Lever Press (Shoulders)

I wanted to share with you a new exercise move that I recently introduced into my lifting plans. It is for the shoulders but also works the entire body and especially the core. It is called the Lever Press. You use one shoulder at a time with heavy loads. Take a barbell and place on the floor in a corner of the room. Load the opposite end of the barbell with plates. Hold on to the bar at that end (the end with weight). Hold with right hand and stagger your stance with your left leg forward. Then press straight overhead with twisting at the torso to the left. Do 5-8 reps and then switch and use the other side. Great workout working differently the muscles in your body.

Stay tuned…….. Lift strong………

Posture - Back and Core

This weekend I was able to get in a few great hikes. As I was hiking, I became aware of my posture. Then I flashed back to my grandmother. She used to take her middle finger knuckle and if you were slouching, she would dig that knuckle in the center of your back. Trust me – you stood up straight then!!!  I also watch younger folks especially kids. They lay all over the counters, tables, everything and anything. Good posture has sure gone out the window.

Poor posture is caused by both tight and weak muscles. To help with posture, make sure you do plenty of back and core exercises to strength those muscles and hold you straight upright. See previous blog postings for movements/exercises.

It is said that posture has a direct impact on your confidence. So STAND TALL and CONFIDENT. Practice it.

Stay tuned………. Stay strong………..

Maya Angelou - Quote

" love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." - Maya Angelou

Strong People...........

Quote by Michael P. Watson

GMO - What is it ?

This is an excellent article and GMO is something I feel passionate about. I wanted to share:

What Is A GMO? Genetically Modified Foods Continue To Confuse Consumers

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/09/what-is-a-gmo_n_5295997.html?utm_hp_ref=health-fitness&ir=Health+and+Fitness

Stay strong, focused and stay tuned..........

Steady State Cardio - RETHINK

I love this article and as I have said before...... I could NOT agree more.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/death-of-steady-state-cardio

Stay STRONG and focused.........

YOU ARE............

by JeffMac

KISS Method in Fitness

Those that know me, know that I believe very strongly in KEEP IT SIMPLE. Whether applied in work, lifting, food plan, etc – I really believe in a straight forward and simple approach.

When we all first started lifting, we by nature kept things simple. And we made gains !!! Great gains. Then we all want more. So we start reading more, researching, watching YouTube videos of those we thought knew more than us. And in the quest for “more” we often stray from what was and had been working all along. We start overcomplicating our workouts. We get impatient and we switch it up again for yet another complicated program we “researched” on the web. Our gains become less and less instead of more.

The bottom line………… Keep your lifting program SIMPLE. Simple WORKS.

Stay strong and focused……….

Be Accountable to Yourself

BE ACCOUNTABLE to YOURSELF…………..

This applies to sooo many areas of our lives: Work, family, friends, and yes, your personal fitness plan.

I have been listening to the audiobook of QBQ (Question Behind the Question). It was recommended to me by my boss and good friend. I have listened to it now at least 3 times and every time I pick something else up from it. I plan on listening a few more times.

Being the OCD person I am with a HUGE passion for all forms of “fitness”, I saw how this can also apply to my lifting and fitness plan.

BE ACCOUNTABLE to yourself. No blame, no excuses. Take ownership of your program. Stop blaming your trainer, your lack of sleep, your lack of focus, your lack of time. Ask yourself what you can do to change your results. Learn and apply that learning into action.

YOU are accountable to YOU. Ask yourself what can YOU do to help YOURSELF achieve your goals, get to your next fitness level, apply what you have learned. This “ME” mindset can really develop you into a whole new level of fitness journey.

Stay focused and strong……………

Reverse Grip – Bust Through Plateaus

Changing your grip can add variety and help you bust through plateaus. Changing grip will target muscles from different angles and place different stress on them. If your lifting has hit a plateau, a reverse grip should be considered.

Reverse grip can be used on many key exercises. For example, lat pulldown, bench presses, or barbell rows

Reverse grip does place a greater amount of stress on the wrists compared to other grips. To help with the stress you can when training back or triceps with a reverse grip use the EZ-bar. It reduces the stress on the wrist by positioning the hand with an angled position.

