Bringing Up Weak areas of Back

Being a few weeks out from my next contest has made me re-think some of my training towards to my weak points. They are many but the three major ones are: overall leg density, lower back conditioning, and glute/hamstring tie in. Today I'm focusing on the lower back and how to harden up that area.

My upper and middle back are my strengths so I don't need to focus much attention there, just keep hitting that area with the same intensity. But this train of thought has brought me to realize that I have not been separating the back into different areas of training; the weaknesses as though they are priorities. So I'm going to break the back down and re-focus on the weaker points and de-prioritize the strengths.

The back is made up of four different areas: the upper lats, the lower lats, middle back and lower back. The upper lats include the teres major muscle which gives you the v taper. It's best hit with movements such as wide grip pull ups (my favorite) and wide grip pull downs. Wide gripping rowing exercises also hit this area to some degree.

The lower lats provide the appearance of back width all the way down to where the lats meet the waist. Exercises that focus on this area are reverse and neutral grip work that are performed with shoulder width grip, such as pull downs and pull ups, as well as rows done with barbells, dumbbells, T-bars, cables and machines. The straight arm pull down and pullover also hit the lower lats.

The middle back includes the middle and lower traps and rhomboids. The best exercises that target this area are seated rows with a wide grip in which you pull to the chest, not your mid-section. Also you can use dumbbells by taking an overhand grip and bringing the weight far out to your sides (not tight to your sides). Regular rowing exercises in which you bring the bar to your midsection (as opposed to your chest) also hit this area to a high degree, but for more thickness in the middle, make sure you incorporate a wide grip, bringing the bar high on the torso. The very best exercise for this area and for overall back thickness is the barbell deadlift done with strict form.

The lower section is the erector spinae muscles or lower back. Exercises that tend to work best for this area are stiff legged dead lifts, good mornings and back extensions. These moves work best for this area if you allow a slight rounding of the back, unheard of in most other exercises for good reason so you need to lower the weights a bit. This area is my weakness and I will focus much of my attention to. I am going to do some of these exercises twice a week to firm up the lower back.

A good approach to specific area back training is to rate your back into these 4 areas from 1-4, 1 being the weakest and 4 being the strongest. Then arrange the exercises where you are doing the weakest parts first in your back training and the strongest last. Or you can have two back training days where you train the weak parts earlier in the week and the strongest at the end of the week.

How To Increase Your Strength And Get A Leaner Body by Adam Yezer

How To Increase Your Strength And Get A Leaner Body

By Adam Yezer

Most of us started lifting weights to gain muscle, get stronger, and to be better at a particular sport. Just about everyone would like to be leaner, while increasing strength and performance. But how do we do it?

This can be a dilemma with powerlifters, especially in the heavier weight categories. Many know if they were leaner could eventually be stronger pound for pound, but what happens is they go on a diet and it is usually too strict and lose too much strength and then just say "oh well, I just need to eat". There are few freaks who are always lean and still strong despite what they eat, be safe in knowing that I am not one of the lucky ones.



So how is it done to get leaner and maintain strength? Rotating carbohydrate intake by having a high carbohydrate day for example on heavy lifting days. For example; training deadlifts, squats or legs, and especially max effort for squats/deads, upper back and bench. If you're a bench specialist, your high carbohydrate days should be focused on your bench days.

Your low carb day would be the day where you do cardio and medium carbohydrate day could be speed training. Still to get lean do not skip cardio it is essential for some fat burning and keeping your heart in good condition. It is still essential for proper nutrition to be in a calorie deficit with essential protein and calorie intake but not an excessive decrease so you can slowly burn fat and try to maintain muscle. By doing it slowly you can also maintain a majority of your strength and the key is slowly, take your time. Rome was not built in a day and neither was strength and muscle.



This carb rotation allows you to have extremely high energy and on heavy training days, then the next day back to lower carbohydrate intake, allowing you to lower body fat levels slowly on low, medium carb days where protein and fat are increased. The higher levels of essential fatty acids on low/med days , allowing you to not be to hungry, while the high volume of quality protein will protect against muscle breakdown.

