Must read posts to help you excel in 2014

Even though new year resolutions have a terrible record in terms of success, there is still something about the new year's time that fills us up with optimism and makes us feel that "this time" all will go as per plan! And why not, a fresh start is one of the best things that can happen when the current situation is not going the way you want it to go. Sure, nothing in reality actually changes with the new year, and it is ultimately a matter of one's mental perception, however most great changes begin with the change in one's thought process. So do not be embarrassed or ashamed if you have not been able to keep your new year's resolution in the last 10 years. Atleast you are still trying to make something happen each time, when many others have given up hope.

Challenging finishers to try this week

For a lot of people these days, a workout never feels complete unless they have done a brutal 5-10 minute finisher! The feeling of gasping for air, and sweating like crazy, are signs that the workout was successful. So, if you are looking for a challenge to end your workouts, then give the following finishers a try:

No-Crunch Ab Workout: 5 Moves to a Flat Stomach

If you do a lot of crunches, then you get good at doing a lot of crunches, period! If getting impressive abs is the goal, then crunches will play a very minor, almost insignificant role in the whole process. There are far better exercises compared to crunches that you can do to help you get that flat stomach faster. You can check out 5 such moves in my latest article on active.com, by clicking here.

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Do you need 30 sets in a workout to get results

30 sets of this, no problem!

Life is strange! In less than 2 weeks of me posting an article about using abbreviated training to get better results, someone I know sends me an email asking me for my views on his high volume workouts. This guy is about my age, 30, and is re-starting his workouts. He asks me for my views on his program, which is training 5 days a week, working one bodypart a day, and doing a total of 30 or more sets each workout! Wow! I mean, even if someone has not read most of my writing, the fact that this guy must have read my article just 10 days ago or so, and then sends me a program like this asking for my views, it's just simply mind boggling for me.

And this is supposed to be a workout for someone who trying to "get back" in shape. I wonder how many sets he expects to do, if he does actually get back in shape. Maybe a 100 sets?? Now I do agree that my article on abbreviated training was aimed at those seeking mass and strength gains, however, whether for fat loss or for mass gain, if your strength training workouts cannot get you results in a total of 20 or less sets, then your program sucks! No, I am not talking about the sets that you do in your finisher circuit/complex with lighter weights, I am talking strictly of the strength training part that you do prior to your cardio/finisher.

2 bodyweight finishers for greater fat burning

Anytime you decide to do real, challenging bodyweight workouts, be ready to feel the pain! Honestly speaking, except for some very lightweight folks, most will find that bodyweight workouts can really help their conditioning levels go to a much higher level in a very short amount of time. And if you can add some resistance via kettlebells, suspension straps, or dumbbells, then the results are further multiplied.

Can low rep sets work for fat loss?

Ok, first of all so let me begin by apologizing for my absence from this blog for over a month now. Ever since I started writing online articles since 2010, I have never gone this long without posting something on my site. And contrary to what my good friend Sean Casey might have told you about me enjoying the Valentine month for a bit too long (ha ha, you can get me later for this Sean), the truth is that I needed a little break after KKM. And to be honest, I will probably take it easy for this month too. Nope, no writer's block for me yet, but just taking it easy for sometime to recharge the writer in me so that I can come back and provide more useful stuff for you to benefit from.

Anyways, enough about me, now lets move onto the topic for the day. For a lot of us when you mention weight training for fat loss, the first thought that comes to mind is light weights and high reps. Automatically people think of a lot of crunches, leg extensions, cable crossovers, and other such isolation exercises. I am not really sure how the concept of light weights and high reps became so popular for fat loss, but I can tell you that it is NOT the best way to go for the majority of the population out there.

Try kettlebell sport training for great results

19th January is the date that has been set for the Kolkata Kettlebell Meet, which is possibly India's first ever kettlebell contest/meet. As someone who has been enjoying training with kettlebells for a little over 2 years now, I really feel that a majority of trainees around the country too would benefit by adding this tool in their training programs. This was my motivation to put together this event, and I was very lucky to get the support and help of one of India's top strength and conditioning coaches, Ranadeep Moitra, and thus could put together this event. The venue is Ranadeep's Endorphins studio at the Calcutta Rowing Club. For more details click on this link. And even if you cannot make it, please do help the event by sharing information about it with your friends and family. Thanks in advance.

