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• THE HOTEL GYM GUIDE TO A GREAT WORKOUT ANYPLACE

  Posted: November 20, 2010

  

  You’ve packed your suitcase, got your plane ticket, kissed the wife and kids goodbye, and gave the dogs a pat on the head.  You’re heading out on yet another long business trip and you know in the back of your mind that not only will you be missing all of them, you can probably say adios to any chance you’ll have of getting in a good workout for the next 5-10 days!  Just when you started to see those abs.  Just when the biceps started to pop out when you wore short sleeve shirts.  Just when your energy levels were soaring from being locked into your regular training routine….it’s time to hit the road again.

  The question is…what will you become? A Road Worrier who lets the fear of letting your fitness go, actually become a reality as you struggle to find a well equipped hotel gym (that is…if you decide to even enter the gym at all!).  Or…will you become a Road Warrior, who seeks out the gym as regularly as you did at home, schedules your time in the gym as you would any important business meeting, and even if you find the available space or equipment substandard…MAKES it everything you need to get a great workout in!

  Recently, on a quick trip to Chicago…I toured the hotel gym (most would agree that it’s even better than the typical hotel gym…and that’s not good!) and showed you quickly how to ignore some of the things they’re suggesting you use for the things you NEED to use, and also how to get the most out of those dumbbells that only go up to 35 or 50 pounds.  You can check it out here!

  The difference in what you become depends a lot on your level of dedication to looking your best.  Do you just think “it would be nice”, or do you make it a priority of yours and feel as if your day isn’t complete until you’ve hit the gym?  Lets face it.  If you’re the latter…you’d even find a way to get that workout in in your own room, using the bed for dips, the bathtub for step ups, and the floor for crunches, planks and pushups…so I’m not so concerned about you guys.  It’s the others that worry me.  Why?  Because it doesn’t have to be that way.

  Let me help you out.  The first thing you should do is visit the hotel gym once you get there.  I know, it may seem funny, but you’d be surprised at how many people will avoid the gym simply because they don’t know where in the hotel it is and they are either too lazy, embarrassed or looking for a reason NOT to ask someone!  For someone that spent over 3 years practically living in hotels during my time traveling with the New York Mets as the team’s physical therapist and assistant strength coach…it was practically a job requirement for me to know!  Whatever the case for you, just make sure you locate it.  After all, knowing where you’re going is always the crucial first step for getting there.

  Next you’ll want to take a look at the equipment that’s available there.  Sure they’ll probably be plenty of cardio options…but in my mind, those don’t count.  That’s a given, and frankly, not what’s going to give you the most bang for your buck when you’re trying to get efficient and effective workouts in when you’re squeezed for time.  What I mean is, take in the equipment.  If you see dumbbells and some space, you’re more than adequately prepared to get the job done.  Just machines?  Still not a problem as you can still do some creative variations on the different machine.  Just space?  No problem again.  There are hundreds of great bodyweight strengthening and conditioning exercises that you can be doing….and in just minutes…to get a great workout in.

  Finally, set up a schedule for the days you’re going to want to hit that gym while you’re staying there.  A good rule of thumb is for every 3 days you’ll be there…aim for 2 workouts.  So if you’re checked in for a 7 day stay (Monday through Sunday)….aim to workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  This frees your mind of wondering WHEN you’ll be getting your workouts in, and allows you to concentrate on all the things that brought you out there in the first place.  Namely…your business.

  So you see, negotiating life on the road doesn’t mean that your fitness and muscles have to be left at home.  Nearly every hotel these days has a facility (even if it’s a bit underdeveloped) that you can visit to take your “guns show” on the road.  Don’t pass up the opportunity for fear of what is lacking there.  Instead maximize what IS there and in the process…maximize your muscle growth and speed up your path to an AthLEAN body!

