Articles by Mike Westerdal on ArticleSnatch.com

Partitioning Helps You Build Muscle & Burn Fat At The Same Time

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:09:04 -0500

Hormones are the 'traffic cops' that direct the activities and responses that manage the body's metabolic systems. We can have an impact on the way that hormones manage traffic in our body by manipulating factors such as diet, activity levels, weight training, sleeping, resting, managing stress levels and others. Influencing the hormonal traffic cops provides a measure of control over the operation of our metabolic systems. One particularly strong influence we can have is on how our hormonal traffic cops partition the energy our bodies use. When it comes to energy storage and usage, the body uses the same banks-fat, glycogen, muscle tissue or proteins-to deposit or withdraw energy. The process of managing where energy is deposited or withdrawn from is known as energy partitioning. Diet has an especially strong impact on the way our metabolic systems partition energy. Interestingly, evidence indicates that brief, strategic periods of under eating can manipulate the hormonal traffic cops to tell the body to partition energy to allow for the simultaneous building of muscle and burning fat. This is made possible in part because these controlled periods of under eating trigger the release of Growth Hormone. **End Summary** Topics: growth hormone]]> build muscle]]> muscle mass]]> partition energy]]> lea]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> FREE Report Reveals: 7 Fail-Safe Ways To Gain Dense Muscle While Losing Fat EXTREMELY FAST All Without Having To Bulk Up Or Cut Down!

Hormonal Responses of the Food You Eat

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:02:59 -0500

Instead of counting calories pay attention to the quality of your calories. It is important to note that not all calories are created equal. The truth is that different sources of calories will provide different results. Energy from the foods we eat comes from fats, carbohydrates and proteins-all of which are metabolized differently in the body. Additionally, within each of these categories there are metabolic distinctions as well. Saturated fats are not metabolized the same as unsaturated fats and complex carbs are metabolized differently than simple carbs. Because the hormonal response varies depending on the food source, these are important differences that you need to understand when planning your nutritional strategies. For example, the consumption of protein provokes a greater thermic effect than the consumption of carbs or fats. Thermic effect refers to the amount of energy the body uses to process food. The lower the thermic effect the easier it is for food to be turned into body fat. While proteins have the greatest thermic effect, saturated fats and simple carbs have the lowest. **End Summary** Topics: hormonal responses]]> thermic effect]]> process food]]> weight loss]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> FREE Report Reveals: 7 Fail-Safe Ways To Gain Dense Muscle While Losing Fat EXTREMELY FAST All Without Having To Bulk Up Or Cut Down!

How to Burn More Fat with Resistance Cardio

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:56:43 -0500

Some guys are naturally lean and can more or less stay that way seemingly no matter how much food they eat. But in reality, men like this are rare. Most of the rest of us need to incorporate cardio into our training routines in order to keep the excess body fat at bay. Just how much cardio needs to be integrated into your routine will vary depending on a lot of factors including: age, activity level, physical health, body type, diet, sleep patterns and weight training approach. For the weightlifter or bodybuilder looking to maintain muscle mass while also cutting body fat, the thought of incorporating cardio into his routine is usually not a pleasant one. This is because adding cardio to your training routine doesn't just stimulate fat burning, it also causes you to lose lean muscle mass as well. For those of us who want to be big and lean, this is at the very least an annoying reality of aerobic exercise. It's frustrating to invest a significant amount of time and effort into building muscle only to see if disappear because of our efforts to get lean by doing cardio. **End Summary** Topics: resistance cardio]]> muscle mass]]> aerobic activities]]> aerobic exe]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> FREE Report Reveals: 7 Fail-Safe Ways To Gain Dense Muscle While Losing Fat EXTREMELY FAST All Without Having To Bulk Up Or Cut Down!

