July 2006 Archive

I Did It Myself (4:01)

Lori decides to do a topless video the only way she feels comfortable, by herself.

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Gabrielle Nicander flexing, posing, fantasy. Running time 1:04

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Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I'm pretty lean overall, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to get rid of this last little bit of fat on my lower abs. What are the best ab exercises to burn the fat off?

Answer: If I hear this question one more time, I'm gonna scream! Ok, let me clear this up once and for all: You can't "spot reduce" fat from one specific part of your body! You lose fat systemically. That means you can't control where it comes from. When fat is oxidized for energy, you will draw it from all areas of the body, and the first place you tend to put it on will be the last place it comes off. Everyone has certain "stubborn" areas where it seems "hard to get rid of" but the fat WILL go, it will just be the last place to go. The best way to burn fat off your abs is not to do more ab work, but to do more cardiovascular work: bike, Stairmaster, treadmill, elliptical machine or rower - they're all great fat burners. Work at about 70-85% of your age-predicted maximal heart rate (220-your age) and maintain it for 30-45 minutes 5-6 days a week for optimal results. Train your abs about twice a week, just as you would any other body part. Doing your abs every day will do almost nothing to remove the layer of fat covering the muscles. In fact, it is possible to have a great set of abs that you can't even see because they are covered up with a layer of fat! And don't forget, nutrition is half the battle when it comes to fat loss! If you're drinking beer and eating pizza, it doesn't matter what you do in the gym, you'll never have a great set of abs.

Tom's formula for ripped abs:
Nutrition 50%
Cardio 49%
Ab exercises 1%

After "Waking the Babe", Gabrielle
Nicander plays along further.
Flexing, posing, fantasy. Running time 2:38

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Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: Please help me! I am a 27 year old female. I have been consistently weight and cardio training for over a year and although my upper body is looking good with nice definition, I have fat around my butt and the back of the top of my legs that just won't budge! I am doing a (very intense) 20 minute cardio session three days a week. I follow a vegan diet, low fat, with a protein supplement. I eat small amounts every 2-3 hours. Is it possible that not eating animal protein could be affecting my body fat? My body fat is currently at about 23%. Please tell me if there is anything I can do to help get rid of this fat area, or should I just accept it as genetics and focus on other parts of my body! Thank you in advance for your advice.

Answer: Do not just "accept it as genetics." Your genetic makeup will dictate how difficult it's going to be for you to lose fat or gain muscle; some people definitely have it easier than others. However, anyone can lose fat, even in the most stubborn and resistant areas. It's just a matter of adjusting your training and nutrition to your body type.

Unfortunately, some people have inherited metabolisms and body types that tend to favor fat storage. These people are called "endomorphs." Endomorphs may possess the following characteristics:

1) Slower metabolism
2) Very carbohydrate sensitive and/or insulin resistant
3) Tendency to gain fat easily if you eat poorly
4) Tendency to gain fat easily if you stop exercising
5) Tendency to hold on to stored fat and lose weight slowly,even on a "clean," low fat, low calorie diet.

If you have this type of body, you must adjust your training and nutrition accordingly and you may have to work harder than other people (I know - it's not fair!) First of all, three days of cardio a week for 20 minutes should be a bare minimum. For an endomorph, you'll need that much cardio just to maintain. To lose fat, you'll probably need 5 - 6 days per week of cardio at a minimum of 30-45 minutes per session. Go back to three days a week for maintenance only after you reach your goal.

Your nutritional strategy must lean towards higher protein (and slightly higher fat) with more moderate carbs. (Kind of like a "Zone" type diet.) This is necessary because most endomorphs tend to be carbohydrate sensitive. People with normal carbohydrate metabolisms can consume as much as 60% of their total calories from carbohydrates and stay lean, while endomorphs will tend to get fat eating this much carbohydrate, irrespective of caloric intake.

If you have already "cleaned up" your diet and you're eating low fat, low sugar, low calorie natural foods and it's still not working, then the next step would be to reduce your carb intake. Start by eating five small meals per day with the starchy carbs like oatmeal, whole grains, yams, potatoes, rice, etc eaten early in the day and only fibrous carbs like green vegetables and salads late in the day. (less carbs at night)

Every meal should contain a complete source of lean protein. You can definitely create complete proteins by combining complementary vegetable sources (rice and beans, etc), but my experience has shown that it is a little more challenging for vegetarians (especially pure vegans) to achieve that rock-hard, fat free look without the animal proteins.

Why don't you start by simply increasing your cardio first - that alone may do the trick. If not, then you may have to increase the protein and the "good" fats (Essential fatty acids like flaxseed oil, unprocessed vegetable oils, fish oil, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, etc). Personally, I do favor the animal proteins such as egg whites, chicken, turkey and fish, but any increase in protein and "good" fats at all will help you control insulin better and that in turn may help you lose that last bit of stubborn lower body fat.

Middleweight NPC Amateur Bodybuilder Somayra Hernandez, from the NPC Extravaganza. Lori interviews Somayra as she flexes and displays her guns.

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Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I've heard a lot about the "heavy duty" type of training. Can you give me an idea of how a typical heavy duty routine would look?

Answer: "Heavy Duty" is a phrase that former Mr. Universe Mike Mentzer coined for High Intensity Training (also known as "HIT"). HIT is based on doing very intense, brief, and infrequent workouts. The goal is progressive overload: to add weight to the bar at every workout. Every set is taken to total failure. HIT proponents usually recommend only a single set to total failure on each body part. The most common HIT routine is a full body workout done two or three days per week with about 8 - 10 exercises (or fewer), each performed for one set to failure (excluding warm-ups). most HIT advocates are against split routines and multiple sets. A typical HIT routine would look like this:

1. Breathing Squats 1 set 20 reps
superset to:

2. Straight barbell pullover 15 - 20 reps

3. Stiff Legged Deadlift 1 set 8 - 10 reps

4. Bent over Row or Chin ups 1 set 8-10 reps

5. Bench Press or Weighted Dips 1 set 8-10 reps

6. Press Behind the Neck 1 set 8-10 reps

7. Standing Barbell Curl 1 set 8 - 10 reps

8. Lying Tricep extension 1 set 8-10 reps

9. Standing Calf raise 1 set 8 - 12 reps

10. Abdominal crunches (weighted) 1 set 8-12 reps

HIT is a very effective way to gain strength and muscle mass. I've reached some of my all time best strength levels while on very "abbreviated" HIT routines. I've experimented with various HIT programs and I feel that I got better results with two sets per body part than one, however. (But this is still very brief and low volume compared to conventional training)

My advice would be to incorporate HIT cycles throughout the year when you want to get bigger and stronger, but to alternate it with more conventional, higher volume training. The body will adapt to any program if you stay on it too long. Staying with HIT too long can also lead to injury.

I think it's important to mention that some HIT advocates, particularly Mike Mentzer (the most vocal and opinionated of the HIT proponents), will try to persuade you that HIT is the ONLY way to train and it is the BEST way to train. This simply is not true. THERE IS NO SINGLE BEST WAY TO TRAIN!

There's no doubt: Heavy Duty/HIT works! So do about a hundred other styles and systems of training. HIT is not the "end all, be all" of training. HIT is effective, but it is not the only way, it is not appropriate for everyone and should not be used all the time.

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It seems we Americans are fatter than ever! I thought I would post this inspirational story for any of you who are (like me!) trying to work off those unwanted pounds! Keep fighting the good fight! YOU CAN DO IT!

Via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
A little more than three years ago, tax attorney Debbie Lestitian was a 220-pound, first-time mother with barely enough energy to work out five minutes on an elliptical machine.

Today as the Brookline resident approaches her 40th birthday, she's a 135-pound mother of two who is so fit that she can lift more weight than some of the men at her gym, the Rivers Club in Oxford Center. At nearly 5 feet, 7 inches, her body is so well-sculpted she donned a bikini this summer and competed in the figure division of a bodybuilding contest.

She finished fifth of five, but the other four contestants were in their 20s. Next time, Lestitian said, she'll compete in a larger competition with age divisions.

