Why Workout?

Exercising is about much more than trying to lose 5lbs or fit into some old clothes you used to wear.  Setting short term goals is fine, but the benefits of exercise goes way beyond that.  Exercise will make you look better, feel better, have more energy through the day and much, much more.  It's never to late to get started, so start today! 

Lyoto Machida's Signature Moves

Pretty cool video.  Machida is one of my favorite fighters.  I'm going to be doing a breakdown between Machida and Bader before their fight.

 

Muscle Milk Light Chocolate Peanut Caramel Bar

Today I am going to be reviewing Muscle Milk's chocolate peanut caramel protein bar (light version)

Taste:

This protein bar tastes okay, but it's certainly not the best on out there.  It uses the standard flavors for a protein bar, chocolate, peanuts, caramel.  This isn't a bad thing, it just isn't unique.  Taste = 7.8 out of 10.

Protein & Nutrition:

This protein bar is 45 grams, only 15 of which is protein.  It does have 4 grams of fiber but next to 0% of your daily vitamins and minerals.  Protein & Nutrition =  7.5 out of 10

Servings:

These come in a box or individually wrapped.  The price can vary but you are probably looking at a little over $1 per bar.  This is a pretty good price but I like to keep my meal replacements below $1 per meal since I eat a lot.  Servings = 8.2

Artificial ingredients:

It doesn't look to terrible, but it does have sucralose in it (which is in a lot of protein supplements).  Artificial ingredients = 9 out of 10

 At only 170 calories, it is a good bar for those trying to lose weight, using this as a meal replacement.  It's not terrible but there are other bars out there that are just as good or better.  Personally I will be sticking with those other protein bars for the most part but I might cycle these in from time to time just to break up eating the same things all the time.  Overall score=  8.1 out of 10.

Slow Weight Lifting for Fast Results

Have you stopped growing and making improvements during your workouts?  I have been doing something different over the last month and I have already seen results.  In fact, my chest is sore today from my workout yesterday! 

What is this big secret that helps overcome plateaus?  Lift weights slowly!  Instead of burning through all of your sessions as quickly as possible, perhaps even using bad form, slow the movement down.  You will not be able to lift as heavy of a weight, but so what if it is helping you grow.

This is a simple change to make.  Using Bench Press as an example you will want to take 2 seconds to press the barbell up, then lower it over 4 seconds (this can be done with any exercise).  Not only does this allow you to use perfect form (and prevent injuries), but this puts your muscles under tension for a longer period of time, forcing you to fight gravity the whole way.   

Do not cheat!  We are not talking about counting to 4 as quickly as you can, but a real 4 seconds period.  Another advantage of this type of training is it doesn't allow you to cheat using momentum.  A lot of people will use a heavy weight and just swing it with the help of their entire body (this happens a lot with bicep curls).  It is called a bicep curl for a reason, you are supposed to be using your biceps (only) for the movement. 

Try this method for the next 3 months and see the dramatic results!

Pure Protein's Strawberry Shortcake bars

I tried a new protein bar recently that is pretty unique.  Pure Protein's Strawberry Shortcake bar.

Taste:

This protein bar has a unique flavor to it, which is a plus since most protein bars are some variation of chocolate and peanut butter.  Just having some different options to mix things up goes a long way.  If you like the taste of strawberries and yogurt, this protein bar is for you. Taste = 9.5 out of 10.

Protein & Nutrition:

For how small it is, this protein bar is packed with protein.  19 grams of protein to be exact.  There are some other bars out there with a lot of protein in them but they tend to be huge, this one is not.  It has a very small amount of sugar (3 grams) and 18 carbs total.  It also has 15%  of your daily recommended amount for several vitamins and minerals.  Protein & Nutrition = 9.2 out of 10

Servings:

These come in a box or individually wrapped.  The price can vary but you are probably looking at a little over $1 per bar.  This is a pretty good price but I like to keep my meal replacements below $1 per meal since I eat a lot.  Servings = 8

Artificial ingredients:

Made with natural ingredients, including real fruit, it's hard to go wrong here.    Artificial ingredients = 10 out of 10

Overall, this is a good tasting protein bar that can be used as a meal replacement or a snack.  It breaks up the same old flavors typically used for protein bars and has a large amount of protein in it for its size.  Pure Protein's Strawberry Shortcake bars receive a score of 9.2 out of 10. 