Now if you have been doing general fitness type workouts with kettlebells, then in my opinion you should give the sport style of training a try. It will test and challenge your technique and fitness levels like nothing else. To know more about the kettlebell sport style of training click on the link below:

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5 minutes kettlebell complex for serious strength conditioning

If you hate the idea of doing traditional cardio like running, and love to lift weights, and more specifically kettlebells, then this is the workout for you. Unlike complexes done with barbells and dumbbells, a kb complex can be done for longer periods of time since you can relax your grip and shoulders and go on for longer. Infact some complexes done with kb's go upto 10-20 minutes non stop before the bell is kept down.

Of course if you are new to kb training, then shorter complexes like 1-3 minutes might be better, and as you get better technically and become more comfortable with kettlebells, then try longer complexes. If you have been doing 2-3 minute complexes, then you are ready to try this 5 minute complex which will challenge you and improve your conditioning greatly. For the workout you will need to select a single kettlebell that you feel you will be able to work with for  the full 5 minutes. Now dont be too adventurous here, believe me, even a 35 pound bell can be challenging if you are new to this, and will become even more difficult as you approach your 2nd set and beyond.

Should obese people lift weights

The importance of lifting weights to lose fat, is something that I have talked about earlier, and have mentioned why without adequate strength training fat loss will not be most efficient. However, in that post I talked about weight training for the all those who want to lose fat, and not obese people specifically, so this time its about the obese in particular.

First of all let me clarify who am I talking about when I say obese. Its unfortunate but true, that we live in a time, where anything less than "perfect" means being unfit or fat. There is nothing as normal to some people, its either you are fit with six pack abs or fat. So even if your waist has an inch of fat, or you need to lose only 10 pounds of fat, some people will call you obese. The truth is that obesity and being overweight/untoned are not necessarily the same. Yes, being 15 pounds overweight means you are overweight and not necessarily obese! Obesity is far bigger than just having a couple of inches or 15 pounds to lose. Being obese is when someone is not just fat, but grossly fat, and is at a bodyweight where he/she is at a high risk for various diseases like hypertension, diabetes, etc. On the other hand, an extra 10 pounds on your body may feel and look bad, but it does not put you at a great risk for diseases like an obese person.

So how to measure when someone is obese or just overweight? Well, there are quite a few ways to do so, but here are two that I think are the better ones:

Uneven double kettlebell complex

While single kettlebell training is great, double kb work is even better as it requires more effort, coordination, and delivers better results! Of course you must first spend time getting good at training with a single bell before you start training with two bells at a time. And once you do start training with double bells, you will notice that you can get a lot more work done with a lot lesser reps, as the demand it places on your body is much greater.

However the one problem that many people face, especially those who train at home, is that they do not have two bells of the same size, and are stuck with one heavier and one lighter bell. So they think that it maybe better to stick to single kb training, which in my opinion is not necessary. Yes, uneven kettlebell work can also be done, and it will deliver great results too. Infact due to the uneven loading, it will provide a good amount of coordination challenge too. Most exercises like the swings, presses, squats, rows, etc can be done with two different size bells at the same time. And doing the exercises in a complex makes it even better!

Double kettlebell finisher complex (25.07.2024)

The best finishers are the ones that are done fast and work you hard. Its not supposed to be a post workout cardio where you keep going slowly for a long time, rather go hard and take no more than 10 minutes for best results. And if you have access to double kettlebells then you can do a great finisher that will really challenge you, which is what my workout finisher was today. So far I have mostly used single kettlebells for finishers and complexes, but for today's finisher I tried my hand with double bells, and I can tell you that it is definitely a lot harder!

5 useless fat loss equipment that you should never use

If I got a penny for everytime I met or saw someone who uses a worthless workout equipment, then by now I would be.......very rich! And I can only imagine what amount of money the creators of those equipment could be making. Its all very simple, make a late night infomercial and feature hot a hot looking lady and/or guy, and make these promises-

"with this you do not have to diet and can eat whatever you want",

"you just need 10 minutes three times a week"

"you can use this while watching TV, and you will never miss your favorite TV show ever again"

"anyone from 9-90 can use this"

Kettlebell swings post strength workout cardio

Ok so you have just finished the strength training part of your workout, and now want a whole body cardio workout that involves a fair amount of strength too. Well, if you have a kettlebell in sight then you have a great option, the good old kettlebell swing! Yes, its one of those few options that can work your cardiovascular system while also working both the upper and lower body together. And the great thing is that it is a non impact activity, so anyone with lower body joint issues can also do it. The only thing is that it can be a bit boring to do just one form of swing continuously for too long.

