(Source : body-soul-mind-fitspo)

thebarbelldressing:

Squat

1. Problem (P) – The bar feels heavy out of the power rack.
Weak Point (WP) – abdominals, hip flexors
Coaching Point (CP) #1 – Contract shoulder blades, flex, and arch back out of rack, requires a static contraction to maintain arch.
CP #2 – Create a neutral spine position, push out against belt.

2. P – Butt sits straight down, “Olympic style”
WP – Incorrect technique, hamstrings
CP #1 – Push butt back, “sprinter style”, to incorporate posterior chain (spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings) thereby activating stretch reflex.
CP #2 – Perfect posture maintains the greatest mechanical advantage.

3. P – Knees buckle in
WP – Hips, glutes, external rotators
CP – Spread the floor by pushing out over the sides of your shoes.

4. P – Fall forward
WP – Low back, abs
CP #1 – Lead up out of hole with a spread, high chest
CP #2 – Push up with arms by keeping elbows positioned perpendicular under bar, letting the elbows rotate up and back causes the wrists to roll the bar high.
CP #3 – Do not squat into mirror, causes instability regulated by visual feedback

5. P – Stuck out of hole (bottom position)
WP – Incorrect technique, bar too heavy
CP – Not sitting back far enough to fully activate stretch reflex.

6. P – Stuck ½ – ¾ up
WP – Hips, glutes
CP – Develop accelerative strength, prolong rate of force production

Bench Press

1. P – Bar feels heavy or unstable
WP – Lats, posterior deltoids, external rotators, rotator cuff
CP – Contract shoulder blades, requires a static contraction to maintain, drive upper back into bench upon concentric contraction

2. P – Weak off of chest
WP – Bar too heavy, nobody fails off of the chest
CP #1 – Lower the bar with your back, “springboard effect”, activate stretch reflex
CP #2 – Develop accelerative strength, prolong rate of force production

3. P – Stuck ½ way up
WP – Triceps
CP #1 – Spread the bar with your grip, activate medial head of triceps
CP #2 – Keep elbows positioned perpendicular under bar, any rotation outwards transfers the load to the shoulder capsule

4. P – Pressing into the J-hooks
WP – Triceps
CP #1 – The shortest path between 2 points is a straight line, maintain a straight bar path
CP #2 – Do not push into bar, press yourself away from bar, create separation
CP #3 – keeping the elbows positioned perpendicular under the bar maintains the greatest mechanical advantage, any rotation outwards transfers the load to the shoulder capsule

5. P – Butt rises from bench
WP – Incorrect technique, bar too heavy, bench too low
CP #1 – Maintain correct posture, knees up, straighten legs or drive with heels
CP #2 – Do not arch low back, arch upper back by contracting shoulder blades

6. P – Head rises with eccentric lowering
WP – Incorrect technique
CP #1 – Maintain correct posture, keep head down with chin tucked
CP #2 – Concaving chest causes an increased distance for the bar to travel

Reblogin to read after exams lol

(Source : betterthanweakness)

okinawanwarrior:

In the early days of the iron game the boundary lines between weightlifting, bodybuilding, pure strength lifting, wrestling and weight throwing were much less defined than they are now. Athletes would try many different aspects of heavy athletics, master some of them and in the process would come to rub shoulders with those from the other disciplines and in the process learn a lot about the other man’s sport. In this modern day of extreme specialization we now often know little of the athletes or the sport culture of those allied sports. It is now entirely possible that one can spend an entire career and never meet anyone from another discipline.

Good article.

I agree with both view points.

(Source : betterthanweakness)

killfatme:

This hit me today. There are guys in my gym with whom I’ve been training for almost 3 years. We all started out sucking at pull-ups. We couldn’t do a single unassisted pull-up, so we used resistance bands to help us get up and over the bar.

They come in different strengths so that you use more assistance in the beginning, but gradually shift to less and less assistance until the magical day when you knock out unassisted pull-ups under your own strength. That’s the theory. But that isn’t what I’ve observed. They are still on the band. It’s like some addiction that they can’t shake.

