Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: What is a good diet to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time?

Answer: Losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time is possible, but it is the most difficult goal to accomplish and it is a very slow and inefficient process. It is common to see a large decrease in body fat accompanied by a small increase in lean body mass. It is also common to see a large increase in lean body mass accompanied by a small decrease in body fat. But one thing you will never see is a large increase in lean body mass and a large decrease in body fat simultaneously (especially if you are drug-free.)

By Rob Wilkins

How many infomercials have you seen where an "expert" says, "For the low-low price of $49.99 our product will help you get rid of your gut and develop the best set of abs on the planet!” In the ads, fitness models show off their six-packs attained by using Product X. However, these same ads fail to mention the importance of the four primary ingredients for developing great-looking abs: cardiovascular exercise 3-4 times per week, effective ab exercises, eating foods low in fats, and the right set of genes. To have great abs, body fat levels must be reduced, so don't rely on the AB-roller, AB-maker, or AB-shaper to give you the chiseled look you desire. In order to change your body you must first understand how it is designed.

1. To avoid injury, you should always do a light warm-up set of 15 reps before each exercise.

2. Dropset- When you exchange a heavy weight for a lighter one in the middle of a set in order to gain more reps this is called a 'dropset'. Dropsets are optional and are to be done as the last set of each exercise.

3. Smith machine- Many of these exercises; such as flat bench presses, the incline bench press, shoulder presses, squats and lunges can be done on what is known as the Smith machine for variation.

Posted by Nicholas DiNubile, M.D. I am often asked what I believe to be the "best" number of sets and/or reps for a given exercise-both strength training and/or stretching. The correct answer is that there is no ideal formula that works for everyone. My recommendations will often vary depending on your fitness goals, past or present injuries, and your individual "weak-links." Different individuals respond differently. Even in the same individual, different muscle groups may even respond differently.

By Tom Venuto, CSCS

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a safe and natural way to build more muscle in a shorter period of time? In this day and age of exercise gimmicks and quick fix solutions, most smart bodybuilders would be skeptical if they heard such a claim. But guess what? Such an “animal” really does exist. No, it’s not a drug. It’s not some miracle supplement, either. Nor is it a newfangled piece of workout machinery. If you’ve been training seriously for any length of time, it’s something you’re probably already familiar with, but haven’t fully exploited to the maximum degree. What is this method for building more muscle in less time? Surprise, surprise; it’s called supersetting!

Even if you’ve used supersets before, you may not be familiar with all the different types of supersets or the many ways you can incorporate them into your workouts. Just in case you’re not familiar with supersets, let me start from the beginning and explain the difference between a conventional set and a superset.

From http://www.addictions.co.uk

For some people, exercise can become compulsive, to a degree which is as physically, psychologically and emotionally destructive as ingesting chemicals. Like other addictions (gambling, work, alcohol), the need to compulsively exercise is informed by a range of motivations. These can include avoidance, mood manipulation, a desire to control, and as a general method of coping with life.

How common is it?
Exercise addiction is rare but may be on the increase as exercise patterns change, particularly as exercise is culturally acceptable, even admired. It is widely believed that exercise addiction is linked to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, which affects approximately 1% of the population.

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.

An answer to this "burning" question

By Tom Venuto

It's a scientifically proven fact that muscle proteins are broken down and used for energy during aerobic exercise. However, you are constantly breaking down and re-building muscle tissue anyway. This process is called "protein turnover." Your body is constantly alternating back and forth between anabolic (building) and catabolic (breaking down) cycles. That's just a normal part of life. Your goal is simply to tip the scales slightly in favor of increasing the anabolic side and reducing the catabolic side just enough so you stay anabolic and you gain muscle (or at least maintain it).

This fact of human physiology has often been taken out of context and used to scare people into not doing cardiovascular exercise for fear of losing muscle. When you fast overnight as you sleep, you lose muscle too, but that doesn't mean you should stop sleeping!

Sure, it's possible for you to lose muscle from doing too much cardio, but it's highly unlikely. Shying away from cardio completely because you think you'll lose muscle is a huge mistake. Only excessive amounts of cardio would cause you to lose muscle. Extreme amounts of aerobic work, such as the type of training done by competitive endurance athletes, could be considered over-training. Over-training tips the scale towards the catabolic side. Just look at the slight, wiry physiques of any distance runner or triathlete if you need proof of that. It's difficult to generalize and pinpoint one specific amount as too much, but a safe maximum guideline would be 45 -60 minutes of cardio a day, 6 to 7 days a week. Within these limits, you shouldn't worry about losing any muscle - as long as the proper nutritional support is provided. Beyond 60 minutes a day, you hit a point of diminishing returns and you may increase the chance of injury, over-training and muscle loss.

By Kat Ricker

I do not understand anger in lifting.
There is no room for emotion in my work.
There is form, fiber direction, aligning the angle of resistance to the fibers. There is blood and oxygen filling the muscle. Core. Nerve activation, full muscular contraction...

