Leg Training: A MUST DO.

A while ago while I was literally blasting the crap out of my legs, some guy walks up to me and asked why do I train legs and why so heavy?

Before I answered his stupid question, I took a glance at his legs and could not help but notice this guy needed serious help. No wonder he`s making  dumb-ass questions like that.

So, before I answered, I asked him what was it that he wanted to achieve by working out? What was his goal?

Nobody would believe me, but he actually wants to be a freakin bodybuilder. So this is the part where I explode.

So I asked him,"You wanna be a bodybuilder, but you don`t work on your legs?" WTF!

Dude! You CANNOT get on a stage looking like Tweety. Looking like some greek mithology freak like half cow half chicken. Simply put, you gotta have some wheels if you wanna bodybuild.

I`m retired from competition, but I still work with the same intensity, every body part there is to be worked on.

So he says, "I hate squats. I`m lazy when it comes to leg workouts". So I said, "Forget about bodybuilding then, cause you`re not gonna win any show with those legs."

Where in the world do these guys come from? Do they EVER read a bodybuilding mag? Have they ever SEEN a bodybuilding contest? 

Luis Hernandez 1995

A bodybuilder with no legs is like having rice without beans. It`s like the cake with no icing. It`s insane.

So, I finally answered his stupid question, and told him that even though I`m retired from the stage, I still hit it heavy and hard because simply put, I do not want to look like him.

After our brief conversation, he was like stunned by what I responded. The next day, I walked into the gym and to my surprise, there he was, waiting for me, to get some advice and to start a leg routine. 

Sometimes you just gotta be harsh to get the message through, and motivate someone to work for what they want.

The plain truth.

Next time,

https://linktr.ee/RamboBodyFitness

Cross Training

Cross training helps improve fitness without overtaxing the muscles used in your primary sport.

Cross training also helps keep your workouts fresh and interesting. Find exercises you enjoy; otherwise you'll dread your workout instead of looking foward to it.

For cardiovascular fitness, try running, swimming, cycling, rowing, stair climbing, rope jumping, skating, skiing or court sports such as basketball.

Strength training could include calisthenics, free weights, or machines.

Flexibility exercises include stretching or yoga; while speed and balance drills, circuit training, sprinting, and plyometrics offer skill conditioning.

Till next time,

Mass Stack: Training And Nutrition Program

Want Size? Want strength? Here`s a good training and nutrition program that will give results. It all depends on you.

Let say your height is 5' 10'' to 6', and you weigh 230-235 lbs.
This is an example.

Average Daily Nutritional Totals:

Protein: 3oog - 325g = 1200 - 1300 calories

Carbohydrates: 330g - 350g = 1320 - 1400 calories

Fats: 100g - 120g = 900 - 1080 calories

Water: 150 - 200 oz.

Total Daily Calories: 3420 - 3780 Calories/Day

Growth Foods

Protein: Tuna, Chicken, Egg Whites, Sirloin, Ground Beef

Carbs: Brown Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Oatmeal, Broccoli, Asparagus

Fats: Flax Seed Oil, Natural Peanut Butter, Mixed Nuts, Olive Oil

Training Splits

5 on 2 Off

Monday: Chest/Calves/Abs

Tuesday: Quads/Hamstrings/Lower Back

Wednesday: Back/Traps/Biceps

Thursday: Triceps/Calves/Lower Back

Friday: Delts/Abs

Note:

• 30 minutes prior to training, a nitric oxide supplement would be good.
• All training sessions begin and end with 10 minutes of stairmaster or treadmill for warm up and cool down.
• Warm up Sets - range from 12 - 15 reps per set, with a maximum of three sets.
• Working Sets - Each muscle group is trained with maximum intensity and weight for 6 - 10 reps per set, with a total of 12 - 16 sets (excludes warm up sets).
• All sets (excluding warm up sets) are pyramid sets; starting with moderate weight quickly increasing to maximum weight.
• Resting time between sets is a minimum of 1 minute and maximum 2 minutes.
• Immediately following training, a protein shake or creatine mix should be taken. You can mix both, or obtain a formula that has both components.

* You can find great protein supplements at astonishing low prices here in this exercise blog. Just look for the links found here. Remember to always consult a physician before beginning any exercise and nutritional program.

Till next time,

Should you use SUPPLEMENTS?

The American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine all recognize that physical activity, athletic performance, and recovery are enhanced by optimal nutrition.

Eating the right foods and drinking enough fluid before, during, and after exercise can help maintain blood glucose during exercise, maximize exercise performance, and improve recovery time. Your diet should include carbohydrates, proteins, and fluids appropriate to your weight, constitution, and activity level, with 60 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates, and a protein intake of 1.2 to 2 grams per kg per day.

