Dad Diet

1. Workout No Matter What. After a busy 5 days of sitting on my butt in meetings and seminars I still managed to workout 4 out of the 5 days while in Florida. Which is even more than I workout at home!

The first day I got together with some fellow trainers and we trained together in the hotel gym. It wasn’t very big but had enough to get a great workout using our bodyweight and a few dumbbells.

Then the next day along we all headed to the local Powerhouse gym to get a great workout in a more upbeat gym atmosphere.

Wether it’s a quick hotel room bodyweight workout, a hotel gym workout or a Powerhouse gym workout, just make sure you do some exercise while traveling to offset all the sitting down on airplanes and in meetings.

2. All You Can Eat. The great thing about travelling to new cities is experiencing new places to eat. But if you’re not careful you could be paying the airlines extra weight on the way home, and I am not talking about your luggage…

So do what all the fit trainers did every morning to start their day off right; eat a nutritious breakfast. Even though our hotel served a FREE buffet breakfast every morning, most everyone who is in great shape skipped the bacon and breads and had a huge freshly prepared omelet stuffed with veggies with a little fruit on the side, me included. Keep lunch small with a salad or whole grain wrap so you don’t get sleepy during the afternoon meetings, and enjoy a nice dinner with some lean meat and veggies and even a glass of wine.

3. Drink Up. I don’t mean spend your nights at the hotel bar getting sloshed. I mean drink lots of cold refreshing water. It will keep you full and focused and your mind off the donuts and croissants sitting across the conference table.

It’s really easy to drink lots of H2O during these hotel conferences as they usually serve you pitchers of water in your meeting rooms and in the big conference rooms. Just to be sure you always have water on hand, pick up a couple of litres of spring water at the hotel gift shop and keep on ice in your room.

4. Ditch the Cab. If you are up for some sight seeing or heading to a nearby restaurant for dinner, ditch the cab fare, get some directions and walk there instead. Google Maps on your smart phone works great for this! Walking is a great way to see a new city and burn some calories. Strolling back to the hotel after dinner is a great way to end the evening and ease the guilt from that decadent dessert.

You can also try to find a park or gym a couple miles away and walk or run there to get your heart pumping and your warmup out of the way.

5. Recharge. If you’re traveling solo, staying at a hotel is a great way to get some extra rest and relaxation. You get the bed to yourself, and you have no worries of the kids jumping in the bed at the wee hours of the morning.

It’s also a great time to catch up on some work or read that book you have been trying to get through. A dip in the hotel pool and a hot sauna afterwards might be just what you need to recharge your batteries before you get back on the road.

So there you have it, The 5 Best Ways To Stay Fit While Traveling so you’re wife still recognizes you when you get home.

Learn more about the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report at www.dadfitness.com

The idea of these workout tips came to me while watching one of the classic episodes of Seinfeld, “The Bizarro Jerry” episode.  The concept behind this episode was of having a world made up of everyone’s total opposite, which is based on the Bizarro World stories featured in the Superman comic books.

The Bizarro versions of Jerry, George, Kramer and Newman were called Kevin, Gene, Feldman and Vargas.
So if you are not getting results from your workouts, maybe it’s time you do the opposite of what you see most people doing in the gym.

A lot of regular gym goers continue to look the same year after year despite how often they make an appearance and I am sure you don’t want to look like “most” people, as over 60% of people today are obese.
For the first time, the number of overweight individuals around the world rivals the number who are underweight.
In fact a new word – “globesity” has now been coined to reflect the escalation of global obesity and the overweight!

Remember, Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.
Think about this quote for a second and ask yourself, does this quote apply to the way I workout?

If so, it’s time to stop being a workout slave to your old school workout routines and time to break away from the crowd by doing the opposite of what they are doing.  The results just might surprise you.  That also includes those people you see in the gym who are there consistently but continue to look the same year after year.

1. Quality, not Quantity – Don’t fall for the cardio confusion where you think the more time you punch on a cardio machine the more fat you burn. You don’t need to spend hours working out everyday to get those rock hard abs or bulging biceps. The key to effective workouts is intensity. With shorter weight training and interval cardio workouts you spend less time working and more time burning fat. High intensity workouts elevate your metabolism up to 36 hours after your workout.

2. Mirror Muscles – Most guys love training the muscles they can see in the mirror like their chest and biceps. But 50% of your muscles are on the back of your body.  Muscles of your upper and lower back, hamstrings and even your triceps on the back of your arm are often neglected in favor of pumping up those mirror muscles. This contributes to overuse and imbalances in the shoulders and spine making you more susceptible to shoulder and back injuries. Do more pulling than pushing when you are in the gym and you will really be glad with what you see in the mirror.

3. Bet on Low – Betting on high might be the smart choice in a game of poker, but for better workouts, go low. Instead of following the classic “3 sets of 10 reps” routine, go bizarro and do the opposite with “10 sets of 3″. This will allow you to focus on the performance and quality of your repetitions instead of fatiguing your muscles with higher reps.  Most people train to improve appearance; you should train to improve performance and your appearance will improve as a result.