Grassfed Beef

Change

While planning to work out is all nice and well, if you don't actually work out it means nothing.  So many people decide every new year that they are going to get into shape this year....and never do.  I want to see you succeed, and in order to do that you have to start.  Hire a personal trainer or go to someone you know who knows what they are doing, make a workout plan and stick to it.  You can change and that change can start today!

Motivation

You are not always going to feel like working out everyday but that doesn't mean you should skip.  So many times we will go into a workout dragging our feet and end up clicking our heels by the time we are finished.  Make a schedule, stick to it and do what needs to be done. 

Zone Perfect Chocolate Mint Bars

 Today we are going to be looking at Zone Perfect's Chocolate Mint bars.

Taste:

If you like mint, you will probably like these bars.  I think these bars taste great and actually so does the company who makes them.  There is even a refund policy on the bottom of the box if you don't like the bars. Taste = 9.5 out of 10.

Protein & Nutrition:

These bars have 14 grams of protein but each bar is 50 grams.  While this isn't a great ratio, used as a meal replacement it's not a huge issue.  Some of the extra grams come from fat, fiber and a little bit comes from sugar (13 grams).  These bars are loaded with vitamins, containing 20% - 50% of 19 different Vitamins & minerals.  Protein & Nutrition = 8.5 out of 10

Servings:

These come 5 per box.  The price can vary but you are probably looking at a little over $1 per bar.  This is a pretty good price but I like to keep my meal replacements below $1 per meal since I eat a lot.  Servings = 8

Artificial ingredients:

This product is supposed to be all natural so I do not have any complaints here.  This is one of the better protein products for the category.   Artificial ingredients = 10 out of 10

Overall, this is a good tasting protein bar that can be used as a meal replacement or a snack.  Zone Perfect Chocolate Mint Bars receive a score of 9 out of 10. 

Excuses

How many times have you said one of these to yourself?  Just because we feel like giving up doesn't mean we should.  Get out of bed, train hard, put in the work regardless of if you feel like it or not.  Change yourself for the better, starting today!

Kettlebell Squat & Press

Hey guys, here is one exercise you can perform during a Tabata workout (or during any workout).  A Kettlebell Squat & Press.  Simply hold the kettlebell and squat down, then in one fluid motion, press it up over your head. 

Naturally Boost "Youth Hormone"

After 30 years of age our bodies produce less and less growth hormone.  Growth hormone is basically   what makes us young, giving us toned muscles and lower body fat.  But if you are over 30, all is not lost, there are natural ways to boost your bodies growth hormone production.

Long slow cardio is what most people do but it doesn't help with growth hormone production.  Try peak 8 instead and see the results yourself.  This type of exercise can naturally boost your growth hormone levels by over 700% for up to 2 hours!  It's the intensity that makes the difference.  In nature you don't see animals jogging for miles and miles, it's not our we are designed to function.  They go all out and then stop and walk or rest completely.  Just like with animals, this type of training will give you better cardio as well. 

Peak 8 can be done on a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical machine, etc.  After a short warm up (3-4 minutes) you want to sprint for 30 seconds (this should be hard, making you tired, if you can talk while you are doing this you aren't going hard enough).  Follow that sprint with 1 minutes and 30 seconds of recoup time, during which you will be walking or riding slowly.  Repeat that 7 more times and you are finished!

That is all there is to it.  It takes around 20 minutes and it's better for you than running for miles. 