Ironically, though, the way she looks -- and it is the kind of good looks that draws a lot of attention -- is icing on a cake she has no interest in.

"This was never about the way I look," she said. "This was about being fit and strong, about being able to run after my kids."

And there's a lot of running involved. Her kids are active toddlers: Chloe is almost 4 years old; Ryan is pushing age 3. Add in the fact that Lestitian continues to work 25 hours a week (60 during tax season) at Rothman Gordon, P.C., Downtown, and you wonder how she ever made time to devote to one-hour workouts five days a week.

Adding to the import of her accomplishment is the fact that she became pregnant with Ryan soon after she reached hit her goal weight -- at that time it was 128 pounds -- for the first time. After delivering him, she was dismayed to learn she had gained back 63 pounds.

She had to start all over again.

How?

The answer is simple: self-discipline. In fact, Lestitian said it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her self-discipline "obsession".

"That's the difference between Debbie and a lot of people," said her personal trainer, John O'Day. "Debbie's drive, her self-discipline is what made the difference. She was able to stick with what I gave her."

What O'Day gave her was a mixed regimen of exercise and nutrition. Directing the weight lifting and other strength-building exercises is his job during the time they spend together each week (two hours now; one hour in the beginning). He outlined cardiovascular training for her to do on her own -- she can do an hour on the elliptical now -- as well as guidelines for healthy eating.

O'Day didn't give her meal plans; instead, he gave her lists of foods from which she had to design her own. He suggested she eat five or six small meals totalling 1,500 calories a day. Lestitian would have preferred the meal plans, but she acknowledges now that O'Day's approach was the better way.

"He's changed the way I think about food," she said. For example, she has learned to eat a protein like chicken with her breakfast oatmeal. The small multiple meals have become a way of life. Some days her lifestyle means making three dinners: one for herself, a modified one for her husband, Bill, and one for the kids.

Because she is so goal-oriented, Lestitian is a trainer's dream.

"I really try to do my best. If he says do 10 repetitions, but I can do 12, I do 12. I still get nervous before a workout. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do it. You try not to disappoint the coach," said the former high school softball and basketball player.

But she never disappoints her trainer, who called her his most motivated client.

Though O'Day and Lestitian never do the exact same things two days back-to-back, observing one of them provides a good overview of their routines.

One recent day went something like this:

three-minute warmup on the elliptical machine;

lateral pulldowns with 60 pounds of weight;

barbell squats with weight increasing from 95 pounds to 135 pounds;

stiff-legged dead lifts increasing from 75 pounds to 85 pounds;

walking lunges while carrying two 20-pound dumbbells;

sprints up and down the gymnasium hardwood floor;

seated dumbbell press with 20-pound dumbbells;

barbell curls with 45 pounds;

inclined abdominal crunches and reverse abdominal crunches;

stretching.

Are the workouts fun?

"No," Lestitian said. "I like coming to the club. I've made lots of friends and that's fun. It's a relaxing time for me and that's fun. Buying cool clothes [she wears size 2 trousers, down from a high of 18] is fun. But workouts I wouldn't say are fun."

But reaching goals are fun for her, too, and she and O'Day believe her habit of goal-setting is what allowed her to reach her desired weight -- twice -- and keep it off.

She began her transformation by losing 30 pounds with the Jenny Craig weight-loss program. Then she decided the only way to keep losing more would be to exercise. A longtime member of The Rivers Club, she walked into the fitness part of it for the first time on June 1, 2002, and was immediately motivated by the woman who was working the desk.

Lestitian told her she wanted to lose 30 pounds. "She rolled her eyes and said, 'I hear that all the time,'" Lestitian remembered. "It made me really mad. She actually motivated me."

A couple months later, someone at the club suggested she would progress further if she hired a trainer for a few sessions to show her how to use the equipment. She subsequently teamed up with O'Day.

During the reducing stage she set poundage goals and met them quickly.

"Seeing results -- it was exciting," she said. "I couldn't believe the way the weight was peeling off.

"When I got to 150 [her original ultimate goal], it wasn't good enough. I wanted to lose more."

And she did, until her second pregnancy came along. After six weeks away from lifting to recover from Ryan's delivery, she went back to work on reaching that goal weight again.

When she did that, she needed another new goal. This time she decided to run in the 2004 Great Race. She gave herself six weeks to get ready and made it, running with other women from The Rivers Club.

The next goal was the bodybuilding contest this summer.

Now, she said, she needs another goal and is considering her options. Although someone has suggested a half-marathon, she's leaning towards a bigger bodybuilding competition.

She learned a lot in her first event -- for example, the other women stuck out their butts for the rear pose while she tucked hers in -- and she'd like to put those lessons to work in a show large enough to have a master's division.

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I swim 4-5 times per week, which is great cardiovascular exercise, but is it important to do weight bearing exercise, i.e. running/jogging or power walking? Is the fitness required for swimming different from that required for running? Whenever I try and run a couple of kilometers it nearly kills me, yet I can swim laps for an hour!

Answer: The type of cardiovascular exercise you choose should be something you enjoy; that way you will be motivated to stick with it. So if you enjoy swimming, by all means, continue to do it. In terms of pure aerobic conditioning for your heart and your health, swimming is right up there with the best of them. Like cross country skiing, swimming is one of the few forms of aerobic exercise that engages your entire body; arms, legs, torso, everything!

From a body-building, body-sculpting, fat-burning point of view, most fitness competitors and bodybuilders, myself included, prefer the weight bearing types of exercise. I can't quote any scientific studies here, but it's my feeling that swimming doesn't have the impact on your physique that power walking, jogging, cycling, stairclimber or elliptical machines have.

I was just watching the Sydney Olympics on TV yesterday, and I noticed that the physiques of the swimmers were dramatically different than the physiques of the track and field athletes. The swimmers were all very fit-looking, but none of them had the rock-hard leanness and muscularity of a Michael Johnson or a Marion Jones. Why is this? Scientifically speaking, I don't know; I've heard all kinds of theories; one is that the cold water makes you retain a thin layer of insulating body fat (kind of like sea-going mammals such as seals have). I believe it has to do with the fact that running is a weight bearing activity and weight bearing exercise simply affects the muscles differently. When you're floating in the water, the muscles just don't contract the way they do under the force of gravity.

You said that "whenever I try and run a couple of kilometers it nearly kills me, yet I can swim laps for an hour!" This is because of the rule of training specificity. The principle of training specificity says that the conditioning effect of any exercise is specific to that particular type of exercise. In other words, if you swim a lot, you get proficient at swimming, but if won't make you a better runner. Likewise, running a lot won't make you a good swimmer. Either type of exercise will make you more fit, but that fitness won't necessarily carry over to another form of activity.

If you want to know what type of exercise will produce the best results for you in terms of developing your body, I would suggest doing an experiment: Switch from only swimming to a weight bearing exercise such as walking, jogging, elliptical machine, or stairclimber exclusively for 3-4 weeks and see if it makes a difference. Then try a combination of both swimming and weight bearing exercise for 3-4 weeks and see how that works. Based on this little experiment, you should be able to figure out what exercise or what combination of exercises produces the best results for you.

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Article republished from MightyKat.net, courtesy of Kat Ricker.
This month, Muscle and Fitness is proud to debut a completely new venue in training - a technique based on simple tools and traditional movements. The twist? It transports you into a completely new environment, where performing your tried and true exercises is like learning to do them all over again. The result is a shock to the system that can propel your body into new levels of development in physique and strength.

When competitive powerlifter Bill Tyson incurred multiple rotator cuff injuries, his doctor said his lifting days and his 497 benchpress in the 220 class were over. The gym was his life. He refused to accept defeat. He knew that in order to rehabilitate his shoulders, he had to find a way to bolster the integrity of the entire shoulder muscle structure, including not only the prime movers of the three deltoid heads, but moreover, the complicated network of intricate stabilizing muscles holding it all together. Through nights of brainstorming, he hit upon the concept of performing push-ups on two chains suspended from the bar of a Smith Machine. The play in the chains would demand muscular response with each micrometer of sway. He continued with bruising deep massage. The combination of the two, he believes, are why he is in the gym today, benching heavy and enjoying his new venture as a personal trainer.

