Girlwithnoname Achieving Fitness at Home

Hey everyone!! A bright and shiny new week is upon us.

Full of possibilities, right?

I hope you have great plans to make it an intense, sweaty and hard core training week!!

Today a blog post I read earlier coupled with a FRUSTRATING session of hillsprints out on my favourite hill got me to thinking:

Can “Walking” REALLY be considered “Exercise”?

Well, CAN IT?

Some say “yes”, some say “no”.

I say:

So for pete’s sake, if you’re going to WALK for EXERCISE, make sure you do it RIGHT, okay?!

Here’s the original post I was referring to (and thanks to AlKavadlo for the inspiration): Is Walking Really the Best Exercise?

As usual, we end with today’s Workout Song of the Day. Here’s the thin premise for the tie-in:

Don’t be Soft Core with your workouts (especially if you’re walking for exercise) be HARD CORE each and every time.

In the meantime, here’s some Soft Core I DO approve of … this Maurice and the Cliches’ song is great for Cardio because of it’s hilarious lyrics and great beat!

(hey, I warned you the tie-in premise was thin! LOL)

Maurice and the Cliches – Soft Core

Don’t forget, if you like it as much as I do and want it for your own collection, just click on the Buy Button on the Player Widget and Amazon will get you set up in no time flat!

That’s it for today. Have a fit, fun and fantastic day, and we’ll see you again soon!
Girlwithnoname

Hey everyone. Happy Friday.

Olympics over. Sad. But a relief too. Back to normal life. Phew.

Well, not completely ‘normal’ considering I’m having some issues with DOMS that I didn’t QUITE expect.

Sure, I didn’t go running during most of the Olympics, but I walked my fool butt off.

So, I’m a bit surprised that my first run this week hurt so much it affected my weight training routine the next day.

The solution is obvious though, isn’t it?

No? Funny, it is to me!!

Check it out:

So, HA!

The 2nd run helped the DOMS brought on by the 1st run.

Don’t ya just LOVE fitness?

Hurt yourself and to make it better you hurt yourself MORE!!

LOVE IT!!!

Anyhoo, here’s Today’s Workout Song of the Day! Somehow seems apropos (you guys are smart, I’m sure I don’t have to explain the connection… I know you get it).

And, it’s a GREAT Cardio song.

Great driving beat, fun lyrics, something you can definitely get lost in while grinding out a good run, cycle, stair climbing or plyometrics session or … even SWIM!

Ok Go – Here It Goes Again

Don’t forget if you love it, it’s easy to get. Just click the Buy button on the player widget and Amazon will set you up, lickety split!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname

SQUEEAL!!

*ahem*

Sorry about that. I don’t usually lose my head and make girly noises, do I?

Well, I’m making an exception for this one.

Tom Venuto, author of one of MY personal fitness-resource favourites “Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle” is pre-releasing his fantastic new fitness program “THE HOLY GRAIL Body Transformation Program“.

And he’s taking the entire fitness industry to task for the claim that you can’t gain muscle AND lose fat… at the same time.

Tom knows I think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread when it comes to health, fitness, muscle building and fat loss …

… and if you don’t believe me then check out this interview he sat for me late last year, which by the way if you haven’t checked out yet, you really should, it’s absolutely chock full of great information:

Interview with Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle.

If you’ve been hanging out with me for ANY length of time at all, you KNOW I don’t recommend stuff I haven’t personally read or worked…

…so when I asked him for an advance copy of The Holy Grail Transformation System, he happily shot one over.

You know why? Because Tom doesn’t write crap. End of story.

He knows if I love it, I’ll say so (and if I hate it you’ll hear that, too).

He had the confidence in his new system to send it to me for my review within about 30 minutes of me asking for it. And, rightly so.

(Thanks Tom, as I’ve said before: you’re one of the greatest guys in the fitness industry, bar none).

So I spent yesterday afternoon pouring over it and deciding right then and there that I’d be adopting this program next time it’s time for me to change up my own program.

Yah, of course I love it. It’s Tom Venuto. And he doesn’t write crap. Like I said.

He knows his stuff. And then some.

