Training with high reps and light weight makes your muscles look more cut:

When it comes to looking more cut and shredded, it’s not done with with weights but rather in the kitchen instead. Yes, you build lean muscle mass when you lift weights, doesn’t matter if its high reps or low reps. But in order to look more cut, it’s mainly the foods that you eat that determines so. Because you can have all the muscle you want, but if you got a layer of fat covering it up, whats that going to do for your muscle definition? Ever heard of the term “great abs are made in the kitchen,” well there’s a lot of truth to that in reality. And yes, the intensity of your training does matter when you’re trying to burn fat, but if you’re not eating right nutritionally, what’s the point of your high endurance training?

To gain more muscle mass, you have to shock your muscles by keeping your muscles guessing:

This way of thinking or the concept of it is usually said by people that do not generally understand the physiology of how muscle grows and the processes that your body goes through when training to gain more muscle mass. When it comes down to it, muscles only know the movements of pulling, extending, contracting, and pushing. Changing the type of exercise performed does not change their muscle growth response. What determines your muscle growth process is the duration, volume and intensity that you apply to your body.

Training to failure is a must for maximum muscle growth:

This may be one of the most misunderstood bodybuilding concepts of all time. To achieve muscle growth, you do not need to train a muscle group to failure. It’s not necessary to workout a certain muscle growth to the point of no longer doing a repetition. All you need to do is to apply higher intensity to your workouts and to lift weights that are heavier than the previous set instead of doing an exercise to where you are no longer able to do reps.
For your muscles to grow, all you need is to do higher intense workout from previously before. It can be a waste of energy and not to mention over training to work your muscles any further than it can go. Training to failure will also result your muscles having to recover longer than usual.

As mentioned, when it comes to muscle growth and bodybuilding, there are many misunderstood concepts when it comes to training. It’s always important to do your own research or someone with reputable authority of a given training method to get the best out of your training.

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If you don’t plan, you plan to fail. Doing cardio just by doing exercise is a strategy for failure. Without goals, it will be hard to know where you are, and if there is any improvement. Most people, both bodybuilders and people who haven’t trained start their cardiovascular training with a vague image of what they are going to do. What people know is that they need to take some fat off their body, but other than that, it’s difficult for them to figure out where they want to be, or to know where they are now. You can escape this process by measuring your waistline with a tape measure, and getting a body fat analysis done at your local gym. These things will enable you to identify your own reasonable fitness goals for your cardio. Keeping track of your bodyfat will help you in your progress. You can measure and take the bodyfat test every 2 to 4 weeks to see the improvement. Don’t take the test too often as you may not see results right away.

Exercise in the morning

These cardio exercises should be done immediately after waking up in the morning, without any breakfast. Wake up, stretch out, go to the restroom, get some ice cold water, and finish your cardio exercise before eating anything. This will assure you that the energy you use is from your fat stores in the body, not those carbohydrates from your bloodstream.

Accumulate them

Aside from the cardio exercise, you should also watch what you eat. Do the usual stuff and stay way from eating high fat meals or overeating. Simple sugar and starchy carbohydrate should be eaten in moderation. Doing cardio will be more effective over time.

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Get Better Results in Less Time with Hybrid Workouts

Hybrid exercises, sometimes called complexes, consist of sets of several different exercises performed together in one giant set. They can be performed using barbells, dumbbells or a weight plates. Hybrids have proven to be an effective training tool for athletes although athletes are not the only ones who should incorporate hybrid training into their workout. Hybrids are an effective tool for anyone looking to improve their level of conditioning or increase strength. They are also an excellent workout to perform when you are limited for time, which most of us are during the holiday season. Hybrids, therefore give you no excuse to miss your workout.

Hybrids as a Warm-Up

Hybrid training can serve as an effective warm-up, much more so than walking on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike. When performing hybrids as part of a warm-up – perform each exercise for six repetitions, without any rest between exercises. Lighter weights will be used in this type of hybrid workout since your work sets are still to follow. Studies have shown that performing this type of workout as a warm-up allows for greater performance during the actual workout.

Hybrids as a Workout

When performing a hybrid workout, each hybrid is performed up to three times with a rest period between each hybrid. Up to five minutes rest should be allowed between each hybrid to ensure complete recovery of your metabolic system. Increase the weight or number of reps performed at each workout to increase its demands. The number of repetitions performed with each exercise should be based on your training goals. When training to improve conditioning levels or lose bodyfat, ten to twelve reps should be performed per exercise. Hybrid workouts train the entire body and are best performed on alternate days, such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Example Hybrid Workouts

Upright row

While standing, grasp the bar slightly wider than shoulder width using an overhand grip. Pull the bar up to the top of the chest. Keep the elbows above the bar. Keep the shoulders back and the chest forward. Do not lean forward.

Hang Snatch High Pull

Grasp the bar with a wider than shoulder width grip. Feet should be under the armpits. Keep the shoulders back and chest forward. Knees slightly bent. Lower the bar down to the top of the knees making sure to keep the back flat. When the bar reaches the top of the knees drive the hips upward and shrug the shoulders extending the ankles, knees, and hips in a jumping motion. At the top of the shrug pull the elbows upward until the bar reaches the top of the chest.

