H.I.I.T. me til it hurts.

What is H.I.I.T, and why would I want you to do it til it hurts anyway?  H.I.I.T or high intensity interval training (also often called tabatas in the BJJ community), are very high intensity workouts consisting of extreme workloads paired with rest periods.  Many studies have shown these workouts while taking less time than a moderate paced workout, can drastically improve cardiovascular capacity very rapidly.  These workouts consist of a warm up period followed by a short high output exercise, followed by short moderate output rest period then this is repeated between 6-8 times and followed by a short cool down.  These workouts generally last no more than 20 minutes much shorter than the standard 30 minute moderate pace workout that is often promoted for building endurance.  There are several different types of this training and the exercise can be anything you can perform at a very high intensity for a short time including but not limited to: running, swimming, biking, rowing, and stair climbing.

Tabata Method
The tabata method is based off of a popular study from 1996.  The participants engaged in workouts consisting of 20 seconds of very high intensity exercise (at max effort), followed by 10 seconds of rest, then repeated for 4 minutes or 8 cycles total.  The study paired the results of this group who exercised 4 days per week with the tabata method, with a group who did steady pace training four days per week.  At the end of the study the results were astounding, not only were the results similar but the group who did tabatas had a slightly higher increase in V02 max, and they also gained anaerobic benefits from their training including increased lactic acid threshold.

Doing tabatas only 3 days per week for 2 weeks in some studies have shown up to a 10% increase in endurance and cardiovascular capacity.  The basic premise of this method of training is high intensity workload, paired with rest periods.  I have performed the tabata method with a lot success in my own training.   I have done variations of H.I.I.T.  including, 15 seconds of work at max effort and 45 seconds of light jogging about 45% effort for 6-8 repetitions, and 30 seconds of work at max effort and 1.5 minutes of light jogging about 45% effort for 6-8 repetitions.  I have experienced similar results from all forms of HIIT.

HIIT has been shown to be superior to moderate intensity exercise in may ways including that it: burns more body fat, raises testosterone levels, decreases muscle breakdown and cortisol levels, raises metabolism for up to 24 hours after exercise, is shorter in duration, raises lactic threshold, and is more effective at increasing endurance for athletes or people who are already highly trained.  HIIT is extremely intense and I only use it when I am preparing for a competition as it puts tremendous strain on your body.  It is recommended to perform hit 3 days per week for at least two weeks, and then it can be reduced to 2 days per week for maintenance.  Continous use of HIIT or tabatas without adequate rest in between sessions may increase the risk of injury and overtraining.  Whether you are looking to lose weight, build muscle, look better, or increase performance I highly recommend trying tabatas, you will be amazed at the immediate effects of this type of training on your performance or goals.

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A strong base.

Arnold did deadlifts, so should you!

For years poorly taught personal trainers have been touting the benefits of supposed "sport specific training" and endurance building workouts.  I believe everything has its season, I do believe there is a time for higher reps, cross training, and muscular endurance, but for the average Joe, or for a serious athlete looking to gain strength and power this shouldn't make up the majority of their program.  I am a firm believer in building a strong foundation of strength and then cycling with different methods to focus on certain traits you would like to develop ( like power, isometric strength, or endurance).  Every time I go to the gym and see a personal trainer having a 40 year old woman doing box jumps, or see a muscle bound idiot doing sets of 20 repetition cheat curls with 20lb dumbbells I have to wonder where weightlifting is headed.  It really seems like the type of fitness routine you use should make sense for your goals, I don't know a lot of 40 year old women who need to be jumping up on boxes.  I am a firm believer that if you are taking the time to lift weights, you should also take the time to invest in building a solid strength base BEFORE you hop into some of the more "advanced" lifting techniques, or doing endless compound sets for endurance.

Whether you are: an athlete, a body builder, want to tone up and look better, or even just have an easier day to day life, I truly believe it all begins with a strength base.  What I mean by this is pretty simple, it involves compound movements like: bench press, overhead press, squat, dead lift, bent over rows, snatches, hang and power cleans, and chin ups.