This process again allows you to get leaner, maintain strength, keep you from doing the same diet day after day and hopefully keep things fresh.

There are always adjustments that need to be made there are no cookie cutters every one is different and needs invidual plans but this basic idea can help you maintain strength and get leaner if your goal is to be a competitive lifter or not.



Here is a sample diet plan.

High carb day
Meal 1
2 cups oats(cooked) (on weekend buckwheat pancakes if want something different)
1 whole egg large egg
5 egg whites(large eggs)
1 cup strawberries

Meal 2
Whey protein 1 scoop, 1% milk 4-6 oz plus 1 banana

Meal 3
6 oz chicken breast skinless
1 cup dry pre cooked whole wheat pasta
1 cup frozen broccoli

Meal 4
8 oz Salmon
6 oz baked potato
1 cup Cauliflower

Meal 5
1 cup cottage cheese 1% fat or casein protein powder 1 scoop

If still hungry 1 scoop whey protein powder about 100 cals, 24 grams protein, 3 grams carbs, 1.5 grams fat and if need nore carbs have an apple(small) about 60 cals, 15 grams carbs

Med carb day
Meal 1
1 ½ cups oats cooked(other cereal shredded wheat is ok)
1 whole egg(large)
Med carb day continued meal 1
7 egg whites(large)
½ grapefruit or 1/2 cup blueberries

Meal 2
Whey protein Powder 1 scoop, 1 apple

Meal 3
5 oz tuna solid white(water drained about 1 can)
1 tablespoons low fat mayo
1 cup corn canned is ok or 1 med corn ear

Meal 4
8 oz Flank steak broiled
1 small to med sweet potato
Asparagus 4 spears

Meal 5
½ cup 1% cottage cheese or casein protein powder 1 scoop
If still hungry either whey protein powder or eggs and egg whites again or piece of meat or chicken will not include in calories


Low carb day
Meal 1
6 egg whites (large)
2 whole eggs,
1 cup oats,

Meal 2
1 scoop whey protein
1/2 cup mixed nuts

Meal 3
7 oz ground beef 95% lean 266 cals 42 grams protein 10 grams fat
2 cups broccoli 60 calories 4 grams protein 8 grams carbs
1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter

Meal 4
8oz salmon
1 cup mixed veggies

Meal 5
1 cup 1% cottage or casein protein powder of choice or 5-egg whites and 1 egg
plus 1/2 cup mixed nuts with either choice.


An extra meal may be added if losing to much strength.
If things are going well leave alone however if getting leaner and losing strength repeat one of meals on same day for example, on low carb day ad an extra protein shake or eggs and egg whites.
On med carb day repeat on of prior meals and same on high carb day.

For training you have to see how it goes but it is recommended to train max effort squat/deadlift on high carb days max bench med carb days and speed lower body.
If you specialize in bench then all bench training would be on high carbs assistance and other bodyparts med carb day, use low carb days for cardio and any sled or other accessory exercises for condititioning.

What is a HammerFitBody

Free website - Wix.com

ONE OF MY LATEST RANTS ACTUALLY THIS IS A REPOST FROM THE WEBSITE

This is an article that I wrote regarding changing to a healthy lifestyle. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment in the comments section.

Lifestyle for the ones that want to be the best they can be.................

Corny saying huh "be the best you can be"? The Marines have it right. Are we ever the best we can be? I think not. I'm 54 and still working on being the best father, husband, grandfather, friend, mentor and human being and I still have a lot to improve on.

But one thing I will always remember from boot camp was this very large man screaming at me asking me if that's all I had. Think about what that drill sergeant was asking as I guide you through what I have learned about taking care of your body and soul. Keep thinking that thought........it this all I got? Is this the best I can be?

God created an unbelievable piece of art when he created the human body and soul. Don't you think we should repay him by taking care of it? Look in your bible; see any fat people in there? We as a society have become so complicated and stressed out we can't see the big picture anymore. We're so worried about that new car or boat or big house or whatever, we lose sight of what's truly important in life. Walk outside and look up in the sky and take in a big gulp of life. I guess that's why I choose to live on the coast..I can drive down the beach drive and right in front of me is god's creation, that very moment is what is worth being here. The most precious things in life are all around us; we just can't see it sometimes and need to be reminded.

