A Beginner's Guide to the Gym Floor

The gym can be a very intimidating place.You have a bunch of in shape people walking around in form fitting workout gear and cut off sleeves, lifting heavy weights, grunting, slamming, sweating, butt slapping, head bobbing to music, and staring at all the newbies... seemingly judging their every move....

Well that last part isn't true, but if you're new to the gym there is absolutely NO way in hell of convincing you otherwise. So, how can you avoid this judgement? How do you bust into the fitness scene without looking like a noob? It's actually pretty damn simple. I'm writing this post not because I think it is necessary to avoid looking like a noob (because it isn't) and not because new people annoy us regulars (because they don't!). I'm writing this post because feeling comfortable and confident in the gym is key to starting and adhering to a workout regimen long enough to achieve results. When you feel good, you lift good and when you lift good you gain dem gainz... good.

I'm also writing this post to stop newbies from gravitating towards the cardio room. People tend to avoid the weight room because they simply don't know how to lift. They need someone to show them the ropes before they just jump in there. Running and biking on the other hand is super easy. In the short term this is great, but in the long run, people who do this wind up quitting after a couple weeks because it's boring, grueling, and fruitless. For the QUICKEST and BEST results, you're going to need to lift weights (and follow a proper diet). But I know you won't lift if you don't feel comfortable in the weight room. Hell I wouldn't either! Psst.. by the way... I'm a Certified Personal Trainer and I sell personalized 4 phase workout plans designed to last up to 16 weeks. They are VERY reasonably priced and include exercises, sets, repetitions, rest intervals, and links to videos demonstrating proper form...CLICK HERE to send me a message requesting a workout!

But without further ado...

Working Out

• Use weight that you can control. No one is impressed by people who lift heavy weights if they use bad form. I know from first hand experience that having weights slide off of a bar that you lose control of is embarrassing! Start light, use proper form and gradually increase weight. The results will come with a little hard work and patience!
• One of the times new gym goers feel the most self-concious is during their rest intervals. The best thing to do when you're not in the act of lifting weights is to just  kind of hover around the equipment you're using. If you're at a bench, just sit on it and relax. Although it may feel like everyone is watching you...they aren't! Unless you're wearing neon colored clothing that is... i'll cover that in the next section though...
• Have a plan. For new lifters, it's best to go into the gym knowing your routine ahead of time. Once again, I sell personalized 4 phase workout programs that are designed to take you up to 16 weeks to complete. I also include links to YouTube videos that show the PROPER form for each exercise. CLICK HERE to send me a message requesting a workout! You don't have to go through me though... you can do all the research yourself and put together your own routine from scratch as well. The important thing is that you go into the weight room with a plan.
• Don't be afraid to grunt and slam weights should the need arise. It's a gym, not a library. Aside from Planet Fitness, no one judges those who workout hard. 

Apparel

This attire is great for women in the gym.
Form fitting but not too revealing.

• Wear something relatively form fitting and comfortable. For women, this means yoga capris and tank-tops with a built in sports-bra. That's just one suggestion, but there are a TON of different gym fashions for women out there so have fun with it! For men, this means athletic fit t-shirts or tank tops and shorts that go down to just above or below your knee. Spandex shorts for men are never okay! So if you're an avid biker, don't walk into the weight room wearing your road shorts... you can get some affordable and suitable workout shorts from Target r Walmart
• For guys: Avoid bright colors! Sporting goods stores are filled with neon colored shirts, shorts, and shoes that match to boot. Don't buy them though... as tempting as it may be (and I fight it every time I go through the men's apparel section at sporting goods stores) just say no.
• Also for guys... abide by this rule: Sleeveless on upper body days is fine, but on leg days wear a t-shirt. Only go sleeveless when you know you're about to get your arms pumped up like Popeye after downing a can of Spinach. 
• Shoes: I personally wear zero drop shoes when lifting weights. This means that the difference between the height of the heal and the height of the ball of the foot is...you guessed it... zero. It helps the muscles of the foot develop naturally and makes it easier for you to keep your weight on your heels which is a critical component of most exercises. Good ol' fashioned tennis shoes work just fine too though! The only real no no is toe shoes. Zero drop shoes give you all the benefit of toe shoes...without looking ridiculous, So in the weight room, skip the toe shoes and just go with zero drops. 
• For Guys: Wrist straps are okay to wear, especially if your wrists hurt during activities such as bench pressing, push-ups, and shoulder pressing. Weight lifting gloves on the other hand are never okay for men... unless you're a hand model and need baby softy pretty hands to make your living.
• Headphones: One of the best ways to slip into your zone and block out your perceived haters is to slip on some headphones or some ear buds and jam out. 
• And the last Rule... if you're straight up jacked, none of the above rules apply. You can combine toe shoes with a matching neon shirt and no one will judge you. In fact, they may even try to copy you. So follow these rules for a few months, but once you achieve the body you want... throw them out the window and wear whatever you want like you don't give a what what.

  

  Those who can get away with banana hammocks on stage can wear anything
   in the gym... as long as its not their stage apparel.

How to Meditate... A SIMPLE Guide

Before you read this, please know that I know some of you will try this out, some will shrug it off, and most will just think I'm crazy, weird, or whatever. Regardless of where you find yourself after reading this, I invite you to keep an open mind and try this sh*t out for yourself before passing judgement. I'm 95% certain it will help you and I'm 105% certain that it will NOT hurt you, so again.. give it a shot! Now onto the good stuff...

I don't know about you, but I've recently been hearing a lot about meditation and how calming and fulfilling it can be. So, for two weeks i tried it out on a nightly basis. Here's what I did: Every night before bed I turned the lights out in the bathroom, lit a big candle, and jumped in a hot shower. I also played some Tibetan Monk songs that I found on Spotify. This definitely relaxed me and got me ready to sleep, but I definitely didn't feel any kind of spiritual enlightenment or any of that crap. So were all these people commenting on the weird YouTube videos I watched and obscure blog posts that I read lying? Were they just trying to sound trendy?? WHAT THE HELL MAN! I'm trying to improve my spiritual health here and it ain't working!