Change your grip and bust through those plataeus.

Stay tuned……….

Food Labels FINALLY Get MakeOver

Hello. I apologize for letting my blog go a month without entry. Work and work travel has gotten in the way of my blog. Never in the way of my lifting (I have actually hit some personal records lately) but has made my blog suffer. Will rectify and get back on course with articles.

Here are the articles I wanted to share. FINALLY - food labels will be updated.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/food-labels-to-get-first-makeover-in-20-years-with-new-emphasis-on-calories-sugar/2014/02/26/c8feeb4c-9f08-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/health/nutrition-labels-changes/

Focus will be on calories and sugar. FINALLY !!!!!!

Stay tuned…………. LIFT STRONG………

Consistency in Measuring Progress

TRACK IT……….. The majority of people that have made a commitment to their lifestyle changes for better health and fitness, TRACK. Tracking / logging / recording your “journey” is very important but the key is consistency in the measuring process.

Whether you are tracking steps, miles, weights, # of floors (stairs), etc…. the key is consistency in measuring. Make sure you are comparing apples to apples. I highly recommend you track more than one area of your healthy fitness life. I track many areas of my fitness lifestyle. I track # of steps, miles, # of floors, food intake, and of course my weight lifting. I make sure to track my progress that I’m logging exact comparisons. For example, you cannot track progress if you are comparing a standing shoulder press to a seated shoulder press. My sister got me hooked on FitBit Force. So daily I have consistency in comparisons as it is measuring consistently my # of steps, # of miles and # of floors. The only way to improve is to log and see your progress. And consistency is the key .

SIDE NOTE: The point that I always preach is the NUMBER ON THE SCALE DOES NOT DEFINE YOU! When you do “fitness” correctly, you are strength training and eating properly. Your body will keep or even gain muscle while shedding fat. This is NOT reflected on the scales. Many do crash dieting and hours of cardio. This will indeed show on the scales but you will be losing LOTS of muscle as well as the fat.

Stay strong and stay tuned…………..

Start New Year - PATIENCE

Patience. It is one of my biggest weaknesses.

However, as we start a new year, one of my self-improvement goals is to develop more patience.

I believe that patience is a big factor often overlooked in fitness. Fitness and healthy living is NOT measured in days and weeks. Rather it is about months and years. As the cliché goes, “life is a journey."

Whatever your goal is, whether it is muscle-building, strength, endurance, body fat ratio or any combination of these, you should strive for quality and balance for the long term. This requires patience and consistency. At the beginning of the year everyone wants a “quick fix" and then they want to go back to their old ways.

The BIG points to success are exercise selection, intensity, frequency, and volume. AND PATIENCE.

Stay tuned…. Stay STRONG………..

Bales Power Training Seasons Greeting

Stay FOCUSED and enjoy the Holiday Season !!!

Bales Power Training

Image : flickriver.com

Chest Supported Incline Row

The chest supported incline row is a different twist on the row. This exercise really works the upper back. By laying on your chest on an incline bench., you isolate your back as it takes the momentum of your legs out of the move. Also, using the incline will recruit more muscle involvement with the traps and rhomboids.

You can use dumbbells or barbell. I prefer barbell on this move. Grab a barbell loaded with plates (or pair of dumbbells) and lie chest-down on an incline bench. Let your arms hang straight down and then row up to your chest. Pause at the chest and squeeze your shoulder blades. Lower the weight and that is one rep.

Stay tuned………..

Shoulder Exercise - Steering Wheel

A great finishing move for shoulders is the “steering wheel”. Besides your primary muscles of the shoulder are used there is also secondary muscles in use such as biceps, triceps, chest, and CORE. This exercise is also great for your rotator cuff.

It is as simple as it sounds. Pick up a weight plate. Pick a weight you can hold with arms extended in front of you. Place your hands at the 9 and 3 o’clock position. The plate should be raised at chest high where your arms are straight out in front of you. Now simply turn the plate from right to left slowly and controlled. You will feel the “burn” in your shoulders and your abs. Do as many reps as you can without losing form.