I hired Bill. When he shared his push-up technique with me, I knew he had hit on something big. I have expounded on the applications and found the chains environment to be a supreme method for blasting through plateaus precisely because you can use it to develop all the body's stabilizers as well as prime movers. Once the base is made stronger, the prime movers can handle more load. It's like fortifying the structure of a building so it will hold another floor.

Although it'll make you a bit conspicuous, this dynamic chains technique can help you make great strides in your training. The quantity of muscles effected in these multiple joint movements will save you time in the gym. The effect on the entire core is amazing. You'll appreciate it the day or two after you've experimented with the exercises below. Just be sure you're stocked up on Epsom salts.

The exercises that follow are advanced. If you do have shoulder injuries, they may be considered high risk, and you should use extreme caution. I recommend using a mat and a good spotter. A good personal trainer to eye your form never hurt anyone, either.

SET UP: At your local hardware store, have two chains cut exactly four feet. Be picky; there is no margin for error with chain length. They must be the same. You'll also need two carabinieres and two square-shaped handle attachments, like those generally used with the cable crossover. Don't forget the mat.

To the gym. Lower the bar on the Smith Machine to the third notch. You want it high enough that you will just hover above the floor, but not drag your knuckles on it. Drape the chains over it and adjust them so that equal halves hang on either side of the bar. Clip the carabinieres to the ends and the handles. You should be looking at two handles hanging from chains at the same depth.

Stand before the bar and hold your arms at a natural push-up angle. Remember that proper elbow flexion for a chest push-up is 90 degrees. Adjust the chains so that they are as wide as the space between your hands. This angle is important; too wide and you'll be floundering to stay up, too narrow, the triceps will be awkwardly emphasized, and the push-up will feel very unnatural.

Ready? Begin. Core stability is everything. Keep your abs tight and don't let your back sag. Start on your knees if you have to. You'll feel the magic of stabilizing muscles as your hands try to shake in all directions to adapt to this new demand.

The push-up can be altered in many ways to keep the body challenged. With a spotter, put your feet up on a stability ball and continue your push-ups. What you're performing is the equivalent of a bench press. So to mimic an incline press, raise your feet on a support such as a flat bench. The greater the angle, the more load is placed on the shoulders. On the flip side, keep your feet low but raise your upper body to perform a decline chest press. Raise the bar above waist-level for this great move.

By now you realize it's not just your chest that's being hit. Although you'll get a powerful burn in the pectoral region, you will also feel these moves in your shoulders, arms, back and abs. You can use different exercises to really target these muscle groups as well.

Lat pull-up

With your feet out in front of you and a wide grip on the chains, pull your bodyweight up. You will activate your biceps, but to truly focus on the back muscles, concentrate on driving your elbows down and back and squeezing your shoulder blades together to perform the pull-up. This activates the scapulae, rhomboids, trapezius and the large latissimus dorsi muscle group. Tomorrow - you'll see.

Dips

Similar to the acrobatic rings, the chains allow superior tricep development through the traditional dip. Begin with your feet before you on the floor and progress to your feet on a bench, and eventually with no support at all. This is an advanced exercise, and those with shoulder problems should really attempt these with a spotter.

One-armed push-up

Okay, make sure you can do these first, on the floor. On one centered chain, this exercise is extremely advanced and also extremely effective. Form, as always, is everything. Legs should be wide and the spine ramrod straight. Tighten those abs! A special warning with this exercise is that you may intimidate others in the gym who will - guaranteed - be watching you.

Bill and I hope you have as much fun with the chains technique as we are. The multiple joint moves demand everything you've got. The work is hard, but the results are big. Be a trend-setter in your gym, and have a blast!

World’s Strongest Woman, The Falls, Zambia, 2001
In October of 2001 Robin was able to experience the adventure of her lifetime in Africa to participate in the first ever World's Strongest Woman - the female addition to the 25-years-running World's Strongest Man.

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: Is there a difference between "percentage of body fat" and "body mass index", and if so, what is it? How do the two correlate?

Answer: Yes, there is a huge difference between body fat and body mass index (BMI). Body fat is a much better indicator of your health, fitness level, disease risk and ideal body weight than BMI. In fact, Shape up America, the anti obesity campaign started by Dr. C. Everett Koop, recently published a press release pointing out the shortcomings of BMI. According to the Shape up America website, BMI missclassifies one out of four people and should not be used by athletes.

To understand why BMI is not a good indicator of your health and fitness, you first need to understand what the BMI is. I pulled out my handy textbook, "Physiology of Sport and Exercise" By Wilmore and Costill to get the official definition. BMI was described in the glossary follows:

"BMI is a measurement of body overweight or obesity determined by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared."

The text went on to say that you're considered overweight if you're female and your BMI is 27.3 or greater or if you're male and you're BMI is 27.8 or higher. It also said that BMI correlates highly with body composition and is a better indicator of fitness than your weight alone.

If you're sedentary, then I'll buy the part about BMI being better than going just by your body weight alone, but the part about BMI correlating well to body composition is complete hogwash!

Let me show you an example of how BMI falls short as a measure of body composition.

This morning I weighed in at 201 lbs. and I am 5' 8 inches tall. Converted to metrics, 201 lbs. is 91.36 kilograms and 5' 8" is 172 cm or 1.72 meters. So now let's plug my stats into the BMI formula and see what we come up with...

201 lbs. = 91.36 kilos.
1.72 meters squared = 2.96
91.36 kilos / 2.96 = 30.86

If you don't have a calculator handy or you don't feel like doing the math, just click here for a handy body mass index calculator http://www.caloriecontrol.org/bmi.html .

So, if we judge my physical condition according to my BMI of 30.86, then I'm "obese" and I need to lose some weight. As you can tell from my photos, that's not the case. Even though I'm currently not in a pre-competition mode, my body fat is still in the single digits (9.3% last time I had it measured), which is considered very lean for men my age.

Why is BMI a poor measure of health and fitness? It's simply because BMI does NOT take into account body fat vs. lean tissue. Body builders and other athletes carry more lean body mass than the average person and will therefore be classified as overweight if BMI is used as the criteria for measurement. Conversely, someone could have a "healthy" BMI of 19 to 22 and yet have a dangerously high level of body fat (a "skinny fat person").

The solution of course, is to differentiate between your lean body weight and your fat weight. This can be done with body composition testing. There are many ways to test body fat, but the method I recommend is skinfold testing (the "pinch" test). You'll get the most accurate reading if you have an experienced tester measure you at three or four skinfold sites, but if you don't have access to an experienced professional, you can test your own body fat with a home testing kit called the Accu-Measure. The Accu measure tests total body fat with a single skinfold pinch on your iliac crest (hip bone). I bought a set for myself (very inexpensive) and I found that the measurements were fairly close to the measurements I got from the $450.00 computerized "Skyndex" calipers we use at our health clubs. You can order the Accu Measure caliper at: http://www.bodytrends.com/acm.htm

In conclusion, body fat percentage is the only way to go. BMI is a poor indicator of your health, fitness or ideal weight. Forget about BMI - and while you're at it, forget about those Metropolitan height and weight tables too. According to the ideal weight tables, a man 5' 8" tall with a medium frame should have an ideal weight of 138 - 152. That means I need to lose at least 49 pounds!

Lauren and Gayle flexing together in an undisclosed mailroom in NYC.
Flexing, posing, fantasy. Running time 2:30

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Your Questions Answered by Tom Venuto

Question: How do you draw the line between striving to attain perfect fitness and excellent health without being a compulsive or perfectionist in the process? Can this be done? We all know that perfectionism is not a desirable human trait because to be perfect is to not be human ...or "To err is human" How do you walk this line?

