Virgil Aponte went from being a gym rat to using very unique stair training exercises after going through some injuries he got from traditional weight training.
Now does that mean you should scrap your training?
Of course not as Virgil put it.
If something is working for you then stick with it but if you think stairs are something for you then learning about and adding it to your training tool box will be a great thing for you.
Virgil learned this first hand when he was left without a training center during the 2002 WNBA Basketball Season.
Virgil was the Strength Coach to the New York Liberty Women's Basketball team but he actually had no place to train his athletes so he turned to using the stairs!
And guess what? They went all the way to the WBNA Finals!
And stairs are not just popular with Virgil and his athletes either.
Athletes and celebrities like A-Rod, Tom Brady, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna and many more swear by them.
You will to once you give them a try.
For a limited time Virgil has 3 free videos for you at his web site:
Stair Training
Go there now before he takes them down!
Stair Training
Disclaimer: Lean Body Fitness, LLC is an affiliate of The Ultimate Stair Exercises
www.leanbodytraining.com
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Metavals - The New Interval Training for Burning Body Fat
One of the issues that I always have with clients is that when it comes to interval training for burning body fat they just can't get the intensity that they want on a treadmill or bike due to being overweight.
I still like doing intervals on a treadmill or bike for burning body fat. Especially a treadmill. The feeling of doing an all of sprint just really makes me feel alive.
But, I'm not overweight.
If you're overweight by say 25 pounds or more and do all of sprints, it's just asking for knee problems. What I see in a lot of my clients is that they instinctively know this and don't go all out and thus aren't burning body fat like they could.
But I came across some information from Alywn Cosgrove that makes a lot of sense and they are routines that can give you just as much benefit as intervals on a bike or treadmill but without the vast amounts of pressure that the compressions on your knees and other joints would get hit with: Metabolic Training or as I like to call them, Metavals.
Metavals are essentially exercises that you do in a row over a period of time without stopping and create that same kind of EPOC that you would get had you been doing the classic interval training on a bike or treadmill.
Here's an example of one of my Metavals that is in the current month's fitness routines that I offer:
This one is a simple one, and really only takes about 10 minutes to do. But it is very very effective and can keep you burning body fat for not only hours but days afterward.
Interested in learning more about these type of fitness routines for burning body fat? Then check out the monthly workout program that you can sign up for and get fitness routines at just $4.95 to start:
Fitness Routines
www.leanbodytraining.com
Facebook
I still like doing intervals on a treadmill or bike for burning body fat. Especially a treadmill. The feeling of doing an all of sprint just really makes me feel alive.
But, I'm not overweight.
If you're overweight by say 25 pounds or more and do all of sprints, it's just asking for knee problems. What I see in a lot of my clients is that they instinctively know this and don't go all out and thus aren't burning body fat like they could.
But I came across some information from Alywn Cosgrove that makes a lot of sense and they are routines that can give you just as much benefit as intervals on a bike or treadmill but without the vast amounts of pressure that the compressions on your knees and other joints would get hit with: Metabolic Training or as I like to call them, Metavals.
Metavals are essentially exercises that you do in a row over a period of time without stopping and create that same kind of EPOC that you would get had you been doing the classic interval training on a bike or treadmill.
Here's an example of one of my Metavals that is in the current month's fitness routines that I offer:
Ten and Downs
1. There are three exercises involved in this routine: Kneeling Pushup, Bodyweight Squat, and Door Towel Rows.
2. Start by doing 10 repetitions of Kneeling Pushups.
3. With no rest, do 10 repetitions of Bodyweight Squats.
4. With no rest again, do 10 repetitions of Door Towel Rows.
5. Again with no rest, go back and do 9 repetitions of Kneeling Pushups, then 9 repetitions of Bodyweight Squats, then 9 repetitions of Door Towel Rows, with no rest between any of the exercises.
6. Then do a set of each of those exercises again, but only doing 8 repetitions.
7. Continue doing these exercises in this fashion but decreasing the number of repetitions that you do by one after each set.
