strong fitness magazine training guide - spring 2014 usa - filelist

SPRING TRAINING

TONE MUSCLE & SCORCH WINTER WEIGHT

STRONG FITNESS MAGAZINE

Make friends with carbs

TRAINING GUIDE

SPRING 2014 $3.99

TRAINING GUIDESTRONG FITNESS MAGKNOCK OUT

20-MINUTE CARDIO

SUPERCHARGE YOUR LEG DAY

1 STRONGFITNESSMAG.COM | Spring 2014

editors note

If youre like me, you prefer to go solo in the gym. No matter what else is going on in your life, once the headphones go in and you grab the weights, that hour is yours to own. But now and then, when you really want to test your limitsmaybe add a little weight to the bar or squeeze out a few more repshaving a training partner can help you blow past your boundaries and achieve new personal bests.

We applied this same line of thinking when it came to this issue of our Training Guide. In order to raise the bar slightly higher and deliver even more science-backed, eective train-ing techniques, we were going to have to call upon some of our strongest resources.

And so, we enlisted regular contributor Amanda Kotela personal trainer with a special-ization in athletic therapy, a degree in exercise science, and an insatiable appetite for know-ledge surrounding biomechan-ics and strength buildingand deemed her the ocial Fitness Consultant for this issue. Amanda lent her expertise to almost every aspect of the following pages, from programming workouts to demonstrating them (thats her in the foam rolling routine on page 27).

Thanks to her obsession with the eld of health and tness, as well as that of the other gurus featured on our Contributors list, I believe we have hit a new personal best with our biggest and best Training Guide yet, just in time for spring. After all, this is the season for renewal, and what better time to clean out old routines and step up your game?

We know youre the type of trainer for whom just showing up, repping out the same old routines and calling it a day just doesnt cut it. We can relate, because we too arent satised unless were always learning, growing, evolving. Like you, were constantly striving to take what weve already built and create something even better. Here, with this all-encompassing

Guide to becoming your ttest self, I think weve achieved it.

Welcome to Spring Training.

Stay STRONG,

Kirstyn Brown Editor-in-Chief

EFFORTTEAM

Me with our Fitness Consultant Amanda Kotel, channeling our inner rock n roll goddesses.

Spring 2014 | STRONGFITNESSMAG.COM 2

TIFFANY LEE GASTON GOOFS AROUND BEHIND THE SCENES

masthead

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT Paul Buceta

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kirstyn Brown

PUBLISHER Kevin Detto

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Erin Lutz

DEPUTY EDITOR Sandy Braz

SENIOR DESIGNER Jacqueline Hornyak

DESIGNER Andreia Pereira

COPY EDITOR Chelsea Clarke

FITNESS CONSULTANT Amanda Kotel, BSc, CPT

VIDEOGRAPHER Sarah Scotford

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Kim Gunther

ADVERTISING SALES Kevin Detto

[email protected] 416-804-3616

LEGAL COUNSEL Scot Patriquin

Brauti Thorning Zibarras LLP

CONTRIBUTORS Lori Fabrizio, Jessie Hilgenberg, James Ho, Laura Kobar, Amanda Kotel, Dave Laus,

Nichelle Laus, Valeria Nova

SPECIAL THANKS City Athletic Club Las Vegas, Metro Fitness-

Hilliard, Toronto Athletic Club, Wynn Fitness, Xtreme Couture Gym, Ignite Fitness

DISTRIBUTION Disticor Magazine Distribution Services

Office 905-619-6565Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional. Consult with your healthcare professional to design an appropriate exercise prescription.

If you experience any pain or diculty with these exercises, stop and consult your healthcare provider. If you experience any symptoms of weakness, unsteadiness, light-headedness or dizziness, chest pain or pressure, nausea, or shortness of breath. Mild soreness after exercise

may be experienced after beginning a new exercise. Contact your physician if the soreness does not improve after 2-3 days.

COVER ATHLETE SHANNON PRASARN

TAKING FIVE

ON SET SHOOTING ELECTRIC CIRCUIT

THE EIC & PUBLISHER, KEVIN, HARD AT WORK

THE TEAM ON SET WITH COVER ATHLETE, SHANNON PRASARN

PAUL BUCETA ON SET


in every issueEDITORS NOTE | 1 The Editor-in-Chief talks about teaming up with a tness powerhouse to make this our best Training Guide yet.

CONTRIBUTORS | 4 Meet the masterminds behind each word and workout.

PURE ADRENALINE | 5 Moments of strength to get you all red up.

TRAINER TALK | 8 Our resident training genius, Jessie Hilgenberg, shows you the best ways to make gains in the gym. Plus: Her progressive training plan for buffer biceps.

INJURY REPORT | 34 The doctor is in. Sports chiropractor James Ho sheds light on chronic knee pain and why you dont have to give up the squat.

NUTRITIONMAKING THE CARB CONNECTION | 15 Whats the deal with hating carbs? Find out how to make this macronutrient one of your best training buddies.

SPRING 2014FEATURESTRAININGCARDIO DAY UPGRADE | 9 A high intensity bike-meets-bodyweight workout that will make your head spin.

TIME TO CRANK IT UP | 11 Say see ya to rest periods. Turn your ordinary leg day into a calorie-killing sweat session with active rest.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT | 17 Want a major fat meltdown in time for summer? Supercharge your metabolism with this challenging circuit routine.

UPPER BODY BLAST | 23 Sculpt your upper body into a work of art with this superset routine for your chest and triceps.

THIS IS HOW WE ROLL | 27 Foam rolling is all the rage these days, and with good reason. Cool down in style while lengthening and massaging tired, tight muscles.

ON THE COVERCOVER MODEL

SHANNON PRASARN

PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL BUCETA

MAKEUP & HAIR VALERIA NOVA

SHOT AT XTREME COUTURE, TORONTO

BUST OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

IT'S TIME YOU GAVE YOUR FITNESS REGIME A

SPRING CLEANING.


contributors

FATIMA LEITE KUSCH, COACH, CPT

Electric Circuit, pg 17

As a certied sports nutrition advisor and personal trainer, its no wonder Fatima is an award-winning competition prep coach and Pro Fitness Model competitor. Shes also the founder of Team Blessed Bodies, a community of women who train, model and compete together.

