She Gets Kicked Out of Bed and it’s Taking it’s Toll

I remember one particular story from a client. She told me her husband kicked her out of bed so that he could get a quite night of rest since their newborn was waking up every 2-3 hours.

So, now she not only wakes with the baby daily and all night, now she has to sleep somewhere other than her own bed. How could she focus on herself?  She’s too tired the next day, and the baby is just 1 month old.  Dealing with the daily strain over a period can eventually lead to depression, and a burnout that squeezes out any ounce of energy that was there.

So where do you begin when stress dominates your life?  You can’t eliminate stress.  It’s part of life.  However, you can control and manage it to your advantage.  Start asking yourself these questions right away when you see the pace of your life moving fast, in either positive situations or negative.

• What can I do to eliminate a certain stress?
• All stress cant be eliminate, how do I best cope with them?  
• What does my current life position tell me about my overall life?
• How do I take charge of my life?
• How do I face problems with aggressiveness?

Now since I am a fitness expert I like to choose a physical solution to dealing with stressors. After all its it’s free and costs nothing.

My first piece of advice to people who are dealing with stress is to go for a walk, do the treadmill, run outside, and ride their bike.  The movement itself clears the brain to be able to process some of the answers to the questions above.  For some, weight training helps vent off frustration.

Exercise is like a force field or body of armor.  When you are exercising, the stresses can bounce off the confident auras.  Training has always been a tool GOD has given me for eliminating stress.

Try at least one of theses positive affirmations

• Working out should provide me with the weapons I need to protect myself from self-destruction.
• Working out increases my appetite for the right kinds of food.
• Working out can be the “one” positive event in my life when everything else seems to be falling apart.
• Working out is in my control, my domain and my success because it’s up to me.
• Working out is my obsession at that particular moment that draws me nearer to controlling my weight, feeling good about myself and looking better.
• Working out allows me to eliminate those unnecessary stresses.
• I will not live by others peoples standards, instead live my own

Try any of these positive affirmations you might find they just might help.

EPluribus.

“Stress” Don’t Sweat the Weight Control

Not Only Can "BAD STRESS"  interfere With Your Efforts Taking Care of You, but Some of our Stresses are “The Good Life” Stressors that can Actually Lead to the same Demise of Your Weight Control Goals.

Chapter 2 Excerpt # 2 

For instance, Jim is a happily married man with a beautiful wife and well-behaved children.  He is a very successful businessman who travels to many exotic places with his family when closing business deals. He takes his clients to the best restaurants in town, serving the finest wines, and concludes the evening with dancing, deserts and drinks.

However, here is the problem. Jim is overweight, has asthma and bad feet. He knows he has to lose weight, not only for his health reasons but also for daily management reasons in his work environment.

Therefore, he comes to me a trainer. Here is someone who has everything going for them: personal achievement, travel to far away places, financial security and more.

However, he needs a trainer to straighten out his life with respect to exercise and weight control. Even “The Good Life” stressors can disrupt the normal flow of life.

Important resources are needed to control or lose weight, and stress depletes those resources.

What you Must Realize If you want to Get in Better Shape or Control or Loss Weight

It’s important to realize that Weight Control requires the ability to guard over your time, not only with others but also yourself. When you are continually fighting over daily hassles of life, these stresses weaken your ability to start out on this endeavor, which requires super human effort.  Weight control / weight loss becomes the last one on the priority list.  The healthy disciplines and patterns of watching what you eat, exercising, taking time to mentally and emotionally focus on your goal is abandoned. 

EP Massey 

Stress-N for Weight Loss Chapter & Excerpt 1

Chapter excerpts 1 of 6

Stress-N for Weight Loss

Don’t Sweat the Weight Control

I have been writing a weight loss book for over a year. I want to share some things with you that could help you right away attain your weight loss goals immediately.   

Over the next 6 excerpts I will explain the most Fitness and Weight Loss killer known. STRESS!

Chapter 1

What Does Stress Have To Do With Controlling Your Fitness Life

Stress can interfere with your weight control or fitness –its one of the greatest challenges.

