach) always used to tell me 'Concentrate, work the muscle.'

This is my one main technique that  I rely on if I need to gain strength or size quickly. I slow things down, concentrate, check my form and lift or execute. Its not about slowing down the tempo but more about 'getting into the muscle.' This is especially true of body weight training.

I remember at one time my bicep development had just plateaued. I was lifting 40kgs-50kgs at that time on bicep curls. I could not figure it out. Everything other body part that I was increasing weight on had me growing on strength and size but my biceps had just stalled. So I stripped of weight down to 10- 15 kgs and I started to lift the weight again.................slowly! I just concentrated on feeling the muscle contract and my form. In about two weeks my biceps were fired up and lifting heavier but more importantly....accurately.

The mind muscle connection is also important as you start to lift heavier weight or progress in body weight training. The muscle mechanics and memory get set and that leaves you free to concentrate on some big pulls or lifts. Imagine lifting a 200kg weight and the muscles were trained wrong. Or if you were using a body weight bridge or pushup level you are learning? What are the chances that would be wasted hard work? Or of an injury waiting to happen?

If you are looking to enhance your results go ahead and literally rethink and refocus over your training patterns. It will unlock a whole new world to you.

3 physical things that have helped me become mentally stronger

Mental toughness. Strong willed, Call it what you want but at some point you are going to need it.

These are three physical things that helped me get mentally tough.

1) Training: Training myself as a strength athlete required a huge level of mental strength. It is not easy to go back again and again and challenge the body to new levels everyday. Training with weights- whether body weight or free weight is really demanding most of the time. I remember finishing some really hard days at work and then pushing myself to the gym. To make matters worse it was leg day!! There were days when someone would really try me at work, I would come out and it would be pouring rain. I would ride back on my bike and then haul myself to the gym. 

Sometimes growing stronger mentally came right in the middle of training. Should I lift another set? Should I squat another set or let it go this time only? I pushed through, did the other set. I might not have had the physical results to show for it but mentally I grew stronger.

Training through injury is another face. When you are really excited about training and get injured it is really demotivating. I remember I trained AROUND (not through) injuries with a splint on my hand, walking on a crutch. etc. Training hard builds you mentally.

For a great mental toughness program I strongly recommend this mental toughness training plan from Zach Even-Esh.

2) Intermittent Fasting (IF): I have covered IF previously in another post. I have learnt that fasting helps you learn a lot about yourself and builds up mental strength quickly. I strongly recommend giving it a try (please consult with a physician before starting on it). I had to learn what my body was craving for and what it needed. To follow more on IF i suggest you strongly get this book

Click Here!

3) Cold Water showers: Why would I do something like that? There are plenty of reasons

• Boosts nervous system
• gets you alert
• Enhances recovery
• gets you mentally tough

No one is going to know if you stand under that shower with ice cold water once you make the decision. Im not saying get drenched in cold water but at least start with 30 seconds as cold as you can bear and work your way up to two minutes. Army trainings take place in rain or swimming pools, sports teams train in pools or rain, warriors of the old days used to train in rain. It makes them the tough champions and warriors they need to be.

Real Life Story: A few months ago I was helping some friends shift things and I had to make it back for a meeting. Shifting is never easy:) Running up and down stairs, lifting and moving heavy stuff. It so happened we got delayed with the shifting. I remember skipping lunch effortlessly and just getting into the wash room for a cold shower. I was ready in 7 minutes with a full half hour left to make for the meeting. I showed up absolutely fresh and with accelerated energy levels! It felt great. It is a story where in one day, these three keys I talked about right here all came together to help me out. 

I suggest you give it a go. If you need help regarding how to implement these please leave a comment or shoot your questions in the comment box. Here is to you becoming mentally stronger....

Sudden Achievements - Single hand pullups

Today I achieved something that I have been trying to do for almost a year i.e. a single handed pull up. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't easy. However I held onto that bar and managed to pull my body up for a few seconds. It was really exciting! Now I move forward!

5 Simple Tips to Gain size

Lately some people have been asking me for tips on what they can do to gain size. I was reflecting back at what I started doing back in 1999 that enabled me to pack on muscle mass taking me from 75kgs to 101 kgs (no I didn't look like Fat Albert!).

