| New Video: BOSU Gladiator Push-Up |
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This month's exercise builds abdominal strength, upper body strength...and builds cardiovascular endurance
Select the image below to watch a demonstration
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Muscle Confusion
and its benefits
by Joe Vanderleeuw
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A Brief Overview of the Origin of Muscle Confusion and its Benefits
Muscle Confusion is a term that has been at the forefront of the exercise community over the last year. Some individuals believe that the Muscle Confusion strategy was invented by such individuals as "Tony Horton of P90x". Although Tony seems to have the methodology of Muscle Confusion down to a science, this is not a new phenomenon. In the P90x series the main objective of using the Muscle Confusion strategy is weight loss. Although Muscle Confusion is an effective weight loss strategy, it also has several other benefits.
The Muscle Confusion approach has been around since the early days of bodybuilding. Bodybuilding can be traced back to 11th century India where stone dumbbell weights, known as Nals, were lifted by those wanting to develop their bodies to enhance health and stamina to help overcome the challenges of daily life. During this period, gyms were commonplace in India and by the 16th century, weight-training was considered India's national pastime.
Now let's fast forward to the late 1800's where the earliest bodybuilding competitions can be placed. These competitions were not akin to "modern" bodybuilding competitions that are predominantly based on show and appearance, but rather were primarily focused on strength, while appearance was merely secondary. None the less, strength and conditioning training was necessary in order for an individual to succeed in such events. These early days of bodybuilding were characteristic of the purest forms of physique improvement and conditioning. Unlike today, illegal and legal supplements were not readily available and were simply unheard of. The only way to gain an advantage over an opponent was through a training strategy. This is where Muscle Confusion began.
In the past, each country retained their own philosophy pertaining to the improvement of one's physique and overall health; China had martial arts; Russia had its kettlebells; India and Egypt had their stones and stone dumbbells and the West had modern equipment such as dumbbells and barbells. Using any of these techniques would provide effective conditioning; however, training with only one of these platforms would actually limit the potential for further progress.
One of the first people to incorporate a comprehensive analysis of the training methods of numerous different cultures into an amalgamated bodybuilding strategy to improve strength and overall health was Eugene Shadow. Eugene was the first major icon in the bodybuilding spectrum and one of the most decorated authors in history. He wrote several books containing various training philosophies and was the first to document that the human body reaches a critical point during conditioning at which the ability to build muscle plateaus. The reason for the occurrence of this threshold value is due to the fact that the body adjusts to routine stressors very quickly. To overcome these plateaus, frequent routine changes are vital in order to keep the muscles activated. Every time a routine is altered, the muscles must readjust, therefore exerting an additional stress and forcing the muscles to work harder. In layman's terms, the harder the muscle works, the stronger the muscle will become.
I hope that this brief discussion provides some general insight and understanding of Muscle Confusion. For more information on Eugene Shadow, simply type his name into Google and several articles will become available to you.
Now that you have a sound understanding of Muscle Confusion and why it is an integral part of a successful training program, I have presented a two-week sample program below. Bear in mind that this just a sample and that the number of combinations for training programs are almost endless. In this program, the focus will be on building mass in the chest and triceps. When building mass, the weight should be heavy enough that when you reach your last repetition, it would be next to impossible to complete another. Also note that a rest period of 2 minutes in between sets is considered the general rule of thumb.
Sample Program
Week 1
| Exercise |
Sets
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Reps
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Flat Bench Press
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4 |
4-8 |
Flat Flys
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4 |
4-8 |
Dips for chest
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4 |
perform to failure
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Regular Push ups
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1 |
perform to failure
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Skill crushers
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4 |
4-8 |
Tricep push downs
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4 |
4-8 |
Week 2
| Exercise |
Sets |
Reps |
Incline Bench Press
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4 |
4-8 |
Incline Flys
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4 |
4-8 |
| Diamonds |
4 |
4-8 |
Close Grip Push Ups
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1 |
perform to failure
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| Kickbacks Front Grip |
4 |
4-8 |
Bench dips for Triceps
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1 |
perform to failure |
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| In this Month's Newsletter |
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Muscle Confusion:
what it is and how it can benefit you
From Personal Trainer Joe Vanderleeuw
The
'No Nonsense' Back Pain Program
free excerpt from this great e-book
By Personal Trainer Matthew Davis
Fit Squad's new video release
BOSU Gladiator Push-Up
Sweet Potato
Nutritional benefits and yummy recipe
Fit Squad Trainer Accomplishments
In 2008 Tyler Sarry took park in a variety of fitness/model competitions and was extremely successful in what is a highly competitive industry.