So before I totally raged out and lost my Zen or my Chi or whatever the hell you wanna call it... I had an idea (dangerous I know). My idea was to figure out what in Buddah's name these Tibetan Monks were chanting. I figured maybe the secret to meditating was taking the time to understand the seemingly random syllables that these old men were singing over and over and over and over and over and over and... you get the point. Here's what I found out!

I'll use just one chant as an example: Om Mani Padme Hum.

Om Mani Padme Hum. Here each syllable is a different color.

In this simple chant there are 6 syllables... and therein lies THE KEY TO SUCCESSFULLY MEDITATING! You see, each syllable means something different and how you interpret each syllable is referred to as a mantra. Every chant has many possible mantras, I chose my favorite mantra for this particular chant and broke it down for you here:

1. Om- purifies your pride/ego
2. Ma- purifies your jealousy/lust for entertainment
3. Ni- purifies your passion/desire
4. Pad- purifies your ignorance/prejudice
5. Me- purifies your greed/possessiveness
6. Hum - purifies your aggression/hatred

CLICK HERE for a YouTube Video of this Chant

To successfully meditate, fully relax, and eventually...after a lot of practice... transcend your own body... you slowly chant each syllable while thinking of it's meaning (it's mantra). You blank out EVERYTHING with the exception of the mantra. EVERYTHING. It takes a ton of practice and dedication, but i'll tell you what... it's an amazing experience. You can feel your muscles relax and your stress slip away. It's only been a few weeks for me so of course I'm no where near mastering this. I last about 3 minutes tops before my thoughts drift elsewhere, but i'm slowly seeing improvements. To start... just find a dark, quiet place and let yourself go. It's that simple.

Physical, mental, and spiritual health are all equally important. So many people neglect the spiritual side... let's not be one of those people. 

Six Pack Abs are Overrated and Completely Worthless

#SixPack, #Washboard, #Shredded, #Ripped, #CutUp Abs. Everyone wants 'em... but how do you go about gettin' 'em? 

If you're seeking the answer to that question, you're not going to find it here. Well... not directly anyways. This article is going to be all about developing your core, not just those relatively weak and HIGHLY overrated muscles on the front of your stomach. Developing your entire core is extremely important. Why? Because your core's job is to protect the most fragile and vitally important part of your entire body...your spine. A strong core can eliminate lower back pain, prevent slipped discs and tweaks, and result in increased strength throughout your entire body. And as for six packs... I'd rather have a six pack of beer and no abs than a six pack abs and no core. Of course, along with a strong core comes a defined abdomen, but that's not the point!

Your core consists of the following 4 main muscles (just read the bold words if you're in a rush!):

1. Transverse Abdominis- I call this the internal belt. It's deep inside you and encases your spine and internal organs, including your stomach. This is the muscle that works when you suck in your belly and when you force yourself to exhale. A strengthened transverse abdominis will actually keep your belly from sticking out as far as usual. 
2. External Obliques- Located on your sides, these muscles run diagonally downwards in the same direction as your hands when you put them in your front coat pockets. They assist in twisting motions. 
3. Internal Obliques- Located underneath your external obliques, and running in the opposite direction, these muscles also assist in twisting motions. 
4. Rectus Abdominis (aka the Six Pack muscle)- this is the superficial muscle on the front of your abdominal wall that some (most) people kill themselves to get. Men and women will deprive themselves of good, tasty food, skip leg day, and neglect loved ones in their quest get a washboard of sex appeal placed front and center just below their chest. F*ck that noise. Focus on your entire core and this will gradually follow.

Other core muscles include a bunch of small muscles that run along your spine, along with your hip flexors, gluteus maximus and medius, and some other muscles that attach to your pelvis. All important to develop and perhaps the subjects of future articles... but for now lets get back to the 4 main muscles that I outlined above.

So here's how to strengthen your core, flatten your stomach, and possibly even get yourself a six pack (not that you still care about that, right?). This post would be WAY too long if I explained each and every exercise so for a Core sculpting workout, send me an email (strengthbymatt@gmail.com) or a facebook message (facebook.com/strengthbymatt). 

This is an advanced variation of a plank. Next step: Raise up
a leg, then an arm, then one of each.

• Planks- There are a ton of variations of these. The idea is to progress in difficulty levels as you. get stronger. Constant progression. You can put weights on your back, do them for longer, bring a stability ball into the mix, the possibilities are endless! Don't forget to do side planks either
• Off-balance Weight Training- using weights of two different sizes forces your core muscles to fire off and stabilize your body in order to keep your balance.
• Unilateral Exercises- Single leg squats, single romanian deadlifts (close your eys for an extra challenge), single leg box jumps, etc. The core fires off to stabilize your body and keep your balance.
• Unstable Platforms- Bocu balls, stability balls, Core-X platforms, medicine balls, etc. Countless combinations can make any ordinary lift completely dynamic and demanding for your core.
• Twists- anytime you twist your trunk, you work your internal and external obliques. Trim down your sides and "blast" away your love handles by twisting.

Again, this post would be WAY too long if I explained each and every exercise so for a Core sculpting workout, send me an email (strengthbymatt@gmail.com) or a facebook message (facebook.com/strengthbymatt). 

CRUNCHES are good for shaping your rectus abdominis muscle, but can actually damage your spine in the process. Numerous studies have found that the benefit you obtain from doing these archaeic exercises does not outweigh the risk that you place on your spine. The only reason to do a crunch is to prepare for a bodybuilding, physique, or figure show. If you care about athleticism and structural integrity, stop doing them. I personally haven't done a crunch or a sit-up in nearly a year and my abs are on par with where they were when I played college football. 

For my personal core workout- the one that I actually do in the gym- send me an email (strengthbymatt@gmail.com) or a facebook message (facebook.com/strengthbymatt). 

So there you have it amigos! Just in time for beach season!!!

Is THIS Supplement an Effective Replacement for Fruits and Veggies?

To start things off, I am not selling the product in this post, nor am I benefiting from writing this article. I'm simply trying to provide you guys with a little information...

So if you've been following my blog, you know that I am against almost all supplements. To date, the only supplement that I support is Creatine Monohydrate. There are three main reasons for this... you can't possibly get enough Creatine from your daily diet to benefit you, there are no negative side effects, and... it's cheap as hell. Those three reasons are my guiding factors in recommending supplements to my readers and clients.

