Comments on: How to Train for a Great Body http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/ Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:45:55 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Fred http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-2018 Fred Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:39:37 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-2018 Hopefully guys like you and Rusty are the pioneers of a revolution in the way people think about fitness and working out! -Fred Hopefully guys like you and Rusty are the pioneers of a revolution in the way people think about fitness and working out!

-Fred

]]> By: admin http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-10 admin Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:17:58 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-10 <strong>Helder</strong>, Thanks for the input. Depending on their body structure, some people can deadlitft and squat without ruining their proportions. Others can't. If you train for relative strength - increasing how much you can squat and deadlift without gaining significant weight, you will benefit from these exercises. If you just eat big and lift big, chances you will be strong but fat and with overdeveloped hips and butt. Cheers, Yavor Helder,

Thanks for the input. Depending on their body structure, some people can deadlitft and squat without ruining their proportions. Others can’t. If you train for relative strength – increasing how much you can squat and deadlift without gaining significant weight, you will benefit from these exercises. If you just eat big and lift big, chances you will be strong but fat and with overdeveloped hips and butt.

Cheers,

Yavor

]]> By: Helder http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-8 Helder Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:56:42 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-8 Hey Yavor Nice to see you have your own blog now, very good post this one, i always Loved training for aesthetics and strength, and anciente Greece has always been an inspiration, and of course some natural bodybuilders from the past, like the best one of all times Steve Reeves. The only problem with greek measures as seen on some sites, is that the legs are too small compared to upper body, but if you look at the statues that's not true, the statues are very balanced. One of the most important advice i give to trainees wanting to look good is to avoid back squats and deadlifts, but the mainstream bodybuilding and even natural strength training are very based on those two exercises. The get big thing still rules around and that's a shame, Vince Gironda use to say that a lot of very good physiques had been ruined by the use of those two exercises, and he was right, no doubt they're excellent for mass and strength, but if you want to look good, don't use them, and also avoid shrugs and cleans, they will overdevelop your traps giving the ilusion of very narrow shoulders. Hey Yavor

Nice to see you have your own blog now, very good post this one, i always Loved training for aesthetics and strength, and anciente Greece has always been an inspiration, and of course some natural bodybuilders from the past, like the best one of all times Steve Reeves. The only problem with greek measures as seen on some sites, is that the legs are too small compared to upper body, but if you look at the statues that’s not true, the statues are very balanced. One of the most important advice i give to trainees wanting to look good is to avoid back squats and deadlifts, but the mainstream bodybuilding and even natural strength training are very based on those two exercises. The get big thing still rules around and that’s a shame, Vince Gironda use to say that a lot of very good physiques had been ruined by the use of those two exercises, and he was right, no doubt they’re excellent for mass and strength, but if you want to look good, don’t use them, and also avoid shrugs and cleans, they will overdevelop your traps giving the ilusion of very narrow shoulders.

]]> By: nodietneeded http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-7 nodietneeded Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:14:55 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-7 this is very helpful thanks, Yavor. yegin this is very helpful thanks, Yavor.

yegin

]]> By: admin http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-6 admin Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:37:39 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-6 <strong>Yegin</strong>, I'd say - first check how much you eat. Get your food right and eat only when you need to eat. Slimming down with exercise alone is just harder. As far as circuit training goes, here is a home circuit I gave to a few girls that I train so they can do it at home when they are unable to go to a gym. The circuit is repeated 2-5 times, depending on your conditioning. Do each movement 10-20 times and go to the next one. 1. <strong>One leg supine hip extension</strong> Lay on your back and have your one leg up on a chair or bed. Raise your butt up by extending at the hips (<strong>squeezing your butt up</strong>) 2. <strong>Bench dips</strong> Place your hands on the edge of a chair or bench with your back facing it. You can have your feet on the floor or on another bench or chair. Go down till your upper arms are parallel or almost parallel to the floor. If you experience shoulder discomfort, you can eliminate this exercise. 3. <strong>Stationary side lunges</strong> Lunge sideways. Go down by sticking your <strong>butt out and back</strong>. Make sure<strong> knees and toes</strong> always <strong>point in the same direction</strong>. 4. <strong>Plank</strong> Position yourself in a <strong>pushup position</strong> but instead of on your hands, rest on your <strong>forearms</strong>. <strong>Squeeze your butt and push it forward</strong>. <strong>Flex your abs</strong> so that the distance between your <strong>sternum (chest)</strong> and hips is shortened just a little bit. This way the tension can be focused on the abs instead of on your lower back. Hold the position for 30 - 60 seconds. 5. <strong>Bodyweight squats</strong> Your feet should be shoulder width apart or a little wider. Squat down by sticking your <strong>butt out</strong>. Keep your <strong>chest up</strong> and push your <strong>knees out to the sides</strong> so that they are in line with your toes. 6. <strong>Pushups</strong> Squeeze your butt and abs. Place your hands shoulder width apart and make sure your elbows go back and not completely to the sides. To make pushups easier they can be done on your knees or standing and pushing up against a wall). 7. <strong>Stationary lunges</strong> Step forward and then <strong>descend directly downwards</strong> so that your knees do not go in front of your toes. 8. <strong>Side plank</strong> Rest sideways on your forearm and make sure to squeeze the obliques - does muscles on the side of your waist. Hold the position for 30 - 60 seconds. That's it! Rest 1 minute and repeat 1-4 times. Actually I should take some pictures and do a detailed post on the circuit... Yavor p.s. You've got a cool site! I will keep an eye on your posts! Yegin,
I’d say – first check how much you eat. Get your food right and eat only when you need to eat. Slimming down with exercise alone is just harder.

