Is your trainer hurting or helping you?

I see a lot of people these days with personal trainers. With all of this training going on I can't help but think what is your trainer doing for you. Do not get me wrong these trainers are not always bad. But you have to ask yourself something. What do you really want? If your trainer is really good they will help you to achieve your goals no matter what. So if you tell your trainer I want to get bigger for instance. And the response is that you have to first loose weight to get bigger. Do not drink the cool-aid!! There are ways to get bigger and gain muscle mass. Maybe this particular individual does not know how.  I will never forget my first experience in the gym looking at the trainers. Here is this guy who looks like he is 9 months pregnant telling all the women that he has under him to run machine circuits all day. Way to pay attention to detail. Remember what I said. Or there is the guy who thinks that the key to get in shape is to look like the last contestant on survivor. What the f@#$. I think these guys need their head examined. Sure you to can get in killer shape. Just eat two grains of rice every day and drink juice with your vitamins. Don't forget to do tons of cardio on top of it. The more you look like you are starving to death the more in shape you are. You will look real shredded just like a slim Jim is shredded exactly like a slim Jim actually. Is that shredded? I guess my point is if you need a trainer get a good one. Find someone that motivates you towards your goals. The best trainer for your body is you. It is your body after all. Just listen to it.

Why train legs?

You ever walk around the gym and see all these people that are just working upper body. You know what I am talking about all they do is train there upper body and they never train legs. They do not look very proportional. So why is this. The answer is simple. They want big arms or a big chest and they do not ever care about their legs. Let me tell you this is a fatal error created by fuzzy logic. The real deal is that you need to train your legs as much or more than your upper body and here is why. 
1. your legs occupy about fifty percent of your body. This fact alone tells you they need as much attention as the other half of your body. Do not forget your body is a bio feedback mechanism. So the more you train the better your body will respond. It will release more hormones in response to the training like testosterone and growth hormone and these hormones will go through your entire body not just in your legs. So by training just upper body you only get %50 of these.
 2. Your legs are your foundation. Without a strong foundation you will crumble just like a building would. There are countless exercises that rely on your legs for support. So these people are actually holding up their progress in there training regiments by neglecting their legs.
3. Your physique should be proportional. You do not want to walk around looking like some strange cartoon character. With all these developed muscles in your upper body and these chicken legs it looks ridiculous. It reminds me of the S.N.L skit "how much ya bench". I have attached this to  the post. Enjoy!

High school football player benches 700Lbs WOW!!!

This is a video of a high school football player. He can bench press 700lbs. This is absolutely amazing. Check it out!!!

Healthy Foods for an Energy Boost!!

By Jennifer Budd, RN
Fri, Mar 22, 2013

We've all had days when our energy levels were just not up to par. But for some people, having low energy levels is symptomatic of bigger health problems. Those who suffer from such conditions as low testosterone, anemia, depression, and hypothyroidism deal with low energy levels on a more frequent basis. While medications can help ease these symptoms, eating certain healthy foods can give you an energy boost.

Dark, Leafy Vegetables

People who suffer from iron-deficiency anemia frequently have low energy levels. Without adequate iron intake, their bodies do not produce enough hemoglobin, which helps deliver oxygen-rich blood to the body. This lack of oxygen leads to fatigue. Dark, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale are low in calories and fat and high in iron. If you suffer from low testosterone, kale can give your hormone levels a boost too. However, even though people with hypothyroidism would benefit from an iron-rich diet, certain foods like spinach and kale may interfere with thyroid function.

Quinoa

Sometimes billed as a 'superfood', quinoa is highly nutritious and can give you an energy boost. Much like dark, leafy vegetables, quinoa contains iron needed for the hemoglobin in your blood. It also has vitamin B2 and magnesium for energy production and energy metabolism. Diabetics should note that quinoa is a good blend of carbohydrates and protein, a combination that helps stabilize blood sugar and prevent symptoms of hypoglycemia such as shakiness, confusion, and fatigue.

Beans

Beans are like quinoa, with a perfect blend of carbohydrates and protein to give you an energy boost, which is great news for people who are diabetic. Beans also provide much-needed iron for people with hypothyroidism and anemia. It's worth mentioning that many beans are high in tryptophan, an amino acid that can elevate your mood and help those who suffer from depression. And although soybeans have been associated with lowering testosterone levels, there is evidence to suggest this is not the case.

Salmon

Salmon is praised for its omega-3 fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits including reducing inflammation in the body, controlling weight gain, and preventing cancer cell growth. And what is one symptom of omega-3 deficiency? Fatigue. People who suffer from type 2 diabetes and depression may benefit from a little salmon two to three days a week as an energy boost. If you suffer from low testosterone, omega-3s can give your energy and hormone levels a boost. And much like beans, salmon contains a high amount of tryptophan to elevate your mood.

