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No-Rest Lactic Acid Supersetting - Supercharge Your Metabolism For Fat Loss! The name is a mouthful but the training will send your metabolism through the roof! Combine the power of supersets with the fat-burning power of Lactic Acid-based training and you get a workout that will peel the fat right off your body!

To really fire up your fat-burning furnace, you need a workout that addresses not only calories burned DURING the workout itself, but also calories burned AFTER the workout. But it doesn't end there...to REALLY maximize your results, you need to also address your body's HORMONAL response to training.

When you put all these factors together, you can SERIOUSLY increase the fat-burning drive you generate with each and every workout.

Let's look at the factors one at a time:

1. Calories burned DURING the workout

Every time you exercise, you burn calories. Makes sense! The amount of calories you burn depends on the specific exercise you're doing, how intense it is and how long you do it for. I won't spend much time on this one as pretty much everybody knows instinctively that the harder and longer you work, the more calories you burn.

2. Calories burned AFTER the workout

Here's where it gets interesting...the more intense the exercise you perform, the more your overall metabolism is boosted and the more calories your body will burn AFTER the workout as it strives to recover from the training.

The practical result is this...if you do long, slow cardio training for your fat loss, you will burn calories during the workout, but your metabolism will go back to its normal rate very soon after. If you increase the pace (e.g. through interval training), you create a MUCH greater demand on your body and your metabolism is jacked up long after your workout is done - this can be for up to 24 hours after!

When it comes to fat loss, intensity is the key, not your resistance to boredom during repetitive movement.

3. Your HORMONAL response to training

Here's the one most people don't know about. When you exercise, whether it be for fat loss or any other purpose, your body secretes hormones in response to the training. The big one that we want to key in on for fat loss is Growth Hormone.

Without delving too much into the science of Growth Hormone (GH for short), it's enough to know that one of the primary functions of GH is to send a signal to your body to burn fat for fuel (it's also involved in many other functions, including muscle building, immune system function and connective tissue repair).

So how do we maximize the release of natural GH in the body from training? Lactic Acid.

Lactic Acid is one of the key "ingredients" that we want the body to produce in order to maximize the release of GH. When the body detects large amounts of Lactic Acid in the blood stream (it determines this by tracking the acidity of your blood), GH is secreted in response.

In a nutshell, the greater the burn, the greater the GH release.

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So how do we maximize ALL THREE aspects of fat loss that I mentioned above? We will do it through a training technique I call "No-Rest Lactic Acid Supersetting."

We are going to combine several techniques that are extremely effective for maximizing the production of Lactic Acid in the body. I'll tell you up front, this training WON'T be easy (if you find it easy, you're not working hard enough!) but it's VERY effective.

The first part of the equation is high-rep training. There is NO doubt that high reps will produce Lactic Acid. The bonus with high-rep training is that it also helps improve the capillirization of the muscles. In English, this means it helps improve the blood supply to the muscles by increasing the amount of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the muscles. One of the reaons muscles don't grow? Poor blood supply. So high-reps can not only produce Lactic Acid, they can even improve the growth potential of a muscle!

The next part of the equation is Supersetting. Supersets involve moving from one exercise directly into another exercise, with no rest inbetween the two exercises. This is a great way to increase the burn from Lactic Acid. The specific type of Supersets we'll be using with this training technique are "Antagonistic Supersets." This means we'll be working two opposing bodyparts at a time, e.g. back and chest or biceps and triceps.

The final part of the equation is that we're not only NOT going to take any rest between the two Superset exercises, we're actually not going to take ANY REST AT ALL (except when we move to a different Superset combination).

The body clears out Lactic Acid when it gets a chance to rest. By removing complete rest from the equation, we're going to dramatically ramp up the production of Lactic Acid in your body and, as a result, ideally dramatically ramp up the production of Growth Hormone in response.

All this, in turn, will lead to increased fat loss by increasing Growth Hormone and burning LOTS of calories during the workout AND after the workout, because of the high intensity level.

A quick note about Growth Hormone: there are plenty of websites and magazines that will try to sell you HGH pills to increase your GH levels. While some nutritional supplements can be moderately effective at boosting GH levels (glutamine is one), the vast majority of these HGH ads are scams and should be avoided. Your body, with proper training, can produce ample amounts on its own.

