Secret Tips to Spice Up Your Fitness Program

Adherence to a strict diet plan and regular execution of fitness programs are considered the sure-shot ways of weight-loss. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fact that little changes in the dietary and exercise habits can make you lose weight faster. We point out few fitness habits that will help you to drop pounds in lesser time.



• The rest time between the sets and reps of the fitness program is crucial. In fact, modification of the rest time has a huge impact on the entire exercise routine. In addition, remember that your rest time must be in accordance with your fitness goals. If you are aiming for development of explosive power, rest for atleast 3 minutes. If the goal of your strength-training program is to have bigger muscles, opt for a rest period of 30-60 seconds.

• No matter whether you are executing strength training or aerobic workouts, always maintain an exercise journal. Some may consider this a little obsessive, but this step will help you to analyze your fitness goals more realistically. Note down the type of exercise you are doing (strength training, powerlifting etc), the reps, sets and the rest period between the sets.

• Opt for exercise sessions in the early morning. When you indulge in some high-intensity fitness-training program in morning, it sets the mood for the rest of the day. Exercise provides a feel-good factor and when you work out in the morning, you can relish the sense of accomplishment throughout the day. This will also help you to stick to the workout routine more successfully.

Take your fitness training routine to the next level with the help of these tips. In our next post, we will provide you some more secret suggestions. Keep rocking!

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Books that Can Motivate Powerlifters

Strength training books are ideal for motivation those who are new to the industry. As the name suggests these books are geared towards powerlifters. For novice or non-powerlifters, who are looking for general strength training advice, these powerlifting/ strength training books are very beneficial. One of the must read books for lifters is “The Westside Barbell Book Of Methods” published by Westside Barbell. The 236 pages of this book are full of training advices. Louie Simmons explains the various ways that will help the lifters to produce strength.



Simmons, the legendary powerlifter and strength trainer of Westside Barbell, presents his many years of experience in powerlifting through this book. Being the strength consultant for numerous college football teams including Clevland Brown, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, and Seattle Seahawks, Louie’s book is also a great resource for the serious sports people. Some of the strength training methods that “The Westside Barbell Book Of Methods” includes are Conjugate Method, Dynamic Effort Method, Maximal Effort Method, Reactive Method, and Contrast Method.

The Westside Barbell Book Of Methods is specially aimed at competitive powerlifters and serious sports people. In fact, this powerlifting book can be a perfect choice for the intermediate to advanced lifters.

The second edition of “Science and Practice of Strength Training”, written by Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky and Dr. William Kraemer, explains the principles and concepts involved in strength training. The book comes with many changes including three new chapters contributed by Dr. Kraemer. These chapters focus on young athletes, women and seniors. The book explains that no one program can work for a person all the times. It describes the complexity involved in strength training programs and provides simple approaches while dealing with specific circumstances. “Science and Practice of Strength Training” provides great insight into the new physiological concepts that are now incorporated in the practice of strength training.

Both the strength training books describes the various methods of strength conditioning, the importance of timing in strength exercises, and ways to prevent injuries.

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Creative Ways to Stay Fit

Obesity is a major problem in USA that often causes several deadly diseases. Americans often avoid incorporating exercises in to their daily routines. Moreover, the excuse – they hardly have the time for regular fitness sessions. However, it is perfectly possible to juggle a tight routine and find time for exercise. Today we will be discussing fitness tips that can be used by the Americans who lead a hectic lifestyle.



Wake up early- Waking up early will allow devoting time to exercise sessions; better yet, there is no need to cut down other important activities. Studies indicate that those who workout in early mornings tends to stick to the routine as compared to those who opt for exercising during other times.

Add variety to the workout routine- It is important to mix and match the different varieties of exercises. It will add novelty to the workout sessions and will help to avoid boredom after few days. An ideal fitness routine should incorporate both non-aerobic exercises such as strength training, weight lifting and aerobic exercises, which may include running, jogging, and free-hand exercises.

Opt for group exercises- Workouts are fun when you team up with your family or friends. In addition, the motivation for exercising is higher when you have a partner.

Listen to music- Research studies indicate that the rhythm of music provides the exercisers with feel good moments and helps them to stay focused. A great way to perk up the exercise routine is to load the MP3 player with your favorite songs and listen to them while running on the treadmill or lift weights.

Utilize the spare time- On holidays and on days when you are feeling low, go for a long walk, cycle to a faraway place, or visit the gym. Exercise helps to increase happy hormones (endorphins) and these, in turn, uplifts the mood.

A busy lifestyle should not be the reason for avoiding workout sessions. Use your creativity to include fitness routines in your everyday life and you will be blessed with a healthy body and a sound mind.

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Exercises that Helps in Increasing Bench Press

In our previous post, we discussed the tips that will help the powerlifters to increase their bench press. In addition, some exercises help in increasing weight on bench press. In powerlifting bench press, many muscle groups are included. And it is important that lifters include each muscle group in their strength-training program.


Powerlifters must have strong triceps. To build one, they can begin with heavy compound lifts. Some of these include dips and close-grip bench press. While finishing, the lifters must incorporate a few isolation exercises including cable pushdowns and skull-crushers.

Lats too play an important role in powerlifting bench press; therefore, one must train them hard. Lifters can incorporate lat pull-downs and pull-ups in their weekly strength training workouts. It is also advice to opt for some rowing exercises on a regular basis.

