Thursday, December 6, 2012

Supplement Review: Vitamin C


Supplement Review: Vitamin C
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy. People are also exposed to free radicals in the environment from cigarette smoke, air pollution, and ultraviolet light from the sun.





The body also needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein required to help wounds heal. In addition, vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from plant-based foods and helps the immune system work properly to protect the body from disease.(1)
Benefits of Vitamin C for Athletes:
- protects the body from damage by free radicals, especially during intense physical exercise.
- plays a role in injury prevention as well as recovery because it is required for the synthesis of collagen, which is a extremely important structural component of tendons & ligaments.
- important for energy production as it is required for the synthesis of carnitine, (amino acid) which is essential for the transport of fatty acids to the cells for conversion to energy
- boost mental focus and training intensity as well as a role in suppressing the body's production of the catabolic cortisol.
- studies have shown that a high dose of vitamin C before and after intense exercise could reduce oxidative stress and muscle soreness.
- Dosage of Vitamin C: 2000-3000mg per day spaced evenly throughout the day, can be taken with or without food

So, get some vitamin C in your life this winter to keep you healthy and training! The best sources are fruits and vegetables, specifically citrus fruits. If nothing else you can always pick up a vitamin C supplement if you feel you are not getting enough!

DO YOU

-SideMeat


1) http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-QuickFacts/#h1

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Supplement Review: Milk Thistle


What is Milk Thistle:
it is a shrub like plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Milk thistle has been used mainly to promote over all liver health. It is a very powerful antioxidant which helps to remove toxic elements from the body. When the liver is damaged by alcohol consumption, steroid usage, pollutants, or any other environmental factor, milk thistle helps the liver to generate new liver cells.
Milk Thistle for Athletes:
Athletes and bodybuilders can benefit from the use of milk thistle because most typically use many nutritional supplements at one time or another in order to boost performance levels. Using numerous supplements at one time may produce synergism that results in enormous stress being placed upon the liver. After any "cycle" type wether it being; anabolic steroids, pro-hormones, thermogenics, or any other supplement athletes can find it helpful to allow the body to rest from supplementation, to cleanse and detoxify their livers.
Dosage:
Milk Thistle is commonly used in oral form but also can be consumed as a tea. The recommended daily dosage is between 400-600mg which needs to be evenly spaced throughout the day for maximum absorption.

This is just a little information on a great supplement. If you are a drinker, a "GNC Chemist", or a pro bodybuilder Milk Thistle should find it's way into your tool kit. Go ahead and get a little "Thistle" in your life!  

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Concentration is the key to arms but not in the way you're thinking!


Everyone has a body part that stands out. Whether it be killer quads or a massive chest, anyone who works out has that one piece that looks like it sneaks off at night and works out by itself! My part happens to be arms. 

A lot of that part with most people is genetics but, after training with many people and helping them see results, there are some factors that, in my opinion, can really help turn those pea shooters into guns and those guns into cannons! 

First, most people think that to build bigger arms you have to go heavy. This is partially true. You want to go as heavy as you can with good form. Cheating is actually an advanced technique and should only be used sparingly. I see so many guys using heavy weight on arm exercises and they never realize the fatal flaw: your major muscles are doing majority of the work. Take for instance the guys you see leaning forward with the whole stack doing triceps pressdowns. Sure, it looks great to watch the whole stack go up and down but the chest and shoulders are doing majority of the work. Now some of you may think that you have seen bodybuilders lean on the stack and they have amazing triceps. True, however, they are on another level. Their mass and body control and way past the average guy trying to get some good beach arms. 

So, what to do? Try tightening your form on majority of your arm exercises for a couple months and see what happens. Keep your shoulders back and out of the movements, try to keep your elbows between straight down and maybe 10 degrees forward at most. I actually like to do my triceps extensions at 10 degrees and push away from my body!

Second, people rarely prioritize their arms. Everyone has seen the good old Chest/Tri, Back/Bi work out plan. Now, if your arms are lagging, why would you get them tired before you really target them? Your triceps work extremely hard when you work chest and the same can be said for your biceps when you work back. There have been many a time I have had a little bicep soreness after working only back! 

To correct this use the priority principle. I really wouldn't recommend doing them before the major body part but you can do them on their own day! If your arms are really lagging and you hit everything once a week you could try something like this:

Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Rest
Day 5: Bis/Tris
Day 6: Shoulders
Day 7: Rest

Note the rest day before you do your weakest part! That is something I have incorporated for whatever part I am really focusing on. I always try to do that part after a day off. If you really want to go hard core you can still do the basic Chest/Tri, Back/Bi routine and THEN do them again on day 5!