Alright, so what is in The Holy Grail anyway? Glad you asked.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll learn inside the “Holy Grail Body Transformation System” ebook:

* Why you MUST understand “energy partitioning” – the fat burning, muscle-building process BEYOND CALORIES-IN vs CALORIES OUT! (page 13)

* The keys to forcing your body to drive energy and protein INTO MUSCLE CELLS and pull calories OUT OF FAT CELLS! (page 13)

* “The power of hormones to dramatically shift fat to muscle… discover what steps you must take to achieve hormonal control for maximum muscle growth and fat loss (page 13)

* The 4 “X-Factors” of concurrent muscle gain and fat loss – these are the special conditions that allow above average muscle gains while losing fat at the same time (page 9)

* The 5 “X2-Factors” that influence your ability to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time; They all depend on your current body composition (lean or fat) and dieting status (dieted down or not dieted down)… Depending on which category you’re in, it can totally change your approach (page 11)

* How to choose the right body transformation goal: should you focus on burning fat, gaining muscle or doing both at the same time? (page 14)

* How to steal the proven system of training periodization from world class athletes and apply it to your muscle-building and fat-burning goals…

* How nutritional periodization might be the single biggest breakthrough for building muscle and burning fat at the same time – This is HUGE! (page 17-21)

* 5 post-workout nutrition strategies to improve muscle growth and optimize recovery from your workouts… (page 23)

* Carb tapering and carb targeting strategies explained for 2010… These are the latest updates to the time-tested techniques used by some of the best bodybuilders, fitness models and figure competitors in the world (page 24-25)

* Cycle dieting techniques under the microscope… find out which methods work and which ones will actually make you fatter (page 27)

* 4 reasons why cardio can help you gain more muscle and lose fat at the same time, if you do it right… and why you will get weaker and smaller if you do it wrong (page 33)

* 8 carb-cycling menu plans … all DONE FOR YOU, laid out meal by meal, calculated for precision and results (appendix 1)

* Burn the Fat Foods 2.0: … the official new calorie and nutrient database – it’s a CLEAN EATING food list – NO JUNK. This is the list of foods you SHOULD eat … (appendix 3) (I think Tom might have written THIS chapter JUST FOR ME … you know how I feel about clean eating)

* Tom Venuto’s NEW WORKOUT SYSTEM – “TNB” Training – As Seen in Men’s Fitness Magazine … the perfect way to train while following the Holy Grail nutrition plan (FREE BONUS! See bonus section)

Oh, and women, this book is for YOU, TOO (just cuz it was in Men’s Fitness doesn’t make it any less valid for us, we want lean, toned bodies too, right?).

Like I said, next time it’s time to change up my routine I’m gonna use The Holy Grail program. And I can’t wait.

So, unfortunately this only is a Pre-Release of The Holy Grail. And he’s only leaving it on the market from now until Friday (THIS Friday) March 5th at Midnight (pst).

But wait for this!! The way to get your hands on it is to purchase Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle and Tom’s throwing it in for…

… wait for it …

…FOR FREEEEE!!!!

If you’ve been thinking about getting yourself a copy of Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, I’m here to tell you that the time to get it is NOW.

RIGHT … NOW !!

And I think I saw somewhere that he’s planning to put The Holy Grail on the market as a stand-alone in a couple of months for $47.

So, if you ask me, grabbing Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle and getting The Holy Grail for FREE now is a pretty great deal.

Particularly since either program by itself is worth its weight in gold and anyone serious about building muscle and losing fat for better health (and to LOOK GREAT) should definitely have both of them on their bookshelves.

BUY “BURN THE FAT FEED THE MUSCLE” NOW

GET “THE HOLY GRAIL” FREE

ummm… by the way, if you already have Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle, you can still get yourself a copy of The Holy Grail for FREE by joining Tom’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle. All members there are also getting access to it this week up until Friday March 5th.

More info on Tom’s Inner Circle at: Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Inner Circle

*Phew*

I meant for this to be a short information-sharing post and my excitement has now worn my fingernails down (I’m a hard typist, my computers all hate me).

So, I guess that’s it for today!

Enjoy Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle AND The Holy Grail. They’re both fantastic.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname

4999

Well, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are finally over and I just realized that FEBRUARY IS OVER ALREADY …

I swear, that’s the fastest February has EVER gone by … well, for ME anyway. So much excitement here in Vancouver. But now it’s over and back to reality.

And with March comes thoughts of Summer!!

Yes, gang, Summer IS coming.

And it’s coming FAST.

