Free Glide

Ever been to the Vatican museum? One of the most fascinating aspects of my journey to Italy was the sculptures that were on display at the Vatican. These sculptures were not just masterpieces of human hands. They were fascinating renditions of the strength and power of the human body. One of the main things that stood out for me was the aesthetic of the body….and those strong, powerful legs! It seems to me that the ancient world was an amazingly active place to live in. Monolithic structures, and regimented routines, plus loads of wars that were played out by men who were highly drilled and fantastically strong.

Now let’s fast forward to today, and you will be able to make your own piece of history by increasing the performance of your leg routine, for colossal gains in power and strength. In this article I will unlock for you Da Vinci-like secrets that will propel your athletic performance to the next level!

Leg Training, It’s a GAS: Like all great masterpieces, strong legs take time to build. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) looks at three different components that help to increase muscular strength and prevent overtraining over time:

1. Shock Phase: This occurs when you are exposed to a stimulus, and there is a corresponding drop in performance.

2. Resistance Phase: The body adapts to the training stimulus.

3. Maladaptation Phase: when the stress in the workload is too much, or there is no variety in a given stimulus that leads to a drop in performance.

Now we’ve primed your legs up to understand what it takes to create strength and power. With the power of adaptation we can create overcompensation. This is the period where the most strength gains occur, if we add another stimulus to our leg training then we might overtrain. If no other stimulus is added at the optimal time, then we might lose strength. It’s a balancing act. But to gain some serious strength in our legs, without overtraining, we need to periodize.

Bompa (1994) came up with the protocols or a standard of westernized training principles that helped increase strength over a period of time. Now there are certainly other periodized training methods, but we will stick to the textbook (Bompa) version so you can understand the basics for great gains in leg strength. Periodization looks at a planned variation of acute program variables (Source: Fleck & Kraemer, 1997). Periodization revolves around the following issues:

1. Adaptations are achieved progressively over a long period of time.
2. A high degree of fitness can only be maintained for a relatively short period of time.
3. Overload provides the stimulus while recovery provides the adaptations. (Source: Richardson, A. Advanced Resistance Training, 2001)

Therefore, periodization will help plan and organize your leg training regime for powerful performance. So let’s start looking at the phases of strength that will help increase our little twig legs to Herculean pillars!

Get Functional: The functional stage focuses on high volume repetitions, with low training intensities (%RM). An emphasis here will be to gain lean body mass and a good all round balance of strength for the legs. Experienced athletes will look at gains around a period of four weeks. Where inexperienced trainers could stick to this phase for up to 10 weeks.

Maximize It: The focus here is big loads, with a reduction in volume and an increase in intensity. We should be aiming to work up to and over 85% 1RM. This is really taxing, and should possibly be performed once or twice a week with 1-3 sets. This period lasts about 4-12 weeks depending on the athlete or trainer.

Convert It: Strength and power come into play here. With the emphasis on high intensity and speed of movement. Specificity should also come into play, with movements that should mimic the bio-mechanical pattern of the trainee’s particular sport. This should last for four to 6 weeks.

Cease It: Here strength and power are increased through greater intensities and a mixture of speed of movement, reactive training (plyometrics) and technique of the particular sport. This lasts for 1-2 weeks.

Maintain It: Volume is low, and intensity is moderate, to keep the gains we have made in our leg training throughout all the above periods. Maintenance last for 20 weeks, depending on the sport and allows the athlete to not overtrain.

Get Some Active Rest: Take it easy with very low work loads and intensities. Doing other activities that are not akin to your target sport would be a good option. Instead of soccer, try some basketball?

Now that you know how to create strength and power with a periodized program, let us look at some of the best compound movement exercises for total leg development. The winners are (drum role please):

- Barbell Cleans (like the Olympic clean and jerk…without the jerk)
- Barbell Squat (the grand daddy)
- Dead lift (works mostly the back, but your legs will feel it)
- Hack Squat (utilize more poundage’s, and vary your routine)
- Stiff Legged Dead lift (works the hamstrings)
- Leg Press (good option if your lower back hurts, good for maximum poundage’s also)

There are other exercises but these are the best for maximum power output and strength for the legs. Also, try to use these training systems for maximum gains and variety so as not to overtrain the legs:

- Super Slow (Reduces the role of momentum)
- Negatives (Extreme soreness, take a longer recovery)
- Single Set (If you run out of time, max out with one big set)

So there you have it, you have created legs that would be the envy of Da Vinci, and perhaps echoed in the annals of sports for ever. Go out there and power up your performance with strong powerful legs!

