:BodyFitnessInfo.com BLOG

There are different variations on this question, but it seems that a lot of us wonder how often we should train, how many days of rest we should have between workouts, etc. It would be nice if there was a blanket answer for everyone such as “Train 3 days a week with one day of rest in between.” Wouldn’t it be nice if everything was that simple?

The fact is that different people do better under different routines. I believe that in the end you have to experiment and learn what works best for you and your situation. There are just so many things to take into consideration such as your work schedule, how much time you have to go to the gym, nutritional concerns, etc.

Real Solutions Magazine put out a good article on this topic that approaches it from those different angles. In fact, at the end of the article the author, Nick Nilsson, actually gives examples of different routines he has followed during different times in his life. It makes a good read.

Here’s a link to the article: Training Frequency: How Often Can You or SHOULD You Train to Maximize Your Results?

170 Comments

I think that this tip goes along with everything in life.  You have to keep educating yourself.  If you ever get to the point where you think you know everything about something, you’re going to fall behind really really fast.  Especially in today’s world with information flying around the globe as quickly as it does.

So what are some good ways that you can keep up to date and keep learning the best ways to exercise and stay fit?  Well, let’s say for example that you’re a woman and looking to keep up on women’s arm exercises.  You could check out some blogs and subscribe to them, read books on the topic as they come out, or join a natural bodybuilding forum to learn the new tricks and techniques.  Another great medium that has come out with the advent of YouTube are exercise videos.

I guess my point here is not to give you an all inclusive list of places to go to find information, but make sure you’re doing your best to stay up on what’s going on in the fitness world.  But also make sure you have a grounded foundation in the basics.  Yes, new fan dangled contraptions and workouts come out all the time, but a lot of times they’re no better than the tried and true.  That’s another reason to stay educated: it keeps you from being duped!

65 Comments

Sometimes you just don’t have time to go to the gym. So rather than making excuses, its good to have an alternative plan for getting a workout in at home. Whether you have a small collection of equipment at home or you just do bodyweight exercises, you can still get something done at home. Granted, the gym is always better, that’s why we call this plan B!

About 2 weeks ago I picked up a pair of the Perfect Pushup over at Target. I’ve seen the ads and am always very cautious with this sort of thing, but this one seemed simple enough to possibly be effective. If you haven’t seen these things, they’re basically like pushup bars but allow you to rotate your arms while doing the motion.

So far I’m impressed. I’ve been using them in the morning about 3 times a week for the last 2 weeks and they do a good job! You really get more out of your pushups this way. This is a product that I’d recommend you consider including in your arsenal for things that you can do at home!

126 Comments

I think we all know that if you really want to make improvements in your physique, you’re going to have to do some weight training.  In fact, just the other day I was with my wife at her sister’s house and she shared something interesting but not surprising.

She has been training for a half marathon with some of the other ladies in the area, and if I remember right she will be running it in the next few weeks.  But the thing that she was surprised about was that with all this running she hasn’t lost a lot of weight, at least not as much as she would have expected.  Then she was the first to admit that she would lose more if she’d do more weight training with her running.

So true!

It’s important to understand that you’re more likely to lose weight with weights than without them.  Plan on developing a full training program rather than just one aspect of it.

It’s also important to use proper nutrition.  A great way to get the nutrition that you need is to use workout shakes, especially  when working out.  If you’d like some opinions on the best post workout shake, check out Real Weight Training Blog.  He has some really good tips on this subject.

10 Comments

I’ve always thought that having large forearms really helped make for an impressive physique. I mean, when the forearms are a good size you have to admit that it’s a good thing!

But how many of you have noticed that the forearms are one of the harder muscles to fully develop? It seems like the number of exercises to isolate them are few, and then there’s the motivation to exercise such a small muscle group.

Well, Tom Venuto wrote a blog post on this topic that is worth your consideration if you are the type that would like to know more about developing big and strong forearms. Here’s a link to the article: The Forearm Secret of Old Time Strongmen.

He hits on this article about the fact that it does take longer to develop forearms, mainly because they seem to be less responsive to stimulation than other muscle groups. Then he gives some really good alternatives you can do in your workout to help build better forearms. Check it out!

16 Comments

I read a short but interesting article from MSN Health today by Mike Mejia from Men’s Health. Here’s a link to the full article: Fortify Your Weak Spots.

The idea is that most men spend the majority of their time working on the muscles they see the most. Namely the chest, biceps, quads, etc. Then they go on and totally forget about the less visible muscles such as those on your back side. This is naturally a big mistake!

The article then goes on to suggest some exercises you can do to keep your body in balance.

But why is balance important? Well, even if you don’t normally watch certain muscles, they are still visible. Have you ever been to the gym and seen someone that was very out of proportion? It really looks strange doesn’t it? I’m guessing that you don’t want to become that person!

So don’t forget to work your whole body. Not in every workout necessarily, but make sure that you give those muscle groups that you consider less important the amount of attention they truly deserve.

17 Comments

I think I did a post on this about a year or so ago (must be the season), but I often wonder if its really worth it to keep working out when you’re sick. I’ve read several articles that would suggest that although you may not have as much energy and intensity when you are sick, you can still get benefit from it. That’s probably true.

I guess the thing that I always wonder is that if I keep working out when I’m sick, and I just prolonging the sickness? Or should I just take some time, get feeling better, and then get back into the swing of things. My natural tendency would be to just get better first.

What have your experiences been in regards to this?

18 Comments

I was reading an interesting article this morning from MSN Health & Fitness about the extra benefits to building muscle. I know that a lot of people feel that building muscle is mainly a vanity thing. Well, with that type of mentality they are really missing out on the regular health benefits of having more muscle on the body.

The article focuses on sarcopenia, the gradual breakdown of muscles as a person gets older. This happens to all of us, and the natural remedy for it is to be doing resistance training. The article also talks about the fact that doing cardio alone isn’t enough. So if you’re the kind of person that loves going for a jog but hates hitting the weights, then you are missing out on the true benefits of resistance exercise.

I’m not going to summarize the whole article, but if you were looking for some extra motivation to go to the gym, this article might just help!

Here’s the link to the article: Special Report: Fight Age With Muscle

16 Comments

There is a lot of discussion these days about the benefits of pre and post workout shakes. There are also a lot of products on the market these days that promise to be the absolute best thing you can consume to get the most out of your workouts. With all this hype, it can often be confusing to know what you should really be doing.

Leave it to Will Brink to try and cut through the hype and tell you the truth. I read a really good article by him today on this same subject. Rather than going into all of the details that he covers, I’ll just let him do it. The article is a little lengthy, but is a really good read.

So here you go! The Religion of Pre and Post Workout Nutrition.

9 Comments

Alwyn Cosgrove made a really good point on his blog about what he calls Training Schizophrenia. It’s a very interesting thing that I think a lot of us have been guilty of in the past (or you might even be guilty of it right now!)

Here’s the basic idea: you start a new training program. Then you read an article by another ‘guru’ and change your plan 2 weeks later. Then your friend gives you some advice and you change your plan again the next week. Do you see where I’m going with this?

So what is Alwyn’s advice if you suffer from Training Schizophrenia? Stick to any plan for 8-16 weeks before you even think of making a huge change. If you’re doing any less than that you are missing out on pretty much any of the benefits of whatever plan you are following.

Here is his blog post if you want to read more: Training Schizophrenia. Personally, I think this is great advice!

2 Comments