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Hugo Rivera's Natural Bodybuilding Tips for Gaining Muscle, Getting Lean and Losing Fat while Still Enjoying the Holidays

admin — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:17:40 +0000

Learn how to gain muscle, get lean and lose fat while still enjoying the Holidays!

The fact that I already see stores getting stocked with Christmas ornaments lets me know that the Holidays are here. With Thanksgiving coming along at the end of November, the Holidays get officially started. Since this season carries with it a lot of get-togethers, parties, and above all, plenty of food, many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts find it a task and a half to adhere to their bodybuilding lifestyle. This is due to the huge temptations of skipping your bodybuilding routines in favor of attending parties and eating foods that are not part of the typical bodybuilding diet. What is a bodybuilder to do?

With good planning and discipline, you can continue to move towards achieving your bodybuilding goals while you have your cake and eat it too; literally.

There are a few things that a bodybuilder can do in order to survive the Holidays and even come out a little bit ahead in terms of muscle mass:

1.The first step is to adhere to an abbreviated, though fully periodized, holidays bodybuilding workout routine so that you still get to gain muscle mass while minimizing the amount of time that you spend at the gym. If your schedule is really hectic, I would advise waking up early and getting training done, if possible, right before you go to work. If this is not possible, then try doing it at lunch-time or right after work so that nothing else interferes with your workout. On days off from work, definitely get the training done as early as possible.

Please refer to my personal abbreviated Holidays’ Bodybuilding Workout which has you working out only 3 days a week for about 75 minutes at a time (see routine at the end of this article below).

2.The second step is to plan ahead. Not only look at your December calendar and pencil down which days you will have Holiday activities, but also figure out at what times and days you will be training. I also suggest that you even identify which days you will select for your cheat meals and write them down on your calendar as well. Because of the amounts of get togethers and days that the gym may be closed, it is best if you decide a week ahead which days you will be attending the gym. In this manner, your chances of missing a workout due to parties or gym closures are eliminated.

3.The third step is to know how to cheat properly. By cheating the right way, and at the right times, you will not only maximize your muscle building potential but also minimize any fat gain.

Hugo’s Tips on Cheating Properly

Tip #1 Plan Your Cheat Days Wisely.
Look at the calendar and based on the days that you have parties and get togethers mark your cheat days. My advise is to attempt to space cheat days with at least 5-6 days in between, 6 being the better choice.

Tip #2 Eat Your Cheat Meals Wisely.
When you have a cheat meal, start eating the protein portion first as this will get you to start getting full. Leave the carbs for the end of the meal. Also, try to not stuff yourself. Instead allocate four hours and a half of cheating per cheat day. This will allow for 3 cheat meals (one every 90 minutes). After your cheat period, go back on your regular diet.

Tip #3 Have a tough workout before you cheat to minimize fat gain and maximize muscle.
Reason for this is because after a workout the body is primed to absorb nutrients in the form of proteins and carbohydrates. Thus, having a cheat meal afterwards will ensure that most nutrients are used for recovery and muscle production.

Tip #4 Take 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate and 300 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid.
Taking 200mcg of Chromium Picolinate and 300 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid at the beginning of your cheat period helps to increase your cell’s ability to accept insulin, and thus, assimilate the extra carbohydrates better. As a matter of fact, increasing insulin sensitivity is one of the reasons why I like to have a big workout prior to the cheat period.

Tip #5 Have some EFA’s with your cheat meal.
Research indicates that some Essential Fats like the ones found on flax oil or fish oils have anti-lipolitic properties. In other words, they inhibit some of the enzymes responsible for fat storage. By taking these fats with your first cheat meal of your cheat period, you can minimize some of the damage. I recommend you take 3-6 capsules of Labrada’s EFA Lean Gold prior to every cheat meal. 3 for the ladies and 6 for the guys will just do the trick.

Tip #6 Take some digestive enzymes with each one of your cheat meals.
This will ensure maximum nutrient assimilation and will also help you avoid feelings of excessive fullness and indigestion.

Tip #7 Three to five hours after the cheat period has ended have a 30-minute walk.
I’m not talking about anything strenuous; around 2.5 to 3 miles per hour is a good pace. Doing some cardiovascular activity after the cheat period has ended will start burning some of the carbohydrates that may still be lingering around. The more of these you burn, the less likelihood of storing body fat. If you cannot do this walk on the same day of the cheat period then try it on the morning after on an empty stomach.

Exercise Self Control and Discipline

As always, in order for these strategies to work, self-control, discipline and determination need to be exercised. When it comes to bodybuilding, this will always be a recurring theme.

What If Motivation Is Low?