Learning how to manage your environment could be the single most important piece to achieving your weight control.

Stress in your life is like working off a battery power versus a rechargeable resource the more power pulled from it the weaker it gets and then you will get.

There are different kinds of stresses, later on those in up coming articles. But here are a few of the stress excuses I have heard.

• I don’t have time to workout because I must take the kids to school.
• My manager called me yesterday and told me that I must get my sales up this month: I don’t have time to workout.

Here’s an analogy:

Imagine running a mile, and every ¼ mile you will add a 20lb. weight on your back.  Eventually adding enough weights will weaken your ability to finish the mile. Either you will slow down drastically or the weights will overwhelm you enough to completely stop.

After years of training I view, some of these “stress” excuses as simply that. Excuses getting out of something they don’t really want to do anyway.

However, my view of how actual stress plays into our lives for goals, change and well-being has expanded to realize the necessity of dealing with and /or acknowledging the stresses in our lives.

Part (2) Next Week

EP

How to Get Big Sweeping Lats

How to Get Big Sweeping Lats

At age 23 in Spokane, Washington preparing for my next bodybuilding contest a major goal of mine was to increase thigh size with deeper separation, attain a more noticeable sweep, and deeper cut striations.

Below is a photo of me at age 38. My Lats don't have the thickness, width and sweep of Age 24 but still ok.  

Dave was a national bodybuilding competitor aiming to burst into pros had the greatest legs I had ever seen, a Tom Platz at a Jr level.

I wanted to train quads with him to learn how to get that thigh sweep, thickness, separation and deep cuts.

He wanted to train with me for lat width, thickness and a lower lat sweep and length.

So, I trained Legs with him and he trained Lats with me hoping we would inherit each others best body parts.

We trained for about three months, and considerably improved those body parts we had set out to. Dave got wider and thicker Lats and me I got thicker, bigger, more separated thighs.

But, still my legs did not have the shape of Dave’s and his Lats did not have the width and thickness of mine.

A Lesson Learned

I learned in bodybuilding that not all bodies are created equal. We all have our weaknesses and strengths. We can only improve our weaknesses and enhance our strengths.  

Now don’t get me wrong he won many contest at high levels because of his strengths and hard work and so did I.  He also got his pro card. I retired in 1 year because of a back injury, but my last contest was a pro qualifier. Nothing I could have ever done would give me the thighs of Dave and nothing he could do to attain my kind of Lats.

All about Your Genetics

Genetics play an important role in what kind of body you will develop. Genetics are in control of your weaknesses and strengths. But one thing for sure you can alter the looks of any body or body part  by smart, focused and dedicated hard work. Every one can change the shape of their bodies no matter what.

 

How to Develop Big, Wide, Thick Lats

Some people think that just training hard will build muscle. But I have a philosophy, NO Brains, NO Pain, NO Gains! If training hard was the only key everyone would look incredible.

I am going to give you some exercises and tips that will improve your Lats. Hopefully your genetics will do you good.

So here we go!

One of the major weaknesses of most amateur bodybuilders is lat development. When you have wide, thick lats it brings greater balance to the overall body. This gives you an advantage immediately when you jump on stage. It gives you symmetry and balance.

When training Lats there are three areas I focus on.

1. Lat Width
2. Lat Thickness
3. Lower Lats (Extending as far as possible to the waist)

Major Workout Tips:

#1 Maintain a rhythm when performing all exercises

#2 Always use power lifting straps: This allows you to focus on pulling the weight not gripping the bar.

Exercises and Tips

One thing you must remember that every exercise has a purpose. They  bring something special to your body. Some people think you just into the gym and do anything, but believe me that does not work.  See Below
 
Barbell Rows

This is the best thickness builder for the Lats. Do this exercise and when you turn to the side you won’t disappear.  Most bodybuilder’s wuss out on this physically demanding exercise but with out it, you will disappear on stage. 

Sets: 3-5

Reps: 8-12

Important Note: every now and then I would go up as much as 405 or more and perform 6-8 reps.

Tip: Don’t try to be so sterile with this lift. You must cheat a little. This is more of a power exercise that requires explosiveness.