I'm often approached by friends, clients and colleagues with questions about supplements and/or offers to sell them. I always give frank advice when asked and decline the opportunity to sell, but recently, a friend of mine and licensed Physical Therapist, began endorsing a product called Juice Plus. Like all health related items that I am presented with, I began researching this product before casting judgement one way or the other, and here's what I found...

There are 2 separate products in the Juice Plus line, vegetable, fruit and berry capsules and a plant based complete shake. National Safety Associates (NSA), the owners of Juice Plus, claim that it is the "next best thing to eating fruits and vegetables and that the product is absorbed by the body, reduces oxidative stress, promotes cardiovascular wellness, supports a healthy immune system, and helps protect DNA. These claims have been highly researched and backed up with studies CLICK link here (http://www.teamjp.net/health/exercise2.shtml). With all these claimed benefits, no negative side effects discovered, and a relatively cheap price, I have decided to try it out for myself... just like I am currently doing with Creatine Monohydrate. Afterall, how can I honestly recommend something that I haven't tried out for myself? I'm going to reiterate, just like the Juice Plus owners said, that eating actual fruits and vegetables is always superior to any supplement. However, I will submit to the fact that consuming that large amount of fruits and veggies to meet minimum daily requirements is impossible on some days for a lot of people.

All that said, I am going to start a 6 week trial period and report my progress every couple of weeks. If I find any negative side effects, I'll let ya'll know and shit can my recommendation. If I find none, I just might have to add Juice Plus to my exclusive list of approved supplements.

Product in a Nutshell (VIDEO)  

The Juice Plus Company has also highly marketed their Complete Transformation 6 week program for individuals looking to maintain and/or revitalize their healthy lifestyles.  It provides a DETAILED NUTRITION PLAN and recommendations including water intake, and food servings at no extra cost.

For those of you who don’t want to wait until my post-trial review on this product and need to find a probable system to get back on track for Spring Break, Beach season, your New Years Resolution, or just looking for a fresh start and want to get involved, contact JuicePlusLifestyles@gmail.com for more information on getting you set-up with the Complete Transformation Plan.

I'll let you know how it goes for me!

Carb Free Diets are Bullsh*t!

Before diving into why Carb free diets are bullshit, you must first understand the sources from which your body draws energy:

1. The first source is carbs which are stored in the body as glycogen.

Good carb sources are not fattening. It's what you cook them
in and put on them that make them fattening.

• There are two types of glycogen stores in the body: Muscle glycogen which fuels your muscles directly, and liver glycogen commonly known as blood sugar. Liver glycogen fuels your brain and basically gives you the mental fortitude to push yourself despite being tired. Have you ever gotten to the point in the gym or in sports when you feel great then suddenly WHAM! you can't do another rep or run another ten yards? This is called "bonking" and is a result of depleted liver glycogen stores. It simply means that your brain is not getting the nourishment it needs because your carb stores have been thoroughly depleted. As a result it shut downs and commands your body to do the same.
• Muscle glycogen is a form of carbs that is stored in your muscles as a ready source of energy and it is the first source of energy that your body uses when conducting physical activity.

1. Your body's secondary energy source is fat, which is stored in the body as glycerol. You don't start burning fat as a source of energy until you deplete all of your muscle glycogen stores within a particular muscle.  
2. The third source of energy your body uses is protein. This is only used in extreme circumstances such as marathons or triathlons. When your body is using this form of energy, it is basically eating away your muscles to survive.

*Note: from here on out I am going to refer to glycgogen as carbs and glycerol as fat.*

So here is why including carbs in your diet is actually a good thing for weight loss (no one disputes the fact that it is good for weight gain so I'm not going to go into that explanation here)...

Without carbs, the intensity of your workouts will not be at an optimum level. This in turn will lead to LESS fat being burned, despite the fact that you have to go through your carb stores prior to using up your fat stores. The whole reason why people advocate a carb free diet is to forgo having to burn up your body's carb stores prior to getting into the fat stores. Here's the flip side of that...

If you eat the proper amount of carbs in your daily diet you will be adequately fueling your muscles and, more importantly, your brain. The carbs that fuel your brain will allow you to push through a workout once your muscle carb stores are gone. If you fail to eat the proper amount of carbs in your daily diet, you're putting yourself at a huge disadvantage from the get-go. Unless you use a pre-workout supplement (WHICH IS A HORRIBLY UNHEALTHY DECISION!) to overcome these depleted carb stores, you will already be at your bonking point. You won't have to mental fortitude or muscular endurance to burn through a sufficient amount of fat stores required to change your body's physical appearance. Carbs lead to results, carb-free leads to mediocrity. 

There are ways to overcome the lack of carbs, such as ingesting simple carbs in the form of a supplement just before your workout or taking a pre-workout supplement. These methods really mess with your body's chemical and hormonal balances, cost a lot of money, and are simply not as effective as carbs... aka nature's pre-workout. 

Hey as always though, this is just advice and you can do whatever the HELL you wanna do! 

If you want a good diet to maximize your gains in the gym, send me an email at strengthbymatt@gmail.com. I'll hook you up!!

How to Free Your Mind and Release Your Stress

!!!!!!Send me an email if you want a personalized lifting routine!!!!!!!
strengthbymatt@gmail.com

Also, Like the Strength By Matt Facebook Page for daily fitness tips! And add me to your Google+ Circles! (view in full web format on your smart phone or tablet to see the link to to do this)

A lot of people have been telling me that they run not to improve their physical health but to improve their mental health. Others say they love hitting the gym because it's the only place they get alone time to recharge their batteries. Today at the gym though, I saw so many people standing around gossiping about stupid shit or bitching about legit shit going on in their lives. SO I felt compelled to write this shit...

Your body will only do what your mind allows it to do. If on your blissful run you think negative thoughts and refuse to let go and clear your head, you will not find your run therapeutic. In fact, you might even be more stressed because while your mind was racing thinking about whatever stressful situations you're going through, your body was "wasting time" running or lifting. The only way to pacify your mind at that point would be to take action against to solve your problems. If you're running or lifting, you're not taking that action, you're just wasting time as far as your mind is concerned. So here's the trick to turning your workout into therapy... let everything go! Think about your feet hitting the pavement, the air going into your lungs, your muscle fibers contracting, your fat burning away... think about the present and let your mind feel like it is actually accomplishing something right then and there. Then and only then will you truly be able to carry that peace and mental clarity into the other aspects of your life. YOU'LL SEE BIGGER PHYSICAL GAINS THIS WAY TOO! 