If your motivation is lacking, there are a couple of items that I recommend you do:

1.Have A Clear And Concise Goal Of What You Want To Accomplish By A Specified Date: Set a deadline and be specific. For instance, my goal is to be in near contest shape by December 5th which is my birthday. For me, that means being 185-lbs at 5-6% body fat.

A specific deadline will offer you something to shoot for and achieve by a certain date which will put positive pressure on you and prevent you from skipping your workouts or having unscheduled cheat meals on the diet.

2.Get A Training Partner That Is Equally Passionate About Your Bodybuilding and Fitness Goal: A good training partner can fuel your motivation and accelerate gains tremendously. Good partners help you to push harder through your workouts and also inspire you to stick to the diet since you see how they progress. Ideally, get your spouse involved, or your kids if they are old enough. If not, a good friend will work too. I’ve found that the best gains in my bodybuilding career have been made when I train with someone who is equally dedicated to achieving the same goal.

Conclusion

If you apply yourself and implement the simple techniques described above, while everyone around you gains 20 pounds or more of fat and excess water during the Holidays, you will gain a few pounds of muscle and maybe 2-3 lbs of fat at the most. For the most disciplined of us, who actually increase the amount of working out as opposed to decreasing it, and who minimize cheat meals, then fat gain is not even a possibility.

Now you are armed with all of the information that you will need in order to actually improve your shape over the Holidays. It is up to you to put this knowledge into action and choose which person will you rather be; the 20 lbs of fat gainer, the 2-3 lbs of fat gainer with equal or more gains in the form of muscle, or the one who even gains as fat comes off? Choose your destiny. The fact that you are reading this article leads me to believe that you will choose wisely.

May your Holidays bring you tons of health and happiness!

Abbreviated Holidays’ Bodybuilding Workout

For the purpose of continued muscle growth and fat loss over the Holidays, I have used the principles of cycling that I always preach about in order to create a routine that will keep the muscle growth/fat loss process going during the next few months with minimum visits to the gym. While it is a low volume/abbreviated routine, it is by no means an easy one.

Loading Phase (Week 1)

Mon(13-15reps)/Wed(10-12reps)/Fri(8-10reps)

Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets (No Rest)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 3 sets (60 seconds)

Superset:
Upright Rows 1 set (No Rest)
Bent Over Laterals 1 set (60 seconds)

Superset: Seated Incline Hammer Curls 2 sets (No Rest)
Triceps Dips 2 sets (60 seconds)

Giant set:
Lunges 3 sets (No Rest)
Leg Curls 3 sets (No Rest)
Squats 3 sets (No Rest)
Calf Raises 3 sets (60 seconds)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats)

(Week 2)

Mon(13-15reps)/Wed(10-12reps)/Fri(8-10reps)
Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4sets (No Rest)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 4sets (60 seconds)

Superset:
Upright Rows 2 set (No Rest)
Bent Over Laterals 2 set (60 seconds)

Superset:
Seated Incline Hammer Curls 3sets (No Rest)
Triceps Dips 3 sets (60 seconds)

Giant set:
Lunges 4 sets (No Rest)
Leg Curls 4 sets (No Rest)
Squats 4 sets (No Rest)
Calf Raises 4 sets (No Rest)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats) (60 seconds)

(Week 3)

Mon(13-15reps)/Wed(10-12reps)/Fri(8-10reps)
Superset:
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 5sets (No Rest)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 5sets (60 seconds)

Superset:
Upright Rows 3 set (No Rest)
Bent Over Laterals 3 set (60 seconds)

Superset:
Seated Incline Hammer Curls 4sets (No Rest)
Triceps Dips 4 sets (60 seconds)

Giant set:
Lunges 5 sets (No Rest)
Leg Curls 5 sets (No Rest)
Squats 5 sets (No Rest)
Calf Raises 5 sets (60 seconds)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats)

Growth Phase (Weeks 4-6)
Mon(10-12reps)/Wed(8-10reps)/Fri(5-7reps)
Modified Compound Superset:
Incline Bench Press 3sets (Rest 90 seconds)
Close Grip Chinups (Palms facing you) 3sets (Rest 90 seconds)

Upright Rows 1 set (Rest 60 seconds)
Bent Over Laterals 1 set (Rest 60 seconds)

Superset:
Seated Incline Hammer Curls 2sets (Rest 90 seconds)
Triceps Dips 2 sets (Rest 90 seconds)

Modified Compound Giantset:
Lunges 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
Leg Curls 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
Squats 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
Calf Raises 3 sets (Rest 60 seconds)
(Use either the machine or Barbell used for Squats)

There you have it. After week 6 go into Active Recovery (Two full body workouts a week; a routine similar to the Growth Phase above performed only on Mondays and Thursdays with each set consisting of 10-12 reps; perform the same number of sets as suggested above). Also, do 20 minutes of cardio , first thing in the morning on the days off (Tuesdays/Thursdays/Saturdays). Sunday is the total rest day.