Answer: That is a really great question. If you’re a serious competitive athlete or bodybuilder, I think you have to have a little bit of "compulsiveness" or "perfectionism" in how you approach your training. That’s just a part of the nature and personality of successful competitive athletes. No one gets to the Olympics by living a normal, balanced lifestyle do they? You don’t become a bodybuilding or fitness champion by being "normal" either. Athletes, especially bodybuilders, are a unique breed and many of them lead lives that aren’t totally balanced. Training dominates their lives at times. Frankly, if you’re going to set your sights for high levels of athletic achievement, then you’re going to have to be willing to pay the price and make some sacrifices.

For most people however, I believe the way to walk the line between attaining excellent health and fitness and going too far and being overly compulsive or perfectionistic is to focus on progress not perfection. It's self-defeating to try to be "perfect." None of us will ever be perfect. Always needing to win or constantly comparing yourself to others is also self-defeating. But it's not wrong to constantly strive to improve yourself. In fact, I believe that if we're not moving forward, we're slipping backwards. There's no such thing as standing still - we must continually grow and strive to actualize our potential - this is a part of our purpose here as human beings. The Japanese have a word for this - they call it "KAIZEN," which roughly translated, means "constant improvement."

In my own bodybuilding career, my aim has changed from a perfectionistic, Lombardi-inspired "winning is everything" attitude to "competing against myself." My goal is no longer first place. I don’t care who I beat or who I lose to. I really don’t even care if I get a trophy anymore. My goal is to be better than I used to be. Every time I step onstage, if I look the best I have ever looked, then I’ll feel like a winner no matter where I place.

I used to be soooo dreadfully serious about my training that it started to become a chore. Now, as a result of my new outlook on things, I have a lot more fun bodybuilding than I ever did before. It’s because I’m not so attached to the outcome - I’m just enjoying the journey.

John Wooden, the winningest coach ever in college basketball, put it better than anyone:

"To me, success isn't outscoring someone, it's the peace of mind that comes from self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best. That's something each individual must determine for himself. You can fool others, but you can't fool yourself. Many people are surprised to learn that in 27 years at UCLA, I never once talked about winning. Instead I would tell my players before games, 'When it's over, I want your head up. And there's only one way your head can be up, that's for you to know, not me, that you gave the best effort of which you're capable. If you do that, then the score doesn't really matter, although I have a feeling that if you do that, the score will be to your liking.' I honestly, deeply believe that in not stressing winning as such, we won more than we would have if I'd stressed outscoring opponents."

Click the image to the left to see Lori's tribute gallery!

Although Lyon briefly served as unofficial chairperson for women’s bodybuilding in its infancy, her fondest desire was to explore bodybuilding as an artistic medium. Elevating bodybuilding to the level of fine art, Lyon was photographed by the likes of Helmut Newton and Robert Mapplethorpe, and was the first female bodybuilder to appear in Playboy (October 1980).

By Lori Braun
I am a Mesomorph

It is important for you to stick to the basics until you get to know how your body responds to weight training. People do not respond the same exact way to training and what works for one type will not necessarily work for another. One method of categorizing body types recognizes three different physical types and it is called "somatotypes".

The ectomorph: short upper body, long arms and legs, long narrow feet and hands, and very little fat storage. This body type has a narrow chest and narrow shoulders and long, thin muscles.

The mesomorph: large chest, long torso, solid muscle structure and very strong.

The endomorph: short musculature, round face, short neck , wide hips, and heavy fat storage.

No one is totally one type but a combination of all three types. Any body type can be developed with the correct training and nutrition however people with different body types will need to approach their training with different objectives, even though they may all have the same goals.

Ectomorph Training
The ectomorph's first objective is gaining weight and muscle mass.Strength and endurance will need to be developed and muscle mass develops very slowly. Stay with the basic exercises and include power moves that build maximum mass. Do an entire training workout, but take longer rest periods if you need to. Take in more calories than you are accustomed to and use weight-gaining and protein drinks to supplement your food intake. Try not to expend to many calories by keeping cardio to a minimum saving them for muscle building.

Mesomorph Training
The mesomorph will find it easy to build muscle mass but will have to include a variety of exercises in their program so that the muscles develop proportionately and shapely rather than bulky. A combination of heavy power moves and a variety of shaping exercises and a more varied for better quality, proportion and symmetry of the physique. Long workouts and short rest time. The mesomorphic type responds well to training so super-long sessions are not needed. A balanced diet with a good amount of protein and maintain an even calorie level all time.

Endomorph Training
The endomorph will not have much difficulty building muscle but will have to be concerned with losing fat weight and be careful not to gain the weight back. High-set, high-repetition training with short rest periods to burn off as much fat as possible. Additional aerobic exercise for calorie consumption. A low-calorie diet that contains the necessary nutritional balance with the minimum amount of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Make sure that you are getting the right amount of vitamins and mineral supplements the body needs.

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What could be worse than having flabby triceps? Maybe a big fat gut! But that's another article altogether! Contemporary clothing emphasizes body hugging fabrics and sleeveless designs for both men and women. Face it, if you are out of shape, you just won't look good in today's fashions and you won't feel very comfortable strolling along the beach in a bathing suit either.

The problem being that as you get older your triceps will just keep getting softer and gooey. But don't worry, because you can tighten and tone your arms. If you are too busy and can't make it to a gym, you can always use your furniture as gym equipment.

One simple triceps exercise that you can do from home is dips off the back of a chair with your feet either touching the ground or resting on another chair. Push-ups will also work your triceps and can be done anywhere so you have no excuses

The triceps are a large muscle mass and needs to be trained more than the biceps, which are smaller. You want your triceps and biceps to look good from any angle, but unlike the biceps, your triceps will make your arms look huge when your arms are not flexed. When you hear somebody comment on the size of someone's arms, what they are really noticing is the development of that person's triceps. The triceps are among the most visible parts of the body, whether flexing, exercising or just hanging out.

The first thing you want to do to train your triceps is build up mass and strength in the muscle's structure. That means doing basic tricep presses and extensions, adding more weight gradually until the muscle group begins to respond. There are different kinds of presses and extensions designed to develop specific areas of the triceps. There are also certain exercises you can do to maximize your triceps training.

Any time you straighten your arm against resistance the triceps are involved. Using a cheating technique enhances muscle mass and strength, though you don't need to cheat to put extra stress on your triceps. All of the effort you put into power training-bench presses, dumbbell press and shoulder presses-already put enormous stress on the triceps.

Triceps are involved in a variety of different exercises but it is also necessary to isolate them and put stress on each part of them directly, thus making sure you get full development. There are a number of tricep extension movements using barbells, dumbbells and cables; each exercise tending to affect different areas of the triceps.

Depending on your proportions and bone structure, it may be easier for some people to develop good triceps than others. For example, when doing tricep pressdowns it is easier for some to isolate the triceps while others with different proportions and muscle attachments will find themselves involving the pecs or even the lats instead of just their triceps. You can see this when a bodybuilder tries to do tricep pressdowns and ends up with a good chest pump instead. In that case, learning to isolate the triceps totally becomes all-important and can be accomplished by doing one-arm dumbbell extensions or barbell tricep extensions.

Lying tricep extensions work the muscle group from the elbow to the rear deltoid. One-arm tricep extensions help develop the triceps so they look good when doing a bicep shot, the fullness of the tricep offsetting the bicep's peak. Lying dumbbell extensions work the outer head of the triceps to a much greater degree and give the shape and thickness needed for total development of the triceps.

Hand positioning makes a difference in how an exercise affects the triceps as well. If you hold your hand so the thumb is up, palm facing you, you are working the outer tricep as when doing tricep pressdowns holding onto a rope rather than pressing down on a bar or doing dumbbell kickbacks.

If you turn your hand so that the palm faces straight out as in a French press or triceps pressdown you are putting more stress on the inner part of the triceps. If you turn your wrist thumbs in and down, which is easiest when doing one-arm cable tricep pressdowns you really put the inside of the muscle to work.