Another good tip which has nothing to do with working out is to just scream. Like a three year who just got told they couldn't have anymore candy. Do it in a pillow if you're shy or just out loud if you have the house to yourself. Open your mouth as wide as you can and discharge your rage loudly and violently. I personally try to do this monthly just to balance myself out. It's definitely different, but try it out before you think I'm crazy!

You don't have to choose a grueling activity to do this either. I did PiYo (a mixture of Pilates and Yoga) a couple days ago and found that, without really breaking a sweat, I was completely relaxed and re-centered. For a full hour, I focused on nothing but my muscles stretching, my spine extending, and breathing deeply. It was amazing and I definitely recommend it. 

If you're stressed out about a big test, being unemployed, an investment tanking, your kids misbehaving, your significant other cheating on you, your car breaking down when you need it most, or any other shit life is throwing your way, go workout and bring your mind with you. It will try to wander, but don't let it! Tell your brain to tell your mind to calm the f*ck down and focus on the present.   

As always though, this is all just advice. Take it or leave it my friends!

The ZeroCardio Diet - Part III

!!!!!!Send me an email if you want a personalized lifting routine!!!!!!!
strengthbymatt@gmail.com

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Speed ladder drills have many benefits for mind and body!

In the first two parts of this series, I went over the numerous reasons why, if your goal is athleticism and/or aesthetics, you should stop doing cardio and start lifting weights. In this part, I am going to go into some exercises that you can and should do as part of your ZeroCardio Diet. Just to be clear, this program is meant to harness your athletic prowess as you develop copious amounts of lean, drop dead, mouth-wateringly sexy muscle. So if you want to run marathons or 5Ks or if you just enjoy running to clear your head... DO CARDIO. Just know that cardio WILL destroy your lean muscle gains so for MAXIMUM results, I do not recommend combining weight lifting with cardio.  Once again, cardio is NOT bad for you... it's just not the best for bulking up, trimming down, athleticism, and overall hotness.

When it comes to weight lifting, FORM is paramount...not the amount of weight you push around. Insecure jabronies sacrafice form for weight... don't be a jabroni. Also CrossFit warriors do the same thing. CLICK HERE to read about my OPINION of that "sport." But I digress...

I could go on and on about strength training routines and exercises you could do to BLAST FAT and improve your athleticism and appearance, but I'm not going to do that here. Instead, I invite you to send me an email ( strengthbymatt@gmail.com ) and ask me for a FREE, ZeroCardio strength training regimen. Whatever your goal is, be it body building, athleticism, bulking up, trimming down, or just plain getting a nicer ass! I can create a workout that will help you achieve it. Strength training is nothing without a proper diet though, so you won't be able to just lift right, you'll have to eat right too. I will cover that topic soon too.

Sled pulls are great for your heart and your
muscular development! 

The main concern people have with the ZeroCardio program is that they think that cardio is the only way to improve your CARDIOvascular system. But that thought is simply wrong. Among other things, sprints, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). and super setting your lifts will improve your cardiovascular health. You won't be able to run a mile very fast, nor will you be able to mindlessly watch TV or read a book while doing them, but that dosen't mean your cardiovascular system is unhealthy. The aforementioned exercises create lean, sexy fast twitch muscle fibers while still giving your heart a workout and improving your overall cardiovascular health. I recommend including at least 1 day a week of interval training or sprints in addition to weight lifting. These exercises will not diminish the gains you see from weight lifting, they will actually improve them. Sprints especially are very efficient in burning through your bodies glycogen (carb) stores. When sprinting you use glycogen almost exclusively as an energy source. The faster you blast through that, faster you begin burning through your glycerol (fat) stores. You DO NEED CARBS in your diet though in order to fuel your muscles so that you can have a good strong workout.

My whole goal of creating the Strength By Matt brand is not to rid the world of treadmills and elliptical machines. My goal is to make this world a better place by helping individuals become stronger versions of themselves in the most EFFICIENT manner possible. As you become physically and mentally stronger, not only will your life improve, but so will the lives of those around you and in turn, the world will be a little bit better of place. If you feel the strongest version of yourself is a marathon runner, then the Strength By Matt resistance training program is not for you. Just tune out articles like these and read my posts on nutrition, supplements, mental health, and the like. I really do welcome your feedback and your points of view so keep it coming!

And as always... all of this is just advice.. you can do whatever the HELL you wanna do!

The Creatine Experiment

!!!!!!Send me an email if you want a personalized lifting routine!!!!!!!
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Those of you who have been following my blog may remember a post I did on the benefits of creatine. Click CLICK HERE to read it.

Well I have continued doing research and have still not been able to find anything wrong with it. In fact, the only proven adverse side effects are weight gain and water retention... which actually aren't adverse at all since the whole purpose of taking the supplement is to gain mass. I am comfortable recommending this supplement to anyone 18 years and older because Creatine, the most studied supplement behind whey protein, has not been proven to cause any adverse health effects. Also, your body naturally produces Creatine, so it's not like you're adding anything to your system that might send your hormones into a tailspin. Now, because the supplement industry is highly unregulated you're going to want to heavily research the company from which you buy your products. Make sure their top dogs aren't criminals and check to see that their products have never been tainted with things like testosterone, steroids, or meth.

All the being said, I am going to use myself as a guinea pig for a 12 week cycle of Creatine supplementation. I purchased my Creatine powder from #truenaturals.com (a reliable source of supplements!) for $16 after shipping. Pretty affordable if you ask me. I will begin with a 5 day, 20 gram per day #LoadingPhase, and the rest of the cycle will be a 5 gram per day maintenance phase. I will take the 5 grams within 15 minutes postworkout (aka post swoll fest). Periodically, I will report my progress on here and at the end, I will give a full report. If I find any negative side effects I will stop taking it immediately. I have taken Creatine (and a sh*t ton of other legal supplements) in the past, but I did not take it properly, so this should be a pretty interesting experiment.