The longest routine is the one from week 3. It lasts around 75 minutes. It is exhausting as well. Try it out and provided that you follow a good diet along with it (by just limiting yourself to pre-selected cheat meals in the manner described above) you should avoid the catastrophic effects that the Holidays leave behind in some people. As a matter of fact, you should look better.

Let me know how you like it if you try it.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

Gymless Natural Bodybuilding Routine for Ripped Abs

admin — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:11:41 +0000

Learn a natural bodybuilding gymless routine for ripped abs that can be done from the comfort of your home.

Natural Bodybuilding Gymless Routine for Ripped Abs

How many times many of you have skipped working out your abs because you meant to do them at the end of your weight training session but either all of the ab benches and machines were occupied or you were just too tired to do any justice to them.

If you have been in this situation many times, then I have the solution for you. A body-weight ab workout routine that you can perform in the comfort of your living room, preferably as soon as you wake up for best results or once you get home from work. It will hit all of your abdominal muscles in a quick and efficient manner, and best of all, you can perform it anytime, anywhere. Add to it the proper fat loss diet, perhaps coupled with a supplement that supports fat loss, and a well defined six pack will be well within your reach!

Exercise #1: Crunches
Lie flat with your back on the floor and your legs in front of you bent at the knees and place your hands crossed in front of your chest. Start by raising your shoulders and torso as far as possible from the ground in a curling movement without raising your back from the floor as you exhale. Retaining tension on the abs, bring your torso to the starting position as you inhale. Maintain full control throughout the movement and avoid the temptation to rock back and forth. Tip: You can perform this movement with a rolled up towel under your spine curvature in order to achieve full stretch of the abdominal wall and thus get full range of motion.

Exercise #2: Bicycle Crunches
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground. For this exercise, you will need to put your hands beside your head. Be careful however to not strain with the neck as you perform it. Now lift your shoulders into the crunch position and bring your knees up to where they are perpendicular to the floor, with your lower legs parallel to the floor. This will be your starting position. Now simultaneously, slowly go through a cycle pedal motion kicking forward with the right leg and bringing in the knee of the left leg. Bring your right elbow close to your left knee by crunching to the side, as you breathe out. Then go back to the initial position as you breathe in, and start to crunch to the opposite side as you cycle your legs and bring closer your left elbow to your right knee and exhale.

Continue alternating in this manner until all of the recommended repetitions for each side have been completed. Tip: Avoid fast and sloppy motions; instead concentrate on slow and perfect execution.

Exercise #3: Lying Leg Raises
Lie flat with your back on the floor and your legs extended straight in front of you. Place your hands at your sides by the floor for support. Flexing your lower abdominals, raise your legs and exhale until they are perpendicular to the floor. Retaining tension on the abs, lower your legs to the beginning position stopping just an inch off the floor as you inhale. Tip: Avoid the temptation to let your legs drop on the negative portion of the movement.

Exercise #4: Modified V-Ups
Sit on the floor (or on the edge of a chair) with your legs extended in front of you and your hands holding on to the sides for support. Simultaneously bring your legs up as far as possible while at the same time bringing your torso towards them as you inhale. Exhale as you return to the start position and repeat the movement until you have completed your set. Tip: Avoid the temptation to let your legs drop on the negative portion of the movement and maintain full control of the motion.

Exercise #5: Knee-Ins
Sit on the floor (or on the edge of a chair) with your legs extended in front of you and your hands holding on to the sides for support. Keeping your knees together, pull your knees in towards your chest as you exhale until you can go no further. Keeping the tension on your lower ab muscles, return to the start position as you inhale and repeat the movement until you have completed your set. Tip: Avoid fast motions; maintain full control of the movement.

Gymless ‘Ripped Abs’ Natural Bodybuilding Workout Routine

GOAL: BOOST METABOLISM AND SHAPE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES. FOCUS: BODY-WEIGHT BASED ABDOMINAL EXERCISE CIRCUIT. TIME: 3 TIMES A WEEK ON NON-CONSECUTIVE DAYS PREFERABLY FIRST THING IN THE MORNING FOR 6 WEEKS.
EXERCISE	SETS	REPS	TARGET MUSCLES	SECONDARY TARGETS
CRUNCHES	3	10 TO 21	UPPER ABS	LOWER ABS, OBLIQUES
BICYCLE CRUNCHES	3	10 TO 21	FULL ABDOMINAL WALL	N/A
LYING LEG RAISES	3	10 TO 21	LOWER ABS	UPPER ABS, OBLIQUES
MODIFIED V-UPS	3	10 TO 21	LOWER, UPPER ABS	OBLIQUES
KNEE-INS	3	10 TO 21	LOWER ABS	UPPER ABS, OBLIQUES
THE ROUTINE SHOULD BE PERFORMED IN CIRCUIT FASHION. FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS REST 30 SECONDS BETWEEN EXERCISES AND 2 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE CIRCUIT AGAIN. WEEKS 3-4 DO NOT REST IN BETWEEN EXERCISES AND ONLY REST 60 SECONDS AT THE END OF THE CIRCUIT. WEEKS 5-6 ATTEMPT TO DO ALL 3 SETS OF THE CIRCUIT WITH NO REST AT ALL.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

