/rt_replicant2_wp/images/blank.gif){kind=spacer}
Home |
Store |
Products |
Careers |
Help |
Contact Us |
Terms of Use |
About Us |
Checkout |
Site Map
© 2011 BodyBuilding.com, LLC. All rights reserved. BodyBuilding.comsm and BodySpace® are trademarks
of BodyBuilding.com, LLC.
© Bodybuilding.com, 2026 S Silverstone Way, Meridian, ID 83642 USA – 1-877-991-3411
Article source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/shortcut-to-size-phase-2-week-7-day-47.html
Branched-chain amino acids, also called BCAAs, include leucine, isoleucine and valine. These three aminos are the most critical for muscle growth. Of the three, leucine is the more critical player, as it has been shown in the lab to literally act like a key that turns on muscle protein synthesis, which is the major growth process within muscle fibers. Because leucine is so critical, you want to look for products that deliver leucine in at least twice the dose as isoleucine and valine. Shoot for a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine:isoleucine:valine.
Some companies are providing BCAAs with leucine at 8 times or even 10 times the amounts of isoleucine and valine. While leucine is definitely the superior amino of the three, getting it at twice the amount of the others is ample enough. I’m not saying that getting it in higher amounts is less effective. However, there currently isn’t any research proving you need more than a 2:1:1 ratio.
Supplement with about 5 grams of BCAAs with your morning shake, pre-workout and post-workout shake,you’re your nighttime shake. Also consider another 5 grams with smaller snacks throughout the day, as outlined in my Shortcut to Size sample meal plan. This will ensure that you are getting in adequate amounts of leucine at those smaller meals to kick up muscle protein synthesis and keep you in an anabolic state.
Remember that every rest day should be an active rest day. Rest days are for recovery; they’re not an excuse to be lazy. Get out and hit 15-30 minutes of HIIT cardio today, or perform 30-60 minutes of your favorite activity: hiking, biking, walking, playing a sport, etc.
Get Your Daily Meal Plan Here!
<!– –>
OVERALL RATING
Powerful Protein That Triggers An Anabolic Environment!
Article source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/shortcut-to-size-phase-2-week-7-day-48.html
In addition to eating several times a day, it’s a good idea to stay focused on your protein consumption at each meal. By making certain that you take in a minimum of 20 grams of protein at each meal, it will be easier to get your daily total of about 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. This includes snacks, as well. Don’t just snack on a piece of fruit without an accompanying protein source. You always want to include a quality protein source every time you feed yourself.
Beef jerky makes a great portable protein that you can take anywhere. Keep it in your car, office desk, or gym bag. That way, if you’re ever short a snack, you always have some quality protein within reach. Protein bars also make a great protein to stash for those moments when you don’t have time to grab a real meal.
Remember that every rest day should be an active rest day. Rest days are for recovery; they’re not an excuse to be lazy. Get out and hit 15-30 minutes of HIIT cardio today, or perform 30-60 minutes of your favorite activity: hiking, biking, walking, playing a sport, etc.
Get Your Daily Meal Plan Here!
<!– –>
OVERALL RATING
Powerful Creatine Formula That Packs On Muscle And Strength Fast!
Article source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/shortcut-to-size-phase-2-week-7-day-49.html
At 22-years old and working on a master’s degree in sports biomechanics, I knew everything about abs. I knew the planes of movement. I knew functional anatomy. And as a lifelong athlete and strength enthusiast, I could pair the right exercise for the target area. I had intelligent core training down cold.
As it turned out, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.
My thinking and education led me to believe that if our core and lumbar spine could move, we should move it. Now, I know better. I know that what’s most important is training the core and lumbar spine to be stable – to resist motion rather than create it!
Which means you may never do another crunch once you finish this article.
Before we cut to the core, here is a quick primer. There are three planes of movement:
Now that we’re caught up on the planes of movement, let’s examine the relevant muscles. If you learned basic anatomy in college, like I did — or even if you learned it reading muscle mags — chances are the core muscles and their functions went something like this:
What you don’t learn about are stabilizers like the diaphragm, pelvic floor, multifidi, etc., or why they’re important. Instead, the basis of the lecture (and the magazines) revolved around the showy 6-pack-type muscles — or at the very least, the ones we could train in the gym!
