Train with Intensity!

People ask me: “Am I overtraining?” “Am I undertraining?”

Here’s how to tell: First, be sure to use a heart rate monitor while you’re training. This simple, inexpensive device can tell you whether or not you’re in your optimal training zone.

Second, measure your exercise intensity by “rate of exertion.” I use a simple 1-to-10 scale. If you’re running for your life down an alley while being chased by a pack of wild dogs, that’s a 10. If you’re lying on the couch, drinking a beer, and watching biggest loser, that’s a 1. Obviously, you don’t want to be at a 1 or at a 10. You want to be somewhere between a 6 and an 8. An 8 represents a level of effort that feels like you’re working as hard as you can and still hanging in there without stopping or pausing.

On some days, you may only be able to reach a 4. Maybe the previous night you didn’t get enough sleep, or you didn’t have enough time to properly fuel yourself. Even the temperature in the room or outdoors can affect your intensity. I don’t box as well when the temperature drops to 40 degrees outside my whole body feels mummified in the ring. But at least I’m at the gym, despite the conditions, and doing my best.

Intensity is finding your fire and working out as hard as you can, based on where you are today, without sacrificing correct exercise form. Intensity is a moving target, too. It changes from day to day, and there are so many variables outside your control. It’s your job to show up, and that’s within your control.

What Is The Best Cardio For Abs

Karen from Ohio asks AbFitt: What type of cardio will best result in defining my Ab's.

Answer:

The cardio you do.

Whether it be running, cycling, swimming, elliptical, jumping jacks, complexes with an Olympic barbell, skip rope ...they all burn fat & calories resulting in less body fat & better abdominal definition.

So, the "best" cardio is relative to you, and it ultimately comes down to what you enjoy doing the most. Since you need to do cardio consistently to get the best fat loss results, there's no point in doing something you hate --- because the more you hate it, the more you will make excuses not to do it.

My preference is boxing or skipping rope. Why? Am I a masochist? Maybe, but that's beside the point. For me, boxing is meditative & instinctive. I always feel energized afterward. Best of all, I get to do it at my home gym or a professional boxing club. Time away from your traditional facility's.

I can anticipate your next question. How should you do cardio? Low-intensity? high intensity? intervals? ... I don't think it matters. I've tried everything, and I can't say which style or method of cardio is better. Which brings me back to my main thesis: *** Do what you enjoy. *** For me it is high/low intensity in short burst's. definitely no muscle burning steady state cardio.

What's more important is that you do what you enjoy regularly. By regularly, I mean 5 times a week, or more. If you're new to cardio, start at twice a week and build up from there.

Another question: When should you do cardio? Before weights? after? eight hours apart? twelve hours? ... You can probably guess my answer. When you want to. As long as you're actually doing cardio, I don't think it matters when you do it. So just figure out what time you like best. For me, I like training weights in the evening or early afternoon, and then boxing or other interval type cardio sessions on alternate days. Spring/summer/fall. Winter I usually stick to the gyms due to the extreme winter's in the northeast.

I'm out of questions. If you have any more, feel free to ask AbFitt at AbFitt@mail.com

The Body’s Post Workout Response

During a intense training session several actions occur:

1. The body utilizes nutrients at a far greater amount than at rest. The majority of the fuel during training is confiscated from a carbohydrate stored in the muscle called glycogen. Low glycogen leads to muscle loss. Thus, glycogen must be restored.
2. Training creates microscopic tears in the muscle tissue referred to as micro trauma. All tissue in the human body is made of amino acids. (Stick a bunch of amino acids together and you get PROTEIN). Therefore, ingesting protein after the training session is critical.
3. Cortisol levels steadily increase during the training session and post workout. Cortisol is a hormone which signals various biochemical processes in the body. Some of the them are beneficial to physical achievement while others are not. An increase in cortisol post workout is not beneficial and greater results will occur by temporarily lowering it.

What's the answer?

Consume a fast digesting shake that replenishes carbohydrate stores, repairs damaged tissue and lowers cortisol levels within 5 minutes of the last rep of the last set.

Now that you know the rules and have a basic understanding of the body’s post workout priority here are a few formulas that deliver the goods.