Full range of motion, partial range, full contraction. Core. Eccentric work, the weight of the load as the muscle belly stretches out. Core. Soft knees, core stability, neutral spine, spinal stability - head, chest up, spinal alignment. Breathing. More air.

My awareness is inside, coursing through my blood like nutrients. If there is someone beside me, I do not know it. No other thoughts can survive. Emotion is out of the equation.

I release. Blood and lactic acid swell my limbs. My muscles thrum electric. Rush of elation, taste of bliss, sure fire of victory. Over and over.

As I leave the floor, the warm flood of victory envelopes me, peaked with the pump of my muscles. I am who I want to be. I am my best. My muscles reflect my hard-earned pride. I am not concerned whether anyone else sees my body, engorged and glowing. I am whole again.

After reading this article, let us know what you think! Share your opinions about steroids, natural bodybuilding or any other topic that is on your mind! Join our message boards HERE!

Why I chose NOT to take steroids or performance enhancing drugs and why you should stay natural too.

By Tom Venuto, lifetime natural bodybuilder

Many people choose not to take drugs for fear of health consequences. Although this may be a legitimate concern depending on the degree and duration of drug use, this is not the reason I chose to stay natural. In fact, I believe that the dangers of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs are probably exaggerated greatly and sensationalized by the media. In my opinion, scare tactics like, "You're going to get a brain tumor and liver cancer" aren't really accurate or effective. If this were an effective approach, then drug use wouldn't be so widespread today.

It's not a matter of morals, ethics or cheating either. How does one define "moral behavior?" I believe the only definition of moral behavior that most people will agree on is that "moral" means you never do anything to hurt another human being or infringe on their right to do what they want with their lives. As long as you're not hurting or infringing on others, then who's to judge what's right or wrong? Few people would disagree that it shows questionable morals and a lack of character to take drugs, lie about it and compete in a drug tested competition, but as long as everyone is on a level playing field, then morality is probably not a valid argument.

My prime motivation for staying natural is not a matter of right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy. My motivation is different: What I want is the joy and fulfillment that only comes from becoming the best I can be without using any artificial assistance. I want to fully express the possibilities of the human body, mind and spirit. I want to actualize my full potential. If I take drugs, then I won't really know what my true potential is; I'll never know whether it's the drugs or me.

After reading this article, lend us your opinion on our message boards!

1. To avoid injury, you should always do a light warm-up set of 15 reps before each exercise.

2. Dropset- When you exchange a heavy weight for a lighter one in the middle of a set in order to gain more reps this is called a 'dropset'. Dropsets are optional and are to be done as the last set of each exercise.

3. Smith machine- Many of these exercises; such as flat bench presses, the incline bench press, shoulder presses, squats and lunges can be done on what is known as the Smith machine for variation.

4. Supersets- When you train two muscle groups together, one after the other such as biceps-triceps, chest-back, quads-hamstrings, calves-tibia.

5. Reps- When you start each exercise your reps (repetitions) should be high. By your third or fourth set, as you increase the weight you should drop the number of repetitions.

Be sure to discuss this post on our message board! Go check it out HERE.

A woman’s pelvis consists of four bones (paired innominate bones, coccyx, and the sacrum) held together by ligaments. The size and shape of these bones have a tremendous impact on how a woman looks physically. The pelvic shape is classified by the "Caldwell-Moloy" (4) system.

There are four "pure" pelvic shapes in this system--android (A), gynecoid (B), anthropoid (C), and platypelloid (D) shaped pelvis. The pelvis of any person may have some features of the opposite sex. A and C are most common in males, B and A in white females, B and C in black females, while D is uncommon in both sexes (3).

The android pelvis (sometimes called a "true male pelvis") is found in about 20% of American women. Women who happen to have such a pelvis tend to have "flat rear ends." Many of the “waif women” prominently seen in the industry modeling have this type of pelvis. Women with this shape of pelvis have virtually no real difficulty in achieving a flat stomach because their pelvises are similar to the average man.

The gynecoid pelvis (sometimes called a "true female pelvis") is found in about 50% of the women in America. It is the "classic" form that we associate with women and has an anteroposterior diameter just slightly less than the transverse diameter. Lucy Lawless of Xena, Warrior Princess fame has a classic gynecoid pelvis. Women like this tend to be shapely and curvy and are able to have a flat stomach without really dropping body fat levels low enough to cause some female problems (i.e., irregular periods, fertility problems, and hormonal balance disruption).

The anthropoid pelvis is very long and almost "ovoid" in shape. It is more common in nonwhite females (it makes up about 25% of pelvic type in white women and close to 50% in nonwhite women). Women who have such a pelvis shape tend to have "larger rear ends" and may carry a lot of adipose tissue/weight in the buttocks as well as in the abdomen. These women can have a flat stomach with some real effort (they may have to drop body fat levels down a bit lower than women with the other two aforementioned pelvis types, but it's possible.

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?

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.

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?

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!

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.

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.

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?

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".

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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?

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?

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.