The third and final tip I have is to make sure you vary your exercises! This can prove difficult for most people as they often select exercises that overlap in purpose and don't get a complete arm workout. Because of this, when people do get a good arm workout and then just continue to do the same exercises repeatedly. It is important to incorporate various exercises into your routine to build quality arms. This will also help keep your arms in shock and, therefore, constantly adapting and growing. 

Well, that's it! Try to incorporate these principles into building those arms up and let us know if it works for you! Need a workout or two to try? Let's us know! 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Blow that frame up!

Mini-meat with his favorite tank on.
I mentioned in a previous blog that changing your split is a great way to shock the system and continue gains. So, along those lines, here is my current Chest and Back two day split. This week I am working out with the big-little homie, Sean Hansen. He is only 18, fresh out of high school, and recently won his first show with a little assistance from Team SideMeat and a few others. Not bad. He has tree trunks for legs but now he needs to get the upper body to match. Not that the top is bad, but we all have weak areas. So, this is what Sean and I will do today and Friday for Chest and Back:

Day 1: Upper Chest and Pulling Movements for Back
Back
- Wide Grip Pull-ups: 4 x 10-15
- Close Grip Pull-downs: 4 x 10-15
- Cable Front Pull-downs: 4 x 10-15
- Underhand Pull-downs: 3 x 30-36 (these are drop sets with 3 stops)
Chest
- Incline Dumbbell Fly: 2 x 25, 1 x 15
- Incline Hammer: 4 x 10-12
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 4 x 10-12
- Cable Crossovers from bottom: 4 x 12-15
***Incline Machine Press: 7 x 8-12 (FST 7)

 Day 2: Lower Chest and Flat Movements and Rowing Movements for Back
Back
- Parallel Grip Pull-ups: 3 x 10-15
- Seated Cable Rows: 4 x 10-15
- Overhand Barbell Row: 3 x 10-15
- Underhand Barbell Rows: 3 x 10-15
- One-arm Dumbbell Rows: 4 x 8-15

Chest:
- Flat Fly: 2 x 25, 1 x 15
- Bench Press: 4 x 10-12
- Decline Hammer: 4 x 10-12
- Cable Crossover: 3 x 15-20
***Peck Deck Fly: 7 x 8-12 (FST 7)

Hard work pays off. Congrats!
This workout has done very well for me. I have noticed improvement in my back and chest definition. Maybe it is the intensity, maybe it is the fact that, until a few weeks ago, I had never split my chest and back workouts into specified areas. Either way, this is a burner and it is intense. It doesn't matter what you do first, chest or back. It is probably best to go with your weaker area up front.

So, here is another free workout from your boys! Try them out and let us know what you think. If you have any questions please ask!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

No coning allowed!!!! Get those legs right!

Coning (kōn ing)  v. - 1. The physical look created by those at the gym who only do 
upper body 2. Baby legs 

Are you coning? Need to put a blast on those legs? Try this workout from my Monday leg session:

Iso Leg Extension: 2 x 25, 1 x 15
Superset:
 -Dumbbell lunges 4 x 8 each leg
 -Fronts Squats 15, 12, 10, 10
Leg Press: 4 x 10-12 HEAVY!!!
Lying Iso Leg Curl: 2 x 25, 1 x 15
Superset:
 -Standing Leg Curl 15,12,10,10 each
 -Dumbbell Stiff-leg Deadlift: 4 x 12
Squats: 7 x 8-12 (FST 7)

Here are a few specifics to really make it burn.

Leg Extensions: Come down to about 80 degrees and really focus on the lockout and squeezing your quadriceps. 

Front Squats: Try to keep your feet shoulder width apart and really hit the inner quad.

Leg Press: Where you put your feet plays a huge role in which muscle you emphasize. I prefer to place my feet "high" and get it in my quads. The "lower" (think towards your butt) you place your feet the more you hit your quads. 

Leg Curls: I always do some at full extension to ensure I get a full stretch on the muscle and some only going down to about 15 degrees to keep the tension on the hamstrings and glutes. Try doing one leg curl exercise one way and one the other.

Dumbbell Deadlift: If you have heavy dumbbells in your gym try using one dumbbell pointed straight up and holding one end. Try to place the other end between your feet while keeping the legs nearly straight, your chest out and your head up. This will force you to push your butt back and really hit your posterior leg muscles. 

Squats: Since these are at the end I went rather light and put my butt on the floor! This makes it a major exercise for both the quads and hams! Remember FST means that you are using minimal rest between sets. If you have a partner and aren't changing weight by the time he is done you should be right back at it. 

That's it. If you aren't FRIED at the end you didn't go heavy enough and rested too long between sets! 

That was Monday's work. I will be back on them tomorrow.

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Go Grocery Shopping With Me!


