Will Fruit Make You Fat?

By Nick Nilsson

Learn the truth about fruit...is it the diabolical diet-killer it'ssometimes made out to be or is it just fruit
and actually pretty good for you?!

The answer to the question of whether fruit can or will make you fat isn't as simple as yes OR no...because the answer is yes AND no.

Sound confusing? It's not so bad!

There have been studies done on fruit sugar (fructose) and how it's metabolized in the body and liver, which I'll get into in a bit, but I'm also going to talk about fruit from a practical standpoint.

First, here is why it WON'T make you fat...

Fruit is a fat-free (with rare exception, like avocados) and fairly low-calorie, high-fiber food. It's going to be hard to eat ENOUGH fruit to result in an excess of calories, resulting in noticeable fat gain...hard, but not impossible.

You would have to look long and hard to find somebody who ate a lot of fruit and had gained a lot of fat because of all the fruit they ate. Fruit roll-ups, fruit juice (with 10% real juice), Fruity Pebbles and Froot Loops...maybe not so hard, though I do have to say high fructose corn syrup is NOT a fruit just because it has the word "fructose" in it, so that doesn't count.

And I don't know about you, but I have yet to hear of somebody sitting down in front of the television and not realizing they ate an entire bag of apples or saying their doctor told them they need to lay off the bananas!

"Real" fruit actually contains a lot of water, nutrients, fiber, etc...healthy stuff...stuff your body NEEDS. It's generally when we start mucking around with fruit that we start to run into problems.

In the words of Homer Simpson..."This jelly donut has purple stuff in it. Purple is a fruit."

That being said, there ARE metabolic issues with fruit and fat.

Yes, it IS true that the body has certain limitations processing fructose (the type of sugar found in fruit).

Fructose can only be stored as glycogen (glycogen is the carbohydrate storage molecule in the body) in the liver, not in the muscles. Muscle cells lack the proper enzymes to convert fructose into this storage molecule.

So that leaves the liver for storage...

When liver glycogen levels are full and your body can't store any more carbs in the liver, fructose IS easier for the body to convert into fat than other carbs because of its molecular structure.

This fat is NOT immediately converted into bodyfat, however. It becomes free fatty acids circulating in the bloodstream. If they're not burned, they CAN be stored as bodyfat.

But the OTHER good stuff you find in fruit, notably the fiber and vitamins and minerals, outweigh the "dangers" of storing a little extra fat.

And here's the point that a lot of people miss, especially when they hear that fruit has the potential to work against fat loss when on a diet...

If you're dieting, you should be in a caloric deficit. This means that your liver glycogen levels should very RARELY be full. You're in a deficit after all!

Therefore...

1. The fructose should have little chance of being converted into fat.

2. If some excess fructose IS converted to fat, chances are good it'll be USED by the body soon after being converted to fat because you're in a caloric deficit.

Granted, just like ANY other carbohydrate, if you eat too much of it, it can be stored as fat. If you're a competitive bodybuilder peaking for a competition, you MAY have to watch your fruit intake to be sure you come in at your leanest.

But for the average person looking to drop bodyfat, fruit is not something I would be too worried about (unless you're on a low-carb diet, in which case you're watching ALL carbs anyway).

I would be FAR more concerned about a person drinking too much of that diet soda garbage while dieting before I'd even be slightly concerned about them eating an apple.

Bottom line, my stance is this...DO NOT feel guilty about eating fruit, even while dieting. Treat it as you would any other food with calories in it and simply be aware of your intake because ANY food has the potential to make you fat, especially if you eat it when your body doesn't need any more calories for that day.

If you want to minimize the impact of fruit on your fat-loss diet, eat it in the morning when liver glycogen levels are naturally at their lowest point. This will help ensure fructose won't be converted into fat.

Honestly, there are MUCH more important things to worry about when it comes to fat loss...your training and overall nutrition are much more important than worrying about eating too much fruit.

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Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygirhttp://hop.clickbank.net/?28018/betteru/betteru!

How to Spot Reduce and burn Only the Fat

How to Spot Reduce and Burn ONLY the Fat Off Your Stomach...

By Nick Nilsson

I'll share with you my top-secret technique for burning ONLY the fat off your
stomach. This is spot-reducing at its best...you can even apply
this technique to ANY other specific areas you want to tone up!

Yep, it's exciting and I know you're curious so I'll get right into it!

To perform this technique, you're going to need a roll of duct tape, 3 double cheeseburgers, a set of jumper cables and a housecat...

Ok, you're going to hate me for this...

The truth is there IS no top-secret technique for spot reducing and burning only the fat from your stomach. I made that headline up in hopes that you would at least read far enough into this article to learn the TRUTH about how your body burns fat and WHERE it burns fat from (and I'll try to keep it entertaining so you actually want to read the whole thing :) ).

And honestly, this type of question is one of THE most frequently asked questions I've gotten in all the years I've been answering questions online...

"How do I get rid of fat from just my [insert area here]?"

Bottom line is, you can't. And even those stupid creams and lotions won't do it (one of these days I swear I'm going to get one of those creams and put it only on the left side of my abs and not the right and see what happens...I'm sure I'll have a ripped 3 pack within days).

To lose fat from any one specific place in your body, you're going to have to lose it from EVERYWHERE ELSE, too. There's really no getting around it.

I like to use the analogy of a swimming pool (I "borrowed" this one from fat-loss guru Tom Venuto)...

When you're filling up a swimming pool (the pool is your total amount of body fat), the deep end fills up first, right? Then the shallow end fills up as the water level rises.