My dad was my trainer then. He came from the 'Golden Age' of bodybuilding and had his own competitive victories. Yes he went on to win a championship and also train others before I arrived on the scene and I have actually seen some of those he trained. He went on to train me and the same basic rules applied. I handed them to others over the past decade and it worked for them. These basics will continue to work. I used the same thing and in the following decade gave the same basic rules to others with the results they wanted.

Here they are:

1) Lift heavy and increase frequency: If you want to get big you need to lift heavy weight and increase frequency. Your muscles need that high stimulus to grow and adapt.

2) Eat big: You have to be eating a lot. Once again don't eat junk. Eat good whole foods. Eggs, meat, milk, healthy carbs like rice and potatoes are some of the main stays of packing on size. If you need to work hard you need the food to back it up.

3) Rest: Your rest phase has to be good. You have to sleep a good 6-8 hours. The workouts are only the stimulus. The growth happens when you are resting.

4) Do not over train: Limit your training sessions to a maximum of an hour. Forty minutes of all out intensity worked just fine with me. Also do not train more than 4 times a week when starting out. Ideally 4 times should be enough to pack on the size you are looking for.

5) Change: A change in the program should be made every 4-6 weeks. Your body adapts will adapt and then need more stimulus or a different stimulus. However, don't program hop i.e. don't change programs every week. As much as change is needed it also takes time to adapt to change.

These 4 tips are the basics that have worked with me and others as well. Incorporate these in your training and see your body start to grow!

Lifting weights - Worth the trouble?

The other day I was sitting with a tennis coach who was saying the gym is boring and that sports is a much better option.

I didn't agree with him on that point. I have heard a lot of people say this. From those who
are good at sports they say the gym is a waste of time and a place for injury. Then there was
another good martial arts expert. He had a superb fitness level all from bodyweight exercises
and movements. He also was of the opinion that the gym was not helpful in the sense of it
doesn't 'train the mind'. Then of course there are the lazy ones who don't like going to a gym
because the little effort that it takes to walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes challenges their
couch potatoes. Some doctors swear that lifting weights gives you a slip disk - never mind that
their body fat content is 38% plus and the risk of heart and lifestyle related diseases are higher -
in short a ticking time bomb. Now I'm not knocking out sports. I use sports to get me conditioned at times. I also believe it is part of the training regime especially when you enter strength and conditioning for the particular sport. However, for people to say that lifting weights and a gym is a waste of time and recipe for disaster is absolutely not true.

So why all this fuss about the gym?

Well firstly I don't think these people have seen proper gyms. They have seen pansy clubs that
offer dances and romances, boring machines and a load of out of shape, impersonal trainers
who have no clue what they are doing.

In my mind the gym is a place where you go to train your body and get stronger and for that a
strong mental connection is needed. In the old days there were no fancy cardio machines and dance sessions. It was just plain old 'lift heavy, lift smart and go home.' Im not against cardio machines or dance sessions but there is something about weights that challenges you mentally and physically. Don't believe me - try cranking out 50 squats, 20 push ups and 20 pullups. Majority of people will not be able to do it even though they bench press about 100kgs.

Lift weights to get stronger. There is a structure to building strength and it doesn't happen in 1
month. You could lose good amount of fat in a month but to have substantial strength takes a
while. We are talking real life strength. Not movie style stunts and good looking bodies. Work
on the strength and the rest will follow.

If you don't know how to train right, hire a good personal trainer or take a session with a fitness consultant. Training sessions should be safe, knowledgeable and fun!

Strength Street Championships: Latvia

Hey Guys!

Undoubtedly one of my favourite videos on strength, agility and performance. Makes me realise I have got a looooooong way to go!

Ab Rolling and Ab rollers

Hey Everyone!

Today I want to talk about the ab rollers and Rolling.

The Ab roller is not a new product. To the best of my knowledge it dates back to at least 60 years old! (Picture Courtesy: Beast skills.com)I also remember when my dad was training me he showed me this exercise. (Dad is an old time, old school trainer who started to train back in the late 50's.) Apparently, most strong men of old also used an ab roller.                                                
I remember it was really tough when dad improvised training me with a dumbbell to replicate the movement. It was tough! I finished the first rep after a loud grunt and OUCH! but as I sat back up I was smiling. I knew the exercise would deliver the goods for me.

I personally recommend the wheel or a swiss ball as compared to a dumb bell for the fact that its easier to control.

Depending on your level of strength you can use the following for Ab rolling.

