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NOTE: All articles in BetterU News are written by Nick Nilsson -
http://www.fitstep.com/ unless otherwise credited.

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A Fat-Loss Program That Actually Allows You To Build Strength AND Muscle? How Is That Possible? It's possible with a scientifically-designed program that harnesses and applies the real power of your own natural metabolism. With the right training and nutrition, your body is fully capable of building muscle even when on a fat-loss program. You see, your body reacts to certain nutrients and certain training styles in very predictable ways. By exploiting your body's natural reactions, the right program not only maximizes the positive fat-burning and muscle-building effects of Growth Hormone, it also maximizes the anabolic effects of Insulin while minimizing Insulin's possible negative impact on fat burning. It's a combination that has the potential to transform your body in a remarkably short period of time! Let me put it this way - if I only had one program that I could do for the rest of my life, this program would be it. Click here right now to learn about a groundbreaking new program that does exactly this! http://www.fitstep.com/metabolic-surge/metabolic-surge -rapid-fat-loss.htm

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Triple Add Sets - A Revolutionary New Intensity Technique That Will Work ALL Your Muscle Fibers In One Set! Normal sets only work a select type and number of muscle fibers. Find out how the Triple Add Set technique can work EVERY muscle fiber you've got in a single set.

Looking for a new challenge in your workouts? The Triple Add Set is just what you need. It is very a tough intensity technique, but it is extremely effective. The Triple Add Set will strongly work all three of the major muscle fiber types (I, IIa, and IIb) in one extended set, pushing the very limits of your body's strength and endurance. If this sounds good to you, you're going to love this technique!

To fully understand the effectiveness of the Triple Add Set, let's take a look at the muscle fiber types and why it's such a good thing to work all three of the major types at once.

When you lift a weight, your body recruits a certain number of muscle fibers to get the job done. It recruits a certain percentage of each type of fiber, depending on how heavy the load is. For instance, the lighter the load, the more Type I fibers will be called upon. The heavier the load, the more Type IIa fibers will be called upon. With very heavy loads, Type IIb fibers will be the most heavily recruited.

With regular training, your body learns to become more efficient with this recruitment and tries to get away with firing as few fibers as possible to get the job done. It's the body's natural tendency to conserve energy.

Unfortunately, this also leaves many muscle fibers underworked and not developed to their full potential. We need to find a way to force your body to recruit every available fiber to maximally work the muscle and develop it to it's full potential. That's where the Triple Add Set comes in.

If you're familiar with Triple Drop Sets (where you start with a heavy weight for the first part, then drop to a lighter
weight for more reps then drop to a somewhat lighter weight for more reps to finish with) then you're familiar with the
basic idea of this style of training.

However, here's the switch: instead of starting with a heavy weight and working down, we're going to start with a light
weight and work our way up!

The Triple Add Set technique will first exhaust your Type I muscle fibers with light weights and high reps.

Then it will work on the Type IIa muscle fibers by moving to heavier weights and moderate reps. Since Type I fibers are still being activated at this point, even though the weights are heavier, your body will recruit more and more of those Type I fibers as you keep going.

On the third and final part of the set, very heavy weights will be used. Your Type IIb fibers will now be preferentially activated. But now, because the load is extremely demanding, your Type I fibers and even more of your Type IIa fibers are being recruited to help.

By the time you're done with the Triple Add Set, you've recruited almost every available muscle fiber in the target muscle. Then we do one or two more sets just to be sure they're completely worked!

How To Do It:

It will take a little practice to figure out what weights you'll be using. It will really depend on how well your body
deals with lactic acid build-up. This is a training stimulus your body will most likely NEVER have experienced before.

The first part of the set should use a very light weight. Go for strict form and go for the burn. The first time through
you should get at least 20 to 30 reps.

On the second Add Set, your reps will go down significantly as the waste products of the first set will not have been completely cleared.

The second Add Set should use about double what you used on the first set, e.g. start with 25 pound dumbells then do 50 pound dumbells (this increase will vary a lot depending on the exercise - experiment with the weights you use to find out what works for you).

The third and final part of the set is the hardest. Since you've already worked hard on the previous two parts, you
will be using a weight that is lighter than what you'd normally use for this rep range in regular sets. When you do the third part, you will feel an extremely strong and deep burning in the muscles. You are tapping muscle fibers that have rarely been worked! The first two Add Sets worked the majority of your muscle fibers - every fiber you've got now has to kick in and fire to move the weight in the third Add Set!

It's extremely hard and extremely effective. You'll either love it or dread it but it works!