NICHELLE LAUS, FITNESS EXPERT & KICKBOXING INSTRUCTOR

Upper Body Blast, pg 23

This mother of four young boys uses tness as her outlet to inspire other women and mothers to live healthy lives. She is a gure and bikini competitor, motivational speaker, kickboxing instructor and tness model.

DAVE LAUS, PHOTOGRAPHER

Upper Body Blast, pg 23

Photographer Dave Laus shot this workout with just the right amount of grit. This tness photog has only been on the scene for about a year but hes quickly becoming one of the top shooters in our books.

LAURA KOBAR, MS, ACSM

Making the Carb Connection, pg 15

This Arizona-based health and nutrition expert has a Master of Science in Exercise Endocrinology and Sport Psychology, as well as almost three decades of specializing in nutrition and strength coaching.

JES

SIE

PH

OT

O P

AU

L B

UC

ET

A

DA

VE

PH

OT

O L

OR

I FA

BR

IZIO

N

ICH

ELL

E P

HO

TO

DA

VE

LA

US

L

AU

RA

PH

OT

O J

W A

TH

ER

SO

N

DR

. HO

PH

OT

O A

ND

RE

W B

AD

DE

R JESSIE HILGENBERG,

Competition Coach & STRONGCAMP Director

JAMES HO, DC, BHSC

Injury Report, pg 34

A member of STRONG Fitness Magazines Advisory Board, James is our go-to expert when it comes to sports medicine and chiropractic concerns. He is a chiropractor at the Athletes Care Sports Medicine Centers in Toronto and has consulted athletes at the pro level from the NHL to UFC, as well as recreational athletes and Olympians.

From the moment we met this tness dynamo with the infectious smile and jaw-dropping physique, we knew we made a great team. As the director and head trainer behind our STRONGCAMPS, Jessie has become famous among campers for her body-busting workouts, extensive knowledge of nutrition, and most of all, her kindhearted spirit. She is a renowned tness personality, adored by literally thousands of fans worldwide, as well as a bodybuilding.com and NLA for Her team athlete with a passion for health and tness that is unmatched.

pure

STOP YOU. -BETHANY HAMILTON

COURAGEDOESN'T MEANYOU DON'T GET AFRAID.COURAGE MEANSYOU DON'T LET

FEAR


IFBB PRO JESSIE HILGENBERG

WITH HEAD TRAINER AND IFBB PRO JESSIE HILGENBERG & STRONG FITNESS MAGAZINESTRONG ON

THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED BY PAUL BUCETA

MOTIVATION

KILLER

INFORMATIVE SEMINARS

MEET & GREETS

WORKOUTS

+THPHTORONTO, CANADA JUNE 13-15, 2014

VANCOUVER, CANADA JUNE 20-22, 2014To reserve your spot e-mail: [email protected]

STRONGCAMP


BY JESSIE HILGENBERG, IFBB FIGURE PRO

IF YOURE NOT MOVING FORWARD, youll never get where youre trying to go. Fitness is no exception to this rule, especially when it comes to making muscle gains in the gym. If you want to see im-provements to your performance and physique and avoid hitting that dreaded plateau, you have to gradually increase your workload and intensity, a concept known as progression.

Progression can be an overwhelming concept to apply to your training, as there are so many factors involved. To successfully prog-ress you can manipulate intensity, sets, reps, weight and possibly the most underrated, rest periods. But Ill get to that later.

First, progression should be gradual and systematic. If you try to progress too quickly, you run the risk of injury. This, as well as not allowing your body adequate rest and recovery between workouts, is a sure re way to halt your results or overtrain.

Secondly, there are two common mistakes I see occurring in the gym that can put a stop to progression. The rst is too much active rest. Dont get me wrong, there is absolutely a time and place for a workout that lls rest periods with fat-torching intervals of jump rope, pop squats or push-ups. But in the case of making muscle gains, you can have too much of a good thing.

Another common mistake is the opposite: over resting between sets. When you rest too long, not only do you lose momentum, but you also run the risk of losing strength. A good rule of thumb is to rest long enough to recover from the last set, but not so long that the pump and heat within your muscles are completely lost. (For tips on making the most of rest periods, see The Best of the Rest.)

Aside from rest periods, you can encourage progression by upping the sets, reps and weight over time. Of course, at some point, youll no longer be able to increase weight, which is why you must incorporate more than one version of progression. Here is a simple, six-week pro-gressive workout for bicep curls. Give it a try and remember to keep notes. Then you can apply these strategies to your other workouts.

With the right game plan, youll never hit another plateau.

WORK INPROGRESS

BICEP CURLS WEIGHT SETS REPS REST

WEEK 1 12 lbs 3 10 60 sec






Keep lifting,

TRAINER TALK

WANT TO WORK OUT

WITH JESSIE?

THE BEST OF THE RESTHit a plateau? Start tracking your rest periods! Time your rest periods and make notes in a training journal. If they vary, follow these guidelines for making them consistent.

~BcPacfXcWPf^aZ^dcfWTaTh^daTbc!"\X]dcTbQTcfTT]R^\_^d]STgTaRXbTbTcbb`dPcbSTPS[XUcb_d[[d_bTcRP]S%(bTR^]SbQTcfTT]R^\_^d]STgTaRXbTbQXRT_Rda[b[PcTaP[aPXbTbWP\bcaX]VRda[b~CWT]TgccX\Th^dWXccWTbP\T\dbR[TVa^d_P]STgTaRXbTbZTT_cWTfTXVWcbTcbP]SaT_bcWTbP\TQdcSTRaTPbTP[[aTbc_TaX^SbQh"bTR^]Sb~:TT_STcPX[TS]^cTbPQ^dch^dabcaT]VcWP]SX]cT]bXchH^d{[[QTbda_aXbTS

REGISTER FOR A STRONGCAMP! VISIT STRONG-CAMP.COM FOR A LOCATION AND DATE NEAR YOU.