Advanced training involves supersets-hitting the muscle with one exercise after another to develop size, strength, shape and endurance. You will need to work the upper, lower, inner and outer triceps. Adding exercises is important but only if you pursue them with an intensity that force the muscles to grow no matter how advanced you become.

Here are some tricep routines for you to choose from:

1. Tricep cable pressdowns with standing or seated dumbbell extensions. Four or five sets for each exercise.

2. Lying triceps extensions using e/z bar with dumbbell kickbacks. Four or five sets for each exercise.

3. Triceps cable pressdowns with rope cable extensions. Four or five sets for each exercise.

4. Reverse cable pressdowns superset with dips, finished up with tricep kickbacks. Three or four sets for each exercise.

These tricep routines should get you off to a good start! Of course, as you progress you can add more sets.

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I am writing to you because I have been thinking about changing careers. I have always been interested in health and fitness. Both of my sisters are nurses, but while I really like helping people and seeing them healthy, I think it would be easier for a person like myself to help people from getting sick rather than dealing with the sickness itself. It seems to me that what you are doing is a great service and greatly improves the quality of life of those whom you help. Do you have any suggestions as to institutions I might contact should I decide to pursue this particular path? I have a strong interest in nutrition, and was wondering if many health clubs hire people for nutrition consultation, and if so, what type of certification/degree would they be looking for. Sincerely, Mike Harvey

Answer: Personal training and nutrition consulting are outstanding and rewarding careers to be involved in today. The demand is enormous and is only going to increase. Memberships at health clubs are at an all time high and more people are starting exercise programs than ever before (maybe because more people are overweight than ever before!) Online coaching, personal training and nutrition consulting is also on the rise. These trends have increased the need for qualified professionals who can help teach people the correct way to eat and train. It also gives people with a passion for health and fitness the opportunity to do what they love while helping others at the same time.

Getting a widely recognized and/or nationally accredited certification would be a good first step towards breaking into the field. If you are really serious, you could consider getting a degree in exercise science or nutrition (B.S. or M.S.), although that is not always necessary.

There are so many certification programs these days, it’s difficult to know which one to choose. The fitness certification business is largely unregulated and uncontrolled. For example, if I wanted to, I could start "The Tom Venuto Personal Trainer Certification Institute." I’d write a personal trainer’s manual and a test, charge people three hundred bucks to enroll and print up some official-looking certificates (suitable for framing!) I’d mail you the manual and take-home test, you’d mail the test back, and if you pass - presto! - you’re an "official" Tom Venuto certified personal trainer! If I certify 25 people a month, that’s $90,000 a year that I earn – pretty good racket, eh? It’s no wonder why there are so many certifications out there.

I write this only partially with tongue in cheek – It’s really true: There are literally hundreds of certification programs out there today and many of the them aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. My advice is to put in the effort and enroll in an internationally recognized and or accredited certification program. There are several worth mentioning, but only two get an A+ in my book:

1. National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA)

The NSCA offers two certification programs: certified personal trainer (NSCA-CPT), and certified strength & conditioning specialist (CSCS). The CPT designation is the certification of choice if you are interested in training a wide variety of people in a commercial health club or home gym setting. The CSCS certification was developed for strength coaches (for athletic teams) with an emphasis on weight training and sports conditioning.

The NSCA has two websites; the NSCA home site and the NSCA certification commission:

http://www.nsca-lift.org

http://www.nsca-cc.org
2. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

The ACSM is the largest and most respected sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. The ACSM offers many different certification programs in both clinical and health/fitness applications. The ACSM certifications for personal trainers are the Health-Fitness Instructor and Health-Fitness Director. The ACSM also offers other certifications in their clinical track, but they are geared more towards cardiac rehab and medical settings. Certification information and test dates are available at the ACSM website:

http://www.acsm.org

The ACSM and NSCA are NOT the most common certifications. The reason is because the tests are damn hard! Many people fail the first time. These are highly respectable and desirable credentials. The ACSM certification has been around a long time and has always been considered one of the best, if not THE best certification a personal trainer can have. The NCSA certifications are also highly respected because they too have been around since the mid 80’s and are the only fitness related credentials to earn accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies based in Washington DC. To gain this honor, an organization must show an ability to develop and administer an exam in a manner that effectively discriminates between qualified and unqualified professionals.

I’m not suggesting that ACSM and NSCA are the only two trainer certifications worth having – I’m simply saying that in my opinion, these are the two best. They are hard to get and potential employers and savvy consumers will be very impressed if you hold these credentials. Here are some other certifications that have earned widespread recognition in the industry that are worth looking into:

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

The ACE personal trainer is widely recognized in the industry and is probably the most popular trainer program in the United States. If you don’t think you’re ready for the rigors of the ACSM or NSCA, ACE is a good place to start. ACE offers several certifications: Personal trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant or Clinical Exercise Specialist:

http://www.acefitness.org

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA)

ISSA is a relative newcomer, but is growing steadily in size and reputation. While the ISSA hasn’t achieved the level of distinction of the ACSM or NSCA, and the testing standards aren’t as rigorous, the ISSA has assembled a very impressive staff and that’s the reason I have included them in my list. Fred Hatfield, Tom Platz, Bill Pearl, Charles Staley, Jim Wright, Sal Arria, and "Doc" Kries are just a few of the ISSA’s distinguished experts. Definitely some very smart and very experienced people that are worth learning from.

http://www.fitnesseducation.com

American Fitness and Aerobics Association

Since 1983, AFAA has certified over 150,000 instructors worldwide. This is the most popular certification for group fitness (aerobics) instructors, although AFAA also offers a personal trainer certification.

http://www.aerobics.com

Other certifications worth an honorable mention include the National Federation of Personal Trainers (NFPT) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Most certifications offer the option of studying the course materials at home (books, cassettes, and/or videos), then taking an on-site test. However, I strongly recommend that you take advantage of any workshops offered. The ACSM workshop I took the week prior to the test was one of the most educational experiences of my career. Taking a workshop will also dramatically increase your chances of passing the exam.

Nutrition consulting as a career is a little different and more complicated than the personal training field. There are two major career options in the nutrition field: Registered dietician (RD) and Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN). Becoming an RD or CCN is a long, arduous process that requires years of education and a lot of forethought before making the decision.

RD’s have extensive education including a minimum of a four-year undergraduate degree. Many have masters degrees in nutrition. They must also pass the American Dietetic Association’s fully accredited certification exams. The Commission on dietetic registration is located at:

http://www.cdrnet.org

You can find additional info at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) website:

http://www.eatright.org

Although RD’s sometimes work out of health clubs, the majority of them work in hospitals, research centers, private practices, or in the food service industry. Some RD’s also work in sports nutrition (but very few of them work with bodybuilders or fitness competitors.)

Another option is certified clinical nutritionist (CCN). The minimum requirement to become a CCN is an undergraduate degree, with 30 specific core hours in nutrition and science required. An approved internship of 900 hours is also mandatory. Information on CCN’s can be found at:

http://www.cncb.org

As you can see, becoming an RD or CCN is a major career decision. A third, less imposing and less time-consuming option is to obtain one of the relatively new nutrition certifications that are now available. ACE offers a weight management certification and the ISSA offers a sports nutrition certification.

All personal training certifications include nutrition as part of their curriculum. However, personal trainers are usually advised (warned, even) by their certifying organizations to give only general nutrition guidelines to their clients. They recommend that trainers focus on exercise prescription while leaving the detailed nutrition programs to highly trained nutrition specialists such as RD’s and CCN’s.

In my opinion, the qualifications and education required to give nutrition advice should depend on who you are giving the advice to. Are your clients going to be athletes, bodybuilders, the obese, the elderly, first-graders, or kidney patients? A certified personal trainer, especially one with a degree in exercise science and years of practical experience, would be more than qualified to discuss basic nutritional needs for healthy people in non-clinical settings. RD’s and CCN’s have the specialized training necessary to prescribe a wide variety of nutritional programs including clinical and medical cases. On the other hand, most RD’s, due to their conservative and traditional educational background, would not be the best people to turn to if a client’s goal was bodybuilding, fitness or figure competition. The best advice for personal trainers who do nutrition consulting is to always keep in mind the limitations of your knowledge and expertise and be careful not to overstep your bounds.

