Clean and Press, the single best exercise

If I had to pick one exercise as a favorite, I would pick the pull-up because I think they’re fun (and now that I can do them, I can finally laugh at all those childhood fitness tests where I just hung on the bar ). However, if I were to look at exercises objectively and select a single resistance exercise as “the best,” it would be the clean and press.

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Four Day Split Body Building Routine

Here’s a great bodybuilding routine I used in the old days. Its designed to be run through once a week with a rest day every couple of days. Its very intense when done properly (lifting heavy), so make sure that you’re getting enough food and rest. Also remember that getting enough protein is key if you’re looking to develop the strength and larger muscles.

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The 52-Card Workout (Deck of Cards PT)

This is great PT style workout that’s been popular in the army for ages, I learned it in ROTC. Recently, I’ve seen several similar commercial products that cash in on the “hardcore army” image. The truth is, no one that’s actually in the army uses these products. Instead, they use you generic deck of cards. If you’re looking for a workout and want a new use for that poker set, here’s how the 52-Card Workout is done.

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Iron Man Round 1: Pilates and Weight Training

As with any successful movie, Iron Man’s going to be followed with a slew of “how they did it” articles talking about actors and actresses getting in shape. Normally I’d happily ignore them, but the inner nerd in me just won’t allow it — the movie was too good. So, here’s round 1 with an article talking about Robert Downey Jr getting in shape for Iron Man and Gwyneth Paltrow using Pilates to transform into Pepper Potts.

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Pre and Post Workout Meals

I’ve found that what I eat/drink before and after an intense workout can have great benefits. For both, I like to have a lot of water involved. Usually something a little sugary and carby for the pre-workout (think sports drinks). My body will burn through the calories and the extra hydration will keep me from cramping up 45 minutes in (I sweat like a pig). The combination of instant fuel and water helps me perform at my peak. Calorie-wise, I like to keep it under 200 calories though.

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Quickie: Build Muscle at Any age

Here’s a quickie for all you folks who think that cardio’s all you need to lead a healthy life

Soy protein vs. Whey

Personally, I’m a firm believer that soy shouldn’t be a large part of anyone’s diet since it destroys the normal hormone levels in both men and women, but the Soy marketing engine has won that battle for now. Doing a little research into Soy v. Whey protein, however, led me to this interesting study showing that Whey protein was nearly twice as effetive as Soy.

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Stretching increases strength?

A recent study on stretching showed that those who regularly stretch can make some impressive strength gains even without weight training. <b>32% average strength gains, a 7% increase on a vertical? Those are things that should get the attention of all athletes</b>.

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Bodybuilding Superfoods

Want to pack on the muscle, here’s a list of some great foods to try eating on a regular basis.

• Baked Chicken (don’t forget the spices)
• fish (especially tuna - mix it up with fillets)
• Eggs (not just egg whites, the whole egg including the yolk)
• Almonds
• Salmon
• Yogurt
• Beef (red meat will super-charge your growth)
• Olive Oil (a great source of healthy fats)
• Water (duh)

Secrets of gaining muscle: Lift heavy, rest a lot.

A lot of beginners don’t have problems with hitting the gym daily, but what they don’t realize is that they need to rest as well. Muscles get torn down in the gym and built up when you rest, if you don’t get enough rest them you will just be tearing down muscle and won’t see the gains you like. Don’t believe me? Check out this article at the National Post. You might also want to read this article on over training as well.

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