So, I just got back to Germany which means I needed to restock the food supply. After a quick leg lift, which I will hopefully put up later today, I hit the grocery store. Quite a few people have asked me what I eat so here is what I picked up:

- A few bags of trail mix (nuts, berries and raisins only)
- Rice cakes
- All natural peanut butter
- Bio all natural cheese
- Various frozen vegetable mixes
- Several packages of frozen broccoli 
- Frozen bio salmon
- Two pre-made mixed green salad with tunafish (those will get knocked out today and tomorrow)
My post workout shake/meal.
- Six different steaks
- Six chicken breasts
- Fresh sliced deli chicken breast
- Fresh sliced deli turkey

Thats it. Now I did have a couple of items at home.

- Brown rice
- Jasmine rice
- Eggs (Man I hope I can still eat these!)
- Green tea
- Coffee
- Protein Powder
- C4 Pre-workout 

That's it. This food should last me somewhere between a week and 10 days on my current intermittent fasting eating plan which consists of two large meals, two protein shakes and constant snacking during my eight hour eating window. 

This type of diet really fits my lifestyle and allows me stay pretty lean year round. Any questions? Just ask.

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Keep Your Split Right!


We haven't done any training plans or articles in a while so it's time to get those rolling again. So, let's talk about that training split.

Many of us start working out with someone who has been at it for a while. We learn what works for them and that becomes our workout law. We tend to stay with working the same groups and even the same exercise on the same days each week. Here is a common body part split we have all seen:

Monday: Chest and Tris "Push"
Tuesday: Back and Bis "Pull"
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Shoulders
Sat& Sun: Rest

Now there is nothing wrong with this split, if it fits your needs. If you have worked out with me before, we may have done this exact split. However, what if you arms are lacking the rest of your body, does it make sense to do them on the end of your workouts?

There are quite few factors to look at when choosing a body part split or any workout plan. Make sure you are using the priority principle, know what other responsibilities you have (kids, work, school, ect) and that you are making sure you get enough rest. Please don't confuse rest with under training. Periods of over training can actually be very beneficial but we will cover that in another post. Here are three splits I have used this year:


SPLIT 1:
Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Upper Chest and Back (pulls only)
Wednesday: Shoulders, Bis, and Tris
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Back (rows only) and Chest (Lower and Flat movements)
Saturday: Rest or Functional Workout
Sunday: Rest

SPLIT 2:
Monday: Chest and Bis
Tuesday: Back and Tris
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: Legs
Sunday: Rest

SPLIT 3:
Full body 3 - 5 days a week.

***Each split is only the weight training portion of the workout. Cardio varies and is done 3 to 5 days each week.

As you move towards your goals, it will be necessary to make adjustments to your plan. Need help customizing your split? Need exercises for any the splits listed above? Just ask!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Out of town? Still gotta earn that weekend!

What's going on guys? This is just a quick post. I had a great day yesterday. A little exhausting but still a great day...

I was about an hour away from home with three hours between meetings due to a cancellation. Originally I thought I wouldn't be getting a workout in. As is my custom when away from home, I had a gym bag with me. I followed these four steps and had great results:

1) Google gyms.
2) Go to nearest private gym (no chains)
3) Pay day fee.
4) DO WORK.

Here are my results.....




Now this may not be possible and can be expensive. The most important part is I was ready. I had my stuff and if necessary, I would have found a park, ran and done work with body weight some 20lbs dumbbells (yeah, I roll like that sometimes). It's better than nothing! Your best bet? Get a GOOD set of resistance bands, keep that bag packed and always be ready to DO WORK when time allows!

It's Thursday, you got two days left. EARN that weekend!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Endurance Swole! Weights are for everybody!

A lot of you guys out there on Team SideMeat are endurance atheletes. You run long distance, cycle, swim, and even do triathalons. Some of you have asked what is my opinion on strength training with weights for endurance athletes. My answer is that you should definitely incorporate strength training into your training regiment. 

Weight training and increased muscular strength has several benefits for endurance athletes such as:

-Increase of efficiency (more powerful push offs, distance per stroke, ect)
-Greater resistance to injury
-improvement in coordination which can also help improve movement patterns

Most guys think that lifting will make them bulky. There are quite a few items that effect bulk such as genetics, diet, and overall training regime. With the amount of calories burned by most higher level endurance athletes a large amount if bulk rarely occurs. Also, majority, but definitely not all, endurance athletes are ectomorphic body types which is not conducive for gaining a large amount of bulk.

Another item to consider is that most endurance athletes train totally wrong in the gym. They use lots of reps and small rest periods to work on cardio and avoid bulk. Riddle me this Batman: If you are doing cardiovascular training outside the weight room why would you turn your weight training sessions into cardio sessions as well? Answer? YOU SHOULDN'T! Once you have developed a base and some muscular endurance your rep range should tail towards the strength and power range which, depending on who you ask, is between 1 and 10 repetitions. Now, periodizing your training and mixing numbers of reps is important as well as weightlifting muscular endurance needs to be maintained for the purpose of maximizing capability during your strength and power sessions. 

