Self Defense Ebooks

Here's an ebook for those of you who are interested in studying self-defense:

Self Defense & Martial Arts Secrets

Keep in mind--this is not a traditional martial arts system.  It's designed more for protecting yourself on the street where there are no rules. 

Professional Bodybuilding Routines: Why You Shouldn't Train Like the Pros

Why You Should NOT Train Like the Bodybuilding Pros

I still remember reading through Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding as a teenager. I looked through the pages constantly, checking out the pictures and the routines. The most advanced bodybuilding routines were six-day splits (meaning you train six days a week). It seemed he spent hours in the gym every day.

I would later learn these routines just didn’t apply to me. Chances are they don’t apply to you, either.

Allow me to explain why you should not try to train like professional bodybuilders:

1. Steroids. Virtually all professional bodybuilders take steroids (and growth hormones)—the only exceptions being those who compete in strictly tested, natural competitions. Even the “golden era” guys I talk about used them, and the dosages have kept getting higher ever since.

Here’s what you need to understand: a guy using steroids can train harder and more frequently than a natural trainee. He can do multiple sets for each muscle and still have the ability to recover. If you aren’t using steroids, you can’t.

2. Genetics: Professional bodybuilders have exceptional genetics. They tend to have full muscle bellies and respond very favorably to training. This is yet another reason you should not follow their routines—what works for a genetically gifted individual will probably not work for a skinny guy (or average guy) trying to put on muscle.

3. Time: Some of the pros do nothing but train eat, pose, and sleep. In other words, you aren’t going to be able to live in the gym like someone who is paid to train. Hopefully you are pursuing other goals, like getting a degree or finding a fulfilling career.

If you are trying to put on muscle, please don’t try to follow professional bodybuilding routines. Instead I would advise you to try a program like Muscle Gaining Secrets. 

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode Twelve

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode 12 Recap

The episode began in the common living room with the contestants discussing Kevin's fate. They also encourage Martha to work harder since she didn't lose any weight at the last weigh-in. Carlo said he felt like a "marked man" since he was the last red team member remaining.

The trainers came in the next morning, and Kristy discovered Kevin had been voted off. Kristy was "angry" and "disappointed."

Kevin left a letter for Kristy, which Carlo gave to her. She became very emotional and pledged to help Carlo get to the next stage of the competition.

The trainers stayed with their former teams as if the blue/red teams still remained. Dave trained the former blue team members, and each of them talked about their goals for the week. Kristy spent time one-on-one with Carlo. She praised him for his accomplishments and encouraged him to make it to the finals. But she noted Carlo's disadvantage--he didn't have as much weight to lose as some of the other competitors.

The Immunity Challenge:
This week's challenge was a temptation challenge. Each contestant had a plate full of food hidden under a wooden platter--the first one to finish the food would have immunity. The bowl was full of a strawberry jelly desert containing over 2,000 calories. The contestants struggled with the sweetness of the dish. The contest came down to Marilyn and Carlo, with all others dropping out after. Marilyn won the challenge. Her prize was immunity and a helicopter tour of Malaysia.

The contestants continued training, knowing they were competing to stay above the yellow line. Carlo knew he would be voted off if he fell below it on the next weigh-in.

The contestants were then taken through a kickboxing workout. Professional Muay Thai trainers and fighters took them through a brutal workout.

Kristy talked to all the contestants about diet and showed them how to use the Biggest Loser website to look up recipes.

Kristy trained Carlo individually for his last chance workout. The former blue team members trained together and vowed to eliminate Carlo from the competition. Carlo said he had no regrets, since the competition has changed his life.

The Weigh-In:
Most of the contestants lost 3-4 kilograms, but David lost 6 (putting him at over 50 kilos lost and in the top position). Carlo weighed last, knowing he needed a big number to stay above the yellow line (and in the competition). He lost 9 kilograms, making him the biggest loser for the week. This put him in second place, right behind David. This put Tony and Martha below the yellow line (since Marilyn won immunity).

The contestants all discussed the upcoming vote. The former blue team members were clearly uncomfortable with being forced to eliminate one of their own.

Elimination Vote:
Carlo voted for Tony, arguing he was the greatest threat.  David voted for Martha, and Marilyn also voted for Tony.  Aaron had the final vote and chose Tony, which gave him three votes.  Tony was eliminated from the competition.  He exited gracefully, wishing well to the other contestants.

Mouse Fitness (Funny Video)

A strong bench press may just save your life . . .

No-Nonsense Muscle Building Trial Offer

Want to try Vince Delmonte's No-Nonsense Muscle Buidling for 9.95 (21 days)?  Just click HERE:

No-Nonsense Muscle Building Trial Offer.  

