50 Ways on How to Live Better In & Out of the Gym - Part 2

26.  Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most proven and effective training supplements, use it if it fits into your program goals

27.  Make sure your bedroom is completely blacked out at night, you will sleep much better

28.  Avoid slow/steady state cardio for weight loss, it breaks down muscle tissue

29. Try listening to meditation CD's as a tool to help de-stress

30. When trying to gain size, try a 6-8 rep
scheme

31.  If interested in adding olympic lifts to your training, first seek out a experienced trainer for
instruction

32.  Epsom salt baths and contrast showers can help reduce muscle soreness

33.  If you like milk, try to buy organic or raw milk.....the other stuff is no good

34.  Make sure your food is nitrate free....studies show it is linked to cancer

35.  Make an effort to chew your food at least 25 times, it will improve digestion

36.  To keep your body healthy, take 1 week off for every 4-8 weeks of training

37.  Do not develop "Program ADD", give a new training regiment at least 4-6 weeks before giving up on it

38.  Use good ol' fashion chalk to help with your grip while training

39.  A good way to stay young and athletic is to not stick with one discipline; play sports, vary your training and keep your body guessing

40.  Try single leg exercises in order to build tendon and ligament strength

41.  Be aware of the top three causes of disease; stress, toxicity and malnutrition

42.  Alkalize your body post workout...this will keep it in an anabolic state; simply eat fruits and veggies or supplement with a product like Amazing Grass

43.  Stay away from static stretches prior to training

44.  Avoid gluten

45.  Know what you're doing before you walk into the gym, having a plan is important in order to reach your goals

46.  If you enjoy coffee, always opt for dark organic whole beans, grind them yourself and drink it straight

47.  Never use that inner thigh machine.....just stay away from machines all together

48.  Try not to carry your cell phone in your pocket or on your hip

49.  When trying to boost muscle mass, try the Vince Gironda method of 10-8-6-15 reps with your exercises

50.  Drinking lime water can reduce arthritic pain


- Brig Van Etten CSCS - 

50 Ways on How to Live Better In & Out of the Gym - Part 1

1. "If a caveman couldn't eat it, you shouldn't!"
   
2. Do complex, multi - joint exercises when in the gym
3. Keep your workouts to 45 minutes or less
4. Shop at markets for organic, non-processed foods
5. Get at least 7 hours of sleep
6. Supplement with branch chain amino acids
7. Get your drinking water from health food stores or outdoor springs
8. Take your off/recovery days as serious as you take your training; stretching, foam rolling & mobility
9. Train in your socks or invest in a pair of minimalist shoes
10. Schedule an active muscle release session at least once a month....you'll thank me later
11. Do not under estimate the power of water.....drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces per day
12. Never forget to warm up....get a sweat going before you train, wear pants & long sleeve shirts until you're ready to roll
13. Include a vegetable & fruit at every meal
14. Maximize your results, have a post workout protein shake waiting on hand
15. Listen to 50 Cent while training...nuff said
16. Read the book Starting Strength - Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe
17. When training arms use thick bars or attach fat gripz to regular sized handles
18. If you're someone who works at the crack of dawn, don't skip breakfast, have a liquid meal; protein smoothie
19. Cook with coconut or olive oil
20. When using body care products; shampoo, soaps, lotions...pick ones that do not contain parabens 
21. In order to build muscle fast, try the legendary 20 rep squat routine
22. When trying to eat clean, schedule a "cheat day" 1-2 days a week
23. Keep your water in glass, stainless steel or BPA free plastic bottles 
24. Dairy, wheat, soy & legumes are pro - inflammatory foods, keep them to a minimum
25. Keep a training journal and track your progress

Stay tuned for part 2!

- Brig Van Etten CSCS - 

The Power of Hydration

     

     It's not flashy, it doesn't have an eye catching name and it certainly isn't in the front of most minds when thinking of how training can be improved. A lot of the time, water is a forgotten aspect of a complete training program. Many individuals are so worried about food and the gym, they forget how important it is to be well hydrated on a daily basis. 

     Believe it or not, poor hydration can negatively effect your strength game. World renown strength coach, Charles Poliquin has said that as little as a 1.5% drop in water levels results in a 10% drop in maximal strength! Simply put, to stay strong you must stay hydrated! Many individuals pride themselves on being able to cut 4-5 lbs during a workout, little do they know that what they're calling "weight" is mainly water. This is not a good thing, you want to weigh as much at the end of the workout as you did at the beginning. 

     It's always a good idea to have a water bottle on hand while exercising. Drinking water while working out takes some stress of your heart, cools your body temperature and works to maintain blood volume. With summer approaching, the rule of thumb is to drink 20 ounces of water before your session and then 10-15 ounces every 15 minutes.

     At this point many of you are probably wondering what crazy formula you need to go through in order to find out how much water you need on a daily basis. Don't worry, it's simple, just take your body weight, cut it in half and boom, thats how much water you need in ounces a day!