This is not a gateway supplement, so I still will not be taking #WheyProtein, #pre-workout supplements, #BCAAs, or anything else of the sort. And I STILL hold strong to the fact that proper nutrition can yield better results at a cheaper cost than any supplement can. But Creatine may be different. It is found naturally in beef and other meats, but to get the 5 grams per day that your muscles need to see a benefit from it, you would need to eat 32kg!!! of beef every day. That means eating a 64+ ounce steak every damn day! Also, at $16 for a 100 day supply, it's a pretty damn good value. So I invite you to follow along with me on this journey. In the end, I'll either recommend or I'll toss it in the same shitastic group as every other supplement on the market today. Cheers!

The Zero Cardio Diet - Part II

!!!!!!Send me an email if you want a personalized lifting routine!!!!!!!
strengthbymatt@gmail.com

Also, Like the Strength By Matt Facebook Page for daily fitness tips! And add me to your Google+ Circles! (view in full web format on your smart phone or tablet to see the link to to do this)

As people progress in age past their 20's, and in some cases in their late 20's, they begin to lose a percentage of muscle mass every year. This percentage increases with age. Now here's the kicker: Strength training combats this genetic decline... cardio accelerates it. You see, in order to continue to increase muscle mass as you age, you must create lean, fast twitch muscle fibers. Cardio tends to atrophy (eliminate) fast twitch muscle fibers in favor of less toned, weaker slow twitch fibers. What's that you say? You don't care about your muscle composition because all you want in life is to be skinny? Well, cardio dosen't help that either!

Women who lift trim down instead of bulking up!

Lean, fast twitch muscle fibers require more calories to function then their slow twitch counterparts. So when you run or bike for miles and burn all those calories in the short term, you are actually making it harder for your body to burn calories in the long run. If, instead of running for an hour you chose to lift weights, you would create lean muscle in your body, and as a result every activity you do would require more calories. In other words, lean muscle will increase your basal metabolic rate! This lean muscle also appears to be more firm and more aesthetically pleasing. And you will be able to maintain this appearance into your old age. You simply cannot get this benefit from cardio. 

Most of us find ourselves in this
position for extended periods of time
every day, which is horrible for our
posture! 

Now let's talk about posture, which also tends to degenerate with age. Most of our lives today are anterior centric, or "forward leaning." From driving your car, to sitting at your computer, you spend a large part of your day hunched over with your shoulders rolled forward and your head sticking out forward like a chicken pecking for food. When you bike or run, you force your body to do the same thing only under a greater amount of stress! Just look at the next runner you see in your neighborhood if you want proof. This is horrible for your structural integrity, and for your overall appearance. Strength training, however, can correct this. I'll do a post soon about all the life benefits of good posture, but for now, just take my word for it... good posture is critical for long-term quality of life.

Next topic... let's address the concern that most women bring up to me... 

A lot of females believe that if they strength train they will bulk up like Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is simply impossible. Men have a much higher ability to gain mass and muscle due to their testosterone levels being far higher than those of women. Those "freak" female body builders are almost all on steroids. Women will actually appear thinner, and more trimmed down when they follow a lifting program. If you think you're different, you're not! Lifting weight burns both the fat surrounding your muscles and the fat within your muscles (and yes, there is fat within your muscles in the same way that there is fat in the middle of a nice juicy steak). This results in a trimmed down, toned appearance. Without the use of supplements like steroids and testosterone boosters, women cannot physically bulk up to "disgusting proportions". As long as females follow a healthy, calorie-conscious diet in conjunction with a proper lifting program, they will trim down, tone up and look sexier than they could ever look by doing mass amounts of cardio.

Biking, a form of cardio, is ineffective.

So cut the crap cardio and start getting more bang for your buck... lift weights! 

The Zero Cardio Diet - Part I

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You will only bulk up by lifting if that's your goal.
When it comes to bulking vs.  toning, it's all about what you
eat, not what you lift!

The key to losing weight and getting the lean shapely figure you're looking for is to burn more calories than you take in. To do this, most people think they have to run, bike, swim, hop on the eliptical machine or stair stepper, or row a 10k. WRONG! Cardio is not the answer! The answer is found in resistance training aka weight lifting aka pumping iron aka getting your swoll on. 'Merica.

The amount of calories you burn during a workout is determined by your heartbeat. Essentially, the harder your heart works, the more calories you burn. So here's the conundrum with devoting time to cardio in an effort to burn calories as you stive to achieve your aesthetic goals. As you get better at cardio, your entire cardiovascular system improves (hence the name cardio!) which means it requires less effort for your heart to pump oxygen throughout your body. Consequently, you burn less calories. To overcome that you must increase the duration or intensity of your cardio sessions. Ain't nobody got time for that! Additionally, your body begins to convert your lean, sexy fast twitch muscles into slow twitch muscles in order to adapt to the increased amount of cardio you've been doing. Lean muscle is made primarily of fast twitch fibers and is imperative to achieving the shape and pleasing aesthetic appearance that most people desire (if you show me someone who dosen't desire this, I'll show you a liar). More muscle on the body equals more calories burned in both the resting and active state. Why? Simply put, more muscle fibers are recruited and required during each and every activity that you perform. This means that people with more muscle burn more calories while walking, working, eating, watching tv, working out, and even sleeping than people with less muscle burn. 

To achieve the shape you desire for your body, you must change your body's composition. In other words, you must get rid of fat while simultaneously adding muscle. Cardio will drive you to lose some fat, but it does not allow you to gain muscle. The average overweight woman is pear shaped with more fat in the lower half of their body while the average overweight man tends to be apple shaped with more fat in their mid-section. Doing cardio then would drive these people to become smaller pears and smaller apples because they would lose some fat without adding muscle. Your goal however, should not be to look like pear or apple of any size. It should be to change your body's composition in your upper and lower half and in your core (abs and lower back). This goal can only be accomplished through strength training! 

I'll leave you with this final piece... I dare you to take the Strength By Matt challenge:
       

A not-so-uncommon sight in the cardio room.

Next time you're at the gym look in the cardio section and I'll bet you'll see a dozen or so people who look unhappy, are not losing weight, and are using cardio as an excuse to watch television. This form of exercise will closely resemble the time they spend on their couch! Next, look into the weight room and I'll bet you'll see a group of lean, toned, sexy individuals with great posture and a confident aura. Now answer this question... which group would you rather be a part of?

