I Want To HELP YOU… What DO YOU WANT???

Posted: November 24, 2009 in 1
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Hey guys, just a quick post for you today. Bryan and I are in the proccess of putting together a few new resources that will be available to you shortly as FREE Downloads.

We have already got a few resources out there, but we are going to make these even better and add a few new ones to the list.

Here’s a list of the reports we will be updating and the new ones we’ll be bringing to you in December!

Supplement Shockers (UPDATED VERSION)… Discover the ‘SHOCKING TRUTH’ about supplements, so you will never again be fooled by all the hype and nonsense that’s widespread within the supplement world. There’ll also be a section on health foods… aka the non-supplement supplements. AND… The ABS Supplement Ladder will teach you when to implement the use of certain supplements.

The ABS Meal Planner (UPDATED VERSION)… Simple strategies for planning your meals and snacks and other simple nutritional strategies for those looking to lean up, build muscle and sculpt an athletic looking physique.

The ABS Food Pyramid (NEW E-Manual)… A quick glimpse at the ABS Food Pyramid and how it will help you achieve your physique goals. You’ll see what foods/food groups make up the ABS Food Pyramid. This will be incorporated into The ABS Meal Planner report.

The ABS Formula (NEW E-Manual)… Discover The ABS Formula to developing a world class physique and killer six pack ABS!!! You’ll learn the truth about physique development once and for all.

The ABS Toolbox (NEW E-Manual)… The ABS Toolbox features the best ABS and fitness training tools, that you don’t see on TV! After all, the best tools are NOT seen on TV! 90% Plus of TV infomercial products do nothing to help you get ripped… and instead they rip you off. Not the tools inside The ABS Toolbox.

ABS EXPOSED (NEW E-Manual)… Discover the secrets the worldsbest athletes and fitness odels use to get their bodies athletically lean and competition ready! You’ll discover the top 13 secrets and why it’s so important for you to use these strategies to achieve your goals.

The BEAUTY of The BOOTY!!! (NEW E-Manual) ‘Bad ASS Exercises For a Bad Ass BOOTY’ This one is primarily for the ladies, and guys can use it if they are brave enough to do so.lol

How To Master The Single Hand Push Up (NEW E-Manual) A simple series of push up progressions and variations to help you master the single hand push up. Sample routines and 4 week training plan included.

I think this is a rather comprehensive list of resources, but feel free to add your comments below and tell us what you would like us to address, if it’s not listed here. Be as specific as possible. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and Physique Athlete
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

Goal Setting… IS EASY! But What About Goal Getting?

Posted: November 23, 2009 in 1
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With just a week left in Los Angeles before leaving the sunshine and heading home to the cold and rain of Dublin, Ireland I’m knuckling down and getting a jump-start on planning out the next few months and what I want to accomplish in the next 100 days, what I want to achieve by my 32nd birthday on August 23rd 2010 and what I want to achieve by the end of 2010.

New years resolutions suck as you know… and saying you’ll wait until a specific date before going after your goals only shows that your goals are not that important and therefore you’ll most likely not have the passion or focus to achieve them.

I wanted to share with you the system I use to get my goals in order, plan things out and then focus on the all important aspect of goal getting… because that’s the most important part, doing the things needed to ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS.

I’m using Dax Moy’s system called ‘The Magic Hundred’, which teaches you ‘How to break away from the crowd and go from serial goal setting to serious goal getting in JUST 100 DAYS’. Hence the title of the system ‘THE MAGIC HUNDRED’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like I mentioned in the titles of todays post… GOAL SETTING IS THE EASY PART! But what about GOAL GETTING??? The magic 100 is a success blueprint that lays out for you how to put an end to your serial goal setting and achieve some serious goal setting!

The magic hundred is not another product that tells you to simply believe and you will achieve, Dax cuts to the chase and delivers the truth about goal getting and what is required of you if you seriously want to start accomplishing all of your goals… no matter how small or big they are.

With Christmas and new years fast approaching (less than 6 weeks left in 2009) I’m getting a jump-start on things, because we all get caught up in other things over the busy holiday season. Personally I’d prefer to go into 2010 already on track to achieving my big goals and having already accomplished some of my smaller ones.

With 39 days left in 2009 what will you accomplish? Come January 1st 2010 are you going to set out to achieve the same goals you set this past January? If you want to finally achieve them goals, that’s awesome, but you’ll need a new approach this time around because insanity is defined as ‘Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results’.

So you probably still have the same goals in mind… BUT if you really want to achieve them, this time around you’ll have to take a new approach in order to get a different outcome. The outcome you want, which is obviously serious GOAL GETTING!!!

I highly recommend Dax’s system. It’s given me the clarity I needed to end my serial goal setting and focus on GOAL GETTING!

Click here to JUMP-START Your Magic 100 Journey Today!!!

Dax wants you to use the system for a full 8 weeks and guarantees you success if you work the system. He doesn’t want any tire kickers. If you are a tire kicker the system is not for you… BUT if you’re ready to follow his step by step action plan, then simply…

 Click here to grab your own copy of The Magic 100!!!

IF YOU’RE SEEKING A LEAN BODY, HERE’S MY SURPISE OFFER!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re someone who’s seeking to attain and maintain a lean body in 2010, I want to make you a very enticing offer. When you order your copy of Dax’s ‘The Magic Hundred’ Goal Getting System, I want you to email me your order receipt to ian@captainsixpack.com and I’ll send you The Complete ‘Athlete Body System’ absolutely free of charge. The athletic body system currently sells at $77.00 USD and is 100% complimentary to Dax’s system. In fact the athletic body system has a complete section dedicated to goal setting.

