Or a life-long ideal relationship?

Maybe it’s perfect health…

Or is it something else?

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsalted natural peanut butter
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granular Splenda or stevia
1 cup vanilla protein powder

Directions

Microwave the butter and peanut butter together for a minute, stir to combine, return to microwave for another 30 seconds or until melted; whisk well. Stir in the cream cheese until well blended and smooth. Whisk in the sweetener, then the whey protein powder until everything is thoroughly combined. Line a baking dish with foil, spray with cooking spray. Spread the mixture evenly over the pan and freeze for 2-3 hours, until set.

Recipe makes 20 squares; store in refrigerator or freezer.

Nutritional Information per Square

Calories: 103
Fat: 8g
Protein: 5g
Carbs: 2.5g

Us guys just love “advanced” lifting methods.

In the morning, we’re doing drop sets, and for the second part of our two-a-days, we head back to the gym for heavy negatives. Take a day off, then we’re back at it with max effort lifts.

Since working up to a 1 rep-max isn’t enough volume for us, we’re gonna finish off the session with some more drop sets.  After all, that pump from earlier in the week felt oh-so-good.

What’s wrong with us? Seriously. Why can’t guys just keep it simple in the weight room?

Don’t get me wrong, including advanced training methods in your program is a smart idea… from time to time. Unfortunately, “from time to time” just isn’t quite as fun. Of course, neither is a fried central nervous system and beat up joints.
 
Obviously, many dudes need to ease up on heavy lifting, and/or forced reps every single week.

However, when it comes to the ladies, it is time for y’all to start to incorporate some of these more advanced methods! Guess how many ladies I know who use at least one of the methods that you’re going to read about below? One, maybe two, total.  Most girls I know seem to think that 6-8 reps is “very low” rep training.

Bored? Throw some intensity into that workout!

While there is nothing wrong with medium to high rep work, I want some of you ladies to start to use some of these more advanced techniques.

What Advanced Techniques?

Enough talk, time for me to get to the methods. While these methods have been around for many years, I’m pretty certain they will be new to 99% of female trainees out there. The three methods that I’m going to cover today are “Classic Clusters,” “Extended 5’s,” and “Singles above 90%.”

Cluster Training

The first two methods fall under the category of “cluster training.” I first learned about these methods from strength coach Christian Thibaudeau a number of years ago. The beauty of cluster training, is that it allows you to work at near max loads, and get in a decent amount of volume at the same time.

Classic Cluster

Cluster
 method number one is called “Classic Clusters.” In a classic cluster, you’ll perform 5 singles with 10-15 second rest between each rep. With classic clusters, you’ll pick a weight that you could get for a 2-3 rep-max. So, instead of getting a total of 2-3 reps in a set, you’ll get 5 reps in.

Again, this is the beauty of cluster training - it allows you to get a high(er) volume of training in while working at near max loads.

Classic Cluster Demonstration

Extended 5s

If you’re new to working at a weight that is near your 1 rep-max, and want to give cluster training a shot, I suggest starting with extended 5s rather than the classic cluster.  Extended 5s are not quite as close to max loads, and will provide a good break-in to the world of cluster training.

With extended 5s, you pick a weight that is about a 7 rep-max for you.  You lift the weight 5 times, rest for 10-15 seconds, perform 3 more reps, once again rest 10-15 seconds, and finally finish off the set with 2 more reps. 10 total reps instead of 7. It’s a beautiful thing.

Extended 5s Demonstration

Note

Classic clusters and extended 5s are intense methods that are not for everyone. If you are in the first year of your training career, you’ll still be able to make strength gains in the 10-12 rep range. If you are in year two of your training career, you’ll still be able to make strength gains in the 8-10 rep range (these are broad guidelines, but seem to be true with most people).

So, there is really no need to start cluster training at such an early training age. If you’ve been training consistently for over two years, you can start with extended 5s. Like I mentioned, cluster training is intense, therefore you want to use sparingly. As a general rule, the stronger you are, the less often you should use them.

An 800-pound squatter from Westside Barbell may only use cluster training 2-3 times throughout the entire year. An “intermediate” can get away with cluster training more often without over doing it.

Singles Above 90% of 1 RM

I first learned of this method from strength coach Eric Cressey. With this method, you’ll work your way up to your 1 rep-max. And any singles that you performed while working your way up to your max, count toward your goal.

Let’s say that you are deadlifting and your goal is 6 sets of 1 above 90%. Here’s how that might look:

95 X 5

115 X 3

145 X 2

160 X 1

170 X 1

175 X 1 (max for the day)

170 X 1

170 X 1

165 X 1

As you can see, 175 pounds was the max. Any lift leading up to the max that is within 90% of 175 goes toward the goal of six singles. So, 160, 170, (before hitting the max lift) 175, 170, 170, and 165 equals 6 singles above 90% of the day’s 1 RM.