If we are to improve ourselves we first have to set goals, both short term and long term. What are your goals? To lose weight.short term. To make sure you live long enough to share the experiences of life with your grandchildren.long term. Write your goals down. Put the short term ones on the frig, in your face so you don't lose track.

We all need a support team. I have the most wonderful person in the world that helps me. I'm sure you do too, now you have to get them to buy into your goal. That doesn't mean you have to preach to them or force your way of thinking on them, that will just push them away from helping you achieve your goal. Just show them how this is important in your life and how it will also make them happier to be around you because you are happier being healthier.

Ok, first there is no dieting. There is only lifestyle changing. There are hundreds of diets that will aid in weight loss. Not one of them will help you keep the weight off once you have achieved your short term goal. That requires a change in your lifestyle.

The first step in achieving a healthy lifestyle is to assess your current lifestyle for overall health and fitness. To do this, write down everything you eat in a 3 consecutive day period. Don't sugar coat it, be honest, this is not to make you feel guilty, rather a litmus to determine where you are. Now go to a calorie counter website or buy a calorie counter at a local bookstore. I use a site calledwww.calorieking.com; it's free, easy to use and will calculate your macros for you as well. More on that later. Once you have calculated all the calories you have eaten in the last 3 days, divide that by 3 and you have your base diet. This number is what it takes to keep you looking the way you do now. The objective is to lose some weight so we have to drop that number or at least adjust how we get to that number. The principle is so simple it's ridiculous....burn more calories than you put in.
Ok, we have our number; let's say its 4000 calories. Tomorrow let's get that down to 3500 calories. Nothing magical about that number, just lower it. Now what kind of activity do you do in a day? Nothing? Ok, let's start with something.

Simple, get up off your ass and walk. Nothing complicated so far? That's the norm. Now the other side of the spectrum is fit people. Calorie intake is 2500 and they run 25 miles a week and still can't lose weight. Again you need to study what you are doing and adjust accordingly. If you are on a low calorie intake and you don't lose weight then look at the foods you eat and see where you can improve. Example: sweet potato replacing French fries. Different foods react differently to each individual so articles you read that say eat more sweet potatoes and you will be fixed are crap. Everyone's makeup is different and you are going to have to work at it too see what works best for you.

I will leave it here with some tips that may help:

Alcohol is full of sugar. It also goes straight to the liver to be processed because it basically is a poison to the system and the liver is frantically trying to protect you from it. Ever wonder why it makes you feel bad? Number one question I get from people, "how do you look like that, what are you on"? Do you know how insulting that is to someone that busts their ass and doesn't take drugs? I always bite my lip and tell them it is diet. Then they ask for my advice on their diet. My first question is, do you drink beer? The answer is almost always, well certainly doesn't everyone? Sorry to break this to you folks but if you are going to drink beer, then you are going to be lugging around some extra body fat. The grains and sugar that are in beer are some of the most wasted calories you can consume. There are 2 ways to combat this without becoming a t-totaler. For every beer you drink, drink a glass of water, this will help flush it out and the liver won't have to work as hard. Remember the liver is a vital part of your metabolism, the fat burning mechanism. The more you can help relieve the liver of the function of keeping you alive the more it can be working on burning fat. The other thing you can do for your alcohol fixation is to drink red wine in moderation. It is actually good for you.

Eating small frequent meals.All meals should include protein, complex carbs and omega 3 fats.

Eat breakfast. it is by far the most important meal. The word breakfast comes from breaking from the fasting. You are fasting while you are asleep and your body needs nutrition when it awakes.

Meal timing and quantity. You should eat your standard 3 meals a day and eat at least 2 snacks in between these meals. Wow, now that's a novel idea. We're talking about losing weight and you want me to eat more? Think I'm crazy, try it for 2 weeks and then call me crazy. Now your meals should be small portions. Don't eat until you are full. If you do that, you have over eaten. Eat small portions. Look on the labels of foods, it will tell you what a portion consists of. Snacks in between meals should consist of nuts, fruits and veggies.