You can consider this offfer my personal ‘Athletic Body Christmas’ Stocking filler. A pressie from me to you to help you quickly get on track with your physique goals before the rest of the crowd. Because come January gyms are going to be over-crowded with people and people struggling to achieve your goals. I don’t want you to be one of those people.

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

Click here to JUMP-START Your Magic 100 Journey Today!!!

The ABS Monthly Workout Challenge: November 2009

Posted: November 19, 2009 in abdominals, Abs workouts, Fat loss and lean bodies, Six pack
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QUICK POST for you today. Here’s a fun, fast paced ‘Athletic Body System’ workout challenge for you to try! Be sure and warm up fully before commencing this ‘work capacity’ circuit challenge. I’ll usually do a circuit of push ups, squats, mountain climbers, lunges and jumping jacks as part of my warm up.

The ‘ABS’ Work Capacity Circuit Challenge

Perform the following 5 exercise circuit for a total of 20 minutes. You can adjust to 15 minutes if you wish, or you could even drop to 10 minutes if you wanted to use it as a workout finisher after your main training session.

  1. Bodyweight Squat x 20 Reps
  2. Push Ups x 15 Reps
  3. Lunges x 20 Reps (10 per Side)
  4. Inverted Rows x 15 Reps
  5. Burpees x 20 Reps

Move quickly through the repetitions, without cheating technique, and transition smoothly and quickly from one exercise to the next. The idea with the challenge is to get in as many circuits (as much ‘WORK’) as you possibly can within the 20 minute allotted time.

As soon as you start the stopwatch you start your first round and stop on 20:00 Minutes, no matter where you are at. Record how much work you were able to perform and the next time you perform the challenge aim to do more work… increasing your work capacity, i.e. more work in the same amount of time.

Modifications: Feel free to perform modified variations of each exercise to suit your own ability level and you can also drop the reps from 15 reps to 10 reps. Make the challenge challenging, but specific to were you are currently at ability and conditioning wise.

Have FUN… and let me know how you get on with it!

Until next time… Get Ripped, Not Ripped Off. That’s the ABS promise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

The ULTIMATE Body Survey For Men and Women!!!

Posted: November 18, 2009 in abdominals, Fat loss and lean bodies, Fitness Models, Surveys
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Check this out. I just created a short survey for you guys and gals to fill in. It will literally take you about 2 minutes to complete, and I’d appreciate your help in having as many people fill in the survey as possible, so please forward the link onto your friends and loved ones.

GUYS Click here >>> The ULTIMATE Body Survey For Men <<<

LADIES Click here >>> The ULTIMATE Body Survey For Women <<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

P.S. Ohh there’s no particular reason for the photo full of hot butts, other than the fact I like it.lol

Cardio and Resistance Training… on the same day?!?

Posted: November 17, 2009 in abdominals, Fat loss and lean bodies, Six pack
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Being a few days since my last blog post, as I was away in Orlando, Florida for a few days at a fitness business event. Bryan made the trip over from Ireland and I flew in from Los Angeles. Fun times… and 2 visits to Hooters. Well it was the closest place to the hotel and we only had an hour for lunch. It had nothing to do with the girls.lol

Before I left for Orlando I had an email from someone asking me if she should perform weights and cardio training on the same day, so I thought I’d address this one today as I know many people want to know the answer to this one.

First thing… I wish people would do is to stop thinking cardio and resistance training as totally separate entities. Stop thinking that resistance training is solely addressing the musculoskeletal system and ‘CARDIO’ is exclusively addressing the cardiovascular system.

Start thinking about yourself ‘TRAINING’ (not working out) and conditioning your entite body and all bodily systems.

CARDIO IS NOT… running, biking, eliptical, stepmill, etc. These are simply means by which you can perform a cardiovascular routine.  Cardiovascular exercise is anything that elevates heart rate and respiration level… and that pretty much means everything.

Most of my best ‘CARDIO’ sessions are performed via resistance training methods using metabolic resistance training, athletic body circuits, bodyweight intervals and athletic workout finishers.

The PROBLEM With ‘Traditional Cardio’

Traditional cardio routines that require a person to run, bike, etc at a set steady pace for a prolonged period of time (30 minutes plus) is that you become better at performing the routine. This is GREAT… if you are an endiurance athlete, but not if you want to burn bodyfat.

Low intensity cardio has a built in intensity ceiling and the more of it you do, the more metabolically effiecient you become. Your body basically becomes more efficient and you expend less energy to perform the task, meaning you don’t use up as much fuel (calories).

Another problem with low intensity cardio is that you will have minimal afterburn effect. When you exercise you elevate your metabolism and your metabolism stays elevated post exercise too. How high the elevation is and lasts, will depend on the exercise you performed.

Low intensity exercise will result in a low level of elevation and the afterburn effect won’t last long. NOW, don’t see this as a reason to go hard and kill yourself in the gym every day. You have to get the balance right and some days using some extremely ow intensity exercise as a means of recovery is needed and very useful.

So… When Shouls I Do My Intervals or High Intensity Cardio???

OKAY, you’re probably wondering when you should do your higher intensity cardio training and interval based work? Let me explain what I do and if it makes sense to you, you can follow what I do and see if you get the same effects I do. I’m confident you will.

On my resistance training days were the focus is on strength training I will dedicate 10 minutes at the end to performing what I call an athletic workout finisher. These are miniture metabolic based circuits that utilize anywhere from 2-4 exercises. The idea of these workout finishers is to sneak in some fat loss and conditioning work on my strength training days and to get it done.

I might do 4 x 2:30 minute rounds, where each round I have to get in 10 push ups, followed immediately by 10 inverted rows, followed immediately by 20 alternating split squat jumsp (ASS Jumps is what I call these) and then finish off with 10 burpees.

