explorefitness

2010-09-22T11:35:00.001+10:00

Many often wonder what it takes to change their body. The answer is simple really.

But before I tell you…

Below is a video I came across the other day. It is the story of a guy named Ben who one day decided he had had enough and committed to changing his life.

I have never met Ben, but I found his story and video truly inspiring (and I absolutely HATE running, I only do it because I love adventure racing).

What it takes is a decision. A decision to change with a commitment to no one but yourself with no backup plan. There is no “plan b”. Success is guaranteed when you decide that it is because failure is not an option.

Just ask Ben.

Do you have what it takes?

Train smart and expect success,

Paul Elby
Certified Personal Trainer
Fat Loss Coach
Boxing for Fitness Coach
www.explorefitness.com.au

explorefitness: The 300 Workout

2010-08-07T12:04:00.000+10:00

explorefitness: The 300 Workout: "Understanding the celebrity-hyped exercise program, the 300 Workout In the epic movie 300, the film's stars are as chiseled as Mount Rushmo..."

The 300 Workout

2010-08-07T12:03:00.001+10:00

Understanding the celebrity-hyped exercise program, the 300 Workout

In the epic movie 300, the film's stars are as chiseled as Mount Rushmore. Every abdominal, triceps, bicep, calf, and pectoral muscle was sculpted with the precision and perfection of Greek gods. And by popular demand, the secrets to their exceptionally shapely physiques were made known to the general public.

Dubbed the 300 Workout, the same routine that celebrity Spartans put themselves through is now available for your own pleasure…and pain. But before you plan to jump into the past to become the muscle-bound warrior you've always dreamed to be, there are some things you should know about this muscle-growing routine.

It's Exceptionally Intense
Hollywood makes everything bigger. From fight scenes to muscles to scandals, there is nothing done to scale in the world's center of entertainment. The 300 Workout is no exception. Instead of slowly helping actors enter into good health, self-taught fitness pro Mark Twight pushed actors to train harder than they ever imagined possible. And they did it in a private gym with no mirrors, no windows, and no place to sit down comfortably.

After a meager 12 weeks, everyone in the cast looked like cast-iron muscle. And then came the pinnacle of the 300 Workout: the 300 test. With the test, all of the actors had to perform 300 repetitions split among various exercises. Sound easy? All the reps had to be done in secession, without any break between the exercises. And the exercises are timed, so the goal is to bust through the repetitions as quickly as possible, without breaking your back via poor form.

A Lighter 300
A little intimidated by the 300 repetitions required of the 300 Workout? Who can blame you? However, you shouldn't let your intimidation keep you from giving it a shot in small doses. How? By chopping the repetitions in half.

Sure, you won't really be doing the 300 Workout (you'll have to rename it the 150 Workout), but those 150 repetitions you perform, when done without any break between, will be some of the most difficult 150 repetitions of your life.

You'll Be SoreWhat makes up the 300 repetitions for the 300 test? Good question. When it comes time to test your 300 Workout, you'll be looking forward to the following exercises back to back to back to back:

•25 pull-ups
•50 deadlifts of 135 pounds
•50 push-ups
•50 box jumps on a 24-inch-high box
•50 *floor wipers, using 135 pounds
•50 *clean and press using 36 pounds
•25 additional pull-ups
Now that you know what the 300 Workout requires, it's time to hit the gym. Because there's no way some Hollywood hotshot can work out harder and faster than you, is there?

* See "Introducing the Newbies"

Introducing the NewbiesAs the 300 Workout is one of the newest routines out there, there may be a couple of exercises you're unfamiliar with. In the event you've never heard of the domestically named exercises, the floor wipers and the clean and press, here's how to do each.

Floor Wipers: Lie flat on your back on the floor, while holding a weighted barbell over face. Start with your entire body flat on the floor, your legs fully extended. Then bend at the waist to lift both of your feet together until your feet almost touch the left plate on the barbell. Return your feet to floor, and then raise them until they almost touch the right plate. This is one repetition.

Clean and Press: Start in a standing position, with a kettlebell on the ground. Bend over and grab the kettlebell with one hand, lift the kettlebell up to the middle of your chest, and then press the weight over your head. Finally, return the kettlebell to the ground and begin your next repetition.

Losing your Love Handles

2010-08-07T11:44:00.000+10:00

Because as you know, they're not nearly as cute as their name implies
They sit naturally on your hips and turn your otherwise picture-perfect physique into something of a pear. So what can you do to kick those love handles to the curve? You may be surprised to learn that all it takes is a couple exercises you're probably already doing and a few others.

Crunches. They're nothing new to your exercise routine, and they shouldn't be forgotten when you're in the gym next. In addition to straight-forward crunches, twist to the left and the right to work out the entire abdominal area and to help your body ward off love handles that show up on both sides.

Standing Trunk Twists. As effective as the name is fun to say, standing trunk twists do what any good love-handle-battling exercise should do: firms up the love handles and gets you sweating. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet a foot or so apart and your knees relaxed and slightly bent. Next, twist your body's trunk to the left, while attempting to keep your hips and legs still. During your trunk twist, swing your right arm across the front of your body, as if you were punching someone. Immediately twist to the right, bringing your left arm across your body in a punching motion. Repeat up to 100 times.

Leg Flutters. You may feel awkward with this exercise, but the end results are worth it. To get started, lie flat on your stomach with your arms down by your side. Lift your head off the ground and look straight ahead. Finally, lift your feet and knees off the floor, kick (flutter) your legs back and forth for 20 seconds, stop, and repeat for another 20 seconds.

Love Language
As you suspect, love handles aren't always called love handles. In the medical and muscle community, they're known as the oblique muscles. So when you find yourself face to face with a personal trainer or physician, you'll know what that big word means!

Side Bends. One of the best exercises for targeting those troublesome love handles, side bends are relatively easy to perform. Standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in your left hand, bend to the left as far as possible. Once you hit the lowest part of your bend, raise back to the standing position. Repeat 15 or 20 times, switch the dumbbell to your right hand and bend to the right for 15 or 20 repetitions.

Knee Kicks. Want to get a little tougher while you kiss your sweet little love handles goodbye? Go find a punching bag and put both hands flat on the bag, with one hand approximately two feet above the other. Next, lift your back leg and knee the bag as hard as possible. Return to your starting position and repeat 20 times. Change your position and repeat with the other knee. By the time you're done, your love handles will be burning their way into nothingness, and your self-esteem will be shooting through the roof.

Now that you know what exercises will tone up your midsection, there's something else you should know. You can't get rid of your love handles just by doing crunches and knee kicks. Those exercises will help tone your muscles, but they won't force those little areas of fat known as love handles to disappear. To do that, you're going to have to burn more calories than you eat each day. The easiest way to do this is to get plenty of aerobic exercise and to eat low-calorie meals filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. With these steps, you'll be prepared to show off the hips and abdominals you've worked so hard to tighten up!