How To Do It:

I will use chest and back as the example bodyparts for this training program. We will be switching between dumbell presses on the ball and standing dumbell rows (using two dumbells in bent-over row position). I find this to be a good combination because you can use the same dumbells for both exercises and perform them in the very same spot.

The key with this training technique is speed, not only during the sets but switching between exercises. At the end of the article, I'll include a link to a demonstration video of this technique in action.

First, select a pair of dumbells that you know you can get at least 20 reps with on the dumbell press. For this technique, 20 reps is going to be the MINIMUM number of reps we want to hit on the first set of dumbell presses.

Get into position on the ball and begin pressing the dumbells. Keep a fairly quick tempo on the presses using a powerful movement, not worrying about squeezing the muscles or getting any slow negatives (the lowering phase of the movement). It should be a fast, powerful movement to get as many reps as you can.

Big note here...DO NOT sacrifice form for speed. If you're flailing the dumbells around, you're going to hurt yourself. While the movement is fast, it should be UNDER CONTROL at all times.

Do as many reps as you can until the Lactic Acid burn forces you to stop. The last reps will see you moving a LOT slower than you started but keep going until the burn stops you.

Now set the dumbells down and IMMEDIATELY get into position for the two dumbell rows. The two dumbell row is performed exactly like a bent-over barbell but using two dumbells instead (the link will also include demo pictures on how to perform both of these exercises).

Begin rowing with the same quick tempo. Be VERY careful that you're not bobbing up and down excessively as you do this exercise. It's fine to have a little movement - it's natural as the weight comes up and down. But you should do your best to keep your lower back arched, your abs tight and your torso as still as possible.

Again, perform as many reps as you can until the burn stops you and you have to set the weights down.

Now IMMEDIATELY put all thoughts of rest aside! Grab those dumbells, get back on the ball and starting cranking out more dumbell presses!

Your reps will most likely drop fairly significantly on this second round through due to muscle fatigue and Lactic Acid accumulation. Get as many reps as you can, though. Personally, I may start my first set with 30 to 40 reps and get 8 to 10 on the second set.

Finish the pressing reps then go right back to the dumbell rows for as many reps as you can. Keep going back and forth between exercises until you've done the prescribed number of sets for each bodypart (see below for recommendations).

Be sure to push yourself on those sets! Make sure you stop because of the Lactic Acid burn and not because you've counted enough reps and you've lost track.

As for number of sets, here are my recommendations...

If you're going to do your entire body in one workout use the following set guidelines:

Back and chest - 6 sets each
Quadriceps and Hamstrings - 6 sets each
Shoulders and Calves - 3 sets each
Biceps and Triceps - 3 sets each

The reason shoulders and calves are paired together is that neither muscle group really has an antagonist to it.

If you're going to split up your workouts, I would suggest picking two of the combinations (whichever combos you like to do together) and use the following set guidelines:

Back and chest - 8 sets each
Quadriceps and Hamstrings - 10 sets each
Shoulders and Calves - 5 sets each
Biceps and Triceps - 5 sets each

This means if you want to do back, chest, biceps, triceps, do 8 sets each of back and chest then 5 sets each of biceps and triceps.

Take 1 minute rest in between bodypart combinations or judge it by the time it takes for you to set up the next two exercises.

Perform this training program three times a week, e.g. Monday, Wednesday, Friday if you're doing total body workouts. If you're splitting your body up, do Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

Follow this training technique for 3 weeks and then check the mirror!

A small note about Growth Hormone:

DO NOT eat anything before training when you're doing this program. It's best to perform this training on an empty stomach. The reason for this is that GH secretion is reduced by both elevated blood sugar levels and/or elevated insulin levels in the body. When you eat something (specifically carbohydrates), your blood sugar will rise and insulin will be secreted as a result. Insulin is a storage hormone and works directly against GH.

AFTER training, it's a whole different ballgame. You CAN take in carbs and it won't affect the post-workout fat-burning process. Because of the tremendous demands on the recovery systems from a hard workout, your body will continue to use stored fat to fuel the recovery process even when you take in carbs.

