Prowler High Intensity Muscular Endurance Workout
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The Prowler is a killer workout for building up muscular endurance in the legs, hips, arms, and shoulders. This video is of my initial trial of the prowler and I was impressed by just how hard this machine really is.
If you have access to one, I highly recommend incorporating it as part of your workouts. Simply doing a 5-10 laps with this machine at the end of your workouts will really help build up your overall conditioning. Another big plus to this is it will really get that lactic acid burn going throughout your legs, which is great for stimulating natural Growth Hormone release. |
Note:
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204 pounds and dropping…
I just thought I’d through this pic up. It was taken down in my rec-room after I got home from doing cardio this morning. I’m currently 204 pounds at 8 weeks and 4 days out from the 2010 Atlantic Canadian Bodybuilding Championships.
I ran the indoor track at the university today for my morning cardio workout. I alternated walking a lap, and running a lap, and continued doing this non stop for a full hour while I cranked the tunes in my MP3 player.
In addition to following a strict diet and hard weight training workouts, I find that nothing strips the fat away like cardio done first thing in the morning before eating. So if you’re looking to lose some of that stubborn bodyfat I’d highly recommend you give it a try.
P.S.
If you are looking for a complete killer fat loss program that will help you carve out those ripped six pack abs and get down to a SINGLE DIGIT bodyfat percentage. Then I highly recommend you check out my buddy John Romaniello’s advanced fat-blasting program “Final Phase Fat Loss”
This isn’t some basic beginners diet and exercise 101 type of program. But rather this is geared towards serious fitness enthusiasts who are already working out regularly, who are already in pretty good shape now, but who want to take things to the next level and get in AWESOME Shape! So if you are looking to kick your training up a notch, and get those ripped six pack abs just in time to hit the beach or pool this summer, why not give this program a shot? Trust me you won’t be disappointed…
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Cardio For Fat Loss…
What is the best form of cardio for fat loss?
Is it low intensity, high intensity, interval training, long duration, short duration, etc. ?
Just like there is no one “best” weight training workout. There is no one “best” cardio workout either.
There are pros and cons to all the different variations. But if fat loss is your goal, the one critical component that’s going to make all the difference is consistency. Regardless of what form of cardio you perform.
When it comes to fat loss the main thing is calories in verses calories out. And as long as you can achieve a caloric deficit, it really doesn’t make much difference what kind of cardio you do.
Now I know some people will go on about doing high intensity cardio to jack up your metabolism and get the “after burn” effect, etc. and that’s cool, there’s nothing wrong with that.
But most bodybuilders achieve the metabolism boosting effects from their weight training workouts. The cardio workouts are usually just an extra add on to help burn off some excess blubber. It is not the main focus of their training as it is with endurance athletes.
So if your main training goal is “bodybuilding” meaning to improve your body composition (i.e. gaining lean muscle while burning off excess bodyfat) and you are already hitting the gym and lifting weights as the staple of your training, then you have a lot of variety when it comes to the cardio you do. You are not limited to one particular method or another.
When I’m training for fat loss I actually look forward to my cardio workouts because I make them fun and enjoyable. I don’t stick to just spinning my wheels on a squeaky old treadmill while counting down the minutes on the clock.
 Lee hiking in Gros Morne, Newfoundland |
 Lee bike riding on Venice Beach |
In my opinion doing your cardio in the great outdoors tops it all !
If it’s possible I do my cardio outside and get some fresh air in my lungs. I love to walk my dog and go mountain bike riding on the great trails that are near by my home. Those two methods of cardio are my main staples that I’ll do on a regular basis because they are convenient and fun.
If the weather isn’t suitable for getting outside I’ll resort to doing cardio inside. But even then it’s not that bad because I’ll mix it up with a lot of variety. I have a stepper and elliptical at home and I’ll alternate back and forth between those machines to get in my cardio session.
If I’m doing cardio at the gym I’ll mix it up with whatever machines they have available. So instead of doing 45 minutes on the treadmill. I may do 10 minutes on the rower, 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the bike, and 10 minutes on the stepper, etc.
Not only is this more enjoyable in terms of variety. But it also prevents the repetitive strain of doing the same form of cardio all the time. You’re less likely to suffer from repetitive use injuries (i.e. runners knee, shin splints, etc.) and other things that are common among people who do the same form of cardio day in, day out.
When I’m in hardcore fat loss training (such as getting ready for a bodybuilding competition) I’ll do between 30-60 minutes of cardio every single morning on an empty stomach before breakfast. This is one thing that I have found just strips the fat off you like nothing else when combined with a good diet and solid weight training program.
And as for the intensity of the cardio workouts. I personally DON’T monitor it, I’m very instinctive with it. After all it’s just an extra, not my main training priority.
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If I’m feeling energetic and full of “piss and vinegar” then I’ll go harder and do a higher intensity cardio workout.
