Apologies for the Dry Spell!

Hello everyone! I apologize for not writing for a while, I am have been very busy moving. I haven’t had too much to do to forget training though! I am very excited to announce that I am beginning a new challenge, BSN’s Push Your Limits Challenge. This is another six week challenge where you can choose to either shred or bulk. I chose shredding because I would like to lower my body fat percentage as part of my overall fitness goal. I should not have nearly as many distractions as I did the last challenge so I hope for much better success.

I have developed a sort of ‘hybrid’ program. I combined weight lifting, tabata, tire circuits and plyometrics throughout the week. It is diverse but I think just what I need to stay focused and see results.

If you are interested in doing this challenge (winner takes $10,000!) you can find it on Bodybuilding.com. Just a few days left to get your before pictures uploaded and begin!

Can’t wait to keep you all updated on my progress 🙂

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The Grind is Over…Or has it Just Begun??

Just wanted to give you all a quick update since it’s been a few days. The Muscle Pharm Back to the Grind Challenge has been completed and I uploaded my after pictures. It wasn’t as much of a change as I would have liked but I had a lot going on over the past 6 weeks so I am just proud of myself for completing it and sticking it out the entire way. I am very happy I did it because it really got me re-focused and now I am more ready than ever to make a transformation. No matter how good you get, you can always be better.

Not to say that I didn’t have some cheat meals during the challenge, but there is nothing like having some GUILT FREE nachos and cheese and starbursts haha. If you are doing a challenge half the time if you decide to eat something unhealthy you won’t really enjoy because you are thinking, ‘where would I have been if I hadn’t ate that?’ Knowing how it feels to actually enjoy some bad food makes me have more willpower for the future when I continue on with this transformation.

I have decided essentially to keep going with this challenge. I have an image in my head in regards to both looks and strength and until I get there, I will not stop. And once I attain it, I won’t stop maintaining it 🙂

Hope you all are having a wonderful day! And remember…you’ll never find a better day than today to set new goals and achieve new dreams. Get out there, and get what you want!!

Saw your 1000lbs Club Shirt post and decided to announce I have made it too! via /r/Fitness

This is now one of my goals!!

fitworlds

The gym I go to on base has a pre-powerlifter as the gym adviser so all techniques and form were on par.

Deadlift: 405lbs @175 BW

Squat: 405lbs @176 BW

Bench: 270lbs @176 BW

I am 21 years old, been working out for a about 3 years and now I am venturing into BodyBuilding

Submitted October 06, 2014 at 03:04PM by the_salt_life

via reddit http://ift.tt/1vJhrCV

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The Bare Necessities of Supplements

As we all know, there are literally thousands of different types of supplements to pick from. They all claim to perform some sort of miracle and say they are indispensable. But are they really necessary? And do they really do everything they say they do?

It can be difficult to get the amount of nutrients you need every day. That’s why they are called ‘supplements’. Don’t forget they are just that…they are mean to supplement your otherwise healthy diet. They should not be used as a shortcut or a replacement.

In this post I’m going to cover what I personally consider to be your must have stack, with a few good extras to consider. Feel free to comment and tell me what your favorites are!

First off: PROTEIN! I think this comes before all others. If you aren’t going to pop any pills or use any other form of powder supplements, at the very least…use protein!! Even though it is best to get your protein from natural sources like chicken and tuna, a few scoops of protein can be both beneficial and convenient. Not everyone carries around a few extra chicken breasts in their bag, but it is easy to carry some protein powder. Protein is essential for both building and maintaining lean muscle while losing fat.

Multivitamin: This is your overall key to wellness. I personally hate taking vitamins…but there is nothing else you can take that has so much to offer for your health. I rate this right up there with protein. Take your daily multivitamin!

BCAA: Branch chain amino acids. BCAA’s assist in delivering protein to your muscles while at the same time preventing the protein from breaking down before it can be utilized. BCAA’s are great for pre-workout for cardio because they do not make you jittery and nauseous when your heart rate goes up.

Fish Oil: Fish oil is like multivitamins: it is good for your overall health. It is good for your heart, your bone health and has even been shown to help keep you in a good mood. Fish oil contains Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) that your body requires but cannot produce so it is very essential you are eating food or taking supplements that contain EFA’s (like fish or fish oil).