MO

DEL

JES

SIE

HIL

GEN

BERG

PH

OTO

BY

PAU

L BU

CET

A S

HOT

AT

CIT

Y AT

HLE

TIC

CLU

B, L

AS V

EGAS

TRAINING

WRITTEN BY AMANDA KOTEL, B.SC EXERCISE SCIENCE, KINESIOLOGIST AND PERSONAL TRAINER PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL BUCETA

MO

DEL

AN

A D

ELIA

DE

ITU

RRO

ND

O

HAI

R &

MAK

EUP

VAL

ERIA

NO

VA

Steady state cardio is dead. If you want a science-proven, guaranteed way to torch fat fast, then its time to up the intensity.

CARDIO DAY

CARDIO DAYS: YOU EITHER LOVE TO HATE THEM, or, you just plain hate them. But if you want to keep your ticker in top shape and maintain an awesome body composition, then you cant quit them. Heres the good news: cardio doesnt have to be an hour-long necessary evil. Continuous (and monotonous) aerobic cardio is so five years

ago! When it comes to scorching fat and calories, high intensity intervals are where its at. Make sweat-inducing cardio routines like this one part of your weekly regiment and youll burn more fat, maintain more muscle, and spend a fraction of the time in the gym. And who knows, you may even start looking forward to cardio days.

UPGRADE


Have plenty of water

handy, youre about to

work up a sweat!

WHICH TWITCH IS WHICH?

In order to see changes in your physique and improve your performance, you need to tap

into the different muscle ber types within your body, which is why it is important to switch up

your routine and sweat it out with intensity. Here are two basic types of muscle bers:

Slow Twitch: These muscle bers are aerobic, which means they require oxygen to

contract. These are your endurance muscles, as they re slowly and take longer to fatigue

(think marathon training).

Fast Twitch: These muscle bers are anaerobic, and do not require oxygen to

contract. These are the muscles at work during explosive bursts of effort, and they fatigue more

quickly (think weight lifting or sprint drills).

Fat-Burning FactsInterval trainingin this case, Tabata-stylehas earned a rep for being the king of cardio, thanks to its unparalleled fat-torching potential and ability to preserve hard-earned muscle tissue. Its also extremely effective for improving your aerobic and anaerobic capacity, meaning youll be able to workout harder, longer. Add that to the fact that this method of training elevates your metabolism for up to 48 hours? Well thats just the peanut butter on your rice cake.

If youre still struggling to believe that 20 minutes of high intensity training can provide more benets than your old 45 minute session, consider this: which athlete statistically has lower body fat: the sprinter or the marathoner? Yep. Its the sprinter. Thats because interval training provides a tremendous boost of human growth hormone (hGH), otherwise known as your bodys natural fat burner. And unlike steady state cardio, high intensity intervals tap into both the anaerobic and aerobic energy pathways by stimulating both slow twitch and fast twitch muscle bers (see Which Twich is Which? for more explanation). Whats more,

the post-exercise oxygen demand required to repair damaged muscle tissue uses more energy for anabolic protein synthesis, which equates to increased muscle mass. If you need proof, just check out a sprinters quads and theyll make you a believer.

Take it for a SpinDust off a spin bike and try out this high intensity, Tabata-style interval circuit:

How to: Warm up before you begin with some light cycling (do not skip this step!). Set an interval timer for 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Attack the work period as hard as you possibly can for 20 seconds, then back off and rest for 10. Go through the workout then repeat for up to 20 minutes total.

If you think 20 seconds doesnt seem like much, dont be fooled. Youll soon be thankful for those 10 speedy seconds of mercy. If by the end you dont feel like you had a killer workout, up the intensity next time (See Give HIIT Your All). Incorporate this style of training approximately twice per week and transform your body into a fat-burning machine.

WORK DESCRIPTION DURATIONWarm-Up: Light cycling 5 minSprint 20 secRest 10 secPop Squats 20 secRest 10 secSprint 20 secRest 10 secSprint 20 secRest 10 secPush-Up 20 secRest 10 secRepeat for up to 20 minutes

Note: Make sure there is light-to moderate resistance on the bike. You are aiming for a cadence of at least 100 revolutions per minute.

SO, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOURE GIVING IT ENOUGH INTENSITY TO REAP THE REWARDS? ASK YOUR HEART RATE. INTENSITY CAN BE DESCRIBED AS THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUR MAXIMAL HEART RATE, NOT THE INTENSITY OF THE EFFORT. TO FIGURE THIS OUT ACCURATELY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO PICK UP A HEART RATE MONITOR. IDEALLY 90-95% OF YOUR MAXIMUM HEART RATE WILL TAKE YOU TO THE PROPER TRAINING INTENSITY. OTHERWISE, BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF: ARE YOU GIVING IT YOUR ALL OR PHONING IT IN?

GIVE HIIT YOUR ALL

THE WORKOUT

Cool Down: Slow your pace and continue pedaling for 5-7 minutes, or until your heart rate is below 120 beats per minute.

Before you begin:


MO

DEL

SH

ANN

ON

PRA

SARN

MAK

EUP

& H

AIR

VAL

ERIA

NO

VASH

OT A

T XT

REM

E CO

UTU

RE, T

ORO

NTO

CRANKIT UP

Time to

TRAINING

Revamping your leg day requires plenty of resistance and

constant movement. The rest is history.

ROUTINE BY AMANDA KOTEL, B.SC EXERCISE SCIENCE, KINESIOLOGIST AND PERSONAL TRAINERPHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL BUCETA



YOU DONT HAVE TO ABANDON YOUR

FAVORITE EXERCISES TO KICK YOUR LOWER BODY TRAINING INTO

HIGH GEAR. You can turn an ordinary

leg day into a turbocharged sweat session just by adding supersets and ditching the restthe rest period, that is. Sorry, but if you want to

scorch fat and sculpt amazing muscle at the same time,

than say goodbye to those minutes between sets you

spend snapping gym seles. In this lethal leg and glutes

routine, there aint no rest for the wicked.

ACTIVE REST IS THE BEST

You can re up any weight-training program by adding a conditioning component between sets (think jump squats, burpees and other

self-inflicted acts of torture). In this workout, you will

be following each grueling superset with a high intensity exercise. Why? For starters, youll be getting more bang for your buck by knocking out a cardio workout while

simultaneously hitting your legs and butt from every

angle. Youll also jumpstart metabolism and keep it revving for hours after.

