Fitness and BodyBuilding

Revisit Machines vs Free Weights

First, and foremost, not all machines are created equal. Just as there are slight nuances and ‘feel’ among barbell and dumbbell manufacturers, there is an even greater variance among machines. Some fitness equipment companies can produce elite equipment, whereas others merely steal their ideas and make poor copies at best. Even the quality of machine stations from the same manufacturer can range from mediocre (compared to a different brand’s station) to excellent (surpassing a different brand’s station). With that in mind, it can be concluded that there are both good machines and bad machines. Bear that in mind next time you train on a rusty, friction-based, dilapidated hunk-of-junk. Some of the premier exercise equipment manufacturers include MedX, Nautilus, and Hammer Strength.

The usual argument is that free weights are better at building strength since they involve more than one muscle group, working the balancing and stabilizing muscles, whereas machines guide the resistance for you and often only target few muscle groups. Such a barren argument does not take into account that free weights increase the possibility of injury due to the balancing factor. As you fatigue, there is greater risk of free weights leaving an ideal path of movement as the smaller balancing muscles fatigue.

Also, there is nothing stating that you cannot train the balancing muscles independently, safely, and in greater isolation, and with machines. Think about it. The balancing muscles during the bench press include the lats, rotator cuffs, and even the obliques, hips and thighs to a certain extent. Are these not trained during movements such as pulldowns, external rotation exercises, ab machine crunches, and leg presses? What benefit would these muscles receive in performing additional, low intensity work via non-direct exercise? Which brings up the next point.

Although the thighs, low back, deltoids, etc. help to balance a barbell during a biceps curl, for example, the degree of inroading is ineffective to elicit a strength or growth response in those balancing muscles. After all, they are used to hundreds of pounds of resistance through a full range-of-motion.

The balancing of free weight training can provide an illusion that overall strength increases better than with machines, due to a high degree of adaptive coordination among several muscle groups. Consequently, the more energy necessitated by the balancing muscles the less energy available for the target muscles. Hence, balancing promotes premature fatigue. Due to the overall feeling of fatigue, among several muscle groups, the prime muscle never really feels that inroaded. This may be the basis of multiple-set training, that free weights necessitate greater volume to adequately exhaust a muscle. But step into a top of the line chest press machine and train one set to muscular failure, and it will feel as though you just completed 2-3 sets of barbell bench presses. Why? Primarily, you did not waste energy in balancing and coordinating unnecessary musculature, while pushing the target muscle to the max!

Another argument is that machines are designed to train muscles, not movement; that barbells and dumbbells better simulate real life and athletic movements. First, it is the practice of sporting skills that develops agility, balance, and coordination. Whether using barbells or machines the goal is strength training. The goal is not balance training, agility training, or coordination training. And when you push your quads to the upper limits with a squat machine, with half the low back fatigue you experience from traditional barbell squats, you will optimize your thigh strength in half the time.

Remember, the goal of muscular development and strength is based on hard work, concentration, and working the target muscles as hard as possible with as much isolation as possible. This cannot be done, to the same extent, with free weights.

Staying Motivated to do Cardio

If you don’t plan, you plan to fail. Doing cardio just by doing exercise is a strategy for failure. Without goals, it will be hard to know where you are, and if there is any improvement. Most people, both bodybuilders and people who haven’t trained start their cardiovascular training with a vague image of what they are going to do. What people know is that they need to take some fat off their body, but other than that, it’s difficult for them to figure out where they want to be, or to know where they are now. You can escape this process by measuring your waistline with a tape measure, and getting a body fat analysis done at your local gym. These things will enable you to identify your own reasonable fitness goals for your cardio. Keeping track of your bodyfat will help you in your progress. You can measure and take the bodyfat test every 2 to 4 weeks to see the improvement. Don’t take the test too often as you may not see results right away.

Exercise in the morning

These cardio exercises should be done immediately after waking up in the morning, without any breakfast. Wake up, stretch out, go to the restroom, get some ice cold water, and finish your cardio exercise before eating anything. This will assure you that the energy you use is from your fat stores in the body, not those carbohydrates from your bloodstream.

