Book Recommendation: New Rules of Lifting for Women!

"She is energetic and strong, a hard worker...She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!'"

- Proverbs 31:17 and 25-29

For all the women who are reluctant to lift weights because they fear becoming "too big and bulky," this book is for you. The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler, Alwyn Cosgrove and Cassandra Forsythe dispells the myths that most women still believe about weight training.

This is the best book I have read about weight training for women. It includes a lot of information including some "new rules" all women should follow along with exercise descriptions, six months' worth of training programs, information on why aerobic training is not ideal for fat loss, a chapter on nutrition and numerous meal plans for breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre- and post-workout meals, snacks and dessert.

I highly recommend that all women (and men) pick up a copy of this book. It will change your life forever. You will finally realize that lifting weights won't make you big and bulky and will in fact make you lean, toned and sexy.

Get the book now! You won't regret it and will finally be able to get off the treadmill and other cardio machines and stop wasting your time and start making great progress while transforming your body into the shape you've always dreamed of!

2008 Beijing Olympics - Olympic Physiques

"All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize.... So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing." - 1 Corinthians 9:25-27

If you've been watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics, you've noticed the lean, muscular physiques of many of the athletes. It seems as though many of the athletes are leaner and more muscular now than in previous Olympics.

Certain athletes show up to the Olympics always appearing lean and muscular such as the male gymnasts, short- and middle-distance sprinters, many of the track and field athletes and the lightweight to middleweight weightlifters and wrestlers.

However, many of the athletes that are not normally as lean and muscular have come to this year's Olympics looking like super men and women. Look no further than Michael Phelps or Dara Torres. Michael Phelps has dominated the Olympics winning 8 gold medals while breaking Mark Spitz's record from 1972. The commentators have mentioned several times that he has ripped abs and muscular physique. Dara Torres, at 41, is leaner and more muscular than those competing against her, including some who are 25 years younger!

The one thing Michael Phelps and Dara Torres have in common is that they have included weight training in their routines in the recent past to prepare for this year's Olympics. They have found the benefits of strength training and it shows not only in their performances but also in their muscular and lean physiques.

Something you may find interesting is that Olympic weightlifters typically never perform any traditional cardio (try a few sets of snatches or clean and jerks and you'll find out why), yet, they tend to be muscular, lean and have very strong cardiovascular systems and incredible power. In fact, Olympic weightlifters tend to be more powerful and explosive than sprinters within the first 10 yards (and they have incredible vertical jumping ability).

If you look at the weightlifters in the lightweight through middleweight classes, almost all of them are very lean and muscular (It's just too bad that the super heavyweights are the ones typically featured in primetime). How do they get like that without cardio? Weight training and nutrition.

Gymnasts don't train with weights, however, they train using bodyweight exercises through many different ranges of motion; static, dynamic, eccentric, isometric, etc. This builds muscle and incredible strength. Gymnasts don't perform cardio, but they do perform short sprints (vault) and they stay strong, lean and muscular.

Compare the short-distance sprinters (100-400m), pole vaulters and hurdlers (60-110m) to long-distance athletes (1,500m or more), and you'll quickly see the difference in their physiques. The sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers are lean and muscular. The longer-distance athletes may be somewhat lean (especially at Olympic and professional levels), but they are not as lean and nowhere near as muscular as the sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers.

Sprinters, pole vaulters and hurdlers also train with weights and don't perform any long-distance cardio. Many of them don't ever sprint more than 200-400m in their training, and usually they sprint much shorter distances depending on their particular sport.

It should be clear to you by now that strength training is the key to building a lean, muscular physique. You don't have to be an Olympic athlete to get the body you want. And you don't have to perform traditional, steady-state or long-distance cardio to lose fat or stay lean. A proper nutritional plan and strength training program will help you build a lean, muscular, healthy physique.

What's holding you back?

Lean for Life!

"I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong." - Romans 14:14

Here are a couple of the most important aspects of nutrition that help to get you lean for life. I picked this up from Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training - (CLICK HERE to learn more), and it definitely goes along with what I said in a previous post about nutrition.

1. Get enough quality protein in the daily diet. Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat (so you burn more calories digesting it), but it also creates satiety so your hunger is satisfied longer. Protein is also a building block for maintaining and building lean muscle. And remember that the amount of lean muscle you carry is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism.

2. Think fiber! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits and high-fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat. I don't eat many grains, as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits. Fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for getting lean.

3. Don't be afraid to eat fat! I've said this before, and I'm saying it again. Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as cause more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily. Good sources of healthy fats are raw nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, fish oil caps, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats but they are actually beneficial.

4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:

*Artificial trans fats from margarines, shortening and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods

*High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is in almost all sweetened products on the market.

Again, if you avoid processed foods, it becomes easy to avoid these two worst offenders in our food supply.

I believe that once you get a handle on these four main points of your diet detailed above, the rest starts to take care of itself as you gain control over your appetite, blood sugar levels, hormone levels, etc. It all falls into place, and you eventually gain total control over how lean you want to get.