Move through the supersets, performing all rounds of each before moving to the next. Perform 8-12 reps of each exercise in the supersetwithout restthen nish it off with the cardio booster. Here you can take a quick breather before going back to the top and repeating the whole circuit again, but keep it minimal. Do 4 rounds of each superset.

The Workout

Since this is a lower body-specic workout, focus on generating the power for each exercise from your glutes. Go for pretty heavy weights, and use slow and controlled movements.

Burpee x 12

Jumping Lunge x 20

Jump Squat x 20

cardioBOOSTERS

TIP:

SUPERSET

Barbell Sti-Legged Deadlift

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

ABarbell Squat

Leg Extension

BSUPERSETCable Glute

Kickback

Dumbell Step Up

CSUPERSET


1. BARBELL STIFF-LEGGED DEADLIFTSet Up: Stand tall holding a loaded barbell with an overhand grip. Place your feet hip-width apart and straighten your knees, but do not lock them out.

Action: Keeping your legs straight, push your hips back to lower the barbell towards the ground. Go only as low as you can while maintaining a straight spine. Hold briey at the bottom then squeeze your glutes and extend through the hips to return to the starting position.

2. DUMBBELL REVERSE LUNGESet Up: Stand with feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.

Action: Take a large step back-wards and bend your knees to lower into a deep lunge. Extend your legs and push off your back foot to bring it back to meet the other in the starting position.

1. BARBELL SQUATSet Up: Place a loaded barbell across your shoul-ders (on your upper traps, not resting on your neck) and stand with feet hip-width apart.

Action: Bend your knees and hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes back, then down. Lower as far as you can while keeping a neutral spine (not rounded). Pause at the bottom, then press through your heels, squeezing your glutes, and extend your legs to return to standing.

2. LEG EXTENSION (NOT PICTURED)Set Up: Adjust a leg extension machine so that your back is fully supported by the pad, thighs are ush with the seat, and the footpad is rest-ing on your lower shins, just above your ankles.

Action: Grasp the handles and extend your legs, squeezing your quads to raise the weight. Do not hyperextend. Hold at the top of the movement then slowly lower back down.

superset

1. a

A

supersetB1. b 2.

1.


JUMP SQUATAction: Standing with feet hip-width apart, place your hands together in front of you or behind your head. Lower into a deep squat, then squeeze your glutes and explode straight upwards. Land directly into a squat and repeat for all reps.

JUMPING LUNGEAction: Assume a lunge position by stepping one foot forward and bending both knees to lower towards the ground. Extend both legs and explode straight up, switching legs in the air so the opposite foot is forward. Land directly into a lunge on the other side. Thats one rep.

1. CABLE GLUTE KICKBACKSet Up: Place one foot in an ankle cuff attached to a low pulley on a cable appa-ratus. Stand facing the weight stack from about two feet away and lean forward, grasping the steel frame for support.

Action: Keeping your abs tight, contract your glutes and slowly lift your leg straight out behind you, as high as you comfortably can. Do not over arch your back at the top of the movement. Slowly lower back down. Repeat for all reps, then switch legs.

TIP: Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement in order to achieve a peak contraction.

2. DUMBBELL STEP UPSet Up: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand facing the side of a bench or a box. Stand back far enough so you have room to safely step up onto it.

Action: Lift your right foot and press it into the bench to come up to standing, keeping your back straight (not round-ed) and contracting your glutes. Lower back down, leading with the left foot, then following with the right. Repeat all reps on the right foot, then switch sides. cardio

BOOSTERS

BURPEEAction: From standing, drop into a squat with hands on the floor and immediately jump both feet back so you are in a high plank position. Perform a single push-up. Hop your feet towards your hands, back into a low squat, then jump straight into the air. Thats one rep.

supersetC

1.

2.


CARB CONNECARB CONNECCTIONTIONCCCCCMaking theMaking the

NNENNENNENNENNENNENNECCCCCCCTIONTIONTIOTIOTIOTIOTIOCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCWRITTEN BY KIRSTYN BROWN, EDITOR IN CHIEF, WITH FILES FROM LAURA KOBAR, MS, ACSM PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL BUCETA


THE HYPE AROUND HIGH-PROTEIN DIETS HAS TURNED US INTO CARBOPHOBES, BUT SNUBBING THIS MACRONUTRIENT CAN ACTUALLY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

THE REST OF THE DAY: Your best option for carbs throughout the day is vegetables and plenty of them. They pack a punch of vitamins, antioxidants, water and ber but come with a low-calorie price tag. When youre not gearing up for a workout or recovering from one, eat lower-carb veggies such as leafy greens, celery, bell peppers, cucumbers and zucchini with every meal and snack if you desire. The benet to eating vegetables throughout the day is they help control blood sugar levels and keep you feeling full with all that ber.

A report published in the Journal of the Interna-tional Society of Sports Nutrition, concluded that WORKOUTS LASTING ONE HOUR HAVE A 90-MINUTE WINDOW IN WHICH TO EAT A POST-WORKOUT MEAL. However, athletes who engage in competition for

three to four hours would need to replenish muscle glycogen more immediately.

IF WEVE LEARNED ANYTHING from the low-fat fad, the cabbage-soup craze or the grapefruit diet, its that banishing an entire food group from our meal plan doesnt do a body good. As it turns out, depriving our bodies of neces-sary nutrients causes all kinds of byproducts (hello fatigue, brain fog, binging, and weight gain) except the one were af-ter: a hot and healthy bod. So if were so wise to the nutrition game now, why has it become cool to hate carbs?

These days, carbohydrates are often at the center of debates between nutritionists and bodybuilders alike, with opinions on how much, how often and acceptable sources being the hottest topics to dispute. But theres one fact that isnt up for debate: you need carbs.

And heres why. Carbo-hydrates are a macronutrient (nutrient, meaning the stuff you need for cell and metabo-lism function, and macro meaning you need a lot of it) along with fat and protein. Everyone, even sedentary couch potatoes, need carbs for optimal brain and nervous

system function. As for a high-intensity athlete (thats you), carbs are an all-natural performance enhancer. These misunderstood macros could actually be the x-factor that el-evates your training and scores you faster results. But rst, you have to learn to use them to your advantage.