Stay tuned………………….

Holiday Eating - Plan Your Cheats

Holiday season is among us again. No matter how dedicated we are and no matter what are our best intentions, we all stray off the path.

Plan your “cheats." Do not waste your “cheat” meal on some average dips and chips or other junk food. Plan your cheats for truly fulfilling meals. If you allow yourself to eat the foods you love in a controlled manner, you will be more satisfied and can adhere to “clean eating” the majority of the time. The secret is to plan the specific event or meal you will "cheat"and set a limit on quantity, then enjoy life but do not over-indulge.

Stay tuned……………

Mark Twain - Quote

"If everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes." - Mark Twain

Back Hybrid Move - Inverted Rows

One of my favorite finishing back moves is the inverted row using your own bodyweight. It is a hybrid between pull-ups (chin-ups) and row. So you get the best of both !!

In a power rack, place the barbell slightly above arms’ distance from the floor. Lie on the floor underneath the bar and grasp it. Keep body in a straight line and heels on the floor, arms extended. Contract your back muscles and bend your arms to pull yourself up to the bar. Touch your chest to the bar. Then lower yourself back down and that is a rep.

There are many variations you can use: underhand grip, wide grip, narrow grip. You can also elevate your feet on a bench or seat to make more challenging.

STAY TUNED………………….

30 Squat Challenge - Russia

I often do bodyweight squats to relieve some work frustrations. Just stand up and do some, especially if you are traveling and you need to work out some energy in the hotel room. This is a great exercise. Go DEEP.

Related to this, I found this interesting article…….. In support of the upcoming Olympics, in Russia you can do 30 squats in exchange for a free subway ride. What a great promotion and a super way to motivate people to exercise.

http://ftw.uhttp://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/11/30-squats-can-get-you-a-free-subway-ride-in-russia/

Stay tuned…….

Calories and Weight Loss: Math vs. Biology

This article is OUTSTANDING.. Made me laugh as it is soooooooooooo true.

Enjoy !

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-bailor/diet-myths_b_4078996.html

Stay tuned.........

Shoulder Dislocations – Exercise

Although this exercise sounds painful, it is not the same as the injury.  The shoulder dislocation exercise is great to improve your shoulder flexibility (and posture).

I stumbled across this exercise when I decided I wanted to start doing some overhead squats. Overhead squats had never been part of my routine. But the world of crossfit has made me think about trying these. Right off I noticed my inflexibility. Being a powerlifter and focusing on HEAVY compound moves, I do have boulder shoulders. However, I also let my stretching and flexibility slip. I did not realize how much until I started doing shoulder dislocations, touted as one of best exercises to improve flexibility in the shoulders. I now try to do it 3-4 times a week.

This exercise will be challenging initially, but you will see improvement if you perform it 3-4 times a week. It is a very simple move. Grab something light and wide such as a broomstick or mop.

Start with a wide grip, raise with straight arms and over your head then lower then behind your back until you hit your butt and then come back. If you have to bend your elbows, then you are too narrow and need to widen your grip. Your goal over time should be to bring your grip in narrower and narrower as your flexibility improves.

Stay tuned………….

Pizza Crust - HEALTHY / NUTTY / Fabulous

This is a fabulous crust that is incredibly healthy !! Low glycemic, flourless, and tasty……. Since I was introduced to it, I made it two days in a row. Very nutty and tasty.

Ingredients:
• 1/2 packet yeast
• Tablespoon of Stevia sweetener
• ¾ cup of water (warmed to 100-110 degrees)
• 1 1/4 cups old fashion oatmeal ground up in grinder to make a flour consistency
• Dash of sea salt

Directions:
1. Dissolve yeast and Stevia in 3/4 cup warm water and let sit for about 8 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, combine oat flour and salt.
3. Pour yeast mixture over flour and mix well.
4. Stir / mix with fork for about 2 minutes.
5. Spread onto lightly greased pan . Use water to smooth crust onto pan.
6. Bake at 500 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
Then add your healthy toppings. Bake for a few minutes until toppings are melted into the crust.