Imagine an 50 year old woman who just wants to have better balance and mobility around the house;  a trainer at a gym would probably have her doing all sorts of strange lifting techniques.  This woman's workout might consist of 10 minutes of cardio as a warm up, step ups on a bench, ball crunches, rows, curls, triceps extensions...if shes lucky!  Most trainers would just put her on an endless circuit of machine work.  Trainers are taught the main way people associate whether they got a good work out or not with these key properties:  Did they sweat?, Did it burn?, Were they out of breath?, Were you sore the next day?  If they answer yes to all of these questions, then clients will probably sign up for another session.  This has led the popular belief of personal training to be along the lines of fast paced, cardiovascular oriented weight routines. Think it about it though... Did you say you wanted to look better, or just feel the burn?,  Did you say you wanted day to day life to be easier, or just to be sore the next day?  Did you say you wanted to be stronger for your sport, or just be out of breath?  Ask yourself these questions, is your current workout really making you stronger, are you seeing consistent week to week gains in the amount of weight you lift, are you looking better each week, does lifting things around the house get easier each week, when you do a BJJ class does every one comment on how strong you feel?  These questions are the real measures of effectiveness of your workout and I'll tell you how to make the answer to all of these questions yes.

I don't think there is a clearly decided system for building a strength base.  The main two types of lifting I would recommend for a beginner are power lifting and Olympic lifting.  Power lifting consists of mainly back squats, dead lifts, bench press, over head press, and rows.  Olympic lifting mainly consists of snatches, power/hang cleans, clean and jerks, front squats, and dead lifts.  I personally have chosen power lifting and despite a pretty sharp divide between the two communities I would never claim one form is better than another, just that they are different, and they offer many similar and also many different benefits.  Both disciplines will offer:  increased over all strength, more powerful movements, super strong cores (abs and lower back), increased balance and stability, and of course a muscular body (if combined with proper diet).  Though my blog is geared towards athletes, especially BJJ athletes, these benefits still extend to EVERYONE, whether you are 80 years old, a single middle aged mother, or a 30 year old overweight male.

My next weightlifting post will cover extensively how to put together a workout to promote all the things mentioned in this article using compound barbell exercises.  I'll show you what I'm using and I'll also recommend you a few sources of excellent information to help you along your journey and make sure you are using proper technique and have a good program to use.  I'll be more than happy to answer any questions on any of these topics so please comment below if you would like any tips, or would like to leave any feedback. Please help my blog to grow by posting links or sharing my articles on facebook, Digg, stumble upon, twitter or any social networking site.

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How to increase testosterone... NATURALLY.

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There are a lot of ways to naturally ensure your body is in the maximal state to produce its own testosterone.  Many of our daily actions can lower our natural production of this powerful anabolic hormone like not sleeping, drinking, eating junk food, and being lazy.  Just a few of the benefits of higher testosterone include: lower cholesterol, increased strength, faster recovery, increased sex drive, decreased body fat, increased red blood cell production, and increased muscle growth.  Since I am not advocating the use of any synthetic substances in this article, all of these tips are perfectly acceptable for women to follow as well.  Even women produce small amounts of testosterone naturally and ensuring that your levels are as high as naturally possible will encourage these benefits for women as well.

1) Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.  This rule is most important because, if you aren't sleeping enough even if you do everything else right this will kill your testosterone production.  Missing 8 hours every now and then and you won't notice a significant difference, but make it a trend and watch your levels fall.

2) Avoid alcohol.  Alcohol has the effect of lowering testosterone levels even in small amounts, and drinking excessively brings with it a whole host of other problems like: low magnesium levels, cramping, hang overs, dehydration, and muscle fatigue.

3) Lift heavy, and do compound exercises.  A heavy workout with dead lifts or squats produces a HUGE surge in testosterone due to the massive amount of muscle recruitment and energy required to do these lifts.  Lift somewhere in the repetition range of 2-6 to maximize testosterone production.

4) High intensity work outs.  If you are wanting to push your cardio and maximize testosterone production look up some information on H.I.T.T.  (I will eventually create a post about this as well), performing high intensity sprints is not only more effective at increasing cardiovascular development than jogging, but it also increases testosterone production.  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is also great source of high intensity work (especially at a good gym).