1 Simple Modification To Lower Body Fat

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:45:47 -0500

I"��m going to cut right to the chase and get to the point. Eat more veggies than starchy foods for your carbohydrate source Here"��s why: The end result of all carbohydrates broken down by the body is glucose, also called blood sugar. So whether it"��s a spoon of sugar, a piece of bread, or some broccoli, the body breaks each down to use as its main fuel source, blood sugar. The difference between some of these carbohydrates is the rate in which the body metabolizes them, or breaks them down, to use as blood sugar. There are simple carbohydrates like fruit, syrup, and sugar and there are complex carbohydrates like bread, pasta, potatoes, and oatmeal. The difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is the speed at which the body breaks them down to utilize as glucose. Simple carbohydrates like table sugar and fruit are converted more rapidly for a quick energy boost. Complex carbohydrates take longer to break down and offer a more sustained supply of energy for the body. Complex carbohydrates should be your main choice for energy for that precise reason, they offer more of a sustained energy supply. **End Summary** Topics: complex carbohydrates]]> starchy carbohydrates]]> blood sugar]]> simp]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internet's largest muscle building sites.

Gaining Muscle Weight is NOT a Mystery

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:39:25 -0500

How you gain weight is no mystery. You gain weight by consuming more calories than you burn off in the course of a day. The excess calories, if not used by the body for energy, muscle building, or some other metabolic process, is stored as body fat. It"��s stored as fat in case there is a future shortage of calories. Much like you put excess junk you have around the house into a closet for storage, your body stores excess calories you haven"��t used as body fat for future need. The problem is, if you continue to eat the same amount of calories (or more) every day, there never is a future need and your body simply continues to store the excess as fat. If excess calories are the culprit of weight gain, than the answer to achieving weight loss has to do with calories as well. You have to reverse the process that caused you to gain weight. You have to eat less calories. I do not necessarily mean eating less food. I mean eating fewer calories, which is different. There are two ways to have an impact on calorie expenditure in your body. **End Summary** Topics: gain weight]]> weight loss]]> excess calories]]> body fat]]> future need]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internet's largest muscle building sites.

The Great Pump - The Day after Competition

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:34:33 -0500

Every guy lifting weights at the gym likes to have that "��pumped"�� look. When you"��re pumped, your muscles look bigger and more vascular"�"they even feel tighter. The pump occurs during intense weight training sessions because lifting weights stimulates an increase in the amount of blood flowing into the muscles making them look bigger. Getting pumped also gives a huge boost in self-confidence too. And though it looks really good, the pump is really just for show, not substance. You can achieve the same pump whether you"��re lifting very heavy weights for fewer reps or lighter weights for lots of reps. The pump is the result of excess blood flow into the muscle cells, so being pumped up doesn"��t translate into stronger muscles because unfortunately, that pumped up appearance is only fleeting. A few hours after you step out of the gym, it"��s gone. That"��s not to say that the pump isn"��t a good thing or that it"��s not important. If nothing else, for the average weight lifter the pump is worthwhile just for the psychological boost that it provides. And if you are a competitive bodybuilder, then the pump is vital. **End Summary** Topics: human body isnt]]> great pump]]> muscle mass]]> lifting weights]]> pump]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internet's largest muscle building sites.

Why Heavy Lifting Releases More Growth Hormone

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:27:11 -0500

Over the last ten years or so, there has been a marked increase in discussions about how Growth Hormone (GH) impacts muscle growth, boosts the metabolism and facilitates the burning of excess body fat. Growth hormone is a protein-based peptide hormone that is made up of 191 different amino acids. It is synthesized and secreted by cells called somatotrophs that are located in the anterior part of the pituitary gland. Looking back at man"��s development over the last few thousand years, it seems that GH developed as a means to maintain growth and lean body mass during those times when access to food was scarce. As an anabolic agent GH functions similar to testosterone, stimulating muscle growth, enhancing recovery and increasing utilization of body fat as fuel. However, there are a number of different theories as to exactly how GH works its magic in the body. Two in particular are among the most common theories discussed. The first theory"�"referred to as the somatomedin hypothesis �"�"states that once the pituitary gland releases GH, it then travels to the liver and other tissues where it stimulates the synthesis and release of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). **End Summary** Topics: hormone]]> growth]]> lifting]]> heavy]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internet's largest muscle building sites.