Generally speaking, the deep end can be compared to the areas where you put on fat FIRST. The shallow end is where you put on fat LAST.

When you go to lose fat, look at the swimming pool again...when you drain the swimming pool, you can't drain water from just the deep end! It drains from the whole pool at once...the shallow end shows it first, THEN the deep end last.

So basically (and fairly depressingly!), the fat you want to get rid of FIRST is the fat that's going to come off pretty much LAST. To burn just stomach fat (or thigh fat or back fat), you'd have to figure out a way to defeat the entire system your body uses to store fat.

Sticking a vacuum into your belly with surgery is one way to do it - taking useless pills like Acai Berry definitely WON'T do it, no matter how many "simple rules" you follow (in that case, the simple rule is "give us all your money so you can't afford food anymore" - I guess that one actually WILL work).

And that's not even all your options for losing stomach fat...

1. Starvation dieting - this is THE best way to lose weight...of course, it'll be mostly muscle, which will send your metabolism into a nosedive, which will make it harder to continue to lose weight, which will make it easier to REGAIN weight, which will keep that lovely stomach fat firmly where you left it, even though the precious scale shows a smaller number...oops, somebody changed the calibration on it...you actually weigh more now...never mind.

2. Diet pills - pretty much all of these will work for you, especially the ones that say you can eat anything you want and still lose weight (just make sure you're never more than 15 feet from a bathroom). You know the manufacturers are only interested in your success and well-being, after all! And don't forget, the heart is a muscle and the faster it goes, the more calories you burn, right! Who wouldn't want to have their heart-rate up in the "training zone" while they're sleeping...talk about efficiency!

3. High Impact Aerobics For Beginners - the good news is, soft tissue injuries require a LOT of calories to heal up, so bust out those Step Tae Bosu Dance tapes and go nuts!

Okay, let's move on to some of the more "radical, unproven" stuff ;)...

1. Eating natural, wholesome foods - what a crock! The only thing anybody has ever lost from eating this garbage is fat. Oh wait...

2. Weight training - even more useless than good nutrition, weight training is something to stay away from. All it will do is build muscle and increase your metabolism. Total B.S. Same with interval training...it's the worst.

3. Supplementing with multivitamins, minerals, fish oil and protein - I know...I can't make this stuff up! Some people actually USE these things to support their nutrition while eating natural foods and training with weights for fat loss. I guess their quack doctors wouldn't write out a prescription for Orlistat or Xenical or Gottapoopital.

So bottom line, fat loss isn't rocket science...just don't eat anything, take a lot of pills and thrash around for hours on end until you hurt yourself.

------------------

Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygirhttp://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru/betteru!

5 Fat-Loss Myths - Free eBook

5 Fat-Loss Myths That Are Stopping Your Progress COLD

By Nick Nilsson

These five fat-loss lies have been around for years and believing them could be making
YOUR fat-loss program a lot less effective. Time to blast them out
of the water and get your fat-burning back on track!

Fat-loss is a topic that is just rife with myths, misconceptions, incorrect beliefs and outright lies! Here are five common fat-loss myths that could be holding you back from achieving the fast, effective fat-loss your body is actually capable of.

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Fat-Loss Myth #1 - Diets Don't Work

Diets actually quite often DO work (even the Hollywood South Beach Crab Taco Cookie Diet). It's just what happens AFTER the diet finishes that's the problem. The metabolism has been slowed down by prolonged low caloric intake without proper training. And then when the person goes back to their "normal" eating, they go back to their NORMAL eating...the eating that added the extra fat in the first place.

I look at a "diet" as a tool and it's a tool that can be used short-term for a specific purpose.

The LIFESTYLE is what you do when you're not on a specific diet and THAT is where people generally go wrong and then blame the diet.

---

Fat-Loss Myth #2 - Eating Very Low-Calorie is Bad For Fat Loss

Another outright myth...eating very low calories (and even complete fasting) can be very GOOD for fat loss. It creates a much bigger caloric deficit, which in turn forces the body to rely on stored fat for energy.

The trick here is that you don't want to eat very low-calorie like that for LONG...never more than a few days. When you eat very low-calorie for long stretches, THAT is when you run into trouble with metabolic slowdown.

A few days here and there can be a nice kick-start to get fat-loss moving again...just don't fall in love with the results of a few days and keep doing it too long!

---

Fat-Loss Myth #3 - "I Want To Get Toned"

NO training is going to get you "toned" because that doesn't exist. Getting "toned" simply means building muscle and burning fat. You can't tone a muscle any more than you can paint a cloud. You have to build the muscle to have it and you have burn the fat so you can see it.

"Toning," to me, is simply a way of describing ineffective training. It's a person picking up a weight that is not challenging to their muscles and lifting it just enough to completely avoid any discomfort.

And then they wonder why they're not "toned up" and quit doing anything altogether because they didn't see any results.

So that's my public service announcement for the day. Don't tone...LIFT! And be proud of the muscle you have...it's what gives your body actual SHAPE and what makes you look like a healthy human being!

---

Fat-Loss Myth #4 - High-Rep Light Weight Training is the Best Training Style to Burn Fat

Here's the thing...light weight, high-rep training CAN be effective for burning fat while preserving muscle IF you do it correctly. If you flail around and don't push yourself, you won't see results.

In my experience, the BEST training style for fat-loss is a mix of heavier training, to preserve mass and strength, and lighter, high-rep training that focuses on Lactic Acid accumulation.

When Lactic Acid accumulates in the body, this changes the acidity (the pH) in the bloodstream. Your body reacts to this by secreting Growth Hormone, which is a potent fat-burning and muscle-preserving hormone.