Which Aerobic Exercise Is Better for Fat Loss: Walking On The Treadmill or On The Pavement?

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:32:56 +0000

Which Aerobic Exercise Is Better for Fat Loss: Walking On The Treadmill or On The Pavement?

Learn which one of these two aerobic exercises is better for fat loss.

Which Aerobic Exercise Is Better for Fat Loss: Walking On The Treadmill or On The Pavement?

Answer: While on the surface it would seem that both activities have the same exact effect on the body, this is not the case. Walking on the pavement is better than walking on the treadmill because you need to pull your weight forward through the use of your glutes and hamstrings. With the treadmill, a lot of work is taken out from the walking endeavor as the machine moves the floor for you and all you need to do is keep up with the machine. Therefore, many muscles that are used to execute the walking activity on the pavement are not activated when on a treadmill. As a result, not as many muscles are used and less calories are burned, thus making the activity less productive.

Though at first I had problems comprehending this fact since both activities look so similar, I decided to give it a try by walking on the pavement in lieu of using my treadmill one day. The first time I did it, not only was I pretty winded through most of my walk, but also I was very sore on my glute and hamstring region the following day. That’s when I found out that it certainly takes more muscles to walk on the street than it does to keep up with the treadmill. At the end of the day, this benefits you by providing more cardiovascular system improvement, and also more calorie burning during the activity.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at:

www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness

and to CLICK LIKE on my:

Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page

Aerobics FAQ -Questions About Aerobics Get Answered

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 08:19:56 +0000

Aerobics FAQ -Questions About Aerobics Get Answered

I have received alot of questions lately on the subject of aerobic exercise due to a lot of recent research that has been conducted on the topic of aerobics regarding what is the best way and time to conduct them for optimal fat loss results while keeping the muscle. Thus, I decided to put this aerobics FAQ together in order to clear up the confusion.

One thing that I would like to mention, having an engineering background with experience doing research and development, when a research study is conducted there are many variables that one must account for in order to ensure that you are getting the right answer to the postulated question. If an important variable is disregarded, your test results will either come out inconclusive or flat our wrong.

How Fat Loss Happens

Before I move on to talk about the topic of aerobics, I think it is important that I refresh your memory on how fat loss:

Weight loss is a function of calories in vs. calories out for the most part. If you take in less than what your body burns on a given day, you will lose weight. Simple.
The tissue that you burn will depend on your macronutrient intake (intake of carbs, proteins and fats). If you eat the right combination and sources of carbs, proteins and fats, you will keep (or even gain) muscle as you lose body fat. If you take in less calories than what you burn but you eat the wrong foods, then you will still lose some fat but you will mostly lose muscle along with it due to the fact that the nutrition is poor. This in turn lowers your metabolism and makes it harder for you to keep losing body fat.
The best way to accomplish a permanent loss in body fat while keeping or increasing your muscle mass is weight training.
Aerobic exercise is used only in conjunction to weight training as a means of burning extra calories in order to accelerate the weight loss efforts. When performed in the right amounts and correctly, you will get some very good health benefits from aerobics as well as burn extra calories. Aerobics should always be done in conjunction to weight training, never as a standalone solution.

With that said, let’s now cover the topics that are causing confusion in light of the recent research. If there is a question that you may have about aerobics not covered here, please feel free to email me and I will be happy to include it in this discussion.

What Is The Best Time to Perform Aerobics

I’ve always recommended cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or right after the workout as during these times you get to burn a greater percentage of the calories used from fat.

In reality, the type of fuel burned is not as important as the total amount of calories burned since at the end of the day, the biggest factor in determining fat loss is whether or not we have a caloric deficit. Now, as a competitive bodybuilder I have always wanted to have every single edge I could, so for me, aerobics on an empty stomach have always been a part of my schedule.

In order to protect muscle from being burned I have always properly hydrated myself by consuming 16 ounces of water prior to my aerobics along with 5 grams of creatine, 5 grams of glutamine and 10 grams of BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids). In addition, I always consume 200mg of caffeine prior to the workout also as research indicates this practice spares muscle glycogen use and facilitates the release of fats instead. By the way, if muscle glycogen is being spared, then that means that proteins are protected as well.

