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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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Training Equipment Review - The Lean Abs Machine Finally! An abdominal exercise machine that actually works! Learn about an innovative new piece of home training equipment that can shred your abs AND provide you with a total-body workout quickly and efficiently.

Now, I'll be the first person to tell you that it's VERY rare to find a piece of abdominal training equipment that REALLY WORKS. Most of the entries into the abdominal training market are specifically designed to maximize their profit, NOT your midsection.

To really hit a home run with me, an abdominal training machine must satisfy four basic requirements:

1. It must be able to effectively work not only the rectus abdominus (the six-pack muscles) but also the obliques (the side ab muscles) and the transverse abdominus (the deep ab muscles that wrap around your core to stabilize it).

2. It must work the abdominal muscles in a functional manner, i.e. not just assisted muscle contraction, like an ab roller or ab folding chair.

3. It must be convenient enough to use that a person will actually use it regularly.

4. It must hold some advantage over doing bodyweight ab exercises alone.

** BONUS - It would be ideal if you can also use it to effectively work OTHER bodyparts as well!

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Recently, I've had the privelege of testing a new piece of abdominal equipment called the "Lean Abs Machine." Truth be told, I'd been searching for quite a long time for an abdominal machine that met all the requirements that I listed above. Most abdominal equipment (especially the infomerical type of stuff) can barely be classified as training equipment, in my opinion, and none of it ever close to meeting all those requirements I listed above.

But the "Lean Abs Machine" turned out to be a big step above the rest! It is the ONLY piece of ab equipment I've used that met all four requirements AND the bonus requirement.

The mechanism by which the "Lean Abs Machine" works is actually quite simple. The easiest way to explain it would be that it is a lever with resistance bands attached near the base. You push or pull against the lever using the bands for resistance. It's a simple concept but the elegant design results in great versatility compared to other abdominal training equipment.

Here's how it stacks up to the four requirements I laid out above:

1. Working all parts of the core effectively

The "Lean Abs Machine" is simply one of THE most versatile pieces of ab equipment available. Instead of just focusing on one single function of the abdominal area (as most ab training products do - generally it's a crunch type of movement) and then telling you to add a bit of shoulder rotation to work the side abs, the "Lean Abs Machine" actually allows for very specific, separate exercises for all functions of the abdominals.

With this machine, I was able to perform exercises that worked a crunching type of movement (against resistance), a direct side movement (to work the obliques), a rotational movement (to work the deep transverse abdominus), as well as a leaning movement (similar to the ab wheels where you roll out forward then back). This level of variety is simply not possible with any other abdominal training machine.

And the best part is, those exercises are not "tacked on" in order to try and artificially inflate the number of exercises you can do with the machine. Not at all - these are challenging exercises that work the abdominals HARD.

2. Working the abdominals in a functional manner

One of the biggest criticisms I've always had of abdominal training machines is that simply don't train the core muscles in a functional manner. And by functional, I don't mean you have to stand on one leg on a Swiss ball and wood chop with a medicine ball. By functional, I mean using the core in ways that your body normally moves in the course of the day.

For a normal person, functional core strength means being able to stabilize in typical patterns of movement, like squatting, leaning, standing, walking, etc. For an athlete, functional core strength means being able to apply considerable force through the core area while maintaining strength and balance. An ab roller will not do any of these things for anybody.

But the "Lean Abs Machine" DOES.

Because your body is not locked into position (which will force you to work your abs in isolation) the "Lean Abs Machine" allows for a more integrated abdominal activation. In plain English, it means that it works the abs as a unit rather than by themselves. If you want to optimize your abdominal strength and power and/or develop an extraordinary eye-catching midsection, this is CRITICAL! You teach the body how to properly activate the core muscles rather than just making individual muscles contract.

3. Convenient to use

If a machine isn't convenient to use, it's not going to get used, no matter how good the intentions of the person. It's as simple as that. If it takes too long to set up or it's too complicated to easily work with, a machine will just collect dust (and laundry!).

Honestly, because the "Lean Abs Machine" does involve resistance and moving parts, it's not as straightfoward as simply grabbing an ab roller and lying underneath it. That being said, considering the number of options you have in terms of exercise, it IS quite easy to get set up and get started. And once you get the machine set up, you can actually do a number of different abdominal exercises using the same settings and resistance.