It is often believed that bigger benchers usually have huge delts. This is so true! To get huge delts, one can include dumbbell raises and military press in their weekly strength training workouts.

Some additional tips:

• Powerlifters must focus on their muscles contracting while lowering the bar. During the concentric phase, this will help them to explode driving the weight up.

• Lifters can bring the bar lower on their chest by tucking their elbows in towards their body. In addition, try to reduce the strain on shoulders.

• Keep the quads tight throughout the lift and the heels flat on the floor.

• Keep the lats tight during the lift.

These exercises along with a proper strength training routine will help the powerlifters to increase weight on their bench press. If you like our tips feel, free to leave comments. Also, let us know more about your strength training routines.

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Exploit Belt Squat Machine for Strength Training Exercises

Squat is a type of strength training exercise that is excellent for the lower body. It works on areas such as hips and thighs, and helps to strengthen ligaments and bones of the lower part of the body. Squats also help to tighten the abdominal core muscles and enhance the size and strength of buttocks and legs. Squats can be of various types such as full squats, box squats, back squats and front squats. The different varieties of squats help the exerciser to mix and match the strength-training workout sessions so that it remains fun and interesting.



A great way to start squat training is to go for the Belt Squat Machine. This innovative fitness equipment enables a person to enjoy a full squat training on areas such as legs and glutes. In addition, with this machine, you do not need to put a bar on your back.

The Belt Squat Machine is easy to use. Adjust the plates on the weight pegs, place your feet on the platform, connect the cable with the squat belt and start the exercise session! There is sufficient platform space so that you do not need to bother about issues such as stability and safety. This fitness equipment also provides the perfect opportunity to perform a number of squats such as box squats, split squat stances, and even stationary lunges.

The Belt Squat Machine is not restricted to squat training alone. You can do pull-throughs by attaching the pair of web handles. Add a single handgrip and perform exercises such as curls, rows and tricep extensions. Deep grip pulls can be performed by using V- Grip. You can also attach a lat pull-down bar and perform Zercher squats.

As described above, the Belt Squat Machine is perfect for those who love in indulge in squat training. However, at the same time it will hardly disappoint those who love performing other forms of strength training exercises.

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Fight Your Way Back to Good Health

Many of us have gone through the trauma of relishing benefits of a new exercise routine and then being forced to stop it because of a nasty injury. While it is not possible to continue with the workout sessions with a bruise, there is no need to put a total end to the workout sessions either. You should enjoy a healthy lifestyle while your body is taking time to heal itself. You can consider the following points-

• When you have a serious injury, it is better to opt for a healthy diet that contains all the essential nutrients. Avoid any extreme diet but do not forget about your ideal calorie intake either. Consult the doctor about your nutritional requirements and enquire whether you can take any health supplements.



• Stretching is a good way to keep you healthy while recovering from an injury. Depending on the type of injury, you can opt for static or passive stretching. In static stretching, a person is required to assume a position and hold it on for few seconds or minutes without any assistance. In contrast, passive stretching involves use of an external aid (a person or any device) for further stretching of the muscles. Remember to be careful while stretching.

• Apply your imagination and creativity while exercising during an injury. For example, if you have a leg injury, you can try light weight lifting with the arms. Spinning classes are ideal for those who have an injured arm.

• You can pamper your body and mind with some relaxing massages. They are known to soothe the tensed nerves and stretch those muscles, which cannot be stretched in the usual way. In addition, massages will also help to eliminate the pain and increase blood circulation in the body.

Think positive, use your free time intelligently and most importantly, listen to your body. Remember that no injuries will last forever.

Stay healthy and happy!

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Get a Lean, Mean Body with Deadlifts

Deadlift can be defined as a powerlifting exercise where a person is required to pick up weights (barbell, dumbbell, trapbar) from the ground. The exerciser must assume a bent-over position while starting, and end up in an upright position. Deadlift is considered to be one of the best muscle-building exercises and is ideal for all those who want to increase their strength.



More on the benefits of deadlifts-

• Deadlift is a compound movement and works on a number of muscles of the body that include minor and supplementary muscles (also known as stabilizer muscles). It can be mentioned here that fitness equipments hardly work on these stabilizer muscles and this, in turn, can make a person more prone to injury and damage.

• It increases the metabolic rate, thus aiding in fat loss.

• All those who want to enhance their grip strength can opt for deadlifts. It is one of the rare exercises where one is required to hold enormous amounts of weight manually, and this in turn, tightens the forearms and increases the grip strength. Good grip strength is required for other powerlifting exercises like bench press.

• Deadlift is also known to strengthen the spine and enhance the body posture. It is an ideal workout for those powerlifters, who are suffering from the lordosis (excessive inward curvature of the back). This form of powerlifting is known to tighten muscles of the lower back and helps a person to get rid of lower back imbalances.

• Not many people are aware of the fact that deadlift is an amazing cardiovascular exercise. It works on the cardiovascular system and helps one to lose weight and reduce the blood pressure.

• It perks up the immune system, thus helping a person to recover quickly from illnesses.

A common myth about deadlift is that it is a dangerous exercise, which must be avoided. This is a myth and is not based on any scientific evidence. All one needs to do is to perform deadlifts in the correct way and reap its manifold benefits.

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