Using the 2:30 minute window means I have 2:30 minutes to perform the work and whatever time is left, once I complete all 4 exercises, becomes my recovery or rest period. Over time I will reduce the timing window down to 2:00 minutes per round and add in a 5th round, thereby increasing my work capacity… getting more work done in the same amount of time.

Then I will have days were I do traditional interval type work using the upright bike or athletics track. I personally don’t like treadmills as I was a track athlete for years and find threadmills don’t allow me to run freely, plus there is almost no work being performed by the glutes and hammies on a threadmill.

On non training days I may go for a walk and do some light stretching and mobility work. The problem with many people is that they see running (going for a long ass run) as being useful on off days. It’s not useful and it can be counter-productive like I said.  TRAIN SMARTER, Not harder!

Here’s My Top Suggestions For Those Seeking Fat Loss!!!

  1. On your resistance training days incorporate short duration metabolic circuit type work at the end of your session, making sure it takes 10 minutes or less to perform. Bodyweight intervals and miniature circuits, such as workout finishers, are the best options for this.
  2. Then have seperate days were you perform traditional interval based work. I usually perform 2 different interval protocols on these days. One protocol requires me to use an upright bike to perform a mixyure of interval bursts lasting between 10 and 30 seconds in duration. After this interval I will take  a 5 minute break and then perform a series of 1 minute intervals.
  3. On your off days feel free to go for a walk and perform some stretching and mobility work.
  4. Feel free to challenge yourself every month or two by going for a traditional run or bike ride and time yourself over a certain distance. You may be surprised to see how you can improve your general endurance without the need to perform excessive endurance work via running, biking, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

Fitness Body Interrogation with Rachel Cosgrove: Author of The Female Body Breakthrough

Posted: November 12, 2009 in Fat loss and lean bodies, Fitness Models, Interviews, Lean body lifestyle, The FBI Files
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I am delighted to tell you that this weeks ‘Fitness Body Interrogation’ is with fat loss expert Rachel Cosgrove, the author of The Female Body Breakthrough! Let’s jump straight on into todays interrogation with Rachel. I hope you all ENJOY!!! 

rachelcosgrove

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachels Websites:

Rachel Cosgrove

The Fit Chic Body

The Female Body Breakthrough

ADD Rachel as a FRIEND on Facebook

Become a FAN of The Female Body Breakthrough

Achievements:

B.S. in Physiology, CSCS, USAW cert, USAT Level 1 cert, CISSN

Ironman Triathlete

Set a U.S. record in Deadlift at USAPL Powerlifting Competition 2007

National Level Fitness Competitor

Author of The Female Body Breakthrough, published by Rodale

Columnist in Women’s Health Magazine

Featured in Shape, Self, Women’s Health, Oxygen, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health,

Co-Owner of Results Fitness, open for 10 years now

Ambitions:

Have a best selling book and reach as many women as I can with my message.

Vital Statistics:

  • Hair Colour:  Brown   
  • Eye Colour:  Hazel
  • Height: 5′ 7″     
  • Weight: 150ish
  • Size: 6-8 (which is what really matters)

    • Captainsixpack.com: All about Rachel… Tell us a little bit about yourself as a person?

    RC: I grew up in Southern California. I started going to the gym with my dad when I was probably 11 or 12. I took dance classes growing up competing and winning a few national dance championships, became a cheerleader in high school and went on to college at UCSB and studied Exercise Physiology while I was on the dance team there.  After graduating from college I moved to New York City where I pursued my passion at the time which was dance and to be on Broadway one day.  While in New York started working as a personal trainer and slowly my passion for dance and being on broadway turned into more and more time spent in the gym and less and less time spent in the dance studio as I discovered what I am truly passionate about – helping women to reach their potential physically and mentally.  Since then I have taken advantage of every opportunity I can to learn more about fitness, nutrition, mindset and health. I have also challenged myself physically with different goals such as fitness competitions, triathlons and powerlifting. I competed at the national level in fitness competitions, completed an Ironman Triathlon and set a record at a powerlifting competition.

    Captainsixpack.com: Getting started… How did you get into the health and fitness industry and what led to you becoming involved a trainer and specialising in training the female clientele?

    RC: I am a female who has struggled with my own body image and weight. I have had an eating disorder and have always been in pursuit of looking and feeling like a fit female. It has never been easy for me and I know how most women feel. I also know how hard they can be on themselves and hopeless they can feel at times.  After years of studying and working with thousands of women, I have finally figured out what works.  I love seeing the light bulb go off for one of my female clients which is the moment I live for and do what I do for.

    Captainsixpack.com: On your website you say the following… “I have spent many years researching the best methods for losing fat, gaining muscle and achieving that lean, athletic look every female wants. Every one of us has the power to transform ourselves into something incredible, yet confusion and lack of knowledge keep most women from ever realizing their true physical potential.” Explain to us what sort of confusing exists out there today and some of the myths that may be holding many women back from developing that lean athletically sculpted physique they really want to achieve?

    RC: Most women think they have to do hours and hours of cardio or running torturing themselves. They think the answer is to train for a marathon but then put all of the time in and effort and still don’t have the body they want. The average woman also feels that she needs to starve herself eating very little food. You don’t know how many times I have heard women say- I am only eating 1200 calories a day and going for an hour walk/run every single day to lose weight. And they do lose weight initially but then their body plateaus and they can never keep up with it.

    rachelone

    Captainsixpack.com: “I Believe Everyone Is An Athlete Whether They Are A Housewife Or A Full Time Training Athlete. Everyone Should Train Like An Athlete.” This is a direct quote of yours… can you explain to our readers why you believe everyone should train like an athlete… and explain what it actually means to train athletically or like an athlete?