The key to achieving THAT result is that you have to push yourself. This isn't light-weight EASY high-rep training that accomplishes nothing. This is HARD light-weight, high-rep training that burns while you're doing it, prolongs that burn then makes you end your sets because you can't hold onto the weight any longer.

THAT is effective high-rep training for fat loss.

---

Fat-Loss Myth #5 - To Lose Fat You Have to Totally Deprive Yourself of the Foods You Love

Totally wrong. You DO have to CONTROL yourself and not let food control you, but the LAST thing you want to have in your head while you're dieting is that you'll never be able to eat the foods you love again.

Because when you starting thinking about that, that is ALL you will be thinking about.

And that is where the concept of the "cheat meal" or "free meal" comes in. When you're on a fat-loss program, you actually SHOULD have a cheat meal where you eat those foods that you LOVE to eat but are probably terrible for you :). The key is that you PLAN when you eat these foods - you don't ever let it happen by accident.

A planned cheat is light-years different than giving in to a craving and blowing your diet. A planned cheat puts YOU in control of your food intake.

And the cool thing is, when you've been on a restricted eating plan for awhile, that cheat meal will actually SPUR fat loss! I ALWAYS include cheat meals in every fat-loss program I write. You need it mentally and you benefit tremendously from it physically.



---

When it comes right down to it, knowledge is power. The more you know about effective fat-loss, the more effective your fat-loss programs will be!

Want to Learn About an Incredibly Effective Fat-Loss Program that SHATTERS These 5 Myths?

#1 - It's a diet that WORKS#2 - It includes targeted fasting and very low-calorie eating days to accelerate fat loss#3 - It's challenging weight training that will literally RESHAPE your body...male, female, young, old...it works on everybody!#4 - It includes high-rep Lactic Acid Training to boost Growth Hormone and practically MELT the fat off you.#5 - There are planned cheat meals incorporated right into the program so you always get to enjoy the foods you love!

You need Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss...

This is a 36-day program designed to force extremely fast fat loss while allowing you to keep and even GAIN muscle. There is NO better way to transform your body FAST.

http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru&l=400

------------------

Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru!
http://hop.clickbank.net/?280818/betteru!

Free eBook and how to pick a GYM

http://hopclickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru10 Things You NEED to Know When Choosing A Gym...Save Yourself a Boatload of Time AND Money!

By Nick Nilsson

In the market for a new gym? Get the insider information on exactly what to look for to get the
best results and the best deal for your money. Learn what's important,
what's not, and how to find the gym that's right for YOU.

Choosing a gym to train at is one of THE most critical decisions you have to make with regards to your training. Picking the wrong one can lead to frustration and poor results, while picking the RIGHT one can give you tremendous motivation and practically guarantee your success!

So to help you make that decision, I've got a list of factors...some may be pretty straightforward, but some may be really be eye-openers!

1. Location, Location, Location

This is an easy one. If the gym isn't convenient to where you live or work, it makes it that much harder to motivate yourself to go...unless you're already so highly motivated that something like that won't stop you.

If the location is not good then that evil factor "time" will rear its ugly head. Lack of time is the #1 reason people don't train or stop training. Pick a gym that's easy to get to and you'll help yourself tremendously.

That being said, if you find a decent gym to train at some of the time (e.g. weekdays, near work) and have a great gym you can to on the weekend, even if it's further, it'll be worth extra effort (of course, that's where having the money to pay for 2 gym memberships comes into play).

2. Timing is Everything

DO NOT go visit the prospective gym on Saturday morning (which is generally one of the LEAST busy times for gyms) if you're going to train there during the week after work at 5 o'clock.

Visit the gym at the EXACT time you're planning on going to it so you can see how busy it is and to get an idea of the people who train there at that time.

Look closely at the areas of the gym you'll be working in...if the cardio section is packed but the free weight area is empty, then it might not be an issue.

Getting an idea of WHO is training in the gym at the same time may sound snobby but think about it this way...these are the people who you're going to have to deal with (and who are going to have to deal with YOU!) in the gym.

3. Tour the Facility and Take Note of the Equipment

Make sure they have the equipment you want. Any half-decent gym is going to have a free-weight area. The quality and focus of that free-weight area will tell you a LOT about who the gym caters to.

If you like to train heavy but the dumbells only go up to 50 lbs, that will be a good indication that the gym might not be for you (unless you can be satisfied with heavy barbell training!).

4. Try It Out

Go at your preferred time and get a guest pass so you can try the equipment out. Some gyms look like they have a lot of equipment, but it could be all stuff you aren't going to use anyway.

I've also been to gyms that had a nice selection of free weights but when I trained there, I found the handles of the dumbells were contoured, which I find absolutely irritating.

Taking the equipment for a test run can save you a LOT of trouble.


5. Get a List of The Rules

I'm not talking about the obvious ones like dropping weights, swearing, etc. I'm talking about the LIFTING rules that are going to affect how you train.

For example, you'll find some gyms actually don't allow deadlifting (watch out for this if the gym is on the second floor or higher of a building). The deadlift is one of THE most productive exercises you can do and any place that bans it isn't (in my opinion) serious about helping you get results.

If you like to use chalk, find out if that is allowed. Chalk can be messy and many gyms don't allow it. Some gyms will give you the boot if you "vocalize" too loud during your training!

6. If You're Going to Work With a Trainer...

Get qualifications and references. I've been to some excellent gyms with trainers who have almost no idea what they're doing. I've seen clients being taught dangerous exercises (behind the neck Smith machine shoulder press) while the trainer runs off to the bathroom or talks on a cell phone.