As always, I'm only giving you advice and inviting you to try something new as you strive to become a stronger version of yourself. You can do whatever the hell you want to do! 

Do THIS to Cure a Hangover

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Relax your hangover away. You earned it baby!

The skin is your body's largest organ, and one of it's main jobs is to excrete toxins from the body. It does this through sweat, and the sauna is a great way to get a sweat on. I first became interested in saunas when I was playing football in college in Connecticut. Practices were extremely cold towards the end of the season, so to warm back up, I made it a habbit of going in the sauna until I got the feeling back in my fingers and toes. Perhaps to further justify this practice of going in the sauna, I researched the health benefits and I was pleased to find that there were many. My reasoning for going into the sauna was no longer solely because I was a wimp who hated the cold New England winters.

On to the title of this post... the #HangoverCure! When you go into a sauna your heart rate increases to that of a brisk walk as your sweat glands kick into actions. Sweating then mobilizes toxins (alcohol is a toxin, believe it or not!) that are stored in your fat cell and enhances their elimination. So why not just exercise to to start sweating? Well, after a heavy night of drinking it isn't good for your heart to raise your heart rate as high as jogging or high intensity training would raise it. So when you're feeling hungover, just relax, sit in the sauna, and sweat your toxins out. From personal experience, this is the best cure for a hangover. Of course, detox is one part of the puzzle, the other piece is re-hydration. So drink plenty of water! Especially in the sauna. Bring a bottle with you and down the whole thing either in the sauna or right after you get out, before starting your next 15 minute cycle. Let your body tell you when you are fully detoxed and your hangover is cured. I suggest spending less time detoxing if you are new to the whole sauna thing. Like everything fitness related, you should build up to it over time as opposed to just jumping in head first. 

If you're really looking to detox your body for the long haul, not just for one day to kick your hangover's ass, you're going to want to read this paragraph. Several researchers have looked at the effect of sauna on the body's toxic burden. the best studied is the Hubbard Sauna Detoxification Program. This protocol involves daily exercise followed by sitting in a sauna for 2.5 to 5 hours a day, with breaks for cooling down and rehydrating. Participants in this program also take niacin to stimulate circulation and fat mobilization, as well as multivitamins and polyunsaturated oils. 

Bring in a bottle of water with you and don't stay in longer than
15 minutes continuously.

Try out the sauna next time you're hungover and let me know what you think. Feel free to leave any other proven hangover cures that you've had success with in the comments below. 

Again, this is all just advice... you can do whatever the hell you want to do!

Free Weights vs. Machines, Which is Better?

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Many people wonder whether they should use free weights or machines during their lifting programs. If you ask one person they'll tell you free weights, but if you ask another person they'll give you a great argument for using machines. So which one do I recommend?

This machine forces isolation of your bicep muscles but takes
the place of your stabilizers.

Answer: It depends on what your goals are.

I personally use free weights as I do mainly Olympic lifts during my workouts, but I'm not going to sit here and say that it's my way or the highway. My goals for lifting are to increase functionality and athleticism. If your goals are different, I wouldn't put you on the same lifting program as me. If, for example, you are into bodybuilding, I would definitely incorporate more machine weights into your program. Why? Because machine weights are great for forming and shaping individual muscles. They isolate the targeted muscle very well, which is very important if your goal is to simply look good and symmetrical for aesthetic purposes. So, if this is your goal (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!) then use machine weights all you want. You WILL have success.

The squat is an excellent example of an exercise that
strengthens your prime movers as well as your stabilizers
and core.

Now, if your goal is gain increase your athleticism and strength, machine weights are not the way to go. Football players and all other athletes... I'm talking to you, regardless of what you think your goals are. You see, machine weights train your neuromuscular system to move and use your muscles without recruiting your stabilizers. This makes you extremely vulnerable to injuries. If your muscles are trained to work without using stabilizers, they might be big and strong looking, but they're one wrong move, one quick jerk away from popping. Additionally, while your muscles get big and strong and are able to lift heavier weights, your joints and stabilizers remain weak and unable to handle the same amount of weight as your muscles. I'm convinced that this is why I suffered so many injuries throughout my life in football, baseball, and wrestling. I was a machine weight whore for many years. It wasn't until I started using free weights nearly exclusively that I went from getting injured multiple times a season, to almost never getting hurt despite the size and skill level of my competition increasing. If your goal is athleticism and functionality, you want to stick to lifts that simulate natural movements. These lifts recruit the same stabilizers that you are apt to use both while playing sports, and in every day life. In almost no real-life situation will you have a machine available to take the place of your stabilizing muscles as you try to pick something up or move around.

As always...this is just advice! You can do whatever you want. You know yourself and your body better than anyone else, so if in your experience you've had success with machine weights and have correlated that success with athletic prowess, then by all means keep using them. I'm just giving you another way to look at things and inviting you to try something new.

If you want me to hook you up with a lifting program, send an email to strengthbymatt@gmail.com and I'll hook you up! 

Too Busy to Workout? Try This!

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So many people talk about being too busy to workout... but are they?

I currently balance raising a 4 year old and a newborn, being an Active Duty service member working 50+ hours per week, my fitness blog, and studying for my GRE and Personal Training certification... and I workout 4-5 times per week. I'm not saying this to brag at all. I'm saying this to let you know that is definitely possible to workout no matter how much you have going on in your life. All you need to do is sit down for 20 minutes and create a Time Budget for yourself. This is much easier to do than a Financial Budget, trust me. 

Think about it this... there are 168 hours in a week. Lets take out 40 hours for work, now were down to 128 hours. now lets say you spend 2 hours per night cooking and cleaning up from dinner. We're now down to 114 hours. Next we'll say you take 1 hour per night reading and we're down to 107 hours left. 7 hours a night of sleep takes us to 58 hours. Okay so now you have a family and you spend 5 hours a day doing things like commuting, errands, quality time with family a friends, etc... and we're left with 23 hours. 23 hours of free time. A quality workout only takes 45 minutes to an hour, just 4-5 days per week. So of those 23 hours we have left, you need 5 max! Which still leaves you 16 hours per week (over 2 hours a day) to sit on your ass and do absolutely nothing! 

I just re-read that paragraph and found it hard to follow myself... so here's a linear method of reading it. Should be easier to follow.