The excuse is; “I can’t do pull-ups very well, so I need the band to do all of the pull-ups and get through the metcon in time.” See? This is a perfect example of people in CrossFit forgetting what the whole damn point is. The point isn’t to get better at “metcons”. The point is to get stronger. And the only way that is going to happen is if you wean yourself off the assistance.

That’s what I did. I forced myself to stop using the band. Was it hard? Yes. Did it totally eff my metcon times? Boo friggin’ hoo. Yes. I had to do one or two pull-ups and drop off. Shake it out, jump up, and knock out 1-2 more. Over and over again. But, that 2 turned into 5, and the 5 into 10, then 15, and so on. It is the only way to master something. Force yourself to take off those damn training wheels and just do it.

It’s a damn shame that there are days when I’m the only person in the gym doing actual pull-ups. It doesn’t have to be that way. Swallow your pride, screw your metcon time, and just focus on getting stronger. That’s what really matters.

What is metcon?

As for pull-ups, I find what helps like CRAZY is lat pulldowns. I’ve never done assisted pull-ups, but I know people who, for years, do assisted pull-ups and can never do a single unassisted one. I went from never being able to hoist my own bodyweight to getting 6 full ROM pull-ups without ever using an assist. How? Lat pulldowns! :D Strengthen the muscles you need to do pull-ups and you will be able to do them! Coolstuff. (:

halib:

backonpointe:

internal-acceptance-movement:

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF DURING A BAD BODY IMAGE DAY:

1. Recognize that fat isn’t a feeling.

There are always underlying emotions that we attach to feeling fat. When the “I feel fat” thoughts start up, try to identify what you’re feeling underneath the body dissatisfaction. Are you feeling lonely? Anxious? Invisible? Scared? Ashamed? Inadequate? Whatever the feelings are recognize that they are separate from your body. 

2. Treat yourself as you would a friend.

Because it’s difficult to be kind to ourselves in the moment when the body hating thoughts take over, try responding to your thoughts as if you were supporting a friend. What would you say to someone you loved who was battling your same struggle with body image?

You wouldn’t tell them to not eat for the day in order to compensate for what they ate the previous night. You wouldn’t tell them to punish themselves for their body size through over-exercise, self-harm, or abusive eating habits. You wouldn’t tell them they were worthless or unloveable because of their weight. So why do you tell yourself these things? Break the cycle and start treating yourself like a friend—you deserve that kindness and love from everyone, especially yourself. 

3. Recognize that you are so much more than the size of your body. 

What you look like does not define you. It doesn’t discount your worth as a human being. You are so much more than a number on the scale. As a living, breathing, feeling human being you have inherent value. You are special and important and loved. You exist and therefore you matter.

Your appearance is such a small part of who you are, and it certainly doesn’t warrant enough power to discount the person you are inside. You aren’t your body or your weight—you are your goals and dreams and passions and values. You are your strengths and talents and insight. You are a soul and a spirit and a force of nature. Your body does not define you. 

4. Shift your focus from the external to the internal.

Make a list of all the people you look up to and are inspired by—not because of their weight or appearance, but because of who they are and what they do. Write out all the qualities they have that make you appreciate and value them.

Use the list as a reminder that it’s the internal things—our dreams and passions and goals and morals and insight and character—that truly define who we are and draw people to us; not how we look.

You are no exception to this. Try making your own list of things you like about yourself that have nothing to do with appearance or body size. If you have a difficult time creating one, ask some friends and family to help you. 

5. Think about what you want to be remembered for after you die.

I don’t want people to remember me for what I looked like, what size jeans I wore, or what I weighed. I want to be remembered for the person I am. I want to be remembered as someone who brought about positive change in the world. I want to be remembered as loving friend, partner, and family member. I want to be remembered for my passions and my creativity and my strength. I want to be remembered as someone who made a difference. What do you want your legacy to be? Chances are, it doesn’t have to do with weight.

6. Instead of focusing on the size of your body, start focusing on what your body allows you to do. 

The human body is an incredible force. When we get caught up in the number on the scale and size of clothes however, we forget just how lucky we are to have a fully functioning vehicle to engage in life with. So stop hating your body for the way it looks and start acknowledging and appreciating your body for all that it allows you to do.