Another similar program is The Tabata Method, which you can read about here: http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/arc-bobs-against-god.html

 

Rocky Balboa

With the recent passing of Sage Stallone, Sylvester Stallone's son, I decided to review the last Rocky movie, Rocky Balboa.  

Rocky is a movie character who is so classic Sylvester Stallone was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame for his film series.  Rocky Balboa picks up many years later.  Time has not been kind to Rocky, his wife passed away, his son blows him off constantly, and all of his winnings from boxing are long gone.  But on the bright side he does enjoy daily life, even if it is lonely.  Rocky has a restaurant he owns that keeps him busy and has a few customers from the old days who hang out there.

Everything changes when there is a computer simulation comparing old vs new fighter in their primes.  Rocky vs Mason "The Line" Dixon (the current undefeated heavyweight champion).  In the simulation Rocky wins their match by KO which makes Dixon feel disrespected.  Rocky has also made some new friends and decides to box again.  He isn't looking for anything big, just some local fight, but of course promoters see a chance to make some money so they talk Rocky into taking a fight against the champ.

Even though Rocky movies take place in the world of boxing, boxing isn't really what they are about.  Rocky is about the underdog, the everyman, the average Joe, who becomes more than anything thinks he can.  He doesn't do this for the fame or money, or even to impress anyone, it's for himself.  It's what he loves to do.  The constant training, the striving to be the best you can be, to push yourself beyond what you are supposed to be able to do.  

Rocky has a talk with his son, who has become an office drone with no self-worth and also attempts to talk Rocky out of fighting again.  Of course someone could understand his son's thoughts, he doesn't want his father to get hurt, but that isn't his motivation.  He doesn't want his dad to fight because he has no faith in him (projecting his own fears on his Rocky) and doesn't want to get embarrassed when Rocky is smashed.  The speech Rocky gives him is a great motivational speech for anyone.

 Needed to say, Rocky and his son grow close again and he trains hard and puts up a fight no one expected from him.  It's a great film and shows even when things are bad, even if you are old, it's never to late to chase your dreams and do what you want to do.  Like Rocky says, it's not about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. 

Review: Bob Harper Kettlebells

I'll just start out by saying that I am a big fan of these kettlebells.  When looking for a kettlebell there are a few things you want to find out about before purchasing, such as the weight, the grip and the comfort.

The weight you will have to decide on for yourself but with the grip you want to make sure you can fit both of your hands into it with a comfortable about of space.  Many kettlebell exercises can be done with one hand but many others needs both.  A major problem I have found with many kettlebells is that the handle is narrow or oddly shaped and both hands will not fit inside of it, making it useless or dangerous to perform any two handed moves.  These kettlebells are wide enough and perfectly shaped to be comfortable.

As an added bonus, these kettlebells have a nice coated on them to protect your floors and make it comfortable to hold.  They also, unlike every other kettlebell I have seen, are not in the shape of a ball but rather has a curved midsection on both sides.  This curved midsection allows the kettlebell to conform to your forearm when it lands which is a nice added feature.  Each kettlebell also comes with a DVD showing some of the techniques you can perform with a kettlebell.

Though these kettlebells are a little more pricey than some of the other ones out there I feel they are better designed and nicer looking (and feeling).  I highly recommend this kettlebell for anyone interested in adding new life to their workouts.

Bob Harper Kettlebell:  3.5 out of 4 stars 

Which Body Do You Want?

When doing your cardio routine, think about what that type of training ultimately leads to.  You can spend hours and hours running or you can do high intensity workouts in just a matter of minutes.  You decide, do you want to be a marathon runner or a sprinter?

The Tabata Method is the type of workout you want to achieve a sprinters body type, strong, fast, powerful.  Check out my past blogs on the Tabata Method:

1.  Intro:  http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/arc-bobs-against-god.html

2.  Tabata Training for Kickboxing/Boxing:  http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/tabata-training-for-mma.html

3.  Tabata Training for MMA: http://www.shaolindo.blogspot.com/2012/06/tabata-training-for-mma_26.html

Focus Mitts

If you are looking for an excellent cardiovascular workout that also builds some power and skill (and you have a partner), look into getting a pair of focus mitts.  These mitts are designed like gloves but with a striking pad on the front of them.