Copyright © 2005, WWW.KEEPERSKOOL.SQUARESPACE.COM. All rights reserved.

John Stevanja is an Aussie born, internationally certified fitness instructor, who has played competitive soccer at the highest levels in the position of goalkeeper. Being well travelled, John has worked in the leading corporate and private gym environments in the UK.

John offers a unique twist on goalkeeper specific nutrition and performance. His site, http://www.keeper-skool.com is updated daily and gives advice for not only the competitive soccer goalkeeper, but for athletes and fitness enthusiasts from all walks of life.

Some supplement companies will go to any lengths to
prove their products’ effectiveness. But sometimes the
evidence isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be. Before and
after photos are the most compelling means by which to
convince a person of steroid-like gains.

Often the before photos show the bodybuilder in off-season
condition; fat, bloated, with pale skin. Hardly inspirational,
but true to life. And photos are sometimes reversed. In one
instance a supplement company presented a photo of a
fitness model in top condition, declaring it the ‘after’ photo.
Beside it, the apparent ‘before’ photo showed the model in
her last trimester of pregnancy. Anyone who is familiar with
the model’s history is aware that the before photo was, in
fact, the after photo.

The same trick was used by an ex-professional bodybuilder
from the 1960s. Interestingly, his jowls sagged more and
his face looked older in the before photo. Apparently his
supplement line not only increases muscle, it may be the
proverbial fountain of youth!

Before and after photos from every day individuals sell a
product best. They represent people like you and me…
average weight trainees hoping to make dramatic changes
in short order. But these photos are also highly dubious. In
order to look as bad and as good as possible, the models
employ several tricks.

The before photos nearly always have the subject
slouching, frowning, pale skin, dull lighting, gut extended,
and with no muscle pump. The after photos use harsh
lighting with good shadow contrast, tanned skin, upright
posture with lats and shoulders spread wide, muscles
tensed, smiling with well-groomed facial and head hair, and
a muscle pump. It also is known that duct tape has been
used to pull back obliques/love handles in order to make
waists appear even smaller and shoulders even wider. The
same trick works under their arm pits, to make the pec line
more pronounced and sharp.

And so, are you truly seeing what the person has
accomplished and while on supplement ‘x’? Hardly; what
you are witnessing is an illusion of posing and photography
skills of the model.

One winning competitor in the EAS Physique
Transformation contest in 1999 did look good if contrasting
his before and after photos, losing twelve pounds of fat. He
also, however, lost six pounds of lean tissue! Ignoring the
fact that he won, it could be said that his program was a
failure and that he did the opposite of what exercise was
originally intended to do, e.g., increase lean tissue/function.

But it is to these unhealthy extremes that one sometimes
experiences in order to make a dramatic difference in a
contest that allows only 12 weeks. After all, 12 weeks is not
a long time, particularly for advanced trainees more so than
novices. For the advanced, there is not much muscle to
gain and to produce good before and after photos requires
extreme loss of fat - besides slouching, frowning, and no
pump or tan in the before photos.

Unfortunately, many people (particularly novices) who are
unaware of the benefits and application of long-term
planning will burn out on such an endeavor, perhaps
quitting exercise all together. After a 12-week stint of near
overtraining (if they haven’t done so by the contest’s end and
if not understanding how to train), they conclude they cannot
tolerate another 12-weeks of further self-inflicted torture, let
alone another three years.

Not everyone entering these contests understand that it is a
short-term solution… to see how far the body can be pushed
as quickly as possible. After that point, training must take
on a more cyclic structure. This means maintaining most of
what was accomplished during the physique transformation
followed by ‘easier’ off-season training and peaking
infrequently thereafter. Fat loss may continue after the
contest, or prior to another peak, but 100% mental effort and
extreme demands may only account for 8-12 weeks total
throughout the year once reaching an advanced stage.
Training throughout the remainder of the year can still be
tough, yet tolerable and never as demanding.

I don’t believe most beginner trainees realize the
importance of cycling or what needs to be done after a
physique transformation challenge. Most magazines don’t
talk about it, nor do bodybuilding books. They present
general ideas and expect you to lift happily ever after. It is for
this reason that physique transformation contests and
magazines as a whole produce greater failure than success
in. The thoughts of maintaining or bettering one’s physique
after 12-weeks of grueling effort is enough to shatter
anyone’s motivation. Believing that you must continue
training in a similar manner (something to which we have
all fallen victim) is the best guarantee to exercise
termination.