Make a list of each activity and feat your body helps you to partake in and accomplish. If you want to be even more specific, list out each body part and describe all the things you wouldn’t be able to do without it. Your body is strong, powerful, and beautiful, regardless of it’s size. Choose to treat it with love, compassion, and gratitude instead of hate and judgement. 

7. Challenge your negative thoughts.

You may not be able to change the way you feel about your body today, tomorrow, or a month from now, but you can begin the process by challenging the thoughts in the moment. Write out a dialogue between your negative voice and a healthy voice. If you have a hard time coming up with positive counters to the negative thoughts, pretend that you are speaking positively about a friend or loved one.

Even if you don’t believe the things you say to counter the voice, it’s still important to speak out against it, because each time you argue with the thoughts, you are taking away some of their power and reclaiming your own. The more you challenge the thoughts, the less you will believe them. The more you argue back, the easier fighting the voice will become. 

8. Allow yourself to feel your feelings.

There is a lot of built up energy and emotion underlying the way we feel about our bodies. Holding in how we feel or engaging in behaviors to numb out may make us feel better in the moment, but in the long run, it doesn’t remedy the pain we feel. It doesn’t make us feel better and it keeps us stuck.  

Releasing the energy and painful emotions underlying our body shame requires us to feel our feelings. Whether that means throwing a tantrum on the floor, venting to a friend on the phone, punching a pillow, screaming in your car, or crying in bed, you need to allow yourself to feel your feelings. Let go of the judgement you have about what you feel and recognize that you are feeling these things for a reason. Give yourself permission to release your emotions and let everything out. 

9. Do self care.

When you’re struggling with body image, distract yourself with healthy coping mechanisms. Take a bubble bath, get a message, ask for a back scratch, cuddle with a pet, make plans with a supportive friend, watch your favorite movie, get a manicure, listening to calming music, do deep breathing—whatever it is, make sure it’s something self-soothing and helps you get out of your head.

10. Be kind with yourself.

You may not be able to control the way you feel about your body, but you can control what you do in response to how you feel.

Instead of beating yourself up, you can choose to treat yourself with compassion. Instead of engaging in unhealthy and abusive behaviors, you can choose to do self-care. Instead of treating your body as an enemy, you can choose to treat it as a friend. Instead of isolating yourself, you can choose to reach out for support and surround yourself with positive people who make you feel loved and accepted. Instead of agreeing with the negative thoughts, you can choose to challenge them. 

***You have more power than you think—don’t let the way you feel about your body keep you from living.

Coping with bad body image days may not be easy, but it is possible.

Don’t give up.

You aren’t alone.

Things can and will get better.

Always reblog.

I needed to read this

relentlessstrength:

When I decided to start cutting (dieting down) I made sure to do research and inform myself on how to properly go about it. I used various calculations and estimates on how long it’d take me to get down to a certain weight. I figured out my  estimated recommended calorie intake macronutrients. I set my goal weight at 110 pounds for the sake of having a number to work with. I honestly didn’t fixate too much on the number because if I were to be anal about something it’d be my body fat percentage because that is a way more accurate depiction of muscle/fat ratio versus just your entire mass. What I’m getting at is that yesterday marked my 23rd week of cutting. 23 weeks was the estimated time frame given for my intended weight loss of 14 pounds. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have in fact lost 14 pounds in that given amount of time. All it took was:

• Tracking my macronutrients
• Consistent training
• Refeeds (especially when being in a caloric deficit for a long period of time as I have)

One should also incorporate re-feeds into their diet plan. Re-feeds help boost a hormone called leptin, which is the mother of all fat burning hormones. As one diets, leptin levels drop in an attempt by the body to spare body fat. Periodic, proper re-feeding can raise leptin levels and help one continue to burn fat an optimum rate.A person who is lean will need to re-feed more frequently than someone who has a higher body fat percentage. -Dr. Layne Norton