A trainer should be more than a rep counter or a cheerleader. A good trainer will GUIDE you and TEACH you. In fact, a very good trainer's goal should be to work themselves right out of a job, teaching you so well that you don't even need them anymore!

And even if you don't plan on using a trainer, having a bad one hanging around giving you "pointers" can be incredibly annoying. It's great if they know what they're doing, but it often seems that the ones with the least competence are the ones most vocal about offering advice and criticizing your "bad" form!

7. Cleanliness and Atmosphere

Both of these factors operate on a sliding scale and how much they weigh in with your decision will vary according to all the other factors.

For example, if the place is very clean but the gym equipment isn't the greatest, a spotless place to train may be more important to you. On the flip side, the atmosphere may not be good and it might not be an enjoyable place to train at.

And then you might find a gym that's not particularly clean at all (like a basic warehouse gym) but is frequented by people totally dedicated to training and who constantly encourage and welcome new people in. The atmosphere might totally make up for any lack of polish.

It all comes down to what's most important to you.

8. Membership Dues

This can be a tricky one as some gyms have monthly dues where you're not locked into anything long-term while some gyms have a multi-year plan that you then "finance" by paying monthly on the balance.

It's CRITICAL you know exactly what you're getting into before you sign anything. Be prepared to walk out of the sales office if they don't take the time to explain everything to you, including your options if you move out of the area.

The last time I checked on this, it was the LAW that they have to let you out of the contract if you move more than 25 miles away from that gym or the nearest franchise of that gym. This is normally stated in the terms of your contract but be VERY sure you know your options about cancelling. Some gyms will be nice enough about it but some will dig in their heels.

Make absolutely sure you know if you're on a straight-up monthly plan that you can cancel anytime or if you're on a balloon-payment plan that you're simply making payments on until you pay the whole balance off.

There are also memberships that limit the days you're able to train. For example, Bally's used to have a membership that was only $19.95 a month but you were only allowed to train on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Sales people are there to SELL and generally won't hesitate to put pressure on you. If you want to avoid this, the smaller more "mom and pop" gyms will generally be a better bet.

9. Supplement Sales

While there is nothing at all wrong with supplements in general, they're NOT 100% necessary in order for you to get results. You can tell a lot about a gym by how hard they push them when you walk in the door. Supplements can be very profitable and I HIGHLY encourage you to shop around online before buying anything in a gym (or even in a health food store like GNC). You can generally get things way cheaper online.

Click here to check out supplements from my partners at Prograde Nutrition...

Click here to check out "big brand" supplements from FitRx...

10. The Power Racks

This might be a personal preference, but one of the first things I look for in a gym is the power rack situation. I use the power rack so much that any gym lacking at least one decent rack will not get my vote.

If a gym has more than one good rack, that says a lot about the quality of the free weight area of the facility. One of the best gyms I've trained at was the gym where I went to school - The University of Lethbridge.

They had THREE racks, two Olympic lifting platforms (with bumper plates), dumbells up to 120 lbs, three flat bench stations, a bunch of adjustable benches that weren't bolted to the floor so you could actually move them around, and plenty of open space. They had a decent selection of basic machines, which were of secondary importance, which is as it should be.

#11 - The FINAL Factor

And yes, I realize this is #11 on a list of 10 :)

In certain situations, this final factor trumps ALL the other factors.

And that factor is...availability.

In smaller towns, you may have only ONE gym in the whole town, in which case all the other factors I mentioned go out the window. It's then up to you to decide if you're willing to work with the positives and negatives of that one gym or if you want to train at home.

On the plus side, in a smaller gym, you'll potentially have the opportunity to get to know the owner or manager and your suggestions might actually be listened to!

CONCLUSION:

Take as many of these factors into account in your choice gyms as you can. The more you know about the potential place you're going to train, the better off you'll be when it comes to getting the results you want!

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Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://www.fitness-ebooks.com!

Very Cool

Got a very cool "Hybrid Training" exercise that I want you check out here today for your biceps. This is called the Cable-Barbell Hybrid Preacher Curl and it's going to open up a whole new world of training for you :)
You're going to mash up regular barbell Preacher curls with cable Preacher curls...and this combination is going to eliminate that "tension gap" that exists at the top of the regular Preacher curl by adding that direct horizontal resistance from the cable.
Sounds complicated but once you see it in action, you'll get it.
And your biceps are going to hate me for it :)
(oh, and I'm not kidding about triple the results...I find one set of this Hybrid Training is worth 2 or 3 sets of regular training...it's tough but VERY effective).
Click here to learn the Cable-Barbell Hybrid Preacher Curl now!
This is one of my very favorite training concepts, to be quite honest. Heck, I even wrote a whole book about it called "Hybrid Training", if you're interested in learning exercises just like this one that cover the entire body. This stuff is insane and incredibly effective.
Nick
P.S. If your email program messes up those links above, you can copy and paste this link into your browser to get to the page:
http://www.fitstep.com/Advanced/Secret-Training-Tips/new/hybrid-preacher-curls.htm  http://hopclickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru 

Wanit a Wider Back

Want a wider back and a more impressive V-taper to your physique? If you said yes, you're going to love this exercise....
This pull-up LOOKS a lot like a normal pull-up...it's WHERE you do this exercise that's going to make the difference.
By doing these pull-ups in a specific place on a specific piece of training equipment and with a specific grip, you're going to put MAJOR tension on the extreme outer fibers of your lats, which are key for building a wider back and getting that dramatic V-taper you want!
I'm going to keep the location a secret for now...you'll have to click the link here to go check it out on my site :)
Learn my favorite pull-up version for building back width now!
Oh, and if I get at least 100 comments on the comments section at the bottom of the page, I'll get everybody a pony...
Nick
P.S. If your email program messes up those links above, you can copy and paste this link into your browser to get to the page:
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue55/best-pullup.htm
P.P.S. about the pony...no, I won't. http://hopclickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru

Working around Injuries, Smar

By Nick Nilsson

Being injured doesn't have to mean total rest and a loss of muscle, strength and results.
There ARE good ways to train around injuries, as long as it's done SMART.