Why pull the bar with explosiveness? The lats are big powerful muscles your biceps are one of the muscles that are responsible for helping you lift the weight. They are not strong enough to stress the lats at the highest level. So you must get those lats in action.

Reverse Grip Lat Pull down

Great for the width of the Lats. I use the Reverse Grip pull down, because it allows me to fully contract my lats at the down position. When pulling the bar to the front of you follow these tips:

Tip 1: Always head and chest up: Focus like a laser on the pulley above and this will force you into proper technique.

Tip 2: When performing this exercise imagine that you are pulling from your wrist. Continue pulling to approximately the nipple area, this gives you a greater contraction and deeper pump.

Tip 3: I see some people go very wide with their grip, in my opinion you could be going too wide. I suggest gripping the bar about 4-6 inches of shoulders width.

Sets: 3-5

Reps: 12-15

Low Pulley Rows

This exercise is great for lower lat development; along with developing the thickness of the middle of the lats on the contraction part of the exercise.

Tip: When performing this exercise it’s important to stretch as far as possible on the down or extended part of the exercise, I try to stretch to about an inch or lower before the weight stack touch.

Sets: 3-5

Reps: 12-15

Chins:

This is the most important exercise for building the width of the lats. It builds it quick and also helps you develop thickness also.

Tip: Start with your head hanging backwards and as you are pulling your body up aim for your mid chest. Try to maintain a good rhythm. I used to add as much as 100 pounds. Your immediate goal is to be able to perform 15-20 reps for three sets, when you can do that start adding weight you can handle for 6-12 reps.

Sets: 3-5

Reps: POF Point Of Failure.

Nutrition is a Major Key!

Lats it’s a big and powerful muscle that requires a lot of work and energy. So make sure you eat at least 300 more calories the day before your heavy duty lat workout for an ASS BUSTING WORKOUT!

Pre workout solution

The day before your workout, Carb Up with starches, such as, potatoes, brown rice and pasta etc. And make sure you eat quality lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, lean, beef, lean pork, fish, yogurt etc.

Post workout Solution:

Eat eat eat. This big muscle needs food now. Within 45 minutes after your workout go home have protein.

Select any of these proteins: chicken, fish, beef, etc.  

Along with proteins consume starches:

Select any of these starches: brown rice, red potatoes, and veggie based pasta.

• Unlimited green leaf veggies, Red leaf lettuce with favorite dressing.

• Unlimited Veggies: Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, etc.

Remember No brains no gains, do this routine and you will see results good luck.

EP

Knowing the "SHAPE of YOUR BODY"

Knowing the "SHAPE of YOUR BODY" is the most important fitness knowledge you will ever need to know if you want to better your body!

As a trainer I learned quickly, about the benefits of creating a program for a client that had various body types and shapes. We all are created equal under Gods eyes, but our bodies and brains are not, that’s just the facts. Some of us are smarter than others; some of us have better bodies than others.

There is absolutely nothing we can do to change who we are and how we are built. But one thing for sure we can all improve, we can study hard, and read more to improve our brain power, and we can also use our brains to workout smarter by dieting, eating better to improve our bodies. I personally believe that a person never changes but they can improve, to become a better more improved version of themselves.

The perfect body is obviously the hour glass figure or shape. Being a man who loves the female body I must say, when you see the hour glass it’s a beautiful piece of art (body) created, it jumps right at you and noticeable miles away.

When I think of the hour glass figure immediately comes to mind is Pam Grier, Raquel Welch and Marilyn Monroe and of course today Halle Berry.

The Good News

The good news about fitness training is you can alter your body to get close by weight training, and various cardiovascular workouts. Read below to get an idea of what body shape you have and what you can do to improve it. 

This bit of research and expertise could get me in trouble. Most people think that you can get your body to look exactly the way they would want, but unfortunately, your genetics have a lot to do with the changing of your body. But you can cosmetically improve the shape of your body with the right fitness plans and exercises. As a fitness expert I evaluate a client’s body before I create a workout plan for them. I think you will find this very informative.