IGF1 and Muscular Development

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:20:17 -0500

When growth hormone travels from the pituitary gland to the liver it stimulates the production of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), which are polypeptide protein hormones. Though there are a number of varieties, among the various IGFs, IGF1 is of the most interest to weightlifters due to its capacity to stimulate anabolic, muscle-building effects. It is comprised of 70 different inter-connected amino acids and is produced when growth hormone levels in the bloodstream rise, increasing the production of binding proteins. IGF1 is known to be the mediator of growth hormone anabolic effects. As such, the interconnected relationship between IGF1 and growth hormone is frequently referred to as the Growth Hormone/IGF1 Axis. The growth of skeletal muscle cells (hypertrophy) is largely regulated by at least three identified processes: 1) satellite cell activity 2) gene transcription 3) protein translation Evidence indicates that IGF1 can positively influence each of these mechanisms. Research has shown that an increase of IGF1 in the bloodstreams spurs growth and regeneration by the body"��s cells"�"particularly among skeletal muscle cells, where it is shown to positively impact muscle strength, size and efficiency. **End Summary** Topics: Hormones]]> Muscle Building]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internet's largest muscle building sites.

Linear Versus Concurrent Periodization

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:10:40 -0500

The Soviets were determined to beat the West at just about anything they could, including proving that their athletes were superior to ours in every possible way. To achieve that goal, the Soviets invested a lot of time and effort developing new training techniques to help their athletes build bigger, more powerful muscles. Some of them were kind of crazy and fell by the wayside but a few of them have stuck around and actually spread to the West. Periodization—particularly Linear Periodization—is one of the Soviet weight training techniques that did have staying power and was adopted by Western bodybuilders. The premise of Linear Periodization is that training is broken down into blocks of time (periods) that focus on a specific goal or developing a particular skill set. The periods of Linear Periodization include: hypertrophy (size); strength, power and transition (restoration). In its basic form the model begins with a fairly high volume of low intensity lifting, gradually shifting towards a lower volume of high intensity lifting. Linear Periodization is among the most popular weight training techniques in the United States. Unfortunately—thanks to some inherent shortcomings in its Western implementation—it’s just not all that effective. **End Summary** Topics: periodization]]> muscle building]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time. Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Review of Nick Nilsson's Mad Scientist Muscle

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:07:23 -0400

Nick Nilsson is an experienced weight lifter with a degree in physical education and psychology. He's also a personal trainer and an author, having written three different books on the topic of weight training. I recently had the opportunity to review his work Mad Scientist Muscle: Build monster mass with science-based training. Wow, Nick has really taken the time to put together a complete program. This isn't some hastily-thrown together work by someone who is out to make a quick buck. Nope. This is a well-done work put together by someone who really knows his stuff. Let's take a look. The Mad Scientist program is based on two principles: 1) Planned overtraining and rebound; and 2) Training to change your physiology to better support muscle growth. The first principle has actually been around for a quite awhile, but you may know it under another name"�"Accumulation and Intensification. The second principle addresses the body's physiology. There are some things you can't really change"�"like your basic genetic and hormonal makeup"�"but some things you can. There are also things that while you can't change them, you certainly can influence them for your benefit. **End Summary** Topics: Mad Scientist Muscle]]> Mad Scientist Muscle Results]]> Mad Scie]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internetâs largest muscle building sites.