Tylers accomplishments in 2008 include:
FAME World Championships, 2nd place swimsuit model
Model Universe Championships 9th place
Fitness Atlantic Competition, 2nd place
Sweet Potato
Sweet potato contains unique root storage proteins that have been observed to have significant antioxidant capacities.
In one study, these proteins had about one-third the antioxidant activity of glutathione-one of the body's most impressive internally produced antioxidants.
This root vegetable qualified as an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), a very good source of vitamin C and manganese, and a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. How do these sweet potato nutrients support our health?
Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals. Free radicals are chemicals that damage cells and cell membranes and are associated with the development of conditions like atherosclerosis, diabetic heart disease, and colon cancer. This may explain why beta-carotene and vitamin C have both been shown to be helpful for preventing these conditions.
Sweet Potato Mash
4 large Sweet Potatoes
4 red onions
2 carrots, grated
1 carton of cherry tomatoes
Arugula
cumin
paprika
sea salt
black pepper
Peel and chop the Sweet potatoes and cook until soft. Drain and mash. Meanwhile, slow cook the red onion, adding the carrots after 10 minutes. When the carrot and onion mixture has reached a soft and caramel consistency, add the mashed sweet potato mixture. Mix thoroughly, adding cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to taste (going extremely easy on the salt). Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with arugula and sweet cherry tomatoes!
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The 'No Nonsense' Back Pain Program
free excerpt
Written by Matthew Davis, Fit Squad Personal Trainer
forward by Christine Baldwin
Low Back Pain: It affects more than 80% of adults
Did you know that sitting causes more strain to your back than standing?
Your back has a wide range of motion: it can bend forward, backwards and rotate sideways. This makes the spine very susceptible to injury. Today's sedentary lifestyle tends to contribute to the growing number of people affected by low back pain. We are often stuck at a computer desk, under stress, hold excess weight and have weak core muscles.
Avoiding and getting ride of lower back pain altogether is possible; and can be as easy as adding a few simple exercise and some activity to your daily routine. Fit Squad trainer Matthew Davis has written a great guide titled 'The no-nonsense guide to back pain' which focuses on practical exercise solutions to back pain. This month we are lucky to provide you with a brief exert from this e-book.
The No-Nonsense Back Pain Program
If your back is in pain it is your body trying to tell you something is wrong. Nine times out of ten back pain is caused by lack of strength and muscular endurance in the supportive musculature around the spine, hips, and pelvis.
A brief overview of what causes back pain:
In the medical community back pain is considered a medical enigma, and the cause of back pain is not well understood. Doctors have identified many orthopedic dysfunctions that may cause or contribute to back pain. The most common type of back discomfort is under-conditioned musculature.
If you are taxing your body through hard days at work by being exposed to constant sitting or bending over, the stabilizing musculature of your back may not posses enough strength endurance to keep your spine and joints stable throughout the entire day. As the musculature becomes tired the brain will cause it to spasm in order to protect the surrounding joints and structures. This is the most common form of back discomfort and tightness. Other causes of back pain (described in detail in the full e-book) are: disc problems, visceral dysfunction, fracture or spondylolysis, spinal stenosis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and emotions!
Matthew provides a general approach to back pain and stresses the importance of discussing your situation with a health-care professional if your injury/pain is more serious. There are 3 strengthening programs to choose from, depending on your current needs. Here is a small sample from the first two programs:
Alternating Superman (Program 1: beginner)
Lay of the floor with your arms over your head and thumbs up. Lift the head and the chest up off the ground slightly, if possible. Raise one arm while simultaneously lifting the opposite leg. Keep the weight of the pelvis evenly distributed on the floor. Make sure the chin is in and the head is aligned with the spine. Do not push off of the lowered leg and arm. Keep the weight of your body centered on the torso with minimal support from the limbs.
To make this exercise easier, begin with the arm and leg bent at the elbow and knee. Straighten them to increase the load on the back musculature.
Prone Ball Roll-Out (Program 2: beginner advanced)
Place your hands together at the apex of the ball. Keep your shoulder stabilized and down away from the ear. Your spine should stay in a neutral position. Start with the elbows and knees at 90 degrees. Extend your knees and elbows at the same time. This will put pressure on the lower abdominal and spinal musculature to hold a neutral position. Only go as far forward as you can maintain a neutral spinal position with your head in line with the spine. Pay attention to the lower back that it does not arch excessively. Resist the pressure to arch the back any further than neutral.
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