How to use focus mitts

If you don't have any martial arts training you can still use focus mitts to workout (just learn how to punch correctly first).  Just start simply.  Throw single punches like a jab, cross, hook or uppercut.  Once you master these you can start putting them together in combos.  Mitts are an excellent tool for getting into shape and will get you very tired, very quickly.  You don't have to try to kill the mitts when your strike, just be accurate and give them a little pop.

To punch correctly and not hurt your wrists, hold your arm straight out in front of you.  Turn your fist slightly to the outside so that your first 2 knuckles will be what make contact with the pad.  You want there to be a straight line running up your arm from your first 2 knuckle through your forearm.  This allows the impact to travel straight through your body.  If your wrist isn't straight the impact will cause your wrist to bend one way or the other. 

Break Out of Your Shell

Do you want to be healthy?  What kind of body do you want have?  We can determine what we feel like, what we look like, all by what we put into our bodies and by the work we put into our bodies through exercise.  Decide what you want out of life and work for it starting today.  It's never to late to change.  Success is just taking one step forward everyday towards your goals.

Exercise benefits

Guys, losing weight and getting into shape is a great benefit of exercise but that is merely the tip of the iceberg.  The health benefits of exercise are numerous! 

Vanilla Muscle Milk Product Review

Today I will be reviewing the Vanilla flavor of Muscle Milk by CytoSport.   

Taste:
This product tastes a lot of cake batter.  This is 1 of the top 2 protein shakes I have ever had as far as taste goes.  This is pretty important to me because if something tastes so bad you can't drink it, your not going to stick with it no matter how healthy it is.  It does have a very slight artificial sweetener taste, it's almost unnoticeable most of the time.  This product gets a 9.5 out of 10 on taste.

Protein (and vitamins & minerals):
This is why most people are drinking these shakes in the first place so it's an important category.  Muscle Milk has 16 grams of protein per serving and is also loaded with about 15-20% of around 20 vitamins & minerals.  This isn't the most protein I have ever seen in a shake (most have about 24 grams) but it does have the vitamins and minerals many other shakes do not have.  I drink mine mixed with 1 cup of milk so I take in 24 grams of protein.  You could also mix this with other ingredients if you wish, like a banana or peanut butter, whatever you like.  It isn't necessary though, because as I said before, it tastes great.  The serving size is 35 grams, only 16 grams of that is protein, meaning the rest is made up of other ingredients (carbs and fat but this has the good kind mostly-2 grams of fiber which is a carb, etc).  This product gets a 8 out of 10 on protein.

Servings:
1 container has 25 servings.   This breaks down less than $1 per serving.  I eat 5 times a day so having 1 of my meals cost less than $1 (plus the cost of 1 cup of milk) is pretty nice.  Usually with protein shakes, buying in bulk lowers the cost per serving but I bought a smaller container (1.93lbs) just to try it out and see if I liked it.  It's also nice when a container has about a months supply, so even if you buy the smaller container you only have to buy it once a month.  8.5 out of 10

Artificial ingredients:
In our culture, unless you grow all of your own food, it's impossible to avoid artificial sweeteners and the like 100%.  That said, I try to avoid them as much as possible.  This product does have a few of them in it, namely acesulfame potassium and sucralose (splenda) but they are among the last ingredients listed, meaning they are the least out of everything in it.  Unfortunately, 95% of protein shakes have at least some of these ingredients in them.  7 out of 10 

So overall I like this product and I can actually drink it because it tastes wonderful.  Mixing it with milk I get 24 grams of protein (you don't want to take in to much at a time anyway since you can only digest so much at once).  For the price it's good.  I would buy this product again but because I want to avoid artificial sweeteners I will rotate this in with other drinks from time to time instead of just always drinking it. 