5) Eat good fats.  Make sure to include lots of healthy fats in your diet like: fish oil, avocado, olive oil, nuts, flax seeds, and canola oils.  These fats have been shown time and time again to increase and help maintain levels of testosterone in men while decreasing body fat.  Aim for about 30% of your calories to come from these sources of fats.

6) Eat red meat, eggs, dairy, and fish.  The fats and dietary cholesterol in these foods have been shown to raise levels of testosterone.  Testosterone and other hormones are produced from cholesterol and the saturated fats in these foods can keep testosterone levels high.

7) Eat smaller more frequent meals.  Smaller more frequent meals help to maintain levels of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates sufficient to fuel your body, ensuring your body has adequate macro nutrients promotes anabolism and helps keep testosterone levels high.

8) Lower your soy consumption.  The jury may still be out on this one, some studies have shown soy raises estrogen levels and decreases testosterone, while other studies have shown no correlation.  It might not hurt anything, but to be on the safe side, avoid soy when possible if you are looking to have maximum testosterone levels.

9) Relax!  Stress produces cortisol.  Cortisol: raises body fat, lowers testosterone, and increases muscle breakdown.  Most people are wound way to tight, learn to live, love, and laugh.  Try to stay positive and look at the bright side of things.  We can choose to live our life one of two ways, happy or miserable.  If you want to have the highest levels of testosterone possible, stop stressing.

10) Increase your zinc intake.  Zinc is important for testosterone production and you can read more about zinc here.  http://everystepblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/three-supplements-every-athlete-should.html

11) Drink a shake after weights.  Drinking a protein shake with at least 20 grams of simple carbohydrates like juice, or sugar after lifting weights can help raise testosterone levels already stimulated by weight lifting.  This blend of protein and carbs also helps: raise growth hormone levels, IGF-1 levels, increase anabolism, halt muscle breakdown, and shuttle carbohydrates back into muscles for maximum glycogen stores.

If you commit to following these suggestions you will ensure your body is primed to produce the highest natural levels of testosterone possible, and you'll enjoy the other benefits of these healthy tips as well.  Don't forget to follow my blog, and help me spread the word by making recommendations on social media.

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Why machines don't work.

The main purpose of this article is to dispel any bad information that may have been placed in your mind by a "trainer" at the gym, or a mainstream muscle magazine.  Circuit training has gained a reputation for being the end all be all of weight training despite a host of problems that this type of training brings with it.  I would like to attempt to use this article to clear your mind and prepare you to consider my next article on heavy weight compound exercises.  Weight machines have all of the following negative associations:  unnatural movements, isolated muscle use (this can occasionally be used for benefit), increased risk for injury, very time consuming, builds very little real world strength, and machines do not promote stability or balance.

One of the main problems with machines, and isolated movements in general (especially for beginners), is that a machine forces your body to perform a lift while confined to the shape of the machine; it forces one muscle (say a bicep) to perform all of the work, and this forces your body into unnatural movements and ultimately leads to decreased synergy of muscle groups and even increased injury.  In this scenario your body is taught to work as separate units as opposed to a singular unit.  For example when trying to stand on one foot, if a person was trained extensively on machines this could be incredibly difficult, all the stabilizer muscles in the: legs, feet, lower back, and abdomen are used to working independently making it much more difficult for them to work together as a unit.  Take this same person after several weeks of heavy squat training and you would find a stronger core, and stronger legs and feet, that are used to working as a unit to provide a much more stable base with much better balance.  The functionality of using machines for weight lifting is severely limited, very few times (if ever), will your body ever have to work in exactly the same way as a machine forces you to work, however if you look at the majority of human movement one can see how often we are:  bending over, squatting down, pushing or pulling something, or even lifting something over our heads, this is one of the main reasons I believe that heavy compound exercises offer much greater gains in measurable and real world strength.  The strength gains on a squat will immediately be noticeable in everyday life, while a stronger preacher curl might never make a difference in your sport, or your day to day life.