Heavy Lifting

So, you’re in a fat loss phase and aren’t looking to gain strength right now. Well, a wise man once said, “What you did to build muscle, you must also do to keep it.” Just because you are looking to get lean for and sexy for your bikini, doesn’t mean that a little heavy lifting won’t help that bod.  If you haven’t already done so, give one of these methods a shot. Just be sure not to abuse them like so many meathead dudes do.

Have fun!

About Danny

Danny McLarty is a fitness coach at Flex Personal Training in Danville, California. Danny earned a place in the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007 for his high school and college career.  He accomplished this while standing at a height of 5′7″.  He is also a basketball skills coach, helping players improve their ability to get open, with and without the ball.  You can read more about Danny at his website.

Do you prefer modern medicine over traditional?

Or are you a believer in homeopathy?

Share your ideas with us!

Make over your cardio workout so it’s easy on the knees

by Sarah McColl

Sometime in the past several weeks, either while while running at the gym, skiing on a frozen lake, or just walking weirdly, I managed to hurt my knee. Not being able to exercise in the usual ways has been devastating, but it turns out that female athletes are between two and eight times more likely to injure their ACL knee ligaments than men.

Studies have found that hormones associated with a women’s menstrual cycle may affect the laxity of the knee joint. For those as addicted to the mood-boosting effects of exercise as I am, here are some ways to exercise that aren’t as tough on the knees as pounding the pavement.

Stationary bikes

Even though you’re not going anywhere, there’s something transporting about riding a stationary bike. You can put on your favorite music, close your eyes, and just pedal in time to the music. Make sure your seat is high enough so that your knees are not bent beyond a 90-degree angle, and your knee should be slightly bent when your leg is fully extended in the down-stroke.  An upright stationary bike (as opposed to the kicked back recumbent bike) gives you a higher intensity workout.

Boxing

This idea comes courtesy of my girl Jillian Michaels. And by “my girl,” I mean she regularly kicks my butt in the living room via her workout DVDs. Just jabbing rapidly or shadow boxing while standing (or even perched on the edge of a chair) will get your heart rate up.

Elliptical trainer

Working out on an elliptical trainer Is as low-impact as walking but can provide more intense cardio. For those who really love to run but who can’t stand the impact on the joints (up to 3x your body weight with each step!), the elliptical machine can get close to scratching that runner’s itch. Ideally, choose a machine that gets your arms pumping in a push-pull action to get a full-body workout.

Ergometers

Ergometers are like stationary bikes, except instead of pedaling with your legs, your arms to do the work. Most gyms have at least one, and it’s a godsend for someone who can’t be on their feet at all but still wants to workout.

Swimming

Have you ever noticed how pro swimmers have some of the most miraculous bodies out there? The reason, in part, is that the water’s resistance makes your muscles work harder to perform movements than if they were traveling through air. Meanwhile, the buoyancy of water supports your entire body weight, making swimming a no-impact exercise. Here are 50 easy to moderate swimming workouts.

To protect your knees against injury, exercises like knee circles, wall sits, hamstring curls, and leg lifts can help strengthen the muscles that support the knees.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups shelled edamame
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoons walnut oil
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup drained and sliced roasted red peppers
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Toast quinoa in a dry, hot skillet, stirring constantly, until it starts popping (3 minutes or so). Rinse thoroughly, and drain.

In a separate pot, bring broth to a boil. Once boiling, add the toasted quinoa. When it returns to boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 7 or 8 minutes.

At this point, add edamame over the quinoa, without stirring it. Cover and continue to cook until the edamame is tender and cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes longer. Check the quinoa, and if done (it should be), turn off the heat and drain any remaining liquid, if there’s any lift.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, terragon, and salt, once whisked, add to the quinoa mixture and toss well. Add the peppers, toss once again. Top with walnuts and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories: 392
Fat: 9
Protein: 19
Carbs: 30 (plus 16 that are fiber)

Is it once weekly, or maybe just once a month?

Share your thoughts below!

Well, with this recipe, you can! Takes minutes to prepare, virtually carb-free, and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granular Splenda or stevia
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, lemon, coconut, or orange flavoring (feel free to experiment).

Directions

Combine all ingredients well with an electric mixer. Drop by bite-size spoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined sheet. Freeze for about an hour. Store in either the fridge or the freezer, and eat cold (or frozen).