Dark Chocolate

If you need an energy boost, a piece of dark chocolate can perk you up with a lot less caffeine than your typical mocha-latte-blah-blah coffee drink. Dark chocolate has neurotransmitters like serotonin, which can elevate your mood and benefit people with depression. It also contains magnesium for energy production. But before you scarf down a dark chocolate bar, remember two things. Make sure you choose a dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (over 70 percent is ideal) and keep daily consumption to about 1 oz., since dark chocolate is higher in fat than milk chocolate.

Why start with steroids??

I have been training for a long time and I see more and more people starting out with drugs. I can't help to ask myself why start with drugs? If you have good natural potential then why? If you actually stop and think about it these people might actually be cheating themselves. If you are a teenager and producing a lot of testosterone already anyway why take more? Don't you want to know your natural potential.? Not to mention the fact that once you take steroids on of the side effect sis that it shuts off your natural testosterone anyway. So if you start too early you may never realize your natural potential. So I encourage you to take the natural approach first. Trust me I know I can step on stage to this day and still compete with non tested athletes and hold my own. You have a natural potential in you don't squander it. If you want a natural edge try taking some good natural supplements first. I have written many posts on many of the best and their benefits. These will help your body to attain it's drug free potential. Even with this I must warn you certain supplements contain "Andros" these substances are converted to steroids in your body.  Like I said try the stuff that will help your body produce results before depending on the pharmacy..

Some more motivation to keep things moving!!

How not to squat!!!!Worst squat ever!!

This is a video of a guy that is doing knees. I call them knees because he is barley bending his knees. He seems to have a one way ticket to snap city!! You have to build up to and train right to increase your strength. The sad thing is that I can actually squat the weight he is attempting.

Killer triceps workout!!

There are so many triceps exercises that I can hardly count them. You are faced with a choice of what exercise to pick. The main thing you should consider is how effective is each movement.  Are you Hitting all three heads of your triceps in your workout? Here are the three most effective:

1.  Dips. It is important to remember when  doing dips that you don't lean too far forward as this will recruit more of your pectoral muscles. You must try to stay as straight as possible in order to recruit your triceps.
2. Wide grip press downs. This movement is performed using a cable bar and pressing straight down. It is important to remember to keep your elbows fixed and parallel to your body. You must keep a wide grip this will help to engage the outer head of the triceps.
3. Dumbbell kickbacks. This movement is performed by taking a dumbbell and extending your arm. You can do it one hand at a time in a leaning position or double over the head.
Every exercise is performed between the 8-12 rep range and at 3-4 sets. Give these a shot or try implementing them into your program. You will not be disappointed.

Get motivated stay consistent!!!

I give a lot of advice on different things on this blog with respect to training and nutrition. I have decided to include some inspirational video clips. Hopefully these inspirational videos will help you to keep focused in the gym. It does truly take motivation and inspiration to keep the consistency required to be successful in the gym. This is a good one. Arnold is laying down the rules!!!

How important is your diet?

I get a bunch of questions about how important is this or how important is that.? One of the most irritating ones for me is when they ask me is diet important? My next question is usually if breathing is important to them. Then they ask me which diet is best? So let me help everyone with a couple of things right from the get go. First things first your diet is what you eat. Is it important? Sure it is. This is how you grow. If your body does not have enough nutrients to recover than it will not. As for the fad type diets they are just that fads. They use some sort of gimmick to work. Like the low carb thing and not releasing insulin. Knowing that blood sugar is controlled by insulin and that insulin is the most anabolic hormone in the body.... Lets stop the insulin and we will slow and stop the storing of fat. Yeah! But you can;t not eat any carbs for the rest of your life. Your body needs carbohydrates to survive. So my advice to you is to follow a healthy eating style and eat the nutrients you need to achieve your goals. Check my blog for the article about how much protein to eat. In the mean time don't fall for the hype.The training and the diet are both worth %100. Eat good and train hard!!!

Early training is double anabolic and amazing!!

I did not use to like to train with weights early in the morning. I felt like it was a bad time due to the fact that I had not eaten and I like to do my cardio in the morning. But man was I missing out!! What I was failing to realize was that all of those recuperative hormones that I had released well I sleep were all at there peaks at this time during my day. I had no idea that I would get such a rush and pump training early like this. If you actually stop and think about it it makes sense. You have just experienced releases of growth hormone and testosterone while you sleep. This is one of the natural anabolic times for people. So now couple that with the second most anabolic time of day. That is right training and you get a double whammy. There is also another added bonus you can take your pre- workout drink on an empty stomach. What I do is wake up do a small bout of cardio to get my blood pumping drink my pre workout drink. Right now I am using cellacor C4 and head to the gym. Do not forget your post workout shake!! I bring mine and leave it in the fridge so I can slam it when I am done training. I know it is harder to get out of bed earlier but I encourage you to give this I try I do not think you will be disappointed.