1) Swiss ball - Beginners (Available at Flipkart and Healthkart)
2) Ab wheel - Intermediates to Advanced (Available from Healthkart)
3) Foam roller - Intermediates to Advanced (Available from Healthkart)
4) Dumb-bell or Barbell.- Advanced (Available from Healthkart)

I use the variations but more importantly of why I would recommend this as the only piece of ab equipment is  its one I have tried and it has given me results. Also if it was good enough for old time strong men and bodybuilders and made it till today then I would go with it all the way. (If you would like to see some pics of old time strong men check my article on 'The Classic Physique')

(I recommend ab training to make your abs stronger. You are not going to see a six pack or an ab reduction until you get your Nutrition and Diet in order with a good strength training program.)

I leave you with Videos

Ab Rollout with Swiss Ball



Ab Rollout with wheel



Ab Rollout with foam roller



Ab Rollout with Dumb Bell

Shadow Kickboxing

Hey Everyone!

Today I'm going to be talking about Shadow Kickboxing which I have found to be very effective in my training routine.

I'm sure you have seen those who practice martial arts, boxers or MMA fighters who spend hours just working on their technique, their speed, just throwing punches and kicks with imaginary opponents. That is shadow boxing/ kickboxing.

Anyone who is involved with contact sports as a hobby or professionally will be practicing Shadow kickboxing on a regular basis. It improves response time, speed, foot work, etc

I personally use shadow kickboxing as compared to shadow boxing. The only difference according to me is in shadow boxing you are working with boxing techniques but in shadow kickboxing you are working with punches, kicks, knees elbows, defense even take downs. What does this mean for me? While shadow boxing only conditions my upper body most of the time,  shadow kickboxing conditions my full body. Also it requires no equipment except your body and mind! You could get a pair of gloves if you choose too.

I use it as a:

1) Warm-up
2) A 'finisher' at my training sessions.
3) When I need to lean down quickly
4) Quick fire training when I'm short on time
5) 'Go to' exercise sequence
6) Improve conditioning, co-ordination and speed
7) Also as an assessment to check where my power level is being hindered due to weak or tight muscles.
8) A stress breaker

Most times I schedule for an intense 10 minutes of shadow kickboxing. It can also be combined with strength training. So I would start with 1 minute of punches and kicks and then drop down and do 10 pushups, rest for about 15 seconds, then back again to punches and kicks and start off right away with squats. The combinations that can be worked are plenty so there is no getting bored.

Safety:

1) Always stretch  for at least 2 minutes
2) While learning, start slow. Like everything else in training, technique and form are important. Get comfortable with technique then build speed.
3) Never hyper-extend or lock out your joints when throwing a punch or kick
4) Find a comfortable speed and then increase as you get get comfortable
5) When kicking it is not so much the height that matters, but the technique, power and speed.

If there is one effective all round conditioning technique and you are short on time shadow kickboxing sure fits the bill.  I usually follow krav maga style as it is very reality based, and trains for real world self defense at the same time. Also I found that they have the best teaching style for learning basic strikes.



I leave you with this video of Krav Maga Master Richard Douieb to give you an idea of Shadow Kickboxing

Warm ups and Cool downs

In most training or workout programs the warm up and cool down phases are very important. The issues I have noticed is that people just jump in right away into hard exercise and just end with hard exercise. This is not healthy especially for someone who has not been training regularly. The warm-up and cool down phase takes about 10 minutes each on a maximum. These don't have to be long but it should be done right.

The Warm-up phase:

Depending on the workout or training a warm-up should be done. A good warm-up should will be from about to 5- 10 minutes. It is important to just get the heart rate up to take the demand of the strength training but not to be over done. I remember once I made the mistake of working at full intensity in 10 minutes and that burned me out that my energy level reduced considerably and I wasn't able to lift effectively at the main workout. Warm-ups are usually aimed at

1) Raising heart rate
2) Preventing injury
3) Getting the muscles and connective tissue warm and ready for lifting.
4) Increased blood flow and thus oxygen.

A good warm-up should have you breaking into a sweat in 5 minutes. The best ones you can do are rope jumping, jumping jacks, split jumps, squat thrusts, shadow boxing. The remaining 5 minutes you spend on a combination of mobility and stretching exercises.