To give you a practical example, here’s what my core training programs looked liked in the early 2000s:
Now, 12 years later, I would describe the core differently — as a box with 6 sides.
The thing about defining the core is that it gets tricky fast. I could argue that just about any muscle from your neck down could play a role in core stability. But for today’s purposes, we’re going to focus on these basic muscles and their respective functions.
As I started learning more and more functional anatomy (and learning from people far smarter than myself), I started to put the pieces together.
I learned that the lumbar spine (i.e. lower back) isn’t built for rotation. In fact, you only have 0-2 degrees of rotation at each segment of your lumbar spine!
Even top to bottom, you only have about 15 degrees of rotation through your lumbar spine. I know a handful of you are going to be clamoring for references here. I’d suggest picking up books by Shirley Sahrmann, Stuart McGill, or Nikolai Bogduk if you want “proof.”
Upon leaving my master’s program I worked in a chiropractic rehab facility where I dealt with crowds of lower-back pain patients. As a result, I read the works of the aforementioned McGill, the foremost spinal biomechanist in the world. He focuses on trying to minimize repetitive flexion and extension through the lumbar spine; this is the exact pattern that produces disc herniations!
I know what you’re wondering: What does all of this have to do with me and the 6-pack I don’t yet have, but desperately want? What it means is that it’s time to stop the sit-ups and crunches and find exercises that develop the core while maintaining the health of our lower backs!
If we re-created our list from above, it may look something like this:
Taking what I already knew about the planes of motion and combining them with this knowledge, I totally revamped how I approached core training. My new school approach looks something like this:
Let’s break down each component and give you practical examples for the next time you’re in the gym!
Anti-flexion is probably the easiest component of core training to understand. Every time you squat or deadlift, you are essentially training anti-flexion! The goal of anti-flexion exercises is to resist flexion, or bending, through the lumbar spine.
While you can get plenty of development from big-bang exercises like squats and deads, more isolative exercises like back extensions or reverse hypers can also help. The key when performing these movements, however, is to keep your low back neutral and squeeze your glutes at the midpoint of the movement.
The goal of anti-extension exercises is to resist extension through the lumbar spine. But anti-extension is one of, if not the most, poorly-executed elements of core training. Most would benefit from properly executing basic exercises such as front planks and push-ups, while using a PVC pipe to get into a neutral alignment.
Over time, you can progress to more challenging variations like ball or ab wheel rollouts, or even unstable progressions such as blast strap and TRX fallouts, flutters, and Miyagis, etc. The key here is simple: You must keep the spine in neutral, and not allow your lumbar spine to hyperextend!
I used to love dumbbell side bends back in the day. This was one of those exercises you could just feel for days after your workout. It really felt like you were getting some work accomplished! But the goal of anti-lateral flexion actually is to resist lateral flexion, or side bending, through the lumbar spine.
So if we ditch the side bends, what do we replace them with? We can take the same principles, but tweak them for a great training effect. Instead of side bending, hold a dumbbell in one hand for an extended period of time without allowing side bending.
If that’s too easy, progress to an offset farmer’s walk or waiter’s carry, holding the weight in one hand while extended overhead. If you’re a true soldier, consider suitcase deadlifts.
Remember, a lot of these moves may shock to your system! The goal isn’t to load the weights up and stumble around like a drunken sailor in a typhoon. Lock your spine into place and don’t let it move!
This was the hardest component of core training to give up. I really loved doing rotational med ball work.
Now, I do anti-rotation work instead. The goal is to resist rotation through the core and lumbar spine. My favorite exercises for training the anti-rotation component of the core are Pallof Press variations. At IFAST we do them in tall-kneeling, half-kneeling, standing-up, and even standing combined with a side step.
The key here is to lock the core down and not allow any rotation through the core and lumbar spine. You’ll be surprised at how difficult these are!
Last but definitely not least, we have hip flexion with a neutral spine. One of the most challenging components of lifting is getting set-up in the starting position of a deadlift, or squatting as deep as possible, without rounding the lower back.
This exercise sequence will help you get there. The goal of this progression is to keep your core and low back in a neutral position, while simultaneously flexing your hips. Exercise examples here would include prone jackknifes on a ball, band resisted jackknifes, alternating band-resisted jackknifes, and even hanging leg raises. The key is keeping the low back neutral and moving only through the hips!