Training Principle: Accumulation and Intensification

Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:01:57 -0400

We all know what overtraining is and how it should be avoided at all costs, right? Overtraining can result in the loss of strength and muscle mass accompanied by increased risk of injury. Even more, it often includes emotional symptoms similar to depression and can really just wreak havoc on the body's immune system. This is all pretty serious stuff and no laughing matter—breaking out of an overtraining period can be really tough sometimes. But what about 'controlled' overtraining? What if we could take ourselves right to the 'edge' of overtraining and then introduce something new to prevent us from actually reaching the point of overtraining? Well I can tell you that such an animal exists and it's called Accumulation and Intensification. Essentially, this is another way of saying "controlled overtraining." The basic idea is that you gradually build up your training volume while decreasing rest periods until you hit overtraining. This high level of training (right before overtraining) is where FAST results can be achieved. When you hit this level, you then switch up to low-volume, longer rest-period training, which can dramatically increase strength as your body recovers from the higher-volume training. **End Summary** Topics: Accumulation]]> Accumulation and Intensification]]> controlled o]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> HERE'S YOUR BIG CHANCE to get $297 worth of killer Muscle Building downloads all at no cost to you. Don't delay, I'm only offering this package for FREE for the next 72-hours to CELEBRATE the 10-Year Anniversary of CriticalBench.com one of the Internetâs largest muscle building sites.

Top 10 Controversial Vince Gironda Beliefs

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:15:33 -0400

Vince Gironda is one of bodybuilding’s pioneers. In fact many call him the father of bodybuilding. His roots go all the way back to the mid-1900s, when he opened his own gym in 1948, in North Hollywood, California. As a trainer and gym owner, Vince quickly developed a reputation as a trainer of champions, including the very first IFBB Mr. Olympia in 1965. From there, his fame grew and his gym began attracting some of the biggest names in bodybuilding, including Lou Ferrigno, Frank Zane and even Arnold Schwarzenegger. Vince became well known for being a trainer of champion bodybuilders and Hollywood celebrities, but his training concepts and philosophies generated a lot of controversy. Many of his ideas were considered to be unconventional by much of the bodybuilding community. Despite his ‘unorthodox’ viewpoints, a lot of people really believed in Vince and his theories about bodybuilding and nutrition. Let’s take a look at some of the most polarizing things Vince said, and you can decide for yourself if he was truly ahead of his time. 1. Vince was one of the earliest professionals to make a strong connection between nutrition and performance. **End Summary** Topics: Gironda clients]]> Gironda exercises]]> Iron Guru]]> Vince Gironda]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mike Westerdal is the owner of http://www.criticalbench.com. Visit his site to receive two free PDF reports entitled, "31 Days To Bigger Arms" and "Boosting Testosterone Levels for Big Muscle Gains."

Avoid Xenoestrogens

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:24:42 -0400

We know that testosterone is the male hormone and estrogen is the female hormone. But have you ever heard of xenoestrogens? Probably not, so that’s what we’re going to discuss. We’ll talk about what they are, why you should avoid them, and most importantly–how you can avoid them. “Xeno” is a prefix based on the Greek word “Xenos”, meaning stranger. Estrogen of course refers to the female hormone. So put the two together and you literally have “stranger estrogen,” which in reality, isn’t far from the truth. Xenoestrogens are in fact, novel, industrially made compounds that in the body, have effects similar to those of estrogen. In men, testosterone is of course the dominant hormone but we actually have estrogen in our bodies as well. In women, it’s just the opposite–they are dominant in estrogen but have testosterone as well. In men, high levels of estrogen can cause reduced levels of testosterone, fatigue, loss of muscle tone, increased body fat, loss of libido and sexual function and an enlarged prostate. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to grasp that high levels of estrogen in a man are not a good thing. **End Summary** Topics: Hormones/Health]]> Muscle Building Nutrition]]> Xenoestrogens]]> ]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mike Westerdal is the author and creator of Critical Bench ( http://www.criticalbench.com ) and co-cauthor of Lean Hybrid Muscle ( http://www.leanhybridmuscle.com )

How To Lower Estrogen Levels For Men

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:39:28 -0400

Testosterone is the primary hormone that gives men their “male” characteristics. Once a boy hits puberty his body gets flooded with testosterone and he becomes a man. Testosterone is responsible for the proper development of male sexual characteristics. It is also important for maintaining muscle bulk, adequate levels of red blood cells, bone density, sense of well-being, and sexual and reproductive function. On the flip side, women have estrogen, which is the female “equivalent” of testosterone. In women, estrogen is what is responsible for the proper development of female sexual characteristics. So men have testosterone and women have estrogen, right? Wrong. Men actually have testosterone and estrogen–women have both too. The difference is that men produce about ten times more testosterone than women do (and vice versa). So though our bodies are dominant in testosterone, we also produce low levels of estrogen. In fact, a certain amount of estrogen in men is necessary for proper body function. Too little estrogen and we run the risk of developing osteoporosis and other conditions. Too much though and we start developing female characteristics, which is not a good a thing–for health or the ego. **End Summary** Topics: Hormones]]> Nutrition]]> Recent Posts]]> Training]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Are You Suffering From Andropause?