I didn’t have to cut carbohydrates completely out, I didn’t have to worry over how much sugar/sodium I consumed, I didn’t have to eat every 2-3 hours (for the most part I fasted and ate 3 meals a day), I most definitely did not have to do hours of cardio. What I did get to do is eat foods I ENJOY while maintaing a constant deficit, because weight loss  does in fact come down to calories in versus calories out. Body composition comes down to your macro/micronutrients and physical activity.  I find that this quote clears up a lot of misconceptions about what IIFYM/flexible dieting/moderation is:

Most people who origionally promoted targeting macronutrient intakes instead of obsessing about food choices actually eat ‘clean’ foods 95% of the time, we just don’t agonize over having a homemade burrito with a low carb wrap or some reduced calorie ice cream. We see the value of a controlled intake in order to prevent uncontrolled binging. But I do see IIFYM followers who eat as much sugary, high fat foods as they can and wear it like a badge of honor. That is not the point. If you are following a macronutrient intake that is friendly for body composition you will be eating a lot of ‘clean’ foods by default because you will not be able to hit a protein, carb, fat, and fiber intake conducive to body composition improvement if all you eat are high sugar/fat foods. The point is it’s ok to have these foods in small amounts if you are still hitting your goal macronutrient intake.- Dr. Layne Norton

Week 2 

Week 23

*Note that these are just estimates, but I’m using them to give you guys a sort of visual of my weight loss through measurements and BF %. Also I’m 18, it wouldn’t let me use it unless I put 19.

Post worth giving a read: http://ironmntn.tumblr.com/post/24161296142/truth-justice-and-the-scientific-way

To keep in mind.

Would like to enter coocoon mode, but I already get so social contact/sleep because of school work. U_U

(Source : liftheavy-eatlots-getbig)

Best ways to make dieting easier

We all know it. You can’t out-train a bad diet. A great body is built from the consistent application of the principles most important to the goal, and a proper diet is a huge factor for losing fat and building muscle. Your training is also at the mercy of what you eat to gain muscle or lose fat.

But dieting kind of sucks.

Dieting leaves many of us frustrated and stumped about what’s actually going to work once and for all. We slave away at sticking to the “rules” of a particular diet method, waiting for the promised results.

While some of us can conjure up the strict discipline to adhere to what we’ve been told is the only way to a ripped body, we often find that we keep failing at it despite our good intentions and repeated fresh starts. Life just gets in the way and our willpower never seems as strong from day to day as we thought it would be.

The Physique Pipe Dream

For the average trainee with a family, full schedule, and social obligations, getting lean and ripped starts to feel like a pipe dream. Everything concerning our diet becomes about sacrifice and denial. Everything starts revolving around this small percentage of our life that we can’t quite get under control.

Consider an alternate strategy and by thinking about this: As long as you know the principles of what makes a diet successful, the way you set it up doesn’t matter.

Choosing a combination of strategies that suit your schedule and your goals can give you exactly what you want and reduce unnecessary investment in sticking to “rules” that are giving you minimal profit and driving you crazy.

Changing your diet doesn’t have to be an overwhelming overhaul of your entire life, as long as you know what to focus on. A lot of popular nutrition dogma is either unnecessary or downright wrong.

Dieting is much friendlier if you consider your personal schedule, habits, and individual needs. And that’s where everything starts.

The New Rules

First, two diet “ground rules” we already know about:

1. The majority of your diet should be comprised of “whole” foods – lean proteins, grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables. Those are foods we often call “clean.” Though clean is rather subjective, I think you get the idea. Food choices are pretty open to what has the nutrients and makes you happy.

2. The energy equation holds true – to lose fat you must burn more energy than you consume and vice versa for building muscle. When changing your body, you aim to lose fat without losing lean mass, and gain lean mass without gaining too much fat alongside it.

All the strategies below can be used in conjunction with each other or added onto other specific protocols you already use with success. Remember that the best plan in the world is useless unless you can apply it in a way that’s going to keep you sane and get you results.

Consider the following:

1. Flexible Meal Timing

Hitting your total caloric needs for the day is more important than when you eat those calories. It doesn’t really matter if this is eating 6 meals a day or eating 2 meals a day. It also doesn’t matter exactly when, either. The majority of your calories can come later in the day, spread out over the day, or at the same times every day, as long as you’re hitting your totals.