The solution then is to vary the swings that you do so that it remains fun and also challenging. So in this workout you will focus on three different types of swings that will keep things interesting. And just like any other good form of interval cardio you will take a small break when going from one variety to the other. Here is how the workout will go:

3 bodyweight workout finishers to try

Bodyweight exercises are great, and they can be cruel when you do them as "finishers" after a strength training workout. Yet, there are still many people out there who have never experienced this great way to train, and still prefer to stick to easier cardio machine options, when they could get better results in much lesser time. So if you are ready to feel the extreme discomfort of sweating and getting your heart rate up, then try these three bodyweight workout finishers that are guaranteed to to test you:

Kettlebell complex ladder workout (20.06.2024)

When it comes to conditioning and technique practice with kettlebells, doing complexes in ladder style is hard to beat. Like any other complex you do multiple exercises in a row without keeping the bell down, and work in varying rep ranges to be able to work on your technique without burning out.

Are calories burned displayed on cardio machines reliable

After the last post on this blog about how it is a myth that you must do cardio 6 days a week to lose fat, I got an interesting and commonly asked question about using cardio machines. The question went something along the lines of "after doing my cardio, the cardio machine shows that I have burned X number of calories, is it ok or should I burn more"? In other words, can you rely on the number of calories burned shown by the machine?

Now first of all, not all cardio machines calculate and display the number of calories that you are burning during a cardio session. If you go for the cheaper models of treadmills, etc then you are unlikely to get this feature. On the other hand the slightly more expensive ones are the ones that have this feature. So how does it calculate the number of calories you have burned? In general it does so by using pre-set formulas for calculation, which are based on the following factors:

MYTH- six days of cardio a week is necessary to lose fat

While I am a big fan of frequent activity during the week, for overall health purposes, I would never advise anyone to do 6 days a week of cardio in an attempt to lose bodyfat. And I would be even more reluctant to advise 6 days a week of traditional long and slow sessions of 45 minutes or more on the treadmill/cross trainer. However, unfortunately that type of advice seems to be rather very popular, and many trainers are actually the ones to blame for this.

I remember when I had joined my first gym as a basic level trainer, there were these 2 other trainers who were competitive bodybuilders, and worked the same hours as mine. The gym was an upscale one, so more than 90% of the clients were after fat loss. And these two trainers, would always suggest all the traditional methods like, do 45-60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week, lift light weights for high reps, do not eat anything after 7 pm, etc. Of course these two guys were also very lazy, so it worked out well for them to ask someone to hop onto a cardio machine and work away, so that they could sit and relax while the client toiled hard. However at the end of the day, the clients never seemed to lose any real fat (except the initial 5 pounds or so of water weight), and they always seemed to be more beat up than healthy to me. And you can be rest assured that the drop out rates were also quite high.

30.05.2024 (Dumbbell strength & kettlebell conditioning complex)

I have never really made video logs of my workouts to share on this site, primarily because I mostly do not have access to good quality camera and lighting. Plus trying to set up the camera between sets can be a distraction in your workout. However I do also realize that video logs made by people, especially trainers showing their real workouts, are very popular and people usually love such stuff, as it can be both inspirational as well educational. So I decided that I must make a start, and make video logs of random workouts, to show you how exactly I train, and more importantly show you some cool workout routines that you can do on your own too.

Can you get ripped abs with 3 short workouts a week?

As we all seem to keep getting busier and busier, it seems that books and DVD’s that promise to get you ripped, hard 6 pack abs, in very little time are becoming increasingly popular. The market seems to be flooded with information products which promise to deliver the golden ticket to get an attention grabbing midsection, that will probably help you become popular with the opposite sex (or same), almost overnight. While it is a good thing to see that these information products are pushing people to start working out, the question remains, how far are the claims made by the creators of these products true?

Should you do cardio OR weights to lose fat

Extremism in life is generally not the best policy, you want to be as balanced as you can. And yet in the world of fitness it seems to me that being too extreme is on the rise. You will either be told that you must have zero carbs or you will be told to have more than 75% of your calories from carbs. You will either be told that you must avoid saturated fats completely, or eat about 70% of your calories from saturated fats. And similarly in a lot of other things related to fitness, you will find such extreme suggestions that will probably leave you more confused than informed.

If fat loss is your goal, then I think you must have had this dliemma at some point, that is, which is better for fat loss, cardio or strength training? While you were still wondering, you might have read a lot of articles on the net, and probably came across writers who said that you must either do weights OR cardio, but not both. You see, till about 2 decades back, the world of fat loss was almost completely dominated by cardio suggestions. So if you wanted to lose fat, the advice you would get from 90% of the experts was “you have got to do cardio everyday” (often prescribed in the morning on an empty stomach). However in the last decade or so a lot of strength coaches have come down heavily on cardio and given a lot of reasons why they think weight training is superior to cardio for fat loss.