Once again, I know what you’re thinking: “But Mike – how can I get a 6-pack from these exercises?”
I hope you already know that getting a 6-pack is dictated far more by your nutrition and overall training program than it is by your selection of core exercises.
But I can also tell you this: If you dial-in the exercise and nutrition component, even when using only core stability exercises like the ones I’ve outlined above, you can absolutely get ripped up. Just check out the two ladies I trained below for proof!
So you’re sold on swapping out the crunches, sit-ups and side bends for core stability work. Good for you!
If you want to build it into a program, I think the best way to train the core is via small doses throughout the week. No need for an all out core-blasting session; breaking it up into bite-sized chunks works and feels better.
If you’re training on a 4-day split, your program could look something like this:
3 sets of 8-10 reps
3 sets of 15-20 seconds
3 sets of 8-10 reps
3 sets of 6-8 reps
Unless someone has a specific lower back weakness, it’s rare that I program isolated anti-flexion work into the program. Chances are if you’re doing enough of the big lifts, your lower back strength is more than up to snuff.
So there you have it! A more sophisticated approach to core training that will help you look amazing and keep your back healthy!
I know I’m asking a lot of you here, but give these exercises a shot, even if it’s only for a month or two. I think you’ll be surprised not only by how challenging they are, but how much better your body feels as a result!
<!– –>
OVERALL RATING
Rep Power: 10
Permalink
Rep Power: 2485
To respond the question of “judge8604″, here some more exercices that I know who could fit with this article:
Anti-Extension = Plank, Elevated-feet Plank, Extended hands Plank(harder), Wide-stance Plank w/ arm lift, Swiss-Ball Plank, Ab wheel, Bird Dog, etc.
Anti-Lateral Flexion = Side Plank, Side Plank w/ feet on bench, Side Plank w/ knee tuck, Single-leg Side Plank, etc.
Hip Flexion w/Neutral Spine = Any variations of Mountain Climber, McGill Curlup, Leg lowering drill, Hanging leg raise, etc.
Anti-rotation: Side Plank and Row, Cable Core Press, Stability Chop(kneeling, standing), Reverse Chop(kneeling, standing)
My favorite: Core stabilization(move the weight around your core instead of rotating your core)
Let me know if I’m wrong.
Permalink
Rep Power: 367
Permalink
Rep Power: 10
Permalink
Rep Power: 10
Permalink
Rep Power: 36621
Yeah, I know really? I feel like they aren’t challenging yet everyone says they are so hard. I don’t get it. Not saying I have the strongest core though.
Permalink
Rep Power: 10
Planks are a joke (and “easy”) if you’re not doing them properly. Holding a plank with perfect form for a minute should make you shake and drip sweat. And btw, I have an amazingly strong core.
Revise yoru form!
Permalink
Rep Power: 10
ya form is your problem trust me if you don’t feel it your aren’t holding it correctly I thought I knew how it was done and I “got used to it” until I had my flaws pointed out now it kills me and if it doesn’t I fix my form. or grab a balance ball or ab wheel if you think that’s easy there’s really something wrong or your invincible lol.
Permalink
Rep Power: 183
Permalink
Rep Power: 40403
Permalink
Support Explosive Workouts!*
Article source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hd-abs-the-science-of-abs.html
Achievements in life have different values. Winning a competition, getting married and raising a family call those value assessments into question. What’s more important?
But if you have the energy to do it all, the question is moot.
Ashley Horner Fitness 360
Name: Ashley Horner
Age: 28
Height: 5′ 4 1/4″
Weight: 129 lbs, 118 lbs Contest
Occupation(s): Figure Competitor, Personal Trainer (also online), Life Coach, Columnist for MMA UNCAGED, Bodybuilding.com writer
Education: Metro Christian Academy (Tulsa, OK.), Northeastern State University
Station: Dededo, Guam,
the Mariana Islands
Super Powers: Cook dinner, update social networks, help online clients and play super heroes with Tripp (age 5) and Cash (age 3) all at the same time.
Hobbies: Guam Crew team (boat racing), Guam’s women’s soccer team
Ultimate Goal: Achieve success on ALL levels. Continue to empower women who put themselves last, women who have a dream to recreate their lifestyle.
Even on her rest days (which she spends tooling around the tropical island of Guam), she runs the beaches, hikes and swims in the colorful waters of the Pacific Ocean.