The myth of “metabolic stoking” through multiple meals every couple of hours has been firmly debunked by science. The research on the topic has grown over the years.

Bellisle et al. found that when measuring 24-hour energy expenditure, there was no difference between frequent small meals or infrequent large meals.(1)

Similarly, Verboeket-van de Venne and Westerterp compared 2 meals versus 7 meals per day, and found that again, there were no differences in energy expenditure within the 24-hour period.

During the “fasted” period, there was heightened fat oxidation because of the lack of available carbohydrates, and increased carbohydrate oxidation after the first meal. Protein oxidation showed no changes with either protocol.(2)

Your body doesn’t really keep a clock on calorie intake, as long as you’re meeting your needs within the 24-hour period. Your muscles will not fall off with fewer meals, and neither will your metabolism take a nose-dive. Specific meal timing is a variable you can adjust to meet your goals.

For those trying to lose fat, intermittent fasting protocols where you eat more calories in a shorter timeframe, or alternate high and low calories days, can allow you to stay in a deficit easier.

The potential benefits also include higher satiety and reduced cravings. If you struggle with tiny portions every couple hours and can hold off better if you get to eat big, being flexible with your meal sizes and when you eat them may help you stick to the diet.

Intermittent fasting methods have the distinction of being considered both the newest fad and the oldest dieting strategy known to man. The good news is that it boils down to the evidence-based principle that meal timing is flexible when caloric needs are met.

Bottom Line

Eating six meals a day every two to three hours to “stoke the metabolism” and prevent a catabolic “starvation mode” is bullshit. Your metabolism doesn’t work that way. Grouping your meals together or getting all your calories in smaller time frames to fit your schedule or make adherence easier won’t negatively affect your muscle gains or fat loss.

Explore meal frequency and timing flexibility and add another tool in the box to help you reach your goals. (It can also make your life much damn simpler.)

2. If It Fits Your Macros

Traditional bodybuilding diets pigeonhole you into specific foods you “have” to eat for success – the famous clean foods versus dirty foods debate: chicken, broccoli, and oats; oats, broccoli, and chicken. You might as well just blend them together and drink them. Eating out, socializing, and your daily routine can soon start to centralize around what you can and can’t eat.

At a physiological level your body can’t really tell the difference between “types” of food. A carb is a carb. Protein is protein. Fat is fat. Your body won’t reject a nutrient because it came in a different package on the shelf. This is where “if it fits your macros comes in.”

The story is that IIFYM is not a “diet setup” or style – it came from bodybuilding threads where trainees were asking whether “macaroni could be eaten on my prep.” The answer? “If it fits your macros bro, go for it.”

For overall health considerations, eating whole foods for the majority of your diet is a good idea. But setting up calorie and macro goals means you have the freedom to pick foods you enjoy and gives you room for some of the “dirty” foods you love. This translates into a good balance of what you want with what you need.

Bottom Line

Making room for the foods you like through macro tracking promotes adherence and enjoyability on a diet. It also makes complete sense from a physiological and psychological point of view. Get your calories from the foods you want and still hit your goals. A life that revolves around what you can’t do is not sustainable or healthy – it’s also fucking annoying.

3. Eat Your Carbs at Night

Once upon a time someone told us carbs at night will make us fat. Most likely it was Oprah, but don’t quote me on that.

Guess what? You can eat carbs at night and not get fat.

In fact, some will argue that eating carbs later in the day in the post-workout window is superior to eating them at other times of the day. Here are a couple of reasons.

You can avoid night time cravings and promote dietary adherence. No more skimpy dinners while your kids gorge on pasta or your roommate is making love to a bowl of fried rice. Like to sit down to a big meal at the end of the day with your family? Do it. You can shuttle your nutrients around and eat them when it’s most convenient and enjoyable to you.

Promote growth and recovery during sleep. While kind of anecdotal in theory (24-hour calorie intake is the most important factor), it can’t hurt. Imagine plenty of nutrients available as your Testosterone peaks in the middle of your sleep cycle. Sleep and good nutrition fuel growth.

Eat your meals when you can eat them properly. Total calorie intake is the big denominator at the end of the day. This includes when you eat your carbs. Long work day and access to crappy food during the workday? Eat lighter during the day and bigger at night.