Interestingly, can you imagine the loss in profits that
supplement manufacturers (magazine owners) are
encountering due to frustration of their readers and the
thousands dropping out of exercise - or perhaps no longer
purchasing that magazine and the supplements it
endorses. If sound training information were provided,
particularly long-term application, there would be more
successes and supplement purchases from advanced
trainees. Rather, supplement companies are hoping and
expecting a new generation of customers to make up for
those recently lost - short-term solutions for a quick buck.

You may publish this article in your newsletter, on your web
site, or other publications, so long as the article’s content is
not altered and the resource box is included. Add byline and
active link. Notification of the use of this article is
appreciated, but not required.

Brian D. Johnston is the Director of Education and President
of the I.A.R.T. fitness certification and education institute. He
has written over 12 books and is a contributor author to the
Merck Medical Manual. An international lecturer, Mr.
Johnston wears many hats in the fitness and health
industries, and can be reached at info@ExerciseCertification.com. Visit his site at http://www.ExerciseCertification.com for more free articles.

Yep, there are more than ones body types. I’m sure you’ve noticed it too. The ones who, even if they eat whatever they want, never gain a pound, and others who exercise like there’s no tomorrow and STILL manage to gain weight. Well that’s a key thing when it comes to training your body. You have to train for your body type, or else your actions may not be doing anything good! There are 2 bodytypes: ectomorphic, mesomorphic & endomorphic. To find out what type of body you have, think back to your teen years and try to remember what your body looked like before age began rearing it’s ugly head. So let’s get to each body type shall we?!

The Ectomorph

The ectomorph is usually very thin. This person has a hard time gaining weight of any kind. So it takes longer for them and takes much more work to gain muscle. Most people with this body types are models or endurance athletes and such.

So what does an Ectomorph have to do to gain weight? Well the first thing is he has to start eating more calories. Not by eating larger meals, but by eating lots ( around 6 ) of smaller meals throughout the day. Look at the foods your eating now and add to them or seek foods wich have a higher number of calories.

Exercise wise, the Ectoporph needs to limit his activities outside of weight lifting. If your looking to build muscle, almost all your energy needs to be focused on weight lifting. Since you burn energy faster than others, using that energy for other activities will mean less for your muscles to grow. Use a low number of reps and heavy weights. You’ll probaly need to rest more too, Maybe every 48 hours. You should also be concentrating on doing compound exercises, like bench presses, deadlifts, exercises that target the most muscles at once.

The Mesomorph

These are what I’d call the “normal” physique. They’re average in weight and have the ability to either easily gain weight or loose it. They can mostly eat whatever they want without it affecting their appearance.

They should try and eat a healthy, balanced diet. But they should train regularly if they want to keep their physique. If they’re not carefull, they might gain unwanted fat. They should do weight training 2-3 times a week and aerobics either daily or on their off days, when they don’t weight train.

Mesomorphs are lucky, they have alot of freedom as to what they can get away with. But they should still be carefull.

The Endomorph

These people are rounder and “soft”. They have a hard time loosing weight but can gain muscle pretty easily. Diet and exercise are the 2 most important thing for this body type.

The first thing they should do is eat smaller meals, 6 times a day. By spacing your meals by 2-3 hours each, what you do is you speed up your metabolism. But never eat 2 carbohydrate snacks back to back, since this promotes the accumulation of fat. Because your body will become accustomed to carbohydrates and use them to burn energy, when your goal is to make it use up fat. One important part of your diet is to eat the major part of yoru calories, especially carbohydrates, in the morning and then eat your proteins during the rest of the day, that way, your body burns off the calories and keeps the proteins to build your muscles. A good rule is to decide when you’ll go to sleep and then count back 3-4 hours. This should be the time of your last meal. You do this to limit you intake of calories so you don’t gain fat. And also, drink water, and lots of it! You body will need it to get rid of the byproducts and waste toxins from the change your making. Your diet should have alot of fruits & whole grain. Eat foods you love though, or you’ll then be tempted to eat junk and thus making your efforts pretty useless. BE STRONG!!

