As an experienced strength trainer, one of the biggest mistakes I see new members make is working out for too long, too often. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s two-hour, twice-daily workouts back in the 1970s are the stuff of legend, but times have changed.
Schwarzenegger was a pioneer, but he was also a genetic freak – what worked for him almost certainly won’t work for you. Lifting weights was Schwarzenegger’s life – this is a luxury working people can rarely afford.
Here’s the good news – you can achieve outstanding results by spending less time at the gym! Just follow these simple tips:
Everything Is In The Preparation
The time you spend at the gym is not limited to those minutes when you’re actually working out. Getting your gym kit ready, driving to the gym, getting dressed, getting undressed, showering afterwards, driving home – all this stuff adds up. Get in the habit of considering your total gym time, which includes all of these things plus the actual workout itself. Now, consider what you can do to shave off some precious minutes before and after your workout.
For example:
Join a gym that is close to home.
If possible, only visit the gym at off-peak, or less busy times
Prepare your gym bag the evening before your workout.
Consider showering when you get home, rather than at the gym.
Lift Weights No More Than Three Times A Week
As a new gym user, it’s easy to want to get the most value out of your expensive membership, and it’s not uncommon to see people hitting the gym five, six or even seven days a week! Even for a veteran this is counter-productive – your muscles need rest and recovery. By overtraining them you will encourage atrophy. Not only will they not grow, they might even shrink!
For the first 4-6 months of your membership, three visits to the gym each week is more than sufficient to obtain great results without risking damage to your health. It’s also a regimen that is easy to maintain.
Don’t Worry If You Miss A Workout
Life has a habit of putting things in your way, particularly when you’re trying to do something productive. From time to time something will happen that will mean you will have to skip a workout.
Here’s the thing – don’t worry about it. Just make up the workout the next day, or as soon as you can. One great method I’ve used to ensure I get to workout three times per week is to not plan my days off in advance. Many people like to take the weekends off, or only go to the gym Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays. That sounds great on paper, but what if life gets in the way?
While it is essential that the body gets sufficient rest (see below), if you don’t plan your days off and attempt to go to the gym whenever you possibly can, you will find that you miss very few workouts. Think of your gym visits and recovery periods as constantly ongoing – by taking a day off in between each visit, you’ll automatically hit your target of three sessions each week.
Do A Full-Body Workout
None of us are professional bodybuilders, so why do so many of us attempt to follow their workouts? Bodybuilding magazines are notorious for this, endlessly publishing the routines of modern pros that are far too advance and strenuous for regular people.
A full-body workout is a great time-saver but also a regimen that offers the most benefits for beginner and intermediate gym users. Many new gym users concentrate entirely on the so-called ‘beach muscles’ – chest, shoulders and particularly biceps. This is counterproductive, as the largest muscle groups – back and legs – are often completely ignored. The body likes to grow proportionately, so by favouring some muscle groups over others you won’t see the best results.
Focus on the larger muscle groups through compound exercises. These move the body through multiple joint movements and provide complete muscle fibre stimulation, as opposed to isolation exercises, which focus on a single joint.
Example compound exercises include barbell squats, pull-ups, dead lifts, bent-over rows, bench press, military press, dips and lunges. (Tip: search YouTube for working examples of all of these exercises.)
Each full-body workout should contain six or seven of these compound exercises, performed in reverse-order of muscle size, i.e., legs, back, chest and then shoulders. (See example workout below).
Workout For No More Than 40 Minutes!
Your total time at the gym should take no more than 40 minutes, which includes preparation. Ideally, you should be lifting weights for no more than 30 minutes in total, which includes all exercises and rest between sets. Keep the intensity high.
To achieve this, it’s important to look at your workout program intelligently. Each exercise should be broken down into ‘warm-up’ and ‘working sets’ – the former prepares the muscle for the more intensive shock of the latter, which should be heaviest possible weight you can lift while maintaining proper form.
The size of the muscle group will determine the number of sets and repetitions necessary. Additionally, as a muscle group is warmed up there is less of a need for ‘warm-up’ sets with each new exercise.
Here’s an example workout:
LEGS
Barbell Squat: 2 x 10 (warm-up sets), 2 x 8 (working sets)
BACK
Pull Ups: 2 x 10 (weight-assisted), 1 x 8
Dead Lifts: 1 x 10, 1 x 6-8
Bent-Over Rows: 1 x 6-8
CHEST
Bench Press: 2 x 10, 1 x 6-8
SHOULDERS
Military Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 6-8
Total Exercises Performed: 6
Total Sets: 15
Each set, with rest, should last about two minutes, which makes 30 minutes in total.