Makes 24 clouds

Nutritional Information per Cloud

Calories: 70

Fat: 7g

Protein: 1g

Carbs; .5g

The following may come as a shock to some of you… but those of you who’s been coached by me won’t be surprised by any of what I’m about to say. Ready?

Cardio is NOT Bad for You!

That’s right, I said it. Many of you have been brainwashed to believe that any and all cardiovascular activity will melt that hard-earned muscle tissue right off your body and create something that looks like a cross between a skeleton and a Shar Pei.

This is simply not true.

I’ve grown a little tired of justifying adding as little as 15 minutes of cardio to my shocked clients’ cutting programs, so I figured I’d post my reasoning right here on the site for everyone to see, and hopefully discuss below. This topic is open for debate, so if you have any concerns as to what I’m saying here, please feel free to contest it in the comments section.

Let’s go over a few basic principles before diving into any debates:

• Yes, you can lose fat without doing extraordinary amounts of cardio — but you’ll have to eat a diet that consists of fewer calories than you could get away with had you been doing cardio. This in itself may lead to muscle loss.

• It’s absolutely true that some people are simply naturally lean and require no cardio to reach competition-low body fat levels, however, these people are the exception, not the rule.

• You can lose fat utilizing Tabata, plyometrics, sprints, and metabolic workouts — but supplementing these with HIIT and steady state cardio is often beneficial as well. Mixing it up brings the best results, by far (while preventing boredom, to boot!).

Three of the most frequent questions I get on this topic from clients, are as follows:

• Should everyone be doing cardio?

Of course, the answer to this one is NO.

• Should everyone be doing the same amount of cardio?

NO, of course not!

It's not all about the treadmill!

• What factors should be taken into consideration when deciding whether I should be doing cardio or not — and how much of it?

Whether or not you should be doing cardio will depend on three main factors:

1. Your goals. If you’re primarily interested in gaining muscle, are generally a healthy individual without much fat to lose, then you shouldn’t even be reading this article — go lift something heavy, instead.

2. Your body type. If you are an ectomorph, chances are good that you’re having a tougher time gaining muscle and maintaining any shape to your body, than losing fat (which should come easily once you’ve worked out the basic ideas of clean eating). If you’re having a tough time maintaining muscle, cardio may not be the best thing you can do with your time.

Contrary to popular belief, mesomorphs can usually benefit from cardio and respond to it quite well. They don’t lose muscle easily, yet do have a tougher time dropping fat without at least moderate cardiovascular work.

Lastly, if you’re an endomorph, you should view cardio as your best friend. It’ll help you get lean when the cleanest diets seem to be failing you!

3. Your activity level. Yes, that’s right, what you do on a daily basis matters when it comes to your optimal program (there’s a reason I ask for your daily schedule on my client questionnaire).

If you work a sedentary job, sitting at a computer all day… don’t do anything but watch TV and head to bed upon arriving at home, and spend your weekends playing video games, your program should be very different from someone who works as a mountain climbing instructor, takes her 3 dogs out for a 2-hour walk each night, and spends her weekends surfing.

The latter person in that example can probably get away with cutting on nothing but intense workouts and a clean diet. She may never have to do any cardio at all — even if she isn’t naturally lean.

If this is all you ever do, chances are, you NEED cardio!

But I Read that I’ll Lose All My Muscle!

Yes, we all read that. Many, many times. The simple fact is, you won’t.

People like to take a radical stance on a variety of topics — simply because this is what gets them attention, and in our field, clients.

Think about it — you hate cardio. I tell you that cardio is terrible for you, and I can get you lean without it. Won’t that make you sign up with me as soon as you can get my payment information? Of course it will!

The bottom line is, it’s ALL individual. Do not listen to anyone who tries to tell you that any one thing is great or bad for everyone. That’s simply not factual.

Cardio may be bad for some people, but it certainly isn’t bad for everyone. And chances are, even an ectomorph can get away with doing cardio without risking muscle loss simply by eating a well-balanced diet that’s sufficient in calories, and taking BCAAs before and after her session.

It’s all relative!

So, enough with all those excuses. If you have fat to lose, stop avoiding that treadmill like the plague. Be logical about your decisions; stop convincing yourself that what you want to believe is a fact. Life doesn’t always work that way. We all make sacrifices to get where we want to get in life; your physique is an extension of that.

Take some responsibility.

Oh, and those of you doing 2 hours of cardio a day? You’re in a whole separate category — to be addressed in a future article.

The mic is yours, ladies — voice your thoughts below, let’s hear ‘em.

Is it over 7 hours?

Or is it under 6?

Do you feel it’s sufficient for you?