Disproportional? Get your weaknesses in line with your strengths!

By James Ellis | Published: October 25, 2011

I recieved a question from Jerry Homstad on my Facebook Athlete page asking me how to correct weak points like upper chest, rear delts, calves, and lower abs. This is an excellent question Jerry and thank you so much for this blog topic idea. I think we all have different weak points that we’d like to work on and get them in line with our strengths. The good news is that I have experienced this and have managed to conquer this topic by bringing up my chest and my rear delts.

To put it simply, if you want to strengthen your weaknesses you need to put a strong focus on them in your training. You can do this in a couple of different ways depending on how extreme you want to be and how quickly you want to get results. One way is to train the specific body part while it is fresh, which I will explain in the paragraphs the follow. The other way is to train that specific body part several times a week to catch it up quickly, which I will also explain in the paragraphs to follow.

So lets first focus on the upper chest and how the two methods I mentioned would look to strengthen it. If you choose to do the first method I would recommend that you start you chest workout with the incline barbell bench press for three sets. The incline should be set at about a 45-60 degree angle for this exercise, which is pretty basic for a standard incline barbell bench. For the next exercise you would move to a incline dumbbell bench press for three sets. This should be a lower incline than that of the barbell incline. I would put the bench incline between 30-45 degrees for this one. You can then move on to a flat bench press machine for three sets. Finish off with three sets of incline cable flies and three sets of flat bench dumbbell flies or the flat fly machine/pec deck. Notice with this method you are doing a lot of upper chest exercises and no lower chest exercises.

The other method to strengthen your upper chest is to train your chest more days per week. This can be an add on to the first method I mentioned above. So, lets say you do the workout I talked about above on day one, on day two you would rest your chest and work whatever other body part you planned to work (for me that would be back). Then on day three you would begin your workout with three sets of incline barbell chest and three sets of incline flies. After that continue on with whatever your workout was for the day (for me that would be legs). On day four you give your chest a break and continue on with your regular training routine (for me that would be shoulders). Moving on to day five you would start your workout with three sets of the dumbbell incline presses at the 30-45 degree angle and then do three sets of incline flies using the cables. After that continue on with whatever muscle you were going to train that day (for me that would be biceps and triceps). Then do whatever it is you do for training on days 6 and 7 and you’ll start this all over again on day 1. If your chest is sore on any of these days then don’t hit it as it is still recovering. For instance, if your chest is sore on day three, then don’t hit for those two exercises to start your workout, but rather wait until day four to do those chest exercises.

This exact same type of logic will apply for your rear delts is that is a weak point for you. You may choose to just do method one for the rear delts. If that is the case then you will start you shoulder workout with three sets of a shoulder press of some kind to warm up all of the delts. You would continue on by hitting the rear delts while they are fresh. I would suggest that you do two rear delt exercises with three sets per exercise. So, you could do rear delt flies on the cables and then super set that with bent over rear delt flies using the dumbbells. After that you would continue on with your shoulder workout by hitting the mid delts and front delts, but only do one exercise for each of those as you are trying to catch up your rear delts.
***Also realize that your rear delts will be hit on back day.

Method two for the rear delts is a bit more tricky then it was for the chest because you hit your rear delts on back day and on shoulder day and it is very easy to over train these small delts. So, if you are going to try to hit the rear delts more days per week then you will want to have a well designed weekly training program in order to not over train those delts. My suggestion is: Day 1: Back/Biceps, Day 2: Chest/Triceps, Day 3: Legs, Day 4: Shoulders, Day 5: Biceps/Triceps, Day 6: Rear Delts (3 exercises) & maybe rotators/forearms, Day 7: Day Off. In this case you would be hitting rear delts on your back day, then you would also put a focus on them for that shoulder day as I mentioned in the paragraph above, and finally you would hit them for three exercises on day 6.

Apply the same logic to your calve muscles. I have two main exercises that I like to do for my calves, seated calves for the Soleus part of my calve muscles and standing calve raises for the Gastrocnemius portion of my calve muscles. Seated calve raises should be done at a slow and controlled pace for 3-4 sets of 25-30 reps. Standing calve raises are to be done much more explosively, with more weight and less reps. You will go down slowly and explode up as if you are jumping. Focus on doing 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps. My calves are pretty solid and these two exercises are all that I will typically do for them.

For those lower abs I recommend that you train them every other day along with the rest of your ab section. For examples of lower ab exercises you can go to my blog titled, “How to Fully train Your AB’s like a Champ.” The lower abs won’t really pop out well unless you get your body fat down through a good diet and cardio program. For diet suggestions check out these two blogs I wrote, “Eat more to lose more! (Wake up your metabolism)” and “A quick look at a great diet for fitness competitors!”. You might also check out some of Kelly Gonzalez’s diets here on the FitnessVTC blog. Also, for cardio suggestions you can feel free to check out these two blog postings I wrote, “Cardio with a purpose!” and “HIIT Cardio! – Cardio that will knock you out!”

I hope my suggestions above will serve both Jerry and the rest of my family here at FitnessVTC. Just know, that you can follow the suggestions above for any of your specific weak points. Do make sure that you aren’t training those muscles if they are already sore as that means they are still in the recovery process.

I’d love to continue to answer any other questions from my friends here on the FitnessVTC blog.  So if you have questions then be sure to go and ‘Like’ both my Athlete Facebook page, my Community Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and ask me questions at one of those locations. Look forward to receiving your questions soon and I’ll see you in the gym at FitnessVTC.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
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My top three motivators for success in the gym.

By James Ellis | Published: October 22, 2011

Alright, I’m continuing on with my third and final blog that should put the cherry on top to answering my twitter friend, Jim Henson’s question, “How to get started again after you’ve given up?”  A question like this simply couldn’t be answered in one blog as there are so many reasons why people give up on exercising. One reason is that people feel that they don’t have enough time to train. If that is you then you should definitely check out the first blog I wrote for Jim titled “How can I train when I have very little time?” Another reason people give up on exercising is because they aren’t getting results or the results that they are getting are very minimal.  If you happen to be one of those people then check out the last blog I wrote “How can I stay motivated to exercise when I’m not getting results?” The final reason I’ll blog on for this question is that people simply don’t take advantage of the top motivators for success in the gym.