    RC: One of the main differences is having a goal and a focus. I am big on setting goals with my clients constantly asking- what are working toward? What is our goal with this workout? Athletes train with a goal in mind and they periodize their training to peak for a season or event. I recommend this for the average female client too. Pick out a goal to “peak” for.  This will give you focus. Instead of just going to the gym everyday and doing the same workout and having no real plan or focus.  

    Captainsixpack.com: OKAY… so based on your training philosophy… do you train yourself and all your female clients in a very similar manner? How do you initially start out training a new female client and what differences will there be between a new client who has a solid training background as opposed to a new client who has being leading a rather sedentary lifestyle for the past few months or even years?

    RC: Yes, with women I almost always use a full body program and I never have exercises that isolate anything. I also usually keep them on their feet or using their core. Very rarely will have them sit or lie on a bench unless I am trying to progress them to an exercise that is not sitting or laying on a bench and start there as a starting point. Very woman is different but some of the usual imbalances including forward head and shoulder posture, tight hip flexors and usually a case of gluteal amnesia along with tight calves from wearing high heels are some of the usual imbalances that I like to address first thing.

    Most women no matter what level they are at can usually benefit from doing a phase of body weight really focusing on correcting posture and imbalances. These can be some of the toughest workouts.

     Captainsixpack.com: Lifestyle of the fit and fabulous… Apart from training and nutrition, tell us about the lifestyle (habits) required to achieve a lean athletic physique. Obviously you don’t smoke, but would you ever consume alcohol… and what about junk food (cheat meals), do you ever indulge in these…. ALSO, how important do you feel quality sleep, stress management and social support is for someone who’s looking to take their physique to the next level?

    RC: I live and preach the 90% rule giving myself and my clients 10% of the time to relax and enjoy life. I myself like to splurge on a glass of wine 1-2 times a week or maybe dessert. In my book I talk about what I call a splurge grid, based on the compliance grid that John Berardi came up with, which allows you to splurge 10% of the time. I explain that it is like a budget- you get 10% of your budget to indulge so indulge wisely, don’t waste it and get right back on your budget. Just because you bought an expensive pair of shoes doesn’t mean you should max out your credit card. Instead enjoy the new pair of shoes and get back on your budget. Same with a splurge- enjoy the indulgence and get back on your plan and do not feel guilty.

    Captainsixpack.com: Confidence gained… confidence sustained. It’s clear to see that you’ve developed a fantastic physique and are a perfect representation for your personal training business and no doubt someone with a physique your clients admire. Obviously you look like a very confident woman. How important do you think being fit and healthy and seeing ‘visual’ results are in developing and maintaining ones confidence, especially for females?

    RC: Extremely. Confidence, mindset and ending the negative mental chatter that most women have going on upstairs is huge for their success and long term goals. When I started writing my book it was about exercise recommendations for women but as I started to interview my clients and figure out what exactly I wanted to include I realized the clients who have made life long changes were the ones who changed their mindset and became confident and empowered in their new bodies. Too many women lose weight but still hang on to that negative mental chatter which will eventually send them right back to where they started. Our minds are very powerful.

    Captainsixpack.com: Reality checks… I know myself that potential clients and people in general always want information and tips on ‘what’s the best exercise for _____ (fill in the blank) or they say ‘how much weight can I lose or what sort of shape can I expect to get into in the next few weeks if I’m really, really good’. Do you experience this yourself and if so… how do you respond? Do you have to give clients ‘REALITY CHECKS’ often?

    RC: I always use the big picture talk of- What is the big picture? Where are we going and that keeps them focused on the bigger picture. I believe that if the client vocalizes it, they have it within them to accomplish it. So asking them the right questions to find out what they truly want to accomplish will give you a real picture of what they need. As our clients learn and are in our environment they tend to “get it.” It is the type of culture we have created at our gym where all of our trainers and staff speak the same language and if you have been a client long enough you also speak the same language and like I said, “get it.” If they are still asking these types of questions then we need to do a better job of explaining the process. Usually these types of questions are because they want a focus or a vision or a goal to work toward- if you take care of that up front you won’t have these questions. Plus most of our clients trust us and don’t really question too much, especially when they look around and see other women who look the way they want to look. They are ready to follow our advice and enjoy the journey.

    goals

    Captainsixpack.com: Planning and Goal Setting… How much planning do you put into your programming and nutrition? Do you plan out your workouts well in advance and do you pencil in planned days off and would you ever plan a week off? And what about goal setting… is it that important?

    RC: I am a huge planner and plan most things. At our gym we plan our clients training programs at least 12 weeks in advance. They stick with the same program for 4 weeks and then change the program before their body adapts. I am also huge on goal setting. With everything in my life I start with the big picture in mind of what I want and then work backwards and figure out the plan of where I need to be or what I need to do today to make that bigger picture happen. This is true with my business, my training and my clients programs.

    Captainsixpack.com: Nutrition and taste bud satisfaction… When it comes to ‘eating clean to get lean’ a lot of people assume they must eat boring and bland foods. I think a lot of this comes from how bodybuilders and fitness competitors diet down for shows. What’s your take on eating clean and what do you do to keep your taste buds satisfied?

    RC: Having the 90% rule helps because if you are really craving something you can have it as long as you keep it to less than 10% of your week. In addition I have made Shepherd’s pie using cauliflower as the pie crust or spaghetti squash as pasta. You can get creative. John Berardi has put out some great resources of recipes with some delicious healthy foods.