Eat all the veggies you want, the more the better, they are full of fiber. Be careful with the fruit. Google Glycemic index and it will describe the best fruits for you. I.e.: bananas are full of sugar, apples are not. Anything with the word "berry" is a good thing.

Beverages. Drink as much water as you can. A gallon a day is great but not easy, you have to build up to it. Again this helps keep you flushed. Drinking cold water also helps keep the metabolism running hard as it tells the body to waste energy on keeping itself at 98 degrees while you're pouring cold water in it. Takes energy to do this. Say no to sugar, especially soft drinks. Wasted calories, nothing good comes out of drinking a coke. Go with diet drinks or crystal lite drinks, they come in all kinds of great flavors. Green tea is also a good beverage.

Fats. Anything that has saturated fats or high cholesterol needs to be avoided at all costs. However do not be afraid of the word "fats". Unsaturated fats and omega 3 fats are good for you and are essential in maintaining good health. Example: olive oil, nuts, fish oils, etc.

I could write a book on nutrition but this is not the place, so I will stop here. If you have specific questions I will be glad to help. I don't know everything but I do know enough experts that I can get you the answer.

Now comes the part everyone hates. The C word. CARDIO. Cardio means a lot of different things but the basic meaning of it here is doing something that you normally don't do. If you sit around all day, then it can be getting up and walking around. It's simple and easy to adapt to. In the bodybuilding world it is one of the most important things folks do to get into lean conditioning.

There are 2 types that I will discuss here: HIIT and steady state. HIIT=High Intensity Interval Training. Basically it's changing pace, start off warming up, pick up the pace, cool down a bit then pick it back up, never letting the body getting used to what the amount of stress you are putting it under. This is pretty advanced stuff so unless you're already fairly fit you would want to start off by doing what is called steady state cardio. That is doing some form of exercise that elevates your heart rate to something that is just above the level of having a comfortable conversation for an extended period of time. Example would be walking fast enough that you can carry on a conversation with someone but it's not particularly comfortable to do so. Fat burning process with cardio takes place in steady state exercise after 20 minutes. Example: if you walk for 45 minutes you have actually been burning fat for the last 25 minutes. HIIT, whole different story. You can burn fat in as little as 10 minutes with this method if you make it hard enough.

Big secret: Fasting cardio. Once you get fit or if you are already fit try this for the ultimate in fat burning. It helped me get to 3% body fat at 205lbs. After waking in the morning, drink 1-3 cups of coffee and a bottle of water. Do not eat anything. Empty everything you can. Now go do some cardio for as long as you can. If you're up to it, the HIIT technique is the best method, as intense and as long as you can. When you feel your stomach start it eat itself then you know you had enough. I do 30-40 mile cycling rides before breakfast to achieve low body fat levels. This is truly magical stuff if done correctly.

Here's what you can look like at 54 years old with 9 knee operations, 2 stints, torn rotator cuffs and a gallbladder full of stones if you don't make excuses. I'm not showing you this to brag but rather say hey if the old man can do this, then certainly you can make an effort to be the best you can be.

STRENGTH TRAINING IS FOR EVERYONE by Lisa Clark

I was fifty years old and had never stepped into a gym before. I had never been involved in one sport's activity (except a bowling league age 10, if that counts), my entire life. You could say that I had no desire to be competitive. Only weighing 115 pounds, my arms jiggled, my tummy had a big smiley face in the roll and my butt had fallen off.

My husband gave me a gym membership as a gift. Hmm, what does that mean??? At the time I was quite intimidated by a gym and all the "hot" girls in there. I would sit in my car ten minutes contemplating how I could get out of this. My stomach churned with anxiety. That happened to me for at least six months. Adding a trainer once a week for a period of time helped me become acquainted with the equipment and to learn to set goals. I find now that after learning the "Hammer" way (INTENSE) , that I train much harder and am more productive.

I gained 10 pounds in a year but still held on to the belly fat. Only since February have I finally been able to lose 5 pounds of belly fat. I am happy at 120 pounds with shapely arms and a booty. (a continuous process of improvement!)