Most of us don't have a proportional hourglass, "IDEAL" body shape. Your genetics are set and there is nothing anyone can do about it. “BUT” I am telling you, you can change your body, you can make it look better by the right eating and nutrition plan.

Your "Body Shape" and How to Create the Right Fitness Program for You

What is Your Body Shape? See Below! 

Click below to view the bodyshapes

http://quickfixfit.com/bodyshape.html

Get an idea of your body shape so that you can determine what you “MUST” do.

Hour Glass

This is considered the perfect body to everyone, women with curvaceous hips, bust and a small waistline. This classic body shape can be slender with curves also.

Body-type: Mesomorphs / Ectomorphs

Body shape: Well proportioned upper and lower body with a narrow waist

Body as we see it: This body jumps out at you. You are very noticeable every area of your body.

Challenges: When you gain weight, the fat usually stores evenly throughout your well-proportional curves. Because of this body shape the weight can sneak up on you.

Body shaping Focus: Since you have what we call the perfect symmetry:

Overall maintenance program created to keep you lean as possible while maintaining the curves of your body

Cardio: A program to control your Body fat and weight. Target Heart rate training computed based on fitness level, age and resting heart rate.

Resistance training: Incorporate top to bottom strength training exercises that keep your body in well balanced symmetry

Cross training: Activities that will help you add sleekness to your body like boxing and kicking drills

Celebrities known to have this body shape are: Megan Fox, Salma Hayek, Scarlet Johansson, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Jessica Biel

Apple Shape

You have a full chest, upper back with no or little waist definition. You might appear top heavy. Your bust and mid section might appear bigger than your hips.

Another sign that can indicate you're an apple is that when you gain weight the fat gets easily stored around your upper half down to your thighs -- especially around your midsection.

Body Type: Mesomorphs or Endomorphs.

Body shape: Shape tends to have a heavier top than bottom,

Body as we see it: Top heavy with small hips and legs

Challenges: Most of the weight is gained upstairs around the chest ribcage and upper back area.

Body shaping Focus: Your main goal is to create a proportionate frame by slimming down your upper half as much as you can -- both chest and waist.

Cardio:  Numerous and a variety cardio activities and programs for fat and calorie burning. Depending on your fitness level, I would have you performing target heart rate training in the beginning moving to Farklet training and eventually various types of interval training for maximum calories and fat burning results.

Resistance: Exercises and programs that will shape and sleek your upper body. In addition, believe this or not I would definitely not perform many ab exercises. This increases your midsection making you look top heavy. Instead, we will use cardio to burn the excess of that area. However, back to resistance. You will perform various exercises for the thighs and butt to even out your lower body to help improve the muscular balance of the lower body producing well-shaped and sleeker legs.

Cross training: You ever heard of action Jackson, Well you would be action Jackie. Various types cross training drills like medicine ball, calacentics, boxing and kicking drills and much more. You should use as much variety as possible to make your body a fat burning machine while giving it exercises and programs to constantly change your body. I suggest incorporating yoga and or Pilates to further enhance the looks of your body.

Celebrities known with this body shape are: Jennifer Hudson Chandra Wilson, Rosie O'Donnell,

Pear

Your hips and thighs are your body's center stage. That means they're wider than the rest of your body. Your shoulders are most likely narrow and you have a defined waist.

BODY type: Mesomorphs/ Ectomorphs

Body shape: Hips wider than shoulders, gain weight in the thighs, and butt easily

Body as we see it: Can have small chest and flat stomachs thicker thighs with a very noticeable butt. The butt is the center of attention.

Challenges: Weight gain is primarily lower body

Body shaping Focus: Improve shape and structure up stairs, while focusing and improving sleekness, the shape and tone on the lower body.

Cardio: You want to stay away from the bike and stair master and don’t hit the elliptical too hard. Walking, jogging with continuous rhythmic strides. Target heart rate training walking on as flat surface as much as possible. Interval training at low speeds and trying to increase mileage as much as possible to lean out the legs.

Resistance: Upper body exercises with a heavy focus on the shoulders to bring it into balance with your lower body. Be careful not to work legs too heavy, leg extensions to gain definition of the upper thighs and define the area above your kneecaps. Then lunges to keep that butt tight and high.