ENJOY

Stay tuned...........

Cheese – Is NOT Off Limits

Cheese is not the enemy of a healthy life. Yes, many cheeses can be high in saturated fat and sodium. But, it also is full of protein and calcium. As with any food, the key is choosing the right variety and portion control.

The most important criteria of cheese is that it be REAL cheese: Natural with no artificial colors and flavorings are added. Processed cheese is unhealthy and full of additives. Some processed cheeses have everything BUT milk in it. This also occurs in the majority of all low fat/no fat cheeses (they are processed and not “real."

So now that you are on the track for the REAL cheese, next is to select cheeses that are higher in protein. Real cheese has very little to no carbs. Here are great cheeses high in protein and lower in fat: Parmasean, Cottage Cheese, Goat Cheese (my favorite), Gruyere, Swiss, Mozeralla, Cheddar, Provolone, and Gouda to name a few. The worse in terms of fat more than protein: Blue Cheese, Camembert, Brie, Limburger, and Mexican Queso

I incorporate real cheese into my diet at least every other day of the week. Remember it is about choices and quantity, and it is not the enemy.

Stay tuned………..

Protein ALWAYS with Carbs

One of our main objectives in staying “healthy” and physically fit is to manage our blood sugar and insulin throughout the day. This affects our energy levels, disease control, metabolism, our hunger cravings, strength, and our mind/emotions.

Carbohydrates are obviously the main contributor to blood sugar and thus insulin. Not only what you eat in form of carbs but what you eat with your carbohydrates matters. Protein and believe it or not, fat, will slow the absorption of sugar (glucose). This will greatly help to prevent insulin spikes and also drops (insulin roller coaster).

Here is pretty simple tip that we can all do to be healthier: Consume less processed, more “real” food, so that your body works harder to digest it. Stick to non-sugar, complex carbohydrates (with lots of fiber) and consume with protein. Eat smaller, more frequent meals to prevent spikes and drops. The more stable and better your blood sugar is, the healthier you are in many respects.

Protein with complex carbs !!!

Stay tuned………….

Thomas Jefferson - Quote

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." - Thomas Jefferson

Weight Machines - Beware of Injury

When you walk into most gyms, you will see many various machines. Machines are great for beginners. Especially until you get a proper form. Weight machines can provide faster workouts, there is no need for a “spot” and they are generally easy to use.

HOWEVER, beware that they can cause injury. The body movement patterns (path / direction) are fixed and locked in place. Consider the Smith Machine. This can be, depending on certain movements, the worst, most dangerous machine in the gym. Let us take squats as an example. When you perform squats on a Smith Machine, it forces you to take a path of motion that is not natural for you. Moreover, this can cause injury. By performing squats with free weights, you take your body's natural range of motion (keeping proper form). This decreases your chance of injury. Machines simply do not take your body height, weight, and shape into account.

Machines can also give you a false sense of your abilities/strength. Weights on a machine versus lifting something in real life are completely different. For example, when you pick up a heavy box, you do not rest the non-working parts of your body against a machine and only work certain muscle. To be functional in picking up that heavy box, you have to use more muscles (especially to stabilize). In addition, 100 pounds on a chest press machine is nowhere near comparable to 100 pounds on a barbell bench press.

Free weights emulate and carry over to real life and real situations.

Machines have their place. Do not get me wrong. Just be knowledgeable when and how you use them. For example, when I travel I have a few gyms I visit. When there, I use machines I do not have access to normally. BUT I never use machines for the “compound moves." I use machines for extra work to triceps, calves, rear delts, etc.

Stay tuned……………

Micheal Kirby- Quote

"Failure will not overcome me so long as my will to succeed is stronger" - Micheal S. Kirby

Slash Fat / Build Muscle - FARMER’S WALK (revisited)

II have covered Farmer’s Walk before…………. But seriously folks, it will slash fat and build muscle.