Superset
A superset involves performing two exercises back-to-back without rest. For best results you should use opposing muscle groups. For example, one could superset back with chest by doing one set of pull-ups immediately followed by one set of dips. This counts as one superset. Then rest and repeat. It’s a great way to save time and produces great results. Consider using the superset method on alternate months, as the impact on the body, particularly with compound exercises, is significant.
Rest!
Rest is essential to muscle gain. If you visit the gym too regularly or don’t have sufficient rest between sets, your progress will suffer.
A good rule of thumb is to rest 45-60 seconds between each set. Consider resting an additional 30 seconds between exercises (i.e., 90 seconds). Be mindful of your total workout time!
If you plan to workout three times per week, you need a minimum of 48 hours of rest between workouts. This is essential. Your body needs the recovery time, and trying to do too much will lead to poor results.
Don’t Waste Time
Increasingly gyms have become places for people to meet and chat with their friends. Don’t waste time chatting at the gym. Leave your mobile phone in your locker and if you workout with friends, keep it as professional as possible.
By following the advice above, you can ensure that your gym sessions will be as productive as possible. Because you’ll be spending less time there but still seeing great results, you'll also have a strong motivation to keep going.
Friday, August 8, 2008
5 Things: 2008 Summer Olympic Games
When the 2008 Summer Olympic Games kick off on August 8th, the eyes of the world will be on Beijing, where more than 10,000 athletes will compete for gold in 302 events and 28 sports.
Though there’s nothing bigger on the international sports scene, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games might not be as popular in North America, often due to confusing time zone differences and the fact they take place at a key time of year on the pro-sports calendar. After all, the baseball season is about to hit the home stretch and the NFL is gearing up. Perhaps the average sports fan’s attention is on multimillion dollar athletes instead of amateurs who only see the spotlight every four years. Regardless of what you think, however, the Olympic Games are a crowning moment in sports, and even if table tennis and field hockey aren’t exactly your thing, they’re worth flipping channels to catch.
Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
1- No world records will be set
Hoping to see some world records broken at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games? Don’t hold your breath. Health and sporting experts predict that because of Beijing’s serious air-quality problem, outdoor events will be run at times well off the record pace because the smog will impact the athletes’ lung capacity. Just how bad is the Beijing smog? It’s two to three times higher than what the World Health Organization deems safe. The Chinese have taken several measures to combat their air pollution, including relocating 200 factories, taking 60,000 buses and taxis off the road and expanding the subway system, and ordering 340 factories around the Games’ sites to close during the Olympics. Still, their actions may be a case of too little, too late.
2- Baseball is gone, but handball continues
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games may not be the last Olympics to feature baseball, but they’ll be the last for a while. The 2012 Games will not include America’s sport (but the 2016 or 2020 Games might), much to the chagrin of former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. His Cuba squad has won three of four gold medals in baseball since it became an official Olympic sport in 1992, and the former pitcher has condemned the “rich and powerful masters” of the Olympics for getting rid of a sport at which Cuba has excelled. When you’re not watching baseball this summer, however, check out the competition in handball. Similar to soccer, the players in this medal sport since the 1970s use their hands rather than their feet. This summer’s Olympic Games will include 10 handball teams, including the unlikely qualifier Iceland.
3- The torch has already been extinguished several times
The Olympic Torch may be able to withstand 65 km/h winds and rain up to a rate of 50 millimeters per hour, but it’s already been snuffed out a handful of times on its 129-day, 137,000-kilometer relay that began in March. Because the relay has faced protesters demonstrating against China’s less-than-stellar human rights record (and pro-Chinese groups demonstrating against the demonstrators) on nearly every leg of its journey, the Torch has been extinguished for safety reasons. Additionally, out of respect for the victims of China’s Sichuan earthquake, the torch relay was stopped for three days in May.
4- You can’t eat dog at this year’s Olympics
If you were planning to attend the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to feast on man’s best friend, you’ll be disappointed. Chinese officials have announced that canines won’t be offered on menus at specified Olympic restaurants. Dog meat was also banned at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. Additionally, in an effort to maintain order at the Games, the Beijing organizing committee has released a list of rules for those attending the events to follow. Attendees are prohibited from spitting, being rude, standing in the seating sections, waving flags of nations other than those competing, and carrying such items as crossbows, daggers, fireworks, guns, radioactive material, laser pointers, and musical instruments.