I have learned to be competitive with myself; my personal goals. I strive to look "hot" for my husband, who is a bodybuilder. Talk about pressure. I have to try to look good next to him. I now look forward to going to the gym. It no longer intimidates me. I actually like the smells of metal and sweat. It triggers that "competitive" drive. Did I say competitive?

My day begins around 4:30 am with a little cardio or circuit training in our home gym. I have two hours driving time to work and back, and an average nine hour work day as a Registered Nurse in a busy outpatient recovery room. I LOVE my gym time now, at least three days a week one and one-half hour strength training routines.I manage to get about 75 miles of cycling a week in from spring to fall. I still do the shopping, cooking, and cleaning and the other fun "wifey" things. You will make time to do things that are important to you.

Thank you Hammer for the gym membership and for all the encouragement that you give me. I couldn't do it without you.

FEED THE BODY BUILDER by Lisa Clark

Who is a body builder? EVERYONE who is trying to build muscle. Nutrition to the body builder is how one gets their fuel to build and maintain muscle. Meals become somewhat like feedings. How many times did you eat today? How much protein? Did you eat enough carbs to fill out your muscles or do you look flat? Did you drink your gallon of water?

Maintaining good nutrition takes as much discipline as the strength training does. It has been a challenging experience for me to feed the body builder. It requires redundant tasks of meal preparation and planning. We haven't gone out to eat in a restaurant in six months or more. Feeding a body builder. Is it worth it? YES. Would you do it over again? YES. Have you seen results? YES.

I have learned by trial and error over the past two years how to feed the body builder. I will be sharing tips with you!

WEIGHT TRAINING AND TOTAL FITNESS

Why is weight or resistance training popular? Why are the gyms and health clubs stocked with entire lines of resistance training equipment, machines and free weights? What has brought such popularity to weight training, a physical fitness activity that for many years had taken such a back seat to other fitness activities? There are a number of reasons. Some are based on fairly recent advances in exercise physiology and sports medicine, some are the result or more enlightened thinking by coaches, physical educators and athletic trainers, but the primary, fundamental reason is that weight training has been singled out as the main component in achieving total fitness. That's right, the basic element, the fundamental component, the foundation on which a fit body is built. This may be a shocking statement for some, but I will prove it to you.


Let's start with fitness itself. What is it? What are it's components? What exactly is total fitness?


Of course, like everything else in life, there is some disagreement on the definition of fitness, but few would dispute the medical authorities who say that fitness is "heart fitness." After all, when you get down to it, you can't be fit if your heart isn't fit. You can strengthen a healthy heart and also strengthen an unhealthy heart through exercise. You can't cure a sick heart, and you can't damage an healthy one through exercise. That's the objective reality of heart health in relation to exercise, and the extent of our self improvement powers.


So what is fitness? Let us define our terms. One of the best definitions of fitness comes from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports They say fitness is "the ability to carry out daily tasks with vigor and alertness, without undue fatigue and with ample energy to enjoy leisure time pursuits and to meet unforeseen emergencies." Another useful description comes from the American Heart Association and includes a phrase about achieving " a state of body efficiency enabling a person to exercise vigorously for a long time period without fatigue."


What's interesting is that these and other definitions of fitness are strength related- that is, they involve skeletal muscle and heart strength. It's not surprising then that the Physical Fitness Research Digest (PFRD), a publication of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports says the chief elements of fitness are:





1. Muscular strength-determined by a single maximum contraction of the muscle.


2. Muscular endurance- the ability of the muscle to perform work.


3. Circulatory respiratory (cardiovascular) endurance- the ability of the large muscle groups to perform moderate contractions for relatively long periods of time.


The other components of fitness, according to the PFRD, are motor fitness or coordination, muscular power, agility, speed, and flexibility. Anyone who can put all of these elements together is truly in very good physical shape.