Finally, when you design a program, if it is for you sport and not general fitness, ensure you use exercises that are going to improve your primary movers but this also can be use as an opportunity to help correct imbalances in the body, some of which may be cause by your sport! Ensure you avoid overtraining and try to base the number of sessions in the gym each week with amount of endurance training you are doing. You could have anywhere from 2 to 4 sessions per week depending on how much tim you actually spend training for your sport. 

There are a million other factors we can discuss here. The purpose of this is to give my endurance guys a base for stepping up their weight training regiments. I have had one of my wrestlers whose primary sport is cross country lifting 3 to 4 times a week all summer with the occasional day off to down load. His last timed 5k was 13:45. When I asked him about his distance running training now he told me his sprint at the end of his runs is now longer and faster than ever before with no drop off in his pace on the rest of his run from before he started training. I wonder what he will run next time......

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Monday, August 6, 2012

I earned it on Sunday.....

This past Sunday I was feeling extra good, extra blessed, and extra thankful for everything I have. So I figured I would earn it by smoking myself with a some power and functional training. You looking for a burner of a workout? Give these four exercises a try:

Clean and Push Press 12, 10, 8, 6

Dumbbell Burpees with push-up and Shoulder Press 4 x 10-12

Renegade Rows 4 x 6-10 each side

Turkish Get Ups 4 x 5-6 each arm

Now, after EACH SET do 80 - 100 jump ropes rest 30 - 45 seconds and go right back at it! Once you have completed these four exercise complete the core circuit below four times with little to no rest.

Hanging Leg Raises x 12
Standing Cable Crunches x 12
Corkscrews 8-6 each side

Finish it all off with 10 minutes of sprint intervals and you have 45 minutes to an hour of pure, uh, enjoyment!

Give it a try and let us know what you think.

DO YOU

-SideMeat


Sunday, August 5, 2012

Monday Motivation - YOU CAN'T FAIL

TGIM! Another week we can get better! Your boys from SideMeat will have some good training and motivation for you as well as random Olympic updates!

As you approach your week and your training, just remember that every time you put true effort into your training you can't fail. Why? Because you know you went hard and, because of that, tomorrow you will be better. With that being said we will ask a question:
Try applying this to your health and fitness efforts this week. As long as you are giving it your all, you can't fail. Now that you know that, let's see what you do. Failure is a state of mind and you only fail if you quit.....

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Friday, August 3, 2012

What is your relationship with yourself?

This is Friday so I won't bore you too much. Just a few thoughts....

A lot of us go on "diets" to get in shape. Most diets are proponents of a cheat day  or meal which I always tell my clients to have from time to time. The problem with cheating is that we take it to the extreme. We over do it. We take our day and turn it into three fast food meals and/or night of binge drinking where consume 3 days worth of our caloric intake and ruin our bodies for the next three or four days! Why take 3 steps forward during the week only to take 2 steps back EVERY WEEKEND. All in moderation guys. Don't ruin your hard work and effort week after week. Remember you are in control and you make these decisions. I guess in the end it is all about what you want out of life. One of the people that was interested in working with me said they don't want to give up drinking 4 or 5 times a week. I said, "That is fine, you don't want a six pack."

They said, "Oh no I do."

I replied, "Actually you don't, you want to drink. When your physical condition becomes more important to YOU than boozing you will cut back the drinking."

You have to prioritize and decide what is most important you. I am not knocking anyone for partying hard because I know I have had my YEARS in life but you can't serve two masters.

Once you make that decision about what is important, don't sabotage yourself. Dedicate yourself to reaching your goal. You have to establish a relationship with yourself as one of two things: Best Friend or Worst Enemy.

So what are you going to do this weekend? I will be in the gym a few times for sure. I may go out for a drink but, chances are, I won't.

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Monday, July 30, 2012

No Complaining.....TGIM!!!

TGIM = Thank God It's Monday! That's right! Take a different approach to your week. While you may love your weekends when you get to relax and party, the week is when you are progressive and proactive and you push yourself to get better and achieve your goals. So do yourself a favor, embrace your hustle and stop complaining! Be happy you have an entire week to work on yourself. Along those lines, here is a little motivation for your gym grind. HAPPY MONDAY!


DO YOU

-SideMeat

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Dream Team Plus!!!!


The US men's basketball team handled Spain pretty easily last night. Even though they were without Mark Gasol, Spain got trucked and I think Team USA was sending a message. 