Cross training: Kick, Kick, and kick more. Front type Side kicks, back kicks, any and every kick you can.  Upper body movements to create balance and sleekness.  In addition, the same with the apple shape you should incorporate yoga and or Pilates to further enhance the looks of your body.

Celebrities known with this body shape are: Beyoncé, Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez

Ruler

Thin, skinny boyish kind of body.

Body Type: Most Rulers are Ectomorphs

Body Shape: Very thin, straight up and down body type

Body as we see it: Size of hips, waits and shoulders are the same Boyish, straight up and down. Nothing really jumps out at you. Body the body is nice.

Challenges: Can tend to put on weight on their stomachs, while maintaining slender arms and legs

Body shaping focus: Create overall balance of the body with the basics. Focus is to create a well-balanced body.

Cardio: You can do whatever cardio you desire. Walking jogging, treadmill.

However, you will perform just enough to give you a healthy heart. You are not to focus on losing weight. 20-30 minutes tops

Resistance: Improve strength and get strong. You need not worry about getting too muscular it will never happen! Main objectives are to improve shoulder width and add a little more muscle mass to your XXX. This will make your waist look smaller and look curvier. So shoulder exercises and butt and hip exercises adding a little more meat down there.

Cross Training:  Upper body Plyometrics that challenges the shoulders and explosive movements that uses the glutes and thighs again to add meat down there.

Celebrities known with this body shape are: Skinny Models, Twiggy,

Rectangle

Your shape can look athletic with bust and hips of approximately the same width. You have little or no waist definition.

Body Type: Ectomorphs- Mesomorphs

Body shape: Your shape looks athletic with bust and hips of approximately the same width. You have little or no waist definition. One of the positive things on being a rectangle shape is that you gain weight everywhere and lose it everywhere.

Body as we see it: A combination of athletic and slender. Can be well defined with nice sleeker legs.

Challenges:  Can throw your body out of proportion if you do not watch it. If you were to gain or lose weight, the pounds would even out throughout your frame.
Body Shaping Focus: So your main goal should be to create a waist on your figure and add more width to your upper and lower part -- transforming your body into a proportionate hourglass shape.

Cardio: Don’t go crazy about 20-30 minutes of intense cardio is enough

Resistance: Moderate weights performing exercises that maintain your body and be sure not to do too many midsection exercises or you can make your body look more like a rectangle.

Cross training: Variety of everything for balance and pure fitness.

Celebrities known with this body shape are: Cameron Diaz, Nicole Kidman, Hilary Duff, Sheryl Crowe, and Rachel Hunter

Inverted Triangle

Athletic Type Body: Lean and fit looking body with nice legs. Seems to have flat stomach and or abs.

Body Type: Mesomorphs- Ectomorphs

Your shoulders and upper half part are wider than your hips. Your probably have strong shoulders and narrow hips.

Body as we see it: Athletic-looking body shape with nice lean legs

Challenges: Can lose weight quickly and get too muscular for the females and fact of the matter men’s taste

Body Shaping Focus: Pay attention on not letting the upper body run away from the lower body. Perform exercises that give an illusion as femininity.

Cardio: Just enough to keep your body healthy and fit. 20-30 minutes or light activity in your target heart rate zone.

Resistance: Exercises that maintain your already athletic and balanced body. Keep the weights moderately heavy.

Cross training: A little bit of everything to keep that body fit and strong. I like challenging boxing drills.

Celebrities known with this body shape are: Renée Zellweger, Naomi Campbell, Teri Hatcher, Demi Moore

E.Pluribus Massey

How to Get a Tight Summer Butt

Want a tighter butt? Want to get rid of that flat flabby butt, add a few more inches to your behind for just a little bit plumpness? 

Any woman can tighten, firm the butt and make it look better. It’s all about special techniques and the right exercises. We will use the exercise ball Glute workout for this one. Let me share techniques I have used over the years with clients.

Glute Raises Using the Exercise Ball

 Click link below to veiw exercise TODAY!