If you cannot do aerobics in the morning, and for whatever reason you cannot do them after the workout, then simply do them 2-3 hours after a meal. It will not be the end of the world to not being able to do it first thing in the morning. All I state is that in order to get maximum benefit, especially for a competitive bodybuilder, I feel that first thing in the morning is the best time; besides the fact that doing it at this time wakes you up and makes you feel good right from the start of the day due to the endorphin release aerobics cause.

What Happens If I Am Not In The Fat Burning Zone?

The fat burning zone is just a formula that provides you with a good heart rate to shoot for in order to exert enough work to burn calories and work your heart without over exerting yourself or undertraining. It should not be taken as an absolute number that dictates whether you lose fat or not. Remember that at the end of the day, fat loss happens when you burn more calories than what you consume on a daily basis.

I suggest that if you are just starting out, you strive to exert an effort that gets your heart beating at (220-Age) x .75 in beats per minute. As you get more advanced, you can push yourself more in order to burn calories. Being above what is called the Fat Burning Zone will not burn muscle tissue.

I Have Heard That If You Do Your Aerobics Too Hard You Don’t Burn Fat?

The harder you perform the aerobics, the more carbs are burned during the workout. Even in the morning on en empty stomach, if your aerobics are very intense, your body may have to burn some stored glycogen (carbs). The lower your aerobic intensity, the more fat you burn during the workout. However, at the end of the day, whether you burn more calories from carbs or fats during the aerobic activity is not as important as the total amount of calories burned. Remember that what is most important for fat loss is the total daily deficit of calories.

Never lose sight of the fact that the main way aerobics help you to lose fat is by helping you to create a caloric deficit. Thus, I say that when it comes to aerobics you should push yourself as your condition gets better.

HIIT vs Conventional Aerobics: Which Type of Aerobics is Better?

There is research to back up both high intensity/shorter duration aerobics as well as more steady state, conventional aerobics. Which one is better? My opinion is that you try both and choose the one that you love the most. The main benefit to HIIT is that it takes less time than conventional steady state aerobics and when done correctly, you can burn an impressive amount of calories in a relatively short time. However, for me personally, straight HIIT protocols put too much strain on my nervous system. In addition, I enjoy the feeling of a longer cardio session. Thus, just choose the one that you enjoy and do it consistently. Remember that consistency of execution is one of the most important things to get results.

How Do I Perform My Aerobics?

Personally, while HIIT is too much for my nervous system, I don’t exactly do steady state aerobics. I introduce periods of higher intensity during my steady state cardio, which then turns my cardio session into a hybrid one. For example, I may do 10 minutes of steady state cardio, followed by 5 minutes of higher intensity (alternating between 1 minute of high intensity and 1 minute of low intensity), 10 minutes of steady state, 5 minutes of my own HIIT version and then 5-10 minutes of steady state.

Can I Die From a Heart Attack Doing Aerobics?

So I have come across some experts warning about aerobics causing heart attacks. Some researches claim that in some elite endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, their incredible amount of aerobic work may cause heart damage. However, even in this elite group, the probability of that happening is tiny. As a matter of fact, according to the American Journal of Cardiology:

“The overall prevalence of sudden cardiac death during the marathon was only 0.002%, strikingly lower than for several other variables of risk for premature death calculated for the general U.S. population.”

Thus, I am not looking to stop my moderate amount of aerobic exercise any time soon. And besides, I should mention that a good friend of mine, a former special forces colonel whom I’m very proud to call my friend, is a 70 year old marathon runner who has completed the Boston Marathon twice now (one of those times at his 70 year old mark) and he has a much healthier heart than most of us put together.

With that said, again I re-state that I am not looking to stop my moderate amount of aerobics exercise any time soon. Call me a rebel. As a matter of fact, if you are looking to die, the best thing that you can do is to stop everything you are doing and not move. Inactivity, in my opinion, is the leading cause of death.

Some Studies Have Shown That Aerobics Don’t Impact Your Fat Burning Abilities

Now this one is really a joke because when you look into these studies you notice that they did not control the diets of the individuals on it. Sometimes I swear that it seems as if some researchers simply disregard some variables in order to have test results that make the news (news love to publish shocking things like this).

So of course if you have a study where the individuals burned 500 calories during the aerobic activity, but had diets that supplied 500 calories more than what these individuals burned on a given day, then I guarantee you that they would not lose any weight. Does this mean that aerobics have no impact on fat burning? Obviously not. It simply means that the participants were eating too much!