5-The Games have forcibly moved 1.5 million people
While the Chinese government may be condemned globally for its treatment of Tibet and of citizens who practice Falun Gong, it’s not making many friends in Beijing either. Geneva’s Centre of Housing Rights and Evictions says that more than 1.5 million Chinese citizens have been displaced due to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games -- a claim the government denies. Even worse, the Beijing police is said to have imprisoned countless residents for protesting the evictions.
Though there’s nothing bigger on the international sports scene, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games might not be as popular in North America, often due to confusing time zone differences and the fact they take place at a key time of year on the pro-sports calendar. After all, the baseball season is about to hit the home stretch and the NFL is gearing up. Perhaps the average sports fan’s attention is on multimillion dollar athletes instead of amateurs who only see the spotlight every four years. Regardless of what you think, however, the Olympic Games are a crowning moment in sports, and even if table tennis and field hockey aren’t exactly your thing, they’re worth flipping channels to catch.
Here are five things you probably didn’t know about the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
1- No world records will be set
Hoping to see some world records broken at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games? Don’t hold your breath. Health and sporting experts predict that because of Beijing’s serious air-quality problem, outdoor events will be run at times well off the record pace because the smog will impact the athletes’ lung capacity. Just how bad is the Beijing smog? It’s two to three times higher than what the World Health Organization deems safe. The Chinese have taken several measures to combat their air pollution, including relocating 200 factories, taking 60,000 buses and taxis off the road and expanding the subway system, and ordering 340 factories around the Games’ sites to close during the Olympics. Still, their actions may be a case of too little, too late.
2- Baseball is gone, but handball continues
The 2008 Summer Olympic Games may not be the last Olympics to feature baseball, but they’ll be the last for a while. The 2012 Games will not include America’s sport (but the 2016 or 2020 Games might), much to the chagrin of former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. His Cuba squad has won three of four gold medals in baseball since it became an official Olympic sport in 1992, and the former pitcher has condemned the “rich and powerful masters” of the Olympics for getting rid of a sport at which Cuba has excelled. When you’re not watching baseball this summer, however, check out the competition in handball. Similar to soccer, the players in this medal sport since the 1970s use their hands rather than their feet. This summer’s Olympic Games will include 10 handball teams, including the unlikely qualifier Iceland.
3- The torch has already been extinguished several times
The Olympic Torch may be able to withstand 65 km/h winds and rain up to a rate of 50 millimeters per hour, but it’s already been snuffed out a handful of times on its 129-day, 137,000-kilometer relay that began in March. Because the relay has faced protesters demonstrating against China’s less-than-stellar human rights record (and pro-Chinese groups demonstrating against the demonstrators) on nearly every leg of its journey, the Torch has been extinguished for safety reasons. Additionally, out of respect for the victims of China’s Sichuan earthquake, the torch relay was stopped for three days in May.
4- You can’t eat dog at this year’s Olympics
If you were planning to attend the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to feast on man’s best friend, you’ll be disappointed. Chinese officials have announced that canines won’t be offered on menus at specified Olympic restaurants. Dog meat was also banned at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. Additionally, in an effort to maintain order at the Games, the Beijing organizing committee has released a list of rules for those attending the events to follow. Attendees are prohibited from spitting, being rude, standing in the seating sections, waving flags of nations other than those competing, and carrying such items as crossbows, daggers, fireworks, guns, radioactive material, laser pointers, and musical instruments.