So here's the deal...an injury isn't the end of the world! They happen to the best of us, sometimes no matter how careful you are. And THAT is what this article is all about...I'm going to give you examples of how I'VE trained around a few injuries I've had over the 18+ years I've been training.

Getting these injuries didn't mean I had to completely stop every aspect of my training until I was fully recovered. In fact, continuing to train actually helped with recovery!

** Before we go any further, let me be VERY clear right up front. The examples I'm using here are from MY own experience and used only on myself. I'm not recommending you do ANY of these techniques.

I'm not a doctor (and especially I'm not YOUR doctor). I'm not a physiotherapist. This should NOT be considered medical advice. When you read this article, PLEASE use your own common sense and PLEASE consult with your doctor and get the all-clear to train if you decide to train around any injury.

Injury #1 - Twisted Ankle

The first injury I want to talk about is a twisted ankle. I was playing soccer and got my foot stuck in a hole in the field and at the same moment got spun around by another player. So basically, I tore up most of the ligaments in my left ankle.

I did all the rest, ice, elevation, etc and I went to the doctor the next day. He told me I had two choices...because the sprain was so severe I could either put it in a cast and it would get weaker, or I could just keep icing and elevating it.

I asked him if I could do other things in the gym while it was healing and he not only said "absolutely," he actually encouraged me to start using it as soon as I felt I could put weight on it.

I was back in the gym that same evening, hobbling around and doing upper body training without any problems. The next day, I was doing one-legged squats on my RIGHT leg (the uninjured side).

By working the non-injured side, you can prevent a lot of the strength loss and atrophy that you often see when a limb is immobilized. This happens because of nervous system activation.

When the right leg is used and activated, the nervous system also activates the corresponding motor units of the OTHER side. This can help prevent a lot of the muscle-wasting you see with people who are in casts - if only they would have trained their uninjured side!

The key thing to note is that even though I was working my right leg, I wasn't putting pressure on my injured side while I still had pain on it. As it healed and I was able to put pressure on it without pain, then I gradually worked it back into my training, with no loss of performance.

Injury #2 - Wrist Pain

This happened to me my very first year of training and I very quickly figured out exactly what the cause was: too much barbell curling.

Every time I picked up the straight bar to do curls, I would get sharp pains in my wrists. I even got to the point where I got a couple of wrist wraps to help ease the pain (which worked briefly).

How did I train around that injury? Easy. Dumbell Curls.

Once I figured it out, I immediately stopped all barbell training...curls, benching, rows, machines, everything that locked my wrists into position while training.

I still had some pain in my wrists while I was doing dumbbell work for several weeks after I got off barbells, but the wrist pain gradually went completely away on its own.

The key thing to note here - I had an injury as a result of getting "locked in" on barbells (especially straight barbell curls, which put a lot of pressure on the wrists, which in itself is the reason the EZ Curl bar was invested), and I immediately trained around that by switching to dumbells.

Problem solved, and I actually saw increased growth and strength because I changed things up.


Injury #3 - Pulled Tricep Muscle

This one will seem like a strange injury...I pulled the long head of my left tricep doing heavy SHRUGS. Yep, you read that right. Shrugs.

The reason I pulled the long head is because it's the only head of the three-headed tricep muscle that crosses the shoulder joint. I had been doing high training volume (shrugs every session) and heavy weight (about 600 lbs) for a number of weeks and it caught up to me.

Because of the nature of the injury, it meant some changes to my program. It meant no more deadlifts, shrugs or stiff-legged deadlifts. Also, I was off all rowing, chinning and pull-down movements. Ironically enough, I could actually do close-grip bench pressing and dips without any problem at all, which is strange for a tricep injury.

My tricep was injured but I could hardly do any BACK training because of it!

Training around it was relatively simple. I just avoided those exercises I mentioned. But that left me without many options for back training. For back, I used a bench press machine backwards, sitting with my chest towards the back pad. I then put my elbows against the bench handles and pushed back against them to get the back activated. This took the injured tricep completely out of the movement but allowed me to get in some decent back training.

Injury #4 - Strained Pectoral Muscle

This one happened to me doing VERY heavy weighted dips. I had 170 lbs hanging off my waist, had just done several sets with that weight and decided to finish with some high-rep, top-range partials to really overload the muscle.

It's a technique I'll never use again, because looking back on it, I was totally setting myself up for this injury. Very heavy weight on a stretch-focused exercise (which in and of itself wasn't so bad) but then when I did the high-rep partials, it was like tearing the muscle repeatedly until it ripped even more.

The good thing is, the moment I felt the start of the strain, I dropped to ground immediately, so I didn't get an actual muscle tear, thought I thought was pretty much done with chest training for at least a month.

Not even close...after swearing about it for awhile, I began doing one-arm dumbbell bench press (on the Swiss ball) on my right side to help keep the strength up on both sides. I avoided all exercises that caused any pain or stretch on the left pec (to give you an idea, I couldn't bench press even a 10 lb dumbbell without pain on that side).

