What is HIRT (High Intensity Resistance Training) and How Should You Use It?

Posted March 30, 2016 in Conditioning, Workout Routines 63 Comments »

What is High Intensity Resistance Training (HIRT)?

High Intensity Resistance Training (HIRT) is essentially resistance training for fat loss, and like HIIT, it really is a big deal. HIRT training is the most effective way to increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), increase your Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), and burn calories at the same time.

When using HIRT you will execute several exercises together (sometimes called a super-set or giant-set), for a certain number of reps per set, for a certain number of minutes, without rest.

Along with HIIT, HIRT is a useful tool when avoiding endurance cardio while trying to lose fat, and it actually increases muscle mass more effectively than HIIT.
Eat Stop Eat
HIRT training will give you the following benefits:

  • Increase metabolism for up to 36 hours post-workout
  • Outperform aerobic exercise in fat loss studies
  • Maintain muscle mass on a low calorie diet
  • Build muscle mass on a moderate to high calorie diet
  • Minimize fat gain on a high calorie diet
  • Burn more calories than treadmills, endurance cardio, the Gazelle exercise machine, and elliptical trainers
  • Increase muscle density
  • Improve anaerobic endurance
  • Improve aerobic endurance

You may supplement this info with the post titled, “What is HIIT?”

Browse the Table of Contents for this Post

What is HIRT?HIRT TheoryBMR and EPOC
Who Can HIRT BenefitWho Should Avoid HIRTDesign a HIRT Routine
Sample HIRT Training SplitsSample HIRT Training Routines
HIRT Routine #1HIRT Routine #2Olympic HIRT Routine

The Theory Behind HIRT

The important things to know about HIRT are:

  • HIRT workouts help maintain muscle mass when following a low calorie diet
  • HIRT workouts outperform diet and aerobic exercise in fat loss studies
  • HIRT workouts increase metabolism for up to 36 hours

The principles of HIRT are:

  • Full body workouts using sets of 5 to 15 reps
  • Pushing through the lactic acid burn
  • Utilizing a variety of combo-sets (super-sets, tri-sets, giant-sets, etc…)
  • Utilizing compound exercises
  • Focusing on the largest muscle groups

Most important, we have to stay true to the two rules of HIRT:

Rule #1 about HIRT: Don’t talk about HIRT. er… no, that’s a rule for a different club I attend on Saturday nights… ah, I’ve already said too much…

Seriously though, HIRT is all about maximizing intensity – you will get out of HIRT what you put into it.

  1. You must maximize the intensity of each set. That means pushing it until you collapse or complete the drill. No resting or slowing down before the time limit is up.
  2. You must maximize the intensity of each workout. Use all the time available to you, to complete as much work as possible. This is the only way to realize the maximum metabolic and muscle retention benefits of HIRT.

BMR and EPOC

As I mentioned before, along with burning calories through exercise, two of the most important factors in exercising to lose fat, are increasing BMR over the long term, and increasing EPOC per workout. Let’s learn a little more about BMR and EPOC, shall we?

Why do we care about BMR?

Your BMR describes the base metabolic rate for your body. It tells us how many calories your body burns at rest. Burning more calories at rest means you will lose fat faster or gain fat slower (if your daily calorie intake is too high). Improving BMR is simple: when you have more muscle mass, your body has a higher BMR.

Increasing your BMR will help you burn more calories over the long term.

Why do we care about EPOC?

Your EPOC describes how quickly your metabolism returns to your BMR after exercise. Because it deals more with the aerobic energy system, HIIT is more effective at increasing EPOC than HIRT, but not by very much. When targeting fat loss, we want to focus on workouts that increase EPOC as well as BMR.

The higher we can pump the EPOC after each workout, the more calories we will burn in the short term.

Who Can Benefit From HIRT

Anyone who wants to lose body fat while keeping all of their hard earned muscle mass, or anyone who wants to minimize fat gain while attempting to gain muscle mass. Alongside HIIT, HIRT should be a vital component to any serious fat loss plan.