 168 (Total Hours in a week)

-49   (Sleeping)

-40  (Work Hours)

-2    (Cooking/eating/cleaning Dinner)

-7    (Reading)

-35  (Misc.)

__

23  (Hours per week you have left over to use for doing whatever you want)

Everyone's Time Budget will look different and some people will have more free time left over than others. But I can guarantee you, you'll be able to find free time for working out. 

Working out is extremely important to your overall health and quality of life. Making time for it will impact so many areas of your life in a positive manner.  

This is just advice though. You can do whatever you want! Share your comments below!

F*ck Crossfit

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Q: How do you know someone does Crossfit?
A: They'll tell you.

I'll start this off by saying that I think the Crossfit concept is a good one and that it definitely has it's place in the fitness realm. I also have a lot of respect for those that do it and do it well. It requires you to push yourself beyond your limits, challenges you mentally and physically, and turns athletes into better, more ripped versions of themselves. My beef doesn't lie with those who excel at "the sport of working out." My beef lies with the sport itself... and what it's become.

I started thinking more into this whole Crossfit bullshit when I was watching the Crossfit games on ESPN2 at like 3am one day. During one of the 100yd. hand stand walk event, the announcer actually said "This event is one of my favorites because it takes so much strength and balance... it is complete destruction on the shoulder joint!" SERIOUSLY?? Why are people engaging in workouts- you know... those things we do to make ourselves healthier and stronger- that straight up destroy their joints??

Some Crossfitters require tape jobs like this to get
 through a workout. Bad Ass, Bro!

Now you see huge groups of people in these Crossfit gyms (or taking up the entire workout area of a regular gym!) all working out at the same time doing a WOD... which is Crossfit talk for Work Out of the Day. In a lot of cases these groups consist of 20 or more people all of different ages, experience levels, and athletic ability... and their doing the same damn workout! Meanwhile the trainer is either talking it up with the hot chicks in the group or working out themselves. Where's the supervision?? Where's the 1 on 1 instruction to make sure people are using proper form to prevent injury and promote good technique?? What this has become is a money making machine... think about it. As a personal trainer getting paid by the hour on a per client basis, you only get 1 person at a time. As a Crossfit guru though you get 20 people paying you in that same amount of time. It's genius for the trainer but horrible for the trainee.

And another thing... as you workout out and push yourself to the limit during a Crossfit session, you begin to fatigue both mentally and physically. Consequently, your form goes away. Now your slinging up weight (dosen't have to be heavy to hurt you!) without engaging your stabilizers and without the proper technique. That's an injury waiting to happen. There are 2 types of people who do Crossfit... those who are injured and those who are soon to be injured. That's why every habitual Crossfitter has their knees and shoulders bandaged up.

Crossfit is meant for elite athletes, not for the everyday person, or even the average high school athlete for that matter. It will not get an out of shape person into shape because they will get injured before that happens. And if it does happen, they will get injured afterwards and lose most of their gains. For the same reason, it is not meant for overweight people to lose weight either. And finally, it will not turn a non-athlete into an good athlete... it just won't.

Rant over.

Leave comments below... especially you Crossfit people reading this. Defend your "sport"!

Enjoy the video... it's funny cuz it's true!

VIDEO: My 48" Box Jump Progression

Box jumps are excellent for increasing the strength, power, and explosiveness in your legs. Land with your feet flat and even on the platform. Use plates, as I do in this video, to increase the height of your platform. Hit me up in the comments section with any questions!

VIDEO: Deadlifting 405 Raw at 165lbs

Amino Acids... Explained!!

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A pretty hot topic in the fitness world right now is the importance of amino acids in building muscle. We covered this topic pretty extensively in my Nutrition class and I've done a lot of independent research on it, so I'm going to break it down for you in an easy to follow manner. This should save you the trouble of going all over the internet looking for answers...

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and protein is the main component of muscle (next to water, of course). There are 21 amino acids and they are broken down into 2 groups: essential and non-essential. In all, there are 9 essential amino acids and 12 non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are named as such because your body cannot create these amino acids on its own which means it is essential for them to be included in your diet. Without both essential and non-essential amino acids, your body will not be able to synthesize protein, which means less gains from the weight room... which means severe depression and an overwhelming sense of failure. Just kidding... but seriously.

So where can you get your hands on these amino acids? The best source is through animal protein because animal protein contains all 9 essential amino acids. That is why we call animal protein "complete" protein sources. Examples are beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. If you want to get big... eat animals.

Plant protein is called "incomplete" protein because, you guessed it, it does not contain all 9 essential amino acids. People on a plant based diet (vegetarians and vegans) must be sure to mix and match their sources of protein to ensure they are getting all their amino acids. This means eating different kinds of beans, nuts, and grains, and varied colors of vegetables. Scientists and nutritionists are not sure which plants contain which types of amino acids, but it has been proven that if you just eat a variety of plant based protein sources you will get all 9 essential amino acids from your diet. Which means that even on a vegetarian diet, you can still see big gains.

I do NOT recommend it, but a third source of amino acids is through BCAA supplements. These are expensive! but have been proven to work (I just read a double blind, placebo controlled government study that showed positive results from BCAA supplements). However, long term ingestion of BCAA supplements could result in dependency... which means your body could slowly lose the ability to process amino acids from natural sources (plants and animals). And, as with ALL supplements nowadays, YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING ALL OF THE INGREDIENTS THAT THE MANUFACTURER PUT IN THE PRODUCT. For more info on the dangers of supplements, read my post on pre-workout supplements. Again, BCAA supplements work, but are NOT necessary if you follow a proper diet.

Protein powders also claim to have amino acids in them. This is probably true, especially for Whey protein powders since Whey is made from milk, but again, not necessary if you follow a proper diet. If for some dumb ass reason your main source of protein is protein powder, I do recommend buying a powder that contains essential amino acids, or BCAAs. Before you buy your next jug of powder though, watch my YouTube video on Protein Powders (and subscribe to my channel!) to find out why this is a bonehead decision.

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Women's Health: Keys to a Sexy Booty, Thighs, and Hips - Part I

Two big things influence a woman's fat content outside of their diet and exercise routine... hormones and genetics.