As with any new equipment, my recommendation is always to set aside some time and just play around with it and the options it provides. Once you are comfortable with how the machine works and the resistances you need to use, getting the machine ready for your workout is extremely easy.

The "Lean Abs Machine" also features a vertical stand attachment so you can store with a very minimal footprint. When you're ready to use it, you just lay it flat and you're good to go.

4. Advantages over bodyweight abdominal training

The final requirement that a piece of abdominal training equipment must have is that it should hold some sort of advantage over bodyweight abdominal training. This is a requirement because, in my experience, most abdominal training "equipment" doesn't give you many benefits over and above a good set of crunches.

If you can get the same results with crunches, why would you want to buy a piece of ab equipment?

The "Lean Abs Machine" DOES offer significant advantages over bodyweight abdominal training.

The first advantage is the ability to add RESISTANCE to the exercises. One of the biggest things holding people back in developing their core is lack of resistance. A simple bodyweight exercise such as the crunch can typically be done for MANY MANY reps. This low-intensity of exercise does very little for strength, power and abdominal development.

If you want fast results and you want a strong core you simply MUST train the abs with resistance. The "Lean Abs Machine" accomplishes this with the use of rubber resistance bands of different tension levels. By adding these bands to the machine, you can specify EXACTLY how much resistance you want to use for an exercise and you can ADD resistance whenever you need to for progression.

You wouldn't try and build your chest by just trying to bench press the same weight more and more times...why would you try and develop your abs just by doing more and more crunches? There is no progression and no reason for your body to change.

The second major advantage over straight bodyweight ab training is the varying body positions and patterns of movement in which you can put tension on your abs. You use the machine as a tool AND as resistance.

The third major advantage is that you're training your core while standing up. It may sound strange but think of it this way...when you're playing pretty much any sport (other than wrestling perhaps!), how often are you lying on your back? There are very few, if any, strictly bodyweight exercises that can be performed in a standing position.

The standing position is a more natural position to work the core in and it really helps with the carry-over of core strength to daily life and athletics because it teaches you how to activate your core (and manipulate your body position for optimal core function) while standing.

BONUS - The ability to perform exercises for other bodyparts

Even though this is not technically a requirement for a good abdominal training machine, the ability to perform exercises for other bodyparts on the machine is a very nice bonus!

A few of the exercises you can do include:

- front squats
- curls
- lying rows
- chest press
- shoulder press
- leaning calf raises
- glute extensions (i.e. butt blaster)
- lunges
- standing dips/pushdowns
- many more!

The versatility of the simple design of the machine and the included equipment (the single handle and the moveable pads and handles) means you can very easily perform a total-body workout on the "Lean Abs Machine."

In fact, included in the introductory instructions is a 6 exercise circuit that uses all the same settings on the machine (so you don't have to make any changes in setup while training) and covers every major bodypart! It's a very effective circuit and it means you can get an excellent workout in a very short period of time.

As a side note, if you're interested in developing your glutes, the Butt Blaster type of movement that is possible with this machine is actually very comparable in effectiveness to the Butt Blaster machine you'll find in a commercial gym!

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POTENTIAL DRAWBACKS

While reviewing the "Lean Abs Machine," I did come across a few minor drawbacks that I want to be sure to mention. None of these interfere with the effectiveness or functionality of the machine and are, in my opinion, quite minor.

1. Initial setup time

From opening the box to having the machine fully assembled, it took me about 30 minutes. While the assembly instructions are very good, if you're not familiar with putting together training equipment (as I am), it may take you a bit longer. To put it in perspective, a few years ago I put together a multistation home gym and it took me approximately 3 days (not straight through but spending a number of hours each day)!

For the number of exercises you can perform with the "Lean Abs Machine," the set-up time is pretty reasonable.

2. Having available floorspace

If space is VERY limited where you're training, you may find the machine's footprint when laying flat to be a little constricting. At it's largest setting, it does cover about 4 feet of floorspace in length. It's definitely smaller in size than a Total Gym, though. To really have this be a serious problem, you would have to have EXTREMELY limited floorspace - the machine itself will even fit in a hallway without a problem, if that's your only option. Again, this is a minor drawback that can normally be worked around quite easily.

