Build Muscle and Lose Fat – Articles on Weightlifting, Diet, and Nutritional Supplements

Free Giveaway: Bob Greene’s Total Body Makeover DVD

So apparently Bob Greene is Oprah’s personal trainer. He is credited with giving Oprah an exercise and nutrition plan that has actually helped her maintain a healthy weight.

** Comment on this post to qualify to win a free copy of this DVD. **

Obviously you must know by now that Oprah started off huge, lost a ton of weight, ballooned back up again, lost it again, gained it all back, etc… But from what I understand, thanks to Bob Greene’s workout plan and nutrition tips, she is finally maintaining a healthy weight.

Free Product Alert!

Allow me to announce Project Swole’s most recent free giveaway: Bob Greene’s Total Body Makeover DVD.

I haven’t watch this, nor will I, but I can tell you what it says on the DVD package.

• An 8-Week Program for Maximum Results in Minimum Time
• 8 Express Workouts on 1 DVD – Customized for Every Level
• Nutrition and Diet Advice
• Motivational Tools
• Bonus: A 24 Page Makeover Plan

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Tags: bob greene, dvd, fat loss, giveaway, lose fat, lose weight, oprah, Product Reviews, weight loss

How to Increase Water Absorption

Woman Drinking Water

I am always recommending athletes to drink a gallon of water a day. That is all fine and well, but apparently there is a better way to calculate your hydration needs.

Based on a post over at FormerFatGuy.com, we should be drinking half of our body weight in pounds, in ounces of water each day. That means if you weigh 150 lbs you should be drinking 75 oz of water each day.

Use this chart to make your conversions from liters to ounces.

For those who use the Metric system, divide your weight in kilograms by 30. For example, somebody who weighs 70 kg is going to need 2.3 liters per day.

You can drink all the water you want, but if your body can’t use it you will still be dehydrated. Here are some tips to help increase body’s ability to absorb water. The first 4 were contributed by Rob from FormerFatGuy.com on this page: Increasing Water Absorption.

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Tags: Diet, healthy, healthy food, Healthy Lifestyle, water

How Many Ounces in a Liter?

How Many Ounces in a Liter?

Your Questions

I get plenty of questions in various comments throughout the website, but I also get comments and questions via the Project Swole Contact Form.

Generally I address those questions through e-mail, but often I do not have the time to reply to each and every question personally.

From now on I want to take a more proactive approach to answering Your Health Questions by posting them separately in the blog. This way we can be sure that everyone benefits from the Q & A.

Ellen wrote:

“I am trying to convert fluid ounces to liters for some recipes, but I am not sure how many ounces are in a liter. Can you help me?”

Response:

There are 33.8140226 fluid ounces (fl oz) in 1 liter (l).

Click here to view the super-easy-to-use full conversion table.

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Tags: conversion, measuring

Kickboxing Instructors House For Sale in Londonderry, NH

Hello Project Swole readers. We have a special feature today! The Swole Housing Commission would like to introduce my kickboxing instructors’ house in Londonderry, NH.

Buy My Kickboxing Instructors’ House!

Roger and Barbara Woo, expert kickboxers, BJJ, and MMA fighters; are offering this a beautiful house for sale in Londonderry, NH. It is about 3 minutes from I-93 the highway that will take you anywhere of any importance in NH or MA, yet it sits on a super-quiet back road with virtually no traffic, in an ultra-quiet neighborhood that from what I understand, does have a couple very quiet inconspicuous children.

A Sweet House!

I have been on the tour and this house is sweet. They have put a ton of time into updating everything – it is practically a brand spanking new home. All the rooms are clean and updated. Everything works properly. They even have a couple working fireplaces.

*** You can learn about the house here: 4 Bedroom Home in Londonderry, NH ***

As of February 4, 2010 they are asking $265,000.00 for this place and I’m telling you right now that is one hell of a deal. If I had more money I would buy it myself. Seriously.

They are buying another place so are looking to make a move. Peep the house, call the Woo’s, make an offer. You won’t be sorry. Tell them Steve sent ya! =)

Fish Oil and Hash Help Prevent Psychotic Episodes

Fish Oil Helps Prevent Psychosis

Crazy Fish

A study of potential schizophrenics has determined that supplementing with fish oil, primarily long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, can reduce the risk of ever developing full-blown schizophrenia or bi-polar disorder. In fact, supplementing with fish oil was found to be equally effective at preventing psychotic episodes as anti-psychotic medications.

The study was conducted with 81 patients at ultra-high risk of developing a psychotic disorder. At the end of the study, less than 5% of patients supplementing with fish oil developed full-blown psychosis, while nearly 28% of patients in the placebo group transitioned to a psychotic state.

This is great news for adolescents, since that age group is highly affected by the weight gain side effects of anti-psychotic medication. Supplementing daily with fish oil sounds like a great idea to me.