The Cool- down phase

The Cool down helps the heart rate reduce steadily after an intense strength training routine. This can be light back off sets with weights, low impact cardio followed by stretching. This also helps get rid of lactic acid and starts the recovery process. Also it prevents blood pooling in the muscles and starts a proper circulation going again.

Once again 5 - 10 minutes is all it takes to cool down. The focus should be on bringing down the heart rate and returning the body to a more relaxed state.

Introduce these into your training regime as they are important to your heart and blood circulation. Also it prevents injury and enhances recovery.

Train hard, Train smart.

Roll away the pain!

Hey everyone!

Today I'm here to introduce you to a little piece of equipment. It definitely is one of the best investments I made in fitness equipment. Its called a foam roller.

A foam roller is a foam cylinder that comes in different shapes and sizes. It is used mainly for self-myofascial release for overactive or tired muscles. In simple english, a form of massage! Foam rollers come in different densities with the lighter colors being less dense and blue and black being the most dense.

How do you use it?

Get on the floor or a mat and start rolling on those aching muscles! If there is a tender spot just stop right in that position and hold for about 30-60 seconds.

Foam Rolling can be used in

1) Warmups
2) Recovery
3) Massage.
4) Some aspects of core training

In my experience with foam rollers it has really helped me to recover from my aches and pains of tired and sore muscles. Also it relieves the pain in the back of just sitting at a desk all day. It  is certainly very handy to have instead of booking a massage appointment everyday! I have to admit that sometimes the moment you lie on it there is a lot of pain but that just shows the level of stress and pain there is in that particular body part. Just the same as when you get a massage done and the person giving you a massage presses on a tight muscle or pressure point.I assure you if you work through it will be alright.

I leave you with a video from strength coach Eric Cressey showing a few exercises on how to use the roller.

Reasons and Answers to Why should we Exercise

'You are already in shape and slim. Why do you need to exercise?'

In the last six months, I've had two of my clients tell me that people have asked them this question.

I have also heard the other side of the story, though I thought it was pretty stupid - 'You go to a gym and you are gaining weight?' This was when I was on a weight gain program back in college and some overweight arrogantly guy asked me that.

So, I decided to write a post on why people need to exercise? At the outset let me make this clear that exercise refers to training your body for a specific result whether in the gym or not. There doesn't necessarily have to be a gym. 

So here are some reasons why people workout:

1) Get rid of body fat: This is usually the most obvious reason. In their terms its called 'losing weight.' However as I have explained in previous posts,  it is not how much weight you lose but what kind of weight you lose. Your bones, water content, muscle content and fat all play a huge role in contributing to your overall body weight. Reducing unhealthy fat content is the issue that we are dealing with here.

2) To build muscle: This also is very obvious. However, it is not only restricted to bodybuilders or a few college guys who want to 'pump it up.' Building muscle has advantages of keeping fat off, healthy weight gain, getting stronger, etc.

3) Gain weight: Some people really struggle with putting on weight and they need to increase their weight. The answer doesn't lie only in just eat more. That will result in bloating heavily and accumulation of fat even though it might not be visible.  A proper training program is necessary.

4) Rehabilitation: Some people with previous injuries, recovering from an illness or lifestyle related disease look to exercise as a rehabilitation process.

5) Build Strength: Once again a common misconception is just because a person lifts weights they are strong. This might not be the case. A person can be really small but have a lot of strength. A famous example is Bruce Lee. Lee might not have stood on an Olympia stage but his one inch punch demonstration is enough to tell you that he was strong enough to put away any of those Mr O. winners. Also there are different areas of strength that varies from individual to individual.

6) Conditioning: Conditioning is about developing the body's ability to endure and carry on working. This is especially seen in athletes. However, conditioning is very important to even a normal person. How many times have you heard this, ' I get breathless every time I walk up a staircase?' Conditioning is mostly training the aerobic systems, the heart and lung capacity and muscles for endurance.

7) Fitness: Fitness is definitely a reason people would exercise. Some people just look to stay healthy, free of aches and pains, and have enough strength and energy to handle their life. These are not people looking to win competitions or anything. They just know its good to exercise.

8) Preventive Medicine: Related to the point above but with a different goal in mind. People look to exercise as a medicine and as a preventive medicine. That is they take a proactive approach to warding off lifestyle related diseases. 