I can see it right now; imagine a test where the participants eat 1000 calories above their maintenance. The participants do long aerobic sessions that burn 700 calories. However, at the end of the study the participants gain fat. I can see the headlines: “Aerobics make you gain weight!” However, if such a ridiculous study with an equally ridiculous conclusion comes out, by then you will be armed with the information presented in this article, and thus, you will know better.

Conclusion

Based on all of the above, here is what I think you should do with your aerobics program:

If you are a competitive athlete then I would suggest doing aerobics first thing in the morning on en empty stomach. The choice of whether to do steady state aerobics or HIIT is something that you and your pre-contest coach will need to determine. If you have no pre-contest coach, then my advice is to implement my hybrid aerobics described above which give you the best of both worlds. Because extremely lean bodies do not behave like normal ones I feel that if fasted cardio offers the slightest possibility of burning some fat that cannot be tapped otherwise, I want to make sure I take advantage of that. My take on the subject is that if losing lean mass is the biggest issue that fasted cardio presents, I feel that proper hydration, BCAA supplementation, creatine and some glutamine can deal with that.
If you are recreational bodybuilder with no competition in mind, I would still suggest trying to do your aerobics first thing in the morning for all reasons specified above. If you cannot do your cardio in the morning, then try doing the aerobics immediately after your bodybuilding workouts and if that is not possible, then at any time that is 2-3 hours after a meal.
For recreational bodybuilders I also suggest that you choose the type of aerobics that you like doing the most, whether steady state, HIIT, or my hybrid version. If you enjoy all three, feel free to alternate between aerobic types also. I feel each type has its own benefits and there is no type that is better than the other, in my opinion.
Remember that consistency of execution is the key to long term bodybuilding gains. That is why it is important that you choose an aerobic plan that you enjoy since otherwise, it will be easy to just drop the whole aerobic program together.
Don’t forget either what I said in the beginning: Losses in body fat are a result of a caloric deficit, so without this, no matter what cardio you do or what the timing is, no fat loss will happen.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube page at www.youtube.com/hugoriverafitness and to CLICK LIKE on my Hugo Rivera Best Selling Fitness Author Fan Page.

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Natural Bodybuilding Video: Cardio for Fat Loss, Part III

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:18:50 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding Video: Cardio for Fat Loss, Part III

In part III of my cardio for fat loss video series you will learn about what the best times are to perform aerobic exercise in order to lose fat the fastest.

Cardio for Fat Loss, Part III

Aerobic exercise such as walking, riding a stationary bike, or running is a good way to accelerate the fat burning process, as long as it is not overdone and as long as it is used only in addition to a good weight training program. It should never be used as a substitute for weight training since it does not permanently increases your metabolism and since it does not has the ability to re-shape your body.

Best Times To Perform Aerobic Activity

Another important point that needs to be raised is that in order for aerobic exercise to be an effective fat burner it needs to be performed at the appropriate times. There are only two times that aerobic exercise is effective in burning fat.

1. In The Morning On An Empty Stomach: The best time to perform cardiovascular exercise is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach after drinking 16 to 24 ounces of water in order to prevent dehydration. When performed at this time you burn 300% more body fat that at any other time in the day because your body does not has any glycogen (stored carbohydrates-sugar) in the system to burn. Therefore, it has to go directly into the fat stores in order to get the energy necessary to complete the activity.

2. Right After Weight Training: The other time when aerobic exercise is effective is immediately after the weight training session. The reason for this is that when exercise is not performed first thing in the morning it takes your body approximately anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes to start burning fat. This is because that it how long it takes the body to deplete its glycogen stores and switch to a fat burning environment. Therefore, it would not be efficient to perform aerobic exercise by itself at any other time during the day because you would need to perform it for 20-30 minutes just to get to the fat burning stage and for an additional 20 minutes just so that you burn fat. This would give a grand total of 50 minutes a day and in my opinion, I think that unless you are a competitive bodybuilder with a perfect diet and a superb supplementation program designed to protect muscle mass, aerobic exercise should not be performed for more than 6 sessions a week of 20-45 minutes a day for males and 30-45 minutes for females since this would put you at a risk of losing muscle mass. Only competitive bodybuilders sometimes need to go as high as 45 minutes, twice a day. Keep in mind however that this is performed for a short period of time and only in conjunction with a pre-contest diet which consists of a high frequency of meals and with supplementation like glutamine, which helps to protect muscle tissue.
Remember that more is not always better and this is especially true when it comes to aerobic exercise.

For more information please take a look at:

http://www.hugorivera.net/aerobic-exercise-basics-aerobics-for-fat-loss.html

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Natural Bodybuilding Video: Cardio for Fat Loss, Part II

admin — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:08:36 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding Video: Cardio for Fat Loss, Part II

In part II of my cardio for fat loss video you will learn about good types of aerobic exercise for fat loss and the sort of frequency and duration that you need to do in order to burn fat.