So, lets just cut right to the chase and look at what I believe are the top three motivators in the gym. Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the top motivator in the gym should be setting and attaining your goals. I am the type of person that likes to make a ‘to do’ list because it keeps me on track, and it makes me feel like I am accomplishing a lot. I’ve found that crossing these tasks off of my list is the best way to keep myself motivated because it shows me that I am accomplishing a lot. This exact same idea applies to me in the gym, except for this list is a ‘to do’ list of my health and fitness goals.  If you don’t set goals for yourself in the gym then you are simply putting yourself in the dark. Setting these gym ‘to do’ list goals gives you something to work towards and you will be super motivated as you scratch these attained goals off of your list one by one. Just be sure that when you set these goals you make them measurable, attainable, & that they have some sort of a time line to them. As you reach these goals and scratch them off the list don’t hesitate to to set new ones. Maybe you should even consider tearing a picture out of a fitness magazine of what you’d like to look like a year or two down the line and post it up on your wall.

The second great motivator that I feel is completely necessary is having a training partner. I think we’ve all had our days that we simply have no desire to go to the gym. We’ve all had our days that we go into the gym and sort of wing it and give about 50% effort towards our workout. We’ve had the days that we put in 30 minutes of cardio instead of the 45 minutes that we had planned on doing. Well, this is where that training partner in your life would come in handy and alleviate all of those problems. Having my training partner has certainly helped to keep me on my ‘A game’ all the time. We meet for cardio every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday morning at 7am and then meet back at the gym again for weight training Monday-Saturday at 8pm. I am not at all a morning person or cardio person, so if I didn’t have the thought in my mind of letting my training partner down then I would never get my morning cardio in. At the same time I don’t always feel all the motivated or energized when we hit our weight training in the evening, but my training partner always pushes me to do the extra rep and push that extra weight and I do the same for him. This is why I recommend and encourage everyone to get themselves a good training partner that will push and motivate them to do their best.

My final gym motivator suggestion is to get yourself a personal trainer that knows his stuff.  I’ll be honest, these kind of trainers are hard to come by because the average Joe can get his certification online in a matter of days and still might not really know what he is doing. I see trainers in the gym training people and showing them terrible form all the time, which worries me as that person will likely end up injured or never really seeing good results from his/her hard work.  So, you can take a risk on the trainers in your local gym and I’m sure that there are ‘some’ good ones or you can look into joining our FitnessVTC website.  On this website you know that you are getting good professional trainers in Jay Cutler, Kelly Gonzalez, and I and we are there to train you virtually online whenever and wherever you need us. We will help you set your health and fitness goals by putting you on a good diet and training program. This website will show demonstration of good form on exercises as well, which will significantly decrease your chance of injury in the gym.

So, in closing I would suggest that you put all three of my motivator suggestions into effect right away as these will be your key to success.  1.) Grab yourself a good training partner that will push you.  2.) You and your training partner should set some great individual health and fitness goals and write them down on your ‘to do’ goal list. Maybe even post that magazine photo on the wall of what you’d like to look like down the road.  3.) You and your training partner should each join FitnessVTC so that you will know that you are in good hands with a excellent virtual personal trainers that will get you on a great diet and training programs.  If these 3 suggestions don’t rock your world and get you excellent results then I’d be shocked.

I hope this blog posting has not only been helpful for my twitter friend, Jim Henson, but that it has also been helpful to the rest of my FitnessVTC family. I’d love to continue to answer any other questions from my friends here on the FitnessVTC blog.  So if you have questions then be sure to go and ‘Like’ both my Athlete Facebook page, my Community Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter and ask me questions at one of those locations. Look forward to receiving your questions soon and I’ll see you in the gym at FitnessVTC.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
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How can I stay motivated to exercise when I’m not getting results?

By James Ellis | Published: October 18, 2011

As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been having trouble coming up with blog topics on my own so I turned it over to my friends/fans on my Facebook pages and Twitter. So, if you have topic ideas then be sure to go and ‘Like’ both my Athlete Facebook page, my Community Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter so that you can tell me what questions you’d like me to answer in a blog. Today’s blog is a continuation of my answer to Jim Henson’s question posted to my twitter, “How to get started after you’ve given up?” A question like this simply couldn’t be answered in one blog as there are so many reasons why people give up on exercising. One reason is that people feel that they don’t have enough time to train. If that is you then you should definitely check out the last blog I wrote titled “How can I train when I have very little time?” Another reason people give up on exercising is because they aren’t getting results or the results that they are getting are very minimal.  If you are one of those people then this blog will likely be helpful to you.

As a trainer and a ‘gym jock’ I see many people come and go for a variety of reasons and one of the biggest reasons is because people aren’t getting the results they would like to receive. For some people it is simply because they aren’t patient and they want to see extreme results in days or weeks.  I call those people the ‘New Years Resolution’ people because they are in the gym and super motivated for about 3 weeks and then they disappear.  You don’t get results for simply checking into the gym and being around people that are in shape, you have to put the time in and 3 weeks is just not enough time. Every persons body is different and thus the results will vary for each person. Be fair to yourself and your healthy future by actually giving yourself that full year of a new ‘YEARS’ resolution.

The second reason I’ll mention as to why people don’t get results is because they aren’t willing to put the effort in that it takes to get results. The gym is not a genie in a bottle people, it takes time a what I call ‘Bulldog’ effort. You will get out of the gym what you put into it.  So, if you are training light and easy in order to not experience pain then don’t expect to get results.  Start training with the though/attitude that if I don’t experience pain then I didn’t train hard enough. Many call it the ‘No Pain, No Gain’ attitude, because if you are not experiencing pain than you shouldn’t expect to experience gains or results. I have had so many sessions in the gym that have resulted in me throwing up or feeling super dizzy because I trained with such intensity. Change the way you train and begin to enjoy the pain because you know that pain will end up giving you great results.  Increase the intensity of your training by training at a faster pace and maybe trying to push a little extra weight. Only you know how much it hurts, so be honest with yourself. Are you training like a BULLDOG or a Chihuahua?