HIRT would be useful for people who:

  • are looking to elevate their metabolism (BMR) long term
  • are looking to maximize short term fat loss through resistance training
  • are looking to keep as muscle as possible during a cutting phase
  • are looking to minimize fat gain during a bulking phase
  • are looking to increase aerobic endurance
  • are looking to increase anaerobic endurance
  • are looking to burn more calories on a daily basis
  • are looking to supplement their HIIT workouts with additional fat burning exercise
  • are athletes who participate in a sport such as boxing, MMA, soccer, basketball, football, wrestling, etc…, who need to increase muscular endurance in 5-10 minute bursts, while minimizing body fat

Who Should Avoid HIRT

Unlike HIIT, there are virtually no people who should avoid HIRT. Grasping at straws, the few people for whom HIRT might not be the best solution include those who:

  • are not cleared by their doctor to begin a high intensity exercise routine. Check with your doctor before starting HIRT.
  • are overzealous. You can’t use HIRT 3-4 times a week, and strength training or HIIT 3-4 times a week. Even though HIRT is not neurologically as taxing as HIIT or strength training, you still must rest between workouts.
  • are looking to maximize strength gains. Excessive HIRT and HIIT workouts will slow down strength gains.
  • are looking to increase speed. Because no sprints or max effort attempts are included in HIRT, speed will probably not be affected.

Designing a HIRT Training Routine

HIRT can be used for either cutting or bulking, usually maintain muscle mass while decreasing bodyfat, but also to minimize fat gains while increasing muscle mass. HIRT is also somewhat effective at improving aerobic endurance and even more effective at increasing anaerobic endurance.

As always, your diet is still 75% responsible for determining how these goals are achieved. Manipulate calorie intake and macronutrient ratios to gain muscle or lose fat according to your goals.

These are the guidelines I will use for creating a HIRT workout:

  • Each HIRT workout must be a full body routine.
  • Sets of 5 to 15 reps will be used. Lower reps to focus on muscle gain, higher reps to focus on muscular endurance.
  • Each HIRT workout will use super-sets, tri-sets, or giant-sets.
  • Each HIRT exercise will be a compound exercise focusing on the largest muscle groups.
  • Each super-set should last 8-10 minutes.
  • 60-90 seconds rest between super-sets.
  • No rest within a super-set.
  • All exercises should be executed explosively – meaning as fast as possible while maintaining good form.

Three Sample H.I.R.T. Training Splits

There are thousands of ways you can integrate HIRT into your workout routine. You can use full body workouts, a 5 day split with HIRT at the end of your strength training, you can go HIIT-less to avoid sprinting, you can focus solely on HIIT and HIRT for max fat loss. You are only limited by your own imagination.

You can choose to implement several kinds of HIRT splits:

  • Priority: fat lossDay 1: 45 minutes of HIRT
    goal – maximal intensity resistance and endurance trainingDay 2: 25 minutes of HIIT
    goal – maximal intensity cardiovascular trainingDay 3: 45 minutes of endurance cardio
    goal – anaerobic recovery and aerobic endurance training

    Day 4: 45 minutes of HIRT
    goal – maximal intensity resistance and endurance training

    Day 5: 25 minutes of HIIT
    goal – maximal intensity cardiovascular training

    Day 6 & 7: Off

  • Priority: fat loss, but maximize muscle retentionDay 1: 45 minutes of full body resistance training
    goal – maximal strength resistance trainingDay 2: 30 minutes of HIIT
    goal – maximal intensity interval trainingDay 3: Off
    goal – recovery

    Day 4: 45 minutes of HIRT
    goal – maximal intensity resistance and endurance training

    Day 5: 30 minutes of full body resistance training plus 20 minutes of HIIT
    goal – maximal strength resistance training and maximal intensity interval training

    Day 6 & 7: Off

  • Priority: gain muscle and attempt to lose fat at the same timeDay 1: 45 minutes of full body resistance training
    goal – maximal strength resistance trainingDay 2: 30 minutes of HIRT plus 20 minutes of HIIT
    goal – maximal intensity cardiovascular training and maximal intensity interval trainingDay 3: Off
    goal – recovery

    Day 4: 45 minutes of full body resistance training
    goal – maximal strength resistance training

    Day 5: 30 minutes of HIRT plus 20 minutes of HIIT
    goal – maximal intensity cardiovascular training and maximal intensity interval training

    Day 6 & 7: Off

  • Priority: gain muscleDay 1: 45 minutes of full body resistance training
    goal – maximal strength resistance trainingDay 2: 30 minutes of HIRT
    goal – maximal intensity cardiovascular trainingDay 3: 45 minutes of full body resistance training
    goal – maximal strength resistance training

    Day 4: 30 minutes of HIRT
    goal – maximal intensity interval training

    Day 5: 45 minutes of full body resistance training
    goal – maximal strength resistance training

    Day 6 & 7: Off

Three Sample H.I.R.T. Workout Routines

Sample HIRT workout #1

For this workout, you will have to change equipment and/or stations to move to each new exercise, so your best bet will be to plan ahead and keep all the equipment you will need for the super-set at one station. This will keep rest down between sets.