Accumulate them

Aside from the cardio exercise, you should also watch what you eat. Do the usual stuff and stay way from eating high fat meals or overeating. Simple sugar and starchy carbohydrate should be eaten in moderation. Doing cardio will be more effective over time.

Abdominals Training Articles. Abdominal Workouts

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• The 3 Best Ab Exercises That Are Not Direct Ab Exercises - Discover some unique "non-abs" exercises in this article that are sure to get you to the six pack abs goal much faster.

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• What is the Best Ab Workout for Belly Fat Loss? - Surprise, there is no "best ab workout" for losing belly fat! Yep, that's right... because ab workouts alone don't create enough of a metabolic response for fat loss.

• Ab Workout and Fat Loss Mistakes You Must Avoid - Discover some areas where you may be going wrong in your abs workouts and your attempts at losing stomach fat.

• Wrench Your Guts Out! Abdominal workout routine - With this program you can rip-up your midsection in a short period of time.

Back Training Articles : Exercises Workout Routines

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Big Arms : Exercises Workout Routines

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• Biceps, biceps and one more time biceps - Biceps workout routines for every part of the muscle. Here are some routines for lagging parts of biceps. Try them and get what you need.

• Bigger biceps in ONE day - The one-day routine for big arms.

• Huge Triceps Workout - I use the exercises described below in my triceps workout routine because they pump the triceps thoroughly and make my arms grow.

• Build Massive Arms - Ultimate top 10 arm training exercises.

• 7 Tips For Massive Arms - 7 tips for new growth in record time.

Alain Petriz

Name: Alain Petriz

Born: January 7th, 1957

Location: Talant, Dijon (France)

Height: 183cm (6' 0")

Weight: 103kg (227 lbs)

Years Bodybuilding: 17

Contact: alain@alainpetriz.com

Web Site: alainpetriz.com

Favorite Bodypart: Arms, Shoulders

Favorite Exercise: Squats, while at the beginning I hated him

I discovered bodybuilding by chance and very late in my life... After I had quit rugby, I felt the need to exercise. A friend of mine had just subscribed a gym membership. He asked me to go there with him and I did. I didn't quite like the idea to go to a gym. However that was my first time in a gym. I was 33 years old. My weight was 85 kilos (187 lbs.) and my height was 183 cm ( 6 feet). Believe me, I have never been really skinny. I must admit I was not very much impressed by the gym. I thought it was stupid to struggle with a barbell and two 10-kilo ( 22 lbs .) plates on the sides.

I am honest. I kept on for several months. Eventually, I bought a gym-set to work out in my basement. Lonesome and in my basement - that was the very starting of my career as a bodybuilder. I had no knowledge. I didn't read bodybuilding magazines. I had been training insanely for three years. I had not been following any special training program. My only goal was to acquire a noticeable size.

Later on I started to read bodybuilding magazines and got interested into any bodybuilding champion. I subscribed to a brand new gym in Dijon. It was the Athletic Gym and the owner was Jacky Biondi. The ambiance and the people were wonderful. There I started to work out hard and to diet properly.

One year later, Jacky began to talk me into entering for a regional competition. The idea had never crossed my mind before that day! He pressured me so much that he got me persuaded. So I got it started! Thanks to his advice I won my first competition at Macon in 1994. I was 37 years old! My height was always 183 cm ( 6 feet ) but now my weight was 83 kilos ( 183 lbs .)! Today I can barely realize what I was able to do and the results I got.

Contest History:

2005 - 4th place at the Grand Prix Pro Weider

2005 - 3rd place (finalist) at WPF Mr.Universe

2003 - 6th place (finalist) at WPF Mr.Universe

2002 - 4th place at the Grand Prix Pro Weider

2002 - Vice-Mr Universe in La Grande Motte

2002 - WPF European runner-up in Italy

2001 - Withdrawal from the Mr. Universe (injury).

2001 - Vice-Champion WPF of Europe in Gijon, Spain

2001 - French Champion APF/WPS Senior over 210 lbs

1999 - 1st - Final UFSH in Strasbourg, France. Senior HW

1997 - 5th - World Championship WABBA Senior HW