Looking for more oomph and intensity in your workouts!? Step it up and Superset your routine!
Supersetting is a more advanced way to stay active or workout involving doing two exercises, one after the other, with no rest in between. The exercises can be for the same muscle group, different muscle groups or even putting together different activities – e.g., a strength exercise followed by a cardio exercise.
The idea is to do one exercise and, instead of resting and doing another set, doing a different exercise and alternating those exercises for your desired number of sets and repetitions.

THE BENEFITS OF SUPERSETS

It’s a fantastic idea to add supersets as often as you deem necessary in order to avoid plateaus in your training regimen, as they offer a great way to completely alter how your body responds to the demand of physical activity.  Supersets will assist you in:

Saving time- Going from one exercise to another without rest will make your workouts shorter and more efficient.
Increasing intensity- If you choose supersets that work the same muscle, but with different exercises, you’ll add intensity to your workout and recruit your muscle fibers just a bit differently, so it feels like you’re getting a whole new set of exercises.
Overloading your muscles- By working the same muscle with one exercise right after another, you can overload your muscles without using heavy weights. This is great if you don’t have a spotter or don’t want to lift very heavy weights.
Making things interesting- If you’ve been doing straight sets forever, supersetting can make weight training more interesting, challenging and fun.
Easily setting up a workout- All you do is pick at least (more…)

I’ve knocked out the first two real and proven components of sustainable fat loss in recent blogs: Strength Training and Sound Nutrition.  I’m proud to bring these simple applications to the surface along with the final two pieces in accomplishing all fat and weight loss goals.  This blog will focus on a serious fat burner, it’s time to H.I.I.T. it!

H.I.I.T. (High Intensity Interval Training)-

It was once believed that “steady state” cardio was superior for fat loss because relatively more fat was being used by the body as fuel at lower exercise intensities than at higher intensities. The “Fat Burning Zone” shown on most cardio equipment as only 60%-65% of max heart rate is really a myth and is NOT optimal for burning fat. Yes, you burn more fat relative to glycogen when going for a walk, but what we care about is total fat burn. At higher intensities, you are burning far more fat, even though the fat/glycogen ratio is lower.

A primary reason for high importance to High Intensity Interval Training lies within its ability to keep you burning fat long after you leave the gym.  Your body isn’t able to bring in enough oxygen during periods of hard work. Therefore, you accumulate a “debt” of oxygen that must be repaid post-workout in order to get back to Normal. The result is that your metabolism is revved for hours after you leave the gym. Experienced trainers refer to this phenomenon as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption or EPOC. The greatest way to use this strategy to your advantage is to make short, intense exercise bouts of activity a regular piece of your workout regimen. Implement H.I.I.T. directly within or at the end of your workouts, no matter if you are doing a total body or a resistance concentrated body part. Truth is that you may only burn (more…)

The first unit of Fat Loss Science was the implementation of Strength Training into our daily routines to promote lean muscle development.  When you elicit the power of Strength Training in combination with the habit of the 2nd component below, you’re well on your way to achieving greater and more sustainable Fat Loss results.  If you missed the Strength Training piece, you can review it HERE.  The idea is to keep the choices and decisions we make for greater Fat Loss within our functional vehicle (our bodies), as simple and easy to transition as possible.

2nd Part to the Science of Fat Loss documentation:

Eating Habits commonly referred to as “Diet“- by eating nutrient dense foods (lean protein, heart healthy omega’s, whole grain, etc.) every three hour, generally speaking, our bodies will ignite the burning of fat; it is the thermogenic effect of food.  The thermic effect of food is the caloric cost of digesting and processing different macronutrients in your diet.  This results in an instigation of metabolic increase and will fuel your body to burn fat up to 24 hours a day (in combination with the first component of Strength Training).  Processing protein requires the greatest expenditure of energy, with estimates ranging as high as 30%. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is not as easily processed and turns into body fat causing only 2 or 3% of calories burned through processing. The amount of energy required to process carbohydrates falls between that of protein and fat. It is essential to take in protein as it is also the building block of muscle. Eating pre and post workout is an essential factor too, our bodies need (more…)

Aspired by many but built by few, the biceps are the quintessential show-off muscle. Interestingly enough they are often focused on more than triceps and over trained in the process.  You can easily find yourself adding sets, including too many volume techniques and over doing it on your relentless quest for bigger guns.
Normally barbell curls, dumbbell curls and some sort of one-arm concentration curl make up a typical routine. Too often we kill our arms with countless sets and too many intensity techniques, driving our sought-after gains into the ground. How do you improve on that? What can be changed to help you reach your goals?