Recently, the current team caused a bit of an uproar when they said they feel they could beat the 1992 Dream Team. Since the teams will never play, it is all speculation but, in my opinion, the 1992 team easily wins a 7 game series in somewhere between 4 and 6 games. 

If I had to bet on a number I would gamble on 5. The reason? ANYONE can when 1 game. As the announcers said last night, Spain and Argentina are dangerous because this tournament is single elimination. But, as far as who was the better team, it's not even close. Actually, if you look at the 2008 Olympic Team, they match up better with Dream Team due to having Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh (I can hear all the Bosh jokes now but Coach K even raved about his play at center in the Olympics and he is 6'11"!). With those two and Wade I give the 2008 team a much better chance to win 2 games in a 7 game series. 

My favorite question was: If you could take players from both teams (1992 and 2012) who would you take? Well, if I were to fill out the roster like an NBA roster (2 per position plus a last 2) here is the SideMeat super squad:

Centers: Ewing, Robinson - This is the easiest selection with Dwight Howard not being available. Even with Dwight I don't think I would select him over the other 2 even though he has slightly higher rebound numbers. His free throw shooting is so poor (49%)I would have to rule him out. 

Power Forwards: Malone, Barkley - Probably the next easiest selection. There no true power forwards on the current roster outside of Kevin Love. He is a great player and a "stretch" 4 but Malone and Barkley are all-time greats.

Small Forwards: James, Durant - Larry Bird is an all-time great, however, he was fresh off a back injury and was selected on name recognition. He did not make an All NBA Team that year (Mullin and Malone were first team, Pippen and Barkley were second, Kevin Willis and Dennis Rodman were third). Also, hse only played in 2 games the whole qualifying tournament because of the injury. While I know some people are cringing I would have to go with who I feel are the two best players in the NBA right now. Even Larry himself said these guys are good and atheletic. He actually said if he was playing today he would be "in trouble" in an interview. Just remember we are talking 1992 Bird vs 2012 Durant and James, not about Bird's overall body of work. Chris Mullin is better than people give him credit for and was coming off one the best seasons of his career (25.6 pts, 5.6 rbs, 3.5 ast, 54.4% FG%). However, he comes in 4th in my opinion beating out another all-time great, Scottie Pippen.  

Shooting Guards: Jordan, Bryant - This is actually very close in my opinion. Clyde Drexler was coming off his BEST SEASON EVER with 25 pts, 6.6 rbs, 6.7 ast, as opposed to Kobe's 27.9, 5.4, 4.6, and his aforementioned All NBA 1st Team selection. Overall nod goes to Kobe due to his defense and pure tenacity. 

Point Guards: Johnson, Paul - This was closer than you think and would have been a very tough choice. We hate on Stockton but he came off a 15.8 pts, 13ast, and 3 rbd season AND he led the league in steals...Paul was 19.8, 9, 3.5 and led the league in steals as well but had less than Stockton. However, Paul has to get the pick because of intensity and on ball defense. 

Last 2: Pippen, Drexler - Due to the versatility of the current line up, this had to go to guys who could play more than one position. With all of the forwards being good rebounders (8+ per game), I don't feel the need for a 3rd center. Lebron and Durant can both play power forward as well. Even though Deron, Stockton, and Russell are solid, I feel like you need to get a 2 or 3 who can play multiple positions. I considered Carmelo seriously (HE PUT IN WORK LAST NIGHT!) but, at the end of the day, I feel like Pippen and Drexler are the two best all-around guys remaining.

Starting 5: Johnson, Jordan, James, Barkley (this one was a toss up in my opinion but Barkley makes me laugh so I take him), Ewing (another close one)

As you can see, this is all very debatable but this would be "Team SideMeat". What do you think? Who would be your ultimate combo squad?

DO YOU 


-SideMeat




Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Today concentrate on doing you...

Try to think about what YOU want..... 

1) out of life..... 
2) out of today.....
3) out of your training.....

When you think about accomplishments, goals, where you are going and who you want to be it is very easy to see others, compare yourself and loose motivation. Try not to do that. Today, just as everyday, you should always start with one goal. To get a little better.....


DO YOU

-SideMeat

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Monday Motivation

A little Monday motivation. I know all of you have a vision for something. From the time you hit the ground this Monday morning have only one goal: prove to yourself you are a Champion this week.....

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

How to navigate the Hater's Ball in 2012

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that."—Mark Twain

Recently I have spoken with many of you who have started to try to make fitness a way of life. Unfortunately, it seems a lot of you have been met with not only a lack of support but actually discouragement from your friends and peers. I talked with a young lady a few days ago who told me that everyone in her office is making fun of her. Luckily, this particular person decided to use this as motivation to do even more to achieve her fitness goals! 