These are Triple Add Sets. Pick an exercise and give this technique a try the next chance you get. You will be amazed at the incredible burning and pump that results from this unique training stimulus!

The Triple Add Set is only one of the many innovative exercise techniques you'll find in my new ebook "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss." This book is all about how to lose fat as quickly as possible while keeping and even BUILDING muscle mass.

Click this link now to find out more!

http://www.fitstep.com/metabolic-surge/metabolic-surge-rapid-fat-loss.htm

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Training Equipment Review - The Manta Ray - Is It a Squatter's Dream Come True? The squat is one of the best exercises you can do for building strength and muscle mass. Can the Manta Ray make it more comfortable and even more effective?

The barbell squat, as I'm sure you've heard time and again, is one of the most effective exercises not only for building the legs but also for building muscle all over the entire body. The metabolic effects of the squat are very powerful.

One of the main problems with the barbell squat, however, lies in the placement of the bar across the shoulders. For many, placing the bar across the shoulders can be a painful experience. If it hurts when you do it (and not in a good way), chances are, you're going to be a lot less likely to do squats regularly, if at all. You'll be missing out on an excellent exercise!

In the past, you had fewer choices when it came to padding your shoulders for the squat. You could wear a thick sweatshirt when squatting, you could wrap a towel around the bar, or you could place a foam pad around the bar.

The sweatshirt, unfortunately, does little to cushion the bar and the towel or foam pad can actually allow the bar to more easily roll or slip down your back. Not a good thing!

The "Manta Ray" squatting accessory aims to change all that. It addresses the structure of the body with respect to the mechanics of the squat exercise, claiming to make the exercise more comfortable to perform and more effective.

The Manta Ray is a simple piece of strong, specially-molded blue plastic. It has a groove for the bar and is shaped to rest comfortably over the trapezius/shoulder area of the body. It looks a lot like the sea creature it's named for!

But can it live up to its claim of making the squat more comfortable and, therefore, more effective?

I will cut right to the chase. The Manta Ray lives up to these claims easily. It is simply one of THE most effective training tools I've every used in the 15-plus years I've been training. Here are the two major reasons why:

1. Effective Load Distribution

The Manta Ray effectively distributes the entire load of the bar over a much larger area of the body than you get with just the bar alone. It works for the same reason that a person wearing snowshoes can walk easily where a person without snowshoes will sink down into the snow: increased surface area. I've found the unique shape of the Manta Ray to be very well-constructed for this purpose.

To illustrate this point, I've used the Manta Ray to do partial top-range squats with more than 1100 pounds. If I tried this weight with just the bar, I'm sure I'd be missing a few vertebrae! The Manta Ray's extremely effective distribution of load will allow you to use more weight more comfortably.

2. Prevents the Bar From Rolling or Slipping

Barbells are round. I'm sure you've noticed this. What better shape to roll with? One of the hardest things to deal with in the barbell squat is in fighting the tendency of the bar to slide or roll down your back.

Even a slight roll of the bar can throw off the balance of the exercise and compromise your form and safety. Worst case, if the bar rolls or slips too far, you may even have to ditch the bar to avoid serious injury.

The Manta Ray effectively arrests this tendency to roll or slide. The molded shape of the plastic locks the bar into position on your shoulders and stops the shifting of the bar.

In comparison to the positives of the Manta Ray (load distribution and roll prevention), the negatives, in my opinion, are minor.

1. If you've been squatting regularly with just the bar or with foam pads, the feel of the position the Manta Ray puts you in does take some getting used to. It will require you squat with your torso in a more upright position than you may be used to. This is actually a good thing, though, as it will help your quad development and keep your back in a safer, arched position.

2. When you use the Manta Ray with heavier weights, it does have a tendency to leave temporary red marks on your upper shoulder area. I've found, however, that these fade fairly quickly.

3. If you workout in a public gym, you have to carry the Manta Ray around with you or go to your locker and get it when you're ready to use it. Since it's molded plastic, it doesn't fold up. It isn't, however, large or awkward to carry around, making this a relatively minor inconvenience.

4. Placement on the bar can be tricky. To get best use out of the Manta Ray, you need to be sure it is set very close to centered on the bar. A slightly-off placement can put a torque on the body and unbalance the load. Fortunately, it's a simple matter to visually line up the ends of the Manta Ray with the knurled (rough) areas on an Olympic bar. Once you unrack the bar, if the Manta Ray is not centered, you'll likely be able to feel it an adjust its position accordingly.