Which dog reflects your GYM ATTITUDE? 

A third reason people struggle to get results in the gym is because they aren’t following a good diet to get proper nutrition, nor are they getting sufficient rest. Your muscles need rest to rebuild and they rebuild while you are sleeping. In other words, I would recommend that you get 8-10 hours of good solid sleep per night. Your muscles also need proper nutrition to grow and recover, so you want to get yourself on a healthy diet.  The word diet doesn’t mean starve yourself. Diet can simply mean to make healthier choices. Instead of eating pizza and fast food all the time, choose to eat chicken, steak, fish, eggs, salads, etc. You might want to eat less per meal instead of leaving the table sick to your stomach full and bloated. I follow a diet that has me eating smaller meals, but eating 6 of these types of meals per day. This is a great diet because it keeps my metabolism functioning on all cylinders as it has to digest food every 2-3 hours. To see my blog on that diet go to Eat more to lose more!(Wake up your metabolism). Our other FitnessVTC expert Kelly Gonzalez has also posted some great diet articles on this blog site as well.

Chose this  not that 

A final reason that I’ll mention as to why people don’t get results in the gym is because they simply don’t really know what they are doing in the gym. Many will just run at a random pace on the treadmill and then jump around from machine to machine for their weight training until they are tired. Everything that you do in the gym should be done with a purpose and plan in mind. Your cardio can be done on several different machines and at several different paces, but that all that depends on what results you would like to see from that cardio. If you are looking to burn fat you should do your cardio at 65% of your maximum heart rate. You should definitely read my blog Cardio with a purpose! if you’d like to find out how you should do your cardio. Just like your cardio, you should also do your weight training with a purpose. Are you just doing a random amount of sets and reps? Read my blog Are your REPS in line with you GOALS? to find out how many sets and reps you should be doing to attain your health and fitness goals.

To sum this all up, you will get results if you get proper rest, have a healthy diet, do your cardio/weight training with a purpose and a bulldog attitude. Just remember that the results won’t come over night and that you need to give your body sufficient time to adjust to your diet and training program. FitnessVTC can help you with all of this too by putting you on a diet & training program designed specifically for you. I definitely encourage you to become a part of the FitnessVTC family by becoming a member on the website as we WILL give you your keys to success. Hope to see you in the gym soon at FitnessVTC.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
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How can I train when I have very little time?

By James Ellis | Published: October 15, 2011

I was fresh out of ideas for a blog topic so I turned it over to my friends/fans on my Facebook pages and Twitter. Be sure to go and ‘Like’ both my Athlete Facebook page, my Community Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter so that you can tell me what questions you’d like me to answer in a blog. For this blog I get to answer the question that Jim Henson posted on my twitter, “How to get started after you’ve given up?”

First of all, thank you so much for your great question Jim and a big thank you to everyone else that posted questions that they had as I will get to those soon too. I’m not really sure why you gave up on training Jim, but I do know that there are many reasons why people give up on exercising. That is exactly why I like this question so much because I can break this question down into several Q&A blogs as to why people give up on exercising. So, you can look for your answer over a series of blogs that I will be doing on you question, “How to get started after you’ve given up?”

One of the many reasons, and the reason I’ll be focusing on in this blog, that people give up on the exercising is because they feel that they just don’t have the time to train. I’m here to tell you that this is not the greatest excuse, because we can always make time for the things in life that are important to us and exercise is one of those things that should be important to you as your good health is what keeps you alive.

If your time is limited then I suggest that you go and buy yourself some resistance bands (pictured above) that you can use for your strength training. You can buy these at your local sporting goods store, Wal-Mart, Target, or K-Mart, etc.  Using resistance bands for your strength training is great because you can save yourself the time of traveling to the gym everyday and simply stay at home (or wherever you might be) for this training.  With the little program that I’m going to suggest you can get both your cardio and strength training done in just 10 minutes. I’m pretty sure everyone has 10 minutes, right? The ten minute, high intensity workout I’m talking about is known as the 4-3-2-1. Hopefully I’ve intrigued you to read on and learn about each step of this workout.

The 4 is four minutes of cardio that is done in bursts, also known as intervals. You can chose whatever type of cardio you would like and you will go 30 seconds as fast as you can go and then 30 seconds slow and easy (4 of these intervals = your 4 minutes of cardio). Examples of the types of cardio you can do are sprinting and then jogging slow, or you might try fast high knees and then slow high knees. Other examples are jumping rope, butt kicks, grapevines, skips, or whatever creative things you can come up with for your cardio. If you don’t have the space to do this cardio then you might try to do some of this stuff stationary(ex. high knees in place and then jogging in place). Just make sure that you are going 30 seconds all out and then 30 seconds easy. This 4 in 4-3-2-1 is where you will burn fat and get your heart healthy, so don’t cheat yourself by not giving it your all.

The next stage is your 3 minute strength training stage.  You will go directly (no break) into this stage from the 4 minute cardio stage. Remember, this is a 10 minute workout, so you will not stop exercising until your straight 10 minutes is up. So, you would now grab your resistance bands and choose three different exercises to do for one minute each. I suggest that you decide what muscle you’d like to train and do three exercises just for that specific muscle. For instance, if you choose shoulders then you could focus on training your front delt, mid delt, and your rear delt. So you’d stand on the bands and do one minute of front raises for your front delts, then go directly into one minute of side raises for your mid delts, and then end your 3 minutes by going directly into bent over rear delt flies for one minute. By this time your shoulders should be completely fried as it is hard to do one solid minute of the same exercise, let alone put 3 of these back to back after your cardio. ***The next time you do the 4-3-2-1 workout program focus on a different muscle for the 3 minute stage, like biceps, triceps, chest, or legs.