Execute each super-set for 10 minutes without rest.
Rest for 180 seconds between super-sets.
The workout should take 45 minutes including a 5 minute warm-up and stretching after the workout.

Super-set A:

  1. 10 reps of deadlifts with 20% of your 1 rm
  2. 5 clapping pushups
  3. 5 chin ups
  4. 10 ab wheel roll outs

Super-set B:

  1. 5 jump squats
  2. 5 pull ups
  3. 10 bench presses with 20% of your 1rm
  4. 5 windshield wipers


Super-set C:

  1. 5 one leg split squats with each leg
  2. 10 inverted rows
  3. 10 push ups
  4. 5 fold ups with a half second pause at the top

Sample HIRT Workout #2

For this workout, you will have to change equipment and/or stations to move to each new exercise, so your best bet will be to plan ahead and keep all the equipment you will need for the super-set at one station. This will keep rest down between sets.

Execute each super-set for 10 minutes without rest.
Rest for 180 seconds between super-sets.
The workout should take 45 minutes including a 5 minute warm-up and stretching after the workout.

Super-set A:

  1. 5 push ups
  2. 5 inverted rows
  3. 5 jump squats
  4. 5 cable crunches


Super-set B:

  1. 5 chin ups
  2. 5 pistol (or one leg) squats
  3. 5 Russian twists with a medicine ball
  4. 5 push ups on the medicine ball


Super-set C:

  1. 10 skipping lunges
  2. 5 ab wheel roll outs
  3. 5 dumbbell or kettlebell swings with each arm
  4. 5 neutral grip one arm dumbbell or kettlebell rows

Olympic HIRT Workout

For this workout, you will move from one exercise to the next without any rest at all, since you won’t have to change equipment. Each movement will set you up to transition to the next movement, so that you are only executing one rep of each exercise per set and then flowing directly into the next rep of the next exercise.

This workout mainly utilizes Olympic lifts. Use really light weight or you might die, but you will probably puke anyway.

Execute each super-set for 10 minutes without rest.
Rest for 180 seconds between super-sets.
The workout should take 45 minutes including a 5 minute warm-up and stretching after the workout.

Super-set A:

  1. Power Clean
  2. Push Press
  3. Eccentric portion of Romanian deadlift (down)
  4. 5 reps of bent over barbell rows
  5. Concentric portion of Romanian deadlift (up)
  6. Touch the bar to the floor and repeat.


Super-set B:

  1. Deadlift
  2. Hang Clean
  3. Push Press
  4. Back Squat
  5. Back Push Pres
  6. Touch the bar to the floor and repeat.

Super-set C:

  1. Deadlift
  2. Hang Clean
  3. Push Press
  4. Overhead Squat
  5. Barbell Abdominal Roll Out

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Making Time To Exercise During A Busy Work Day

Posted March 28, 2016 in Best Exercises, Business, Exercise No Comments »

We all know the benefits of daily exercise, but many of us simply don’t have the time to go to the gym or go for long walks. However, the benefits of fitting in just a little exercise here and there can soon add up, making you feel so much better in the long term. When combined with a good diet, even a small amount of daily exercise has big benefits, and you’ll soon start to see the results. Even if you work behind a desk, here are a few things you can do between calls or whenever you get a coffee break.

Quick cardio

Soccer fit woman

Cardio exercise gets your heart pumping and feels incredibly good to do, which is why it’s ideal in short bursts. If you need to wake up, try doing a 5 minute exercise at work such as getting up and power walking around the office, or simply doing a few jumping jacks. Swing your arms when you walk anywhere, or take a few flights of stairs each day. It all soon adds up.

Some of the benefits of cardio include:

  • Keeping your brain active
  • Helping keep your heart healthy
  • Releasing ‘feel good’ hormones that give you more energy
  • Burning excess calories

Next time you’ve got a lull in your work, think of some ways you can get your heart rate up a little. Just a bit of imagination can make cardio at work fun.