4. Step Away From the Machine -  You don’t need to workout on expensive equipment that isolates small muscles and put your body in unnatural positions all while you sit down. When you perform an exercise using machines you force your body to follow the range of motion dictated by the machine, when it should be the other way around allowing your body to control your range of motion.  Besides some cable movements. which are actually closer to free weight movements than machines, stick with barbells, dumbbells and bodyweight exercises so you build functional muscles that you can use in the real world.

5. Be Flexible – I am still amazed at how many people still don’t pay proper attention to warming up before their workout and stretching at the end of their workout.  If you want to have healthy joints and pain free flexibility, follow a proper warmup and cooldown.  Get your body primed for training with dynamic movements like bodyweight squats and pushups, then help to lower your heart rate and relax your muscles with some stretches after your workout is over. This is not something that you can afford to ignore if you want a healthy body for many years to come.

Follow these 5 tips in your next workout and if anyone asks you “what your doing?” tell them the opposite!

Learn more about the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report at www.dadfitness.com

I’ve been receiving a few random questions about how I feel about the P90x.  Designed as a workout at home solution, the p90x is intense and will get you results in 90 days.

Before you rush in though, I would recommend that you get your muscles ramped up to the heat that the P90x will bring.  The easiest way to do this is with a flat surface and an empty door frame.

1.  Flat Surface – Go to the 100 Push-Ups Site and download the weekly workouts.  It’s by far the cheapest thing, other than running, that you can start today that will help you sculpt your body.

2.  Door Frame – Get the Iron Gym.  With a door frame and 15 minutes per day, you can get your arms, chest, stomach and back, where they need to be.

I’ve been using the 100 pushup routine along with the Iron Gym for quick at home work outs.  Taivon put me on to the Iron Gym after he started using it to get in shape for football season.  Now that we both use it on a regular basis, It has turned into a Dad Diet favorite.

Learn more about the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report at www.dadfitness.com

Old habits are hard to break. But if you keep doing these 5 old school exercises you will be breaking more than old habits.

1. Leg extensions- Unfortunately this exercise seems to be the extent of most guys leg training.  Probably because sitting down and pumping out reps of leg extensions are a lot easier than squatting down with hundreds of pounds on your back.   Despite the “burn” you may feel from your upper thighs when performing this exercise, it is not a very efficient leg exercise as it only isolates the muscles above the knee.

The only time this exercise has much benefit is in a rehab setting where these muscles directly surrounding the knee need to be developed for stability and strength. Otherwise opt for any variation of the free-range squat.

2. Behind the neck pulldowns- This is another exercise that I still see people doing in the gym. I cringe every time I see someone take a wide grip on the angled ends of the pulldown bar and start pulling it down behind their neck.

The angled ends of the bar are an outdated design and are not where you should be gripping the bar. This puts your shoulders and rotator cuffs in a very vulnerable position.

Putting most of the stress on the shoulders and limiting range of motion away from the back muscles this exercise should be crossed off your list. Work on being able to do bodyweight chin-ups instead or at least pulldowns to the front.

3. Behind the neck shoulder press- Similar to the behind the neck pulldown, the behind the neck barbell shoulder press places your shoulder in a delicate position.  It is basically the same movement but by adding additional weight to the bar and pushing up in the vertical plane you are putting your rotator cuffs at an even greater risk of injury.   With the extra weight you can pile on the bar with this exercise, trying to even unrack the bar will soon send your shoulders screaming in pain. Switch to the safer option; the front barbell shoulder press.

4. Concentration Curls- Probably the most popular bicep exercise for beginners wanting to “get the pump” and get Arnold-like biceps.  It’s too bad a lot of experienced trainers still waste their time on this exercise.
No matter how many reps of concentration curls you do, you won’t get that bicep peak like the Terminator, as muscle SHAPE is genetically determined. Muscle SIZE on the other hand can be increased through basic movements that allow a heavy weight while using many muscles instead of isolating one smaller muscle.

Standing barbell or dumbbells curls are a better choice for bicep development, but better again are close grip chin-ups, which put a lot of stress on the upper arms while working many other muscles.

5. Crunches- It would be nice if all you had to do to get that ripped six pack would be to lie on the floor and pump out hundreds of reps of back breaking crunches. Despite what the infomercials want you to believe, this is NOT true!
You wouldn’t build your biceps by doing 100 reps with no weight, so why would you think you would develop your abdominals by doing 100 crunches or more? Your abdominals primary purpose is to actually stabilize your spine and to keep your torso from twisting in half under times of physical stress, not lift your neck off the floor.

Overall, the best exercises for your abs are exercises that allow your body to use your core the way it was meant to be used: for stability and support. Bodyweight planks, and compound exercises like squats and overhead presses will work your abs better than any crunch will ever do. Combined with a clean diet you might just see those abs looking back at you in the mirror.

…OK quiz time.  Do you see a trend with these 5 exercises?