I kept up with the one-side pressing and within a month, I was back pressing 100 lb dumbells with both sides with no pain and no real loss of strength in the injured side.

The key here is that I focused on what I COULD do and not what I couldn't. This allowed me to keep up with regular training and not see any drop in strength or mass, even on the injured side.

Injury #5 - Pulled Muscle in my Lower Back

This one I wanted to use as an example of an injury that I COULDN'T train around. I did this one to myself trying to stretch out my lower back with a twisting stretch. BAD idea. I was about do some incline barbell bench and I was sitting on the bench, rotating my torso and pushing with my right elbow against the outside of my left knee.

And then I felt and heard a "POP."

And that was that. I was doubled over on the floor and could hardly breathe. No workout that day!

It took me about 4 times as long to walk home because I could hardly hold myself upright. Sleeping was no fun at all. Luckily at that point, I still owned a weight belt. I had to wrap it tight around myself and sleep with it on in order to not be in excruciating pain.

There was simply NO way for me to train around that one. Breathing, let alone training, was painful. I couldn't support any weight. To this day, when I get lean enough, I can still see where the muscle popped through the fascia in my lower back.

A few days later, I was able to get back in the gym and do some light training but that was definitely something not to be trained around.

Conclusion:

The key to remember here is to pick your battles. I've had injuries I could easily train around and which were more inconvenience than injury. I've also had injuries where discretion is the better part of valor and have had to take time off.

In all things, if YOU decide you want to try and train around an injury, PLEASE check with your doctor first. The last thing you want to happen is to self-diagnose and find out later there was more going on with the injured area than you thought.

Yeah, it stinks to have to take time off training, but the alternative could be a MUCH longer recovery time or even chronic re-injury and weakness.

------------------

Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru!

Stuck in a Rut

Stuck in a rut? Hit a plateau? It's time to stop phoning in your workout and put some BRAINPOWER into action.

One of the most common issues I see with people in the gym, ESPECIALLY those who are having trouble getting results, is a lack of mental focus on the exercises they're performing.

Sure, they're going through the motions and in a lot of cases even lifting a substantial amount of weight...but what they don't realize is that by really engaging their BRAIN in the act of lifting they could be getting MUCH better results with the same amount of effort.

So to help with that, I've put together a list of my favorite "mental notes" for some of the most common exercises in the gym...using this can make an immediate difference in your exercise performance and even add some substantial weight to your lifts!

1. Bench Press - Push Your Body Through the Floor

Instead of focusing on pushing the BAR away from you, try imagining as though the bar is stationary and you're pushing your BODY down through the floor. This mentally changes the bench press exercise from an open-chain movement (where the resistance is moving and your body stays stationary) to a closed-chain movement (where the hand or foot is fixed and cannot move and your body is all or part of the resistance, like a push-up).

Closed-chain movements are more effective for muscle fiber activation and by at least MENTALLY changing the movement to a closed-chain exercise, you can potentially achieve some of the benefits of it.

2. Deadlifts - Fall Backwards

When doing a straight bar deadlift, as you're pulling the bar up your shins, mentally picture yourself falling/shifting your weight backwards as you're pulling up. This helps improve the leverage of the lift, using your bodyweight to help get the bar up. When you just pull straight up, you don't get this advantage. And wear long socks or pants if you don't want deadlifting "battle scars" up and down your shins because that bar should stay as close to your legs as possible :)

3. Squats - Pull Down on the Bar

To lock your torso and core into the squat, grip the bar HARD and pull down on it as you squat. Imagine like you're trying to bend that bar in half over your back. This locks the back muscles into a more solid position and helps stabilize the torso during the squat. This is especially critical as you start moving heavier weights in order to protect your spine.

4. Seated Cable Rows - Push Your Sternum into the Handle

To really maximize the contraction in the lats and other upper back muscles when doing a cable row, when you come to the top of the movement, instead of focusing on pulling your shoulders back and in (which is still effective, don't get me wrong), actively try to push your sternum (breastbone) into the cable handle. I find this gives an even stronger contraction than trying to pull the elbows in as it gives you a goal in FRONT of you to focus on achieving. The back contraction then happens automatically.

5. Barbell Curls - Push Elbows Together

At the top of a standing barbell curl, hold that position for a few seconds and try this...push your elbows together as though trying to touch them together. Because your hands are locked onto the bar, I find this increases the contraction by attempting to increase the degree of supination of the forearm. Even though it may not actually increase the supination, the act of TRYING is what will force the greater contraction.

It works because the OTHER major function of the bicep muscle is supination (elbow flexion is the first), which is basically rotation your hand from a palms-down position to a palms-up position. This elbow trick at the top works that supination function.

6. Seated Dumbell Shoulder Press - Bring Your Chest Up to Meet the Dumbells

When doing this exercise, as you lower the dumbells into the bottom position, I want you take a deep breath in and try to mentally focus on bringing the chest UP to meet the dumbells while keeping your shoulder girdle DOWN. It's important when doing this that you bring the dumbells ALL the way down as far as you can...until they almost touch your shoulders.

This trick will force you to reduce the weight you're using but it's going to work the actual shoulder muscles twice as hard and take the emphasis off the triceps, which tend to take over in the shortened range of motion that most people gravitate to with this exercise (because they can use more weight).

It works by increasing the amount of stretch that gets put on the deltoids at the bottom - shoulder girdle down and chest up is what does it. It'll be humbling at first but work with it and your shoulder development will SKYROCKET.