Try a few alternatives to shake up the routine to illicit development and growth:

1.)  Go 30% to 40% lighter in weight than you normally do (you know what I’m talking about, your bicep lifting weight typically increases with your ego- ha). Take real focus to the isolation of each repetition movement- no momentum, no swinging your arms, voluntarily contract each rep to feel the proverbial “burn”. You’ll be surprised that you may only be able to complete the same rep range as you do with your normal weight, but your muscle tissue will be feeling much differently.
2.)  Apply a Time Density strategy. Pick any bicep exercise and a specific amount of time. Start with a low number like five minutes if you are new to this type of training. You can slowly increase your (more…)

As promised from The Science of Fat Loss Introduction last week, Part 1 to the fundamental components to sustainable Fat Loss is detailed within this weeks blog.  The Science of Fat Loss has been reviewed and accepted by the Oxford Educational Network and is quickly gaining momentum across the board.

Strength Training- Building muscle is the 1st component that will lead you to fat loss, strength training leaves you with a 24-36 hour after burn and Thermogenic effect (Thermic effect of food also commonly known simply as thermic effect when the context is known).  TEF in shorthand, is the increment in energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate due to the cost of processing food for storage and use.  It is one of the components of metabolism along with the resting metabolic rate and exercise.
With each pound of muscle you have built, you are burning roughly an extra 50 calories a day while your body is at rest.  This means that you will continue to burn calories even when you are not working at all.  Strength training needs to be performed 5-6 days per week for maximum results.  Muscle tissue is the only thing that will burn fat and increase your metabolism.  Building lean muscle is the first component to losing weight and sustainably keeping it off.

You can seek all and any Strength Training tips and recommendations right now at feelfitastic.com and while you’re here browse the custom build library of over 2,000 exercises in the Workout Builder to really capitalize the ignition of your organic Fat Burning system we call your BODY!

Keep your eyes peeled next week for the second unit of Fat Loss practical Science.

Be sure to follow Fitastic on Facebook @feelfitastic  and Instagram @TeamFitastic for all things health, nutrition, fitness, and positive mindset.

The Science of Fat Loss Introduction

There are not any quick fixes or magic pills to make you lose weight. You can lose water weight in a hurry, but your body fat % will not change. 1 pound of fat consists of 3500 calories while water in itself contains no fat. Unless you are actually burning 3500 calories, you are not losing body fat. In order to burn off body fat and lose weight with these steps are essential.

There are 4 major components to body fat loss; Strength Training, Diet, H.I.I.T (High intensity interval training) and Sleep (rest and recovery) used together these 4 components are the surest way to burn the most amount of fat in the quickest, safest most effective way and building lean muscle throughout the body.   We will lay out the basics of these components to fully understand their function and to see why they will lead you to long term success and fat loss.  The information is to help you understand the science behind why we need to incorporate all 4 factors into our training regimen in order to achieve a long term healthy lifestyle.

These 4 major components will be featured and detailed in future blogs throughout June 2014- Parts 1-4.  Stay Tuned

Accredited details to come are directly from THE WORLD SCIENTISTS International written by:

Dr.Raven Oscar Flores PhD ,CSCS, Kinesiology ,Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, ISSA PT
Steve Trezek, ACE PT, NASM PT, IFPA Professional Natural Bodybuilder, NPC Natural BB Champion, Accredited Fitness Leader 2008-2011 in the Health Club Industry
Nicholas David Bardi, NPTI PT

Everyone wants a “better” butt! Perk up your rear end and drag it out of hibernation! So how do you get amazing glutes out of a magazine, and reflecting back at you in the mirror? Strong, powerful glutes is what separates the elite from the average. The clear path to a better booty doesn’t go through the treadmill or the elliptical. Instead, start with weights, more specific a  Fitastic™ (Feelfitastic.com) program. Do not get caught up in the new “this” and new “that”, but rather the simple answer is to stick to the basics! Stick to the following exercises, squats, WEIGHTED walking lunges, stiff-legged deadlifts, and the single leg dumbbell squat (also referred to as a Bulgarian split squat). Stick to these basics exercises and get the butt you have always wanted!  Stop by the Fitastic store and pick up your Boom! shirt today!