5-The Games have forcibly moved 1.5 million people
While the Chinese government may be condemned globally for its treatment of Tibet and of citizens who practice Falun Gong, it’s not making many friends in Beijing either. Geneva’s Centre of Housing Rights and Evictions says that more than 1.5 million Chinese citizens have been displaced due to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games -- a claim the government denies. Even worse, the Beijing police is said to have imprisoned countless residents for protesting the evictions.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
06.08.2008
OB Odense - Nordsjaelland
MY PICK 1 @ 1.6
RAPID VIENNA - ANORTHOSIS
MY PICK Over @ 1.6
MTK Budapest - Fenerbahce
MY PICK 2 @ 1.56
Nybergsund vs. Alta
MY PICK Over @ 1.5
Man Utd vs. Juventus
MY PICK 2 @ 4.5
MY PICK 1 @ 1.6
RAPID VIENNA - ANORTHOSIS
MY PICK Over @ 1.6
MTK Budapest - Fenerbahce
MY PICK 2 @ 1.56
Nybergsund vs. Alta
MY PICK Over @ 1.5
Man Utd vs. Juventus
MY PICK 2 @ 4.5
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
05.08.2008
Kaunas - Rangers
MY PICK U/O U @ 1.8
Bohemians - Shamrock
MY PICK 1(0:0.5) AH @ 1.8
Djugarden - Norrkoping
MY PICK 1 @ 1.6
TENNIS
Igor Kunitsyn v Andrea Stoppini
MY PICK 1 @ 1.58
Carlos Moya v Xavier Malisse
MY PICK 1 @ 1.48
MY PICK U/O U @ 1.8
Bohemians - Shamrock
MY PICK 1(0:0.5) AH @ 1.8
Djugarden - Norrkoping
MY PICK 1 @ 1.6
TENNIS
Igor Kunitsyn v Andrea Stoppini
MY PICK 1 @ 1.58
Carlos Moya v Xavier Malisse
MY PICK 1 @ 1.48
Monday, August 4, 2008
04.08.2008
NO PREVIEWS
Kalmar - Aik
MY PICK 1 @ 1.95
Sondersyke - Fc Copenhagen
MY PICK 2 @ 1.42
Molde - Aaeslund
MY PICK 1 @ 1.91
Interblock - Koper
MY PICK 1 @ 1.8
Strasbourg - Montpellier
MY PICK 2 @ 4.2
Kalmar - Aik
MY PICK 1 @ 1.95
Sondersyke - Fc Copenhagen
MY PICK 2 @ 1.42
Molde - Aaeslund
MY PICK 1 @ 1.91
Interblock - Koper
MY PICK 1 @ 1.8
Strasbourg - Montpellier
MY PICK 2 @ 4.2
Sunday, August 3, 2008
QPR take Real star on loan
Queens Park Rangers have signed Real Madrid youngster Daniel Parejo on a one-year loan deal, the Spanish champions have confirmed.
The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move to Loftus Road throughout the summer, and Real finally confirmed the transfer on Sunday evening.
A statement on the Spanish club's official website read: "Daniel Parejo has been loaned to Queens Park Rangers for one year.
"The youth team midfielder will therefore play in the Football League Championship next season, where he will continue progressing and honing his skills."
Parejo scored the winner for Real on Saturday as they beat Hamburg 2-1 in London as part of the Emirates Cup pre-season tournament
The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move to Loftus Road throughout the summer, and Real finally confirmed the transfer on Sunday evening.
A statement on the Spanish club's official website read: "Daniel Parejo has been loaned to Queens Park Rangers for one year.
"The youth team midfielder will therefore play in the Football League Championship next season, where he will continue progressing and honing his skills."
Parejo scored the winner for Real on Saturday as they beat Hamburg 2-1 in London as part of the Emirates Cup pre-season tournament
Robin ready to commit to Gunners
Robin van Persie has revealed to setantasports.com he is ready to resume contract talks with Arsenal and commit his long-term future to the North London club.
The departures of Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini had ensured a somewhat stormy summer for The Gunners, but the outlook has brightened considerably in recent days with first Emmanuel Adebayor declaring he will sign a new contract at Emirates Stadium and now his strike partner following suit.
Van Persie opened negotiations regarding a contract extension before competing in Euro 2008 with Holland but the former Feyenoord forward is now keen to resume those discussions and thrash out a new deal.
Despite rumours linking the player with a move to Serie A and Juventus, Van Persie insists he is very much at home in North London and revelling in the stylish football which Wenger employs.
“I was [in contract talks] before the Euros but I stopped it because of the Euros and we can sit down together one of these days again,” Van Persie told setantasports.com.
“That is my intention always [to commit to the club]. I love this club, it is a great team and it is really nice to be in this team because everyone loves the game.
“Like me, I love to play lots of combination football, so I am in the right place, but you never know unfortunately.”
A string of fitness problems have restricted Van Persie to just 55 Premier League starts in four seasons in North London but the Holland international is hoping for better luck in the coming season.
And with the club suffering their own pain from a run of three seasons without a trophy, Van Persie is hoping to rectify both situations in the 2008-2009 campaign.
“I want to win everything, I want to be fit,” Van Persie added. “I want to be helpful to my team-mates and make a fantastic year, but you never know.”
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