So be sure to take in some good post-workout nutrition in the form of liquid protein and carbs. It'll help speed recovery and keep your body from eating up its own muscle tissue.

Conclusion:

If you're looking for a shock to your body to kick-start your fat loss, give this program a try. It'll place tremendous demands on your body and put your fat loss into high gear!

To watch a video of this technique in action and to see pictures of the two sample exercises, click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue47-super.htm

Other Resource articles:

1. Supersets - What They Are, Why They Work, and Several Unique Variations You Can Try In Your Next Workout
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue39.htm

2. What Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn't The Best For Fat Burning?
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue7.htm

3. The Insider Secrets of Interval Training - Learn How Now!
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue26.htm

4. Fat Loss Article Index - Fitstep.com
http://www.fitstep.com/fat-loss/fat-loss.htm

5. Are You Cheating Yourself Out Of 50% or More Of Your Hard-Earned Results?
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue19.htm

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Get Uncensored, Hard-Hitting Bodybuilding And Fitness Information From Trainer Marc David, Creator of the "The Beginner's Guide To Fitness And Bodybuilding" If you're interested in getting the most out of your training, go take a look at Marc David's bodybuilding blog where he serves up uncensored bodybuilding and fitness information in a podcast format (audio). He covers topics like nutrition, training and supplements...each audio is only 5 minutes max. The podcasts are short, to the point and very focused. It's excellent information and a great training resource. Check it out now! http://bodybuildinglive.blogspot.com/ "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness And Bodybuilding" http://www.fitstep.com/goto/beginning-bodybuilding.htm

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The Lebert Equalizer - Training Equipment Review Whether you're working out at home or at the gym, the more versatile the equipment you have, the more exercises you can do and the better your results will be. Can something as elegantly simple as the "The Equalizer" crank up the intensity of your training? Find out now!

When it comes to training equipment, sometimes the phrase "simpler is better" rings VERY true. And in the case of the "The Equalizer," simple is not only a good thing, it can get you GREAT results!

"The Lebert Equalizer," invented by top Canadian personal trainer Marc Lebert, is very simple in design. On the surface (it comes in two separate pieces), "The Equalizer" resembles two thick yellow hurdles standing a few feet tall and measuring a few feet long, with two "feet" on the bottom for stability and support. It also sports two padded hand grips right in the center of each piece. It looks very simple for sure...

But when you start performing some of the recommended bodyweight exercises on "The Equalizer," you'll see just how powerful "simple" can be.

Now, speaking for myself, I'm a big believer in exercises that use your body for resistance, including variations of push-ups, chin-ups, dips, etc. Exercises that move your body through space have been shown to activate greater numbers of muscle fibers and create much stronger demands on the body, both in the muscular and nervous system, than exercises where you move the weight instead.

Bottom line - bodyweight exercises and exercises that combine weights and body movement (like squats) are more effective than the vast majority of "locked in" exercises where you move the weight and not yourself.

And the sheer number of bodyweight exercises that you can perform with "The Equalizer" makes it one of the most versatile pieces of bodyweight-centric equipment you can get, whether you train at the gym or especially if you train at home.

THE "PROS"

1. Easy assembly, simple design, solid construction and no moving parts

"The Equalizer" ships in pieces but is EXTREMELY easy to assemble. It's basically a matter of sliding the pieces together then tightening a few screws. It only took me a few minutes from taking it out of the box to having it ready to go.

The design is simple and the two parts stack together very nicely, making it a great space-saving piece of equipment. And, because "The Equalizer" is basically a base to perform exercises on, there's no need for any moving parts, which means less to go wrong and ZERO maintenance.

The actual frame of "The Equalizer" is constructed of solid steel and, I would say, is pretty much unbreakable in normal use. You would have to really try hard to do any damage to it.

2. Extremely large number of valuable exercises to perform

One of the greatest assests of "The Equalizer" is the fact that it can be used in so many ways. Without looking at the exercise chart that was included in the box, I found myself performing 5 or 6 exercises without even having to refer to it. When I did stop and look at the chart, it gave me some good ideas for further use.