Best shoulder work out for cannon ball delts!!!

I think there are many people who neglect their shoulders. They are a rather small body part in comparison to others and they get secondary stimulation from doing back and chest workouts. Before you count them out you should consider some things first. The deltoids are an excellent muscle for increasing the width of your shoulders. The wider your shoulders look the wider you will look. This width will enhance your v- taper look and make it even more v shaped than your back can alone.
So here we go the big question. What is the best way to train shoulders. My favorite way to train my shoulders is in a three movement circuit. I start doing Arnold presses. These are simply a modified dumbbell shoulder press. You start with your palms in and rotate them as you go up. Immediately after I go right into side lateral raises and Immediately after that I do rear delt flys.  I do not rest between movements it is one right after the other. I only rest when the circuit of three is complete. I do however add in shoulder presses between the circuits. These are the key exercises to stimulate the delts. I believe the reason is that they stimulate each part of the delt the front, back and rear. Give this a shot and see what you think.

The Tasty Benefits of Green Tea

The featured longevity food for this month is actually a beverage—and one that is consumed more than any other beverage in the world, other than water: green tea. Read on to learn all about green tea’s benefits for your long-term health and try the tasty Lemony Green Tea recipe below!

 

In my new book, Secrets of Longevity Cookbook, I list green tea as one of the top ten foods for health and longevity. During my twenty-five years of studying centenarians, I found that the same ten foods kept recurring again and again in the diets of long-living individuals, and green tea definitely tops the charts in the beverage category. This is the third article in my monthly series that highlights each of the ten longevity foods. If you’re just catching up, check out the sweet benefits of sweet potatoes or the power of peanuts!

The Tasty Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has been enjoyed in Asia for thousands of years, and with all the buzz about the healthy compounds in tea, it is becoming a very popular beverage in the US. Technically speaking, green tea is the steamed, rolled, and dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Many preliminary studies have associated drinking green tea with helping lower the risk of certain types of cancer, improving cholesterol levels, lowering heart disease risk, boosting alertness, and possibly aiding in weight loss. The healthy benefits of green tea are thought to come from antioxidants called flavonoids, which help protect the cells in your body. Depending on what type of green tea you are drinking, you are also most likely consuming much less caffeine than what is in coffee, cup for cup.
Because of these touted health benefits, it is now very easy to find bottled green tea at the market. Just know, while convenient, these bottled beverages tend to contain far fewer of the health-boosting flavonoids and much more sugar than the tea you brew at home. Brew it yourself with the easy recipe that follows!

Lemony Green Tea

Serves 4
This refreshing green tea blend will pick up your energy level and is the perfect warm beverage for these blustery days. Adding a twist of lemon not only enhances flavor, but is also thought to help your body more easily absorb the antioxidants into your bloodstream. In the warmer months, feel free to triple this recipe and keep in the refrigerator for a cooling drink.

• 1 cup filtered water
• 2 teaspoons green tea powder (or 1 green tea bag)
• 1 piece lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Bring water to a boil. Let water stand for 3 minutes, then pour heated water over lemon zest and tea in a mug. Allow to steep, covered, for 3 minutes. If using tea bag, remove. Add lemon juice and honey. Enjoy!
You can find plenty of healthy, tasty, and creative recipes for long and healthy living in Secrets of Longevity Cookbook, a great companion book to my Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, which is now available on Kindle.
Follow me on Twitter to get insider tips and to ask your health questions.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
—Dr. Mao
This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.
- - - - - - - - - -
Discover the high-quality Aquasana water filtration system that will provide you with pure, healthy water.
Transform your health and bring quality to your years with Dr. Mao's natural health products from the Tao of Wellness.

Heal yourself with your own hands with Dr. Mao's new book Secrets of Longevity Acupressure Healing.

Learn hundreds of ways for living a long and happy life with Dr. Mao's book Secrets of Longevity.

Find out amazing ways you can naturally increase your energy and heal common ailments in Secrets of Self-Healing, Dr. Mao's landmark book on natural healing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
                
To purchase Dr. Mao's new book, "Secrets of Longevity Cookbook", click here.
To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "Secrets of Longevity" on Kindle, click here.
To purchase Dr. Mao's book, "The Natural Health Dictionary" on Kindle, click here.
To learn more about Dr. Mao and other natural health tips, go to askdrmao.com.

MR & MS IRON GLADIATOR + Inland Empire championships !!!