The negatives of the Manta Ray are a small price to pay for the exceptional benefits and value you'll get from it. Not only will the Manta Ray help make your barbell squats more comfortable and more effective, it can also very easily be used for other exercises such as barbell calf raises, barbell lunges and more.

Priced at $39.95, I've found the Manta Ray to be one of the BEST investments in training equipment I've ever made. If you're interested in improving your squat, I highly recommend either getting one for yourself or talking to your gym owner or manager about getting one for your facility. I've been using mine for more than 10 years!

To learn more about the Manta Ray or to get one for yourself, click the following link now:

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/mantaray.htm

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Learn How To Strengthen And Flatten The Muscles or Your Core and Abs Right Now! Creating a breathtaking six-pack abdominal area is one the main goals of almost every who trains. Yet even if you lose the fat that's covering your abs, without proper training of the abdominal and core area, you could still face abdominal weakness and a distended abdomen (belly bulge). Crunches can help but to really flatten your abs and strengthen those core muscles, you need a more targeted approach. "Flatten Your Abs" by David Grisaffi is an excellent abdominal training manual that covers exactly this. David presents a large number of very effective abdominal exercises, put together in programs designed for everyone from the beginner to the advanced trainer. You'll learn the ins and outs of abdominal training, including how often you should train your abs, the facts about machine training, how to use ab training to erase lower back pain, and much more! This book will help you develop the abs of your dreams! Click on the following link now to flatten your abs and get that washboard you've always wanted: http://www.fitstep.com/goto/flatabs.htm

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Secret Training Tip #374 - The Pull-Up Row - A Unique Bodyweight Back Exercise You Can Do Almost Anywhere. Bodyweight exercises for the back are rare. Variations of the pull-up row can be easy enough for the complete beginner or hard enough to challenge the most advanced veteran!

Bodyweight exercises are among the most effective exercises for building strength and muscle mass. However, for most trainers, the only bodyweight exercises for the back that they know are the pull-up or chin-up! While the pull-up is definitely effective, it can be too challenging for some or not challenging enough for others. Also, pull-ups don't fully address the different positions the back is capable of working in.

Enter the pull-up row. It gives all the significant benefits of a bodyweight exercise while actually improving on the regular barbell, dumbell and cable row by taking the lower back completely out of the movement.

Today, you're going to learn four variations of the pull-up row that target the total beginner all the way to the very advanced. There will be a link to a page with pictures of all four of these variations at the end of the article.

Note about rows: it's important with all rowing movements to keep your lower back arched. This position prevents injuries and helps put the lats in their best position for activation.

1. Beginner Level - Standing Pull-Up Rows

To perform the Standing Pull-Up Row, all you need is something solid to grab onto, like a pole or a railing. You can grab directly onto it or loop a towel around it, grasping the ends of the towel.

Set your feet close to the bottom of what you're holding onto and lean back to arms-length. Keep your entire body straight and stiff - the only movement will come at the elbows and shoulders.

Pull yourself up towards the pole, squeezing the muscles in your back hard. Lower yourself back down, letting your arms straighten out, and repeat.

As you get stronger with these, you can also do them holding on with only one arm and pulling up one arm at a time.

2. Beginner to Intermediate Level - Lying Pull-Up Rows

The Lying Pull-Up Row requires something solid that you can lay under and grab onto. It you're at home, this could be a very sturdy horizontal railing (be sure it's strong!). If you're at the gym, you can set a Smith Machine bar or power rack bar to a couple of feet off the ground.

Sit underneath the bar and grasp it with a shoulder-width, underhand grip.

Move your feet out and away, putting yourself into a laying position while holding onto the bar. Keeping your torso stiff, pull yourself up as though rowing.

The closer you keep your feet towards the bar, the easier the exercise will be. The easiest position for this version of the pull-up row is with your legs bent fully as though you are in the bottom of a squat. This greatly reduces the amount of bodyweight you must move.

To make the exercise harder, set your feet out further (or straighten your legs) or elevate your feet on a bench or chair. This will make you take up more of your bodyweight during the movement, increasing the resistance.

3. Intermediate to Advanced - One Arm Lying Pull-Up Rows

The set-up for the One Arm Lying Pull-Up Row is exactly the same as for the regular Lying Pull-Up Row as explained in the previous variation, the major difference being you'll grasp the bar with only one hand instead of two.

Grasp the bar with an underhand grip even with the centerline of your body for best balance and leverage. Pull up with the one arm for a full set then repeat with the other arm.

You can hold your non-working arm across your abdomen or grip it onto the forearm of your working hand. Gripping your other arm with your non-working hand will make the exercise easier, however, as it will take up some of the resistance of the movement.