8. When you get to doing just one repetition, hold the bottom of each of that one repetition of the Kneeling Pushup and Bodyweight Squat position for 30 seconds, and hold the pulling/contracting part of the one repetition of the Door Towel Row for 30 seconds.
This one is a simple one, and really only takes about 10 minutes to do. But it is very very effective and can keep you burning body fat for not only hours but days afterward.
Interested in learning more about these type of fitness routines for burning body fat? Then check out the monthly workout program that you can sign up for and get fitness routines at just $4.95 to start:
Fitness Routines
www.leanbodytraining.com
Monday, March 8, 2010
Stair Exercise
Not too long ago I chatted with my buddy and Stair Training Expert, Virgil Aponte about what he does to stay in shape.
Now if you know many personal trainers like I do you would probably hear things like I going to the gym a few times a week but Virgil goes a different route.
Instead of the gym he hits the stairs twice a week.
Don't get me wrong Virgil loves the typical gym stuff but back in 1996 he hurt himself in the gym and had to have hernia surgery.
Because of this Virgil could not hit the gym for 3 months!
Imagine giving up something you love for 3 months!
Now you know that must've been torture for Virgil.
He also became very depressed because he's supposed to set an example for his clients and for his students.
So what did Virgil do?
Well the first thing he did was a big mistake.
He went back into the gym only 3 weeks after surgery and pulled an abdominal muscle.
Now he was set back even further
What next?
He tried swimming but no good. Still too painful even for a former New York City Lifeguard!
He used the exercise bike at the gym but it was just way too boring.
You see Virgil was used to lifting weights, playing 3 on 3 basketball, wiffle ball and touch football and now he'd have to use a boring as hell exercise bike!
There had to be something better!
And that is exactly what Virgil found that actually made him famous. (At least when it came to stairs)
He was visiting a friend who happened to live on the 19th floor but one of the elevators was out or service.
Instead of waiting for the second elevator Virgil decides to take the stairs and the rest was history.
By the time he hit the 19th floor he was breathing heavy but more importantly there was no pain from his injuries.
He found a new training tool!
And it simply was walking the stairs in his friends 21 story building.
Yup that is how the stairs guru got started.
Over the next few months while healing from hernia surgery Virgil got up to walking 140 flights of stairs in a workout!
Now something really special started to happen.
Virgil was all healed up and was ready to go back into the gym but he still wanted to keep stairs in his routine.
So he decided to hit the gym 2 times a week and the stairs 2 times a week.
Virgil also came up with most unique stair exercises you will ever find and put them into an ebook and video series called The Ultimate Stair Exercises.
Stair Exercise
And we are not just talking about walking stairs either:
He came up with exercises to
-Improve Aerobic Fitness: Great for Beginners or Recovery Workouts
-Improve Anaerobic Fitness: The Kind of Workouts that Burn Tons of Fat!
-Improve Your Strength: The Kind of Exercises that give you Buns of Steel!
-Improve Your Power: The Kind of Exercises that Help You Perform on the Athletic Field, Burn Fat & Make You Look Amazing!
-Improve Conditioning: The Kind of Exercises that Elite Athletes Use for Incredible Stamina and Give You Tons of Energy!
-Improve Your Flexibility: The Kind of Exercises that Alleviate joint Paint and Make You Feel Great!
-Make Good Use of Your Time: The Best Stair Exercises of All Time. Time Efficient & Super Effective.
Now are stairs the only thing you should be doing I asked Virgil?
Of course not he says. I'd have to be crazy to say that considering I always tell people to keep an open mind and learn as much as you can about other training tools.
The more tools you have the betters: Gyms, Spinning, Yoga, Stairs, Bands, Kettlebells etc... all have their place
In fact when he was the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the New York Liberty back in 2002 they didn't even have access to the New York Knicks training center because it was still under construction.
Can you imagine the best basketball team in the nation not having a place to train.