Health clubs are almost always looking for good personal trainers – the demand is very high. Many clubs are also starting to include nutrition consulting in their repertoire of services offered. If you are interested in working in a health club as a personal trainer or nutrition consultant, my recommendation would be to invest the time and effort to pursue the best trainer certification you can get (such as the NSCA-CPT). Then look into one of the sports nutrition or weight management certifications. After that, only you can decide how far you want to take your education. Remember that no degree or certification is a substitute for knowledge gained through experience, so be willing to start at the bottom to get the experience you need. Lastly, be a "sponge" for information. Be voracious! Read, study and learn from others constantly and never stop learning. Good luck.

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Dear Tom,

Is there any way to get rid of muscle? I was a track runner for 13 years and in combination with genetics, my legs are huge and overpower my shape. I'm 5'3", 143 lbs. and my body fat is around 16%. The middle of my thigh measures 23" and my waist is 27". Besides small problems with fat on my hip area that I am currently battling, the rest of my thigh is solid. I've gotten advice about training the legs heavy, but I'm afraid they'll get even bigger than they already are. I eat clean, intake about 200 grams of carbs, 140g of protein and about 20g of fat. I do cardio 5 days a week and weight train 4 days a week (light weight high reps). I would like my legs to look smaller, what can I do to trim down the muscle?

Tom says:

The best way to get rid of a muscle is to not use it. That being the case, I suppose the ultimate way to shrink your legs would be to immobilize them completely. If you've ever seen someone the day the had a cast taken off a leg you know what I'm talking about. The immobilized leg shrinks away to practically nothing.

However, since "leg immobilization" isn't exactly a practical (or healthy) solution, the best thing you can do is simply to avoid heavy weight training for the lower body. If you do any lower body weight training workouts, use supersets, tri-sets and giant sets. Also, keep the rest intervals between straight sets very short (20-45 seconds) to add an aerobic effect. You should also use weights light enough so your reps stays in the 12-15 range. Reps in the range of 6 - 10 tend to increase muscle size.

It may also help to perform your entire leg workout in a circuit style. For example, you might do a lunge followed by a leg curl, inner thigh machine (adduction), leg press, calf raise and then a leg extension. Then you would rest a minute and repeat the same circuit or even a completely different circuit once or twice more. Multiple sets to failure on one portion of a muscle (i.e., 8-12 sets in a row for front thigh/quadricep) are best for bodybuilding and increasing muscle mass. Skipping from one section of the leg to the next in a non-specific, nonstop circuit tends to give the muscles a more "toned" and streamlined look.

As far as cardio exercise goes, endurance training, especially jogging, has a reducing effect on the entire lower body. If you look at a long distance runner's physique, you'll notice that they never have "thick" legs. It's an adaptive response for the body to reduce leg size to accommodate the endurance training. Sprinters and power/anaerobic athletes usually have larger, more muscular legs than long distance runners. If you have no lower body joint problems, distance running might be the answer.

If light weight training combined with distance running doesn't reduce your legs, then you may need to drop the lower body weight training completely

Lastly, a calorie deficit will make you lose body fat, and losing body fat will reduce any body part in size. You're 16% already, which is very lean, so you don't have much room to drop further, but if your body fat percentage does go down, your leg measurements will probably go down too.

Keep in mind that ultimately, we are all subject to our genetics. Some women simply have naturally larger legs than others. These are the "mesomorph" or endo-mesomorph body types.

I used to believe it was ridiculous when women said they got "too big." I often got on my soapbox and spouted from memory my "women don't have enough testosterone to get big" lecture.

After working with hundreds of women of every body type imaginable over the years, I've come to the conclusion that I was wrong! It's not easy for most women to build muscle mass, but there is a small handful with the genetic predisposition to gain size very easily.

You'll definitely see some reduction in size by following these suggestions. I've seen many people completely transform their body shape and create an "optical illusion" through strategic training and nutrition...taking a little bit of fat and muscle off in one place, while adding a little muscle in other places.

Your body can and will change, but a healthy and realistic approach is to accept the basic shape and body type you were endowed with and learn how to adjust your nutrition training accordingly. The same training program won't work for everyone, so be cautious of people who recommend the same type of heavy training for you as they do for a skinny "ectomorph" body type.

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Your Questions Answered by Tom Venuto

Question: Do you know of any tried and true methods to reduce the muscle soreness that comes a day or two after your workouts? Is there a supplement or some kind of exercise I can do? have recently read about using dextrose in 1 liter of water immediately after working out, followed by another liter with dextrose within the hour, with a protein drink. This has to be combined with stretching. I have been doing both, and I am still very, very sore. I do squats, as heavy as I can for 10+ reps, followed by machines for quads, hams, etc., each as heavy as I can for 10+ to failure. But after a good workout, I am sore for a week after. Is this due to inexperience? I have only been lifting for 6 months.
Sincerely,
John P. Tracy

Answer: After a hard workout, most people begin to experience soreness in the body parts trained within 24-48 hours, lasting for as long a week after the soreness sets in. This type of pain is called "Delayed onset muscle soreness" or DOMS.

Scientists aren't 100% sure of all the causes of DOMS, but they have a pretty good idea. The burn you feel during the performance of an exercise is caused by the buildup of lactic acid, a by-product of exercise metabolism. It was once thought that the next day soreness was a result of this lactic acid staying in the muscle. Today, most exercise physiologists agree that the primary cause of DOMS is the tiny tears that occur in the muscle that as a result of high intensity exercise - especially resistance training.

When you work out, you literally "tear down" muscle tissue (these are microscopic tears - not like a "torn" muscle in the medical sense). During the days after the workout, the muscle begins to rebuild itself, provided it is allowed enough time to recover and sufficient nutrients are provided. This rebuilding process creates a "new" muscle that is bigger and stronger than before. In a nutshell, this is how the enitre process of muscle growth takes place.

This type of pain is different than the burn you feel during the workout and it is different from the pain of an injury. It's important that you develop the ability to differentiate between the "good pain" of soreness and the "bad pain" of injury. Unless the soreness is so extreme that it is debilitating and prevents you from participating in sports or performing routine tasks (like walking up a flight of stairs!), then next day soreness is GOOD PAIN! It is a sign that you had a good workout - that you trained hard enough to break down muscle tissue. As a result, your reward is going to be bigger and stronger muscles. DOMS will be greatest in a beginner who has never worked out before. The more your body adapts to the workload you impose on it, the less soreness you will feel. If you continue to repeat the same workout over and over again, it will eventually cease to make you sore. Unfortunately, you will also cease to make any progress. Progressive overload is the cornerstone of getting stronger and building muscle.

Soreness doesn't just occur in beginners. No matter how many years you've been training, you may also get sore when you begin a new routine. Shocking your body and providing progressive overload are the keys to muscle growth. Each time you "shock your body" with a new workout program, new exercises, new techniques you've never used before or techniques you haven't used in a long time, you can expect the soreness to return. Be aware of this every time you begin a new training program or if you follow someone else's routine that you've never done before. Sometimes the amount of soreness just from a change in your routine can be incredible. Always go easy the first day on a new program and build intensity gradually or you're asking for it!

Negative repetitions, where you lower the weight more slowly than usual, also seem to increase the level of muscle soreness. It is believed that this portion of the repetition causes greater micro trauma to the muscle fibers than the concentric or lifting portion of the repetition. (Which, by the way, is a good reason to never eliminate the negative portion of your rep as certain exercise machines do).

What if you're still sore from your previous workout? Should you still train? If the soreness is very minor, then yes, go ahead and train right through it. As blood gets in the area and your body temperature increases, the remaining soreness will dissipate. However, if there is any substantial amount of soreness remaining from the last workout whatsoever, that is a sign that you have not completely recovered yet. Your body is still "healing." If you keep breaking down muscle before it has a chance to recover, the effect will be the opposite of what you want: you will get weaker and smaller.