4. Intermediate to Advanced - Free Hanging Pull-Up Rows

This version of the Pull-Up Row will utilize all of your bodyweight for resistance, just like a chin-up. It can be done using a chin-up bar or, if necessary, using a Smith Machine bar or a bar set on the safety rails of a power rack.

If you have low ceilings, you'll need to use the power rack or Smith Machine version (set the bar to about 4 feet off the ground) otherwise your feet will hit the ceiling and stop the exercise.

Grasp the chin-up bar with a shoulder-width, underhand grip. Raise your legs up as though doing a complete hanging leg raise movement.

Lean your upper body back to a horizontal position and straighten your legs to vertical. Your shins should be right up against the bar and your feet should be directly above the bar. Your body should be in an "L" shape.

Holding your legs in that position, do a pull-up row from there. Keep your legs as close to the bar as possible when doing this to better keep your balance.

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As you can see, the Pull-Up Row can be used effectively by every level of trainer from complete beginner to the very advanced. Give one of these versions a try in your next back workout!

For pictures and more information about these variations, click the following link now:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue28-back.htm

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Have You Tried 100% Pure Liquid Egg Whites? If so, I'd love to get your feedback on how the product is working for you. Let me know how you're using it, what kind of results you've been getting and how you like it! If you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for! Click this link right now for more information: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/eggwhites-ideas.htm It's truly one of the most effective protein products I've ever used.

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The Complete Gym Personality Guide From the Obsessive Compulsive Rep Counter to Leisure Suit Larry in Gym Shorts, these are the people that you meet when you're lifting.

Sometimes, when a person sets foot inside the gym, they turn into a whole other person. If you've been to pretty much any gym in the world, you are sure to recognize the people you're about to read about...

1. Smell Me Madge, I Soaked In It.

You can detect this person coming before they even set foot inside the door of the gym. Little tip: it's fine to wear a little perfume or cologne to the gym but don't soak your clothes in it. Have a shower instead.

2. Obsessive Compulsive Rep Counter

Like a meditation mantra, the numbers get counted until the specific magic number has been reached. To really have some fun, stand behind this person as they do their set and start saying random numbers out loud as they count.

3. Leisure Suit Larry In Gym Shorts

Looking for love in all the wrong places. Often a colgne-soaker and always on the prowl, even constant and harsh rejection from every single female he encounters (including the potted plants) doesn't seem to slow Larry down.

4. Don't Make Me Lift That Heavy Thing

If you've ever watched someone monopolize the 2-pound neoprene dumbells for 20 minutes, you've seen this person in action. Fear of developing massive, icky-looking, veiny muscles from even looking at anything heavier than a Rice Krispie Treat keeps this person away from the weights that actually have numbers written on them. I've seen a person like this straining with a novelty dumbell pen.

5. You Don't Need A Jack For That Car Now That I'm Here

Cinch that weight belt up until you look like a big red Pop 'n Fresh doughboy in a corset, it's time to do 3 inch, hunched-over, bowl-legged, shaky-leg squats! There's something to be said for lifting within your means (and for not cinching your weight belt up so tight that you c--p yourself during a set).

6. Where's The Ashtray For This Treadmill?

You can always spot the person who's at the gym against their will and under doctors orders. They are doing as little as possible as slowly as possible and are always looking for somebody to work in with them so that they can stop.

7. The Bouncy Bench Press Crew

Young males travelling in packs of 3 or more, hogging the bench press for uncounted sets of trampoline-like reps with far too much weight while their training partners yell "it's all you" as though it really is. I hear the concave chest look is "in" this year...

8. Please Don't Wear That

Some people simply should NOT wear spandex and I can't figure out why they do. I'll leave it at that.

9. The Brick Wall

No matter how much anybody tells this person that the exercise they're doing is going to shatter their spine, they continue to pig-headedly do it anyway because their 9th grade gym teacher taught it to them 26 years ago.

10. The Beast

You'll often see this person banging their head against the concrete wall to psych themselves up for a set because "drywall is just too soft."

11. The Mountain Man

Apparently, he just walked in from taking down some trees in the backcountry and didn't have time to change out of his dirty sweatpants, flannel shirt and work boots before heading to the gym.

12. The Gym Bunny

If you're not in the gym for a serious workout, but to set the stair machine on 1 and try desperately hard not to sweat and mess up your precious hair and makeup, hop yourself out the door. Leisure Suit Larry is hanging out in the parking lot waiting someone... ANYONE.

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