7. Stiff-Legged Deadlifts - Raise the Toes and/or Paw the Ground

This exercise is notoriously hard for people to feel the hamstrings working. I used to have this problem myself for a LONG time so don't feel bad if it's happened to you. I've got two techniques for this one...one is actually physical and the other is mental.

The physical trick is to elevate your forefeet...I usually use foam wedges or a couple of 25 lb plates. Set your heels on the floor and set your forefoot area on the raised edges of the plates, similar to a calf stretch...and this works BECAUSE it puts a stretch on your calves. Now do the exercise. I felt this in my hamstrings the very first time I did it.

The mental trick is to imagine pawing the ground with your feet as you start the lift. Think of a bull about to charge and it's pawing the ground....essentially, you're to activating the hamstrings at the hip by attempting to produce forward motion. Since you're planted on the ground, you're not going to be going forward but the mental intention to move forward will result in hamstring activation.

And if you put BOTH of these tricks together, your hamstrings will be SINGING when you're doing SLDL's :)


CONCLUSION:

Give these mental tricks a try next time you train any of these exercises and you'll know what it means to LOOK like you're doing everything the same yet FEELING like you're doing a completely different exercise.

I can promise you'll feel your muscles working a way they've never worked before and you will BLAST past strength and muscle plateaus.

------------------

Nick Nilsson has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been innovating new training techniques for more than 18 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding books including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of", all designed to maximize the results you get for the hard work you put into your training.

Be sure to grab your FREE copy of Nick's 30-day "Dirty Little Secret Program for Building Muscle and Burning Fat FAST," available at http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru!

Get Stronger

Using a Dip Belt For Heavy Curls and Pushdowns to Use More Weight Instantly! Sign up here to receive FREE samples the moment I put out new ones! First Name: Primary E-Mail: When you start getting stronger at barbell curls, one of the first things you notice is that even when using very strict form, the path of the weight means a lot of the torque goes into your lower back. Many people try to get around this by using a weight belt that tightens everything up to prevent injury. But that's like putting a band-aid on a headache - it doesn't address the root of the problem, which is weight out in front of your body and outside your base of support. The same is true with heavy pushdowns. As you build up to heavier and heavier weights, the resistance is outside your center of gravity and it puts tremendous torque on your lower back. With pushdowns, you have to resort to leaning forward, doing pushdowns in a semi-lunge position or having someone hold you down! The best way to go to solve this probelm? Use a dip belt with a couple of heavy plates hanging from your waist. This will dramatically increase your body mass and make the weight that is putting the torque on your back much less heavy, relative to your bodyweight. For example, if you weigh 180 lbs and you're curling 110 pounds, that's more than 60% of your body weight out in front of you. But if you add 90 lbs of plates to your bodyweight, that drops to 40%. This is a LOT less torque being directed onto your lower back. The same is true for pushdowns. Heavier "body" mass means less torque on your lower back. The upsides? Less back stress and the ability to immediately curl and do pushdowns with more weight. Your biceps and triceps are still doing all the work - you just don't have the back stress associated with it.http://hopclickbankmyguymygir/betteru

Your Mad Scientist Muscle 10-11 most ask questions

Your Mad Scientist Muscle questions answered
10 Mad Scientist Muscle questions answered
Top 10 Mad Scientist Muscle questions answered
Mad Scientist Muscle FAQ - all your questions answered!
Is Mad Scientist Muscle right for you? Read this...

Body:

So I've been talking about Nick Nilsson's Mad Scientist Muscle program and I wanted to just make sure you had all your questions about it answered.

==> http://hop.clickbank.net/?myguymygir/betteru&l=900 (click here now to check out the book now)

There's a lot of information in this email but it's good stuff. Nick sent along a list of "Frequently Asked Questions" about the program and his answers to all those questions (so when you see "I" that's Nick talking, just so you know!).

It's really good stuff and should give you all the information you need to make your decision to get the program.

So let's get right to it!


Question #1 - Will I get fast results with this program or is more for long-term gains?

Answer: You WILL get fast gains with this program....and you will ALSO get long-term gains with this program! The framework is set up to deliver very effective short-term muscle gains while using the power of controlled overtraining to push your whole body forward over longer periods of time. The results can be spectactular!

To give you an idea, a friend of mine tested this program and gained about 40 lbs on his bench press in the first month. And I personally used a version of the "Frankenstein" advanced program to gain 22 lbs in just 6 weeks. So yeah, fast results.


Question #2 - Is this only for advanced trainers?

Answer: Nope! It's actually for a very wide range of ability levels, early intermediate to very advanced. You'll notice I didn't say "beginners"...because, to be honest, a beginning trainer doesn't NEED this type of overtraining framework yet.

And the reason I say YET is that after 3 of 4 months of "normal" training, the body has adapted to weight lifting in general and is then ready for a program like this. And even further, at this point, the body actually really DOES need a program like this in order to not hit a plateau. The beginning trainer can get results with just about anything, but once your past that stage, you need to really know how to start working WITH your body. And that's what this program will teach you.


Question #3 - Isn't overtraining dangerous? I thought we were supposed to stay away from it.

Answer: Overtraining actually gets a bad rap! There are two distinct type of overtraining...chronic and acute. Chronic overtraining is the bad one that we want to avoid. That's what happens when you train too hard for too long and don't give your body a break. You stop getting results because you're doing too much and the body is breaking down.

ACUTE overtraining is what we're after. This is a very short-term state where the body is just starting to hit that level where it can't keep up. At THIS point, where you're really testing your limits, THAT is when we pull back and let your ramped up recovery go to town with fewer sets, more rest and heavier weight.