Example: Note (this is just one of many)

1-3 scoops of whey protien
15-30 grams Glutamine (Amino Acid that when taken in higher doses replenishes glycogen stores without increasing hormones that promote fat gain)
1-2 scoops Greens-X (concentrated green plant extract that is an alkaline substance which blunts cortisol levels)

Don't fear the rope. This fighter favorite scorches calories and blasts your calves, forearms and shoulders

Other than boxing gyms, the jump rope is almost as unpopular as the pull-up bar in most fitness facilities and for about the same reason—because you can look like a total ass if you never do it. That's too bad because the jump rope, like the pull-up bar, offers a host of benefits that people have chosen to ignore for fear of looking stupid. In addition to melting away bodyfat at record rates, the jump rope helps you build those stubborn calves while also putting a hurting on several other muscle groups.

Yes, the main muscles that you're working are your calves but you activate a lot more muscle than you may think. You're also using your shoulders—particularly your rear delts—as well as your abs, quads, hamstrings. Pretty much every muscle is firing when doing this exercise to keep your body stable.

Need more incentive for learning how to work the rope like a pro boxer? Consider that jumping rope at a moderate pace will burn approximately 16 calories per minute for a 200-pound man. Work that into 10 three-minute rounds and you're looking at 480 calories during your session. The one-minute rest periods characteristic of boxing routines provide somewhat of an interval effect, giving you an even greater calorie burn long after your final skip. ( for advanced individuals rest only 30 sec ).

LET'S GET TO IT

Starting slow is says the best way to start getting the most out of the jump rope.
This takes a lot of coordination so don't think you can just get in there and be like Rocky. Try to start just by swinging the rope over your body, aiming to just jump the rope once. After you do this and understand how the rope reacts you are ready to kick it up."

Listening to the rope. Don't rotate with your arms. Use your wrists and let the rope glide around you. Don't fight it. I listen to the rope, too, and jump when I hear the sound. My feet barely come off the ground—just enough to let the rope slide under and I'm always on the balls of my feet.

Progression.
Once you nail the cadence of the simple skip, try alternating feet. Bounce slightly side to side or front to back with each revolution of the rope. Eventually, you can graduate to double-unders, where the rope passes under your feet twice with each jump.

Skill sport.
Let us not forget the "cool" factor. While the rest of the crowd herds itself to Treadmill Lane for its cardio, you can be in front of the mirror with your iPod cranked up practicing a skill while getting a workout.

No one learns overnight so keep at it and before you know it you will be ripping it up.

NOTE:JOIN A BOXING GYM

There's nothing more cathartic than whaling away on a heavy bag after a long day at the office. But a crisply-landed jab-cross-hook combo does way more than just relieve stress. Train like a fighter and benefit with the same lean ripped look.

Boxing gyms, which offer hour-long, group instructional classes, can burn anywhere from 400-750 calories in an hour. Boxing-related activities, such as jumping rope, medicine ball work and plyometrics can also help you tap into muscle fibers you forgot you had. Plus, you get to learn a skill. Sure beats the treadmill. Two of our fave boxing dives are the Allentown PA boxing club and Gleason's in Brooklyn (www.gleasonsgym.net).

FIT TIP / RECOVER FOR GROWTH & HEALTH

Why recovery is important to achieving your training goals.....


You don't get results from your workouts; you get results by recovering from your workouts. You must give your body a day off each week in order to improve performance and prevent injury or over-training. Spend today relaxing and eating healthy food. Take a hot bath or Jacuzzi and spend some time stretching and foam rolling.

Recovery Tip
A foam roller is a long foam cylinder that trainers and physical therapists often use to help their clients improve flexibility and recover from workouts. Simply rolling sore or tight muscles over the dense foam helps to break up scar tissue, improve blood flow, and increase range of motion. Use the foam roller (if your gym doesn't have one, you can order one at optp.com) as often as you like, but it's especially good before and after workouts. Be sure to spend extra time rolling out very tight areas, which are typically the hips, hamstrings, and calves. Try rolling each muscle group 50 times back and forth.

Go for a Stretch
If you can't make it through the day without your physical fix, go for a stretch. Work on these stretches regularly to keep your muscles conditioned for activity. Hold each for 30 seconds, and repeat for two or three set on both arms/legs.