    Captainsixpack.com: Nutritional madness… Counting calories and weighing food… Do you make your clients weigh their food and count calories? Or do you have them use and implement simpler strategies? Also, are there any nutritional myths you find people still fall for when it comes to nutrition for fat loss and physique development?

    RC: Nope, I do not make them count calories and weigh their food unless they are a figure competitor or really “dialing it in” to peak for an event. The biggest myth is to eat less and less depriving yourself. I am a big proponent of the eat more, burn more principle- getting really effective training programs to get your metabolism revving and fuel your body to be fabulous!

    Captainsixpack.com: Supplements… Personally I think there’s a limited number of ‘EFFECTIVE’ supplements on the market today and find that most people don’t have their training or nutrition in order… or consistent enough to validate their use of supplementation. What’s your take on supplements and do you have certain rules or guidelines people must meet before they start to supplement?

    RC: I stick to the basics with myself and my clients. Multivitamin, Omega 3 Fish Oils and Whey protein for snacks or post workout. I’ll also recommend women take a Calcium supplement too. Other than that there is no magic pill or supplement that will do the work for you.

    Captainsixpack.com: Tell our readers a little bit about your new ‘ladies only’ website called The Female Body Breakthrough? What is the site all about?

    RC: The website is my answer to the requests to be coached by me but being unable to come to our gym. Within the site I have programs to follow, I have a forum where I am active answering questions and helping the members of the site. I also have exclusive content. It is basically a support community for those who read my book and want to make sure they are going to follow through and have the support they need and access to me as your coach.

    thefemalebody

    Captainsixpack.com: What is your favourite…

    Exercises to perform? Love Deadlifts

    Body part to train? Butt and Legs

    Physique(s) you admire? I always liked Monica Brant and of course Rachel McClish and on my vision board right now is Dara Torres

    Food? Avocados and/or Guacamole

    Cheat food? Wine and Ice Cream

    Drink? Cabernet or of course an occasional Guinness (I am married to a Scotsman)

    Place to visit? The Beach

    TV Show? So You Think You Can Dance

    Activity to do? I love to go cycling long distances and hills.   Otherwise, read magazines in the backyard sitting in the sun.

    Captainsixpack.com: Any closing words of wisdom for our readers?

    RC: Life is too short to not look and feel your absolute best every single day. Stop beating yourself up mentally and start taking action and make your “someday” TODAY to reach the body you have always wanted.  Enjoy the journey to become a fit female and remember that you will very soon inspire someone else!

    I hope you all enjoyed this weeks Fitness Body Interrogation with Rachel. Be sure to check out her new book and stayed tuned for the next installation of The FBI Files. Until then, be good and stay committed to your goals!

    ian

    Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
    Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

    http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com 

    NUTRIENT Timing Gone Horribly WRONG… Addressing The Eating LATE DEBATE!!!

    Posted: November 11, 2009 in Diet, Fat loss and lean bodies, Lean body lifestyle, Nutrition, Recipes
    Tags: , , , , ,
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    nutrientclock

    Just the other day I had a newsletter subscriber email and ask me what my thoughts were about an article which challenged the traditionally accepted idea that you shouldn’t eat after 7pm!

    Now traditionally when we talk about nutrient timing we are usually looking specifically at the timing of individual nutrients pre and post workout, etc. Here I am going to address two topics, which I like to refer to as half-truths or half-myths. I’m going to fill in the pieces of blank information most people leave out. I am by no means a nutrition expert, Bryan is (he made me write that.lol), but common sense is all that’s really needed here.

     Half-Truth # 1: Eating LATE Causes You To Gain WEIGHT!!!

    Some people will tell you to never eat after a certain time. Usually the time they mention is 7pm. I’m not too sure what’s so magical about 7pm (can someone please tell me), but they never tell you why. I understand that as the day progresses into evening time most people are winding down their day and level of activity, therefore it makes sense to ease back on food consumption….

    The truth is… eating after 7pm isn’t ‘bad’ … What you eat and the amount you eat is what determines whether it’s good or bad! Also, if you train in the evening, as I most often do, you must eat after. The body does most of its repair work while you are sleeping and you therefore need to make sure you are consuming the nutrients your body needs to carry out these repair works.

    You don’t need me to tell you that you shouldn’t be eating sugary or wheat based foods late in the evening and close to bed time, do you? If you are going to eat late and don’t want to gain weight, have a snack or small meal that has quality amounts of protein and some healthy fats.

    Avoid the carbs I mentioned above (sugars and wheat), but if you want some fruit go for a small serving of berries, maybe mixed with a small amount of low-sugar high-protein Greek yogurt. Berries are a good source of fiber and have a low sugar and calorie count. Another treat I like is half an apple and some natural peanut butter, but most often I will have a 30gram serving of nuts, getting in a good mix of protein and fat.

    BREAK-the-FAST Both Sides of BREAKFAST!

    People often tell you to eat breakfast in order to ‘Break The Fast’, as that’s basically what you’re doing within the time period between breakfast and your last meal or feeding the previous day. Have a small snack an hour or so before bed time and make the fast a little shorter.

    Like I said, eating late isn’t bad, but choosing the wrong foods is! Most often the problem is people ‘choose’ the wrong foods when they eat late at night because of the social activity (watching TV) they are doing! Popcorn, candy and coke isn’t a good late night snack option…

    So should you ‘strategically’ eat late? Even though I just discussed breaking the fast by eating a snack prior to bed time, etc, this does not mean ‘you must’ see eating late as being advantageous! I just want you to know that eating late is not bad, provided the food choices and servings sizes you make are good!