I always say, if you don't regularly test your limits, you'll never know what you're truly capable of! This program will take you there and bring you back, helping you walk the line where the RESULTS are.


Question #4 - Will this program work for improving athletic performance?

Answer: Absolutely! In fact, a very similar framework is used by many top athletic coaches including the late legendary sprint trainer Charlie Francis. This stuff WORKS and no top-level coach would even touch it if it didn't.

In terms of exercises, this is more of a bodybuilding-oriented program (and it builds a heckuva a lot of strength, too!) but you can definitely change up the exercise to reflect a more sport-specific goal. For example, instead of doing deadlifts, do tire flipping. It'll fit right into the training techniques and the controlled overtraining scheme.

And I just have to say, any time you can gain lean mass and strength, you're going to improve athletic performance...unless your sport is bowling or something (it'll actually even beneift golfers!).


Question #5 - Can the program be done in a 3 day training split rather than the 4 day split you have in the book?

Answer: Very easily. It's not hard to adapt this program by changing up some of the training days. My method is to just keep the first two days as a split then combine the second two days into ONE day and working just the big parts on that one day. Very simple to put together and manage and I'm happy to help you with the specifics when you get the program.


Question #6 - Do I have to eat a boatload of food every day? I get stuffed really easily and I have a hard time eating enough to gain weight.

Answer: That will depend a lot on how much you weigh now and how much YOUR body needs in order to build muscle. But here's the cool thing...

You DON'T have to stuff yourself in order to build muscle. I've included a detailed chapter on meal timing so you can get the most impact for each meal. In my experience, you don't have to stuff yourself all day as long as you know how to properly target your meals.

PLUS (and this is the cool part), I've actually included an optional part of the program that puts you on a DIET on the weekends so you give your digestive system a break. This also keeps your bodyfat in check AND sets up even BIGGER muscle-building gains when you come back off during the training week.

I have to say, it's a very cool little tweak and it's also completely optional.


Question #7 - Are there a lot of "crazy" exercises that will make me look stupid in the gym?

Answer: Who cares what you look like while you're training if you're huge! ;)

Seriously though, even though I'm known for some really insane exercises, the "mad scientist" part of this program comes in the training techniques that you'll be putting to work in the controlled overtraining and in the Structural Training you'll be doing. This is powerful stuff!

You won't have to spend half your day upsidown or swinging from anything. I make use of primarily basic exercises...I've got tweaks for them, of course, but they only thing people will be asking you is how come you started getting so big so fast...

That being said, I DO have a new book available ONLY when you pick up Mad Scientist Muscle called "The Best MASS Exercises You've Never Heard Of." This one has 119 of my best and most unique mass exercises and training techiques. This is killer stuff.


Question #8 - Will this work if I'm a "hardgainer?"

Answer: Not only will this work, it actually has the potential to remove your "hardgainer" status in many ways! I've included something I call "structural training" in the program and it's an integral part. The idea with this type of training is to positively change many aspects of your body's physiology (through training) to make it easier for your body to build and keep muscle.

For example, blood supply to your muscles plays a HUGE role in recovery...the tiny blood vessels called "capillaries" are where the nutrients and oxygen get delivered. If you have a low capillary density, your muscles don't get as much food or oxygen and have a harder time growing.

You've probably noticed that the muscles you have a hard time pumping up also have a hard time growing. This type of structural training has the power to CHANGE that.

Plus, I've targeted three other 'high-impact" factors that can positively influence your physiology to get you out of the hardgainer state.

And if you're NOT a hardgainer, it's going to work even BETTER...


Question #9 - Will I have to think much or read a lot to understand how to use this program?

Answer: Nope! I've set out EVERY single training day of the program so that you know EXACTLY what you're going to be doing every step of the way. Print out the workout and follow it - you provide the effort, I provide the training know-how.

Another very cool thing is the online video database...I'm in the process of adding a TON of video and pictures to it demonstrating EVERY single exercise and technique that is used in the program.

So not only will have it all scheduled out for you, you'll be able to SEE exactly what you'll be doing every step of the way. And all these videos are shot during actual training sessions...nothing posed...so you'll know how this stuff goes in an actual workout.


Question #10 - Do I need to have a full gym or can I use this program at home?

Answer: To peform this program, you'll need some basic equipment...barbells, dumbells and a bench. A power rack will also be VERY helpful and highly recommended but really, that's about it. I hardly ever use machines in my own training and honestly, it's the free weight stuff that will really get the job done for you.

Big fancy commercial gyms attract people by wowing them with a big selection of shiny equipment that very few people really actually NEED!


Question #11 - Can this program be used for fat-loss, too and I can use it to gain muscle and burn fat at the same time?

Answer: First off, yeah I know I said 10 questions and this is #11, so sue me :) This program is designed first and foremost to build MUSCLE and STRENGTH. You will, in most cases, be better served by picking up a targeted fat-loss program (like Metabolic Surge, for example) than trying to make this into a fat-loss program.

That being said, I have included some dietary tweaks to minimize fat gain AND my friend and sports nutritionst Patrick McGuire has kindly allowed me to include his "Lean Muscle" meal plans in with the package. These are meal plans designed to promote muscle growth while helping you maintain and even LOSE bodyfat.

-------------

So those are the top 10/11 frequently-asked questions about the program. I hope this answers everything for you and helps you make the decision to take action pick up the program and put it to work building muscle for you.

==> http://hop.clickbank.net/?Myguymygir/betteru&l=900 (click here now to check it out)

Free work out ebooks

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