TIMING IS EVERYTHINGThe concept of nutrient tim-ing refers to using the bodys responses to food for optimal performancebasically, using the appropriate nutrients to attain certain goals. Knowing exactly what to eat before, during and after training enables athletes to perform and recover to the best of their ability. There are three times in a day for optimal carb consumption. The rst two directly affect your work in the gym, and thats the pre workout/workout and post workout periods. The third is the remaining hours of the day, when cells are growing and repairing.

Approach each time period with the right amount and type of carbs and youll boost your potential to hit your goals. Heres how:

Muscle glycogen is the stored form of carbohydrate, which is the pre-dominant fuel source for moderate and high intensity activities, like interval training, sprint drills and super heavy lifting. High intensity exercise reaps glycogen stores because the next fuel source used is fat; with high intensity exercise, fat becomes limited as the inten-sity increases, therefore as muscle glycogen depletes, so does the ability to complete the workout at higher intensities.

Combine 30-40g of carbs with at least 15g of lean protein. This is an ideal time to take in those dense carbohydrates to help drive amino acids to your muscles and replenish glycogen stores. Go for qui-noa, amaranth, oatmeal, or potatoes, as well as foods that are not as high in ber as other sources, like vegetables and fruit.

PRE WORKOUT /WORKOUT:

CARB CHOICE: Drinking a shake with a bit of quality protein and about 20-30g of carbohy-drates (a serving of fruit, a splash of maple syrup, even some oats) an hour before a workout, followed by a glass of water, will ensure youre properly hydrated and stocked up on glycogen to deliver a killer performance.

POST WORKOUT:The post workout meal is consid-ered to be the most critical period for timed meals, specically for muscle building (hypertrophy). Resistance training triggers a spike in insulin response that research suggests can last not just hours, but an entire day, depending on the intensity of the workout. So your window of opportunity to replenish nutrients is anywhere from 30 minutes to about two hours post workout.

CARB CHOICE:


MO

DEL

TIF

FAN

Y G

ASTO

N

HAI

R &

MAK

EUP

LO

RI F

ABRI

ZIO

TRAINING

ROUTINE BY

FATIMA LEIT

E KUSCH, CO

ACH &

PRO FITNES

S MODEL CO

MPETITOR

PHOTOGRAPH

Y BY PAUL B

UCETA

Supercharge your metabolism with this body-rocking, high-energy routine.

CIRCUITELECTRIC

Why Circuit Training Rocks

ITS APRIL, which means beach season is lurking right around the corner. Sure, the motivation of New Years resolutions has faded like your old jeans, and your once-killer gym routine has become just as outdated. But if you want to feel confident peeling off those layers come June, then this isnt the time for your workouts to lose mo-mentum. Dont get discour-aged if your progress has hit the brakes or if youve lost the gusto to destroy your leg day. It just means its time to surprise your musclesand weve got the perfect way to wake them up. This fast-paced workout comprised of compound movements is guaranteed to challenge your body and incinerate fat and calories. Its the jolt you need to jumpstart your metabolism, reboot your motivation and smash through that plateau. Welcome to spring training.

1. IT INCREASES METABOLISMCircuit training is an awesome addition to your current lifting regimen, because it has all the ingredients for the perfect fat burning workout. Like weightlifting, circuits incorpo-rate resistance, which builds muscle and bone density for a better body composition. All that lean muscle makes your body burn fat more efficiently by improving your resting meta-bolic rate. But circuit training also sends your metabolism into hyper drive in order to repair tissue and meet the oxygen demands placed on your body from the constant full-body movements, performed with tons of intensity.

2. IT BUSTS PLATEAUSBusting your butt at the gym without seeing improvements in your strength and physique can make you want to throw in the towel, but if youre repping it out the same way each week, a plateau is inevitable. The key is to stimulate your neuromusclar system in a different way. Circuit training will scramble up your mundane routine, keeping your body guessing, and when your body is constantly guessing, it becomes harder for it to adapt. Incorporate circuit training into your schedule for a few weeks, and youll discover that when you return to more traditional lifting youll be squatting, pressing and curling more than ever.

3. IT STRENGTHENS HEAD-TO-TOECircuits use compound movements, meaning youll be working your entire body each time you train. The object here is to include multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, and rows, to work the full body as a unit, allowing it to become more biomechanically efficient, which in turn will make you stronger, improv-ing your workouts, and so on. The secret to achieving maximum results is all in how hard you hit it. When doing exercises with weights, you should use enough weight that youre being challenged, but not putting yourself at risk for injury (see Create Your Own Circuit for more on this). Try to push through all the exercises without having to stop mid-set. After all, the pain is only temporary, but your body will keep burning up calories long after.

C



PRISONER SQUATSet up: Stand with your feet hip width apart and place your palms behind your head, drawing your elbows and shoulders back. Keep them here throughout the entire movement.

Action: Hinge from your hip joint and lower down as far as you can, while maintaining a neutral spine position. Make sure your lower back doesnt round at the bottom of the squat. Press through your heels and squeeze your glute muscles to return to standing.

Set up: Start in an upright plank position with your hands holding onto dumbbells. Keep your wrists straight, avoiding any flexion or hyperextension at the joint. Keep your feet hip-width apart or wider (a wider stance decreases difficulty). Engage your abs and glutes to help support your spine, and keep your neck long with your gaze forward.

Action: Lift one dumbbell up to your torso by bending at the elbow and driving it towards the ceiling. Squeeze your lat at the top of the movement, then return the weight to the ground. Repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides for all reps.

RENEGADE ROW

Set up: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand facing the side of a bench. Give yourself enough room to safely step up onto it.

Action: Place one foot flat on the bench (do not let your low back round as you lift your leg). Push through your glutes to come to standing on one leg on the bench, keeping your other leg free, but still engaged. Slowly lower down and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating sides for all reps.

ALTERNATING STEP UP

THE WORKOUT

A.

B.