What you have to understand is that achievement of any kind makes those who are complacent in life uncomfortable. You have to remember this to avoid becoming one of life's daily drones that just go through the motions of living instead of pushing the envelope to see what life has to offer. This is true not only in fitness but in business, faith, and any other thing worth doing. That is another reason I love training, the lessons are transcendent! 

Another thing to think about is that majority of the time, if you are doing something positive and improving, you will always have some haters! I will paraphrase comedian Kat Williams: Having haters is a good thing. The more haters you have the better you are doing! For some reason, it is almost excluded from the genetic make up of most people to appreciate the accomplishments of those we feel are on  our "level". Maybe we feel left behind? Maybe it points out some insecurity in ourselves? Who knows? All I know is that it seems to be true. That "gene" if you will is one thing that good trainers, teachers, and coaches have that I truly admore. When your life's passion is help others achieve and exceed you are truly an anomaly and an amazing person!

So what do you do to get past this? Well, I won't say that you should totally agree with Mr.Twain and say you should avoid them as, unfortunately, they are often times friends, family, and co-workers. What I will recommend is that you seek out those who are supportive in your goals. Spend time with them, talk with them about your goals and be supportive of them in return! Secondly, use your haters as fuel. Just like the lady in the first paragraph, every time you get a new neigh-sayer make it even more of a reason to DO YOU. You are the only person who can stop you. It doesn't matter what anyone else says. Hell, it doesn't matter what they think either, because, deep down in side, they really wish they had the drive to do them as much as you... 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Friday, June 29, 2012

I just grew some new shoulder meat...

I had a great second workout today so I wanted to share it with everyone. If you are looking to hit every fiber of muscle in your shoulders this is bound to get it done! I ran through four giant sets (a giant set is three or more exercises in a row) doing three sets of each. When doing this, jeep the initial weight moderate and take minimal rest between sets. When switching from one giant set to the next only take long enough to set up your next three exercises and then get it going again! If you are ready to do work, here you go:

Giant Set 1:
    -Hammer Strength Iso Lateral Rear Shoulder Press 15, 12, 10 (increase weight)
    -Bent Over Rear Delt Fly 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)
    -Incline Rear Delt Raise (arms to front in "Y" shape) 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)

Giant Set 2:
    -Dumbbell Shoulder Press (bench at 90 degrees), 12, 12, 10 (increase weight)
    -Dumbbell Lateral Raise 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)
    -Wide Grip Cable Upright Row 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase), pause at the top

Giant Set 3:
    -Hammer Strength Shoulder Press 15, 12, 10 (increase weight)
    -Underhanded Cable Front Raise (cable between the legs) 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)
    -Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise 10, 10, 8 (maintain or increase)

Giant Set 4:
    - Dumbbell Shrugs 10, 10, 10
    - Barbell Shrugs (overhand grip) 10, 10, 10
    - Cable Shrugs (face away from the cable, shrug to your rear) 10, 10, 10

I did hit a few supersets for the calves afterwards but this alone was a blast! I think I could see every vein and every muscle in my shoulders when I was done! Please try this at home and let us know what you think! Enjoy the weekend and find yourself some time to ENJOY some training as well! Every time you make YOU better it should be a great time!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Dumbbell Cardio! DO WORK!

I am gonna double it up this Friday! In addition to my afternoon weight training session I did a bodyweight/dumbbell circuit this morning. I used a 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off split and 10 exercises. I ran through the entire circuit twice, got my heart rate up and it felt great!

Now I know what some of you are thinking: Cardio with dumbbells? It is a common misconception that cardio has to consist of running, biking or many other forms of exercise that many of us consider tedious. That is not true! Cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up! When done correctly, weight training can get your heart rate up and burn more calories than other forms of training! 

Here is the workout I just finished doing. What do you need? Some floor space, a couple of sets of dumbbells, and a mat if you feel so inclined. THAT'S IT! Give this one a try and let me know what you think. 

1) 1-Arm Dumbbell Snatch Left Arm
2) 1-Arm Dumbbell Snatch Right Arm
3) Dumbbell or Bodyweight Squats
4) Push-up Variation
5) 1-Arm Dumbbell Row, Left Arm
6) 1-Arm Dumbbell Row, Right Arm
7) Dumbbell Swings
8) Dumbbell "Shoulder T" (Front Raise then take the dumbbells to the side, lower, side raise, bring to front, lower, repeat)
9) Dumbbell Split Squat, Left Leg Forward
10) Dumbbell Split Squat, Right Leg Forward
11) Stiff-legged Dumbbell Deadlfts
12) Crunch Variation of Choice
13) Reverse Crunch Variation of Choice
14) Side Crunch Left Side
15) Side Crunch Right Side
16) Dumbbell Russian Twist
17) Prone Cobras
18) Plank Variation of Choice
19) Side Plank Left
20) Side Plank Right

Try to do the same number of repetitions with each side on the unilateral exercises even if it means stopping a second early or going a second late on the second side. As far as weight to use, it depends on your strength, conditioning and overall purpose. I try to keep it light when I do these workouts as I know I have a heavy training session this evening. If you want to use this as a part of your strength training work you can very heavy on some of the movements. Typically, I keep the dumbbells under 50lbs. 