    The same goes for strategically cheating. Although I personally like to do it and allow clients to do it, I don’t feel for one second that anyone is missing out by not utilizing strategic cheat meals. Not cheating does not put you at a disadvantage… Nutritional cheating is something people have to personally choose to do, and if they decide to do so, they had better make it strategic and not accidental or haphazard!

    Half-Truth # 2: Eat Your Carbs in the Early AM!!!

    Here’s another one I refer to as a half-truth. Are you chowing down on boatloads of oats and fruit between 7am and 12 noon? Why? If you are training early on in the day then that’s not too bad, but if you are going into the office to sit on your backside for 8-10 hours and not hitting the gym until the evening time, you might want to hold off on the higher carb intake until later on in the day and strategically time your carb intake in and around your training sessions and your most intense of sessions.

    You see this one is kind of like the opposite of the ‘don’t eat late’ debate. The idea here is that you eat the majority of your carbs early on in the day, so you have the day (time) to burn them off. Kind of makes sense, but not really…

    You see, carbohydrate is a fuel and by definition a fuel needs to be burned. If you have a full tank of fuel (glycogen stores in the muscle) then adding fuel to that full tank will result in ‘spillage’ and your fat stores do all the cleaning up – you store fat! You need to fuel your workouts and aid recovery, but you don’t need to take in excess carbs when you really don’t need them.

    berryoats

     So how do I time my carbs around my workouts?

     You train late in the evening and don’t want to eat too much after, but you also want to refuel and replenish for the next workout, so what do you do? When I train late in the evening, I will have a small protein rich and veggie rich meal afterwards and then if timing allows I’ll have a small serving of nuts close to bed time.

    The next morning I will then eat 2 breakfasts. I eat my carby meal consisting of oats, berries and perhaps some natural yogurt, and about an later I’ll have some eggs and maybe some lean turkey sausage.

    Something fast to digest for recovery then something slow to digest for satiety.

    ian

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
    Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

    http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

    P.S. ABS Version 2:0 is launching in late December and is going to blow you away with the new content and bonus materials. Grab your copy of ABS Version 1:0 today and receive ABS Version 2:0 free of charge once it launches in late December. Click on the links below to get your copy today and start burning off dangerous abdominal fat.

    LADIES… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body Sculpting’ For Females and your body transformation success blueprint!

    GUYS… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body By Design’ For Men and your body transformation success blueprint!

    The BEST Body Transformation EXERCISE EVER!!!

    Posted: November 10, 2009 in Diet, Fat loss and lean bodies, Lean body lifestyle
    Tags: , , ,
    0

    This is the BEST Body Transformation EXERCISE on The PLANET!

    NO, it’s NOT about cardio and it’s got NOTHING to do with resistance training… Have YOU Performed This Body Transformation Exercise YET?

    Here it is… Answer These 3 QUESTIONS:

    • What DO YOU want to ACHEIVE?
    • Why DO YOU want to ACHIEVE it?
    • How DO YOU plan to ACHIEVE it?

    I’m guessing most of you want to smack me in the face as you were probably getting all excited about discovering some new ground-breaking, kick ass exercise. SORRY to disappoint you, but we all need to stop looking for the exercise HOLYGRAIL.

    There’s no exercise that’s that powerful to be honest, but taken the time to answer these questions honestly and becoming emotionally attached is extremely powerful and the 1st step to success as you look to transform your body!

    1: What DO YOU Want To Achieve??? Be very clear and specific with this one. Saying ‘I want to lose weight or build muscle’ is not being very clear or specific. How much weight (fat) do you want to lose, how much muscle do you want to build? What type of physique or look are you chasing, etc??? Do you want to feel better and function better as well as looking better?

    2: Why DO YOU Want To Achieve It? This is the most important question of all 3 and the one you need to spend most time on answering. This is the make or break question. KEEP ASKING YOURSELF WHY… Why do you want to build muscle, burn fat, become healthier, look better, etc. Because you want better health and to have more energy? GREAT… next question… WHY do you want to have better health and more energy??? KEEP ASKING WHY, until you reach your emotional trigger point! You need to become emotionally attached to your why!

    3: How DO YOU Plan To Achieve It? Now that you know what you want to achieve and have a strong reason for wanting to achieve it, it’s time for you to answer how you are going to achieve it and plan out the detailed action steps you are going to take… to make it happen! Not to try or attempt making in happen…

    BUT the STEPS you will take to GUARANTEE your SUCCESS!!!

    ALSO… along with these action steps you will also need to attach a timeline. A realistic time frame to achieve your desired goal(s), making sure the timeline is challenging. Goals with timelines attached that are not very challenging are just as bad as goals with unrealistic timelines.

    ian

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
    Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

    http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

    P.S. ABS Version 2:0 is launching in mid December and is going to blow you away with the new content and bonus materials. Grab your copy of ABS Version 1:0 today and receive ABS Version 2:0 free of charge once it launches in mid December. Click on the links below to get your copy today and start burning off dangerous abdominal fat.

    LADIES… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body Sculpting’ For Females and your body transformation success blueprint!

    GUYS… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body By Design’ For Men and your body transformation success blueprint!

    Training Diversity and Intensity and the…

    Posted: November 9, 2009 in Diet, Fat loss and lean bodies, Lean body lifestyle
    Tags: , , , ,
    4

    Let’s Look Closely at Training Intensity and Diversity, and the PARALLEL we can draw Between FOOD and EXERCISE!!!

    vegetables

    No doubt everyone understands what training diversity and intensity means? You’ve all no doubt seeing the TV adverts for P90X and heard the words ‘MUSCLE CONFUSION’ uttered over and over.