Now you will go directly (no break) into the next stage, which is the 2 minute strength training for your core (back/abs).  You will do a back workout for one minute and then go straight into and ab workout for one minute.  I’ll go ahead and suggest a few different things you could do for back and abs.  You might try standing wide on the bands to increase the tension (or if you have a set of bands then use a heavier band) and then perform bent over rows.  Or you might chose to wrap the bands around your feet a couple of times and do a seated row. A final suggestion for back is to wrap the band around something high above your head (ex. a sturdy tree branch) and do a standing or kneeling lateral pulldown.  My blog “James’s Back Attack – How to get a solid, well defined, & proportioned back” might have some good visuals of back workouts for you as well. For ab workouts, the sky is the limit. You can do traditional sit ups, crunches, side crunches for obliques (30sec each side), or some type of resistance sit ups using the bands, etc.  My blog “How to FULLY train your AB’s like a champ!” might give you some ideas as well.

The final stage that you will go directly into is the 1 minute of stretching stage.  You will stretch whatever muscles you trained for one minute. Most people like this stage the most, haha.

I’m sure you’re thinking that there is now way that you can get into shape by exercising for just 10 minutes a day. Well, if you truly push yourself as hard as you can through this workout then I can assure you that you will get results. My sister Amy lost a lot of weight and got into amazing shape doing this 4-3-2-1 exercise program just 4-5 days a week. She made sure she was going 100% during each of her 30 second interval splits in the cardio section, and she focused on not taking any breaks in between the stages as that is the way the program is designed to be done for a steady 10 minutes.  If you want great results then you must go directly for one stage to the next with no breaks whatsoever as this will keep your heart rate up and you will have a steady burn too. You should be completely out of breath and worn out after the workout.

So, I hope that this blog will be very helpful to those of you whom seem to think that you just don’t have time to exercise.  I encourage you to try this workout at least 3-4 days a week and give it 100% too. If you go 5-6 days a week then that is all the better, but don’t burn yourself out by doing to much to soon as that is another reason why people quit exercising. I also encourage you to focus on eating healthy and right as this will always give you better results. For examples of how to eat healthier check out a couple of my blogs “Eat more to lose more! (Wake up your metabolism)” & “A quick look at a great diet for fitness competitors!” And as always, if you haven’t done so already, I highly encourage you to join the FitnessVTC website where we will put you on your own specially designed diet and training program of success. One that website we will always be there to encourage you so that you won’t give up and you WILL get great results. That being said, I’ll see YOU in the gym at FitnessVTC.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
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How to FULLY train your AB’s like a champ!

By James Ellis | Published: October 5, 2011

I have had an overwhelming amount of requests to write a blog on how to train each and every part of the abdominal muscles. These requests mainly come as a result of my blogs that I posted clear back in June & July on how to fully train specific body parts. If you haven’t had a chance to check those blog postings out then you can simply click on the blog titles in the following sentences. In late May I wrote a blog revealing My ‘secret’ to a COMPLETE bicep workout!. I continued on with that muscle specific theme in early June by writing two other blogs titled My Tricks to Triceps: How to get them fully developed & toned & How to turn those shoulders into well defined boulders!. Then in mid July I decided to get back to this theme again by writing two more blogs, James’s Back Attack – How to get a solid, well defined, & proportioned back & Your perfect chest bulging & shredding workout is HERE!. So, now its time to head down that path again to learn how you can fully train your abdominal muscles. Read on if you want to learn how to get a lean stomach with large 3-D bulky abs.

In order to get that complete abdominal workout in you first must understand the anatomy of this muscle.  The anterior abdominal wall is made up of  four muscles, your rectus abdominals, internal obliques, external obliques and transverse abdominals. Each of these muscles serves a different purpose and takes a different motion/exercise to be strengthened and seen.

The Rectus Abdominus is the muscle that is considered the 6 pack. Rectus means “straight” and abdominus refers to “the abdomen”. This muscle goes straight down the abdomen. In regards to stability, it works with the other core muscles to keep the spine and pelvis stable. There is still considerable debate about whether or not it is possible to exercise separately the upper and lower portions of the recti abdominal muscles, especially since the recti constitute a single band of muscle between origin and insertion.

Either way I still train my upper & lower rectus abs as if I can isolate them. I do feel that no matter what you are going to hit both upper & lower abs when doing ab exercises, but you can pinpoint one or the other in a way that it seems to get hit with more of the workload. Lets take a look below at some good exercises that are a great way to somewhat isolate the upper & lower abs.

The lower abs are one of the toughest areas of the body to target, and because of this there are more ways to do it wrong than there is to do it right. Exercises often involve raising your legs to put strain on your lower abs. The leg raise is a great example of this and is one of the best lower ab exercises that will get you lower abs.

Lower Ab Exercises:

1.) Leg Raises with knees bent OR straight (Hanging OR Roman Chair) – *Put a dumbbell between your legs for bulkier abs.

 

2.) Decline Sit Ups – *Hold weight on your chest for bulkier abs.

3.) Reverse Crunches – * This is even better sitting backwards on a decline bench. For bulkier abs throw a light weight between your legs or somehow add band resistance.

4.) Ball Roll-Out (you can also use a barbell w/weights on the side for your roll out.

5.) Exercise ball reverse crunch – very similar to your basic reverse crunch but requires more balance/core strength.

 

Upper Ab Exercises:

1.) Basic Ab Crunch (Keep your chin up, DON’T pull your head forward)

 

2.) Frog Leg Crunches

a) b)

3.) Crunch w/feet on the ball

4.) Upper Ab Machine

5.) Ball Crunches

As I mentioned, the exercises shown above are excellent ways to attempt to isolate the upper abs from the lower abs.  In most cases you are still hitting both upper & lower abs, but you might feel more of the workload in one or the other, which is the ultimate goal. If you are looking to get bulkier rectus abs then the key is to add weight to your ab exercises. Be careful, however, when adding weight as you don’t want to pull an ab muscle. Another key to great abs is to make sure you are breathing out all of your air as you are sitting up or flexing the ab muscle (exhale on the exertion).

Since you have a good understanding of the rectus abdominals and how to work them we will now move on to the internal and external obliques.  The exercises for the internal obliques are no different than external oblique exercises. The internal obliques are simply muscles that are buried under the external obliques. In general the exercises for the obliques are similar to rectus abdominal exercises, however, you will always add a twist or bend to the sides to target these oblique muscles. Below are a few examples of oblique exercises.