There you have it. I hope you enjoy. Can you get two training sessions in today? Here is one you can do in 20 minutes! 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Monday, June 18, 2012

What does it mean to DO YOU?

Someone once told me the truth of the matter is this: 99.99% of us will never be a world champion, we will never break a world record, hell, we may never win a competitive game of anything. 

I challenge that "truth."

I have always had need to excel, to be the best. I thrive on getting better, working harder, doing more than last time. The real truth of the matter is that I am a world champion, a record setter, the best there ever was, because, when it comes to making me better, I am the only competition. Every time I look in the mirror I feel sorry for the guy looking back at me because, today my friend, you will loose. I will get better, I will achieve more, I will push myself to reach my goals. So tomorrow, you will be distant memory. Another challenger who lost in the quest to see who can make a better me. The best part? There is always a new challenger staring right back at me, trying to take my title. BRING IT. I will win. If not today, I will get you tomorrow.....

I will DO ME.  

All that is left is for you to ask yourself do you want to be a champion? A record breaker? The best that ever was? Will you DO YOU today or loose to the only one who can beat you....YOU? Only you know the answer.....

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Monday, June 11, 2012

Today's quick supplement information: Fenugreek







Fenugreek is a powerful herb traditionally used in flavoring ethnic dishes. Mostly it can be found in Indian, Persian, Eritrean, and Ethiopian cuisine. Recently it has received much attention for its medicinal properties as well. Most of the medicinal benefits seem to be due to the herb's rich levels of alkaloids as well as its ability to balance blood sugar and restore healthy cholesterol levels. 

The Top Benefits of Supplementing Fenugreek Include:

- Strong antioxidant to fight free radicals and boost the immune system 

- Great for digestion: reduces gastric inflammation, acid reflux and heartburn

- Shown to decrease appetite and maintain a healthy metabolism

- Promotes healthy hormone levels in both men and women

- Helpful in treating diabetes and lowering blood sugar levels 

- Helps restore healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels 

- Lessens the side effects of menopause in women



So if you are looking for a new supplement to add to your kit bag this may be the one! For the fellas, need one more reason to guve it a whirl? A June 2011 study at the Australian Centre for Integrative Clinical and Molecular Medicine found that men aged 25 to 52 who took a fenugreek extract twice daily for six weeks scored 25% higher on tests gauging libido levels than those who took a placebo!
DO YOU
-SideMeat

Saturday, June 9, 2012

A SideMeat Saturday!

Man this is a Super SideMeat Saturday. I got up this morning and did the following 10 minute calisthenic workout:

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, rest 10 and move to the next one. Repeat Twice:

1) Burpees
2) Bird Dog Left Knee to Right Elbow
3) Bird Dog Right Knee to Left Elbow
4) Split Squat Right Leg Forward
5) Spiderman Push-ups
6) Squat Jumps
7) Side Plank Right
8) Side Plank Left
9) Plank
10) Supine Bridge

I know the is no back or pulling motions but I just wanted a quick blast without any equipment. Then I got a wild hair and decided to hit a shoulder workout before my training session with my high school wrestlers. Wanna get a burn? Try this one:

1) Lying Side Lateral Raise: 5 x 8 each arm no stopping
2) Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 15, 12, 10, 8 up 10lbs per set as heavy as you can go!
3) Giant Set (Seated, 10 of each x 3):
- Dumbbell Front Raise
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4) Superset x 3
- Behind the back Cable Laterals (12 each arm)
- Cable High Pulls 12, 10, 8
5) Reverse Hammer Shoulder Press 3 x 10
**To perform this sit on the hammer should press backwards so you push forwards and up. This is great on the front delts! 
6) Machine Shrugs 4 x 12 - 15

After that I waled some of my wresters and a few who wrestled for me last year who are leaving through their off season work out program. I an't give that one away but it is going to make them boys strong!

Now for the rest of my day I get to enjoy sports! The Euro Cup is going on right now and, after the World Cup, it is the greatest soccer event on the planet! Germany plays against Portugal who boasts the best player in the world, Christiano Ronaldo, at 845pm Germany time and I am going to go watch that at an outdoor viewing. 

Tonight Pacman takes on  Timothy Bradley in what I think will be a great fight. Hard to bet against the Pacman though. I expect a great 12 rounder but I have been wrong before. 