HOW TO: For this workout you will need a set of medium to heavy weight dumbbells, an open space on the floor and a bench. Cycle through each move, one after the other with minimal rest, aiming for 20 reps of each exercise. Once youve completed the whole circuit once, rest for 60-90 seconds, then start from the top. Repeat for up to 5 rounds.

1. Choose a relatively heavy weight that you can lift for 20 reps without losing form.

2. Program the order of exercises so that you agonist-antagonist muscle groups. For example: push-ups, followed by rows.

3. When you complete 20 reps of the rst exercise move right into the next, without rest.

4. Once completed (usually consisting of 5-10 exercises in a row), rest for roughly 60 seconds then repeat, for a total of 4-5 rounds.

CREATE YOUR OWN

CIRCUIT


Set up: Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders or slightly wider (wider makes it easier). Engage your abs and maintain a long, neutral spine with your gaze forward.

Action: Bend your elbows and lower yourself towards the floor as low as you can without touching. As you lower, think about your shoulder blades moving in towards your spine and down towards your back pockets. Return to the starting position by extending your arms and pushing up through your chest.

PUSH-UP

Set up: Lie on the bench so that your legs are hanging off the end from the glutes down, keeping your lower back and torso in contact with the bench. Keep your legs to-gether and as straight as you can and hold onto the bench by your head for support.

Action: Keeping your legs straight and your back pressed into the bench, raise your legs straight up into the air until they are perpen-dicular with the bench. Using control from your core, slowly lower them down as far as you can. That is one rep.

BENCH HANGING LEG RAISE

TIP: WHY NOT TIME HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO COMPLETE A ROUND? TRY TO DECREASE YOUR

TIME EACH WEEK!


Set up: Begin in a side lunge posi-tion by bending your right knee, pushing your hip out and keeping your left leg straight. Bring your left hand down and touch your right foot.

Action: From the lunge position, jump straight into the air, switch-ing legs, then landing in a lunge on the left side. Bring your right arm straight down to the opposite foot. Thats one rep.

BICYCLE CRUNCHES Set up: Lay on your back on the floor or on a bench with your knees bent, feet on the floor, and hands behind your head to gently support your head.

Action: Press your lower back into the mat and tighten your abs to lift your head, shoulders, and upper back off the floor. Simultaneously lift your legs and move your right elbow and left knee towards each other so they meet above your belly button. At the same time straighten your right leg (dont let it touch the ground). Switch sides, and thats one rep. Continue to move continuously, as if pedaling a bicycle.

JUMPING SIDE LUNGE

A.

B.

H20 TIP: TAKE SIPS OF WATER

BETWEEN ROUNDS TO STAY HYDRATED.


Set up: Stand with feet hip-width apart with a dumbbell on its side between your feet. Bend your knees and push your butt back to get into a deep squat position.

Action: Grab the dumbbell with one palm facing you, and quickly press up to standing, bringing the dumbbell in a straight line up your body. Once the dumbbell is near shoulder height, flip your forearm and wrist back so your palm is facing forward, then punch the dumbbell overhead. Reverse the entire movement to lower the weight back to the ground. Repeat on other side.

ALTERNATING ONE-ARM

SNATCH

A. B. C.


DOUBLE UP WITH SUPERSETS FOR A TIME-SAVING WORKOUT YOURE GONNA FEEL TOMORROW.

WORKOUT BY NICHELLE LAUS, CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER & COACHPHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE LAUS MO

DEL

BRI

TTAN

Y KA

NN

E

LOCA

TIO

N I

GN

ITE

FITN

ESS,

CO

LUM

BUS,

OH

BlastUPPER BODY

TRAINING


Hitting more than one muscle group in a workout isnt just about cutting your gym time short (although well admit it is a major bonus), its also about coaxing your muscles to grow at a rate that tops singling out one body part at a time. Repping out two sets of different exercises back-to-back, known as compound or super setting, is a stellar technique for surprising your muscles and ramping up results.

This workout is no exception. With each superset, youll be alternating between a powerhouse muscle group, your chest (pectoralis minor and pectoralis major) and a complimentary one, your triceps. These two body parts make a great pair because the triceps are already being utilized when working the chest, so ipping between the two is an incredibly effective way to target and fatigue the muscles, for a balanced, sculpted upper body.

HOW TO: Perform the compound exercises as super-sets, performing one set of the rst exercise then

immediately moving onto a set of the second exercise. Rest 60 seconds and repeat. After three

sets, move on to the next superset.

THE WORKOUTMake sure you choose weight that allows you to

use proper form, but will still lead you to muscular failure by the end of your set.

BARBELL BENCH PRESS & PARALLEL DIPS

DUMBBELL CHEST FLY & ONE-ARM SEATED TRICEPS EXTENSION

INCLINE DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS & TRICEP KICKBACK

CABLE CROSSOVER & CABLE TRICEP EXTENSION WITH ROPE

DECLINE PUSHUP & CABLE OVER-HEAD TRICEP EXTENSION

3 10

3 10

3 10

3 10

3 10

SETS REPSSUPERSETS12

345

BARBELL BENCH PRESS (NOT PICTURED)

Set up: Load a free bar (or smith machine) with desired weight over a at bench. Lie face-up on the bench with your shoulder blades back and down and back slightly arched. Grasp the bar with an over hand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.

Action: Lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight above your up-per chest with locked arms. Slowly lower the bar straight down to the middle of your chest, pause, then slowly raise the bar back up.

Superset ONEPARALLEL DIPSSet up: Grasp the parallel dip bars and jump up so your feet are off the ground and your arms are supporting you. If this is too dif-cult, use an assisted machine.

Action: Slowly lower yourself down between the bars, keeping your gaze forward and torso as upright as possible, without leaning for-ward. Lower until your elbows are in line with your shoulders, then extend your arms to press your body back up.


DUMBBELL CHEST FLY Set up: Grab a set of dumb-bells and lie at on a bench with arms extended, palms facing each other. Think of pulling your shoulder blades back and down and keep a slight arch in your lower back.

Action: Slowly lower the dumbbells out to your sides, keeping your arms slightly bent. Once the dumbbells are at about chest level, squeeze your chest muscles to raise the dumbbells back to the starting position.