- Brig Van Etten CSCS -

Pre - Workout Coffee

   

    The votes are in this week and the use of coffee as a pre-workout came out on top! I think this was an interesting topic for many readers because everyone is always looking for a way to turn their workout up a notch. 

     We're all familiar with the classic pre-workout supplements on the market; NO Explode, C4, Assault, Jack3d & oh yes...the ARNOLD IRON PUMP!! Now, I know the ads for a lot of these products are extremely tantalizing, promising larger veins, instantly bigger biceps and extreme fat loss! The truth of the matter is, it's not worth putting all this crap in your body for very small, most of the time not even noticeable results. Most of these products have ingredients in them that even a chemist couldn't identify! 

     Coffee might not come with all the same "guarantees" as the above products, but it is a much healthier and safer option. When dealing with supplements or just food in general, the smaller the list of ingredients, the better! All natural or organic straight black caffeinated coffee fits that description perfectly! Before listing the many benefits of coffee, it should be noted that coffee consumption should be stopped once your workout is done. Coffee has the tendency to elevate cortisol in the body, this is the "muscle eating", stress hormone of the body and it's important to have that low when trying to recover. Now, on to the good stuff.....

1.       Warm coffee increases internal body heat, somewhat priming us for a warmup
2.       Having coffee as a pre-workout has been shown to increase focus and work capacity
3.       Studies have shown that caffeinated coffee has actually been shown to improve fat loss
4.       Caffeinated coffee can possibly increase power and strength
5.       Coffee increases motivation  

Try having some coffee before your next workout and see if it improves your session!

- Brig Van Etten CSCS - 

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Food Labels: "The Blacklist"

     

       Today's post is a short one, just giving some advice on what should raise a red flag in your mind, when looking at food ingredients. It's safe to say that most everyone who looks at this blog is familiar with the big players on a food label; protein, carbohydrates and fats. Going a little further, many readers are probably educated on what types of fats are good or bad, is sodium too high or what is an acceptable amount of cholesterol.
        Below is a short list, bringing to light some names you should definitely stay away from when purchasing food. These guys can be found in the ingredients section and they're my absolute don'ts....put them on the Blacklist!

The Blacklist:

• High - Fructose Corn Syrup
• Xylitol
• Fructose
• Any Color Followed by a Number (Red5, Blue7)
• Sorbitol
• Gelatin
• Erythritol
• Hydrogenated Soybean, Cottonseed, Vegetable & Canola Oil

- Brig Van Etten CSCS -

5 Easy To Apply Fat Loss Tips!

     With summer fast approaching, many of you might be rushing to shed a few extra pounds before beach season. Now, lets get one thing straight prior to moving on, these tips will help to drop a FEW pounds quickly but won't work magic over night! If your goal weight is still off in the distance, add this advice to your daily routine and you'll definitely be closer to the finish line!

Tips to help unveil all the hard work put in over the winter...

1. Decrease Total Calories

• Decreasing calories is at the top of the list because in order to lose some weight you need to be expending more calories then you're consuming. 
• First, find out how many calories you need to maintain the weight you're at. This can be done by multiplying your bodyweight by 13-15 (ex. 200 x 13 -15 = 2,600 - 3,000 cals). This method isn't exact but it is good enough to get going!
• Take the number you get from the previous bullet and subtract 250 calories from the total, monitor your weight loss weekly to see if you're losing too fast or none at all.

    2.  Increase Protein

• Protein is essential for building muscle and losing fat.
• Structure your diet around healthy proteins (chicken, fish, lean red meats, eggs)
• Protein fills the body up quickly compared to the other macronutrients, forcing you to eat less.

   3.  Decrease Carbohydrates

• Unless you're an endurance athlete start to clear your kitchen of starchy carbs, potatoes, rice, bread & also processed boxed goods.
• Keep your grocery shopping to the outside of the store, do not venture into the middle....you'll rarely find anything useful there.
• Carbs are full of calories, the kind we'd rather not have when looking to unleash a jaw dropping six pack!   

   4.  Increase Vegetable Consumption

• Now this is where your carbohydrates should come from! Vegetables and some fruit!
• It is good to have vegetables at every meal, at least try to have one salad a day.
• Vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and many other vital nutrients! 

   5.  Keep Eating Fats....The Good Ones 

• By good fats that means; olive oil, flaxseed oil, FISH OIL, raw nuts, eggs, some bacon, avocados to name a few.
• These fats are essential to joint and many hormones throughout the body.
• Call me crazy but, when the correct fats are eaten, they do not make you fat, they actually can help in your fat loss quest!

You might notice that all these tips are centered around nutrition. This is because nutrition is the key when attempting to change body composition. Added in with hard work at the gym and you'll be amazed at how much you can transform!

- Brig Van Etten CSCS -