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:43:36 -0400

We"��ve all heard of menopause, right? It"��s when a woman goes through the "��change of life,"�� meaning that she"��s leaving her reproductive years behind. It"��s a transition period where her body produces less hormones, causing all sorts of physical changes. When going through menopause, most women experience emotional changes as well. Mood swings are common. As men, we"��ve always stood on the sidelines watching our women go through this change, feeling bad for them of course but secretly thinking, "��glad it"��s not me!"�� Not so fast, because there"��s a growing body of evidence that shows that women aren"��t the only ones to go through a change of life as they get older"�"it seems that men do too, but instead of menopause, it"��s called andropause. In men though, the change is significantly different in that our reproductive systems don"��t totally shut down (whew!). What does happen though is that like women, our bodies produce lower levels of hormones"�"in our case testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone. Testosterone is of course the principal male hormone. It"��s produced in the testes and is the anabolic steroid that makes us men. It"��s also a primary driver in making us strong and building muscle mass. **End Summary** Topics: andropause]]> jacked up]]> low testosterone]]> low testosterone sy]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mike Westerdal is the owner of http://www.criticalbench.com . Visit his site to receive two free PDF reports entitled, "31 Days To Bigger Arms" and "Boosting Testosterone Levels for Big Muscle Gains."

Rest-Pause Training

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:30:18 -0400

Variety is the spice of life–it’s also what gets our muscles growing again when we hit a plateau. Muscle growth is a reaction of the stress of weightlifting. Muscles grow during the recovery phase in an effort to be “prepared” the next time you lift a heavy weight. The problem is that when our muscles get accustomed to our training routines, our gains first slow to a trickle, then stop entirely. That’s why you want to mix up your routine every once in a while–to keep the muscles guessing by introducing something new that will cause a growth reaction. So that brings us to Rest-Pause Training, a great–but brutal–way to really push your muscles to failure and break through the occasional wall. In everyday bodybuilding workouts you do a movement for 8-12 reps, then rest for about a minute before moving on to the next set. Using this strategy, the amount of weight you’re lifting each time is less than what you’re really capable of lifting, which enables you to do multiple reps. The rest period between sets gives your muscles time to recharge before you start lifting again. **End Summary** Topics: aboslute failure]]> hyper stimulate muscles]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mike Westerdal is the owner of http://www.criticalbench.com . Visit his site to receive two free PDF reports entitled, "31 Days To Bigger Arms" and "Boosting Testosterone Levels for Big Muscle Gains."

Primal Workouts

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:05:42 -0400

Nature is amazing. Plants, animals, humans, insects and ecosystems, left on their own, over time adapt to their environment to not just exist, but to thrive. Each species is designed to do whatever it does best. For example, carnivores like wolves, lions and tigers are built to hunt and kill. They’re strong and fast with sharp teeth and powerful jaws. And all this happens naturally. When they are born, their parents don’t sit them down and explain to them what they have to do to become skilled hunters—they just go about living their lives and they develop that way naturally. Animals in nature don’t go to the gym. They don’t lift weights, they don’t do cardio, they don’t read about the latest hot training routine and they don’t go on diets. Yet despite the fact that they don’t do any of these things, wolf cubs, lion cubs and others grow up to be skilled hunters with lean but incredibly strong bodies. Why? Because they live their lives the way nature intended, doing the activities that nature intended them to be doing without giving it any thought. It’s like this throughout nature, with all species. **End Summary** Topics: Burn Fat/Fat Burning]]> Muscle Building Nutrition]]> Muscle Buil]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time. Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Military and Police Workouts