Upper body

If you want to tone your arms and chest, then there are a few quick exercises you can do anywhere that use your body’s own weight as resistance. Instead of lifting weights, try desk chair shrugs and other pilates style moves in your office chair. There are many videos online that show you how to do simple moves with your desk and chair that can help you get more toned arms.

Here’s a video to help give you more ideas.

Lower body

As you age, your mobility declines, and building strength in your lower body helps to slow down this process. Lots of walking is good, as is taking the stairs, but you should combine this with a bit of strength training too. Find a wall in the break room and do some squats, or try the office wall chair pose. This will work both large and small muscles in your legs, and after a while you’ll find that you can hold the poses for longer, and that they’re easier to achieve.

Check out this page to get some lower body exercise ideas: 7 best bodyweight exercises for stronger legs

No Excuses!

While you may think you’re too busy to exercise, there are plenty of ways to get your body moving when you have a five minute break. You don’t need workout clothing or equipment, simply get in short bursts of cardio and strength exercises whenever you can. You’ll soon see an improvement in how much you can do and the intensity of your exercise, so you can slowly work towards your fitness targets. Whether you’re young and healthy, or are haven’t exercised for years, there’s something everyone can do to stay fitter.

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Quit Smoking Cigarettes! 64% of Deaths in Smokers are Attributable to Smoking

Posted February 29, 2016 in Healthy Lifestyle, Medical 3 Comments »

Healthy CoupleI have never smoked cigarettes. My dad smokes, many of my extended family members smoke or used to smoke, several of my friends in high school and college smoked, but I don’t. Given all the teenagers that pick up cigarettes to ‘fit in’ or ‘be cool’, I am just glad that I didn’t succumb to the peer pressure at a time in my life when I was probably one of the most unpopular kids in school.

Recently I read this study about smoking, which is really not all that different from most of the other studies. Essentially it can be summed up like this:

“If you smoke, you have a much greater chance of dying from smoking related diseases. If you quit today, you will be 50 percent better off in 5-10 years, and 100 percent better off in 20 years.”

That’s reason enough for me to tell you to quit smoking today.
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Why You Need To Add Citrulline Malate To Your Pre Workout Regimen

Posted February 4, 2016 in Conditioning, Product Reviews, Supplements 1 Comment »

Among the top pre workout supplements, Citrulline Malate is a supplement that provides amazing benefits in the world of athletes and bodybuilders. This supplement originates from the vital amino acid citrulline, which is produced when amino acid ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate is combined. This process occurs when the body disposes of nitrogen waste. On the other hand, malate (or malic acid) is a salt compound found in some fruits. This combination makes up citrulline malate.

Using Citrulline Malate Pre WorkoutCitrulline Girl

When citrulline malate is taken 20-40 minutes before a workout or weight training session, it improves overall performance and increased stamina. A citrulline malate study done by the Journal of Strength and Conditional Research shows a significant increase in strength a quarter of the way through a workout by 18%. Toward the end of the workout, participants’ strength increased by 53%. This enhances overall performance and allows for swift recovery in between workouts and many other benefits.

Benefits of Using Citrulline Malate During Workouts

Additional benefits of Citrulline Malate include reduced fatigue and improved aerobic performance. European studies show an increased reduction in physical and mental fatigue. This supplement allows for more intense training as it provides energy (increases ATP production by up to 30%) and a metabolism boost for heavy work-out sessions and fast recovery. Citrulline malate relaxes the blood vessels which leads to fuller looking muscles. It’s been clinically shown to help support lean muscle mass gains. It also includes the ability to decrease overall body fat. Some additional benefits include improved memory, increased mental alertness and overall clarity. It has the tendency to leave users feeling strong, well-relaxed and have an overall sense of well-being.
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The Effects of Medicine on Your Fitness

Posted January 31, 2016 in Healthy Lifestyle, Injuries, Medical No Comments »

A major topic in sports medicine is understanding how drugs can effect athletic performance and how to avoid unwanted complications. Many drugs have side effects that might be exaggerated by strenuous exercise.

Strenuous Exercise

Prescription drugs are controlled because of their side effects. The topic can be divided into drugs that affect the body versus drugs that affect the mind.

Pain Killers

Mood altering drugs and pain killers, like NSAIDS, can affect performance. A person who is advised to avoid driving or operating machinery should also be careful around exercise equipment and free weights. These count as heavy machinery, so any drugs that affect coordination should make a person rethink some of the exercises that they do.