This is my #1 selling bodybuilding program and I believe you'll be happy with it.   Feel free to read my review here:  No-Nonsense Muscle Building Review.

Final Phase Fat Loss Review

A review of John Romaniello's Final Phase Fat Loss Program

A few weeks ago I made a post about Final Phase Fat Loss by John Romaniello, aka “Roman.” I endorsed it based on name recognition. Well, I’ve had the chance to review the program for myself. My endorsement still stands.

Let me first tell you about the author:

John Romaniello was a chubby kid who discovered weight training/bodybuilding in his late teen years. He went on to become a respected author, personal trainer, and fitness model. John did the typical bodybuilding cycle of bulking up, then getting lean over several weeks.

One day John was invited to a reunion with some of his old school mates. The reunion was only six weeks away and he had overdone his bulking cycle—he had put on too much fat. He wanted to impress his old classmates, but he wasn’t sure he could get really lean in only six weeks. This began his journey—the journey to developing his fat loss system.

Here are Roman’s Four Rules for Fat Loss:

1. Be Prepared to Sacrifice: You have to put in the work if you wan to achieve a new level of leanness.

2. Burn More Calories Through Exercise (not Diet): In other words, you should only implement a modest calorie deficit through diet and create most of the calorie deficit through exercise.

3. Lift Heavy at Least Once a Week: This keeps you from losing your strength and muscle mass and keep your metabolism from slowing down.

4. Implement a Variety of Training Styles Each Week: This program is built around using different training styles to shock your body out of fat loss plateaus.

Here’s what you get in the Final Phase Fat Loss Program:

*The Final Phase Fat Loss Manual: Roman explains the basics of fat loss and the philosophy behind his program. He begins by talking about hormones that affect fat loss (leptin, cortisol, etc). He then explains his training philosophy, which combines four different types of training. Next he goes into more detail about how to do each type of training—he’s very specific and tells you exactly what to do. The cardiovascular training description is next. Lastly he explains nutrition and supplementation.

*MP3’s: The program includes two MP3’s. The first one is more of a personal introduction—Roman explaining why he developed this program. The second MP3 is an interview, which goes into more details about the program.

*Exercise Library: Shows pictures of how to do the exercises outlined in the training program.

*Training Sheets: Four sets of training sheets (one for each type of training). You can print these out and use them as training journals.

*Fat Lost Journal and Spread Sheets: To track your fat loss progress.

*Quick Start Checklist: A short list of things you need to get started.

Who is This Program For?

I would recommend this program for four different groups:

*Professional bodybuilders or fitness models who need to get lean for a competition, etc.

*Anyone who is having trouble getting rid of that last 5-15 lb of fat.

*Someone who has reached a fat loss plateau. If you’ve lost 25 lb then get “stuck,” I think this program will help you.

*If you’ve tried other fat loss programs and just want to take something to the next level I think it would give you a lot of new ideas for fat loss.

One Area of Disagreement:

Roman endorses/pushes a specific supplement brand. The brand looks OK, but I don’t think it is any better than any other reputable brand. Just make sure your nutrition is in order and I think you’ll get results—regardless of what supplements you use.  If you decide to use supplements, shop around and look for the most cost-effective way to buy them (which may not be the brand Roman endorses).  

Conclusion:

I think many of my readers are interested in achieving a new level of leanness without starving themselves. Final Phase Fat Loss is an intense training program, and I believe it would do just that. Just click HERE to check it out.

Alternate Program:

John Romaniello has a muscle building program out if you are interested in building size and strength instead of fat loss.  You can read my review of this program here: Super Hero Workout Review


Please use my links if you decide to check out this program.  You'll be supporting and honest voice in the fitness industry. 

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode Eleven

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode 11 Recap

The episode began with all contestants returning to the living room, minus Christine.  Members kept talking about "red team" and "blue team," despite the fact that there were no longer official.  They all talked about the narrow margin of victory which separated the winners from the losers (Christine feel below the yellow line by one kilo).

Dave and Kristy encouraged all contestants to keep striving for the grand prize.  They responded with hard work in their next training session.

Kevin seemed especially motivated in training.  He had an in-depth talk with Kristy about his former lifestyle, which included a nightly pizza as a "midnight snack."   Kristy set a goal for Kevin and Carlo: to burn 3,000 calories a day.

The trainers decided to do a physical tests with the contestants.   They started with a bicep strength test.  Dave offered one thousand dollars to anyone would could beat his score.   Carlo managed to beat Dave's score, then Kevin beat Carlo's score to win the money. 

