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While I generally think heavy lifting while avoiding failure is the best way to train, every once in a while I like to perform low weight high reps training to failure.  This is primarily used for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy which results in muscle mass gains.  Done strategically, training to failure can actually generate a nice “shrink-wrap effect” as well.  However, over the long term, I think low weight high reps training is best left to bodybuilders. Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy vs. Myofibrillar Hypertrophy Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way.  Low weight high reps training to failure results in sarcoplasmic hypertrophy while high weight low reps training avoiding failure results in myofibrillar hypertrophy.  So what’s the difference?  Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is characterized by bigger muscles.  However, that volume is in the form of sarcoplasmic fluid.  Fluids can’t contract so while sarcoplasmic hypertrophy results in muscles with mor...

Today I’d like to discuss branched chain amino acids.  You may have heard of BCAAs before but do they really live up to their claim of being effective for losing fat and gaining muscle?  While I’d say there are many benefits of BCAAs, whether you decide to supplement with them will depend in part on when you exercise and how restrictive your diet is.  For fasted training, I’d highly recommend using branched chain amino acids to help prevent muscle loss while maximizing fat loss.  Any other time, there’s probably only a marginal benefit at best. Branched Chain Amino Acids Let’s start with the basics.  What are branched chain amino acids?  In short, they’re the best building blocks of protein (essential amino acids known as valine, leucine, and isoleucine).  While your body cannot produce BCAAs on its own, you’re likely getting plenty of these amino acids from your diet, primarily through protein.  However, anyone pursuing a calorie restrictive ...

Why Gymnastics Training The amazing thing about gymnastics exercises is that you can get immensely strong.  Because gymnastics training is built around bodyweight exercises, a common misconception is that there is more of an endurance focus rather than strength focus.  This stems from the fact that many people can perform high reps of pushups, pull ups, and other bodyweight exercises.  However, gymnastics training can make these exercises significantly more challenging by changing angles and how much leverage you have.  The key to increasing strength is to increase the challenge of a bodyweight exercise to the point where you can only perform a low number of reps. Another argument is that the increased strength from gymnastics training won’t translate into strength in the gym.  In Building the Gymnastics Body, Coach Sommer describes some pretty impressive feats of a student who had only performed gymnastics exercises and had never used weights.  This s...

Is weight loss really all about creating an energy deficit by eating less calories than you expend?  Dr. John Berardi has challenged that notion with what he calls G-Flux.  This concept involves energy flux, and Dr. Berardi argues that you are better off eating more and exercising more to generate a caloric deficit.  Essentially you influence your metabolic rate and ultimately increase your metabolism leading to a great number of calories burned than if you tried to simply eat less.  On the surface, G-Flux is a novel approach that makes sense when viewed over the long term. Increase Your Metabolism What’s the easiest, most time efficient way to cut calories?  Simply remove them from your diet, right?  However, did you ever notice that your weight loss starts to level off as you get leaner and approach your target weight?  You could even get to the point where you’re eating less than 1,000 calories per day but still not seeing any results.  I...

Most people have heard how omega 3 essential fatty acids supplements like fish oil can help improve your health.  What are essential fatty acids though?  Should you take essential fatty acids supplements or simply try to get enough omega 3 fatty acids from fish and other food sources?  Just what is krill oil and are there any health benefits of krill oil vs. fish oil?  I’ll tackle these and other questions. What are Essential Fatty Acids? Essential fatty acids include omega 3s and omega 6s.  The body cannot produce these on their own, and it is therefore necessary to ingest these through food.  The problem is that the typical diet consists of plenty of omega 6 fatty acids but not enough omega 3 fatty acids.  While the optimal ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 should be less than 6:1 for disease prevention, it’s estimated that we are closer to 15-20:1 meaning that we’re getting far too many omega 6 essential fatty acids and too few omega 3s.  Why is ...

Over the past couple months, my fitness routine has included many of my favorite strategies to get six pack abs.  Combining a clean diet with ample strength training and cardio has allowed me to significantly reduce my body fat to a level I have never been before.  As such, I’d like to share my six pack abs workout routine and diet plan.  Additionally, I’d like to review some of my preferred six pack abs exercises.  While I can’t guarantee you’ll see the same results as me, I hope that many of these tips will help you learn how to get six pack abs. How to Get Six Pack Abs The fundamental key to getting six pack abs is that your body fat has to be very low.  Everyone is different, but generally for men, you’ll start to see your abs around 10% body fat.  You’ll look completely ripped if you get under 6% body fat.  For women, you’ll start to see a nice six pack when your body fat is around 16%.  Anything under 12% and you’ll have ripped abs. Wh...

I’ve been a long time advocate of intermittent fasting weight loss approaches.  While my experience and the experience of others clearly show how effective intermittent fasting for weight loss can be, the results and research from Dr. John Berardi go one step further.  For years, Dr. Berardi has eaten meals every 3-4 hours and helped 100,000+ clients lose weight by doing so.  He decided to experiment with intermittent fasting after reading numerous success stories.  As a researcher, Dr. Berardi was able to track every aspect of his intermittent fasting results, from weight loss to blood work changes.  His free report, Experiments with Intermittent Fasting, documents how he successfully used intermittent fasting to lose weight.  I’d like to summarize some of his key findings and show how they’re congruent with my experience. Intermittent Fasting to Lose Weight In general, there are two broad Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Approaches.  There’s week...