A power step machine is safer than running on a treadmill, and weight lifting machines are safer than free weights.

Blood Pressure

Drugs that affect blood pressure might disqualify a person from intense cardio. Some people need medicine that raises their blood pressure, but cardio further increases blood pressure. Someone suffering from high blood pressure as a disease is also at risk. It is better to ask a doctor for a routine and stick to walking until then.
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Benefits of Becoming a Fitness Instructor

Posted January 26, 2016 in Business, Education No Comments »

Become a Gym Instructor, Enjoy a Fitness Boost

You’re fit as a fiddle, bulkier than Hulk Hogan in his prime, and a better cook than Gordon Ramsay – don’t you want to share your knowledge with the world?

Hulk Hogan

Private gyms are attracting more members than ever, partly thanks to a proliferation of budget deals and a newfound respect for a healthy lifestyle. Many folks the world over have recently become fitness fanatics and it’s pushing the demand for private gym instructors to a record high.

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How to do Barbell Rows

Posted July 27, 2015 in Exercise Technique, Weight Training 15 Comments »

Back MusclesLike pull ups, heavy rows are one of the best exercises to train your back. The king of rowing exercises is the standing barbell row, but the problem is that too few people perform them properly.

You might see the following common technique flaws in people executing barbell rows:

  • momentum – using the posterior chain to generate momentum, instead of using the muscles of the back and arms
  • rounded back – weakness in the lower back or hip tightness can cause your lower back to round, which is bad for the spine
  • standing upright – you have to bend over nearly parallel to the floor in order to work the upper back properly

As I mentioned last week, you can fix all of these issues by switching from barbell rows to inverted rows, or you can learn how to perform barbell rows correctly.

Let’s talk about how we can best use barbell rows in our training routines.

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Top 6 Leg Training Mistakes

Posted July 24, 2015 in Bodybuilding, Exercise Technique, Fitness Tips, Weight Training 8 Comments »

Don’t Waste Time Training Legs the Wrong Way!

Leg Training Mistakes
Your legs are the foundation of your physique. With their bulging tear drops, incision-like cuts, and shredded striations, prize leg development can win you a contest. Lagging leg development can also lose you a contest. Additionally, having strong legs makes it that much easier to develop a strong upper body. Here are 6 mistakes most athletes make when training their legs. These tips apply both to active bodybuilders and newbies, so pay attention!

The Top 6 Leg Training Mistakes

  1. Not Training Legs At All

    A lot of people completely avoid leg training. Why? Personally, I find it hard to understand. But there’s obviously a reason why they do; theories are they already have some preconceived notion that their legs are developed beyond what they are in actuality, or they see leg training as “hard”.

    It’s true that leg training can be painful, and you generally are sore afterwards, but many bodybuilders grow to love that soreness, as with other muscles. Avoiding leg training is a critical mistake, and you can’t build a house without a foundation.

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High Intensity Intervals are Far Superior to Endurance Cardio

Posted July 15, 2015 in Best Exercises, Conditioning, HIIT Routines 5 Comments »
Male Sprinter

I don’t HATE endurance cardio. I’m trying to give it a chance, albeit a slim chance.

It has its purpose in workout routines, especially for those who are untrained, obese, or have health complications that make high intensity training dangerous. But I can’t just blow off the continually mounting evidence (for the past 15 years) that high intensity interval training is optimal for fat loss and for developing speed, power, muscle, and even endurance!

For many years now, hardcore trainers have been touting the superior effectiveness of high intensity intervals for fat loss. But still, trainers, athletes, housewives, couch potatoes, televangelists, martial arts instructors, teachers, doctors, and pretty much anyone outside of the ‘hardcore trainer’ group suggests that if you want to lose weight you have to either walk everyday or jog for at least an hour a day 4-5 times a week. Wake up people!

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3 Ways to Make Your Eyebrows Fuller

Posted May 6, 2015 in Appearance No Comments »

Here’s a special-edition Project Swole guest post for the ladies. Not all of you are out to pluck them clean, some Swole females prefer their eyebrows fuller. Well, here are some excellent eyebrow tips from our friends at The Vera Clinic.

Middle-Easterns can finally rejoice and drop the wax sticks and threading habits, for thick brows are the new black. Celebrities like Cara Delevingne and Lily J Collins fueled the rave on bushy brows with their unapologetically bold eyebrows. Bold brows being in fashion is in the advantage for the select few who didn’t permanently damage their brows with repeated hair removal. If you have naturally thin brows, or you have lost your eyebrows in an accident or as a result of repeated hair removal, below are three ways you can make your brows bigger.