The thread that is woven through all these physical qualities is strength. Here's why. Muscular strength and muscular endurance are virtually the same thing. Improvement in muscular endurance is directly related to muscular strength, and of course, strength is a developmental trait that can be improved through the right kind of exercise. What is that exercise? Weight (or resistance)Training. Strength and endurance increase when repetitive exercise is performed against resistance. That improvement in strength and endurance is directly proportional to the amount of resistance, the frequency of training and the length of the training session. Stress is crucial, since mere repetitions of muscular contractions that put little stress on the norm's system have little effect on the development of strength in the skeletal muscles. This is why I say that weight training is the main component, the fundamental key to fitness. Other exercise methods such as jogging, biking or swimming long slow distances or lifting the same amount of weight time after time, do not provide sufficient stress to build strength- the major component of fitness. Only progressive weight training can overload the muscles, force them to work harder, and stimulate their growth. Let's look back for a minute at the elements of total fitness-muscular strength, muscular endurance, circulatory-respiratory (cardiovascular) endurance, motor fitness or coordination, muscular power, agility, speed and flexibility. We've defined three of these factors, but what do the others mean? Motor fitness is the ability to perform complex tasks with skill and physical coordination. Muscular power is the ability to release maximum muscular force in the shortest time. Agility is speed in changing body position or direction. Speed is the rapidity with which successive movements of the same kind can be performed, and flexibility is the range of movement in a joint or sequence of joints, It's obvious that strength is necessary, and as the PFRD states, "Strength development may be considered not only a physical fitness need but fundamental to the total physical being." Let me step back for a moment for disclaimer. I don't mean to say weight training is the only way to get fit. When I am in contest training, I run, I ride a bike, I swim and in the past I've played basketball. I think there is value in all types of physical exercise. What I am saying is that weight training which follows the Integrated Total Fitness method develops all the components of physical fitness enumerated by the sports medics and the physiologists. That includes cardiovascular fitness, which is explained in the article on cardiovascular fitness. But no other exercise can improve all the components of fitness, and as we have just seen, weight training is the key to TOTAL Fitness

WHEN YOU GIVE IN TO DISCOURAGEMENT WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

When you think you can't do something for whatever reason or you get discouraged because things aren't going the way you expected think on this:

Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A is one of this countries most successful businessmen. In his autobiography he tells of being so tongue tied he could hardly put two sentences together. Three weeks after he opened his first store it burned to the ground. When he finally got his second store opened, his brothers, who were his partners, were all killed in a plane crash. People advised him to quit. But instead he decided to trust God and keep trying. As a result his business employs thousands and feeds millions every day. Truett Cathy took his setbacks and turned them into steeping stones. So stick with it and you'll win too!

Competition Prep by Lisa Clark

Do you think bodybuilding and figure competiton is an individual sport? I am here to tell you that it isn't. When you make the commitment to compete you are asking the whole family to partake in the competition. Your spouse/significant other becomes your cook and your psychiatrist.

For eight months your diet consists of chicken. I cook 70 chicken breasts a week. Fortunately, we have learned by trial and error how to cook them so they are edible. No restaurants for 8 months, roughly January through August. Meal preparations at home. Sunday evenings are spent in the kitchen cooking brown rice, baking sweet potatoes, cooking brocolli and baking chicken. These are divided into individual meals ready to eat during the week. Every morning, oatmeal is prepared and eggwhites with vegetables are made, all before you (I) leave the house at 6:15. Rice cakes with peanut butter are sorted in baggies and the water jug is filled with filtered water. The protein shakes are blended and put in insulated glasses. Funny thing, I am actually "addicted" to these foods now and don't want to eat anything else. Hang in there, it will be worth it.

The competitor needs praise every few hours throughout the day so this is where the psych therapy comes in. As the competition date gets closer, they suddenly think "I am fat, I am not big enough". What, are you kidding me? You are pumped and shredded. What mirror are you looking in? Take some more photos and reassure them. Keep them built up and positive but not too much or they start thinking with their ego instead of their heart. They feel that "nobody understands what I am going through?" Remember, competitor, you have not taken this journey alone, your spouse/significant other has been there all the way. They seem to now respect stranger's opinions and evaluations of them other than yours. They need lots of stroking. Hang in there, they need you, sometimes they just lose their focus. It will be worth it.