Women naturally deposit fat in their thighs and buttocks due to a high presence of the hormone estrogen. In fact, a lot of female body builders and physique models actually take estrogen reduction pills in order to prevent fat deposits  in these parts of their bodies.

Sir Mix-a-Lot was right. Males are programmed to like big
butts, and they cannot not lie. This is a sub-conscious
predisposition.

Genetics predispose people to a certain body type. The natural inclination towards a certain body type can be fought against and significantly changed with diet and exercise, but it cannot be totally negated. If you have bigger hips or thighs than the average woman, you need to accept that and embrace your curves! Men like curves more than stick figures anyways. Thicker thighs, buttocks, and hips signify increased estrogen and a child bearing potential. These two things draw on the sub-conscious, primal instincts of the male species and attract them to their female counterparts... so women should work to perfect their curves, not eliminate them!

Alright I'm off my soapbox... moving on now. In order to understand how to lose undesired fat, you must first understand the sources from which your body draws energy:

1. The first source is carbs which are stored in the body as glycogen. If you want to have the best workouts possible, YOU NEED TO EAT CARBS! Carbs will allow you to work harder in the gym and consequently burn more fat. Like a car, your muscles need fuel to run.
2. Your body's secondary energy source is fat, which is stored in the body as glycerol. 
3. The third source of energy your body uses is protein. This is only used in extreme circumstances such as marathons or triathlons. When your body is using this form of energy, it is basically eating away your muscles to survive.
4. So in summary, first you burn carbs, then when that is used up you burn fat, then finally you burn protein as a last resort.

To lose weight and fat you're going to have to create a "calorie deficit" at the end of each day. This means you have to burn more calories than you take in. It's that simple. It is physically impossible to lose weight if you don't do this. I recommend tracking your calories each day by using a calorie counting app on your smart phone. The one I use is called My Fitness Pal, and it's free!

To help you create a calorie deficit, you're going to have to exercise. Light exercise, such as walking, uses fat almost exclusively as an energy source. Shocking right? Now this doesn't mean that walking is the best way to reduce fat (it doesn't contribute enough to that calorie deficit that I told you you need to create), but it certainly helps. Moderate exercise such as jogging burns 40-60% fat and the rest is carbs. And high intensity exercise, weight lifting and sprints, burns through your glycogen stores (carbs) almost exclusively.

The most effective way to burn fat is to walk 15-30 minutes in the morning to get your metabolism going for the day. Next you want to lift weights and do sprints. I'LL LAY OUT A DETAILED WORKOUT PLAN IN PART II of this series. JOGGING IS NOT THE WAY TO GO if you're trying to burn fat. Weight lifting is paramount... as an example, just 3 sets of 8 reps of bicep curls burns through 70% of your glycogen stores (carbs). Once you burn through 100% of the glycogen stores in any muscle group, you begin burning through your fat stores. Weight lifting and high intensity sprints, not jogging on a treadmill, is the fastest way to do this. Additionally, jogging only increases your metabolism for the one day that you do it. So if you skip a day, you're metabolism is not sped up for that day. Weight lifting on the other hand speeds your metabolism up for multiple days afterwards as your body works to repair the small muscle abrasions created during your lifting session.

In short, to burn off that stubborn hip, thigh, and booty fat, you need to create a calorie deficit, lift weights, and run high intensity sprints. Stay tuned for Part II of this series!

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Leave me some comments and topic requests below!

THIS is the Only Proven and Safe Supplement on the Market

I read a few studies on this supplement and went ahead and summarized one of them below. The last 2 paragraphs are pretty detailed so if you're a health nerd like me, you'll like them, otherwise just read the next 3 paragraphs. So what ergogenic actually works as advertised?

CREATINE is PROVEN to work! Not only that, but there are no negative side effects associated with taking it! It's the only supplement on the market that I would recommend adults (not high schoolers) taking. One of the best things about creatine is that it is naturally produced by your body, which means you're not putting something into your body that it isn't used to having.  When you supersaturate your muscles through creatine supplementation, you will put on mass and you'll see increases in strength and power. It goes without saying that you need to lift weights to see these gains... but I figured I'd say it just in case.

If you're going to take a creatine supplement, I recommend CREATINE MONOHYDRATE. There are many different types of creatines that manufacturers claim will turn you into some sort of a super human, but creatine monohydrate is the only one that has been proven to work by academic, non-biased studies. 

How to take it: Start with a LOADING PHASE of 5 grams 4 times per day for 5-7 days. This loading phase is important to seeing the best results. Very few studies have shown positive results in people who skipped the loading phase. After the loading phase just take 3-5 grams immediately after working out. You will see benefits if you take creatine prior to your workout, but for BEST results, take it afterwards. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water while your taking this supplement (aim for a gallon per day), and don't forget to lift weights. You're likely to get "bitch tits" if you take it and don't lift weights.

Now for the super informative, but slightly boring technical-term-filled summary of one of the studies I read about creatine...


Creatine monohydrate supplementation increases performance by giving the muscles more energy during workouts. The way this works is that the creatine monohydrate molecules that are ingested via a supplement bond with Adenosine Di-Phosphate (ADP) molecules that the human body naturally produces. When this happens, Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) is formed, thus resulting in more energy and decreased recovery time during workouts. As we learned in class, this is the primary storage form of energy in the muscles of the body. ADP molecules naturally bond together to form ATP molecules in the body. The benefit of taking a creatine monohydrate supplement is that these bonds occur at a much higher rate because there are more free molecules in the body for ADP molecules to bond with in order to form ATP. Creatine monohydrate supplementation has been proven to increase lean muscle mass, so this study was conducted in order to determine if creatine supplementation was more beneficial when taken pre or post workout.

The results of this study showed that creatine monohydrate supplementation was more beneficial when taken post workout vs. pre-workout. When taken both pre and post workout, fat free mass increased, fat mass decreased, and muscular strength increased. However, those participants that ingested creatine monohydrate after they worked out showed greater benefits than those that took the supplement prior to working out.  The participants were taken off all other supplements 4 weeks prior to the study commencing and they were put on the exact same workout routine for four weeks, and their diets were spot checked throughout the study and found to be relatively congruent amongst all participants. 

Reference

Antonio, J., & Ciccone, V. (2013). The effects of pre vs. post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. Journal of the International Study of Sports Nutrition, 10, 36.