Calcium: Calcium is another must-have, especially for women. Most women do not get nearly the amount of calcium they need every day, which can lead to many problems later in life. In addition to it’s well known bone health properties, calcium has been shown to promote a lean physique. There are more varieties of calcium than you think. I prefer calcium citrate with vitamin d and magnesium.

Glutamine: Glutamine is essential for your post workout recovery. It speeds the recovery process while preventing muscle soreness. All you need is a little scoop to add to your post-workout protein shake to keep your muscles primed and ready for the next day’s weight lifting brutality session.

That does it for the absolute must haves. Here are a few extras to strongly consider:

Pre-Workout:This is a tricky one, and finding the right pre-workout can be difficult and frustrating. Pre-workout has a bad rep for making one jittery and can even make you throw up if you go too hard. That isn’t the case with all types though. Honestly you just have to try a few out until you find what you are looking for. I personally love 1.M.R. Vortex. It gives you great energy without making you feel like you are tazmanian devil and losing your mind on a caffeine high. It also contains fat burning properties, which makes it a great two-in-one product.

Fat Burners: CLA and caffeine products are the two basic choices. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) promotes lean muscle mass and speeds up your metabolism. Caffeine essentially raises your core temperature, causing your body to burn more calories. Many caffeine based fat burners also contain niacin, which does the same thing. Many people do not have a very good capacity for caffeine, so be careful when beginning a caffeine supplement. Too much can cause you to be dizzy, nauseated, and increase your heart rate too much. Think about it being like red bull or monster on steroids in a pill form. As with anything else the type of fat burner that works for you is a personal preference and one you have to figure out for yourself. Just be cautious and begin with the smallest dosage and increase it over the period of time specified on the product label.

I hope that you have enjoyed this article. If you have anything to add, please feel free to comment!

Online Fitness Training $30/month!

Just wanted to let you all know that I now have an account on Trainerize.com and I am offering online fitness training for only $30/month! Please contact me at www.gymtyme.trainerize.com

Thanks! This is an excellent and inexpensive opportunity for anyone to get the training and advice they need, whenever they need it! No need to be stuck to a trainer’s schedule; workout whenever you want! Let me know what your goals are, and I will do everything necessary to help you reach them!

Beginner’s Guide to Common Fitness Questions!

My ebook, Make Fitness Work for You! is now available at http://www.amazon.com/Make-Fitness-Work-You-Beginners-ebook/dp/B00O5LTCE0

It is FREE for kindle unlimited and amazon prime members and only $2.99 for everyone else.

It is a brief overview for beginners and covers common contradictory topics that are confusing for those you just got started in fitness.

Check it out, and let your friends know! Thank you!

How’s your day going?

Hello! Just checking in to see how you all are doing and tell you a little bit about what’s going on in my world. Today should be day three of my new workout plan, however unfortunately I got really sick out of nowhere yesterday so I was unable to workout. Picking back up today though with two minutes of pushups and situps, a five mile run and some pullups to finish it off. And just 5 days until I have to upload my after pics to bodybuilding.com for the MP Back to the Grind challenge. Hopefully I can see some difference!

My tablet decided to die on me this morning and after trying unsuccessfully to revive it I have spent much of the morning trying to get my very old very cranky computer to work. Success at last and here I am typing this post 🙂 Hopefully it keeps working haha!

I’ll be putting up a few more posts today with links to Gym Tyme’s new products! Stay posted!

New Workout Plan!

How is everyone today? I started a new workout plan yesterday based off a 90 day preparation for Ranger school. If you are just going to the gym every day without a plan or just with a specific muscle group in mind, I highly suggest finding a multi-week plan. It really gives you something to look forward to and a means of tracking your progress.

Yesterday morning I did chest and yesterday evening I did some reps of dead lifts, shoulder presses, front squats, back squats, and bench presses to determine my 1 rep max for each exercise. Now that I have assessed where I am, I am looking forward to improving myself.

Today’s agenda is pushups, situps, pullups, and a 5 mile run. Wish me luck! 🙂

More to follow, this is a three month plan 🙂