3. When performing certain exercises, you must step on the machine to keep it anchored down

In a few of the exercises (most specifically, those exercises where you're pushing up against the lever arm of the machine against a heavier resistance), you will need to stand on the frame of the machine to keep it from lifting up.

For the most part, this is a minor thing. Standing on the machine is natural for most of those exercises, especially the abdominal exercises. But there were a few where I had to adjust my stance in order to stand on the frame to keep it from moving. These were actually exercises for other bodyparts, so as far as abs go, this drawback didn't affect the training at all.

4. Cost

The "Lean Abs Machine" is not a cheaply-made piece of equipment, therefore it does cost more than other abdominal training equipment. The frame is solid-gauge steel and the rubber bands are well-made and practically unbreakable. So even though it does cost a bit more than the typical "impulse buy" infomercial ab machine, it's a machine that is built solidly to last a lifetime.

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BOTTOM LINE:

The "Lean Abs Machine" is a VERY effective piece of abdominal training equipment. It meets all the requirements for an effective piece of ab training equipment AND allows you to work other bodyparts very effectively as well.

If you're looking for a functional abdominal training machine, the "Lean Abs Machine" is an excellent choice. I would recommend it above any other abdominal machine on the market today in terms of properly targeting the entire core area (including the "deep" core muscles), allowing for a great variety of exercises, and in overall quality of construction.

If you'd like to see the "Lean Abs Machine" in action (or if you're interested in getting one), I've got pictures and video of it on the following page:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue49-lean-abs.htm

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How To Lose Fat NOW - A Basic Fat-Loss Program That You Can Put To Work Today! So you want to lose fat but don't know where to start? This program will get you moving in the right direction...weight training, cardio, nutrition and supplementation...and get you results NOW!

So you want to drop some fat but you're not sure of what the best way is to get started?

Right now, I'm going to give you a short guide that will get you moving in the right direction...an exact training program (done 3 times per week) covering weights and cardio, as well as what to eat, how much to eat, and what supplements you need and don't need.

Let's get right to it!

STEP 1 - FOOD QUALITY

For fat loss, WHAT you're eating is just as important as HOW MUCH you're eating. Think of it it way...you can lose weight eating ONLY 1000 calories worth of chocolate pudding every day...but how do you think you're going to feel eating nothing but chocolate pudding!

It's VERY important to eat good quality, nutritious food when you're trying to lose fat. Your body needs nutrients to function. Without good nutrition, your body will react in two ways: first, it will shut down your metabolism to try and conserve nutrients. Second, it will set off RAGING cravings to try and get you to eat more nutrients!

Focus on unprocessed foods, as close to their natural state as possible. Unprocessed foods are more nutritious and easier for your body to digest and work with. This simple change can make a big difference to your fat-loss efforts.

Here's the deal...contrary to popular thought, a calorie is NOT a calorie. The popular scientific consensus used to be (and still is according to some people) that all calories are created equal. That it didn't matter what you ate in terms of nutrients (fat, carbs and protein), as long as the total calorie intake was below a certain point, you would lose fat.

Unfortunately, that is NOT the case and it's common sense - what do you think would help you lose fat better...that 1000 calories of chocolate pudding or 1000 calories of lean chicken breast, vegetables and brown rice? Quality of food DOES matter and it can mean the difference between success and failure.

My advice: for 1 week, take a small notepad wherever you go and write down EVERYTHING you eat. And I do mean EVERYTHING - even if it's just a snack or a little nibble of a cracker, write it down, as well as how much of it you ate. Remember, this is just for one week - you don't have to do this for the rest of your life so be honest about everything you eat!

At the end of the week, look at what you've eaten and put a checkmark beside everything that is unprocessed (a good rule of thumb is anything that can be found on the outside aisles of the grocery store, lean meats, fish, eggs, veggies, fruits, nuts, potatoes, whole grains, legumes, etc.). This is a good visual cue to see exactly how you're doing with your food quality.

If you see that more than half of the foods have checkmarks beside them, you're doing much better than average already! Ideally, you want to get that number of checkmarks as high as possible.

For more information about nutrition and eating, check out the following article:

BASIC Nutrition - A Quick, Common-Sense Guide To What You Should Be Eating to Stay Healthy and Get Results Right Now
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue43.htm

STEP 2 - FOOD QUANTITY

Now that you've looked at WHAT you're eating, it's time to turn your attention to HOW MUCH you're eating. Even the highest quality, nutritious food can make you fat if you eat too much of it. So to lose fat effectively, you basically have to eat less food.