They all involve sitting or lying down, (which we are all experts at already) and they work only a small section of muscle, allowing you to pump out endless reps without much effort.

For you busy guys who want to get the most out of your workouts, stop wasting your valuable time on these old school exercises that break your body down instead of building it up…

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

How many people do you see in the gym trying to make an exercise more difficult, believing the more difficult it is the more effective the exercise will be?

All they are doing is putting their body in unnatural position, which limits overload and increases chances of injury. The bench press is a perfect example. You see people with their feet in the air, using a thumb less grip etc. All of this makes you handle less weight because you cannot generate maximum power due to your body’s position.

When you execute the bench press you should maintain 4 contact points: feet on the ground, butt and upper back on the bench, and hands on the bar. Keep these points set while maintaining a natural arch in your lower back. This will put you into a strong and sturdy position, allowing you to achieve maximum power and overload. Think of your body as a coiled spring when bench pressing and explode using the position of your entire body at the bottom of each rep.

Remember, the more power you can generate, the more weight you can lift. The more weight you can lift, the more overload you create. The more overload you create, the more muscle you put on! Try these tips the next time you bench. I guarantee that you will bench more weight the very first day…

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Do you want to change your body and finally get fit for life? Well, lets keep things simple. If you just followed these 10 tips on a consistent basis, you can transform your body to tip-top shape.

1. Perform cardiovascular/aerobic exercise 3-5 times a week

2. Exercise at a high intensity in your target heart rate

3. Perform weight-training 3-4 times a week

4. Exercise for 30-60 minutes per session

5. Keep it real! Eat natural foods, avoid processed foods

6. Don’t skip breakfast

7. Eat 3 nutrient dense meals and two small snacks each day

8. Eat at least 3-4 servings of fruits and vegetables each day

9. Drink at least 1 liter of water each day

10. Organize your time (exercise, work, family, friends,)

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Sometimes I begin to wonder if people realize that the power racks in gyms are for more than hanging their shirt on or something to stretch against. Most people will complain about not being able to put size on their lower body and these people are usually the ones if they even do work legs regularly; it’s endless sets doing quad extensions and half rep leg presses. These don’t even come close!

Hey, squatting is hard. Especially starting off they are challenging to learn and awkward. Then when you get up to 300, 400 lbs plus on the bar they are quite intimidating. Again, they are hard work. But this is why they are the most effective exercise for your entire body that you will ever do.

So learn to do them correctly, learn to go heavy and learn to go deep. This question had many debates of how low should you go? I believe the most effective depth for complete muscular overload and control when squatting is to go down until your quads just go below parallel. Once you master the physical aspect of this exercise, then all is left is to overcome that fear of the intense effort that is required.

Never sacrifice form and depth for a heavier weight especially with this exercise. The nature of this movement can allow some impressive poundage’s and can increase chance of injury if your form is not correct. Gradually try to add a couple pounds to the bar each week and before you know it you’ll be on your way to achieving the awesome leg development you’re after.

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Anyone who has been training for a long time knows about plateaus. This is when your strength levels in the gym seem to level out. No matter what you do, it seems that you can’t get over the hump of a certain weight and continue to add more weight to the bar.

The key to consistent strength gains in the gym and continued muscle growth is through progressive overload. This involves many methods. The most common is the method of slightly increasing the poundage’s you use in the gym on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The truth is the longer you have been training, the smaller the increments you must use. Forget about moving up from 25’s to 35’s to 45lb plates just for convenience. Remember, the smaller the better.

Lets use the barbell bench press for an example. Let’s say you’ve been stuck at 250lbs pounds for 6 reps for quite a while. Now, make a consistent effort to add only one of those tiny 2.5 pound plates to each side of your barbell, every week, and perform a concentrated 8-10 week training cycle.

Adding 5lbs a week to the bar might not seem like much mentally, but physically it is just what your muscles are looking for continued growth. The increase will be so gradual on your body, it will have plenty of time to adapt to the increase in resistance and overload. After 10 weeks your will be cracking the 300lb pound mark! How many people in your gym consistently bench press 300lbs or more, not many.

This is the basic principle of resistance training, progressive overload. By gradually increasing the weight increments each week you give your body a reason to grow but not enough to fall into a strength plateau. Slapping on larger plates because it looks heavier or is easier to add up sets will eventually bring your gains to a screeching halt.

By adding tiny weight increases every week, you will be on the road to consistent and long-term gains in the gym.

Other methods also involve progressive overload by manipulating the other variables in your routine. You can keep the weight the same for all sets and increase the total volume by adding extra sets.

You can also keep the reps the same, but try to complete an extra rep each workout.

Another method is by increasing the density of your workout. Basically you set an specific amount of time and try to complete more total work load each and every workout.

One method to help increase your conditioning would be to shorten your rest periods between sets. Or you could cut them out all together and do a superset (two exercises back to back with no rest).

These are just a few different training techniques that you can use to prevent plateaus in your weight training. Remember, variety is the spice of life, inside AND outside the gym…

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com