Kevin and Carlo had been complaining with joint pain, so Kristy took them through a pool workout. 

Kristy and Dave did another demonstration to motivate the contestants.  They showed them a physical model of one kilo of fat.  They proceeded to calculate the contestants weight loss and told them to visualize the kilos of fat they have lost so far.

The Challenge:
The contestants were given five minutes to see who could burn the highest number of calories.  Each had access to a station with equipment (weights, step, etc).  Most of the contestants did some form of stepping.  

The rivalry between Carlo and David came up again, as they were the top two in the contest.  Carlo did steps with a 25 kilo barbell on his shoulders--this turned out to be a great strategy--he won the challenge.   Carlo won immunity and and credits to buy clothes online.

Dave had the blue team members push him in a car as part of their training.  He and Kristy then trained all the contestants for one last session. 

The Weigh-in:
Most of the contestants lost 2-3 kilograms.  David remained in the number 1 position.  Kevin and Martha ended up below the yellow line (Martha had no weight loss).

The contestants all discussed the upcoming elimination vote.  Carlo advocated for Kevin, but the team loyalty remained strong among the contestants. 

Kristy stopped by to visit Kevin and encourage him.  She said she would be "disgusted" if he was eliminated.  Kevin wept at the thought of his impending elimination, but promised to keep losing weight no matter what.

Kevin and Carlo tried to talk to the blue team and plead his case.  The blue team discussed the matter privately, and some of the blue team members confessed to the difficulty they would have making this vote.

The vote came down to team loyalty.  Carlo voted for Martha, but all blue team members voted for Kevin--he was eliminated from the competition.

Jusup ''Zeus'' Wilkosz

Jusup ''Zeus'' Wilkosz is a German bodybuilder from the "golden era" I'm always talking about (70's and 80's).  He trained with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the mid-70's and competed in that era. 


Wilkosz won Mr. Universe in 1979 and IFBB Pro Mr. Universe in 1980.  He placed in several bodybuilding competitions in the early to mid 80's (including Mr. Olympia). 

Injuries kept Wilkosz from reaching his full potential, but he had a very impressive physique regardless.  Wilkosz is 6'1 and weighed around 220 during his bodybuilding career.

Hybrid Training Ebook

Want to try a different type of  "hybrid training?"  Nick Nilsson's version of hybrid training (not to be confused with high intensity resistance training) combines cables, bands, and free weights in the same exercise to adjust to the strength curves of the exercises. 

Here's a very cost-effective way to learn about it:  just buy Hybrid Training by Nick Nilsson. 

The Leg Press: Tips and Techniques

Next to squats, the leg press is probably my favorite exercise for working the thighs (quadriceps and hamstrings).  I often do squats first, then follow them up with a few sets of leg press. 

One-legged leg press is an exercise I picked up from legendary powerlifter Ed Coan.  He mentioned it in one of his videos as an assist exercise to the squat.

Just keep this in mind:  leg press can be really hard on your lower back, especially if done improperly.   Remember this before you try to load up every plate in the gym.

I usually see two mistakes in the gym when it comes to this exercise:

*Not going deep enough with the reps.  This is the main mistake I see--guys loading up the bar and doing fourth reps.  If you are going to do the exercise, go ahead and go parallel.  Check your ego at the door and do it right. 

*Going too deep with reps.  I mentioned that leg press can be hard on your lower back.   If you go beyond parallel your rear end will naturally start to come up off the seat.  This puts you at great risk for injuring the discs in your lower back. 

Muscle Explosion E-Book: 3-Day Sale

There's a promo going on now through Friday night (midnight) for the Muscle Explosion e-book.  You'll get three extras:

1. The Best Ab Exercises You've Never Heard Of - Core Strength Edition

2. Top Secret Arm Training

3. Top Secret Chest Training

Just click here to check it out:


Muscle Explosion Promo

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode Ten

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode 10 Recap

The episode started with the blue team returning to the house, minus Hafiz.  They told Christine about Hafiz's declaration during the vote and they also explained why they voted him out.  Some of the red team members were not impressed with the reasoning behind the vote. 

The red team decided to play a joke on Kristy--they convinced her they had lost the weigh-in and voted off Carlo.  Kevin was unable to keep from giggling during the charade, but Christine did a convincing acting job.   Kristy reacted as harshly as expected.  Here celebration was equally enthusiastic once the joke was revealed.

Dave immediately noticed Hafiz's absence.  They discussed the weigh-in and vote with him.  Dave encouraged them to get back into training and try to win the next weigh-in.  He also showed David his weight loss chart on the Biggest Loser Asia website so he wouldn't be discouraged with the recent weigh-in result.