Personally, I get sore quickly: 8-12 hours after a good workout, peaking about 24 hours later. I usually stay sore for anywhere from 2-6 days, depending on how severe the workout was. Me being the high intensity bodybuilding "freak" I am, I enjoy the feeling of not being able to walk for 5 days after a crazy squat workout - but of course, that's just me. I'm not saying you should follow my example - it depends on your goals. My goal is large, muscular legs.

As a competitive bodybuilder, I consider soreness to be an indication of a successful workout. I also consider the complete dissipation of the soreness as a sign of full recovery. If I feel no soreness whatsoever, I usually consider that workout as a mere maintenance session - if not a complete failure. My attitude is: I don't train to maintain, I train to gain. And if I'm going to gain, I have to get sore. Getting sore is one of my goals!

Not everyone will agree with me on this point (like those wimpy people who preach, "train, don't strain"), but there is scientific support backing my belief: In the textbook, Physiology of Sport and Exercise (Human Kinetics, 1994), Professors Wilmore and. Costill write, "Some evidence suggests that this process is an important step in muscle hypertrophy." There - case closed.

So, to get back to your original question; what can you do to alleviate the soreness? I would suggest that you shouldn't be trying to avoid it, you should strive for it and enjoy it! (at least a moderate degree of it). That said, there are a couple things you can do to reduce it after it's already occurred and it's a bit much to stand. You can probably reduce the soreness by stretching the body part AFTER the workout and by getting circulation into the area with cardio.

I've found that a short session of bicycle after a leg workout, followed by a vigorous stretch (especially when assisted by a partner), reduces the soreness somewhat (but don't expect it to remove the soreness completely). Other methods like massage might help as well. You can also cut back your intensity next time: Use your level of soreness as a gauge of your intensity. If your soreness is debilitating, then take that as a sign to back off at your next workout (if you don't want to be that sore again).

I don't know of any supplements that will help alleviate soreness and improve recovery. Proper post-workout nutrition will, of course, help with muscle recovery in general, but won't remove the soreness. That means making your post workout meal high in carbs, high in calories and moderate in protein. A complete discussion of post-workout nutrition will have to be the subject of another article.

Post workout muscle soreness is "good pain" in my book. If you are training with weights for recreation or sports, that's another story. But when it comes to muscle growth and bodybuilding, soreness is a goal to be sought after. The name of the game is to tear down the muscle, then feed it and allow it to recover so it can re-build itself bigger and stronger than before.

When people who know me watch me limp up and down the stairs or grimace in pain as I sit down into my chair, they know the story: "Leg day yesterday, Tom?" Those who don't know me and don't understand bodybuilding just think I'm crazy. (I've been called a "psycho" on more than one occasion - but I take that as a compliment.) Sure, I get some awfully funny looks at times when I'm hobbling around, but that's too bad - let them think what they want. When I can't walk right for 6 days after a squat workout, I know I'm gonna grow!

Lori says "I look like I want to beat someone up. Not sure who..."

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Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I was wondering what kind of exercise I can do to get rid of the fat right above my butt (Between butt and hips). Nothing I do seems to help. Can you please help me?

Answer: No exercise will burn fat off one particular area of the body. You can't spot reduce! When you burn body fat, the fat will come from all areas of the body and the first place you tend to put it on will be the last place it comes off. Don't get discouraged, though. You can lose fat everywhere, including your hips and butt, but only with the three-part combination of proper nutrition, aerobic exercise and weight training.

Weight training exercises such as lunges, squats, and leg presses are the key to toning and shaping the muscles of the hips, butt and thighs. Don't worry - you won't get "big" or "bulky." Because women do not have as much testosterone as men, they cannot develop masculine muscles without using anabolic steroids. If you've seen female bodybuilders on TV or in the magazines that look "manly" it is because they used steroids to develop their large muscle mass. Muscle that is developed naturally will only enhance a woman's curves and femininity. Weight training is the key to sculpting and shaping your body and yet it the most neglected element in most women's exercise programs. Muscle is also important because adding lean body mass will speed up your metabolism so that you burn more calories all day long - even while you sleep.

The weight training will tone your hips and butt, but you must do cardiovascular exercise to burn off the fat. You can't tone or tighten fat! You must burn it off with aerobic exercise and then the muscles you've developed with weight training will show through; feminine, curvaceous, shapely muscles, that is! The best exercises to burn fat are those that are continuous and aerobic in nature. Stationary cycling, brisk walking, jogging, Stairclimbing machines, elliptical machines or rowing are all great fat burners. Work at about 70-85% of your age-predicted maximal heart rate (220-your age) and maintain it for 30-60 minutes 4-6 days a week for optimal results.

Don't forget the final component of a "butt-reducing" program: nutrition. You must consume fewer calories than you burn each day to lose body fat. Don't drop your calories too far; instead eat smaller meals more frequently; 5-6 small meals is ideal, and keep the fats and sugars low. Starving yourself will only make you lose muscle and slow down your metabolism.

Everyone has certain stubborn areas where fat seems hard to get rid of. As your overall body fat levels fall, the fat will come off those stubborn areas - it will just be the last place to go - so be patient. Once you've combined all three components: weight training, cardiovascular training and nutrition, you'll be on your way to tighter, firmer hips and butt.

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No bike accidents, helmets and sneakers. Female bodybuilders meet Hampton men and women at poolside party, with Lauren Powers and Mimi Bowman. I also met an eclectic group of men, including young and tall Dutch 20 somethings imported to work at the local bakery, a Neil Young fanatic who ran a local inn and collected Lionel trains; major traffic accidents on the Long Island Expressway; watching the Italians win their World Cup match; Janet and I hook up at fancy parties and stay in a barn; ask me questions on loribraunblog.com, and I will tell you more...

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Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question:I would like to know what your opinion is of Charles Poliquin's book on strength training and also what the best basic lat exercises are. My lats are a weak point and need some additional training. I'm not sure whether lat pulls or pull-ups are more effective and have difficulty lat pulling more than 100lbs. Also, what do you think about bent-over rows?

Answer: Canadian Charles Poliquin is considered by many as the best strength coach in the world. Charles has been a strength coach for over 22 different Olympic sports and is presently the strength and conditioning coach for more than 400 Olympic and professional athletes. While his specialty is strength training and sports conditioning, his expertise is equally sought after by bodybuilders, powerlifters and world class athletes.

Poliquin's book, "The Poliquin Principles: Successful Methods for Strength and Mass Development" was written with bodybuilders and serious weight trainers in mind. (Beginners may find it a bit confusing and may not be familiar with some of the advanced exercises described.) If you are an intermediate or advanced trainee and your workouts are getting stale and boring, you will find this book refreshing, as it is not a re-hash of the same old programs you read in the muscle magazines every month. Poliquin's techniques are unique and innovative and he explains the scientific rationale behind all his methods. The book contains sections on reps, sets, tempo, rest intervals, frequency, duration, volume, and workout design. There are also sample routines for each body part. On the downside, the photos are out of date and add little to the excellent content of the book. Also, some people might consider the $39.95 price tag is a bit steep for a 150 page paperback but all in all the book is an excellent investment.

Chin ups are one of the best all around upper body exercises in existence. They work the lats, teres major, rear deltoids, rhomboids, the lower trapezius as well as your elbow flexors (biceps, brachialis, etc). According to Poliquin, the chin up should be a core exercise for complete back development. Poliquin says that if you substitute pulldowns for Chins you won't get the same results. In an article he wrote for Testosterone Magazine titled "The seven best exercises for lats" - four out of seven exercises Charles selected were variations of the chin up (read the article if you want to know all seven - you may be surprised at which ones he chose!)