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Tags: fish oil, marijuana, medicine, news, omega 3, omega 6, psychosis, thc

Full Body Fat Loss Workout Logs in an Excel Spreadsheet

Now you can download the Full Body Plus HIIT for Fat Loss workout routines in Excel spreadsheet format. You can use these files to print out the routine and take it to the gym on a clipboard, keep track of your progress on the computer, or both.

The Full Body Plus HIIT Fat Loss Routine for Men can be found here:

Click this link to go to the download section of the post so you can download your spreadsheet!

The Full Body Plus HIIT Fat Loss Routine for Women can be found here:

Click this link to go to the download section of the post so you can download your spreadsheet!

I made some changes to the programs as well. Going through them I realized that there will almost always be time to complete those optional sets at the end of the routine, so I made the “e” exercises mandatory and added an additional abdominal exercise to make a super-set.

Tags: fat loss, hiit, lose fat, lose weight, spreadsheet, weight loss, Weight Training, Workout Routines

Does Whey Protein Powder Cause Gout?

Your Questions

I get plenty of questions in various comments throughout the website, but I also get comments and questions via the Project Swole Contact Form.

Generally I address those questions through e-mail, but often I do not have the time to reply to each and every question personally.

From now on I want to take a more proactive approach to answering Your Health Questions by posting them separately in the blog. This way we can be sure that everyone benefits from the Q & A.

Jim R wrote:

“I am 61 and in generally good shape, bicycled for years (at least 1000 miles per year).

The past two years I’ve converted to weight training (three days a week) plus spinning (three days a week). I’ve always been thin 6′2 – 195lbs.

Joined a gym 2 months ago (with a personal trainer)and really haven’t seen the results I’ve been looking for. I’ve reduced my body fat but haven’t seen any gains in muscle mass. I feel better but would also like to look better.

Also I just had another issue arise – a minor case of gout. I have been using a Whey protein drink 40 grams a day and need to know if Whey based supplements contain large amounts Purine (the largest contributer to gout).

I’m looking for info for us ‘old guys’ that haven’t given up.”

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Tags: Diet, gout, Medical, nutrition, optimum nutrition, protein powder, whey protein

Fat Loss for Men: A 7 Day Full Body Routine Plus HIIT

Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Get Ripped

Originally posted: 1/27/10
Updated: 2/1/10 updated routine, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)

Fat Loss for Men

Many of you are asking for a full body workout routine to burn fat, so here you go.

I have even customized the program for both men and women.

You can skip the details and go straight to the routines if you wish:

• The Fat Loss for Men Routine
• The Fat Loss for Women Routine

The Program

We are integrating 3 full body training sessions with 3 HIIT routines and taking the 7th day off. Since the goal is fat loss, we are striving to add some muscle mass, maintain strength, and burn as many calories as possible.

This is accomplished by staying in a slightly higher rep range than we would normally use for strictly strength training, while using super-sets for most of our exercises. We add an optional set to the end of each workout in case you are able to finish the workout early.

Major compound exercises are rotated to prioritize a different muscle group on each of the 3 training sessions each week.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Conditioning, fat loss, full body, hiit, lose fat, lose weight, weight loss, Weight Training, weightlifting, workout routine, Workout Routines

Fat Loss for Women: A 7 Day Full Body Routine Plus HIIT

Build Muscle, Burn Fat, Get Ripped

Originally posted: 1/26/10
Updated: 2/1/10 updated routine, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)

Fat Loss for Women

Many of you are asking for a full body workout routine to burn fat, so here you go.

I have even customized the program for both men and women.

You can skip the details and go straight to the routines if you wish:

• The Fat Loss for Women Routine
• The Fat Loss for Men Routine

The Program

We are integrating 3 full body training sessions with 3 HIIT routines and taking the 7th day off. Since the goal is fat loss, we are striving to add some muscle mass, maintain strength, and burn as many calories as possible.

This is accomplished by staying in a slightly higher rep range than we would normally use for strictly strength training, while using super-sets for most of our exercises. We add an optional set to the end of each workout in case you are able to finish the workout early.

Major compound exercises are rotated to prioritize a different muscle group on each of the 3 training sessions each week.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Conditioning, fat loss, full body, hiit, lose fat, lose weight, weight loss, Weight Training, weightlifting, workout routine, Workout Routines

NSCA and ACSM Proclaims Strength Training is Good for Kids

Strength Training is Good For Kids!

It’s official! After many long years of arguing with fools, I am validated! Based on hundreds of studies and thousands of hours of research, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) have finally taken the position that age-appropriate resistance training is not only good for kids, but recommended.

Strong Kid

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Tags: acsm, children, Kids, nsca, Research, strength, strength training, teenagers, Weight Training, weightlifting