I am curious to hear what you can tell me about breaking plateaus.
I am successfully losing body fat but am approaching a point where I usually seem to level out and have difficulty pushing through.

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I have been working out for around a year now and I cannot get my lower abs into any type of shape. Despite doing 900 various crunches, ab roller, and 100 sit-ups four days a week, along with running and my regular workout on the weights, I still have a tire around my waist. What else can I do?

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: I just read an article in a bodybuilding magazine that said all you need to lose fat is three days a week on a cardio machine for twenty minutes. It said that low intensity, long duration cardio workouts are not the best way to lose fat and that a high intensity twenty-minute workout is more efficient. Is this true? I don't have a lot of time to work out so it would be great if I could get my cardio done in only twenty minutes.

A timeless question, and a timely answer!

Your Questions Answered By Tom Venuto

Question: Do you believe that women like myself, at the age of 43, can firm up just as much as girls at 20 or 30 years of age? I don't need to lose weight, although I would like to believe that by sticking to proper training and diet, I will be able to tone and tighten my thigh and buttock areas. I would really appreciate your honest opinion. Thanks.

An answer to this "burning" question

By Tom Venuto

It's a scientifically proven fact that muscle proteins are broken down and used for energy during aerobic exercise. However, you are constantly breaking down and re-building muscle tissue anyway. This process is called "protein turnover." Your body is constantly alternating back and forth between anabolic (building) and catabolic (breaking down) cycles. That's just a normal part of life. Your goal is simply to tip the scales slightly in favor of increasing the anabolic side and reducing the catabolic side just enough so you stay anabolic and you gain muscle (or at least maintain it).

A woman’s pelvis consists of four bones (paired innominate bones, coccyx, and the sacrum) held together by ligaments. The size and shape of these bones have a tremendous impact on how a woman looks physically. The pelvic shape is classified by the "Caldwell-Moloy" (4) system.

There are four "pure" pelvic shapes in this system--android (A), gynecoid (B), anthropoid (C), and platypelloid (D) shaped pelvis. The pelvis of any person may have some features of the opposite sex. A and C are most common in males, B and A in white females, B and C in black females, while D is uncommon in both sexes (3).

Question: I want to get "buns of steel." I work cardio 3 to 4 times a week and lift weights 4 times a week. I train my legs once a week. Should I be working them more? I want to get my legs and butt rock hard. Everything else on my body is toned and shapely, I just want more for my legs and butt, any suggestions?

In gyms around the world, nothing is feared or ignored more often than intense leg training. How often have you seen someone with a Herculean upper body mismatched with legs that would embarrass an ostrich? Nothing demands your attention more than a massive set of legs, but how many of us are willing to put in the effort to get them? Have you ever trained your quads with such intensity that it hurts just to walk or climb stairs? What about training your hamstrings with such vigor that afterward Frankenstein walks with more grace than you do? PAIN is the #1 reason many trainees shun leg training. But nothing comes easy. If you want great legs, you’ve got to annihilate the muscles and train them with maximum intensity.

By Tom Venuto, CSCS

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a safe and natural way to build more muscle in a shorter period of time? In this day and age of exercise gimmicks and quick fix solutions, most smart bodybuilders would be skeptical if they heard such a claim. But guess what? Such an “animal” really does exist. No, it’s not a drug. It’s not some miracle supplement, either. Nor is it a newfangled piece of workout machinery. If you’ve been training seriously for any length of time, it’s something you’re probably already familiar with, but haven’t fully exploited to the maximum degree. What is this method for building more muscle in less time? Surprise, surprise; it’s called supersetting!

Why I chose NOT to take steroids or performance enhancing drugs and why you should stay natural too.

By Tom Venuto, lifetime natural bodybuilder

Many people choose not to take drugs for fear of health consequences. Although this may be a legitimate concern depending on the degree and duration of drug use, this is not the reason I chose to stay natural. In fact, I believe that the dangers of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs are probably exaggerated greatly and sensationalized by the media. In my opinion, scare tactics like, "You're going to get a brain tumor and liver cancer" aren't really accurate or effective. If this were an effective approach, then drug use wouldn't be so widespread today.

1. To avoid injury, you should always do a light warm-up set of 15 reps before each exercise.

2. Dropset- When you exchange a heavy weight for a lighter one in the middle of a set in order to gain more reps this is called a 'dropset'. Dropsets are optional and are to be done as the last set of each exercise.

By Rob Wilkins
(Photographs by Alex Mac of "The Beef" Magazine)



Perhaps one of the brightest moments and biggest surprises at this years Mr. Olympia was a standing ovation from over 6,000 fans for Simon Robinson. Born in Mansfield, England, 37 year-old Robinson was an active child who excelled at playing football (soccer). Blessed with exceptional athletic ability, he tried out for several professional football clubs. Unfortunately, he developed a medical condition which limited his eyesight and had to give up this pursuit.

The winter is now over and you are probably thinking about how to get your body fit for summer! If you want to reshape your body, you have to lose fat and gain muscle. A combination of cardio and weight lifting will help you reach your goals.