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:57:47 -0400

Policemen, firemen and guys in the military have long been looked up to as “poster boys” of optimum fitness. In fact, over the last 15 years or so, there have probably been no less than a hundred different books written on the subject of how any ordinary man can get fit like these guys. And while each of these books or programs has its own approach to getting fit like a policeman, fireman or someone in the military, they all have one thing in common—they don’t look anything like your ordinary gym workouts. The reason their training routines typically don’t resemble your ordinary workouts is that these guys need to be prepared for any situation. A policeman might suddenly find himself chasing down a suspect, jumping fencings and other obstacles. And when he catches the suspect, he may have to tackle him and wrestle him into submission. A firefighter may have to lift away heavy debris, kick down a solid door and carry a victim down three flights of stairs to safety. And a soldier or military man could wind up in any of these situations or countless others—all of which require strength, agility, endurance and speed. **End Summary** Topics: Burn Fat/Fat Burning]]> Muscle Building/Routines]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time. Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

100 Rep Giant Set Training

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:39:37 -0400

Nutrition and training expert John Parrillo is an innovator who has been on the cutting edge of bodybuilding for more than two decades. His ideas go against conventional wisdom and have been hailed as revolutionary by some and dismissed by others. Some people think he’s an exercise and nutrition genius who knows more about maximizing muscle growth and losing body fat than just about anyone else around, while others think he doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about. In any case, John was among the first to embrace the idea of Super Hybrid Muscle. In fact, he was really the first one to develop the first hybrid training system. More than 15 years ago he caught on to the idea of Super Hybrid Muscle and began having his bodybuilders doing really high intensity cardio. John realized that by doing this, his guys were actually altering the composition of their muscle fibers. He called this form a resistance training the “100 rep extended set,” saying that it helped the body to construct more mitochondria—the muscles’ “cellular blast furnaces,” while also increasing muscular growth by developing the circulatory pathways that provide nourishment to the muscles. **End Summary** Topics: Burn Fat/Fat Burning]]> Exercises To Build Muscle]]> Muscle Buil]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time. Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Hofmeklerâs Controlled Fatigue Training

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:32:32 -0400

Ori Hofmekler is a well-known fitness expert, former Penthouse columnist and no stranger to controversy. His ideas about training run so contradictory to most of what you see in the fitness magazines that most people either say, “the guy’s a fucking genius,” or “he’s a complete dumbass who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Love him or hate him, one thing that Ori got right is his concept about the development of super hybrid muscle. In fact, his Controlled Fatigue Training program is really one of the very first hybrid muscle training programs ever put together. Hybrid muscle training develops super hybrid muscles and developing super hybrid muscle is of course you know, the goal of the Lean Hybrid Muscle training program. Lean Hybrid Muscle is inspired in part by ancient warrior cultures like the Spartans, the Gladiators, the Vikings and others. Ori’s concepts are also inspired by these warrior cultures. His interest arose from his formative military experiences, which prompted a life interest in survival science and the ways of the warriors. **End Summary** Topics: Fat Burning]]> Exercises To Build Muscle]]> Muscle Builduing]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time. Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Build Hybrid Muscle & Burn Fat G-Flux Style

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:12:40 -0400

If you haven't heard guys in the gym talking about G-Flux yet, I'm sure you will soon. What is G-Flux you ask? Although it sounds like it might be a hot new supplement, it's not. G-Flux is actually a training and eating regimen that helps the body to burn fat while retaining-and even gaining-lean muscle mass. More accurately, G-Flux is actually the relationship between energy intake and energy expenditure. The concept of G-Flux was developed by Dr. John Berardi, a renowned human performance and nutrition expert. You should already know that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. In the process though, most guys wind up losing lean muscle mass too-not part of the plan. On the flip side, if you want to gain weight-and muscle-you need to take in more calories than you burn. The typical scenario here is that you also end up adding a few extra pounds of unwanted fat too. Ultimately, we end up living our lives on a perpetual "see-saw," switching from one to another, but never really being satisfied with the results. **End Summary** Topics: Mike Westerdal]]> Muscle Building]]> Bodybuilding]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time.Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Medieval Workout Methods - Revisiting the English Knights