There are many, MANY methods and formulas for figuring this out but, bottom line, ALL of them are really just "best-guesses" - even the scientific formulas that work out your requirements to the single calorie are just guesses. These guesses are based on plenty of data, mind you, and they can be very helpful in determining a good starting point. But if a formula says you need X number of calories and you eat that and you still aren't losing fat, obviously that number isn't the number for you.

Here's a very simple rule of thumb for estimating a STARTING POINT for determining your caloric intake to lose fat: take your weight in pounds and multiply it by 10. For example, if you weigh 175 pounds, that would give you a starting point of 1750 calories per day.

Go back to that week-long list of foods that you wrote down (from the previous point) and plug those foods into the database on this site (it has a HUGE number of foods that you can track):

http://www.calorieking.com/foods/

Add up your calories for the whole week, divide that by 7 (to get your average caloric intake per day) and see how it compares to number you get from the simple formula I described above.

If it's higher, you need to eat less food. If it's lower and you find you're STILL not losing fat, you may need to eat even less than that.

I would NOT recommend going below 1000 calories per day for food intake at the VERY lowest. When you start getting that low, you run into problems because your body isn't getting enough energy and nutrients from the small amount of food you're eating. This is doubly true when you're exercising as well. Your body will react by slowing your metabolism and burning up lean tissue (like your muscle mass). This will put a stop to fat loss and can be dangerous!

STEP 3 - WEIGHT TRAINING

One of the first things people ask me when they want to lose fat is "how much cardio should I do." When I respond by telling them how much weight training they should do, they always look at me like I'm crazy.

But here's the bottom line: if you go into an aerobics class and take a snapshot of the people in there then come back 6 months later and take another shapshot, chances are VERY good that most of the people in the class haven't made any significant changes to their bodies.

Sure, cardio training burns calories, but it doesn't reshape your body and it doesn't build muscle mass to same degree as weight training. This is true for both men and women.

** And a note specifically to the ladies, when I talk about muscle mass for you, I'm NOT talking about big, bulky bodybuilder muscles...I'm talking about the sleek, toned muscles that give your body the curves and shape you're looking for! Without THAT kind of muscle mass, you may get smaller but you still won't have the shape you're looking for.

For a more detailed explanation of this, check out the following article:

Follow the Path of MOST Resistance! Learn why weight training is the fast track to sculpting your body.
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue8.htm

If you want to lose fat, you should weight train at least three times per week (e.g. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). I like to recommend total body workouts each session for beginning trainers as it helps the body to learn the exercises faster and build strength and muscle faster.

Here's what a typical resistance training session would look like:

3 sets of back
3 sets of chest
3 sets of thighs
2 sets of shoulders
2 sets of hamstrings
2 sets of biceps
2 sets of triceps
2 sets of calves
2 sets of abs

Take about a minute rest in between each set and aim for about 8 to 10 reps per set.

The MOST important thing to note here with rep ranges is that those 8 to 10 reps are a GUIDE NOT A TARGET. The idea is to choose a weight that makes it tough to complete those 10 reps. The idea is NOT to take a weight that you can easily do 10 reps with, do 10 reps then stop regardless of whether the muscle was really worked or not. To make progress, you need to push yourself.

I cannot TELL you how many times I've seen people diligently counting their reps as they whip through an exercise then stop before they even put a dent in their strength levels. When I ask them why they stopped so soon, they always tell me "that's how many reps it says to do on my program."

Don't be afraid to push yourself! THAT is where the real results are!

If you would like more information on how to perform exercises, check out these links:

Road Warrior Training - Keep in Shape While Traveling!
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue41.htm

http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Exercises.htm

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

STEP 4 - CARDIO TRAINING

Even though you may think I'm opposed to cardio training judging by what I wrote above, that is NOT the case! Cardio definitely has a place in a fat-loss program.

I have three main issues with cardio training for fat loss:

1. It shouldn't be the main focus of a fat-loss exercise program when it so often is.

This is a point I mentioned above - I believe weight training should be the focus of an exercise program for fat loss. Not only is it more effective for fat loss, there is actually LESS chance of injury than with the typical repetitive-movement cardio activities (anyone who has tried to take up jogging when they're 20+ pounds overweight can attest to that!).