Adequate fat intake is also necessary to provide the essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins and help provide adequate energy. If you're eating a varied diet that is adequated to maintain body weight, vitamin and mineral supplementation is generally not necessary. However, it does'nt hurt to take supplements on the side to re-enforce nutritional needs, especially those who train at high levels of intensity. In some cases, supplementation with B vitamins, zinc, and chromium may optimize carbohydrate metabolism.

Consuming sports drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes helps to maintain blood glucose and control thirst during your workout and decreases the risk of dehydration. Short-term supplementation with creatine-one of the more popular ergogenic ( performance enchancing) aids-taken within the recomended dosages, can improve performance during repeated high-intensity exercise. Individual needs should be addressed with a qualified nutrition expert.

Any questions feel free to ask them please.

Get PrimeGENIX Whey Isolate Protein here:

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Make Time For A Workout

No time for exercise? We’ll show you how to fit in a workout every day, give you 5 reasons to work up a sweat in the morning and share some moves.

Simple math is all it takes to schedule exercise time: Cut out one hour of evening TV, and set your alarm to wake you up 30 minutes earlier. Presto! You’ve just accomplished two great things for your body: 30 minutes more sleep and 30 minutes available for morning exercise. If you don’t need more sleep, adjust the formula. Voila! You now have a full hour to exercise.



But why exercise in the morning? After all, 500 calories burned at 6 a.m. is no different than at 6 p.m.

The answer is the fringe benefits. For the person who wants to add exercise to an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, here are 5 excellent reasons to work out in the morning:

Wake-Up Call #1: Time flies when your workout’s not done.You plan to work out, but your busy day throws a curveball, leaving you scrambling to finish your to-do list by bedtime.

So instead of hitting the gym, you hit the sack – annoyed that you missed yet another workout.

That’s why you should exercise first thing in your day. In fact, about 90% of people who exercise consistently do it in the morning. It’s the only way to guarantee you won’t skip it.

Need an extra boost to get out of bed? Push-ups will strengthen your arms, shoulders and pectoral muscles, which helps to create the illusion of cleavage as well as lift sagging breasts. Try this exercise:

Step 1: Kneel on a mat on all fours with your knees hip-width apart. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your fingers and wrists pointing forward.

Step 2: Feather your breathing as you lower your chest toward the floor through a count of 10 seconds. Descend to your maximum tension point, and hold for 2 seconds.

Step 3: Push your body back to starting position through a count of 10 seconds, keeping your elbows slightly bent at the top of the move.

Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #2: Your metabolism won’t boost itself.You roll out of bed, throw on some clothes and stumble out the door on your way to another busy day. Are you even awake yet? Your metabolism certainly isn’t.

The average person can expect the metabolic boost to last for 30-60 minutes post-exercise. EPOC typically accounts for a few paltry calories – 10-60, depending on the intensity of the workout.

Not only does morning exercise help you burn calories during the actual workout, but its effects linger after you’re finished. It’s called EPOC – excess post-exercise oxygen consumption – and it’s a fancy way of saying you burn extra calories even after your workout’s over.



But don’t let that discourage you! It adds up over time, and because it only takes a daily deficit of 500 calories to lose one pound in a week, every calorie counts.

Pump up your metabolism and your biceps with the standing side curl:

Step 1: Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms down by your sides, with palms facing forward and knees slightly bent.

Step 2: Feather your breathing as you curl the dumbbells up through a count of 10 seconds to just past a 90-degree angle. Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds.

Step 3: Keep your elbows tight against your body as you lower the weights to the starting point through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 4: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #3: It’s your choice to be a night owl or an early bird.Tick-tock. You have an internal clock that thrives on routine. It’s your circadian rhythm, and it regulates your body on a 24-hour cycle.

Give yourself a strict bedtime, force yourself to wake up when your alarm goes off (no snoozing!), and exercise each day – even if it’s only for 10 minutes. 



Over time – a few days for some, a few weeks for others – your body will learn the new routine. It will gently wake you up, no earsplitting alarm required. You’ll feel rested and energized, and will actually start looking forward to your workout.

Get yourself in gear tomorrow morning with lateral squats. This move requires a lot of balance and hip stabilization – a job perfect for your gluteus medius.

Remember, this muscle is positioned not where you consider your butt to be, but rather on the side of your hip. Be sure to keep your hips and shoulders in line, and don’t allow your knee to drop forward over your toes:

Step 1: With your hands on your hips, stand with your feet about a foot wider than shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Squat down to the side toward one leg, while keeping the opposite leg straight, through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 3: At the maximum tension point, hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 4: Alternate sides without resting. Perform 2 reps on each side.

