How to build muscle:
1. Increase strength: more strength equals more muscle. A combination of weight lifting and calisthenics will allow for strength to increase over time.
2. Incorporate free weights in addition to machines.
3. Do compound exercises that work more that one muscle at one time. For example instead of leg extensions, try squats and dead lifts.
4. Recover. Work your way up to working out 5-6 times per week. Get plenty of rest. While exercising focus on intensity instead of time. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep. Growth hormone is released while at rest. Aim for 8 hours per night. Stay hydrated not only while exercising but throughout the day.
5. Eat whole foods. Your diet should consist of lean protein (chicken, fish, egg whites), complex carbs (oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes), fresh fruits and vegetables, fats (nuts, olive oil, fish oil)
6. Eat more frequently. Aim for six meals a day. Try to cosume all carbs before 3 pm. Post workout consume protein and carbs to help repair muscle.
7. Log your workouts and your daily food consumption. Keeping a journal helps you stay focused and allows you to monitor progress.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Women's Tri-Fitness 2009
This past July, I competed in the Women's Tri-Fitness Competition that was held in Las Vegas, NV. Over 200 athletes from all around the world joined together to compete in this ultimate fitness experience. There are three components to the Tri-Fitness Competition: grace & physique/fitness routine, obstacle course and fitness skills (box jumps, bench pressing and a shuttle run). These events test all althlete's strength, flexibility, endurance, agility, power and all areas of fitness.
The first event is grace & physique. The athlete is judged based on: grace and poise presentation, symmetry, overall firmness and overall appearence.
The second event is a fitness routine event. Athletes are judged based on: strength moves, flexibility, choreography, endurance, overall presentation, enthusiasm and appearence.
Fitness skills are next. Box jumps are the first event. Athletes are required to jump on an 20 inch box fifty times as fast as they can. Athletes strive for a score of 34 seconds. Next comes bench pressing. Athletes bench 60% of their body weight. A perfect score is 50 reps. Third, is the shuttle run. Ten bean bags are placed 20 ft from a square riser. The athlete is timed as they run and grab each bag and place it in the riser.
The obstacle course comes next. The obstacle course consists of a 10 ft wall, a 15 ft. running grid, 16 incline-decline monkey bars, a balance beam, a 15 ft. cargo net, a shuttle run, 3 hurdles, a steeple chase box, an under bar and an over bar. Idealy the athlete wants to complete the course in under a minute.
For all of the events athletes are categorized by age. Weight is only considered for the bench pressing component. In addition, the east coast and the west coast compete against each other. In the end, which ever coast has the more successful athletes for each event wins. This year the east coast won in every category.
The first event is grace & physique. The athlete is judged based on: grace and poise presentation, symmetry, overall firmness and overall appearence.
The second event is a fitness routine event. Athletes are judged based on: strength moves, flexibility, choreography, endurance, overall presentation, enthusiasm and appearence.
Fitness skills are next. Box jumps are the first event. Athletes are required to jump on an 20 inch box fifty times as fast as they can. Athletes strive for a score of 34 seconds. Next comes bench pressing. Athletes bench 60% of their body weight. A perfect score is 50 reps. Third, is the shuttle run. Ten bean bags are placed 20 ft from a square riser. The athlete is timed as they run and grab each bag and place it in the riser.
The obstacle course comes next. The obstacle course consists of a 10 ft wall, a 15 ft. running grid, 16 incline-decline monkey bars, a balance beam, a 15 ft. cargo net, a shuttle run, 3 hurdles, a steeple chase box, an under bar and an over bar. Idealy the athlete wants to complete the course in under a minute.
For all of the events athletes are categorized by age. Weight is only considered for the bench pressing component. In addition, the east coast and the west coast compete against each other. In the end, which ever coast has the more successful athletes for each event wins. This year the east coast won in every category.
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