So actually they were forced to uses stairs and bands for a bulk of our training and that served them just fine as they were the best conditioned team in the league and went to the WNBA Finals!
Can you imagine if Virgil only believed in using a gym?
So I ask you this:
Could stair training help you?
That's something you have to ask yourself
And if the answer is yes for a limited time Virgil has 3 free stair training videos for you just for visiting his site:
Stair Exercise
Go there now before he takes them down!
Stair Exercise
P.S. Make sure to go and check out my blog entry on my experiences
with the Ultimate Stair Exercises:
Lean Body Fitness Blog
Stair Exercise
Disclaimer: Lean Body Fitness, LLC is an affiliate of The Ultimate Stair Exercises
www.leanbodytraining.com
Facebook
Now if you know many personal trainers like I do you would probably hear things like I going to the gym a few times a week but Virgil goes a different route.
Instead of the gym he hits the stairs twice a week.
Don't get me wrong Virgil loves the typical gym stuff but back in 1996 he hurt himself in the gym and had to have hernia surgery.
Because of this Virgil could not hit the gym for 3 months!
Imagine giving up something you love for 3 months!
Now you know that must've been torture for Virgil.
He also became very depressed because he's supposed to set an example for his clients and for his students.
So what did Virgil do?
Well the first thing he did was a big mistake.
He went back into the gym only 3 weeks after surgery and pulled an abdominal muscle.
Now he was set back even further
What next?
He tried swimming but no good. Still too painful even for a former New York City Lifeguard!
He used the exercise bike at the gym but it was just way too boring.
You see Virgil was used to lifting weights, playing 3 on 3 basketball, wiffle ball and touch football and now he'd have to use a boring as hell exercise bike!
There had to be something better!
And that is exactly what Virgil found that actually made him famous. (At least when it came to stairs)
He was visiting a friend who happened to live on the 19th floor but one of the elevators was out or service.
Instead of waiting for the second elevator Virgil decides to take the stairs and the rest was history.
By the time he hit the 19th floor he was breathing heavy but more importantly there was no pain from his injuries.
He found a new training tool!
And it simply was walking the stairs in his friends 21 story building.
Yup that is how the stairs guru got started.
Over the next few months while healing from hernia surgery Virgil got up to walking 140 flights of stairs in a workout!
Now something really special started to happen.
Virgil was all healed up and was ready to go back into the gym but he still wanted to keep stairs in his routine.
So he decided to hit the gym 2 times a week and the stairs 2 times a week.
Virgil also came up with most unique stair exercises you will ever find and put them into an ebook and video series called The Ultimate Stair Exercises.
Stair Exercise
And we are not just talking about walking stairs either:
He came up with exercises to
-Improve Aerobic Fitness: Great for Beginners or Recovery Workouts
-Improve Anaerobic Fitness: The Kind of Workouts that Burn Tons of Fat!
-Improve Your Strength: The Kind of Exercises that give you Buns of Steel!
-Improve Your Power: The Kind of Exercises that Help You Perform on the Athletic Field, Burn Fat & Make You Look Amazing!
-Improve Conditioning: The Kind of Exercises that Elite Athletes Use for Incredible Stamina and Give You Tons of Energy!
-Improve Your Flexibility: The Kind of Exercises that Alleviate joint Paint and Make You Feel Great!
-Make Good Use of Your Time: The Best Stair Exercises of All Time. Time Efficient & Super Effective.
Now are stairs the only thing you should be doing I asked Virgil?
Of course not he says. I'd have to be crazy to say that considering I always tell people to keep an open mind and learn as much as you can about other training tools.
The more tools you have the betters: Gyms, Spinning, Yoga, Stairs, Bands, Kettlebells etc... all have their place
In fact when he was the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the New York Liberty back in 2002 they didn't even have access to the New York Knicks training center because it was still under construction.
Can you imagine the best basketball team in the nation not having a place to train.