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Make Your Own Motivation

Posted April 14, 2015 in Business, Healthy Lifestyle, Motivation 2 Comments »

TBT: This is a post I wrote back in May of 2007. These were my thoughts on motivation, prioritization, and how to make the most of your training. It pretty much all still holds true.

Priorities

We all have priorities in life. Some of mine include finishing the move into my new house, running a successful website development business, keeping my girlfriend happy, spending time with my son, staying strong and healthy, and not getting fired from my day job. What are yours? Can you list your top 5 and assign priority values to them? I have done this, and what I have found is that staying strong and healthy continues to drop below those tasks that involve either family members, or putting lOOt in the bank (or more accurately giving lOOt to bill collectors).

How can we reprioritize in order to keep our gym goals intact?


I don’t want to get small or weak or fat, and neither do you. In my time, I have seen too many men with joint, neck, back, or hip issues, or perhaps they are just overweight with big pot bellies. Years ago I swore this would not be me. So, how can we redirect some of that focus back into the gym? How can we, when faced with working 14 hour days in order to make a million dollars by age 40, still exercise? Where can we draw some of this motivation that I am talking about. I have a couple suggestions that you could try, some of which I am testing out right now.

  1. Get a lifting partner that will show up on time for each workout. Find someone that isn’t going to talk about his/her friends, or work, or a party, or kids… find someone that wants to FOCUS on training when it’s time to train.
  2. Tell others about your plan (blog about it?). If you tell others what you plan to do with your body, you will hold yourself more accountable for your own progress. After all, no one wants to be embarrassed by failure.
  3. Realize that you aren’t good to anyone else unless you are healthy. If you are always tired, hurt, or sick, you are no good to your family or co-workers. Suck it up and get healthy!
  4. Sometime in your life, you will need to be strong. Perhaps something will fall on you or a loved one. Perhaps you will need to move the contents of an entire house by yourself. Maybe you will need to fight off an attacker, or push a car out of the snow, or rescue someone from a burning building. No matter what the aggressor might be, you will inevitably need to be strong for one reason or another. Why not prepare for it before it’s too late.
  5. Find some good ass lifting music. I personally prefer Static-X, Pantera, Avenged Sevenfold, Staind, Godsmack, Powerman 5000, Korn, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, System of a Down, Disturbed, Nickelback, Type O Negative, Evanescence, Tool, Rage, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Incubus, Queens of the Stone Age, (Hed) P.E., Megadeth, Motley Crue, Stereomud, Lamb of God, Ill Nino, Sevendust, Faith No More, Hatebreed, Mudvayne, Shinedown, Taproot, Theory of a Dead Man, Foo Fighters, and Three Days Grace, just to name a few.

My Solution

I have a son that I want to inspire to be strong and healthy. I have a girlfriend that, quite frankly, I want to impress with visions of a Greek God, feats of strength to rival Hercules, and the skill to defend her from predators. These abilities prove to her that I am a male worthy of mating… frequently, if you catch my drift. I have this blog that visitors will be reading, and I don’t want to embarrass myself with failure. I have a business to run, and I want prospective clients to be wowed by my dedication to life and ability to multi-task. Finally, I want to get in better shape, faster, than the guy on Better Body Journal, for he is one of my nemeses in this game of strength.

Find your solution and make your own motivation. Formulate your goals, and make it happen!

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2015 Intermittent Fasting Updates and The Importance of Meal Timing

Posted March 31, 2015 in Diet, Intermittent Fasting No Comments »

Intermittent Fasting for Health

The benefits of Intermittent Fasting (IF) continue to turn up in research and studies.

  • improved insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, and lipid levels
  • relief from inflammation
  • improved metabolic efficiency and reduction in body fat composition
  • increased energy, decreased lethargy
  • improved mood and mental clarity
  • reduced LDL and total cholesterol
  • helps prevent, slow progressing, and possibly reverse type 2 diabetes
  • protection from cardiovascular disease
  • improved pancreatic function

And of course one of the best benefits of IF – less time spent agonizing over meal planning and perfecting your diet.