* Hip Flexor. Kneel on the floor in a lunge position but with your back knee on the floor. Push your hips forward so you feel a stretch in the muscles in the front of your back leg. To increase the stretch, raise the arm that's on the same side as the back leg overhead.

* Chest Stretch. Stand in a doorway and place one arm at a 90-degree angle against the door frame (the meat of your forearm presses against the frame). Lean forward to stretch the muscles across your chest and the front of your shoulder.

Sergio Martinez vs. Sergiy Dzinziruk

Sergio Martinez vs. Sergiy Dzinziruk Preview & Prediction

On March 12, Sergio Gabriel Martinez will climb through the ropes to face Sergiy Dzinziruk in a middleweight clash, which according to boxrec.com will be for the "vacant WBC Diamond Middleweight Title." This is because in choosing to face Dzinziruk, Martinez gave the WBC an opportunity to strip him of his title and give it to German fringe contender Sebastain Zbik. The "Diamond Championship" is a farce and a monstrosity, little more than a trophy granted to the winner of a historic fight between two prominent boxers that allows greedy old Jose Suleiman to collect another sanctioning fee (which Martinez is hopefully refusing to pay). Yet even though no title worthy of the name is at stake, this is a fight of substance because Martinez remains the top dog of the middleweight division in the hearts and minds of boxing fans everywhere. His opponent, Sergiy Dzinziruk, is an undefeated junior middleweight champion, and therefore no slouch either.

Sergiy Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KOs)
6'0" tall, 68" reach, 34 years old, southpaw
Ukrainian living in Germany
Current WBO Junior Middleweight Champion

Credit: Tom Casino/Showtime

If you haven't heard of Sergiy Dzinziruk, then take advantage of this match with Martinez as an opportunity to learn more about him. A well-schooled amateur who won Silver at the 1997 World Amateur Championships, Dzinziruk is the longest reigning champion of the 154 lbs weight class. He won the WBO belt from Daniel Santos in 2005 and has defended it six times since then. Dzinziruk has good power, as exemplified by dropping Daniel Santos in the 8th to win the championship, stopping fringe contender Daniel Dawson in his most recent outing, and his overall knockout numbers.

His style is fairly typical of Continental European fighters, as he stands straight up and comes forward behind a high guard, but with a few important differences. He has a busy and very stiff right jab, which is used to set up short, sharp two and three punch combos from the outside. Dzinziruk is also an able counter-puncher. HBO has been trying to get Dzinziruk into a big fight for at least a couple of years now, which ought to tell you what boxing's biggest network thinks of him.

Sergio Gabriel Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs)
5'10" tall, 72" reach, 35 year old, southpaw
Argentine
Former junior middleweight champion, former middleweight champion

Photo credit: Craig Bennett/Goossen Tutor Promotions

Martinez's qualities are now well-known to boxing fans. He is a tough, busy fighter who uses the southpaw stance to set up an awkward, highly mobile defense. Offensively, Martinez packs a good wallop (as anyone who saw him flatten Paul Williams now knows), but relies more on volume than on single hard shots. That set of tools has carried Martinez to the top of his division, and he has whipped Kermit Cintron, Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams along the way. "Marvilla" is seasoned, confident, and riding a wave of success.
Martinez vs. Dzinziruk Preview &Analysis

One of the most interesting features of this fight is how so many of the physical factors cancel each other out. Martinez came up from 154 lbs himself, and is not substantially larger than Dzinziruk. The Ukrainian is taller, while Martinez has the longer arms, but both men are about the same size. Both men are roughly the same age as well. While this is Dzinziruk's first truly big fight, he is a seasoned 37-0 champion, and therefore no blushing virgin. Both men will enter the ring equally confident and convinced of their ability to win. Neither man will enjoy the "southpaw advantage" either.

To win this fight, Dzinziruk needs to come forward and score with his right jab. It is his main weapon, and if he can keep the Argentine on the end of his jab he will be able to avoid the worst of Martinez's pressure tactics and capitalize on any mistakes Martinez might make with a straight left or a right hook. Once Dzinziruk gets a good rhythm going and establishes that jab, his point defense will be enough to keep him out of trouble and he pound out round after round.