So actually they were forced to uses stairs and bands for a bulk of our training and that served them just fine as they were the best conditioned team in the league and went to the WNBA Finals!
Can you imagine if Virgil only believed in using a gym?
So I ask you this:
Could stair training help you?
That's something you have to ask yourself
And if the answer is yes for a limited time Virgil has 3 free stair training videos for you just for visiting his site:
Stair Exercise
Go there now before he takes them down!
Stair Exercise
P.S. Make sure to go and check out my blog entry on my experiences
with the Ultimate Stair Exercises:
Lean Body Fitness Blog
Stair Exercise
Disclaimer: Lean Body Fitness, LLC is an affiliate of The Ultimate Stair Exercises
www.leanbodytraining.com
Friday, March 5, 2010
History of Cooking
Ever wonder about the history of cooking? Ever think about when it might have been that we decided to start throwing our food over a fire and eating it cooked instead of raw?
Since I was in 7th grade, I've always had a fascination of history. It's just really interesting to look backwards and try to piece together things that have happened to see how we got to this point right now.
As you've read in the past on this blog, I'm a big supporter of following diets such as a paleo diet, and on occasion, follow intermittent fasting, and follow simple workouts because I think that's what our body was designed to do.
This is an interesting article that theorizes that when we started cooking our food, we really put ourselves on the fast track to evolving as humans.
First, when we moved from eating a straight vegetarian diet to more meat, that was the starting point of moving from chimp to a form of human:
This part of human history just never seems to have changed: we were always looking for ways to simplify things in order to have more time to do other "stuff." We strive to do that every day in our own lives today.
But, it might have been when the history of cooking was born based on an "accident" that really moved us forward:
How many times have you heard about the history of an invention and you almost always here the start of the story with "Well, it kind of came together by accident."
Think of how many times you've been cooking something and added something that you shouldn't have and you find that it actually enhances the taste of it.
It sends off that little light in your head that says "hey, I just made something new by screwing up."
Must be the nerd in me but I find this stuff really interesting because it begs the question, what would have happened if this "accident" didn't occur? Or what would have happened if they wouldn't have learned from that food accidentally falling into the fire and they would have continued to eat meat raw? Would it have not mattered and at some point we still would have figured it out?
I guess it comes down to the fact that even millions of years ago, something as simple as a piece of meat falling into the fire could very well have changed how humans developed and probably shows that through all the human forms we have gone through in the millions of years of human evolution, we still have one thing that hasn't changed: the ability to learn and adapt.
Always keep that in mind. You can adapt to situations before you are forced too. If you need to lose weight, then change your behavior and adapt to it. Your body can do it, you just need to convince your will that you can.
www.leanbodytraining.com
Facebook
Since I was in 7th grade, I've always had a fascination of history. It's just really interesting to look backwards and try to piece together things that have happened to see how we got to this point right now.
As you've read in the past on this blog, I'm a big supporter of following diets such as a paleo diet, and on occasion, follow intermittent fasting, and follow simple workouts because I think that's what our body was designed to do.
This is an interesting article that theorizes that when we started cooking our food, we really put ourselves on the fast track to evolving as humans.
First, when we moved from eating a straight vegetarian diet to more meat, that was the starting point of moving from chimp to a form of human:
It is already accepted that the introduction of meat into our ancestors' diet caused their brains to grow and their intelligence to increase.
Meat - a more concentrated form of energy - not only meant bigger brains for our ancestors, but also an end to the need to devote nearly all their time to foraging to maintain energy levels.
As a consequence, more time was available for social structure to develop.
This part of human history just never seems to have changed: we were always looking for ways to simplify things in order to have more time to do other "stuff." We strive to do that every day in our own lives today.
But, it might have been when the history of cooking was born based on an "accident" that really moved us forward:
Harvard Professor Richard Wrangham believes there is more to it than simply discovering meat.
He thinks that it is not so much a change in the ingredients of our diet, but the way in which we prepare them that has caused the radical evolution of our species.