9) Look Good: Well this is where you find majority of the younger crowd. People just want to look good and have a good physique or figure as the case may be. The truth is if you are on a good program this will automatically fall into place.   

These are some of the biggest reasons why people workout. So if you were looking for answers to why people train or a reason to exercise....pick one and go ahead!

The Classic Physique

I have always been impressed with classic physiques of old time bodybuilders. I should be because I come from a whole line of Old-time athletes and bodybuilders and I was fortunate enough to have my dad train me. Dad was Mr. Bombay (now Mumbai) back in 1960 and till today he trains...........hard and smart! (His brothers took suite soon after!)

No matter who it was who won the Olympia in the last 10 years, I was somehow drawn to those olden day athletes. They had a powerful, neat, strong look about them. Not only did they look that way, their athletic ability was tremendous and health was at their peak. As compared to the physiques of today that are bulked up and steroid induced, the olden day lifters trained to get stronger and improve their health - not pump up various parts of their anatomy just to strut around at parties. Their training was a commitment to their health and then second a sport. They knew what to eat. They didn't overdose on steroids and supplements.Steroids had not even been invented back then.  Training was serious business. They had only an hour three times a week. And man did they go at it!

Here is a picture of Eugene Sandow:

Sandow is considered the Father of Bodybuilding. The Sandow statue is the most prized trophy in the world of Bodybuilding. Its what Arnold, Ronnie Coleman, Jay Cutler, and all other bodybuilding pros fought for in their day and the new competeitors are still fighting for every year.

Here is Prof. K.V Iyer from India. He had a gym right here in Bangalore! He trained a lot of people and also had students from Malaysia and Middle East. He also had correspondence courses by which he trained. He was a physician to the Maharaja of Mysore. By the way this pic was taken in 1935!

As far as I am concerned this man is my favorite builder by far. Steve Reeves was the man they called on to play the role of the Greek demi -god Hercules in his time. He was well built, strong, good looking, healthy and pioneered a lot in the bodybuilding game. 

John Grimek - Strength exploits, Bodybuilding exploits and an excellent gymnast. He just destroyed competition. Arnold Schwarzenegger has also said that he learnt a lot from the wisdom of this man. 

Marvin Eder was another old time trainer and here is his strength record.

Deep-knee bend squats, 300 lbs x 50 reps

Barbell curl, 210 lbs

Clean and pressed, 355 lbs

Crucifix, 2 x 100 lbs dumbbells

Lateral raises, 120 lbs

Deadlift, 665 lbs

Parallel bar dip, 434 lbs

Chins, 200 lbs x 8 reps

Bench Press, 515 lbs

Manohar Aich from India was a 1952 Mr. Universe. Known as the 'Pocket Hercules' at 4ft 11inches, he had a 52 inch chest and 23 inch waist! Aich recently celebrated his 100th birthday on 17th March and as you can see is still going strong!

Another Strength Coach and bodybuilder. I strongly recommend for building a classic Physique is Matt Marshall. I followed Matt Marshall's program and in 2 months I had reduced my waist line by 2 inches and came down from 28% body fat to 21% body fat. I also ended up more healthier and energetic than before. I can say this is one of the most HONEST, NO LIES program and definitely one of THE BEST programs that work. I have tried it for myself and seen results.  

To get the program click here. 

Origins of Weight Lifting

Hey Guys,

Here is a great video I found on Youtube on the 'Origins of Weight Lifting.' I really recommend watching it.Enjoy.

The Best Free Weight Exercises You Can Do

Hey Everyone,

Today, I wanted to list down the best free weight exercises you can do. These are the best go to exercises in my opinion and these are the ones in some way or form are incorporated in my training schedule. I have tried to get videos of both barbell and dumbbell versions.

1) Deadlift:






2) Squats:






3) Clean and Press:

Clean and Press Bodybuilding.com

4) Over head Tricep extentions:




5) Bicep Curls:





6) Roll outs:



7) Calf Raises

Beginners Pull-up Guide

Pull-ups are one tough exercise but amazing strength and back developers. I personally have struggled to start with pull ups. So I am going to take you through the same techniques that I used to get me going. The same techniques can be used for developing Chin-ups and the neutral grip pullup.

Get it up!

1) Reach for the bar: Usually the first issue is reaching the bar with a comfortable grip. Get a block you can step on so that it elevates you to a comfortable height and take a firm and comfortable grip. Then kick the block away. You could also get a chair for assistance and have someone move it or kick it away.