For Martinez, the road to victory runs right through Dzinziruk's body. Cracking open Dzinziruk's high guard will prove a problem. As a well-schooled, technically sound fighter, Dzinziruk won't make the kind of mistake that let Martinez beat Williams to the punch back in November. Head-hunting the Ukrainian early on is not a winning tactic, so Martinez will need to hammer his ribs first.
Martinez vs. Dzinziruk Prediction

In this contest of plowing forward with the jab and body-snatching off of side to side movement, I see the mobile body puncher carrying the day. Dzinziruk is taller and relies on point defense, while Martinez has the reach and speed to land hard shots to the body from both the outside and the inside. It's a bad combination for the Ukrainian.

Both men are confident and aggressive, and therefore should go right after each other early on, which probably means both guys will be staggered or maybe even knocked down in the early rounds. But it is Martinez who will score the harder, more telling shots, most of them to the body. After a spirited contest, "Marvilla" is going to take Dzinziruk out to deep water and drown him.

Prediction: Martinez TKO7

Nutrition Is The Single Most Important Key To Your Success

If you want to lose fat end see the results of your discipline and hard work, you must get a handle on your nutrition. There is no way around it. Once you do, you will start to have amazing results. Have you heard that “abs are made in the kitchen?” The nutrition counts for 90% of your results!! It is THAT important. You cannot train out of a bad diet.

“Low-fat” and “non-fat” on labels doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy! Many times these seemingly nutritious foods are packed with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, and are loaded with calories.

Your body actually needs fat—the RIGHT kinds of HEALTHY fats like you find in raw nuts, olive oil, avocados, natural peanut butter, fish and fish oils, etc. When you eat these healthy fats in moderation, you actually help your body to become lean!

When you are not eating enough calories, you are slowing your metabolism. Your body thinks it is starving and it starts to burn up your valuable muscle as fuel! Muscle is what MAKES your body lean, so you do not want to lose any of it! It takes a lot of calories and energy just to maintain your muscle. You burn calories without trying—just because the muscle is there!!

Also, when you eat 5-6 smaller meals per day (as opposed to the traditional “3 squares”), you are constantly spending calories on digestion and absorption of all those meals! Food has a thermic effect. Protein is hard for your body to digest, so it has the highest thermic effect. Next comes carbohydrates, followed by fats. You should try to combine a lean protein, a healthy carbohydrate and healthy fat in each meal.

Don’t skip meals, either! You need to eat breakfast, first thing in the morning to get your metabolism cooking! When you go without breakfast, your metabolism is running too slow. You are not stoking the fire to start your fat burning for the day. Your body, AGAIN, will look for energy elsewhere. You haven’t fueled with food, so it will start breaking down your muscle!! You lower your metabolism, and it will make it much easier for you to gain fat in the future!!

AbFitt's FIRST E- BOOK " 5 FIT PRINCIPLE'S " COMING MARCH 2011

After 22 years competing, training & consulting I was looking for a way to take my own fitness to the next level of fat burning, building new lean muscle, breaking my plateaus and improving my athletic performance. In 2003 I began experimenting with various training intensity's and programs.

I enlisted the help of some of the nations fittest individuals from the USFS smoke jumpers I befriended wile working for Carson helicopters on fire fighting contracts throughout the US. What I came up with simply changed my fitness, my body and my life forever. Employing various combination's of intensity levels & resistance, instinctive training, nutritional timing, supplementation & recovery the end result is what I call H.I.G.T ( High Intensity group training ) & the 5 fit principles.

In the years that have followed I have consulted and trained athletes and everyday people using this training system and the 5 fit principles that govern it. Some right here on the pages of AbFitt, from professional boxers, fitness models, power lifters, bodybuilders, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, helicopter pilots, EMS, high school track athletes and professional base ball players. Always improving on the "methods of the madness" understanding each human being has his/her own fitness blueprint. I believed so strongly in the effectiveness of training in this manner to break through training plateaus, to get rid of that stubborn fat that just seems to not want to go and to build new lean muscle tissue all wile getting you so shredded, I decided to launch AbFitt. Abfitt was my way of inexpensively getting the word out about HIGT and the five fit principles to positively effect people's lives, health and overall fitness.

Now four years later with over 108,000 worldwide readers AbFitt is one of the most read fitness blogs on the net with over 400 articles. However all this information can be overwhelming and confusing. with this in mind I have decided to release my first E-book " 5 Fit Principles ". 5 fitness principles you must follow to achieve your best body ever!