Weight machines also have a much greater chance of injury due to forcing your body into unnatural movements.  Take for example a front squat and compare it to a quad extension;  a quad extension machine puts the load directly on your quadriceps and also directly on your knee joint which can wear down cartilage and damage your knee, where as a front squat spreads the weight over your lower back, abdomen, calves, quadriceps, and the hamstrings.  Outside of the increased risk of injury directly from using machines are the residual effects of using weight machines like creating muscle imbalance.  If you were to train more quadriceps than hamstring exercises then you will develop a weaker posterior chain which can increase risk of pulled/torn hamstrings and groin muscles, as well as injury to the lower back.  Since machines isolate muscles they do not provide a realistic full range of motion, and since the use of machines translates very little into real world functionality they can actually lead to muscular imbalance and decreased balance and stability.

Another major misconception about circuit training with machines is that it is a more efficient way of training and takes less time to complete.  Lets say you want to perform a total body workout and work each major muscle group with 3 sets of 8 repetitions; if you were to do a circuit workout you would need to do 3 sets each for: chest, biceps, triceps, lower back, abdomen, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, forearms, deltoids, abductors, adductor, lats, and the rest of the upper and middle back.  That could definitely be very time consuming, now lets look at a workout with only 4 exercises that would hit all of these same muscle groups using compound lifts:  bench press, squat, bent over row, and planks.  Using my current method I often complete a total body workout in about 45 minutes without being completely exhausted afterward, I usually go to BJJ class just an hour or two after finishing without being worn out.

These are just a few of reasons that I now choose to make about 99% of each workout consist of compound dumbbell, barbell, and body weight exercises.  My next article on weightlifting will cover starting out for a new lifter, and give some tips on how to create a solid and functional strength base that will help a new lifter become: stronger, leaner, more stable and balanced, and also more powerful.

I'd like to thank my readers and encourage everyone to please either subscribe to my RSS feed, sign up for email updates, or add me on Facebook if you haven't already.  I am constantly looking to add traffic to my blog to help it grow, so If you like what you are reading simply click in the upper right corner of my page to share my page or this post on many different platforms including: Facebook, Digg, and Stumble Upon.

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The power of a small green leaf.

There are few times when a large amount of people come into agreement about something, and green tea is one of those exceptions.  Lately there has been a huge surge of interest into the effects of drinking green tea.  Everyone from doctors to television stars seem to be in agreement that green tea may just be a little miracle of nature.  Studies point to a host of benefits from green tea including : lower cholesterol, lower cancer rates, weight loss, a healthy heart, and even an immune system boost.  Green tea, because of the way it is processed, contains much higher levels of epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG than black or oolong teas.  This powerful antioxidant is the source of many of the claims of green tea's host of health benefits.  One cup of green tea contains between 30-60mg of caffeine compared to an average of 180mg in one cup of coffee, which makes it a great replacement for anyone interested in lowering their caffeine intake.  I personally drank 6 cups of green tea per day while in the process of making weight for the Miami Open, I feel that along with my other dietary modifications I was able to decrease calorie intake, yet still maintain strength and energy levels, and was also able to lose fat while maintaining muscle mass.

The traditional way to make a cup of green tea is to bring 8oz of water to a boil, then pour over a green tea bag and allow to steep for 5 minutes.  I prefer my tea cold over hot, so I pour room temperature water over a tea bag and leave it to steep for 30 minutes up to several hours.  After steeping once with room temperature water, I will brew a cup with the traditional method of steeping with the same tea bag.  Studies have shown that you still get a good amount of the antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols on the second and even the third brew of a tea bag so save the tea bag and make a second or third cup!

In a later post I will cover more of the role that green tea plays in my weight cutting process along with some my other "diet aids" that I utilize when shedding fat and ultimately before stepping on the scale at a weigh in.

If you haven't subscribed for email updates or to my RSS feed yet now is the perfect time to do so, don't forget that you can follow me on facebook as well, as I notify when I post.

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Goals 101

"It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul."

-William Ernest Henley- 

Let's face it, we live in a world of indecision and heartbreak.  We live in a world where 99% of people have been defeated before they ever consider their dreams.  Life can be a cruel joke, and it will kick you while you are down and keep you there if you let it, but only if you let it.  There are endless barriers you'll have to pass through in life to get anything you want, and the greater the reward is, often the greater the sacrifice required to get it.  Only 2 people out of every 100 people, if asked, could tell you what their purpose is, or what they hope to achieve in life; its no wonder how unhappy the majority of us are in our day to day routine.  Today I'd like to talk about the beginning steps to attaining anything you want, from a small raise at your job, all the way to your ultimate dream in life.