2) Hang in there: Once you have a firm grip and you can ascertain your shoulder joints and girdle is stable and comfortable just hang from the bar. This will give you a feel and also an amazing body stretch. However,  your focus should be on getting the feel.

3) A little help from my friends: If you cant pull yourself up ask someone to push you up till your chin is over the bar and then have them let go of you. Hold yourself in that position.

Im up, now what?

These are options you could work with. All these worked for me.

1) Just stay there and hold yourself up for as long as you can. The isometric tension of this move starts to develop strength to actually graduate into the movement.

2) You could lower yourself REALLY slowly focusing on the Lats (back) muscle working. This is actually a kind of reverse action on the movement. You start from the top and end up 'pushing' yourself down.

Consistent Practice

This will have to be practiced consistently. When you can do 1 rep keep the progress building. After 2 or three days do 2 reps, then after another 2 or 3 days do 3 reps and so on.

Of course if you can do one perfect rep on your own go ahead and do it. Then you can get assistance on the following rep and practice.

Tips:

1) Lose body fat - If you are carrying excess body fat its definitely going to be more difficult to pull yourself up.

2) Grip - Your grip should be comfortable. It should not be too wide or too close. Find the distance that is right for you.

3) Rest periods are important- finish one rep and stop. Recover. Then do it again. The form is more important.

The focus should be on the lats. I would suggest before you pull yourself up mentally connect with your lats. If you have to get someone to tap your lats so you know where the muscle is activating from. Sometimes you might just pull with your hands. In the beginning stages this is ok but remember to come down working with your lats. The back is a muscle that cant be seen so it does require a lot of concentration.

Go ahead and give it a try. I would like to hear the results you made or even other suggestions to get a pull up going.

5 reasons why Fat Loss Workouts are Important

Usually when a person walks in to a gym or wants fitness tips, the first thing they want is tips or workouts to reduce the fat. Other than looking better there are other more important benefits to fat loss workouts - actually they are more important necessities if you consider living healthier, longer and happier.

1) Removes overload of the body - If you had to carry a 50 kg load on your back up 3 flights of stairs what do you think would happen to you? I don't think your back and knees would be in very good shape after 10 steps would it? Now think about your body having to take the strain of excess fat. The joints are strained, your knees and ankles are hurting, the spine and posture are off, the heart is on overload, there is no proper blood flow since there is too much fatty acid and its probably causing a thickening of your veins and arteries with plague which is setting you up for a massive heart attack. Start burning off the fat and you are well on your way to reversing those effects.

2) Stops Excess Estrogen and its viscious cycle- In a previous post I mentioned fat gets you into a viscious cycle. Excess estrogen starts to build up and that in turn starts to produce more fat cells. The more fat cells the more estrogen. A good fat loss program will start to produce testesterone and reduce estrogen. Now you can break that cycle and enter a new one - one that starts to build and maintain muscle.

3) Increased muscle and strength: A good fat burning workout has to include a good strength training program. You get stronger and your muscles start to develop. Strength is the most important aspect of the fitness game and for the body to make place for new strength gains it will increase muscle to accomodate for that.

4) Improves Cardio Vascular and Energy systems-  The heart is a muscle and a strong one at that. However that doesn't mean you can abuse it. Conditioning and energy system training - also known as cardio for the most part- Strengthens the heart and lungs to work stronger and more efficiently. To burn fat conditioning and energy system training is used frequently. You develop more energy, stamina, lose fat and reverse the bodies fat retaining condition to more of a muscle maintenance and muscle building condition which in turn keeps the fat off and helps you stay lean. (Don't overdo the cardio to burn fat. There has to be a big place for strength training.)

5) Looking better, stronger, healthier- Do I really need to explain this? However your appearance in itself have a lot of things to say about you especially if you are in business. The first impression is usually the most important in any situation. Need to meet that new client? Get that important deal? Looking for a life partner. Many times before a person finds out what you have to say, they have already made their opinion of you on your appearance. Looking good helps your confidence and appearance. 

So there you have 5 reasons why you need to prioritize fat loss workouts. Get busy with your fat loss workouts.