SEATED ONE-ARM TRICEPS EXTENSION Set up: Sit on the end of a bench holding a dumbbell in one hand. Lift the dumb-bell above your head until your arm is fully extended, palm facing out.

Action: While keeping your core engaged, bend at the elbow and slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head. Pause, and then squeeze your tricep to raise the dumbbell back to the starting position.

INCLINE DUMBBELL CHEST PRESS (NOT PICTURED)

Set up: Holding dumbbells, lie back on an incline bench set to a 45-degree angle. Hold the dumbbells

shoulder-width apart above your chest with arms bent, elbows by your ribcage and palms facing out.

Action: Press the dumbbells straight up, squeezing your chest muscles at the top of the movement, then slowly

lower them back to the start position.

TRICEP KICKBACKSet up: Place your right knee and right hand on a at

bench, and your left foot on the oor, left leg extend-ed. Hold the dumbbell in your left hand and bend your

elbow to 90 degrees so it is next to your ribcage.

Action: Squeeze your tricep and hinge at the elbow to move the dumbbell behind you until your arm is fully

extended. Pause, and then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.

SUPERSET TWO

Superset THREE

A B

A

B

A

B


CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSION WITH ROPE (NOT PICTURED)

Set up: Attach a rope to a high pulley and set the desired weight. Stand tall facing the cable, holding the ends of the rope with palms facing each other. Bend your arms and keep your elbows close to your body.

Action: Squeeze your triceps and pull the rope straight down until your arms are fully extended. Pause, and slowly raise the rope to the starting position.

SUPERSET FOUR

CABLE OVERHEAD TRICEPS EXTENSIONSet up: Attach a straight bar to a high pulley and set the desired weight. Standing facing away from the apparatus, holding the bar behind your neck with an over-hand grip. Step one foot forward and lean over, so your torso is almost parallel to the ground.

Action: Extend your arms and press the bar straight over your head. Pause at the top of the action, and then slowly come back to starting position.

Set up: Get into high plank posi-tion with your feet on a box or bench and your palms at on the oor.

Action: Bend your arms and lower your upper body as low as you can, then extend your arms and press back up to the starting position.

SUPERSET FIVE

CABLE CROSSOVERSet up: Attach single-grip handles to the pulleys about two-thirds of the way up a cable apparatus and set the weight to the desired resistance. Grasp a handle in each hand and stand in the middle of the apparatus, step-ping forward with one foot.

Action: Keeping your chest lifted, raise your arms out to the sides with elbows slightly bent. Squeeze your chest to bring the handles together in front of your body. Pause before returning to the start position.

DECLINE PUSH-UP

A

B

MO

DEL

AM

ANDA

KOT

EL

COOL DOWN

ARTICLE AND EXERCISES BY AMANDA KOTEL,B.SC EXERCISE SCIENCE, KINESIOLOGIST AND PERSONAL TRAINERPHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL BUCETA

THIS IS HOW WEROLL



IF YOURE SERIOUS ABOUT YOUR TRAINING, a few minutes of stretching here and there often isnt enough to ease muscle tension or improve exibility. To help with lingering post-workout soreness, and to lengthen your muscles (and have your muscles remember that length), it may be time to switch up your go-to stretches. The solution is to take post workout recovery to new levels by hitting the foam roller after you hit the iron.

FOAM ROLLING IS THE LATEST FASHION IN EASING MUSCLE PAINS AND IMPROVING FLEXIBILITY. HERES HOW TO GET IN ON THE ACTION.


WHY IT WORKSFoam rolling improves blood ow to the working muscles and creates a local inhibitory response far more effectively than static stretching. Improving blood ow for stretching is important for a muscle to be receptive to the stretch, the same way doing a warm up set of squats preps your quads and glutes for the upcoming load.

THE PRESSURES ON The acute pressure the foam roller creates will give your spinal cord a message, telling it to stop sending neural impulses that contract the muscle. Think about chin-ups: after a set or two, the next day you can barely straighten your elbows, right? Thats because you sent signals to your biceps to contract so much that it tem-porarily shortened that muscle belly. Taking a foam roller to the area 24-48 hours post workout sends a neurological response to that muscle to give it some relief and improve muscle length.

Before you stretch, start o by assessing your bodys flexibility and then put together a plan that can help improve your decits. Follow these steps to get the most out of your foam rolling and stretching routine.

THE PRE-ROLL CHECKLISTStep 1: Determine your tight spots and write them down if you keep a training journal or store the info

in your phone.

Step 2: Determine your stretching goal: is it for improved flexibility and mobility?

Step 3: Make a plan that is synonymous to your goals and range of motion decits.

Step 4: Apply the foam rolling routines/ techniques (below) before you stretch.

Step 5: Apply your stretching routine. You can nd a great one in Issue #2 of the Training Guide.

HOW TO USE YOUR ROLLER Apply this technique to all the foam rolling

exercises: Lie on the foam roller and nd a point of soreness/tightness. Once you nd a point that is

tender, roll over the area for 15-20 seconds or until the pain subsides. Move on to another tender point (trigger point), until the entire muscle feels smooth

and the discomfort is gone.

THE WORKOUT


Low Back Lie on your back and place the roller underneath the top of the pelvis. Lift your glutes off the floor and place your hands behind your head. Roll up and down along your lower back.

Iliotobial (IT) BandLie on one side with the foam roller near your knee. Cross your leg over the other (as shown in the image), and put both hands on the ground for sup-port. Using your left arm to assist the motion, roll the foam roller upwards on your thigh towards your pelvis. Once you complete one side, switch positions to work your opposite leg.

Another Benet? Foam rolling helps break up

scar tissue that builds up over time from taxing workouts,

past injuries or general wear and tear. This brings collagen and elastin into the mix, two essential proteins needed for

muscle development.

Rolling Tip: This is also a great exercise for relieving some discomfort and

tenderness associated with menstrual cramps and/or PMS.

Lie on the roller, posi-tioning it underneath your shoulder blades.

Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the

floor. Lift your glutes off the floor and place

your hands behind your head to support your neck. Roll downwards

towards your mid back.

Upper back (Thoracic Spine)


WHEN TO ROLL BEFORE YOU STRETCH: Think of foam rolling

as a mini massage for your body. Stretching is most eective when you are relaxed, with the targeted muscles having optimal blood flow to

be most malleable and pliable.