Family and friends on Facebook are hidden under the new 100 friends who wear very little clothing. Where did they all come from? Everyone has now seen your spouse in their man or girl panties. You just thought you were the only one, ha! Facebook and forums play an important role in the competitors life. Who are these people? What do they know about you or me? Facebook should be renamed "FACEOFF"; who can be the most seductive and show the most skin, tell the tallest tale.... it becomes a " faceoff." Hang in there, it will be worth it.

Training, well, we know that is a priority. All the energy is placed in the training at the gym and you get to have the fatigued "vegetable" for dinner. Its okay, you will get back to a normal life in August or so. Hang in there, it will be worth it.

On stage, you will look at your spouse/significant other. This hasnt been an individual sport. YOU helped get them there. YOU shopped, cooked, sacrificed, tolerated new "friends", supported, listened, took pictures, slept with the left overs. YOU won't get on stage, YOU won't get the trophy, but YOU are proud of them. It was worth it.

Food Choice by Lisa Clark

Here is a sample grocery list at our house and where to go to buy the things you need. I am not particularly a fan of Walmart, but they do carry some of our favorite items at the lowest cost. I recommend Publix for their fresh fruits and vegetables.

Walmart

Egg Whites quart cartons ( walmart brand is good and the cheapest)

Skim Milk

1% cottage cheese (i like the 1% rather than fat free, tastes better, less sugar and only 1.5g fat, 13 gm protein)

Yogurt (fat free) Greek preferred but pricy

Spray butter (fat free 0 calories)

Grapefruit juice (Floridas Natural brand is good and less sugar)

Whole grain oats (Walmart brand is better than quaker actually and they cook in 2 mins)

Walnuts

Yoga brand organic brown rice (cooks light and tasty)

Splenda brown sugar blend

Tea bags

Artificial sweetener

Coffee

Rice cakes (white cheddar yummy)

Boullion Cubes (chicken and beef) - you will use too cook rice and some veggies with

Wishbone Salad Spritzer dressings

Peanut butter Jiff Simply brand

Soy sauce

Rotel tomatoes (spicy chopped tomatoes walmart brand okay)

Tuna

Popsicle brand sugar free popsicles are the BOMB! my favorite desert (15cals)

Blueberries frozen sugar free

Strawberries (Sunrise Growers brand are awesome and less than 6 bucks big bag)

Stir fry veggies

Spices: iodized seasalt. pepper, Cavenders greek seasoning, Tony Chachere's spice n herbs, taco seasoning, cinnamon

Ezekial bread is carried at health food stores, Publix, or Winn Dixie frozen foods organic section

Publix or your favorite store for fresh fruit/veggies

pineapple

Bananas

Apples

Lemons

Sweet potatoes

Idaho potatoes

Salad Mix

Asparagus

Cabbage

Mushrooms

Broccoli

Tomatoes

Green Pepper

Zucchini

Cabbage

Cucumber

Small red potatoes

Spinich

Meats (we use local butcher)

Chicken breasts

turkey slices

Ground turkey

flank steak or a filet

Fresh Fish twice a week

REVERSE CRUNCH FOR RIPPED LOWER ABS

A good friend turned me on to this ab exercise last year and I really got into it this prep season. I have always been a fan of hanging leg raises for lower abs but this does target more of the lower area without working the top of the quads as the leg raises do. Don't stop doing hanging leg raises but add this to your lower ab routine.

The reverse crunch is so effective, because it shortens the fibers of the lower region of the abdomen, as it invokes an upward pelvic tilt at the beginning of each lift. Furthermore, this exercise maintains almost constant tension in these muscle fibers throughout the exercise.

How to perform:

1. Lie face up on flat bench. Grab the edge of the bench next to your head with both hands.

2. Flex your knees and hips so that your thighs become perpendicular to the floor.

3. Curl your pelvis towards your head (only a few degrees). Next, lift your pelvis and lower back upward, and move your knees toward your head by lifting the lower back off the bench. Try to concentrate on feeling your lower abdominal fibers contract as you lift your hips and legs upward.

4. Keep your knees flexed and your thighs parallel to the floor as you slowly return your legs and hips to the starting position.