Some of the sample exercises include dips, push-ups, pull-up rows (a.k.a. inverse bodyweight rows), bench dips, knee raises, bodyweight tricep extensions, one-legged squats (used for keeping balance), calf raises, assisted lunges, side push-ups (for obliques), bodyweight inverse curls, and many more! "The Equalizer" website offers a tremendous number of exercise variations that you can put to use immediately.

You can even use it as something to jump over to develop leg power and vertical leap!

And as a dedicated "exercise innovator" myself, I've already come up with quite a few new uses for the equipment!

3. Good stability and portability

For a piece of bodyweight-oriented equipment to be truly useful, it must be stable. This is because you need to balance on it, push your body off it and pull yourself up on it.

The "feet" on "The Equalizer" make the apparatus quite stable for the majority of exercises and I found it to be quite solid. There were a few times when I pushed out to the sides a little too hard and the pieces tilted a bit. But once I understood the limitations, it was simple to work around. Like any equipment, it's important to know what you can and can't do with it. Overall, you can do quite a lot!

The two pieces themselves are extremely light and portable and very easy to maneuver into any position you want to put them in. It's a good combination - solid, stable and portable.

THE "CONS"

1. Not as stable laterally (to the sides)

As I mentioned above, when I pushed directly out to the sides, the pieces did tilt a bit. But in that case, I was doing the movement specifically to test lateral stability so it wasn't a big shock when the pieces tilted. To make the units more stable with those types of movements, the feet would have to be much larger, resulting in a larger overall footprint.

Once you know the limits of the lateral pressure you can put on, you can very easily work within them.

2. Not adjustable in height

The only real change I might make to "The Equalizer" would be the ability to change the height of the pieces. As they are right now, the height is set at only one specific point. A couple of removeable pins and some height options would give "The Equalizer" even more potential variety in exercises you could do with it.

As it is right now, the height seemed to be just fine for the vast majority of the exercises. With height adjustment, you could potentially make some exercises easier or harder.

*On a side note, I did ask Marc Lebert about height adjustability and it IS something they have thought of and are considering adding into the equipment in the future.*

3. It's yellow

Yellow doesn't match any of the other equipment I have in my gym. This is the biggest challenge I faced with "The Equalizer" and, you better believe, it's a very VERY small one.

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When it comes right down to it, I would HIGHLY recommend "The Equalizer" not only in a regular gym setting but ESPECIALLY in a home gym situation. The sheer variety of exercises and movements you can do with this simple piece of equipment would make it an extremely valuable addition to any training area.

It's even used by a number of professional athletes to boost their sports performance, including Scott Niedermayer of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (hockey) and Mike Wiebe, Professional Long Driver (golf - best drive 428 yards!).

If you're in a gym setting (e.g. trainer, owner or manager), "The Lebert Equalizer" is also offered in money-saving package deals. That way, you can offer classes using this excellent piece of equipment.

If you just train at a gym, it'll be tough to fit it in your gym bag (unless you bring a suitcase!), but it would be a very good piece of equipment to have at home for days when you don't feel like going to or just can't make it to the gym.

"The Lebert Equalizer" is, overall, an excellent piece of equipment and well worth picking up.

For more information or to get your "Equalizer" now, click on the following link:

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

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Quick Note Regarding "1 Ton Hooks" - The BEST Grip-Boosting Tool on the Market "1 Ton Hooks" are, in my opinion, a CRUCIAL piece of equipment if you want to get the most out of your back training. These hooks are the real deal - rugged, comfortable, and built to take the heaviest weight (I've pulled a 905 lb lockout partial deadlift with the hooks - only back strength stopped me from going higher, not grip strength, thanks to the hooks!) If you don't already have a pair, check out my past review of the hooks here and get yours now: http://www.fitstep.com/fitness-equipment-reviews/equipment-reviews/1-ton-hooks-review.htm

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Secret Training Tip #991 - Pike Handstand Push-Ups and Horizontal Push-Ups The handstand push-up is simply one of THE very best shoulder exercises in existence. It's also one of the hardest! Learn two variations of this exercise that allow you to reduce the resistance but still harness the full power of this single-best bodyweight shoulder exercise.