    Now I am all for diversity within the training program, but there’s a problem with changing things too much and it goes against what you’ve been told on theP90X adverts. P90X I think is a fairly good looking program. Lots of free weight and body weight exercises… I’m all for that and circuit type and metabolic type work… ANOTHER THUMBS UP from me.

    BUT… I am not for anyone training 90 days straight and if you can’t get it done in 60 minutes or less, don’t do it. INTENSITY is KEY, but high intensity can’t be maintained too long, so keep workout session duration to 60 minutes or less.

    The BIG Problem I Have With The P90X ‘MUSCLE CONFUSION’

    I agree 100% that diversity is a good thing… BUT problems arise and results SLOW when there’s too much diversity and not enough allowance for PROGRESSION! Here’s a section I have taken from our ‘Athletic Body System’ Ebook in which we addressed this very topic ina  little detail.

    Too Much Variety and Not Enough Progression

    One BIG PROBLEM we see with trainees today is that they want to do EVERYTHING! They see some big clown in the corner doing a single hand overhead extension and think to themselves ‘that’s it! That’s the exercise I was missing, if I do that one exercise I’ll get huge and look great naked!’

    Do you really think THAT PARTICULAR exercise is the key to your success? We seriously doubt it!

     Now one of two things happens in this instance.

    1. The person does ALL the exercises he/she picks up along the way AND the ones he was doing before. Ultimately they end up with a truck load of exercises and this leads to WAY too much volume and very time consuming workouts.

    2. The Person swaps between every exercise they see and never stay with any one exercise or combination of exercises long enough to adapt to them?!

    SORRY. It doesn’t work like that! REMEMBER; You must be consistent with your training! Not only training frequency but also training type!

    The old FITT Principle will go a long way to explaining this

    Frequency: In order to make progress you must train frequently, right? Well if you change the session CONSTANTLY you will not attack that specific movement pattern often enough. Even if you are training 5 days per week you could still not be training with enough frequency if there is TOO much variability in your programme.

    Intensity: Whether you’re training for fat loss, to gain muscle or to simply improve conditioning levels, intensity is the KEY! Since when did high reps with light weights and running at low to moderate speed for long durations become part of training for fat loss and developing a lean body? These are endurance training methods and should not be utilized by those seeking real world fat loss results or anyone who wants to develop a lean athletic physique. The body needs to be stressed if you want to see progress and we achieve this via INTENSITY, not by performing low intensity work for longer durations. So you must remember, regardless of what your goals are, you must LIFT HEAVY and MOVE FAST!

    Time: Time economy. . you can train for an hour and a half but how many minute of that hour were you WORKING for? Seriously . . a set of bench presses takes all of 15 seconds. You rest for two minutes then another 15 seconds work. . hmm I’d say people work on average 6/7 minutes in their entire 90 minute session!? I think we can be a little bit more economical than that and fit 30 minutes work into a 45 minute session!

    Type: If the type of exercise is changing too much or varying too much (slot in cant get stronger on an endurance programme) also training for ONE WEEK on strength and lifting heavy and the next week trying to burn ‘some fat’ and then the week after working on ‘your fitness’ is NOT the way to go! The type of training is changing too much! Stick to something for a reasonable amount of time! PLEASE!

    Do NOT be under the misconception that if you stop doing you flat benching for 6 weeks that you are going to lose ALL of the progress made! Once you are doing a variation of a horizontal push for that time period (close grip benching or dips for example) you will ‘not lose it all’ I will reiterate a small point. . your body does not know you are ‘benching’ it only detects a big ass weight falling on you and will do its best to get it off! Think of REPLACING a big movement such a s a bench press with dips for a few weeks NOT adding to the session volume! It will however be taxing the body from a different angle and add to the greater good! Don’t be surprised if when you return to benching your numbers add up!

    KEY Take Home Point!!! Do you really have to ADD that exercise instead of replacing it with something? Do you really think THAT PARTICULAR exercise is the key to your success? Get REAL! And Get REAL Results!

    The PARRALEL Between FOOD and TRAINING

    I want to draw a parallel between food and exercise so you can visually see the importance of training intensity and where training diversity comes into play. Let’s look at nutrition first.

    With your nutrition you want to consume a ‘VARIETY’ of foods, but there are certain foods that are what I refer to as ‘STAPLE’ foods in your diet. The MUST HAVE foods and the foods you should eat daily… foods like green veggies, berries, fresh fruit, lean proteins, eggs, nuts and other sources of healthy fat.

    Then there are ‘additional’ or supplementary foods you will consume. Foods such as low fat-low sugar (or sugar free) dairy produce , beef, seeds, sweet poatato, wholegrain bread, oats, salt free seasoning and so on. These foods please your pallette and help add variety and spice up your nutritional plan. They are not the staple foods, but the supplementary ones… they are the foods you occassionally consume throughout the course of the week.

    When it comes to training you want to be on a STAPLE DIET of compound movements like presses, pulls, squats, deadlifts, push ups, chin ups and dips. Those are your money maker exercises… the exercises that give you most bang for your buck so to speak… and the ones you want to always be working on improving.

    Supplemental exercises would be stuff like core work and smaller, isolated movements such as curl and extension movements. STILL very important stuff, but they should not make up the bulk of your program… 25% at most I would suggest! AND if you don’t have the STAPLE exercises in place, you have NO RIGHT to be performing these supplementary type exercises in the first place!

    INTENSITY… Think of intensity in reference to quality. The foods you consume, need to be of great quality. Don’t just buy broccoli and spinach, but good quality broccoli and spinach. The same is true with exercise. You may be using the right selection of exercises, but not using appropraite levels of intensity when performing them.