Overall Score: 8.4 out of 10

Motivation

It's never to late to get started.  Even if you are so out of shape so can't do any hard exercise, just start by taking a walk everyday.  You can make that harder as you progress by mixing in some walks up hill and/or holding hand weights.  Even the greatest had to start at the beginning.  The important thing is that you start. 

Pure Protein's Peanut Marshmallow Eclipse Bar Review

Welcome to my review of Pure Protein's Peanut Marshmallow Eclipse Bar.

Taste:
This protein bar tastes great.  I would almost eat this for a snack even if it wasn't a supplement.  Taste is important, because if you can't eat it (because it tastes so bad) you won't stick with it.  This product gets a 9.5 out of 10 on taste.

Protein: (and vitamins & minerals):
This bar is 50 grams, 19 of those grams are protein.  This bar is a good snack or meal replacement, depending on your goals, and it isn't a huge protein bar so it's nice to get so much protein from it.  The rest of the grams come from fat and carbs (which isn't necessarily bad).  Sugar is what people really need to be looking out for and this product has next to none.  It also contains 25% of many of your daily vitamins and minerals.  This product gets an 8.5 out of 10 on protein.

Servings:
This varies on if you buy a box of them or buy it as a single protein bar.   The price per bar also varies depending on if you buy it in a box or single.  Protein bars cost a little more per serving than protein shakes typically but they are nice to break up the same old thing all the time, and you can carry it with you.  This product gets a 7.5 out of 10 on servings.

Artificial ingredients:
As always I try to avoid these whenever possible.  Overall this protein bar isn't bad.  It's biggest offender is Sucralose (Splenda) and it's the last product on the list (meaning it contains this in a smaller amount than anything else in it).  This product gets a 9 out of 10 on Artificial ingredients.

Overall this is a great product and an easy way to get 19 grams of protein.  It's handy and you can take it with you anywhere you go.

I give this product an 8.6 out of 10.

Sugar is the enemy

One of the best things you can do to lose weight and improve your health in many other ways is to severely limit your sugar intake.

All weight is not created equal

This is why it's important to find out your body fat percentage.  Sometimes people lose weight and think they are doing good, but they have lost muscle.  Sometimes people gain weight and think they are doing good but it's fat.

Total Gym Review

We have all seen the infomercials with Chuck Norris, Christie Brinkley and several other celebrities.  So the question is, is the Total Gym all it's cracked up to be?  In my review we will explore just that question.  There are many different versions of the Total Gym, the largest difference between them is on some versions you can add weight resistance while on others you can't. 

The good:

The Total Gym has a LARGE variety of exercises that can be performed on it, so it's hard to get bored.  This alone makes the Total Gym worth because if you get bored with equipment and stop using it, it's not going to do you any good.  

Since you will not be lifting any actual weights with the Total Gym, you do not have to worry about dropping one on your foot or any other weight lifting related problems.  The Total Gym also has a board to lay on so even if you have back problems you are supported for most exercises.

Because you are only using a percentage of your body weight, exercises like the pull up, which most people can't do, are doable on the Total Gym.  The Total Gym has several adjustable resistance levels that use a different percentage of your body weight so you can continue to work your way up as you get stronger.  This also makes it a machine that both men and women of all fitness levels can use. 

The bad:

There really isn't much to say here.  The leg exercises are perhaps the thing that are lacking the most but you still have plenty to select from.  If you are a bodybuilder and looking to use massive amounts of weight, the Total Gym is probably not for you (though if you have a version that allows you to add weight resistance, that helps).  Though you can get around that by doing things like a 1 arm pull up, it just takes a little longer. 

The price can be a little high depending on the model you get but there are various models that cover all budgets. 

Final verdict:

With it's wide range of exercises (including Pilates for the ladies), back support and various levels of resistance, the Total Gym is a great piece of equipment that 95% of people from all age ranges can use.  I highly recommend it.