If you have a difficult time doing chin ups, don't throw in the towel and settle for just pulldowns alone. Use a spotter and have them spot you from the ankles. You can kick off their hands to help you chin yourself up. If you don't have a spotter, put a stool underneath you and kick yourself up and then lower yourself slowly. You will find that it is easier to lower yourself than to pull yourself up because your negative/lowering (eccentric) strength is greater than your positive/pulling (concentric) strength. Try to add a rep at every back workout, be persistent, and eventually you will be able to chin yourself for reps unassisted!

Ladies shouldn't shy away from chin-ups either. There are very few women who can chin themselves even once. Relative to total bodyweight, women are almost as strong as men in the lower body, but they are considerably weaker in the upper body, making chin ups difficult. However, that doesn't mean women can't develop the strength to do chin ups through consistent training. One of Charles Poliquin's female assistants-Josée Tremblay from Montreal-can do sets of Chin ups with a five second positive and a five second negative. Using a carefully planned progression over a period of 11 weeks, Poliquin was also able to get the canadian National ski team's average number of chin ups from zero to 12 reps in 11 weeks!

Charles is also a strong advocate of bent over rows, but he cautions that most people perform the exercise incorrectly. The most common mistakes in the bent over row include rounding the back instead of maintaining a slight arch and cheating the weight up using the legs and not the lats. Bent over rows with a supinated (palms up) grip were the favorite exercise of former six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates and he had one of the most amazing backs of any bodybuilder in history.

Personal Background: - Gym Owner & Manager, Germany '82 - '97
- International Judge in Body Building
- Aerobic Instructor
- Inline Instructor

Amateur Bodybuilder: - German Champion '84/'85
- European Champion '87
- World Champion '89

Pro Bodybuilder: - Miss Olympia Finalist '90
- Jan Tana Competitor '91/'92
- Pro Figure Competitor '03

Credentials: - World Fitness Promotion Certificate in Aerobics (Germany)
- SAFS Aerobic Certificate (Switzerland)
- DIV B-Instructor for Inline Skating (Germany)
- GISA Teacher Certificate for Inline Skating (Germany)
- NCSF Certificate for Personal Trainer (USA)
- NCSF Strength Specialist (USA)

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Part One

Part Two

Question: I'm 31 years old and in great shape. I have been working out with a combination of free weights and machines for about 6 years. About a year ago I decided to really engross myself in a serious routine to boost my physical development as well as confidence. Upon searching the web I stumbled across "20 Months to a Champion Physique" at www.billpearl.com. Initially I was excited by the routines because the program was designed by a 5-time Mr. Universe. However, as I struggle to complete month 8, I am concerned. I find myself spending a minimum of 2.5 hours in the gym. To truly complete each session of month 8 I ideally need 3+ hours. The gym is usually closing before I can complete the entire session. My cardio days, Tuesdays and Thursdays, tend to be spent completing at least a quarter of what I didn't get to finish plus 20-30 minutes of cardio. My only true off day is Sunday.Though I am pleased with the physical results thus far, would you mind reviewing this program and sharing your thoughts?

Answer: Bill Pearl is a heck of a guy! He's been involved the bodybuilding and fitness game longer than just about anyone and he knows his stuff! At 68 years young, Pearl is a five-time Mr. Universe and the author of several books. At his peak as a competitive bodybuilder when he last won the Mr. Universe in 1971, he weighed 242 pounds at a height of 5'10" and his arms measured 21 inches!

What I admire so much about Bill is that he seems to be one of the few who never get caught up in the "glamor" and hype (B.S.?) that surrounds modern bodybuilding today. To me, Bill Pearl is a true pro who represents what is pure about this sport - not to mention he had a mind-blowing physique before steroids were even invented! (He won the Mr. America competition back in the 1950's - check out the classic photos on his website)

Everyone should own a copy of Bill's book,"Keys to the Inner Universe" for their reference library. This book is one of a kind - there is simply nothing else like it. This hefty encyclopedic volume packs 642 pages and contains more exercise variations than you ever knew existed. I bet you didn't know there were 265 different tricep exercises, did you?

Anyway, to answer your question, "20 Months to a Championship Physique" is a really neat series you can find on Bill's website at www.billpearl.com. What I like about it so much is that he presents, in a series of 20 articles, not just the written routines, but illustrations and descriptions of each exercise. The downside, as you mentioned, is the length of time it may take to complete some of the workouts.

Bill is so dedicated to training, for years he's been getting up at 3 or 4 in the morning every day to workout for 2 or 3 hours. I think what has driven Bill to train like this is a deep-down passion and love for the sport of bodybuilding. Bill may enjoy and thrive and grow on this type of program, but marathon workouts aren't for everyone. Generally, most people would be better off with weight training sessions lasting 45 - 60 minutes at a time. Longer workouts can be counterproductive and lead to over-training or injury. More is not necessarily better - better is better.

I would suggest following his program with a slight modification. Use the same split routine and body part groupings, just reduce the number of exercises and the number of sets. For example, if the advanced biceps routine consists of three exercises such as barbell curls, seated dumbbell curls, and cable curls for four or five sets each, just reduce the sets to three per exercise and /or select two only of the three exercises.

You don't need to spend all day in the gym. Even two exercises per muscle group for three sets each can yield excellent results. You can't always copy someone else's routine verbatim and expect to get the same results that they did. You have to adjust the workout to fit your schedule, your lifestyle and your physical capabilities. Besides, I don't think any of us could keep up with Bill anyway, even if we tried.

WHAT TO EXPECT WEEK BY WEEK:

Week 1: Without a doubt, the most crucial week of the entire program as you get accustomed to this demanding schedule and settling into a consistent exercise program. This is the first step towards getting into the best shape of your life—it’s up to you! Remember to take your time during each exercise and work the muscles through a complete range of motion.

Week 2: The second week is marked by a continued focus on mastering your fitness program. Remember to perform your cardiovascular training such as riding the stationary bike, swimming, jogging, wind sprints and the cross-trainer.

Week 3: Your routine is becoming more natural and requires less thinking. Your confidence is building and you are feeling mentally focused. Aim high and don’t look back!

Week 4: You are at the half way mark. You may notice that you have become a bit stronger

and your clothes fit you better. Someone may have asked you, “Are you losing weight?”

Pick up the intensity, increase the amount of weight you lift, and maintain your focus.

Be all you can be!

Week 5: You start to feel a bit tired and your focus may be waning, stay strong! “Remember that your body is going to do all that it can to keep you at your current state, so don’t let it hold you back. Keep fighting to get better and stay as focused as possible,” says Watson.

Weeks 6: The following are words to keep you motivated and inspired as you

get closer and closer to your goal.

· Motivation

· Dedication

· Consistency

· Self-Confidence

· Persistence

· Vision

· Personal Courage

· Enthusiasm

· Vigor

· Resilience

Week 7: As you near the end of the challenge, motivation is at an all time high. Remember, physical fitness is a lifestyle, not something to do for 8-weeks and quit. One week to go for mission accomplishment! All of your efforts and suffering have been directed toward next week and some of the benefits will be how great you look and the determination you displayed, especially when dealing with obstacles.

Week 8: Congratulations Sir/Ma’am on taking charge of your life. Your dogged determination and relentless pursuit of excellence paved the way to your success. I salute you for sticking to it and completing this demanding course. Take a few days of leave but don’t stray too far! New goals and challenges await you.

AND FINALLY:

At the end of the 8-weeks you will be totally amazed at the transformation you have gone through. You will have lost pounds and inches but you will have gained confidence, strength, dedication, and the ability to do what it takes to achieve your predetermined goals. Like a member of the elite Special Forces, your body is a lean, mean fighting machine and the envy of all. So walk with pep in your step, head held high and shoulders back--you have earned the right to be a fitness soldier! Now I charge you, as a shining example of a physically fit person, to accept an important mission—march forward and spread the word on the positive benefits of physical activity and help fight the war on obesity facing our great nation!

Rob Wilkins is a Technical Sergeant in the US Air Force stationed at The Pentagon, Washington, DC. Wilkins is also a Special Assistant to the International Federation of Bodybuilders (IFBB) and a recipient of the IFBB Gold Medal. To contact Wilkins e-mail him at waaszup@yahoo.com.