1.) Side Plank

2.) Exercise ball side crunches

3.) Side Crunches

4.) Bicycle Crunches

5.) Hanging Side Knee Raises

6.) Incline Oblique Crunch

I can think of a bunch more exercises for the obliques, but this should get you started. I do not recommend under any circumstances that you train obliques with any kind of weight because this can give you that love handle effect on the sides as the muscle there will bulk out. Again, just like with the rectus ab exercises, be sure that you are exhaling on the exertion when you are training the obliques.

The final piece of the anterior abdominal wall is the transversus abdominus (tva). As its name implies, it runs across the abdomen. This deep abdominal muscle has only one function, and that is to stabilize the lumbar spine. The tva pulls in the belly button and compresses the abdominal contents. Training this muscle will not necessarily make your abs look better, but it will make your core stronger and help to prevent lower back pain. Below is a great exercise fro the tva.

1.) The Drawing in Maneuver – In this exercise you are simply drawing your stomach in toward your spine, holding, and then pushing back out. This is not to be confused with flexing your abs, but rather you are sucking your stomach in more like a vacuum.

Well, that pretty much concludes my blog on how to get in a complete abdominal workout. Be sure to go nice and slow on the reps, exhale on the exertion, and use weights for the rectus abdominus if you want bulky abs, however, stay away from weights for the obliques. I always do about 20-30 reps on abs, or just to failure on each set.  If you have never seen your abs or have trouble getting abs then I recommend that you hit the cardio hard and check out my cardio blogs, Cardio with a Purpose & HIIT Cardio! – Cardio that will knock you out!. On top of that you might want to make sure your diet is on track as well as that is a major key to developing great abs. For diet suggestions be sure to check out my blog Eat more to lose more! (Wake up your metabolism). Hope you enjoyed my blog friends and I’ll see you in the gym at FitnessVTC.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
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5 Ways to Stay Focused in the Gym

By Kelly Gonzalez | Published: September 27, 2011

In today’s busy world time is of the essence, especially when it comes to your workouts. In order to build your best physique you have to gain strength not only physically, but also mentally. In order to zone in this often means zoning distractions out. Enough chitchat. It’s time to get focused!

1. Be clear about your goal and envision it

When you walk into the gym you should have a clear picture of the goal you are trying to achieve. Always keep the bigger picture in mind, an upcoming contest, more defined legs, lose 10 pounds. Be aware of the long term goal, but set short term goals for yourself each training session like the ability to bench press 5 more pounds than last week, run 2 minutes longer, burn 50 more calories, whatever it is, you must be prepared to do what you set out to conquer. By achieving the short-term goals week after week the ultimate goal becomes more obtainable. Get your mind ready to take on the challenge and don’t let anything stop you. It’s time to FOCUS.

2. Time it right

You know the saying “don’t bring your problems from work home with you?” Well, don’t bring them to the gym either. Worrying about events from the day can negatively impact your training session. Choose a time of day that is dedicated to your fitness goals and nothing else.

I make health and fitness a priority. I work on the principle of priorities first, therefore I like to workout first thing in the morning when my mind is clear and I can dedicate as much energy and focus to my workout as possible before any of the day’s events even have a chance to interfere.

Discover your optimal training time by determining when you have the most energy and enthusiasm to work towards your goal. If there is never a time you feel like this about training then you may want to re-evaluate your motives.

3. Utilize the playlist

Create your playlist to match your intensity. We’re not doing yoga here, skip over anything other than a beat and lyrics that make you feel “in the zone.” Focus on the positive vibrations that are being heard and keep your heart and muscles pumping to the beat.

4. Embrace the movement

If you don’t focus on your form then you’re likely to be focusing on an injury in the near future as the risk skyrockets. Be aware of proper execution for each exercise before you start applying the intensity. Connect with the muscles performing the exercise and feel the muscles working throughout the movement.

By focusing on your technique you can eliminate distractions in the gym and turn your attention back to you and your training goals. Mirrors are in the gym for a reason. Use them to check your form, track your progress, and motivate you to work harder, not to scope out how much weight the person behind you is benching.

5. Move with purpose

If you don’t have a game plan when you walk into the gym you could be wasting a lot of time. You’re leaving the door wide open for distraction. Have a program and workout log that catalogs your workouts, what machines you’re using, what weight, tempo, rest periods, the works.

This will allow you to move deliberately about the gym; going from one exercise to the other with focus and purpose as if you’re in a hot pursuit. There’s no sense in sitting there looking around for what “feat” you will conquer next.

Conclusion:

Training requires progressive overload. You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. Have a systematic plan that all leads to your goal. If you’re standing idly by the dumbbell rack watching ESPN updates and someone asks, “Do you need assistance with anything?” you know that you’ve lost your focus.

I’m Kelly Gonzalez, thanks for reading. Remember, eat smart and train hard!

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My 2011 Mr. Olympia Experience

By James Ellis | Published: September 21, 2011

I couldn’t go to the Mr. Olympia and not share this wonderful experience with my friends/family here at FitnessVTC. I believe this was my forth year going to the Mr. Olympia and every year seems to get better and better as I know more people each year that I go. Going to events/expos such as this are great, not only because you load up with supplements, but because you are also able to see your friends/fans face to face and do some great networking with supplement companies, magazines, etc.

Before I continue on I want to congratulate our female fitness expert Kelly Gonzalez for taking the Olympia stage for the first time in the 2011 Olympia Pro Bikini division. I also want to congratulate Jay Cutler for taking 2nd place in the Mr. Olympia as well. Both Kelly and Jay looked incredible and I am so very proud of both of them. As I always say, anyone who steps on a Pro stage is already a winner in my book, so a huge congratulations to you both.