2. It's normally done with low intensity and for long periods of time, which does NOT boost the metabolism.

The REAL key to losing fat is ramping up your metabolism to burn calories ALL THE TIME rather than just when you're exercising. By keeping intensity low, you only burn calories DURING exercise, not so much after. But when you boost intensity, your metabolism gets cranked up and you burn more calories ALL DAY.

For a more detailed explanation of higher-intensity cardio training and its benefits, read these articles:

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

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

3. It's typically done WAY too much.

In order to get results with typical long-duration cardio, many people do it upwards of 5 or 6 and even 7 days a week! This is fine if you're an athlete training for an endurance competition but if you're a busy person (as many people are), you just don't have TIME to sit on a stationary bike for an hour a day.

Couple that long duration and high frequency with a repetitive movement and you not only have greater chance of injury, you also have greater chance of boredom (which sometimes means giving up on exercise altogether because "it just doesn't work for me").

My recommendation is always to use interval training instead of the long-duration cardio training. It can be done MUCH faster (10 to 20 minutes), boosts your metabolism for long periods AFTER training, and finally, it actually helps your body hang onto muscle tissue while burning fat.

There are two ways to include cardio in with the weight training program I described above.

1. Do your cardio training immediately AFTER your weights.

When you do it this way, don't eat anything after you do weights - just go directly into your cardio after a few minutes rest. You only need about 10 minutes of training to really make a dent in your fat stores. This has the advantage of allowing you to get all your training done all at once (in the gym 3 times a week and that's it).

2. Do your cardio training on separate days or separate sessions

This is a good way to go in that you won't be tired from the weight training when you do the interval training. You may need go a bit longer in your sessions (e.g. 15 to 20 minutes) when done on its own. This method does have the advantage of giving your metabolism a separate boost in addition to the weights. When doing it this way, you can do cardio on its own on Tuesday and Thursday, for example.

Either method is very effective! The real key is working hard at the training.

NOTE: DO NOT do interval training every day! It may work well for a little while but you will very quickly overwork the body, which will stop your results.

STEP 5 - SUPPLEMENTS

When I refer to supplements here, I'm NOT talking about fat-loss pills. These pills are not the answer for losing fat. Your own natural metabolism IS and it's WAY more powerful than any pill.

Check out this article on fat-loss pills:

How Fat Loss Pills Can Make You Fatter
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue20.htm

When I refer to supplements, I'm talking about supplements that help SUPPORT your body nutritionally, not send it into a hyper-alert state that fries your nervous system.

When training to lose fat, here are the supplements I highly recommend:

- Protein Powder - to help with rebuilding and repairing muscle
tissue and keeping the immune system functioning well

(Here is a 3 part article on protein and fat loss)
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue6.htm

- Glutamine - helps speed recovery and boost the immune system
http://www.fitstep.com/goto/glutamine.htm

- Multivitamins - to help you cover all your nutritional bases
- Vitamin C - helps repair joints, is a strong antioxidant and boosts the immune system
- Calcium/Magnesium - for your bones and also for muscle contractions...it's hard to get enough of these nutrients when reducing caloric intake

These are the basics, as far as I'm concerned. It's critical to give your body ample nutritional support when trying to lose fat.

For more information on supplementation, check out:

A Quick, "No B.S." Guide To Muscle-Building and Fat-Loss Supplementation
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue48.htm

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CONCLUSION:

These 5 simple steps should get you started on your way to losing the extra fat. Here are they are in review:

Step 1 - improve the quality of the food you eat
Step 2 - eat less food
Step 3 - start weight training
Step 4 - include some cardio training
Step 5 - use supplements to support your body

Go through the list step-by-step and you will on your way to fat-loss success!

For more articles and information on fat loss, check out:

http://www.fitstep.com/fat-loss/fat-loss.htm

And if you're interested in a more detailed fat-loss exercise and nutritional program, be sure to read about my book "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss":

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

It's a program that lays out (in great detail!) 36 days of training, eating and supplementation to maximize fat-loss. It's a powerful, very comprehensive program!

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Secret Training Tip #119 - How to REALLY Do Incline Curls To Mass Up Your Biceps FAST! Discover a secret technique for performing Incline Dumbell Curls that will blast your biceps into next week! This simple change in position on the bench will shock you with how effective it is.