You will learn how to train & eat for your body type, how to apply these principles to your body's blue print to achieve your fitness, athletic and nutritional goals. Designed in a step by step format, instructing you how, when and why. Removing all guess work and doubt wile providing you with 22 years of proven & effective science... the "methods behind the madness".

* Principle #1- Training: Intensity, Instinctive, Full body, Splits, Body weighted
* Principle #2- Nutrition: Fuel Your body's blue print to burn fat & build muscle
* Principle #3- Nutrition Timing: Learn what to eat & when to eat it & the result
* Principle #4- Supplements: what works & what simply does not and never will
* Principle #5- Recovery: What it is and how to truly achieve it

"5 FIT PRINCIPLES"

COMING MARCH 2011 AVAILABLE HERE ON AbFitt AUTHORED BY FITNESS CONSULTANT FORMER PROFESSIONAL BOXER AND CREATOR OF AbFitt RICHARD SEYMOUR.

LIVE FIT, BE FIT

FOOD FOR FUEL FOR THOSE WHO DO EVENING WORKOUTS

The evening athlete

Some people wake up in the morning supercharged with energy and ready to tackle their workout program. Others take several hours before they are feeling up to par. For the latter group, getting to the gym in the morning is a nearly insurmountable challenge. Evening workouts provide a better opportunity as far as motivation is concerned, but there may be special dietary considerations for the evening trainee.

Insulin Management

1. Insulin is the most anabolic (muscle-building) hormone in our body. But it is also a double-edged sword, as it is also the primary fat-storage hormone. Thankfully, we can exercise fair amounts of control over this powerhouse. Insulin is primarily produced in direct response to the types of foods we consume--carbohydrate consumption triggers insulin production to a substantially greater degree than protein or fat.

So for the athlete who lifts in the evenings, keeping a tight rein on insulin production during the day is crucial to keeping slim and shedding pounds. To that end, we recommend that you severely limit carb intake during the day--keep your carbohydrate intake limited strictly to fruits and vegetables. This recommendation changes immediately following your workout. There, you want to immediately spike insulin to begin the muscle-growth process, allowing your body to recover from the workout. Consume a meal containing fast-digested carbs and protein, with minimal fat--something like chicken and rice will do the trick nicely. Eat a moderately sized protein and carbohydrate meal immediately following your workout, and again around an hour later. This will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to recover and grow. And thanks to your carbohydrate restriction during the pre-workout hours, your body will be more sensitive to the insulin produced, resulting in less chance that the nutrients will be stored as fat.

Eating during your day

2. Aside from ensuring that your post-workout meals are correctly balanced, the evening lifter must also make certain that he/she properly fuels his body during the day. Otherwise, you will feel flat and fatigued when it is time to workout, and your fat-loss efforts will be impaired by your lack of energy. So throughout the day, be sure to consume a meal every two to three hours. Each meal should consist of a lean protein source (meat, eggs, fish, poultry), fruit and vegetables. Additionally, limit your beverages to zero-calorie choices like water and green tea. Some coffee is all right, but do not go overboard on the caffeine as you will likely crash sometime before your workout, which will also hinder your progress. Aside from that, try to keep away from liquid meals, which are digested too rapidly and can also cause minor insulin fluctuations. And be certain to ingest adequate calories from fat, as a number of hormonal systems in the body rely upon dietary fat--consume at least 25 percent of your calories from a mix of animal fats, fats from fruits and vegetables (like avocados and coconuts) and oils (like olive and macadamia nut).

Through keeping close control over your insulin levels and properly feeding your body at regular intervals during the day, your evening workouts and your fat loss efforts will proceed that much more smoothly.


Read more: Just use the search bar top right, to visit the training/nutrition topic of your choice. Live Fit, Be fit!

What is your supplementation like?

So what is your supplementation like?

I’m a big believer in the proven basics, however remember good foods build great bodies.

* Whey- Morning, pre & post workout

* Casein- Before bed

* Creatine monohydrate- Pre & post workout

* BCAA- Pre workout & a mix in water that I sip during training.

* Multi vitamin- I cycle these simple because their is no legit science behind multi's. Listen don't be fooled, advertisements do not count as legitimate studies.

* Beta Alanine- Mix with creatine for extra kick.

* Arginine- See above