   

Body weight Exercises

Body weight Exercises or calisthenics are a true and sure fire way of getting stronger, healthier and leaner. In most cases the true test of strength does not lie in the bench press. It lies in exercises such as the push-up and chin-up. These two exercises alone can challenge posture, strength, stamina. If you think body-weight exercises cant get you to your goals you are wrong. Look at traditional Kushti and Muay thai fighters or even gymnasts. Lean, muscular development, agile, well balanced and they are strong and powerful! Gymnasts also have quite some serious size on them.



















The human body is the most ingenious creation. It is the true honest measure of strength. The iron bars come after that. This is why attempting 20 push-ups correctly can challenge the person who bench-presses 100 kg.

Another benefit of learning body-weight exercises is when you can't make it to the gym, you can work out anywhere. Just yesterday, I met a friend of mine who told me 'I signed up with a gym and I can't make it because my schedule does not allow me.' With ego thrown out the window and knowledge of body weight exercises you can definitely get yourself a good work out at home. Try for a workout at a park. This will definitely break the usual rhythm of training.

There are a lot of body-weight exercises you can do but the tried, true and tested basic ones are what I'm going to list below.

1) Squats



2) Pull ups



3) Push ups




4) Rotating Crunches



If you are looking for a way to start training for strength, I would first advise give priority and master the body weight exercises. In this way your foundations are being set to pick up heavier weight. When I say foundations I mean establishing starting strength, joint strength and function, cardio-vascular strength. Set these first and then move along. Even if you do want to incorporate free weights or machines in your training its fine but start with prioritizing a mastery of body-weight exercises.

Progressive Resistance - The Key to Building Strength

The story of Milo of Croton is one that should be read by anyone interested in improving strength. He was a Greek Wrestler who years before the Olympics, started carrying a new born calf on his back and walked a distance - everyday. Long story short - As the calf grew, so did Milo's strength and muscle. He would carry this animal on his back till it was a full grown bull! I don't need to tell you he was really strong at the end of it   and really muscular - Not bulky and fat! This story goes around a lot of times but here is the key we learn - If you want to get stronger - start small and steadily challenge your muscular system.

I would like to pull lessons for strength development out of this little story.

1) Without progressive resistance there is going to be no new demand for your body to adapt to. If ever there was a golden rule in the fitness and strength world this was it. Which is why the same old walking on a treadmill for an hour for 3 months just does not cut out. In training for any form of strength, there has to be progress regularly. 

So how exactly do you build up progression? Increase intensity - Lift heavier weight, increase reps and sets, shorten down rest times. 

2) Start small - This is really important when starting out. Milo was an Olympic wrestler but he started with a new born calf. Start with a manageable weight and then progress- do not stay in that comfort zone. Sometimes starting or going back to ridiculously light weights can give the biggest strength gains. However, the main reason for doing this is to build your confidence. Your mind and nervous system will know what you can handle and from there you can work on increasing the load, intensity or volume. 

3) Increase slowly -  Add just one or two more push ups per week or every third training session. Add 0.5 kgs to the bar. Do not just slap on 5 extra reps on a set or 5 extra kgs on the bar. Look for the least increase you can make. That calf in Milo's story might not have put on 5 kgs in a day. But its a safe assumption to say at least 0.5 kgs per day as it grew. Milo's body could incorporate and adapt to that easily. As that calf grew in strength and size so did Milo - daily!

4) Slow and steady - Strength takes time to develop. It's a slow process. I agree today we have advances in science and scientific training and new discoveries to how to efficiently train- but still the strength factor does take the longest to develop out of all other fitness factors. However, its the only one which actually stays the longest. It works into something called muscle memory. It also has the maximum benefits when you take time to develop it. 

5) Consistent - The increases have to be consistent. Milo carried that calf daily from the time it was a newborn till the time it was a full grown bull.  

Results: 

Milo went on to win 6 Olympic crowns in wrestling. It is said his career spanned 25 years (and we are talking about Olympics of nearly 3000 years ago). Back then the Olympics were still every 4 years.

You set your goals for strength and work towards it. Remember.......locate yourself and then move towards your goal.   

5 Lessons for Strength Training

1) Leave your ego at home - better yet get rid of it

2) Find a real gym - not a latest fad 'fitness' center. There is nothing very fit about most of them except that it's all about the money and the latest fashion fads.

3) If you are going to train - train hard, wise and smart. Do not waste time.

4) Go with a plan. Set a goal, focus, finish it.

5) Train progressively - Start light and add weight or intensity regularly.