When it comes to shoulder training, nothing beats the handstand push-up for sheer shoulder-building power. To do the handstand push-up, you need to kick up into a handstand (generally with your feet touching a wall), lower yourself down like a shoulder press, then push yourself back up. All of this performed upsidedown with your entire bodyweight for resistance!

But the bottom line is, as effective as it is, the handstand push-up is also one of the hardest and most dangerous exercises to perform! If you don't have the strength to perform it correctly, it'll drop you right on your head, which is rarely a good thing.

So how do we harness the shoulder-blasting power of the handstand push-up while not only keeping it safe but also adjusting the resistance so you can perform it (or variations of it) no matter what your strength level?

Two ways. The first is the Pike Handstand Push-Up (for intermediate to advanced trainers). The second is the Horizontal Push-Up (for beginning trainers).

The Pike Handstand Push-Up

This exercise is performed almost exactly like a regular handstand push-up with one major difference...instead of going up into a full handstand, you set your feet on a bench and bend your body in half at a right angle (pike position). In that position, you perform the push-up.

To get into position, all you need is a bench, a chair or some steps. Set your hands on the ground a little beyond shoulder width apart and about 2 feet in front of the bench. When your hands are planted, step back and up and set your toes on the bench. Bend only at your hips so your body forms an upsidown "L" shape.

When doing this exercise, your fingers should be spread wide for best stability. Look directly back and underneath the bench in order to keep your torso vertical. If you try and look forward, you'll change the focus of the exercise and possibly plant your nose into the floor.

Lower yourself down just like you were doing the negative of a shoulder press. Touch your head lightly to the ground then press yourself back up.

Because your lower body is supported on the bench, this reduces the resistance that your shoulders must work against, allowing you to reap the benefits of the handstand push-up movement without being forced to use your whole body as resistance.

As you get stronger with the movement, you can set your hands on two push-up handles or on the handles of two dumbells (use hex dumbells so that they don't roll out on you). This will give you a somewhat greater range of motion and further develop the shoulders.

Even though this exercise is an easier variation of the handstand push-up, you still need to be careful about balance and about being upsidedown while exerting yourself. Do only a few reps the first time you try it and stand yourself back up slowly.

Horizontal Push-Ups

This exercise is ideal if you're not strong enough to perform the Pike Handstand Push-Up but are looking for a good bodyweight shoulder exercise. This one of only a very few bodyweight exercises available for the shoulders, especially if you are newer to training.

The Horizontal Push-Up utilizes a similar movement pattern to the handstand push-up but with a horizontal body position instead of a vertical body position. This means you're moving primarily forward and back, not up and down.

To perform this exercise, it's best to use two pieces of equipment (e.g. two benches) or furniture (e.g. two chairs). The reason for this is that ideally you want to have room for your head to go down the middle so you get a full range of motion. It is possible to do this exercise using the edge of a single bench by ducking your head under the bench as you do it.

Note: normally I don't recommend exercises that put resistance on the shoulders with this "behind-the-head" position but in this case, because it's a bodyweight exercise with small resistance, you can very easily adjust your shoulders to accomodate the movement without a problem. You can also simply touch the top of your head to the bench edge instead of going under it and do a shorter range of motion.

In the demonstration pictures and video, I'm going to be using the "Lebert Equalizer" that I reviewed in the previous article (see above).

Brace your equipment against a solid object or wall for support and you're ready to go!

Kneel down about a foot in front of the equipment. The two pieces should just a little outside shoulder width apart. Set your hands on the corners of the two pieces and set your torso horizontal. Now use your legs to push your body forward.

This mimics the lowering phase of a shoulder press. When you get to the fully stretched position, use shoulder power to press yourself back to the start while using pressure from your quadriceps to resist the movement.

To increase the resistance on this exercise, get on your feet! Instead of kneeling down, set your feet about a yard away from your apparatus then perform the exercise exactly as above.

This exercise is ideal if you're just starting out in your training and working out either at home or in a gym.

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The full Handstand Push-Up still reigns supreme as the king of the bodyweight shoulder exercises. But these two variations will go a long way towards helping you develop the shoulders you want, whether it be giant barn-door shoulders or tight, toned shoulders with great definition.

For pictures and videos of these two exercises in action, click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue47-pushups.htm

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