"I think cooking is arguably the biggest increase in the quality of the diet in the whole of the history of life," he says.
"Our ancestors most probably dropped food in fire accidentally. They would have found it was delicious and that set us off on a whole new direction."
How many times have you heard about the history of an invention and you almost always here the start of the story with "Well, it kind of came together by accident."
Think of how many times you've been cooking something and added something that you shouldn't have and you find that it actually enhances the taste of it.
It sends off that little light in your head that says "hey, I just made something new by screwing up."
The most momentous shift however, happened 1.8 million years ago when Homo erectus - our first "truly human" ancestor arrived on the scene.
Homo erectus had an even bigger brain, smaller jaws and teeth.
Erectus also had a similar body shape to us. Shorter arms and longer legs appeared, and gone was the large vegetable-processing gut, meaning that Erectus could not only walk upright, but could also run.
He was cleverer and faster, and - according to Professor Wrangham - he had learned how to cook.
"Cooking made our guts smaller," he says. "Once we cooked our food, we didn't need big guts.
"They're costly in terms of energy. Individuals that were born with small guts were able to save energy, have more babies and survive better."
Professor Peter Wheeler from Liverpool John Moores University and his colleague, Leslie Aiello, think it was this change in our digestive system that specifically allowed our brains to get larger.
Must be the nerd in me but I find this stuff really interesting because it begs the question, what would have happened if this "accident" didn't occur? Or what would have happened if they wouldn't have learned from that food accidentally falling into the fire and they would have continued to eat meat raw? Would it have not mattered and at some point we still would have figured it out?
I guess it comes down to the fact that even millions of years ago, something as simple as a piece of meat falling into the fire could very well have changed how humans developed and probably shows that through all the human forms we have gone through in the millions of years of human evolution, we still have one thing that hasn't changed: the ability to learn and adapt.
Always keep that in mind. You can adapt to situations before you are forced too. If you need to lose weight, then change your behavior and adapt to it. Your body can do it, you just need to convince your will that you can.
www.leanbodytraining.com
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Home Workout Routines
Wouldn't it be great to have home workout routines where it didn't cost you a thing in gym membership fees OR exercise equipment?
The Lean Body Training Home Bodyweight Fat Loss Workouts are home workout routines that gives you exactly that: A workout at home that doesn't require any exercise equipment but at the same time is designed for fat loss.
The best thing about this program is that it's very efficient: It's only going to take you roughly 30 minutes to complete, 3 times a week. So no matter how busy you are, you should be able to find 90 minutes within your week to get one of these home workout routines done.
Another great part of this program? It comes in three different versions: A separate one for beginners, intermediates, and advanced training levels.
So it doesn't matter if you're beginner or a seasoned workout veteran, these home workout routines are perfect for you AND gives you fat loss results.
Maybe the best part: AFFORDABLE. One of these home workout routines is only going to cost you $9.95. That's a very small price to pay for a month long workout that you can do in your home, with no exercise equipment.
Read what one client had to say about it:
Don't waste anymore time. Get your copy of The Lean Body Training Bodyweight Fat Loss Workout today.
Home Workout Routines
www.leanbodytraining.com
Facebook
The Lean Body Training Home Bodyweight Fat Loss Workouts are home workout routines that gives you exactly that: A workout at home that doesn't require any exercise equipment but at the same time is designed for fat loss.
The best thing about this program is that it's very efficient: It's only going to take you roughly 30 minutes to complete, 3 times a week. So no matter how busy you are, you should be able to find 90 minutes within your week to get one of these home workout routines done.
Another great part of this program? It comes in three different versions: A separate one for beginners, intermediates, and advanced training levels.
So it doesn't matter if you're beginner or a seasoned workout veteran, these home workout routines are perfect for you AND gives you fat loss results.
Maybe the best part: AFFORDABLE. One of these home workout routines is only going to cost you $9.95. That's a very small price to pay for a month long workout that you can do in your home, with no exercise equipment.