Intermittent Fasting for Health

For 18 years I’ve studied nutrition, changing my diet around to meet my current goals – bulk, cut, health, lean gains, etc… I’ve done a 0 carb diet, low fat meals, I subsisted on a Chanko diet once for a month, tried paleo eating, juicing, hell at one point I even ate nothing but apples and canned tuna for about 4 weeks straight. So far nothing has been as easy or felt as good at intermittent fasting.

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Working Out With the Pros

Posted March 29, 2015 in Celebrity, Sports No Comments »

Every Type of Athlete Can Benefit From Working Out

It takes a ton of work for an athlete to climb up the ranks and be considered one of the best in their game. Natural ability and determination will only take you so far and for many, hard work is the factor that tips the scales in their favor. Ever wonder what kind of workout routines the top pros utilize to continue their success? You’re about to find out, but beware; these routines are not for the faint of heart. You might think P90X is difficult, but wait until you see what these athletes do on a daily basis.

The God of Clay 

Rafael Nadal
As one of the best tennis players to ever grace the clay courts (or any court for that matter), it would be a common mistake to think that Rafael Nadal was simply born to play tennis. The more accurate answer would be that he does have a natural gift but it’s his drive to be a better player that has fueled his success, which includes a maniacal workout routine. The seemingly never-ending energy that radiates from the Spanish pro is electrifying and it’s easy to see late in a match when his stamina is still going strong and opponents are struggling to keep up.

In the off-season, Nadal’s workout routine takes about 40 hours per week across six days, which makes staying in shape an intense job. With the aid of a personal doctor and physio expert that are on-hand for all of the workout sessions, the tennis pro pushes himself to the limit and makes sure that he will be in perfect shape once the season starts. Rafael Maymo, Nadal’s physio trainer, is charged with the task of massaging the muscles to both start and end a workout session.

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How to Perform the Pallof Press

Posted March 11, 2015 in Bodybuilding, Exercise Technique 1 Comment »

The problem with most rotational movements is that they produce shearing forces on your lumbar spine. One of the foundations of biomechanics is that you don’t place your spine into a simultaneous state of rotation, flexion, and side bending, and you especially don’t add an external load.

Pallof Press

This eliminates a number of popular abdominal exercises such as dumbbell side bends and the twisting abdominal machine. Exercises like the Russian twist should be performed with care, making sure that the trunk is flexed rather than the spine.

There is a quick and easy solution to the inherent problems with twisting exercises – don’t twist.

Enter: The Pallof Press!

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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 6 Rules of Success

Posted March 10, 2015 in Bodybuilding, Business, Celebrity, Videos No Comments »

A wonderful, inspirational video by Arnold Schwarzenegger – powerlifter, bodybuilder, actor, ‘governator’, and millionaire. This is the man who walked the walk well before he ever started talking the talk.

“Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.”

The original purpose of this video was as a graduation speech at USC. Someone took 5 of the most important minutes of this speech and added subtitles, which you can view below.

Six Rules on How to Be Successful

  1. Trust yourself
  2. Break some rules
  3. Don’t be afraid to fail
  4. Ignore the naysayers
  5. Work like hell
  6. Give something back

You can also view the full 25 minute video and video transcript here: 6 Rules for Success

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Max Effort Training: 2RM is the new 1RM

Posted February 23, 2015 in Weight Training No Comments »

Max Effort TrainingWhether you are a body builder, powerlifter, Olympic lifter, or recreational athlete, you’ll probably get a kick out of seeing just how much you can lift (or in some cases, it’s your job). While some weight lifters try to hit a new 1 repetition maximum (1RM) on the main lift every single workout, this is usually not a good idea. The potential for injury and over training increases with every max effort lift you attempt. Instead, a better philosophy is to ramp up to testing your 1RM using several 3-4 week micro-cycles. However, that is a discussion for another day.

Today I want to address the 1RM test itself, or more accurately the max effort test. If you are not in a competition at that exact moment, there is really no need to attempt a true 1RM. As long as you have a stable frame of reference for your max effort attempt, you will be able to quantify your progress. I would like to suggest using 2RM for your max effort attempt. The reasons for this are several – safety, psychological, CNS activation, and time under tension.

Strength coach Christian Thibaudeau explained it best throughout a series of 6 tweets titled “2RM better than 1RM for max effort.”