The longer I train, the more I realize that even what you might normally think of as a basic exercise can be done MUCH more effectively with some very simple changes!

The Incline Dumbell Curl is the example of this that I'd like to share with you here. The Incline Curl is one of THE most effective bicep-building exercises you can do. It puts a great stretch on the biceps at the bottom and can be a key exercise for major muscle growth.

And the standard way of setting up and performing the Incline Curl is just fine! There's nothing inherently wrong with lying back on an incline bench, letting your arms hang down beside you then curling the dumbells up to the top position.

This "normal" way of doing the Incline Curl is very effective and time-tested. But you're NOT reading this article because you want to settle for "normal" results!

So here's the simple technique for maximizing the results you get with the Incline Curl...

You're NOT going to sit on the seat of the incline bench as you normally would. First, pick up your dumbells and straddle the incline bench. In that standing position, move your butt all the way back onto the bench. Sit on the incline face of the bench then set your FEET on the seat of the bench (knees bent).

The top end of the bench should hit you just below the shoulder blades. Now arch your back over the top end of the bench as though you were trying to wrap your back over and around the bench end. Turn your palms forward and keep them facing forward throughout the exercise for best results. In this bottom position, you should feel an increased stretch on the biceps beyond what you normally get with the Incline Curl.

The reason this position results in an increased stretch on the biceps lies in the positioning of the chest and shoulders. The biceps attach in the shoulder joint. When you're in the standard position on the incline bench, your shoulders are braced on the bench and you can't fully open up your chest.

You do get a good stretch but it's not a MAXIMUM stretch, which is the key to massive results with this exercise!

When your shoulders are up and off the top end of the bench, the weight of the dumbells pulls your shoulders back and down, opening up the chest and increasing the stretch on the biceps at the bottom.

Perform the exercise as you normally would an Incline Dumbell Curl. Start the movement with a deliberate squeeze of the biceps, curl all the way up to the top, doing your best to keep the upper arms vertical (they may move up and forward a bit). Hold for a second at the top.

Now comes the payoff...on the way back down, DO NOT let your palms turn inwards. Keep them facing FORWARD all the way down to the bottom. This keeps full tension on the biceps all the way to the bottom, which is the most beneficial part of the exercise.

Lower the dumbells under complete control. For an extra shot of tension, try to "push" your elbows forward as you lower the dumbells. To do this, imagine as though you're trying to push a button with your bicep - it takes a bit of practice to get this feeling but it's definitely worth persuing.

As you lower the dumbells to the very bottom, let them pull and stretch your shoulders backwards and down, opening up the chest. This increased tension from the negative portion of the movement coupled with the greater stretch potential of your body position will give you an INCREDIBLE muscle-building stimulus. Take advantage of it and don't lose the stretch tension in your biceps!

Feel for that stretch then curl up again with a deliberate movement. When you go to choose weights for this exercise, start with weights that are lighter than you would normally use. When you apply stretch and tension to the biceps like this, it's a humbling experience in terms of the amout of weight you can use.

But it is definitely a GROWING experience!!

For pictures and video of this technique in action, click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue49-incline-curls.htm

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Secret Training Tip #120 - My VERY Favorite Leg Exercise (I Like It Even More Than Barbell Squats For Working The Thighs HARD!) This mystery leg exercise requires only two dumbells and the guts to push yourself to the limit! If you want great legs, whether it be massive quads or shapely thighs, you NEED to put this exercise in your routine. Find out what it is!

Rather than starting this article off with a riddle (like what's black and white and red all over?... a newspaper), I've decided to the take the suspense completely out of it!

My VERY favorite leg exercise for really hitting the thighs HARD is not a new exercise...it may not even seem to you to be all that great of an exercise at first glance. But when I tell you how to do it FOR REAL, you're going to LOVE the results you get with it.

The exercise is the Dumbell Split Squat and it's going to change the way you look at dumbell leg exercises forever!

Here's what it is:

To honest, it looks almost exactly like an incomplete dumbell lunge. In fact, you may have even done it before thinking it WAS a dumbell lunge.

The big difference is this...when you do a regular dumbell lunge, you start in a standing position holding two dumbells in your hands. You take a step forward with one leg then drop down into a lunge position. From there, you push yourself all the way back up to the standing position then repeat with the other leg (stepping forward then pushing all the way back up).