My main goal in going to these types of events is to get as much networking in as possible. If you are at all interested in becoming a fitness model or competitor, then events like these are the best place to get your foot in the door.  I make myself a business card with all my information on it along with some great photos. I also carry around my portfolio of fitness covers/images and what I call a sponsorship package.  This package includes my bio, accomplishments, and how I believe I would be a lucrative addition to a company.  I then go around to the booths that carry the supplements/products that I actually use and magazine companies that I actually read their magazine.  It is important that you actually use or at least know about the product/magazine and and its benefits, because you might be questioned/quizzed. This has definitely happened to me in the past and happened with me again this year.  My only focus at the Mr. Olympia this year was on Dymatize supplements. I decided to focus on them because I actually take their ISO 100, Elite XT, Micronized Glutamine, & NO Xpand, plus I am close to their main spokesperson Andy Haman.  I ended up meeting with the Dymatize CEO & Vice President & they definitely put me through a good quiz, haha.

A few fun networking Shots: (Image 1: Terry Frendo – Publisher/Editor of Inside Fitness Magazine, Image 2: John Schiek: CEO of Shiek Sports Inc., Images 3 & 4: My manager/friend Renee Watroba w/Andy Haman – Dymatize Spokesmodel & so much more).

***The important thing about the people above in these ‘networking shots’, is that each of these people have become my friends. Don’t just network for your benefit, but make these people that you actually care about and stay in touch with on a regular basis. I talk to John Schiek through e-mail and phone a lot and do the same with Terry as often as possible. Andy is a newer friend of mine that I will be sure to keep in touch with as well. I always get so excited to run into my many networking friends and catch up with them in person.

Aside from the networking it is always fun to run into my fitness model friends. You may recognize some of the people in the photos below.  Many of them I will run into at auditions for fitness products, the gym, or on the WBFF competition stage. It is always great running into these friends, see the success they are creating and hear about the fun they are having in the industry. Always congratulate one another and lift each other up in any way possible. My goal is always to see how I can help someone else in this industry to achieve greater success as there is plenty of work out there. Lift each other up and help one another, rather than bring each other down. Remember: what goes around comes around and treat others as you would like to be treated.  Love one another right? If you don’t have something good to say, then don’t say it at all.  : )

A handful of fun shots with my amazing fitness friends: (Image 1: Braunson Lilly & Lisa Maloy, Image 2: Brendy Scheerer, Image 3: Jen Jewell, Image 4: Matus Valent, David Kimmerle, Kris Wolfe, Image 5: Olga Svyrydova, Image 6: Greg Plitt, Image 7: Renee Watroba, Lauren Abraham, Image 8: Jamie Eason, Image 9: John Carter, Monica Brant, Parker Cote, Image 10: Rachel Zeskind, Image 11: Ronnie Coleman, Cherry Villanos, David Kimmerle, Image 12: Shaka Smith, Image 13: Sherlyn Roy, Renee Watroba, Holly Dean, John Carter).

Finally, I can’t forget my amazing fans that I run into at these expos, all of whom I consider my friends. I always do my best to spend some time talking to them and getting to know them. If they have questions about health and fitness then I answer those questions and often times let them know to visit this blog since this is where I put up all of my great tips on health and fitness.  I also let them know to check out the FitnessVTC website as that site will put them on a diet and training program designed just for them to help them reach their specific health and fitness goals/needs.

Check out the shots below of my fans/friends: (Image 1: Biff, Image 2: Jeremy, Image 3: Carmencita, Image 4: Luoana, Image 5: Michael).

Well, that is all the images and fun that I have to share from the Mr. Olympia event. I hope to see you and talk with you at a future event/expo such as this. I am always at the LA Fit Expo, which takes place in late January, the Arnold Classic, which takes place in early March, and the Mr. Olympia, which usually takes place in mid to late September. Hope you enjoyed this blog posting and I also hope to see you in the gym soon at FitnessVTC.com.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
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Accomplishing Goals: An Athlete’s Account

By Kelly Gonzalez | Published: September 19, 2011

Every year bodybuilding’s greatest athletes grace the Olympia stage in Las Vegas, Nevada. The convention center is jam packed with supplement and business booths, various events, and thousands of fans. Athletes scurry about the Orleans Hotel and Casino prepping for the stage with tan applications, hair and make-up, condition check-ups, and athlete meetings. For the average vacationing hotel guest it must have been quite a sight.

This year I was honored to grace the 2011 Olympia stage in the Pro Bikini division. After qualifying the week before at the Tijuana Pro I kept the momentum and excitement rolling right into my first Olympia.

Stepping on the Olympia stage was one of the proudest moments of my life, because it was a representation of who I am, what I stand for, and how I live my life. It’s not about the stage it’s about achieving a meaningful goal.

On the 2011 Bikini Olympia stage

As athletes we reach for something higher, something beyond our reach at the moment. We see it in the distance and work day in and day out to get closer and obtain the goal.

To achieve goals you have to dig deep within yourself. It’s not about the money, the exposure, or contracts. It’s the feeling that you have the power to alter your current situation and achieve a goal that seems far off in the beginning.
The training and dieting is essential to change your body, but a major piece of the puzzle is your mindset. A positive mindset is going to get you to the gym to conquer challenging workouts, it’s going to help you stick to your diet, and it’s going to encourage you to explore methods to improve and not pass up excellent opportunities as you stride towards your goal.

It takes a lot of determination and self-discipline to stay focused as you work towards a major goal. It can take weeks, months, or years. I would be lying to you if I said it was easy. It’s not. You work everyday. There are obstacles that you must climb over; there are times that you doubt yourself and question why you started doing all this in the first place. The ability to keep going is what separates those who succeed and those who don’t.

Here are tips to stay motivated as you work to make your dreams a reality:

1. Keep a constant reminder of your goal: I like to create vision boards so I see all the things I desire for myself daily. I look at my board and believe that each and every goal is a possibility and then I search for ways to make it happen.

My vision board: See it, believe it, achieve it!

2. Journal: As a writer, a naturally gravitate towards journaling. It is a major release for me. Whatever I’m feeling, whatever is tossing and turning endlessly in mind gets laid out on paper. I write positive affirmations- what I will accomplish. I write how I visualize particular experiences happening. I expect positive things to occur in my life and ask for the strength to be a good person and continue along this journey.