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:03:33 -0400

A lot of the stories about the English Knights present them as gallant, chivalrous "gentlemen" who spent a lot of time tooling around on horseback and rescuing beautiful damsels in distress in their spare time. But don't be fooled by the fairytales though. In reality, the English Knights are actually considered to be one of the world's ten or so great warrior cultures of all time. They were in fact, an elite fighting force highly skilled in the art of fighting. They were so skilled in battle that even though they were highly outnumbered by the French in the battle of Agincourt, France (1415), they not only defeated the French but only lost 200 of their own men in the battle compared to more than 8,000 Frenchmen killed. Since these guys were obviously such expert fighters-just like the other warrior cultures we've discussed-that means that they must have had a really effective training program. Let's take a look and see what we can learn from the English. Like the Spartans, preparation for life as a knight began when boys were very young. **End Summary** Topics: Mike Westerdal]]> Muscle Building]]> Bodybuilding]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time.Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

The Barbarians - A Huge Hybrid Muscle Upset!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:43:36 -0400

Everyone knows that the ancient Roman warriors kicked ass. In fact, the growth of the Roman Empire was just about unstoppable for nearly 500 years. That is, up until 476 AD, when they found themselves fighting the Barbarians who invaded Rome from the Germanic region of Europe. And this time, it was the Barbarians who kicked ass, not the Romans. This was one of their biggest defeats that the Romans had ever suffered. And what made this trouncing particularly humiliating was that it was carried out by an army that wasn't well-organized. Even more embarrassing for the Romans was the fact that this "rag-tag" army had almost no armor-and in fact, some of them wore nothing at all-and used a mismatched, hodgepodge of weaponry. For the Barbarians though, this was their single-greatest victory ever, and even today, this battle stands as the defining moment in the unification of Germany. So, how did the Barbarians-who seemingly were nothing more than roving, disorganized, loose-knit bands of guys with a penchant for fighting-clobber the mighty Romans? **End Summary** Topics: muscle building]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Get my free report entitled, The Warrior Physique - Building The Super Hybrid Muscle. Click to learn how you can rapidly build muscle and burn fat at the same time.Mike Westerdal is the founder of Critical Bench, Inc. A free online weight training magazine.

Why is the CrossFit Craze So Hot Right Now?

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:53:56 -0400

Throughout any given day we might find ourselves doing all sorts of different physical activities-each requiring different muscles and diverse combinations of skill sets. Cross-fitness was born out of this idea. It means to train across multiple disciplines that develop different skills such as strength, agility, speed and endurance. While modern cross-fitness was popularized by guys in the military and law enforcement, its roots can probably be traced way back to the days of the Spartans in ancient Greece. It has even spawned its own "underground" fitness craze known as CrossFit. In 2002, a guy named Greg Glassman in Santa Cruz California built a website that he used to measure the efficiency of his workouts. From there, it just took off. Today CrossFit is used by law enforcement, public safety, and military personnel as well as thousands of competitive athletes, elite athletes, martial arts practitioners and lots more from around the globe. Why has CrossFit become so popular? One reason is that people are becoming more knowledgeable about overall fitness, realizing that a one-dimensional approach can be limiting. **End Summary** Topics: crossfit]]> muscle]]> build]]> mike westerdal]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Mike Westerdal is the author of "Dumbbell Exercises and Lifting Routines" ( http://www.dumbbell-exercise.com/dumbbell-routines-exercises.htm ) To Help You Gain More Muscle, Lose Weight, or Just Get Yourself in Better Physical Shape... WITHOUT the Hassles, and Expenses of Health Clubs. Increase Your Muscle Size And Improve Your Physical Fitness In 90 Days - Guaranteed. http://www.criticalbench.com