2RM better than 1RM for max effort

In case you are not subscribed to Christian’s Twitter feed or Facebook page, allow me to re-print his thoughts below:

  • REASON 1: puts you in a better mindset for success; implies that you will succeed on the first rep
  • REASON 2: safer as you can always stop after the first rep if you don’t feel the second
  • REASON 3: more practice with near-maximal weights, better development of strength-skill and CNS
  • REASON 4: MUCH less negative impact on CNS (measured by HVT monitor) with a 2RM vs. a 1RM.
  • REASON 5: have a much lesser psychological strain than 1RM and don’t require being in the zone as much
  • REASON 6: more fatigue (stimulation) imposed on the recruited FT fibers = more growth stimulation

Connect with Christian on Twitter

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Situations Where Only A Doctor Answering Service Can Save Your Practice

Posted January 3, 2014 in Business No Comments »

Today, there are various ways for a physician to communicate with patients including text messaging, web portals, and telehealth apps. The phone is the undisputed means of communication for patients seeking urgent assistance. This allows live two-way conversation making offering immediate assistance possible. 

Doctor Answering Service

Answering phone calls makes patients get closer to your practice while allowing getting new ones. In-house phone answering staff lack time to offer adequate assistance to all patients on the phone all the time. Enlisting a medical answering service is the solution to save your practice to various real-life situations with callers. Read on to discover the high-quality experience your callers receive from a professional answering service. 

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Introducing JackedPack

Posted October 4, 2013 in Bodybuilding, Product Reviews, Supplements No Comments »

Deciding which nutritional supplements to take is a challenge for most people. The sports nutrition market is currently so over saturated in most categories that it makes it very difficult to discern which products actually work, which ones taste good, and/or provide the best value for money. It’s silly to go out uninformed and drop $50+ dollars on a single product and get a nasty surprise if the quality isn’t up to par.

Jacked Pack

JackedPack solves this problem by taking guesswork out of the equation. For under $10/month, subscribers receive a monthly box of new samples from the best brands in sports nutrition delivered right to their door. This way members can test a wide variety of products ranging from standard supplement categories like pre-workouts, protein powders, fat burners etc. to unique items like protein cookies and breads. As they like to say,

“It’s like Christmas for meatheads every month!”

If members enjoy the samples, they can buy the full size items through JackedPack at a great discount.

The guys at JackedPack are also building a likable brand with a great sense of humor that comes through on their online content, workout articles, and monthly product descriptions.

Team JackedPack will be contributing some content to Project Swole in the coming months so check them out at www.JackedPack.com and use the promo code SWOLE to get 50% off your first month.

Connect with JackedPack on Facebook and Twitter, but always place your order through the links here at Project Swole so JackedPack will know that Swole sent you!

I received my first JackedPack the other day. Took some pictures. I’ll post a review shortly when I have a chance to go through it and try a couple things.

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Top 6 Arm Training Mistakes

Posted October 1, 2013 in Bodybuilding, Exercise Technique, Fitness Tips, Weight Training 7 Comments »

Want big arms? Want lean, shredded arms? Then don’t make any of these arm training mistakes. Here are 6 great arm training tips for bodybuilders, fitness athletes, sports athletes, and newbies alike. Forget the myths, stop the mistakes, and train your arms proper!

Arm Training Mistakes

The Top 6 Arm Training Mistakes

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How to Gain Lean Muscle Fast

Posted September 24, 2013 in Bodybuilding, Diet, Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tip No Comments »

Are you in the market to gain muscle?
Lean Muscle Chick
Building some hardcore muscle—without gaining fat along with it—is easier than you might think.

Here are some tips to start building muscle today.

Pump Up With Protein

Because muscle fibers are made up of many different proteins, protein is the #1 necessary ingredient to build muscle.

One study found participants who ate 20 grams protein every 3 hours significantly increased muscle building potential, compared with those who ate 40 g every 6 hours. [1] So, eating good amounts of protein throughout the day feeds muscles and keeps them raring to go.

The ideal daily protein intake is about 1 g protein per pound body weight. [2] So, a 200-pound man should eat about 200 g protein a day. Of course, this differs depending on individual needs.

The best high protein foods to eat are chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, eggs, beans, nuts, milk, and cheese. [2]

Many bodybuilders also use protein supplements, which provide a heavy dose of pure protein. Whey protein powder is generally the best choice because it has high protein content and lots of muscle-building branched chain amino acids. [3]

Be careful, though. Protein shouldn’t make up more than 30% of your caloric intake. Too much protein increases risk of kidney problems, dehydration, and other issues. [4]

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