BEFORE YOU WORK OUT: Youve probably seen people using a foam roller before they get into the thick of their workouts. By turning o stronger muscles through foam rolling you are

opening your body up, allowing it to perform better, and potentially improving your lifting.

WHEN NOT TO ROLLAvoid rolling the same muscles you just trained

to help maintain optimal results for both strength and flexibility. Wait 24-48 hours so

you dont disrupt strength gains by stretching immediately after your workout.

Rolling Tip: Keep in mind that the range of

motion will be small.


GlutesSET UP: Sit on the

foam roller, placing the broad side of it under your glutes.

Bend one leg and angle your body so one side

takes the weight of your body. Roll your

glutes back and forth across the roller for 20 seconds (or until

tension subsides) then shift your weight to the other side and repeat.

Calves Sit on the floor with the roller underneath one ankle. Place your hands on the floor behind you and raise your glutes (all of your body weight should be on your hands and the roller.) Slowly roll upwards towards your knee.

Hip flexor Lie on top of the foam roller and place between your thighs, with arms supporting you at your side. Roll up towards your pelvis, targeting your inner thigh and groin area.

SFMGo online to strongtnessmag.com

for more info on foam rolling.

QuadsLie face down with the roller positioned directly under your thighs. Bend your elbows so that your forearms are flat on the floor to sup-port your weight your feet should be suspended above the floor. Use your arms to roll your body forward and back to move the roller up and down from your pelvis to above your knees

Hamstrings and GlutesSit with your legs extended in front of you and the broad side of a roller positioned directly under your thighs. Place your hands flat on the floor behind you for support. Using your arms to initiate the motion, slowly roll from the bottom of your glutes to just above your knees.

Rolling Tip: As you roll, try rotating your legs in and out from the hips this will allow you to hit your hamstrings more thoroughly.


INJURY REPORT

STRENGTHENING OF THE HIPWhen joints are surrounded by weak muscles, they become unstable, which means weak hips equate to weak knee joints. There-fore, strengthening the muscles around the kneeglutes, rectus femoris, hip flexors, hamstrings, and the hip adductors is critical to pain prevention.

To improve strength to these areas, dedicate time in your leg workout for the following exercises: Decit Single legged lunges; Glute Bridges; Rear leg elevated split squat or Bulgarian split squats; Peterson Step-ups; and Romanian straight legged deadlifts. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps for each with light to moder-ate weight and focus on using perfect form.

If you want to go back to achieving your deepest squat, then tight, weak hips must rst be addressed to treat knee pain. Strengthen your hips, and youll nix the pain so you can reap the benets of the beloved squat.

THERE ARE FEW BETTER WAYS to build up your legs, glutes, and hamstrings than with squats. But as thousands of athletes know, training with knee painwhether its acute pain from knee sprains and strains, or chronic issues such as tendonitis, bursitis, or arthritiscan make this Leg Day standard an ago-nizing, even dangerous, exercise. If this sounds familiar, then youve likely tried everything to help you squat without pain: countless leg extensions to build up your quadriceps, knee wraps that offer some supportive relief but are impractical to wear for every lift, or Neoprene sleeves that do little more than keep your knees warm. Eventually, knee-pain sufferers resort to one of two solutions: push through the pain, or stop doing squats, lunges, and jumps altogether. Take it from me; the rst option may lead you to an even worse injury. However, the second option limits your fitness and keeps you from achieving your fitness goals. Neither outcome is acceptable. Instead, the more ideal solution is to strengthen your hips, and improve hip exibility so you can return to squatting, and epic Leg Days, pain free.

How to eliminate chronic knee pain so you can get back to droppin it low.

Bring Back the SquatStatic stretching should be left for cool down and off days to maintain

or increase exibility.

FOR FULL DEMOS OF THE ABOVE STRETCHING

ROUTINE CHECK OUT STRONGFITNESSMAG.COM

FLEXIBILITY OF THE HIPWhen the hip lacks the proper mobility to perform exercises, especially movements that require a wide range of motion, the knee compensates by pick-ing up the slack, resulting in improper motion and increased stress on the knee. Thus, in any lower body lift, flexibility of the muscles and joints surround-ing the knee is critical for suppport and to achieve the optimal range of motion. Which muscles are most responsible for the support of the knees? The hip muscles. Thats your gluteus muscles, hip adductors, and the knee and hip flexors and extensors.

Research has shown that a dynamic hip warm-up routine (following your regular warm up) will lengthen muscles and improve joint mobility by increasing quadriceps strength, hamstring flexibility, and stabilizing the knee. Here are ve great dynamic stretches to do before you begin your leg workout: Front to back leg swings; Sideways leg swings; Power skips; Lunge with upper body rotations; and Scorpion stretches. Repeat each move-ment with 15-20 reps.

Safe Training,Dr James Ho

Advice for the prevention, care and recovery of sports and fitness related injuries.

WRITTEN BY DR JAMES HO, DC, BHSC

MO

DEL

LIS

A BR

IDG

E P

HOT

O B

Y PA

UL

BUC

ETA

SH

OT A

T TO

RON

TO A

THLE

TIC

CLU

B


DALLAS, TEXAS WITH JESSIE HILGENBERG

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT A

STRONGCAMPNEAR YOU, VISIT

STRONGFITNESSMAG.COM

Its time to get

BodySmart !It takes more than clean eating and dumbbells to change your life and create the body of your dreams. Learn how to over-ride your genetics by using the BODY SMART Method.

ONLINE PROGRAMS focus on:Physiology Biomechanics Proper Nutrition Form & Technique Balanced Lifestyle

Work with me!

Amanda KOTELTOP TRANSFORMATION COACH

SOCIAL MEDIATwitter / IG: @AmandaKotel

Facebook Page: Amanda Kotel - Personal Trainer & Fitness Model

Amanda Kotel.comSign-up for my FREE newsletter!

strong fitness magazine training guide - spring 2014 usa - filelist

Documents

wynn fitness

ocial fitness consultant

best training guide

training partner

metro fitnesshilliard

toronto athletic club

kirstyn brown editor

athletic therapy