The farmer's walk is an incredible exercise that is not used often enough. It is so SIMPLE that I believe people overlook it in favor of some newfangled exercise fad.

The farmer’s walk builds muscle, reduces body fat, increases strength and has very little risk of injury.

The farmer's walk is the simplest exercise you can do. Simply pick up some heavy weights and walk. Your entire body is utilized. Your arms, back, shoulders, traps, legs and YES your CORE. Imagine getting a great core workout without doing crunches. :)

Reminder that every movement starts with posture. Do not drop your head forward or use a rounded shoulder posture. This causes too much stress on your neck. Instead, work on positioning/posture and maintain a straight back (spine) and head looking forward but not extended.

You can mix the emphasis on distance (a challenging load you can walk with for two minutes) or weight. Distance means lighter weights. This will have a similar cardio effect to sprints. Distance (lighter and longer) will accelerate fat loss. Weight - is heavy and brief (up to 30 seconds). This will build more strength. The heavier weights will translate over to improving your other lifts.

Do both distance and weight often in your workout and see the SUCCESS. Yes, it is simple but brutally effective. !!!

Stay tuned.................

Dave Tate Quote

“Passion trumps everything.” - Dave Tate

Perfect Lifting Program - No Such Thing

Everyone wants the magic pill, the perfect program….. . Well, it does not exist. Despite all the “experts” publications, the fact is nobody has it figured out.

There are no absolutes in “training science." There is tooo many variables: one’s aerobic base, anaerobic base, training history, hormones, mental and emotional state, and vital signs.

You have to find a program that works for you. One that meets your goals, your strengths, and your weaknesses. There are vast amounts of publications, wisdom based on experience, and opinions from bloggers, trainers, and competitive athletes. Nevertheless, you have to take responsibility to determine if your lifting program is effective and working for YOU. There is no such thing as a perfect lifting program. Stop looking for the magic answers and start learning and adapting to meet your ultimate fitness goals.

Stay tuned……………

Physique Mistake - Over Isolating

FOLKS - COMPOUND MOVES !!!! A few times a year, I will receive emails from people wanting advice about training and weight loss or development of specific muscle groups. In reality, they do not want to hear it, they want some miracle answer.

Focusing too much on isolation limits developing the body and fitness level you are striving for. Muscle building (remember KEY to metabolism) requires heavy compound movements (see many earlier blog postings on my site). The heavier compound exercises have a greater impact on natural physique-building hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone (GH). Ladies – I am not talking about bulking up. We ladies also need these same hormones.

Isolation moves has its place AFTER compound moves, mainly to work on any weakness areas and imbalances. But these should NOT be the heart of your lifting session.

Reminder - Compound exercises: Presses, squats, deadlifts, rows, dips and pull-ups.

Stay tuned…………….

Shoulder Press - Challenging Variation

If you have been reading my blog, you know overhead press (shoulder press) is one of the 7 staples in our compound moves. Here is a variation of it that I tried for the first time yesterday. It will absolutely will shock your shoulders and core.

This variation is not easy. You will be sitting on the floor for this press. Sit in a squat rack. Do not start with the barbell on the floor. Set the pins in the squat rack a couple of inches below shoulder level and place your barbell there. Your legs are together and straight (no bend in the knees). No slouching. Sit up straight with no back support. Sit on your hamstrings and not your butt to make sure your lower back stays tight and upright. Grab the barbell and perform the movement like the standards overhead press.

This is no way of cheating and you have no assistance. You may be humbled as I was on the amount of weight you can lift in a strict form press. Go light until you get the feel for it. Very challenging.

Stay tuned…………….

Pull Ups – End Every Session

Pull-ups/chins ups are a superior upper body exercise. It taxes your forearms, biceps, lats and upper back better than any other upper body exercise. Your upper back muscles are difficult to overstrain. Since it is mainly a body weight exercise, you can include this move more frequency.