But this mother of two is also a figure competitor, and a damn good one.
She’s only in Guam because her husband is on active duty in the U.S. Navy. She is 17 hours away from the mainland United States.
Being on an island isn’t as isolated as it once was. Ashley is completely connected with the fitness world via social media and email. She guides online clients half a world away.
Look out America! In a few months, this Choctaw warrior will return to the mainland and renew her quest for fitness excellence.
Ashley has been a military wife long enough to become an expert on dealing with deployments, and the understandable stress placed on the spouses who stay home. Along with dealing with it herself, she helps other military spouses before, during and after the mission.
“They get really emotional because there are times that they think they can’t do it, or that they can’t take on another day because they are all alone with three kids and no one to help them,” Horner said. “The strength it takes when a husband, or a spouse deploys – it’s a lot to take on. That’s why it’s so important to be able to focus on something like training while your loved ones are gone.”
Horner is an Oklahoma girl, born and raised. She spent her childhood outdoors, on a large ranch. Her summer passed riding horses with her father, bailing hay and fishing the ponds behind their Rockin’ D Ranch.
“You could say I was a Tomboy, never wanting the girly dolls to play with,” Horner said. “I was always trying to keep up with my older brother. So at a young age my Mom and Dad put me into sports, playing a variety of all kinds. I stuck with soccer, playing competitively through high school.” She walked on to the collegiate soccer team at Northeastern University in Oklahoma.
Ashley will play for the Guam National Women’s Soccer team this summer. She also does dragon boat racing and participates in numerous outdoor athletics. Ashley’s athletic prowess spreads across multiple mediums. She does crew, gymnastics, CrossFit and is an avid runner.
After she gave birth to her first son, she wanted to lose the weight and rekindle her love of fitness. That decision, and countless since, put her on the path to the Figure stage. She is now an NPC competitor, and up-and-coming rival to the best in the division.
Her community involvement inspires those around her. She works with military spouses and active members. She’s organized events for both the Wounded Warrior Project and American Cancer Society. She lost her father to cancer, which he called a ’6-letter’ word. His loss inspired her to give time and energy to help others who’ve lost loved ones.
“It echoed through my body, reminding me that my time here is not promised,” Horner said. “But while I am here I will make a positive influence on all of those around me.”
We could go on and on, telling you how genuine and kind Ashley is, how she leads by example and teaches her sons how to be strong in the face of adversity. But, we’d rather let her say it herself.
Military wives often move with their husbands from station to station around the globe. This puts stress on them, not just because of the worry over their spouses’ fates, but also because they have families, and abruptly become single parents, at least temporarily.
But, that doesn’t mean they sit and dwell! Ashley Horner won’t rest for anything. Learn how she handles her husband’s deployment and helps other spouses deal with life apart from their significant others.
Guam is a small island that is only 212 square miles, stretching 30 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is located in the North Pacific about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.
When I travel back to the United States, my air travel time alone is more than 17 hours, not including layovers.
Guam is very tropical year round. Every day, temperatures reach more than 85 degrees. I love it and will miss it when we move this summer [2012]. Coming to Guam has magnified my training.
The land has become my training field. I have had some of my most intense workouts, from swimming in the ocean to long hikes and jumping off waterfalls. This little island has done so much for me.
I moved here with very little clarification on what or who I wanted to stand for … I learned more than how to live, I learned to become alive. Being secluded from the States, I was able to completely focus on all of my goals and aspirations. I kept my head down out here and it pushed me even further, no distraction, no clicks, just me competing against myself everyday.
I’ve also grown so much the past two years as an athlete. I have been a part of the Dragon Boat racing team. Practices were held early morning, before the sun was up. I started playing for the Guam Women’s Soccer team and recently got invited to play on Guam’s National Soccer Team, which is a huge honor. Practice is 4 nights per week for 2 hours.
I’ve learned to scuba dive and have been fortunate to dive some of the most beautiful waters in the world, see some amazing creatures, and explore a different life. When I came to Guam, I felt like I stepped back in time 20 years. Life is simple here. The people of Guam place value in God, family, and friends … not on material objects, not on superficial things that don’t matter.
It grounded me, made me realize there is so much more to life. On Sundays, businesses close and the days are spent having fiestas on the beach with family.