Wake-Up Call #4: Morning exercise helps you sleep better in the p.m.Hitting the gym in the morning helps you hit the sack at night. A study published in the scientific journal Sleep showed that overweight or obese women who began a regular morning exercise routine slept better than those who exercised regularly in the evening.



Why? Evening exercise stimulates your body. You become restless and alert, making it very difficult for your brain to turn off and your body to drift into restful sleep.

Exercise is like the ignition in your car – it turns your body on, not off. Get yourself going in the morning with some reverse crunches:

Step 1: Lie flat on a mat, with your hands by your sides, palms down. Pull your heels as close to your bottom as possible. Raise your heels about 2 inches off the ground.

Step 2: While keeping your chin up and abs tight, breathe slowly and rhythmically as you pull your knees up using the lower abdominals through a count of 10 seconds.

Step 3: Hold and squeeze for 2 seconds at the maximum tension point (when your bottom is just off the ground).

Step 4: Lower your body to the starting point through a 10-second count.

Step 5: Repeat three times without resting.

Wake-Up Call #5: A morning workout is better than coffee.Oxygen, not caffeine, is what your brain wants in the morning. So instead of reaching for the coffeepot, reach for your sneakers and you’ll get all the brain-boosting benefits you need.



Studies show that exercise can increase your mental sharpness for 4 to 10 hours after your workout, a benefit you can really use at the start of your day. So, get up and get moving with this quadriceps flex.

This exercise requires a bit of balance – a talent not everyone has. So be sure to use a chair or stable countertop for support:

Step 1: Grasp a chair or other hip-level support, and stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Through a count of 10 seconds, bend your knees as you allow your body to fall slightly backward, letting your heels come up off the floor.

Step 3: At the maximum tension point, hold and squeeze your quads for 2 seconds.

Step 4: Through another count of 10 seconds, slowly return to the starting point.

Step 5: Without resting, repeat three times.

Have you conquered a personal challenge? Exercise and Nutrition wants to hear your success stories, whether it’s diet, fitness, addiction, relationships, debt, career or personal health. We may feature your story to inspire readers just like you.



Email us your story at luishernandez573@hotmail.com.

Outdoor Cardio. Have Fun!

I know for a fact that lots of people get bored doing cardio on a treadmill or a stairmaster at the gym, and especially at home.

At least a gym is more populated and most of them usually have plasma screens right in front of the cardio section.

However, it is so neat to ride a bike in the mountains, which is in fact, a great way to get rid of fat and also to get away from it all.






Running on a beach is also a good way to burn off calories.

Now, I know that for some of you, it is not that easy to get away from it all, with work and kids, and you might have to squeeze in your cardio workout at the gym, or at home, because of lack of time for a separate outdoor session.

Nevertheless, try to make an effort and change your routine schedule. You don't have to always do the same workout, change is good for your mental health, you fight the now and then boredom that sometimes overcomes us all, and you can have a nice time with your family or friends and have a workout at the same time. It's also good to have quality time with the ones you love.

Ride a bike, or go jogging at the beach or near your neighborhood. Have a basketball game with your friends or kids. Basketball burns major calories! Just take the time to appreciate family and friends, change your cardio workout once in a while and have fun. Working out is fun! If you don't see it that way, then you'll have a problem on the long run, probably you won't see the results that you want, and you'll end up quitting. We're here to help. Send me an e-mail or post a comment.

Give Your Brain A Boost

We know it's a good thing for physical health. Now a new study reports that long-term physical activity, particularly walking, will help boost your brain power.


The study from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at more than 18,000 women ages 70 to 81 during a period of approximately 18 years and concluded that long-term regular physical activity, including walking, sharpens memory and increases learning ability and attention span.


Perhaps the best news is that the study found walking at an easy pace was sufficient for positive results. The key was frequency. According to lead researcher, Jennifer Weuve, MPH, ScD, the cognitive benefits first became apparent with two hours of easy-paced walking per week. Weuve defines an easy pace as taking about 20 or 30 minutes to cover a mile. Walking six hours a week at an easy pace, or expending the same amount of energy at another exercise, is associated with the most benefits, according to Weuve.


How does walking promote brain health? Once again, according to Weuve, regular physical activity benefits the cardiovascular system. Better cardiovascular health is related to better cognitive function. Physical activity also appears to have a direct effect on the brain itself.

It appears to promote the production of chemicals in the brain, called nerve growth factors, that improve the brain cells' survival and growth.

Till next time,