Next came two surprise announcements. 

1. With eight contestants remaining, the blue team and red teams were dissolved--everyone would be competing as individuals from this point forward. 

2. The weight loss competition would now be based on percentage of weight loss instead of actual weight loss.

The contestants were immediately weighed and compared for weight loss percentages.  Martha and Kevin fell below the yellow line, meaning they were most in danger of elimination at the next weigh-in.

The alliance remained strong among team members, regardless of the official status of the teams.  Blue team members looked over photos and marveled at their weight loss since the competition. 

Kristy and Dave passed out black t-shirts to commemorate the new phase of the competition.   Flashback videos were shown of the contestants when they first entered the competition--the difference in their appearances were quite dramatic.  

The trainers also made themselves available for all contestants, regardless of former team affiliation.  Ironically, the teams all trained with their former teammates and trainers (as though the rules had not changed).

THE CHALLENGE:

Each team member would have five attempts to kick a football through one of several large targes/holes in a wall set in front of a football goal.  The highest score would win immunity and a special prize.   David won with only two successful goals. 

David was taken to a five-star Indonesian restaurant as a reward for his challenge win.  To his surprise, his fiance was waiting there for him.   She was stunned by the change in his appearance.  David also had a surprise visit from his brother and cousin. 


THE WEIGH-IN:

Each team member expressed anxiety about their first individual weigh-in.  This time it was Kevin and Christine (instead of Martha) who fell below the yellow line (Martha's 5 kilo weight loss pushed her ahead of Christine).

The contestants met to discuss the final vote.  The team members all discussed their accomplishments so far.  This was a particularly difficult decision for Carlo, who would have to vote for one of his own countrymen (he ended up voting for the host, which nullified his vote).

Christine received the the majority of the votes and was eliminated. 

Randy Couture Circuit Training Routine

In light of Randy Couture's win at UFC 109 I thought I'd post one of his circuit training routines (more comments under the video):



As you can see, circuit training is designed more for cardiovascular training and/or fat loss instead of muscular size and strength.

I tried this a few days ago and it really gets the heart pumping.  Here are a couple of modifications I would suggest:

*Skip the upright rows (the exercise where he pulls the bar to his chin--1:31).  It probably wouldn't matter too much since it is light weight, but I just think it is an awkward movement for the shoulders.

*You may also have to skip the behind the neck pressing part of the squat motion (2:48) if it bothers your shoulders. 

Controlling Your Kitchen

Something Vince Delmonte said in one of the No-Nonsense Muscle Building videos has kind of stuck with me. It goes kind of like this:

We can't always perfectly control our diet.  You may go out with your friends, for example, and they all want pizza.  But you should at least control what is coming into your own kitchen!

It's kind of lame if we say we want to get in better shape but we load up our own refrigerators and cabinets with junk.  Whatever we put in our kitchen will eventually get eaten.

Just think about it--plan things carefully next time you go to the grocery store. 

NOTE: For those interested in weight loss, Vince has a program called Your Six Pack Quest.

Drew Brees Interview

Congratulations, Saints! Here's an interview with Drew Brees.

UFC 109: Relentless (Video Preview)

UFC 109 Relentless

Final Phase Fat Loss

Fitness model and author John Romaniello (pictured below) has a new program out to help with losing that last 5-10 lb of stubborn fat.  It's called Final Phase Fat Loss.

I'm super-busy this month, but hopefully I can write a review soon.  In the meantime you can CLICK HERE to check it out.

Vince Delmonte's No-Nonsense Muscle Building: Review

Vince Delmonte’s No-Nonsense Muscle Building is my #1 selling bodybuilding program here at Strongandfit.net. I’ve taken the time to review it and I understand why. Before I give you my review, let me tell you a little bit about the author:

Vince Delmonte was called “skinny Vinny” in college because he was a 150 lb long-distance runner. He eventually transformed his physique, adding 41 lb of muscle in six months. He went on to become a Canadian fitness model champion.

Here’s why the introduction is important: Vince was a skinny guy who learned to put on muscle—not a genetically gifted, drug enhanced bodybuilder. Learning how he did it is going to be a lot more helpful than watching a pro bodybuilder train.

Now, let’s talk about No-Nonsense Muscle Building:

Building muscle is fairly simple. You need to do three things:
1. Train properly.
2. Eat properly.
3. Rest and repeat.

"If it's that simple," you may ask, "then why even bother with this program?"