Read what one client had to say about it:
I followed the beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts. I was intimidated that I wouldn't be able to complete even the beginner program. Also, because of my skepticism, I took baby steps and held off on starting the eating plan until I felt more confident, which wasn't until a few weeks into the intermediate workout. Initially, after completing the beginner workout, I lost a few pounds and after finishing the advanced workout and having been on the eating plan for approximately two and a half months I lost an additional 25 pounds. Definitely surprised by the results. When I decided to start the program I didn't even have an actual goal in mind as to how much weight I wanted to lose because I never thought it was possible. However, after I started seeing results, I set a goal and stuck to it. I was a carboholic before I started the nutritional plan and was worried that I wouldn't be able to stick with it. After approximately a week and a half the carb cravings were gone and I actually started looking forward to the meals. There are such a wide variety of food choices that even a picky eater like myself had no trouble finding foods I love to eat. Once I made up my mind to follow the eating plan I didn't find it to be very difficult to stick to it, even with a busy lifestyle. I would recommend this program to anyone who is serious about losing weight and who desires a healthy lifestyle.
- Cheri Holland, Plymouth, Michigan
Don't waste anymore time. Get your copy of The Lean Body Training Bodyweight Fat Loss Workout today.
Home Workout Routines
www.leanbodytraining.com
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Lean Body Training Live on YouTube
Okay, it's not really LIVE but, I've started making videos and putting them on YouTube. This is my first one, basically and introduction of me as well as and introduction to the girl in my life....Scarlett the Doberman. Take a look:
Get ready for more of these as time goes on. Have a good weekend.
www.leanbodytraining.com
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Get ready for more of these as time goes on. Have a good weekend.
www.leanbodytraining.com
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monthly Fitness Routines
It's mid February now, how is your New Year's resolution going that you were going to get on those fitness routines and lose that weight that you wanted to lose? Have you stuck to it or did you give up already?
If you gave up, it's probably because you weren't using effective fitness routines to begin with. If you're still with it, you may have hit a plateau and need something new to kick start that fat loss again.
Lean Body Training is introducing new fitness routines where you get 4-week workout e-book sent to you, every month. That's right. You don't have to put any thought into what you're going to do, all you do is follow the fitness routines that are provided for you.
And this program is dirt cheap. Just $4.95 for the first month.
Read what others are saying about the Home Bodyweight Fat Loss workout e-books provided by Lean Body Training:
"I followed the beginner, intermediate and advanced workouts. I was intimidated that I wouldn't be able to complete even the beginner program. Also, because of my skepticism, I took baby steps and held off on starting the eating plan until I felt more confident, which wasn't until a few weeks into the intermediate workout. Initially, after completing the beginner workout, I lost a few pounds and after finishing the advanced workout and having been on the eating plan for approximately two and a half months I lost an additional 25 pounds. Definitely surprised by the results. When I decided to start the program I didn't even have an actual goal in mind as to how much weight I wanted to lose because I never thought it was possible. However, after I started seeing results, I set a goal and stuck to it. I was a carboholic before I started the nutritional plan and was worried that I wouldn't be able to stick with it. After approximately a week and a half the carb cravings were gone and I actually started looking forward to the meals. There are such a wide variety of food choices that even a picky eater like myself had no trouble finding foods I love to eat. Once I made up my mind to follow the eating plan I didn't find it to be very difficult to stick to it, even with a busy lifestyle. I would recommend this program to anyone who is serious about losing weight and who desires a healthy lifestyle."
- Cheri Holland, Plymouth, Michigan
Want to learn more? Follow the link below to start your subscription to the Lean Body Training Monthly Membership Workouts:
Fitness Routines
Remember this costs less than $5 for your first month's workout. So for essentially the cost of one of those beers you drank when you were out this past weekend (and you know you were...), you can get a 4-week workout. Really, you can't beat that price for quality fitness routines and information that you're going to get when you join this program. Don't hesitate and check it out today:
Fitness Routines
www.leanbodytraining.com
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