Squat & Press

Start with the bar on the bottom of the traps. Squeeze the shoulder blades together keeping the chest expanded. Feet should be approximately shoulder width apart and toes slightly turned out. Sit the hips backward keeping the shins vertical, as in sitting in a chair. Keep the spinal erectors tight. Allow the knees to bend as the hips sit backward. Squat as deep as flexibility allows. After reaching the bottom, drive the head and chest upward when coming out of the bottom of the squat. After reaching the top of the squat, use the upward momentum to drive the bar overhead, as in a rear military press.

Bent over row

Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Bend over at the waist keeping the shoulders back and the eyes looking forward. Arch the back slightly and keep the knees slightly bent. Lower the bar close to the ground and pull it to the bottom of the chest. Do not use the legs to drive the weight up.

Conclusion

Hybrid exercises, if selected properly, condition the entire body and improve the body’s ability to recover. The total work performed in a workout using hybrid exercises forces the body to get stronger. For instance, 5 sets of 6 reps for three sets, performed three times is 270 reps of total work completed even before your workout is started. If done four times a week, 1080 additional reps are done each week. The number of reps can be altered to accommodate any strength and conditioning level. Hybrid workouts are also great when you do not have the time to perform a normal workout. The amount of workouts that can be developed by changing the movements or changing the number of reps used is unlimited. Give hybrid workouts a try as a warm-up before your next workout or as a workout next time you want to get a great workout in less time.

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Cardiovascular Training
Before getting started with any form of cardiovascular training it’s important that you know the basics. A warm-up should be performed before one does any workout on cardio machines.

The reason for this is so that the muscles get warm and there is less risk of injury.
There are different types of cardio machines, but they are all effective.

• Treadmill
• Ellipse
• Bicycle
• Stair climber
• Rowing machine and some others

The thing to keep in mind when doing cardio training is that it is not about how fast you go or how hard you push, all that is important is your heart rate. The higher your heart rate, the more calories you burn. This sounds good, but when your heart rate goes above a certain level your body will use muscle for energy, not just fat. This is obviously not a good thing. The cardiovascular training heart rate zone is often regarded as being between 60 and 80% of your maximum heart rate.
It is recommended that you keep your heart rate within a certain range, depending on your age and fitness goal.

When one is doing only cardio training for fat loss, we suggest that you try doing a few sprints. Sprints are an excellent way to increase your metabolism and get results fast.
This is how they work. Take the Treadmill as an example, a commonly used piece of cardio equipment. A person doing sprints would start off by walking at a normal pace for the regular 5 min. warm-up. He or she would then increase the speed by 100%, meaning if they are walking at 4, they would run at 8.
They will then run for 30 sec and then slow it down to the original speed again, in this case 4. He/she will repeat this process as many times as possible.

So the way it works is: walk for 30 sec, run for 30 sec, walk for 30 sec, run for 30 sec etc etc.
The 30 sec time interval is not a must, the important thing is that you push your self for the 30 second run, but you must decrease your heart rate when you walk. If your heart rate is still elevated after 30 seconds of walking, walk until your heart rate has decreased some more.

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Fact: Cardiovascular training, even a small amount, is significant for your vitality and overall health.
It may be very tiring doing bodybuilding, but it is extremely important not only to have a great body but in addition for you to have a long life! Completing a minimum of ten minutes of cardiovascular training 3 to 4 times a week will enhance your metabolism. And even though this is something that we don’t really like doing, we can incorporate cardio through outdoor activities!

1. Go for a Plunge.
A way to enhance your cardio system is by doing 20 minute laps. When doing laps you should remember the following:
• Work to increase your heart rate on your lap training.
• Ensure that you are safeguarded by making use of sun screen protection. You also have to carry on taking multivitamins to maintain your immune system in good shape.
• Swim in a clean, chlorinated pool instead of swimming in an motionless body of water. Bear in mind, we are not sure if that body of water is clean.

2. Work on your Tan.
Doing your work out, very little clothes on is kind of awkward. But if you don’t in fact mind that, then working on your tan will not be tough while you are doing your cardiovascular training. So, get that bronze you’ve been seeking to find while losing weight! Make sure you wear some sunscreen though, you don’t want to get burned.

3. Do it with your Family.
Have a family day!
Bring your children, if you have any, to an empty field and run together with them for about 20-25 minutes. They will definitely enjoy it. This will give your family quality time together while doing your cardiovascular training. Keep your heart rate at the desired level for 20 minutes to increase your metabolism.

4. Visit New places
Notice how time flies?
Visit new places and do your training there. You can visit a new track field, gym or anywhere you want to go. The opportunity of you not noticing the time passing by because of the new environment is really great!

5. Bring a friend with you.
When doing your cardiovascular training, it is great to have somebody to talk with to pass the time. You can talk about anything under the sun and you will not notice how the hours fly by.

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