When you do a Dumbell Split Squat, you START in the split position (which looks like the bottom of the lunge) and STAY there. You just move your body up and down, keeping your feet exactly where they are on the floor. No standing up, no stepping forward.

This is a key difference. It takes away many of the balance problems you find with lunges...it also takes away almost ALL of the knee stress that you might experience with lunges (when you step forward, your knee has to absorb all the momentum of not only your body but the weight of the dumbells moving forward).

When you plant your feet, you can keep your balance MUCH better. When you don't step forward, your knees don't take that stress from the forward momentum.

The Dumbell Split Squat is also ideal for home workout situations in that you only need a couple of dumbells to get an AMAZING leg workout.

Now, these are some great benefits but do you want to know what REALLY makes this my favorite leg exercise for hitting the thighs hard?

Simple...it gives you the ability to absolutely DESTROY your quads without mercy. It does this by having the resistance very close to the ground at the hardest part of the exercise (the bottom of the rep).

Basically, this means when you're doing the split squat, if you get to the bottom of the rep and can't push yourself back up, your dumbells are only an inch or two from the floor! All you have to do is set them down and you're done.

The practical upshot of this simple feature is that you can perform the exercise until your legs ABSOLUTELY GIVE OUT. When you're doing a barbell squat, you can certainly work your legs extremely hard but it's tough to push them to the absolute limit - you always have to get the bar back to the racks before you're done.

With practice and time, you can build up to some VERY heavy dumbells with this exercise (I've gone as high as 2 x 150 lb dumbells for reps).

This exercise puts less stress on the lower back and will work every major muscle group in your entire lower body. Believe me, you'll feel this one in the morning.

How To Do It:

First, pick two light to moderate weight dumbells the first time you do the exercise. You can definitely work up in weight as you work with the exercise more, though. It's important to learn the technique properly before moving on to more weight.

Set the two dumbells on the ground about 6 inches apart. Set your left foot in between but a little forward of the two dumbells. Now set your right foot back about two feet or so and assume a lunge position, kneeling on your right knee. Your right foot should NOT be directly in line with your left foot. When you place your right foot down, set it a little out to the side.

What this does is increase your base of support and make the exercise more stable and allowing you to generate more power. If you set your right foot directly in line with your left foot, you'll be spending most of the exercise trying not to fall over.

Keep your abs and lower back tight and make sure you keep an arch in your lower back here. Lean forward and reach down and grasp the two dumbells. Bring your torso back to vertical, picking up the dumbells off the ground.

This is the bottom position of the exercise. Now, push yourself up with your left thigh. Don't stand up to vertical...just straighten that front leg, keeping your front foot planted firmly on the ground.

It's important to keep your upper body VERTICAL as you do this exercise. DO NOT allow your body to lean forward as you do the exercise. Imagine it as a straight up and down movement and that you're sitting back as you do it. This visualization will help keep you from leaning forward.

Be sure you don't utilize a forward and back, lunging type of movement, as may be the tendency if you're used to doing regular lunges. This is very much an up and down type of movement.

Perform your target number of reps with your left leg forward. Push yourself hard! If you have to bail out on the exercise, all you need to do is set the dumbells on the ground at the bottom.

At this point, you can either take a rest period or immediately switch to the other leg in front - I prefer to go right to the other leg in front with no break. Do as many reps as you can with the other leg now.

Note that you most likely will not get as many reps with the other leg...no matter which leg is in front, the rear leg is also doing a lot of work. So if you start with the left leg in front, the right leg is still doing work. When you switch legs, the right leg will already be tired from the previous set.

Because of this, it's important to always switch which leg you start with on successive sets. Start with your left foot forward on your first set, then on your next set, start with your right foot forward. This will ensure a balanced workload.

This exercise allows you to basically "leave it on the floor." Because you can just set the dumbells on the floor, you can push your legs to the point where they can hardly keep you standing. That's my idea of a good leg workout!

To see pictures and a video of this exercise in action, click on the following link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue49-split-squats.htm

In the video, you'll also see a slightly different technique that I use to get very heavy dumbells into position for the exercise more efficiently. It involves setting the legs near the top position first THEN picking up the dumbells. It's a more advanced move that should only be attempted by those with a strong lower back.

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