Every single accomplishment starts out as an idea.  Certainly most of us have no shortage of ideas floating around in our heads, I think it is fair to say a vast majority of people would like to:  make more money, be happier with their job, be a better person, etc., but how do we get there?  

Goals serve a huge purpose in almost every success in life, seldom does one come to a better position in life without some sort of plan on how to get there.  Goals can do all of the following: serve as a gauge on how far you have come, give you a definitive deadline to work toward, motivate you, help you to control your life and yourself, give you a better and happier life, help you to look past temporary defeat, and be a source of strength and inspiration even in the worst of times.  I promise you one thing, that if you have no idea where you are going in life, you will never get there.

The first step in setting goals is to take your idea and commit it to paper as a goal.  Give it a deadline, or a definitive date by which you will achieve it or make your idea a reality (it must be realistic).  Look at the big picture and the goal sitting in front of you and start to figure out smaller goals, or stepping stones, that you can use to measure your distance from your ultimate goal.  Finally, you must look at yourself, your goal, and where you are now;  you must figure out concrete actions that you can take EVERY single day, that will bring you closer to each stepping stone and therefore one step closer to your ultimate goal.

Setting Lifetime Goals. 

Make a conscious decision to redirect your life into a direction that will change your life for the better.  Ask yourself where you would like to be 10 years from now.  Ask yourself what you would like to achieve in your life time?  What will you look like, what will you be doing, where will you work, how will you be financially, what have you achieved, what would be the dominating character traits of this new person?  If we are honest in answering these questions I think most of us would see that we are very far away from who we would like to be even only 10 years from today.  Do not be downtrodden!  If you truly examine yourself, and see what you would like to become then you have already taken the first step.  Don't dwell on how far away your dream may seem, be joyous because you are now one step closer to attaining your goal!  Write down your ultimate goal, or what you ultimately want from life.  Be descriptive and use a definitive date (by 2016 I will be...).  Begin to actually envision yourself as that person, or in possession of your ultimate goal.  Begin to visualize your success.

Setting Smaller Goals.  

Next you will need to break down your major goal into smaller more measurable goals.  Create a five year plan, followed by a 2 year plan, 1 year plan, 6 month plan, and 1 month plan.  For each plan make realistic goals that will lead to the fulfillment of the larger plan above it.  Once you have worked down into short term goals you can then begin to see what you can do each and every day that will help you become closer to your ultimate goal.  As a rule of thumb focus the most on your daily actions, if you fail to do what is required of you on a daily basis you will never achieve your greater goal.  Create a list of things you must do every day in order to achieve your goal.  It is important to periodically re examine and change goals if you need to.  Sometimes while you are working towards a smaller goal you have a new idea, or there is a new opportunity to take a different path toward your goal.  Do not make a habit of changing your plans, but do not be too stubborn to see new opportunities that are in front of you that may bring you closer to your goals.

Smart Goals!

Goal setting is something that must be: measurable, focused, realistic, and motivated or you will never succeed.

You must always be focused on your goals, if you are constantly looking at tomorrow it is very hard to be weighed down by today.  Life can often seem futile but if you realize that a set back today doesn't have to stop you from getting where you would like to be, then nothing can stop you from success.  As you begin to achieve your smaller goals, your bigger dreams will become more realistic, and something that began as seemingly impossible will begin to become tangible.  Your new life begins the second you decide to take control of it and become the master of your own fate.  If you want something, go it.

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New website to cover BJJ tournaments and matches!

I just found this website today.  http://www.bjjfights.com/ 
It looks like a great idea, they have a handful of the No Gi Worlds matches, including Justin Rader vs. Cobrinha in the feather finals.  Check them out, although  its a new site we could definitely use a website that extensively covers big events and tournaments to add some exposure to our wonderful sport!  We should support anyone or any company that is looking to spread the sport and a website that catalogs some of the biggest tournaments could definitely help.

Again, http://www.bjjfights.com/

Thanks and look for another post this evening or tomorrow!

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