Exercising is an important part of the plan. Endomorphs should start by incorporating some aerobics to their daily routine. Gradually step it up until you do at least 30 mins of aerobics 5-7 days a week. Yeah, that’s alot, but that’s a sacrifice your going to have to make if you want to look good. After that, the next step is to add some weight training to your routine. 2-3 days a week every 2 days should be enough. Start by doing the major compound exercises, like those suggested fro ectomorphs. You can add isolation exercises to tone parts of your body that you desire though. The aerobics will burn the calories and the weight training wil add the muscle and toning to your body.

So you see, what works for your buddy, might not necessarily work for you. So know what type of body you have and workout accordingly.

http://www.thebestmanyoucanbe.com

If you are getting into bodybuilding then you need to understand that what you eat is just as important as what you exercise. In other words, you can lift as many weights as you like but if your muscles are not getting the fuel they need to grow, you are wasting a great deal of effort.

You Need Protein

With just a little research into an effective bodybuilding diet you will quickly discover that enough protein is one of the most (some say the most) important parts of your nutritional intake. In short, protein is the building block of lean muscle - a lack of protein means your muscle building potential is much lower.

There are many opinions on how much protein your body needs each day and it may depend on your bodybuilding goals. Typically you might consider taking around 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight each day.

Using Nutritional Information to Choose Your Foods

There are plenty of foods in your local supermarket or grocery store that contain a useful amount of protein. Today’s regulations that ensure food product manufacturers display the nutritional content of their product make choosing your groceries a breeze. However, before you go running off to buy every high protein food you can find, a certain amount of care must be taken. Take the time to read through the food’s nutritional information table in it’s entirety. Not only are you looking out for the protein content but you also need to consider fat content, sugar content, carbohydrates, and so on. If your goal is to grow lean muscle then it is a good idea to avoid too many products high in simple sugars, calories and refined carbohydrates.

Popular High Protein Groceries in Your Bodybuilding Diet

You are now ready to hit the supermarket in search of quality protein food sources. These are foods that are high in protein but not so high in other elements that will hinder your lean muscle targets (i.e. calories, carbs, etc.):

MEAT: If you enjoy eating meat then generally 3 meats are recommended. The favorite is chicken (the number of recipes you can find on bodybuilding forums show this). Chicken is very lean and cheap. Similarly, turkey is actually slightly leaner then chicken and has higher protein percentage. Lean beef (look for cuts that are really red without any visible fat when possible) is another great source of protein.

EGGS: Raw or cooked, eggs are another staple in a lot of bodybuilder’s diets. Many people will avoid the yolk of the egg and simply eat the white, discarding some quality protein. It’s true that the yolk of an egg contains most of the calories but it also contains most of the eggs nutrients as well as some protein. Why not save a few of the yolks!

FISH: Fish is an important source of protein and many bodybuilders live off cans of tuna. In fact I knew one guy who would mix in a can of tuna with his cereal every morning - not really my idea of a tasty start to the day.

MILK/DAIRY: ‘Skimmed’ or ‘fat free’ milk is another good source of quality protein and can be consumed as it is (think homemade shakes or in your breakfast cereal) or in so many dairy foods. You need to take care with which dairy products you choose but there are always options for the dieting conscious. You can eat fat free versions of your favorite yogurts, ice-creams (watch out for other ingredients), cheeses (cottage cheese is always highly recommended), and more.

SOY: The vegetarians amongst you will no doubt be aware of the protein content of soy products. Soy beans are pulses and so they contain a good helping of protein. Soy beans are used to make soy milk, tofu and many meat substitutes, many of which taste like the real thing. This not only helps vegetarian bodybuilders but also people with a lower tolerance for dairy products.

AND…: There are plenty of other foods high in protein such as nuts (good for vegetarians) pulses (another good source for vegetarians), cereals, and so on. Take some time to research other foods on the internet - there is a massive amount of information on websites, forums, newsletters, and so on.

Is Protein All a Bodybuilder Needs?

No. Protein, although a vital part of a bodybuilder’s diet, is not the be all and end all. Bodybuilders also need the energy to physically perform their exercises and this comes mostly from carbohydrates, or more specifically, complex carbohydrates. This is a subject of another article so watch this space. You need both a higher protein intake to ‘rebuild’ your muscle and the appropriate complex carbohydrates to fuel your workouts.

Now go and make a quality protein shopping list then hit the supermarket!

Adam Zahler has built the Whey Protein Supplements in Bodybuilding site, a free resource with information on using commercial supplements in your own bodybuilding recipes. Visitors to the site can find recipe ideas and also share their own recipes for making protein shakes, protein bars and other more.