Cardio for Fat Loss, Part II

Aerobic exercise is a good way to accelerate the fat burning process, as long as it is not overdone and as long as it is used only in addition to a good weight training program. It should never be used as a substitute for weight training since it does not permanently increases your metabolism and since it does not has the ability to re-shape your body.

Forms of Aerobic Exercise

Good forms of aerobic exercise are: stationary bike, jogging (this can also be done on a treadmill), fast walking (also can be done on a treadmill), stair stepper, elliptical machine, rowing machine, sets of sprinting, running, or any other form of cardiovascular activity that would raise your heartbeat to the fat burning zone.

Frequency and Duration of Aerobic Exercise

As far as frequency is concerned, I feel comfortable recommending 3 sessions of 20-45 minutes for those of you who are looking to gain muscle mass.

If you are on a fat loss phase, then I would gradually increase the activity to 6 sessions a week of 45 minutes.

For contest preparation, some of you may need two sessions a day, which of course will impact your ability to gain muscle, but in the final weeks of a contest preparation the main goal is to have as much definition as possible.

For more information please take a look at:

http://www.hugorivera.net/aerobic-exercise-basics-aerobics-for-fat-loss.html

If you liked this video, remember to hit the LIKE button below and also feel free to share it with your friends via TWITTER and/or FACEBOOK.

Natural Bodybuilding Video: Cardio for Fat Loss, Part I

admin — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 13:24:01 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding Video: Cardio for Fat Loss, Part I

Learn how to lose body fat with cardiovascular exercise.

Cardio for Fat Loss, Part I

Fat Burning Zone

In order for aerobic exercise to be effective, it needs to be performed within the fat burning zone. The fat burning zone is the zone at which you are doing enough work to burn fat. Your pulse (how fast your heart is beating per minute) determines this zone.

The fat burning zone formula is the following:
Fat burning zone=220-(Your Age) x (.75)

The result of your formula will give you an approximate value of how fast your heart should be beating per minute. For example, a 20-year-old would need to reach a pulse in the neighborhood of 150 beats per minute in order to be in the fat burning zone. It is important to remember that this is not an absolute figure, this is an approximation. So as long as you are plus or minus 10 beats from the number that the formula provides you with, then you can rest assured that you will be burning fat.

For more information on cardiovascular exercise please take a look at:

http://www.hugorivera.net/aerobic-exercise-basics-aerobics-for-fat-loss.html

If you liked this video, remember to hit the LIKE button below and also feel free to share it with your friends via TWITTER and/or FACEBOOK.

Natural Bodybuilding is the Solution to Permanent Weight Loss

admin — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:25:51 +0000

Natural Bodybuilding is the Answer to the Riddle of Weight Loss

Turn on the TV, open up a magazine or just read the health news over the Internet and you get the impression that everyone apparently is searching for the seemingly daunting and complex task of how to accomplish weight loss. Some appear to be looking for the answer in some magic fruit or food while others are more concentrated in finding a gene or a special drug that would take care of the problem. However, those of us who practice natural bodybuilding, especially if we have competed, realize that the process of weight loss while not necessarily easy, it’s relatively simple.

How Can Natural Bodybuilding Help with Weight Loss?

If you want to lose weight you need to simply follow 3 natural bodybuilding steps. With determination and consistency of execution these steps will help you to achieve any desired weight loss that you are looking for.

In order to lose weight you need to:

1) Create a slight caloric deficit of 300-500 calories every day (300 is good for women while 500 is good for men). This can be done through increased exercise and by taking in less calories than what you burn on any given day. At the end of the day, losing weight is a function of calories in vs. calories out. If you take in less calories than what you burn on any given day, you will lose weight. Take more than what you burn and you will gain weight. Simple, right? Now, if we lose weight we want it to be fat weight, not muscle weight. Thus, here is where the next point comes into play.

2) You need to consume the right foods in the right ratios. Since everybody who visits this website practices natural bodybuilding training, or at least is getting ready to get started, we know that such training increases the body’s need for protein. Thus, a good diet to start with is one that provides 40% of its calories from carbohydrates, 40% from proteins, and 20 % from good fats. Consuming the right amounts of foods in this ratio will ensure that as you feed the muscle you starve the fat and thus, the weight loss comes from fat being burned. For more information on how to set up a diet as well as what foods to eat, please check out my article on Bodybuilding Nutrition Basics and Bodybuilding Diets for Fat Loss

3) Burn more calories by increasing your physical activity. Again, for us who practice natural bodybuilding this is not an issue. With our training, not only do we burn calories via our weight training and cardiovascular exercise, but we also permanently increase our metabolism (ability to burn calories) as we gain more muscle mass. Thus, the more muscle one has the easier it is to shed the extra weight.