As far as circuit training goes, here is a home circuit I gave to a few girls that I train so they can do it at home when they are unable to go to a gym.

The circuit is repeated 2-5 times, depending on your conditioning. Do each movement 10-20 times and go to the next one.

1. One leg supine hip extension
Lay on your back and have your one leg up on a chair or bed. Raise your butt up by extending at the hips (squeezing your butt up)

2. Bench dips
Place your hands on the edge of a chair or bench with your back facing it. You can have your feet on the floor or on another bench or chair. Go down till your upper arms are parallel or almost parallel to the floor. If you experience shoulder discomfort, you can eliminate this exercise.

3. Stationary side lunges
Lunge sideways. Go down by sticking your butt out and back. Make sure knees and toes always point in the same direction.

4. Plank
Position yourself in a pushup position but instead of on your hands, rest on your forearms. Squeeze your butt and push it forward. Flex your abs so that the distance between your sternum (chest) and hips is shortened just a little bit. This way the tension can be focused on the abs instead of on your lower back. Hold the position for 30 – 60 seconds.

5. Bodyweight squats
Your feet should be shoulder width apart or a little wider. Squat down by sticking your butt out. Keep your chest up and push your knees out to the sides so that they are in line with your toes.

6. Pushups
Squeeze your butt and abs. Place your hands shoulder width apart and make sure your elbows go back and not completely to the sides. To make pushups easier they can be done on your knees or standing and pushing up against a wall).

7. Stationary lunges
Step forward and then descend directly downwards so that your knees do not go in front of your toes.

8. Side plank
Rest sideways on your forearm and make sure to squeeze the obliques – does muscles on the side of your waist. Hold the position for 30 – 60 seconds.

That’s it! Rest 1 minute and repeat 1-4 times.

Actually I should take some pictures and do a detailed post on the circuit…

Yavor

p.s. You’ve got a cool site! I will keep an eye on your posts!

]]> By: nodietneeded http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-5 nodietneeded Fri, 12 Sep 2008 07:23:10 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-5 Very true. A lean proportional body looks much better than bulky muscle weight, tough, at least for me, it takes way more discipline and effort to achieve one than simply putting on muscle mass. I have been focusing on strength training lately. Circuit training to be more specific. Do you recommend any exercises to back up this type of training? Very true. A lean proportional body looks much better than bulky muscle weight, tough, at least for me, it takes way more discipline and effort to achieve one than simply putting on muscle mass. I have been focusing on strength training lately. Circuit training to be more specific. Do you recommend any exercises to back up this type of training?

]]> By: admin http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-4 admin Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:44:45 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-4 Rusty, thanks for the input. Strength training is great and it can do wonders for your body. One thing that is bad about it however is that people forget what got them into strength training in the first place. For many people it is to look better. When we focus on getting stronger and bigger, we forget to keep that waist line in check. A strong dude that carries a lot of fat looks worse than a small lean guy (who may not even train at all). Rusty, thanks for the input. Strength training is great and it can do wonders for your body. One thing that is bad about it however is that people forget what got them into strength training in the first place. For many people it is to look better. When we focus on getting stronger and bigger, we forget to keep that waist line in check. A strong dude that carries a lot of fat looks worse than a small lean guy (who may not even train at all).

]]> By: Rusty - Fitness Black Book http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-train-for-a-great-body/#comment-2 Rusty - Fitness Black Book Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:30:12 +0000 http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/?p=10#comment-2 Yavor, This is a brilliant post buddy. I have tried to get the same message across for a long time, but you worded this in a better way than I ever have. I really like it that you point out "keep the bodyweight down in order to keep the waist small". Even when men are at a low body fat percentage, when they put on a lot of mass the hips and waist grow to make their physique not as aesthetically appealing. The worst look is the protruding "steroid gut"...guys with ripped six pack abs that almost appear pregnant. I'm sure you have seen what I'm talking about. Have a great one! Yavor,

This is a brilliant post buddy. I have tried to get the same message across for a long time, but you worded this in a better way than I ever have.

I really like it that you point out “keep the bodyweight down in order to keep the waist small”.

Even when men are at a low body fat percentage, when they put on a lot of mass the hips and waist grow to make their physique not as aesthetically appealing. The worst look is the protruding “steroid gut”…guys with ripped six pack abs that almost appear pregnant. I’m sure you have seen what I’m talking about.

Have a great one!

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