Fitastic Josh (AkA JL-O)

Weak, tight, or unbalanced core muscles can undermine you in most elements of the world we live in. Let me get this part out of the way, while it’s important to build a strong core, it’s unwise to focus ALL your efforts at developing ripped abs. Over training abdominal muscles while neglecting muscles of the back and hip can set you up for injuries and cut athleticism.   So washboard abs is your holy grail? This is as simple as trimming body fat through diet, cardiovascular exercise, and weight training to build strong abdominal muscles with core exercises incorporated into your program.

The body likes movement, it functions better when it has been moving compared to when it has been in one position for long periods. (YES get off your duff)  We have all experienced that feeling of getting out of a long car ride, you definitely feel stiff and sluggish until you get moving again. Core training is the missing piece of most exercise programs!

Most of us have had some kind of lower back trouble here and there. Most of these lower back problems result from bearing too much or too sudden weight in the lower back. A strong set of core muscles helps prevent or minimize such damage by providing more an efficient weight-bearing mechanism. Your back muscles and ligaments are not primarily designed to bear weight. A strong core allows for more normal spinal function and lower back issues are reduced.

All Workout Programs at fitastic™ incorporate core exercises in all workout programs.   Build a strong core to be Hard Core!

Let Fitastic™ do the work and pick out your core exercises from the FREE Workout builder.  Simply choose “Core” under the Muscles options on the left side of the page.

Fitastic Josh (AkA J-Lo)

Collar up or not?  We all know the weight collar is the “clamp” that holds the weight plates to a barbell when lifting weights.  At any given time some use weight collars and some do not.  Personally I practice safe sets and collar up on all my exercises, dead lift, squats, bench press, bent over row, and military shoulder press for example.  Without weight collars the weights can slide and/or get spaced out and then you have a heavy and unbalanced weight load to deal with.  You know (….) happens and only take’s a moment’s inattention, someone walking past and bumping the bar, an old injury playing up and causing the weight to  drop out one side, could be anything really.  Honestly if you rack the weight after the particular rep that you feel like you’re starting to struggle you will never have the weight drop on you.  It’s not foolish to lift heavy without a spotter however pushing it is foolish attempting  to go for that last rep without a spotter.  Putting on the collars is not  time-consuming!  Put them on and remember to practice safe sets!

Fitastic Josh (Aka J-Lo)

Practice safe sets Shirt? – Get it HERE

Here are videos to the exercises mentioned in this article.

Deadlift

Squats

Bench Press

Bent over row

Military shoulder press

One of the most frustrating things about living a Fitastic™ life style is when you encounter a fat loss/weight loss plateau. Living a Fitastic™ lifestyle you must understand that there is no excuse for not getting in shape, you either want to change or you don’t! So when you get to a point that fat loss slows or stops, it’s easy to go into panic mode and get down on yourself. Slashing calories below a healthy sustainable amount is very common but very dangerous and short lived. For those who decide to do that, they are going to have a miserable time mentally and physically as their body tries to adjust to less calories. This is something you definitely want to avoid at all costs.

Want to overcome that plateau? I can give you the information but YOU must do the work! Lets be honest we all have room to tighten up the diet. This may mean cutting out the extra carbohydrates or looking at the amount of protein taken in versus what your body needs. You want to avoid cutting too many calories because this may and usually does cause your metabolism to slow down and go into ‘starvation’ type mode.  Once this happens, it’s more difficult to fire the metabolism up again.

Next we can pull apart your workouts. You must increase the intensity of your workouts. Time to lift heavier weights, keep your body guessing and change up your workouts. Add on an extra set to each exercise or add a failure set to your muscle group. Take less time between sets and increase your heart rate.   Truthfully there are many ways to increase workout intensity. The important thing is not to just “go through the motions” but make sure each workout counts and be sure that each workout is better than the last. Move forward or move out of the way!                                                                                                                                       

OK, cardio is a necessary evil of the fitness lifestyle so time to start stepping up your cardio intensity. This may simply mean just going harder for the same amount of time or (more…)