3. Plan to succeed: Before qualifying for the Olympia I wrote in my calendar “I am competing at the Olympia.” I had plans to be there before I knew how it was going to happen

Plan to achieve your goal

4. Love the journey: After a big event that I’ve been prepping and planning for has occurred, I become slightly sad and nostalgic. The anticipation and the process was one of the best parts even though it seemed difficult at the time! Look forward to your goal, but enjoy every second along the way. The time will come soon enough, make the most of your time everyday.

5. Always work to improve, but stay realistic: When I was younger I used to get so upset if I didn’t play my best in a lacrosse game. My Mom used to say, “there’s always going to be someone better and there’s always someone who is worse than you.” It’s important to know where you’re at, where you can go, but be grateful for how far you’ve come.

6. Practice Gratitude: You have the ability to work towards a meaningful goal, not everyone does. Be grateful for what you have and your abilities.

7. Meditation: I meditate daily. When you work hard, your mind needs a break. Life can be stressful. Stress can do horrible things to your body and mind. Take a breath and relax. I always tell myself that somehow everything gets done, it works out, it always does.

8. Stop looking for the easy way out: When you realize that it’s going to take work and there are going to be challenges you increase your ability to overcome the obstacles. All of a sudden what seemed so foreign and difficult becomes easy soon enough. When it gets easy, ask more of yourself.

9. Break out of your comfort zone: When you’re too comfortable and things are easy you can become complacent. Look for ways to shake things up. It’s invigorating. Ask what you’ve always wanted to do, but feared to do. Explore the possibilities of making it happen. Is it worth it? If it is, go for it.

10. No one else can affect the way you feel about yourself: If you believe in yourself others will too. It took me a long time to become comfortable with how I live my life, it was difficult being in my young 20s and not following the norm of the bar scene, etc. because I chose to train and eat clean instead. I realized the happiness it brought me, I learned that it wasn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. Being goal oriented is part of my personality. Others should love you for you. Be proud of who you are.

I generally write fitness programs, healthy recipes, the latest research in the industry to help you accomplish your goals, but personally I believe that training and dieting is not the complex entity. There’s a plethora of that information in so many different forms.

I believe the ability to train and diet; work towards your goals consistently with passion is the most important part of anyone’s training regimen. The power to believe in yourself and never give up is a worthy goal.

I’m Kelly Gonzalez, thanks for reading.

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Eat more to lose more! (Wake up your metabolism)

By James Ellis | Published: September 14, 2011

Well here we go again, I am writing another blog on nutrition. I think the beautiful Kelly Gonzalez and I have traded places as I’m writing about nutrition lately and I see she’s been writing more about training. What is this world coming to, haha. I am actually writing this blog because a close friend of mine, whom is in her mid 50′s, is trying to lose weight by eating less and that is simply NOT the best way to lose weight. It was my hope that my title, “Eat more to lose more” might grab some attention as most people seem to try to do the opposite and that is so wrong in so many ways. Please continue to read on to see why eating more is the best way to lose weight.

As I had mentioned above, my mid 50′s friend decided to try to lose weight by eating less. She wanted to lose about 10 pounds in a little over a month so she decided to have just a protein shake for breakfast & lunch, and then eat a healthy dinner. She got excited because she lost about 3-5 pounds within the first 3-4 days, but after that the results seemed to be a little less positive as I had told her would happen. She began getting very tired/weak and then eventually she threw her back out while doing her regular running routine. I believe she threw her back out because her body wasn’t getting the proper nutrition and thus she could no longer handle the bouncing motion that comes from running.

Starving yourself does NOT work, so please learn from this ladies mistake. She lost a tiny bit of weight quickly, but then she noticed her weight going back up as her body got used to her starving diet within about a week. I had told her from the beginning not to do this “diet” as I knew starving herself wouldn’t work and that this would happen. I was however a little surprised to see that she injured her back in the process, but it does make sense that this could happen. Now the only cardio she can do is swim until her back gets better.

Now I’ll just explain a few reasons why starving yourself in this way doesn’t work. First of all, if you aren’t getting proper nutrition you won’t be about to put in a proper workout as you simply will not have the strength or energy to do so. And as you noticed with the lady I mentioned above, it can get so bad that you end up injuring yourself. Second of all, your body will quickly adjust to this type of ‘so called’ diet. What happens is that your body will begin to store any food you eat as fat, because it doesn’t know when it will get food again. Since your are starving yourself your body will feed off of that stored fat and then if it eats up all of that it will begin feeding off of your muscle. This is the opposite of what most people want as a result of dieting. My friend lost about 5 pounds in the first 3-4 days because her body had not yet adjusted to the diet. She likely lost 5 pounds of water in that time as she was taking in less carbs, etc. But, by the fifth day she noticed her weight going back up and that is because her body began to store any and all food as fat as I mentioned above.

Now to explain to you what I mean by the title, “Eat more to lose more.” This is obviously the opposite of what my friend was doing. By eating less she was completely shutting her metabolism down as it really was no longer needed with a diet of hardly any food. On the other hand, by eating more meals per day you are waking up your metabolism from hibernation. So, now that she has learned her lesson the hard way, my diet coach Michael Orr & I have put her on a diet where she is eating 6 meals per day. She has been on this diet for less than a week and has already lost 5 pounds and says she is feeling much more healthy and energized.

Eating more meals forces your metabolism to come back to life as it has to help your body digest the food. So, you should get a healthy breakfast in the morning to get your metabolism going early. Then you keep your metabolism going by eating another meal every 2-3 hours. I tell my friend to wake up early and drink a protein shake with 25 grams of protein. Right after drinking that I tell her to either walk on the treadmill at 4.5 miles per hour at a 2.0 incline for 30-45 minutes, or to use her elliptical at a slightly faster pace for 20-30 minutes. Right after cardio I have her eat a healthy breakfast of 2 whole eggs & 2-4 egg whites with a bowl of oatmeal. She is then to continue to eat every 2-3 hours until she has put in about 6 meals. Towards the evening she does a light weight training session too.

I have her do her cardio in the morning with just a protein shake because I want her to do her cardio on an ‘empty’ stomach so she will burn straight fat. What I mean by ‘empty’ stomach is no fat and no carbs. The protein shake simply protects her muscles from being eaten up and forces her body to eat up the fat for energy. To learn more about what you can do for cardio read my blogs titled, “Cardio with a purpose!” & “HIIT Cardio! – Cardio that will knock you out!”