If you find the information of this website useful, please feel free to check out any of my best selling natural bodybuilding and fitness publications here.

Related Bodybuilding Articles for Weight Loss

What Is The Best Type of Cardiovascular Exercise Machine for Losing Fat Weight?

admin — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 22:23:56 +0000

What Is The Best Type of Cardiovascular Exercise Machine for Losing Fat Weight?

In my opinion, the best type of cardiovascular exercise machine for losing fat weight depends on the sort of shape that the bodybuilding trainee is currently at.

For a bodybuilder who needs to lose over 30 pounds, I rather have them start using a treadmill with no incline and set at a very comfortable speed. As fat weight is dropped and cardiovascular efficiency improves, the speed can be increased in order to make the activity more challenging. Later on, one can also start adding an incline. By the way, using an incline on a treadmill is a great way for the competitive bodybuilder to burn that stubborn body fat in the glutes and hamstrings area.

For a bodybuilder with less than 30 pounds to lose, or for an advanced bodybuilder, I would rather use a cross trainer elliptical machine; the one where you also get to move the arms. This machine simulates the running motion, but without the impact experienced in the knees and the ankles. Results achieved by this machine are fast since the calories burned through the duration of the activity is very significant; much higher than the calories burned in a treadmill.

Any Other Cardiovascular Exercise Machines?

Another cardiovascular machine that I like to use for variety purposes is the recumbent bike. Set at a tension that does not impact the knees, the recumbent bike is a very effective machine that provides an effective cardiovascular workout, burns a bit more calories than the treadmill but less than the elliptical. Again, this is not the type of machine I would recommend for someone that has to lose over 30 lbs.

A stairstepper is another good middle-of-the-road option (in terms of calories burned) for those with less than 30 lbs to lose, though I am personally not a big fan of them simply because I do not enjoy the motion. This is the type of machine that I do if it is the only one I have available at the hotel gym I am at when traveling. However, I have some friends that love them. Once again, the key to protecting your knees is the resistance set. Remember that to make cardiovascular exercise effective, you need to perform it at a steady tempo for a duration of 20-45 minutes; so there is no need to set a high resistance.

Other Types Of Effective Cardiovascular Exercise

Though the question referred to pieces of cardiovascular equipment, I think it should be mentioned that walking on the pavement is a great form of cardiovascular exercise for anyone. And for those advanced bodybuilders with an adventurous spirit and healthy knees, running and jumping rope steadily for extended periods of time (20-45 minutes) will burn a significant amount of calories; even more than the elliptical machines.

Conclusion

Once a bodybuilder reaches the advanced stage, the best option is to use the wide variety of choices at one’s disposal. Though the elliptical machine offers the highest caloric burn of all machines, once a bodybuilder has the desired level of body fat, changing the type of exercise on a regular basis not only prevents boredom and increases your cardiovascular efficiency at various activities, but also keeps the body guessing and responding to all exercises, thus making it easy to stay in that shape. So as the saying goes, “variety is the spice of life”.

3-Min Home Ab Workout: Crunches & Leg Raises for 6-Pack Abs

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:29:10 +0000

3-Min Home Ab Workout: Crunches & Leg Raises for 6-Pack Abs

If you think that you need fancy equipment or all of the time in the world to get 6-pack abs, think again! With this 3-minute home abdominal workout that consists of bicycle crunches, regular crunches and leg raises you can get 6-pack abs in no time.

You will be performing all abdominal exercises one after the other with no rest in between sets. Only rest 30 seconds after the leg raises. Here is your 3-minute home ab workout:

3-Min Home Ab Workout

Triset:
Bicycle Crunches 2 sets of 10-30 repetitions concentrating on form (no rest)
Crunches 2 sets of 10-30 repetitions concentrating on form (no rest)
Leg Raises 2 sets of 10-30 repetitions concentrating on form (30 sec rest)

If you have more than 3 minutes to work your abs you can do as much as 3-5 sets of each exercise.

Again, remember to concentrate more on form and exercise execution than on the amount of repetitions.

Finally, like I have said many times, being able to display your six pack is completely depending on the amount of body fat that you carry. Thus, while this ab workout will get your abdominal muscles hard and in shape, you need to burn the body fat off. How do you burn the body fat? By using the right fat burning diet.

Here is a fat burning diet that you can use in order to be able to show off your abs:

http://www.hugorivera.net/bodybuilding-nutrition-sample-bodybuilding-diet.html

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http://www.youtube.com/user/HugoRiveraFitness

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