It’s these thoughts that got me thinking about the beach. And how to get your BEST beach look.

Because, if you aren’t thinking about it by now, you’re going to be too late once it’s time to ‘dare to bare‘ in those Summer shorts.

Hey, working out is important, we all know that by now. 

BUT!!!

When you go to the gym, do you work out with a purpose and a plan?  

Or do you just tromp in there and grind away on whatever equipment happens to be free at the moment?

Are you guilty of working the hardest on the body parts you enjoy getting a pump in the most?

If you don’t have a plan you might be doing yourself a huge disservice.  Do you have any idea what happens when you don’t work out all your muscle groups evenly?

That’s right!  You wind up with your body all out of balance.

Actually, this applies to women too, but I’m talking to GUYS in particular this time.

But only because this is a huge ‘faux pas‘ I see at the beach on guys time and time again.

Do you really want to be that guy you see every year on the beach that has the fantastic upper body but as soon as he’s in his shorts all you can see is those skinny little chicken legs of his?

Yah, he’s a funny looking guy, isn’t he?  And I’m thinking you probably don’t want to be that guy.

So, for pete’s sakes make sure you’re working your lower body as hard as you’re working those arm, chest, shoulder and back muscles.

In short:  don’t forget your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

Here are some great lower body exercises so you don’t wind up looking like Mr. Chicken Legs at the beach this year:

(oh and ladies, these exercises are great for us too… I do them all OFTEN. And my legs are ‘okay’ … I think).

Squats

Squats are a great move to work your glutes and quadriceps. 

You can do squats in several different ways. 

Bodyweight squats are great for beginners and don’t require any equipment at all. 

Just squat, and stand.  That’s all there is to it! 

Just make sure your form is right to get the most benefit from this move.  It’s hard to learn at first but worth in the end.

If you need a refresher on proper form for squats, check out this previous post: Does A Bear Squat In The Woods?

If you’re interested in stepping it up a notch, you can add some weight to the move either by holding dumbbells at your sides or on your shoulders, or by holding a barbell on your back or front of your shoulders.

Add some variety to your squats by trying Split Squats, Sumo Squats, Plie Squats, Bulgarian Squats or Hindu Squats.

Lunges

Another great move for quads is Lunges. 

This is also an exercise you can do with just bodyweight if you are a beginner. 

To accomplish this move simply start in a standing position, step forward with one foot and once that foot is on the ground in front of you, push back to standing position, repeat with the opposite leg.

Cool variations on the lunge are walking lunges (just keep moving forward instead of coming back to the standing position) or backward lunges (do the move backward instead of forward).

You can also make lunges harder by adding weight by holding dumbbells or a barbell.

Hamstring Curls

The name of this exercise should clue you in on which muscle group you’re going to work with this one.  Your hamstrings.  You need a piece of equipment for this one ordinarily, so hit your local gym to get your hamstring work done.

However, if you work out exclusively at home you can amend this to do Glute Ham Raises which require you to get on your knees and anchor down your feet (a friend can hold them or you can hook them under a heavy piece of furniture like a couch) then slowly letting your upper body move towards the ground as far as possible until your hamstrings can’t hold on anymore, then raise back up to the starting position. 

Oh right. I did a post on this one once, too. Check it out for proper form: Hamstring Help is at Hand! … I Hope!!

Obviously you can add weight to this move as well if you hold a dumbbell in your hands while doing it.

Calf Raises

This calf exercise is super simple.  All you need is a ledge and something to hang on to (even a wall will do). 

Just stand on the ledge with your heels hanging off the edge and raise and lower your heels. 

And yes, you can even weight this one too, merely by holding on to a dumbbell with one hand (you’ll need the other hand to keep your balance by holding on to that wall or other supporting post).

Now next time you head to the gym make sure you do some of these great lower body exercises so you won’t be that out of balance guy at the beach with the tiny stick legs on the muscular upper body.

Hey by the way, guys!!

It’s undeniably one of the best, most comprehensive Muscle-Building Systems (Exclusively for Men) that I’m aware of.

That’s it for today!! See ya soon!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

Well, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are almost over.

I’m kinda sad! Boo Hoo!!

And I’m totally worn out. Phew!

If you don’t believe me, or haven’t seen the evidence… errr, I mean my Olympics Series, then check them all out here:

What’s Happening at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics … besides sports …

It’s Not An Olympics Series Until I Show The Flame, Right?