Well, a lot of hardgainers (skinny guys) and beginners don't do these correctly (especially the first two).  Trust me--I've been training for 20+ years and I've seen how a lot of new trainees work out.  They'd be much better of if they followed some of the "old school" methods Vince Delmonte teaches.  Instead, they try to mimic the same routines pro bodybuilders use and waste hundreds of dollars on supplements. 

The e-book starts off with some motivational things—challenging the reader to consider his commitment level. I really liked this aspect of the program—you have to be completely honest with yourself before considering a physique transformation.

Vince’s training philosophy is to hit the muscles hard, rest, then hit them again within a few days. He focuses on compound movements, which is the way to go as far as I’m concerned. The program also changes every few weeks so you train the different types of muscle fibers. I think his training methods make a lot of sense for natural, genetically typical trainees.

He also explains how to eat for muscle gains. The program includes meal plans, calorie calculators, and even videos (he does one segment in his kitchen).

I especially liked the videos. The training videos, for example, take you through the workouts step-by-step. The motivational segments are a nice touch, too.

I've also done a little research to see what kind of results people got from this program.  Mark, for example, put on 30 lb of muscle in 5 months. 

In conclusion, I think Vince Delmonte’s No-Nonsense Muscle Building is a great program--especially for new trainees or "hardgainers" (skinny guys). I recommend it without hesitation.

If you decide to try it, please use my links and support an honest voice in the fitness world--I only promote stuff I believe in.  Just CLICK HERE to check it out.

Biggest Loser Asia: Episode Nine

Biggest Loser Asia Episode 9 Recap

The episode started with all contestants talking in the living room. They discussed Nadia's departure and the respect she's earned from all of them. Kristy was disappointed to see Nadia was not there. She became quite upset when she learned about the blue team's water loading strategy. Kristy vowed to help the remanding team members continue to lose weight.

Dave was thrilled to learn of Tony's weight loss. They told him about their strategy of manipulating their water weight.

Christine asked for a rest day due to a sore foot, and Kristy granted her request.

Dave and and Kristy both trained their teams. Kristy only had Carlo and Kevin with her, so she was able to give them special attention. Dave reminded the team not to get satisfied with their previous accomplishments. Dave played a little prank on Hafiz, telling him Christine was eliminated. It really got to him and distracted him from his training.

Christine got her knee scanned and discovered a "cartilage rip." They gave her a shot to help lubricated the joint.

Kristy confronted Dave about the blue team's water loading. Dave defended the strategy and insisted no rules had been broken.

Kristy presented herself to her team draped in a Philippine flag. She also showed them a donation check from Fitness First worth 60,000 dollars for the typhoon victims. She encouraged the red team to think about their countrymen as they trained.

The Challenge: This episode's challenge involved several task: 1. Swimming around a buoy and back. 2. Running and retrieving a shovel. 3. Taking the shovel and uncovering a buried chest on the beach. 4. Finding the correct key from a rack to open the chest. 5. Taking a beach ball from the chest and inflating it. 6. Shooting the inflated ball through a basketball hoop.

The red team started out ahead, but Christine had a lot of trouble finding the chest. The blue team won the challenge. Their reward was a dinner by the beach, but some of them seemed to be eating high calorie food. The blue team could also decide which three team members would sit out of the weigh-in.

The next segment showed Aaron and Hafiz going to mosque. It was quite emotional for Aaron.

Dave talked to his team about the water loading strategy. He warned them about gorging themselves with water because of safety concerns. The blue teams last chance workout was a football game.

The red team had an intense gym session for their last chance workout. Team members expressed their concerns about the upcoming weigh-in--they feared the blue team's strategies would give them an advantage.

Aaron, Hafiz, and Tony's weight was not counted. Aaron and Hafiz each lost 2 kilos, Tony lost none. Most contestants lost between 2-4 kilos. David was the last contestant to step on the scale. He lost no weight (despite doing very well in previous weigh-in's), which caused the red team to win by 1 kilo.

Hafiz asked to see Christine and talk to her one-on-one.  He gave her a flower and card just in case he was the one chosen for elimination.  The two shed tears and promised to continue their weight loss journey regardless of what happened.  They left the room hand-in-hand.

The blue team met in the elimination voting room, faced with a hard decision.  Hafiz surprised his teammate by writing "I love Christine" on his voting card.  This in effect nullified his vote.  He was eliminated--his team members all expressed concern over his loss of focus. 

La Musculation Efficace Par Vince Delmonte (French Version of No-Nonsense Muscle Building)

Vince Delmonte's No-Nonsense Muscle Building, Strongandfit.net's #1 selling bodybuilding program, is now available in French.  Just click here for details:
La Musculation Efficace Par Vince Delmonte.