If I’m feeling tired and a bit worn out, then I’ll do something easy like going for a walk. But the main thing is to just be consistent over the long haul with your diet, weight training, AND cardio. If you do that then you’ll reap the rewards of a lean, muscular physique! |
 Lee & Trish after a Muscle Beach workout! |
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Note:
I did a really unique and different cardio workout this past weekend.
It got my heart racing, my blood pumping, and my belly laughing…
Check it out below…
Warrior Built Fat Blasting System…
If you are looking to make 2010 the year that you once and for all shed that pudgy bellyroll and get in your most ripped to the bone bad ass shape ever, then I’ve got a killer fat-blasting, muscle-building workout program that you just have to try for yourself…
http://www.WarriorBuiltDVD.com
You see I’ve teamed up with fellow bodybuilder, Andy Pratt, to bring you a complete physique transformation training system that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
It’s called “Warrior Built” and it combines MMA and Boxing style conditioning drills along with hardcore weight training workouts that will cut through stubborn bodyfat like a hot knife slicing through butter!
Andy is a true master at getting ripped to the bone shredded. In fact I’ve never seen anyone get as lean as this guy does. And to prove it, just check out the picture below!
http://www.WarriorBuiltDVD.com
So if one of your goals for the New Year is to finally see your abs…
Then you owe it to yourself to check out the Warrior Built Training System.
Click the link below to get your copy now…
http://www.WarriorBuiltDVD.com
Cardio Can Help You Build Muscle
Regular cardio has been shown to improve digestion, strengthen bones, improve sleep, increase energy levels, strengthen the heart and lungs, and improve circulation. Cardio also helps to rid the body of lactic acid build up.
Lactic acid is what causes the burn that you feel after a hard set. It slows recovery and can contribute to muscle soreness. Since cardio exercise enhances circulation and oxidation of toxic compounds, your body rids itself of post workout lactic acid more quickly when you do regular cardio.
When you add up all of the benefits of cardio, from increasing your energy levels to improving your bodies ability to utilize nutrients, and get rid of toxins. It becomes clear that moderate cardio combined with weight training will help speed your muscle gains.
Here are some good basic guidelines to follow for your cardio workouts:
- Do at least 20 minutes of cardio 3 times per week.
- Work in your Target Heart Rate Zone. To find your “target heart rate” you just subtract your age from 220 to determine your maximum heart rate. Then multiply that number by 0.65 this will give you your “lower target heart rate level”, multiply by 0.8 to determine your “upper target heart rate level”.
- To make things easier you can get a exercise heart rate monitors that you wear on your wrist just like a watch. This will accurately tell you if you are working at the correct intensity level. These cardio heart rate monitors are available at most any department store in the sporting goods section.
- Choose a form of cardio exercise that you enjoy. One type is not necessarily better then another. There is no “best cardio exercise”, cardio is cardio, it makes no difference what type of cardio you do. What does matter is how hard you work. Your body will burn the same number of calories at a certain heart rate whether you are riding an exercise bike, using the stair master, or hiking through the woods, it makes no difference in terms of real world results.
2 Cardio Workout Mistakes You’re Still Making
This is a guest post Fat Loss Expert Tom Venuto www.BurnTheFatProgram.com
The controversies over cardio for fat loss are endless: steady state versus intervals, fed versus fasted, long and easy versus short and intense, and so on. Obviously there is a lot of interest in cardio training and how to do it right. Sadly, most people are still doing 2 things terribly wrong and it’s killing their results… As best as I can figure, there are two major reasons why people are still mucking up their cardio programs for fat loss.
REASON #1:
Not Enough Focus On Total Calories Burned
Most people aren’t burning enough darn calories.
Why? Well, I guess they are too busy worrying about the “proper” type of exercise (which machine or activity), the mode (steady state or intervals), the “optimal” ratio of intervals, or the “best” duration.
Some people coast along on the treadmill at 2.3 miles per hour or some similar sloth-like pace and they think that just by hitting a TIME goal, such as 45 or 60 minutes, that with “X” duration completed, they are assured to get the results they want.
On the other extreme, we have folks who have found or created some mega-intense, super-duper short training protocol like the “4-minute wonder workout from Japan.” Just because the workout is high in intensity and it is performed in intervals, they too think they are assured to get the results they want.
What’s missing in both cases is the realization that total fat loss over time is a function of total calories burned over time (assuming you don’t blow your diet, of course).
AND…
Total calories burned is a product of INTENSITY times DURATION, not intensity OR duration.
Too much focus on one variable at the exclusion of the other can lead to a less than optimal total calorie burn and disappointing results. And remember, intensity and duration are *variables* not absolutes! (“Variable” means you can change them… even if your “guru” says you can’t!)
When you understand the relationship and interplay between INTENSITY X DURATION you will find a “SWEET SPOT” where the product of those variables produces the maximal calorie burn and maximum fat loss, based on your current health condition and your need for time efficiency.
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