Before that though, Game 7, Miami and Boston! After LeBron put a masterpiece last game one has to wonder can he do it again? Does he even need to if Wade and Bosh come to play? Does this generation's original Big 3 have anything left in the tank? Will Rondo take over? Who knows! All I can say is I will be up at 230am my time to watch!

All that being said, how was your Saturday? Make sure you do what you enjoy and try to get a little fitness in as well!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

A Well Vested Training Option

So, I was looking for a way to incorporate a second leg workout in for the week. Since my current workout plan already consists of 4 weight training sessions and 3 separate cardio and abdominal sessions, finding time to get in an eighth workout is pressing. The solution? A weight vest! My friday cardio session is now a weight vest run with some leg exercises at the end. Now, you have to be careful when selecting your vest as you need one that fits your body and we all have different builds. Preferably, try to buy one from a store so you can return it if it doesn't fit you well. You may have to try a couple but it is totally worth it! I personally use the Altus 40lb adjustable weight vest. I may need to get another one soon to increase the weight but this one has been great for me for a few years as I use it on and off.


Here is my current Friday morning workout:

40 minute run, moderate pace, 5 minutes of 30 second sprint/jog intervals. 

Leg training Circuit: 4 - 5 times, no rest between exercise, minimal rest between sets, 1 - 2 minutes

- 20 Squats, Squat Jumps. or combination of the two
- 25 Stiff-leg Deadlifts
- 10 Reverse Lungs per leg
- 10 Lateral Lunges per leg
- 50 Calf Raises

Abdominals: rest the same amount of time you exercise plus 30% and decrease as necessary

      - 4 Planks, 45 - 60 seconds (can be dynamic or static)
- 2 Side Planks, 20 - 30 seconds per side
- 3 x 25 Froggers
- 3 Supine Bridges 20 -30 seconds

Now this is just a sample of what you can do for cardio, lower body, and a little core training. Weight vests can be used for upper body training as well! There will definitely be a future boot camp class using these! When I was in charge of the Battalion level remedial physical training program for my unit in the Army we would often have the participants use there Individual Body Armor. Females would use one protective plate, 10 lbs, and males would use two. 

Now, as with any weight training program, there are risks and concerns, If you have joint problems, especially in your knees and ankles, be very carful about running with added weight as it can really put a pounding on the joints. Also, progress slowly. I would recommend starting with about 10 to 15% of your body body weight and adding slowly as your body adjusts. You can also increase intensity by increasing speed on the run and reducing or even eliminating rest periods during exercise. 

This is just another way to vary your cardio and weight training routine! If you have any questions on how you can use weight vests for full-body training give us a shout! 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Stop making that liver quiver...

First, I will caveat: I am not a certified nutritionist or a doctor! 

Now that I have that out of the way, some of you may have tried every fad diet in the world and wonder why you can't loose weight. You count calories, eat "health" foods, and try everything in the book that is supposed to work. Have you ever thought that there must be something wrong with those diets and the items you are consuming on a daily basis? There two things I think that, if everyone really understood them, would really help people to control their eating and fat. Those two things are your liver and insulin. This time I am going to give you a little bit of information about your liver. 





Your liver has two main functions: filtering toxins and processing fat. Just like a man with two jobs, the more time you spend doing one, the less time you spend doing the other. So, if we constantly give our bodies toxins the liver has to filter then it has little time to process and get rid of fat. Hence, we reduce our bodies ability to burn fat. 

Now, when I use the word toxins that refers to anything that your body cannot process. If you look at the label and see a lot of chemicals, even when it is "health" food. Your body cannot use or process it. This stuff has to be filtered through the liver! That includes preservatives used in canned foods! Don't be surprised but even items like soy products and whole wheat bread are extremely processed. Also, anything with artificial sweeteners, no matter how healthy it may seem, can be put into this category. 

Now, how do you beat this without having a PhD in nutrition? Try eating fresh food made of one thing like broccoli, steak, chicken, and rice. You can combine these foods to make healthy meals. One great example is a hamburger made out of 100% ground beef, lettuce, onion, tomato and 100% grain bread. 

Now, I will say that, in this day and age, it is extremely difficult to totally rid yourself of processed food. However, when you can, avoid them! In my own diet, to maintain muscle mass, I use protein powder which definitely has some portions that cannot be processed. However, the rest of my day consists of eggs, lean meats, fresh veggies and some fresh fruits. 

Finally, you can't say that you will start eating none processed food and forget all the other tenants of healthy eating but this is great place to start changing your lifestyle! You may ask, how do I know it works? Well, hours of reading don't hurt, and, second, experience! Not only for myself but for quite a few others who listen to recommendations from Team SideMeat! 

DO YOU

-SideMeat