    Maybe you are using too much load or maybe you are using too little load and too performing too much low volume work…

    High reps + Light weights DOES NOT = INTENSITY, even if you do experience fatigue and feel the BURN! Don’t be a fatigue seeker and don’t always be chasing, and basing your workout on,  the BURN!

    ian

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
    Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

    http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

    Are YOU an ABaholic??? Are YOU ADDICTED to…

    Posted: November 8, 2009 in abdominals, Abs tools, Abs workouts, Six pack
    Tags: , , , ,
    1

    Are you an ABaholic? Are YOU ADDICTED to crunches and other so-called ab exercises? Do you find yourself constantly overdoing the ab work in an effort to, or hope to, develop the lean midsection you want.

    Do you feel guilty if you finish a training session without doing some ‘DIRECT’ ab work… yet you don’t feel as guilty about failing to fully clean up your nutrition?

    Sport and health body

    Are you an ABaholic who is struggling to get CLEAN (nutritionally) and achieve results?

    Are you struggling to kick the habit. The habit of habitually doing endless crunches and ab work?

    You NEED to kick the habit, get CLEAN (nutritionally) and call on the help of the AA if you truly want to achieve the midsection you want.

    If you have a headache you take aspirin… you ingest the aspirin and they get absorbed and just as the commercial says they ‘target pain’ FROM THE INSIDE. You wouldn’t on the other hand stick the aspirin in your ear or grind it up and rub it on your head, would you? I hope not.

    Well that’s basically what people are doing by training to target abdominal-belly fat by doing crunches and other types of direct abdominal work. You don’t address abdominal-belly fat by specifically zoning in on the abs themself.

    Going COLD TURKEY… Going CRUNCHLESS!

    Your ab addiction isn’t healthy and it’s not helping you get the six-pack you are wanting…YES I want you to DROP the crunches and other useless ab exercises and focus on doing the right things that will help you DROP the lbs and inches… and most importantly, drop the belly fat!

    Traditional abdominal crunches and other traditional abdominal exercises are NOT the creme de le creme of abdominal training and do absolutely nothing to remove stubborn abdominal fat… the fat that’s keeping your abs from ever being visible.  ALSO, these traditional exercises are often performed using far too much lumbar spine flexion, which is not good. Your lumbar spine should remain stable!

    PEOPLE OFTEN LOOK AT ME FUNNY… I often have people ask me what the best ab exercise are, and when I mention sprinting, jump exerises (like burpees and tuck jumps), deadlifts, push ups and heavy dips/chins, people often give me a funny look. You see they want to know what I suggest, but if my suggestion doesn’t require them to lay on their back or simply flex their hips they see my suggestions as a bit odd. Their mindset is still fixed on crunches and leg lifts.

    DON’T get me wrong. I’m NOT anti ab work… I just want you to be doing ab work that will work for you. The only traditional crunch I ever do or recommend is the serratus crunch, but I only recommend it for individuals who are already lean and as one of my heavier loaded abdominal exercises. Hanging leg (knee) raises are good, but there’s no need to tuck your knees into your mouth and force your lumbar spine into serious  flexion. KEEP lumbar flexion minimal and keep the leg lift slow and controlled both on the way up and as you lower your legs.

    KNEE UP CHIN UPS… Is a great variation of the hanging leg raise. Perform chin ups whilst keeping your hips flexed. NOW this is a challenge to even the most advanced trainee. Knee up chin ups, give them and try next time your at the gym!

    The AA is Here to HELP You!!!

    NO… Not that AA, I’m talking about the ‘Athletic Approach’ to fat loss and ‘Athletic Abdominal’ development! To burn off nasty belly fat you have to get clean nutritionally and train metabolically, targetting the bodies metabolic hot spots so that you work more muscle mass, burn more calories and create a ripple effect that allows you to continue burning calories at a higher rate for hours and hours post exercise.

    When it comes to actual abdominal work… you should only start to perform specific isolated abdominal work when your bodyfat has been reduced significantly… and when you do, the exercises you utilize should require you to…

    • Stabilize your lumbar spine, not flex it
    • Place your body in various positions, and not just lie on your back
    • Perform metabolic type abdominal work to BURN abdominal FAT

    OKAY Here’s The KEY Takeaway POINTS!!!

    • You NEED to go COLD TURKEY… You NEED to go CRUNCHLESS
    • You NEED to get CLEAN… If you want to get LEAN
    • You NEED to call on the help of ‘THE AA’ to achieve lean ABS

    REMEMBER… Being an alcoholic may well lead to you achieving a KEG (beer belly), but being an ABaholic will not lead to you having a six-pack. DITCH the AB Addition starting today! Do it for the love of your abs, PLEASE!!!

    If you want to learn how to properly address stubborn abdominal fat and train to achieve lean abdominals, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of my ‘Athletic Body System’ ebook.

    LADIES… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body Sculpting’ For Females and you’ll also receive your copy of the ‘Midsection Makeover’ manual, and many other BONUS resources.

    GUYS… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body By Design’ For Men and you’ll also receive your copy of the ‘Athletic Abdominals’ manual, and many other BONUS resources.

    ian

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
    Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

    http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

    P.S. ABS Version 2:0 is launching in mid December and is going to blow you away with the new content and bonus materials. Grab your copy of ABS Version 1:0 today and receive ABS Version 2:0 free of charge once it launches in mid December. Click on the links below to get your copy today and start burning off dangerous abdominal fat.

    LADIES… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body Sculpting’ For Females and you’ll also receive your copy of the ‘Midsection Makeover’ manual, and many other BONUS resources.

    GUYS… Click here to get your copy of ‘Athletic Body By Design’ For Men and you’ll also receive your copy of the ‘Athletic Abdominals’ manual, and many other BONUS resources.

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