Since being on Guam, I’ve been able to put together charities for the Guam American Cancer Society, and for the Wounded Warrior Project. I have been able to spread the love for fitness to this small little island, but I’ll never be able to give back as much as it has given me.
I’ve realized that you can go anywhere in the world and have something in common with someone who shares your passion for fitness.
Regardless of race or ethnicity, having the same goals and passion is like a brotherhood or a sisterhood in this industry; it doesn’t matter where you’re at in the world.
There are some pretty fit girls out here in Guam! They read the same articles I do, follow the same people and get on Bodybuilding.com, but they still have a lot of questions.
Guam has its own small bodybuilding show. The thought of competing in the states seems so terrifying to most of them. Some of the girls I know out here would kick some booty in the states!
When the time comes, if Tripp or Cash decide they want to be a part of the United States Military, I would be so proud of them.
As a mother, you always worry about your children, especially when they volunteer to put their life on the line or at risk.
It’s my job now to teach them to be brave through all things, to give them the confidence to overcome all challenges that may stand in their way.
It’s up to me, as their mother, to teach them now by example to always give 100 percent. And, if there is something they want in a career, to go after it full force, never backing down.
So yes, when the time comes and it’s a decision they make, I will make sure they are ready to be leaders. Not just leaders, but the ones everyone else is trying to catch.
Blaine is one of the fittest guys I know. I’m always trying to keep up with him! I am so blessed to have a husband who fully supports my lifestyle, OUR lifestyle. It makes it easy.
We both love to cook and eat healthy; we love to be outdoors and it’s a priority for both of us to get our gym time in and to be in top physical shape.
I believe fitness should be a focus for every military spouse. Although we are the ones who stay back while our spouse deploys, it’s so important to stay physically, mentally fit. I believe both go hand in hand: physical strength and mental strength. We have to be ready for anything.
Any news, or instructions and we’re responsible for taking care of the household while the other is gone. I have been so fortunate while living in Guam to work with spouses whose husbands are gone. I’ve had them completely break down on me, tears flowing … they repeat the words “I can’t do it.”
My heart sinks every time because I know how hard it is. I look at them sternly and say ‘YES YOU CAN!’ I make them keep training, I make them focus on their diets; the stronger I see them get physically, the stronger they become mentally and emotionally.
They hold the family together. It’s vital as military spouses that we make being fit a priority.
I did give up a lot, but not nearly as much as the active-duty members in the military. They make the biggest sacrifice. Life is all about choices and the one constant in life is change. The world is changing all around us. I’ve learned to continually mold myself to whatever situation I’m in.
I’m a big supporter of our United States Military. I’m so proud to be a USN wife. I will support my husband through anything he decides to go after, in the military or not. I’m proud of him and everything he’s done for his country.
Competitively speaking, it has been hard; booking a flight and traveling 17 hours to do a competition was a lot. Since being in Guam, I have done 4 shows. I would begin months in advance preparing my travels, making every single day I was in the States count, from the moment I landed to the moment I took off.
I would book photo shoots, have my press cards ready. If there was an expo going on with the competition I had to map out the companies and people I wanted to meet. I would walk right up to them, introduce myself, give them my press card or my portfolio and then move on to the next thing.
My time was so valuable and short, I used every second I had pushing my name and promoting myself as a competitor and an athlete. I never took it for granted. I had to leave an impression. I had to stand out.
Being in the military does require you to move a lot. It’s hard on any family to move, especially every 2-3 years, just as you get comfortable.
To be honest, I love it-the more people I get to meet, the different parts of the world I get to see and experience. With social networks the way they are now, you can be anywhere in the world and still keep up with your friends.
This may be the last overseas station for Blaine and me. So traveling within the 50 states from coast to coast is going to be so easy.
Being in the military, you have friends planted all over the world. That’s the beauty of this big family.
You may be packing up and moving thousands of miles away, but you know you’ll see them again.
If you would like to get Ashley’s full nutrition, training and supplementation programs, click the links to her other pages. To connect with Ashley via social media, go to her BodySpace and Facebook pages or check out her website. She also has a youtube page!
<!– –>
OVERALL RATING
Rep Power: 13832
Permalink
Rep Power: 10
Permalink
Fuel Your Hard Working Muscles, Fast!
Article source: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fitness-360-ashley-horner-fitness-forward.html