Now you might also be asking yourself what in the world you are suppose to eat for six meals and how in the world you will be able to keep up with the cooking of all of these meals? Well, I also wrote a blog titled, “A quick look at a great diet for fitness competitors!” which should help you to answer those questions. I don’t recommend following that diet as that diet was designed specifically for me for my competition, but it does show you the types of foods you can eat, and some great ways to keep up with your cooking. My friend weighs about 170lbs and my diet coach Michael & I have her on a diet where she is taking in 2,235 calories, 195 grams of protein, 75 grams of fat, and 195 grams of carbohydrates. She will be on this diet for at least a month or two and then we will adjust it. She will have to log what she eats, just as I do for myself, so that she can keep track of her protein, carb, & fat count throughout the day and finish up with her numbers where they are suppose to be.

If you really want to get serious about your diet and training and learn from the best in the business then I strongly suggest that you become a member of FitnessVTC as we will put you on a diet and training program designed specifically for you with your end goal in mind. Everything you need to know about health and nutrition will be there at the tip of your fingers and you can even download the app for your smart phone so we can be there for you virtually when you are on the go or in the gym. It’s time for you to finally take action and attain those health and fitness goals. Let Jay Cutler, Kelly Gonzalez and I help you get the body you’ve always dreamed of having. So, with that in mind, I guess I’ll see you see you in the FitnessVTC gym in a click.

Be sure to follow me at these other locations as well.
My Facebook Community Page
My Facebook Athlete Page
My Twitter
My YouTube
My Website
My IMDB

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Step into Fall with Lean Sculpted Legs

By Kelly Gonzalez | Published: September 12, 2011

Repeat this mantra with me: I will not wear sweat pants all fall and winter… I will not wear sweat pants all fall and winter!

Just because the notorious bathing suit season is coming to a close, it does not mean it’s time to stop striding towards your physique goals. As you pack up your shorts, skirts, and summer dresses go ahead and pull out your “skinny jeans.”

This quick lower body workout will have you slim and trim in no time. By super-setting a lower body strength exercise using moderate to heavy weight and lower reps to sculpt sexy definition and combining it with a high intensity, high volume exercise to increase power, torch calories, and melt fat you’ll be stepping into fall on two beautifully sculpted stems!

The Workout:
Repeat the two combo exercises consecutively for 2-3 sets resting 30-45 seconds between sets and before moving on to the next combination.

Combo A.
1. Dumbbell Sumo Squat
- Assume a wide stance with your toes slightly turned out. Hold a weight with both hands with your arms hanging straight down in front of you. Bend at your knees as you lower your hips towards knee level, keeping a flat back
- Complete 8-10 reps using a heavy to moderate weight focusing on control and proper form

Weighted Sumo Squat


2. Dumbbell Thrust
- Using a light to moderate weight assume a wide stance with your toes slightly turned out. Hold the weight with both hands, arms straight. Bend at your knees as you lower your hips towards knee level. Sinking down 1 inch lower, drive your hips forward as you engage your glutes. Use the power from the movement with your legs/hips to raise the weight to shoulder height. With control, return to the starting position and continue to repeat.
- Complete 15-20 reps using a light to moderate weight focusing on power with proper form

DB Thrust


Combo B.

3. Walking Lunge
- Standing up tall with your feet hip width a part. (Option: Hold weights in each hand or place a barbell over your shoulders to intensify exercise.) Take a step forward with your right foot placing flat on the ground in front of you as you come up onto the left toe. Bend both knees as you lower your hips straight down, allowing both knees to form 90 degree angles while maintaining a flat back-keeping your navel drawn in, and chest lifted. Rise up and drive the left knee (staying bent) up to hip height and then step forward. Keep repeating as you alternate legs.
- Complete 10 reps/leg with heavy to moderate weight

Walking Lunges

4. Alternating Jump Lunge
- Assume a low stationary lunge position. Using power propel yourself upward as you switch legs in the air, landing with the opposite foot forward. Keep repeating with power and speed while maintaining proper form- not letting the knee strike the ground, not letting the front knee go over the front toe.
- Complete 15-20 reps/leg with light or no weight

Power Up! Alternating jump lunges


Combo C:

5. Single Leg Box Step-Up
- Stand behind a step or box that is approximately knee height or just below, place one foot on the box, step up allowing the other foot to meet and then lower back down with control. (Option: Hold weights in each hand or place a barbell over your shoulders to intensify the exercise.)
- Complete 8-10 reps/leg with moderate weight

Box Step-Up


6. Single Leg Box Step-Up with Front Kick
- Perform a step up, stepping up with your right foot, placing it on the step, rise up, but at the top position extend your left leg in front of you and engage your quadriceps. Step down and repeat on the same leg for desired number of reps focusing on power and control.
- Complete 15-20 reps/leg using light or no weight

Box step-up with front kick

Combo D:

7. 1-2-3 Hip Extension
- On the floor in a tabletop position or place hands on a step, extend your right leg out behind you up to hip height. Straighten the leg, point the toes, and squeeze your right glute. Squeeze your right glute to lift the leg. Try squeezing and lifting ½ an inch each time for a total of 3, lower back to hip height and repeat.
- Complete 10 reps (squeezing 1-2-3, back to hip height equals 1 rep). Perform on both legs using no weight- focus on maintaining a flat back and engaging your glutes not using momentum to lift the leg.

1-2-3 Hip Extensions


8. Forward Jump Squat
- Beginning with your feet hip width a part, squat down. Using power from your legs, explode up and forward as you gently land with feet hip width apart, knees soft. Keep repeating for total number or reps.
- Complete 15-20 jumps using light or no weight.

Forward jump squat


Perform this lower body workout 1-2 times per week. Remember to work your upper body as well in a balanced weekly exercise routine and maintain healthy eating habits for results.

Stay bikini ready all year long. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is. Being in great shape and health is always in season!

I’m Kelly Gonzalez, remember to eat smart and train hard! Thanks for reading!

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