5. As soon as your tailbone hits the bench, start upward for the next rep.

6. Repeat 20-25 reps in a slow and deliberate fashion. This should take about 2 seconds to lift the thighs and 2-3 seconds to come down. Work up to 2-3 sets.

If you can get 3 sets done without too much effort then use a decline bench. Done the same way as the flat bench but the head is at the high end of the decline bench and the feet start at the low end of the bench as this increases the effort needed to move the legs upward.

BLOG POST BY A FELLOW MASTER'S COMPETITOR - I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF! LIKE A FINE WINE!

Like a fine Wine!…

Like a fine wine…. I do not feel like this after 30 years with the iron being my constant opponent. I would assume if I were a fine wine aged 30 years I would be …well awesome! I actually feel more like bruised grapes!

This does not get any easier that is for sure! Multiple surgeries, probably a couple more needed but that would mean time off. It reminds me of that old commercial with Jack Palance. He said, “Getting old it’s not for sissies!” While I do not think I am old yet I am about half way through the race.

The other day while I am preparing all my diet meals fro the day I asked myself why after al this time am I doing this …still. I do not know the answer. I was watching Raising the Bar 3 and Dave said after his last show he would never do it again and he has not. I understand why he says it. The single mindedness it takes to do this sport is taxing to yourself and everyone around you. The constant food preparation…which I cannot figure out how I cook so damn much when I am eating so much less and why the hell am I ALWAYS at the grocery store….WHY!?

Why are we (Rita and I.) going to spend around $5K competing when we could go on a nice ass vacation with all that money and rest and relax? I figured this up the other day and was like f... me! $700 in entries alone for Masters and NAs! That is silly huh!

So why do I do this…because I still love it. I love the challenge. I love being able to be hungry for months and not eat a damn crouton! I love having nothing left in me and still grinding out a hard ass leg workout 3 weeks out. I love that cheating is never even a though. I can make my son waffles and not break!

It is why people climb Everest. Not just because it is there, but because very few people can do it and make it to the top. While I am not at the top I have placed top five in a national show so I am at least in site of the summit. I know that with my torn quad tendons and what not it is doubtful I will summit…actually pretty damn sure of it! But I still want to see how high I can climb. One more national trophy is all I want!

I think of all the guys I will be competing against that hurt like me. Have responsibilities like me. Who worry about all they do and put into their bodies to look like this like I worry? We do what we do because its what we are. You cannot do well in this sport and not suffer. Prices must be paid without a doubt. The rewards to me however are more than worth it!

I look forward to doing battle with all my Masters brothers. Lets be as safe as we can and put up the best package we can and make people marvel that people our age can look like we do.

Tip on Indigestion or Heart Burn

According to George Farah, "The Pro Buider", taking antacids and/or scrips of many proton pump inhibitors is probably the worse thing you can do to the body. According to George, "we need that acid that is naturally accrued in our bodies to digest food and many other things, including defending our immune system from bacteria."

Here's how he suggests to handle indigestion: Drink an hour and a half after or before each meal and if you need to drink any liquid during a meal, use a half cup of mint or ginger tea.

So next time you are about to eat, make sure to hold off on your water or liquid to help your stomach digest your food properly and without the added extra fluid during your meal; your food will be digested much faster and you will never have to worry about any discomfort from indigestion or heartburn.

Proper Posture by Lisa CLark

I went for my yearly gyn exam and gained 3/4" in HEIGHT! How did that happen??? Oh, I know; my posture. I have worked on improving my posture for a year. It was a conscience effort for months before it happened naturally.

Posture plays an important role in all our daily activities, standing, sitting, walking, and exercising.

Proper posture:
keeps bones and joints in proper alignment
prevents fatigue because muscles are being used more efficiently allowing the body to use less energy
prevents pain and injury
improves body appearance (belly looks flatter too)
promotes self confidence
No doubt, proper posture improves your looks and it just feels good. It is a form of self discipline which makes one more physically and mentally stable, a better mind and body state. I don't know about you, but I love improving my mind and body.

Good posture involves training your abs, back, hams and shoulders! Thanks Hammer for helping me train for proper posture!

Free website - Wix.com