Get Your Exercise Ball

1. Position the ball at your feet.
2. Lie down on the floor and place your heels on the ball.
3. Place your arms with hands next to your side palms down on the floor.
4. With your hands placed firm & tight on the floor, begin by elevating your butt upward off the floor as high as possible.
5. Repeat for recommended reps. 

Click below to view photo's of the exercises

http://www.quickfixfit.com/buttworkout.html 

Special Techniques

v    Technique Tip # 1: At the top of the exercise squeeze your butt tightly and hold for approximately 3 seconds

v    Technique Tip # 2: Slowly lower your butt downward until it’s approximately 2 inches away from the floor

v    Technique Tip # 3: The key is to keep the stress on your butt by never letting it touch the floor.

Workout Plan

• Frequency: 3-5 days week
• Sets
• Reps: 15-20
• Duration: 5-8 minutes 

Test Your Results

The Feel Touch Test 

How to see and feel the difference in only a couple of workouts

Before you start this butt exercise, get an idea of your butt’s firmness “NOW.”

          OK Ladies every week do the Poke - Grab test.

1)   Place you index finger and firmly poke it into the meaty part of your butt. Now press it hard and get a mental record of its softness or shall I say hardness.

2)   Place your right or left hand grab as much meat or muscle as possible off your left or right cheek, take a mental record of its hardness.

3)   After one week do the poke grab test again and continue every week for 8-12 weeks.

Soon you will notice your butt tightening, lifting and your pants, skirts and dresses looking better on that behind.

Ok ladies there you have it. Send me an email please and let me know what you think bout this exercise, techniques and results.  Please share it with others.

Let’s go…..

http://www.quickfixfit.com/buttworkout.html 

How to Build a Great Chest

How to Build a Great Chest

The Bench Press is Overrated

The first exercise most men think of for the chest is the bench press. Why does that not surprise me!! When someone asks me how I got my chest so well developed and big, they are surprised of the answer.

How I started building a great (CHEST)

While benching 275 pounds for 25 reps, I almost tore my left pectoral CHEST muscle. The next day my chest was so sore I could not extend my arm forward. Little did I know my chest workouts and development was about to change for the rest of my life.

I worked out around the injury and started getting results at a rapid pace

How did I do it? I started performing barbell incline presses, incline dumbbell presses and fly’s. Yes, men that’s right the bench press is a pretty good exercise but inclines RULE period. Many bodybuilders do the ego lift the BENCH PRESS that is.

But people are surprised that most bodybuilders build great chests from incline barbell presses, incline dumbbell presses and fly’s. At the peak of my bodybuilding career I did not bench press for over two years. So let me give you some tips on how to build a great chest without the BENCH PRESS and show you one of the most effective exercises for the chest. 

Incline Dumbell Press

Exercise Description

                    Improtant note: Adjust the bench to about a 35-45 degree angle to target the upper chest

1. Lie on an incline bench with dumbells in hands and extend to arms length, palms facing out toward feet.
2. Slowly lower DB’s downward with inner dumbells about 2-4 inches from each side of your deltoids.
3. Slowly press back to start position in the same range of motion
4. Inhale coming down, exhale going up.
5. Repeat for recommended reps.

Below are special techniques that will give you a better chest and make a difference within two weeks.

Click Below to veiw the exercises and how they are done.

http://www.quickfixfit.com/Chestworkout.html

• As you are pushing upwards imagine squeezing a quarter between your pecs; this will allow you to squeeze and contract your chest to get an incredible pump.
• Keep the stress and strain on the chest by never ever locking at the top of the movement. Stop about an inch before lockout.
• A heavy focus should be aligning your elbows with your shoulders coming downward.
• Again Important note: The bench should be set about an 35-45 degree angle to target the upper chest

Workout Plan

Frequency: 1-2 days weekly

Duration: 10-20 minutes

Rest: 1-2 minutes

Sets: 3-5

Weight: You can do comfortably but challenging yourself the last 2-3 reps almost to point of failure or grab a spotter if you feel a need to.

That’s it guys do this and you will see and feel a difference in 14-30 days and your chest will grow with incredible shape!!

E.P.