The Biggest Loser…
NBC’s The Biggest Loser started a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been watching. I’ve caught a few episodes here and there over the past seasons, and sometimes hang on for a full season.
I’m liking this show right now, and I’ll tell you why.
In a society where pills, surgery, and other shortcuts seem to be the norm, the show’s trainers (Bob and Jillian) emphasize a good diet and hard exercise. And they work their victims to the bone too.
On top of that, they use real exercises for strength training. I don’t think I’ve seen them doing concentration curls or tricep extensions. They do squats, deadlifts, thrusters, etc.
This season I think I’ve seen kettlebells in each episode. They have also used Read more
Popularity: 33% [?]
The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths…
Here’s another guest article by Craig Ballantyne, author of Turbulence Training.
The Top 5 Fat Loss Myths
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
There are so many fat loss myths out there in “exercise-land” that I was hired by Men’s Fitness magazine to write about one myth each month.
After all, by now you’ve probably heard that if you don’t do 60-minutes of cardio in your fat burning zone on an empty stomach while Venus is in line with Jupiter, you’ll never burn fat.
The problem with myths is that not only are they wrong and give false hope to millions of people trying to lose weight, but they also waste your time and mental effort.
I have also seen these myths used as justification for Read more
Popularity: 49% [?]
New Mike Mahler Beginner Kettlebell DVD…
I’ve been really busy lately and haven’t posted in a while, but I got an email about this DVD this morning and wanted to let you guys know. It’s currently at the top of Mike’s Store.
It’s around 2 1/2 hours of no-fluff basics of kettlebell training. From the sample clip, it looks like the video/sound quality and editing is similar to the Boys Are Back in Town Kettlebell Workshop DVD, which I have and recommend.
Right now, he’s got special pricing on it, and you’ll get a free copy of his Kettlebell Workshop Manual. Check it out here.
Popularity: 78% [?]
Increase Your Metabolism And Decrease Your Appetite…
Increase Your Metabolism And Decrease Your Appetite With This Fat-Burning Food Group
By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
www.burnthefat.com
There have been countless studies performed on the role of protein in the muscle growth process to try and determine exactly how much protein you should consume to build muscle mass. Recently, several studies have looked at the role that dietary protein plays in helping you lose fat, and more importantly, helping you keep it off!
One thing scientists have discovered is that eating lean protein foods is important for regulating body composition because it decreases your appetite.
In a 2003 study reported in the journal, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition And Metabolic Care (2003; 6(6): 635-638), protein was shown to Read more
Popularity: 33% [?]
Making a Sandbag…
I posted most of this as a comment in another post, but thought it deserved its own. Obviously, there’s more than one way to make a sandbag, but here’s how I made mine.
If you want to buy a ready-to-go sandbag, you can get one from www.ironmind.com . I haven’t used one, but Ironmind has an excellent reputation for quality. They’re pretty expensive though.
Personally, I just went to Academy (a sporting goods store) and bought a good duffel bag. You’ll want one that is fairly heavy (mine’s nylon). Mine was $10 (a few years ago). They also had some cheaper, thinner nylon bags that can work as inner bags. And even with them, I put the sand in small plastic trash bags.
So, I put the sand in several plastic bags, then those inside a few thin nylon bags, then put them inside the main heavy nylon bag. This gives you a few layers of protection to keep the sand from spilling out. It also allows you to adjust the weight of the main bag. Say you make five thin inner bags at 20 pounds each; you can use four for 80 pounds or all five for 100 pounds, etc. Or, even if you just have one or two thin inner bags, you can still adjust the weight by adding/removing the plastic bags. One other tip: remove the air from the plastic bags before tying them closed. Leave the empty space, but remove the excess air. This will allow the sand to still move around inside the bag, without the air taking up so much space.
The way I built mine might be overkill, but it works for me.
For sand, you can just get play sand from a home improvement store.
If you do all this and the sandbag still isn’t heavy enough for you, you can add something heavier to the bag. A barbell plate or dumbbell buried in the middle of the inserts can work, though I haven’t tried it myself. You could also use a chain, or gravel to add to the weight.
Popularity: 47% [?]