A couple of points to consider: You can switch hand positions to take stress off the elbows. Try underhand, overhand and neutral grips. I recommend doing them at the end of your workout at least 3 or 4 days a week, regardless of what you trained that day. Do as many continuous pull-ups you can, take a break and do more until you reach at least 30 reps. It does not matter how many sets it takes to achieve those reps, just do them. They are an incredible muscle builder and promote stretching all at the same time.

Stay tuned………..

SUCCESSFUL Tip : Envision Your Workout

Visualization creates positive thinking. I have been doing visualization in lifting for quite some time. It is the act of picturing what you are going to do and then making it happen (a rehearsal so to speak). It will strengthen your mind and create a very strong mind and body connection.

My visualization process includes both dreams at night (I have been told I actually sleep with movements of deadlifting with my arms, body movements) as well as right before a lift. For example, as I line myself up to the barbell for a deadlift, I close my eyes and breathe and envision the lift I am about to perform.

Sports science, professional athletes and stress the importance of visualization in performance. Envision your lift in every detail. Then go DO IT.

Stay tuned………….

Overweight Does NOT Always Mean “Unhealthy”

Doctors, news media, blogs and many so-called “experts” are saying “If you’re overweight, you’re unhealthy.”

This is not necessarily true. As we know (see previous post), body mass index is not an accurate measurement of health. A muscular individual will score higher on BMI because it doesn’t consider the muscle to fat ratio. It seems that the standard medical answer is you are too heavy/overweight and that is the root of all your health issues. Not true in every case. If you are overweight but aerobically fit you are indeed much “healthier” than a skinny couch potato. Consider that there are so many recently published reports that show “fit” vs. “un-fit” is more of an indicator to disease and mortality than “fat” vs. “thin.”

The most important thing you can do to get healthy is to workout. Get in regular physical exercise along with a balanced diet. Focus on a fitness level and not the number on a scale.

Stay tuned…………..

Negatives (Reps that is)

Negative reps – what are they?? These are slow, downward reps that concentrate on negative portion of the rep. During a negative phase of the movement (the downward phase such as lowering the bar in bench-press or lowering into a deep squat), the muscle lengthens while it contracts.

Negatives are great for building muscle and busting through plateaus because you can purposely damage more muscle fibers during negatives than you can during the positive phase. As we have discussed before in previous blog posts, the more you stimulate muscle fibers, the more you grow.

Negatives are best performed with barbell movements. You can work with so much more weight and you are more stable than with say, dumbbells. To perform these moves properly, you will need a training partner (spotter). They need to be in position to have full control of the bar. You will be able to do the negative portion of the move but you may not be able to do full positive and may need the assistance on the upward movement. This is not failure, it's the intent of the set.

Negatives should be performed only after you've completed your full rep sets. Also, only perform 2-3 negatives. When I perform negatives, I load up more than I can do on full reps. I go slowly on the descent with heavy weights. Then your partner will assist on the upward movement.

Stay tuned……………

Do Something Impossible

I read this article and wanted to share……

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-sweet/setting-goals_b_3645176.html

Stay tuned…………..

Deadlifts - Easy Way to Change Weights on Barbell

If you are like me, you do not have a deadlift bar jack (the fancy deadlift barbell device) to change the weights.     But you are pulling and dealing with some heavy plates.    An easy solution is to use a plate to prop up the bar.   Simply roll or pick up one side of the barbell and place on a smaller plate so it sits in the hole.  This raises it just enough to slide more plates on (or off).  When done do the other side of the barbell.   I also use a wood block and set the barbell on it one side at a time.     Quick, easy and no need for expensive bar jack.  

Stay tuned………………. 

MUSIC - Push Through Exercise

Music helps push you through workouts. You stand in a squat rack or walk up to a deadlift bar. You look at the barbell and all kinds of thoughts run through your head. You start psyching yourself out. One of the best ways to effectively change your state of mind and improve your performance is to gear up with music. Upbeat music stimulates heart rate and respiration. This translates to helping with endurance and success.

Turn up the volume, get into the zone and LIFT !!!

Stay tuned……….