Not Your Average Fitness Tips

Archive for the ‘Best Workout Routines’ Category

As the year comes to a close, I thought now would be a good time to review my favorite workout programs and diet plans.  So what are the key components of the best workout programs and best diet plans?  In general, I think any good program provides some background and guidance as to why it is effective.  That should in turn help the reader understand and even construct their own workout program or diet plan.  Additionally, I find that the best workout programs and best diet plans lay out a recommended approach.  Obviously, this provides a starting point for readers.  Ultimately, I believe the best programs offer specificity as well as customization.  In other words, a reader can either perform an exact recommended routine or gain enough knowledge to create their own routine.  In this manner, the best workout programs and best diet plans can be effective for both beginners and experienced fitness fanatics. Continue Reading…

I’ve long advocated Visual Impact Muscle Building as the best way to gain muscle mass.  After successfully going through the program a while back, I decided that now was the appropriate time to tackle it again in full force.  You can read my complete Visual Impact Muscle Building review but the brief overview is that the program is a 3 phase approach focused on strategically gaining muscle in the right places while avoiding fat gain.  Phase 1 is all about sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.  This involves working your muscles to failure in order to maximize growth.  The focus is on high reps with light weights in order to create cumulative fatigue.  This is coupled with a diet slightly above maintenance.  It’s not an approach where you’re encouraged to eat 4,000-5,000 calories per day.  Instead you focus on gradual muscle gain to limit any fat gain. Continue Reading…

The original Convict Conditioning book was one of my favorite resources on bodyweight exercises.  So how does Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning 2 measure up to the first book?  It certainly isn’t as game changing as the “Big 6” progressions but there are some good recommendations on improving forearm, lateral, neck, calf and joint strength.  The caveat here is that Convict Conditioning 2 isn’t for the average fitness enthusiast who just wants some strength training and muscle building exercises.  I’d say it’s great for martial artists, wrestlers, or others who would like some advanced tips on developing less utilized, but highly important muscles.  That being said, here’s the rest of my Convict Conditioning 2 Review. Continue Reading…

Have you ever wondered about how to get a gymnast body?  While it’s well documented that gymnasts make extensive use of bodyweight exercises, I would also recommend incorporating gymnastic rings training to really increase your strength and muscular definition.  Once you become proficient with EXF Rings, you can progress to a full gymnastics workout routine that includes advanced variations of static holds, upper body presses/pulls, core exercises, and leg training.  Overall, gymnastics training on its own can help you build a great body, but gymnastics exercises can just serve as a nice complement to your existing strength training routine as well.  Continue Reading…

In my last two posts I’ve discussed how I use pushing exercises and pulling exercises as part of my workout routine.  When I do heavy weight low rep supersets, I like to pair a pushing exercise with a pulling exercise.  When I do low weight high rep training to failure, I like to perform pushing exercises one day and pulling exercises another day.  In this post, I wanted to quickly review a few different pushing exercises and pulling exercises that you can incorporate in your workout routine. Continue Reading…

While I generally think heavy lifting while avoiding failure is the best way to train, every once in a while I like to perform low weight high reps training to failure.  This is primarily used for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which results in muscle mass gains.  Done strategically, training to failure can actually generate a nice “shrink-wrap effect” as well.  However, over the long term, I think low weight high reps training is best left to bodybuilders. Continue Reading…

Have you ever wondered about how to make your strength training workout more time efficient and effective?  Then it’s time to consider a high weight, low reps superset workout routine.  The best way to build strength is by using a heavy weight that you can only lift for a few reps.  Ideally you want to give your muscles plenty of time to rest between sets so that you avoid training to failure.  However, this is terribly inefficient.  This is where superset workout routines can be helpful.  Rather than just resting between sets, you perform a different exercise.  I’ve discussed my preferred way to combine high weight, low rep training with a superset workout in Fitness in a Flash and How to Get a Beach Body but thought it might be worthwhile to provide a little more flavor. Continue Reading…

Are there any benefits of low intensity cardio?  With the emergence of high intensity cardio and other intense training routines, a low intensity cardio workout is not nearly as prevalent as it used to be.  Why have I started doing a lot more low intensity cardio for fat loss then?  Because it’s a great way to burn a few extra calories with very little risk of over training or injury.  This was an important point mentioned in my interview with Rusty Moore in getting the lean, Hollywood look. Continue Reading…

In the past, I’ve discussed how I use boxing workouts at home to help increase fat loss.  Now I’d like to lay out a boxing workout routine that you can use to either supplement or even replace your existing strength training routine.  What I like about a boxing training routine is that it is a high intensity, low impact program.  Because you can’t perform HIIT focused on your legs day-after-day without overtraining, boxing gives your legs a bit of a rest while still allowing you to get a great cardiovascular workout that tones your arms, ups HGH levels and results in EPOC.  Even better, a boxing training program can be done with little to no equipment in limited space. Continue Reading…

Rusty Moore recently took time away from his busy schedule to do an interview for my site.  By way of background, Rusty runs a high traffic blog called Fitness Black Book that focuses on achieving the lean, Hollywood look.  His Visual Impact Muscle Building and Visual Impact for Women workouts are two of my favorite approaches to getting a great body.  More recently, Rusty started a Facebook page where he pretty much acts as a free personal trainer answering all sorts of questions about how to get in great shape. Continue Reading…