Bottom Line

Eat your carbs whenever you want, and there may be merit in getting them later in the day in your post-workout meal.

4. Forget About Willpower

Talking about willpower and how you need more is overrated. Knowing your habits and how your body works is not. Trying to mentally bulldoze yourself into sticking to a diet is often a lesson in how much of a sad little bitch you really are. A whiff of extra spicy Cheetos? Suddenly your saliva glands go into overdrive and you’re back at square one.

Understanding your body and manipulating a diet setup to exploit your strengths and minimize your weaknesses will get you lean and ripped sooner.

Research supports the principle of flexible dieting, as mentioned above. Meal timing, frequency, and food selection are all variables you can adjust to fit your lifestyle. Taking an extra half-hour to think about the following questions regarding the other 90% of your life could save you years of frustration and stalled progress.

What’s my work schedule? Is it pretty stable, or all over the place? How can I eat for my goals and not clutter my life with stressful cooking and food concerns?

What times do I have available to cook my meals? Big, easy meals I pre-prepare on the weekends, or easy foods I can throw together at the end of the day?

What are my bad habits that have stopped my diet attempts before? No time to cook? Temptation of junk food at work? Lots of lunches with clients? Too much eating out? And how can I adjust to suit my needs? How can I adjust my meal plan to make it easy for me to be good?

When’s my training and when do I get most hungry? Structure your food around your life, not the other way around.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. You don’t want to be stuck trying to figure out something you can actually stick to forever. Be smarter about it sooner and you can focus your energy where it really feels good, like getting PR’s in the gym.

This isn’t to say that dieting is not a struggle. It is. Investing in your goals and reaching them requires hard work. Make your investment a smarter, more efficient one.

Bottom Line

Imagining that willpower will spring up over night is dumb. Progress is built with good habits and consistency. Plan for your weaknesses and avoid getting stuck wondering where your “willpower” went.

5. Manipulate Your Protein

Researchers come to plenty of conclusions about certain diet protocols and their efficacy, without thinking about everyone eating the same amounts of protein. This is one lesson we can learn from traditional bodybuilding diet setups.

Get your protein.

The protein amount in the diet is one of the most important variables for fat loss, muscle growth, and diet adherence (a.k.a. keeping your sanity). As the king of macronutrients, upping your protein is as close as you can get to “magic” in a diet setup if you haven’t taken it seriously before.

Why? Protein is the most thermogenic nutrient. Basically, it costs the most to process in the body. It also has the highest levels of satiety, so you feel more satisfied with meals high in protein.

It’s the most valuable macro for lean mass retention while in a deficit, and can be combined with both fat and carbs successfully. A consistent level of protein in your diet can’t be underestimated. Aiming for at least 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day is the agreed upon basic recommendation.

Cutting or dropping calories? Consider making protein even higher to stack the odds in your favor for retaining lean mass and keep you as satisfied as possible while calories are low.

If you have a lot of fat to lose, setting protein at 1 gram per pound might not be realistic. If so, consider setting protein at 1 gram per pound of your goal weight. So if you are 300 pounds and aim to weigh 225, go off of 225 for protein intake.

Nutritionist Alan Aragon came up with this shortcut when getting an accurate lean mass measurement isn’t possible. He calls this a “sneaky way of setting protein based on lean body mass, without having to measure or figure out exactly what your LBM is.”

Another great myth that we can conveniently toss is the claim that only 30 grams of protein can be “used” by the body at a time and anything beyond that is being thrown out. Not true. The argument is that protein synthesis will cap out at 30-40 grams, but that has nothing to do with what your body will use and digest as a whole. Your body simply doesn’t work that way.

Bottom Line

Protein is a big player in diet considerations. Eat more of it to retain your lean mass while in a deficit.

Wrap-Up

When it comes to diet, you have a lot of options available if you remember the principles. There are no magic foods and there are no magic methods. The magic is in what works for you, and manipulating the method to suit your needs. Take advantage of the above strategies and solve the diet puzzle with your body. Strip the fat, grow some size, and show it

I need this in my life.