MR & MS IRON GLADIATOR + Inland Empire championships
Saturday, April 6th, 2013
Corona Civic Center Theater 815 W. Sixth Street Corona, CA
Contest Info	Special Info
Bodybuilding Mixed Pairs Physically Challenged Ms. Fitness Mr & Ms Physique Ms. Figure Classic Figure Bikini Divas Fitness Model Kids and Teen Fitness Contest includes all classes HOST HOTEL Hampton Inn Norco 1530 Hamner Ave Norco, CA 92860 (951) 279-1111 SpringHill Suites 2025 Compton Ave Corona, CA 92881 951-520-0984 $79 a night, ask for INBA Rate Entry forms must be recieved two weeks prior to the competition date!	3 Years Drug Free Qualifer for Ms. Fitness USA National Qualifier ENTRY FORM
	Registration: 10am Prejudging: 12noon Main show: 6pm Ticket prices: Pre judging: $15 Main show: $25, $35 Vip package: $45 (prejudging and a main show ticket first eight rows) Cash ONLY at the Door!

Do Not skip Leg day!!

Many people tend to neglect leg day. They get obsessed with there upper bodies and totally neglect doing their legs. I do not know if this is because it is heavy training or they take it for granted but either way they always seem to let leg day go.  Well I am here to tell you that leg day is important. Your legs root you to the ground they are your foundation. Another benefit to doing your legs is that you have just in effect trained half of your entire body. The amount of anabolic things this can trigger are almost uncountable. So there you have it. Half of your physique and the most anabolic thing you can do for your body. You should be excited to do legs now. Leg strength is essential in order to truly become really strong. In order to accomplish many fundamental lifts with any weight you need to strengthen your legs. Unless you would just like to jump up and down all day like some sort of ballerina or something. Anyway. Legs are essential for dead-lifts. squats, farmers carry, yolks, clean and jerk, ect. So stop whining and get some legs on!! This is a picture of me doing a farmers carry 240lbs(109Kg) per hand no straps just grip. I went 80 feet in right around 20 seconds remember the total weight was 480 lbs( 218 Kg) trust me it took leg strength. So like I said stop readoing and start training!!!

UFC champ St-Pierre accused of steroid use!!!

Nick Diaz has accused UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre of taking steroids as he prepares for his title challenge on Saturday night.
St-Pierre (23-2) will be going for his eighth straight title defense against Diaz at UFC 158 in Montreal. The champion hasn't lost since 2007. Speaking with Sportsnet Radio on Thursday, Diaz said, "I believe he is on plenty of steroids, and I don't think they test around here, either. I doubt I'll be tested. I don't care what they're saying or marketing to the media -- and if so, he's probably got a bottle of (expletive) in his pocket. I doubt they're standing over him making sure he's not on steroids." Diaz (28-6) said he didn't think UFC president Dana White would have a problem with St-Pierre's alleged steroid use. "Sure, why not?" Diaz said. "He's never been busted for anything," White said of St-Pierre. "The guy's fought a million times in title fights, and mostly guys in title fights are the ones that get tested." St-Pierre also defended himself, saying, "I've never cheated once in my life." Diaz, meanwhile, has failed two drug tests for marijuana use and was suspended for a year by the Nevada commission.
Sounds like Diaz is trying to get some heat off of himself since he was the only one ever caught cheating!!!! I wish that people would just suck it up and put in the hard work required and use there mind. It's like I have always said your body goes where your mind tells it to!!! Good job UFC keep catching those cheaters!!

Arizona copper classic!!

Arizona Copper Classic Saturday, March 23, 2013 Buena High School 5225 Buena School Blvd Sierra Vista, AZ 85635 Contest Info Special Info Bodybuilding Mixed Pairs Physically Challenged Ms. Fitness Mr & Ms Physique Ms. Figure Classic Figure Bikini Divas Fitness Model Kids and Teen Fitness Contest includes all classes HOST HOTEL Garden Place Suites (877) 439-3301 Entry forms must be recieved two weeks prior to the competition date! 3 Years Drug Free Qualifer for Ms. Fitness USA National Qualifier ENTRY FORM Prejudging: 9:30am Main show: 5pm Ticket prices: Pre judging: Main show: For further information: Hank Diaz- 520-378-2462 www.copperclas

Natural supplements that can rival steroids!!?

I have been training for a long time and have learned a lot through out this journey. One think that has rung true is that there is a dirty secret that many of the training community don't like to talk about. And this secret encompass all of the training community from gym rats to golfers. What I am talking about is steroid abuse. And it is rampant through out the training community. Here is the deal. You read about all these different athletes and how good they are. You see them on TV and in the magazines endorsing different supplements. But do they even use these "supplements" and if they do what else are they using? That is the elephant in the room for them. Ask that question and watch the sweat pour and the nerves start. If they are not tested by WADA standards then they are using steroids!!! Talk to the people who only use supplements and you will truly find out what works. Don't rely on word from someone that is using banned substances and can't tell you from a drug free stand point. One of the most simple and effective natural supplements that you can take for increasing your testosterone naturally is ZMA. I have several posts detailing it . All I will tell you is that it is clinically backed and %100 natural. This is the perfect start. If you mix it with a good creatine supplement it would be a good stack.