But the BIGGER question is: did I manage to stay on track with my nutrition and fitness regimes while still enjoying all of the Olympics mania?

Answer: um… well… *ahem* … errrrrrr ….

Ah never mind… just check it out for yourself:

As I mentioned, if you haven’t heard my interview with John Barban who I stole my new favourite line “Every Up Needs a Bigger Down” from, then check it out here:

Interview with John Barban About Women’s Fitness

PLUS:

If monkeying with your nutrition the way I monkeyed with mine this week is something you’d like to explore, then Intermittent Fasting is a pretty good way to make sure you get those “Big Downs” after (or before) those “Big Ups”.

Check out Eat Stop Eat

I’ve talked about and have recommended this before.

It’s a great way to make sure you keep your calories in check when you’ve got that ‘Special Circumstance‘ staring you in the face but you still want to make sure you stay the course with your weight loss plan.

How do you think I get through Christmas every year? LOL

Ok, well, this Olympics craziness is not over YET so off I go, back into the fray.

See you next week, looking (and feeling) a lot less worn out … I hope.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname

4905

Hey guys, I finally made it to the Cauldron (where the Olympic Flame burns) at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics so I thought one more chapter in this grandiose Olympics Series of videos was in order.

No preamble. The footage speaks for itself.

Enjoy.

And now that this is up, I’m out the door yet again. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a month to recover from these two weeks!

See ya soon. Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

Hey everyone!! How’s it going?

I’m still going nuts taking in all the Olympic madness here in Vancouver, and every time I walk in off the streets I feel like I’m walking in out of a Combat Zone (just because after several hours of fighting crowds and walking for miles, I’m pretty exhausted) … but it got me thinking about working out.

Mostly because I like to feel like I’ve walked out of a Combat Zone after I’m finished a workout.

What about you?

When you hit the gym are you doing the right thing for yourself?

Or are you just wasting time doing the same old thing over and over?

Let me ask you this: is the same old thing still working for you?

Still seeing results?

Or do you feel like you might be stagnating, stuck on a plateau … or in a rut because it’s what you know and you don’t know anything else?

Well, I’m here to tell you that if you are stuck in a Comfort Zone and don’t do something to get yourself out of it NOW you’re going to be exactly where you are for as long as you stay in this comfort zone you’ve got yourself safely tucked away in.

Do you still want to be where you are a year from now?

Because that’s what you’re setting yourself up for if you don’t get some variety … and soon!

Listen, your body is smart.

It knows how to adapt to the pressures you’re imposing upon it.

If you don’t give your muscles something new to do, something to surprise them and make them work HARDER than they’re used to, they have NO REASON to change. They’ve adapted to what you’re doing and they’re ready for you this time and EVERY time.

If you don’t FEEL like you got in some hard work, chances are you didn’t.

Sure, psychologically you might feel like you got a good workout but your muscles won’t.

They were just out for another stroll in the park. The same old same old. Yawn. Boring. Nothing new here.

Your muscles can practically sleepwalk through your routines if you’ve been doing them too long.

Real advancement with weight training only comes when you cause damage to your muscles (believe it). This is how they get stronger and bigger.

In order to damage them you must work them hard enough to cause microscopic tears in the muscle fibers.

Then after you’re finished working out and your muscles get to do some serious resting they will repair themselves to prepare for the next onslaught of punishment they assume to be coming at them again soon (and they should be correct in that assumption by the way).

That sore feeling you get after a hard workout is called “DOMS” and it stands for ‘Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness‘ and it’s a GOOD thing.

It means your muscles are repairing the damage, growing and getting stronger.

And that’s what you want, right?

So, get some variety in your workout routines and watch how fast you fly off of that plateau.

If you are always doing the same isolation moves like bicep curls and tricep kickbacks, change it up with some full body compound moves.

Or SuperSet your exercises.

Or increase the weights you’ve been lifting … seriously, how long have you been hefting the exact same weights? Have you even TRIED to get heavier with it in the past few months?

You should change up your entire routine at least once every six to eight weeks to keep your body from adapting to anything too quickly.

REMEMBER: Variability is your friend.

Your body should feel like it just walked out of a Combat Zone when you’re finished working out.

Not yet another Comfort Zone.

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day!
Girlwithnoname