  Stay Strong,

  Jeff

  Do you ever wish you had a program that you could follow that was laid out step by step and could be performed ANYWHERE and have yourself in the best shape of your life just 90 days from now?  Now you do.  It’s called the AthLEAN-X Training System and it’s available at http://athleanx.com/getripped.html.  Find out more about this breakthrough new workout system now.

  
  

• ATHLEAN ELAST-X ARE HERE!

  Posted: November 20, 2010

  

  The much anticipated wait is over…and now it’s time to “STRETCH” the limits of your training to all new levels of creativity and results!  Simply put…AthLEAN Elast-X Bands are AVAILABLE NOW! These bands are the same exact ones that I have used in my multiple training videos on youtube.  From doing one arm pushups to one arm pullups, to assisted traditional pullups or killer new core exercises (that don’t require you to perform even a single crunch!)…these versatile bands are like having a complete gym at your disposal at only a fraction of the price….and even better….an even smaller fraction of the space needed!

  The AthLEAN Elast-X Bands are the ultimate portable gym! You can easily fold these and throw them in your suitcase when traveling.  With it’s durability and resistance to wear…..odds are, you’ll get tired of being on the road long before these do!!  That said, you can easily anchor it around anything in the hotel including the doorknob, closet bar, or table leg to allow you to get in a killer AthLEAN Style workout ANYWHERE!

  At home, these bands might be even better!  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the excuse that “I can’t work out because I don’t have any equipment.”  Nonsense!  As long as you’ve got your own body and a band, you can literally do almost anything! I’ll be showing you even more things you can do with these things and if you haven’t figured me out by now….you can bet they’ll be creative!

  So no need to put off getting the body you’ve always wanted any longer.   Get the EXACT SAME training band that I’m using so you can train along with me!  Let me be your virtual personal trainer and follow along.  Now you’ll know why I’m so out of breath at the end of those videos…lol!

  Stay Strong,

  Jeff

  The BRAND NEW AthLEAN Elast-X Bands are available NOW at http://athleanelastx.com .  Get your Elast-X Bands Today and literally “STRETCH” the limits of what you thought possible for yourself.  That Athletic, Muscular, Ripped and Lean YOU is now much closer than you imagined it was!

  
  

• MACHINES VS. FREE WEIGHTS – THE FINAL WORD!

  Posted: November 20, 2010

  

  The debate has gone on now for decades…and at times it feels as if this one will never be settled.  Having spent many years in professional baseball, this one feels like we’re knotted up at 2…going into the 24th inning!!  Why is that?  Because quite frankly, it’s not an easy question to answer…at least until now that is!  You see, I’m going to settle the machines vs. free weights debate once and for all so you can move onto other important training questions like “Dumbbells vs. Kettlebells” (stay tuned for that one too!).

  So back to the origin of the machines vs. free weights battle.  It goes all the way back to the days of Arthur Jones and Nautilus.  Arthur created some of the most impressive (and space consuming!) weight training equipment to ever grace a gym.  It was huge, cumbersome and in my opinion looking back…totally inefficient!

  If you guys know one thing about me it’s that I NEED efficiency with my workouts.  I have far too many busy guys on my client list (Fortune 500 CEOs, celebs, and professional athletes) that need to be able to get results and get them in the quickest amount of time, and can’t afford to follow or practice training practices that do nothing but waste their time!  Unfortunately, dodging these wasteful programs is like tiptoeing through a mine field!  It sucks to have to admit it but it’s true…..and pretty embarrassing for the fitness industry as a whole that I now make a living in, but time wasting programs are running rampant out there (and some even lead the industry right now in sales….but I won’t mention who that is!).

  So how does this relate to the raging debate.  Quite simply. Machines tend to isolate muscle groups in a way that maximum development of that muscle is compromised.  By limiting the contribution of assistance muscles into the exercises, the machines are inaccurately representing the demands the muscle requires when it’s actually moving or working ANYWHERE ELSE but on that stupid machine!  What happens is, the muscle then only fires the small percentage of fibers that are needed to produce that one isolated movement.  Gone are the thousands of other fibers that are voluntarily sitting on the sideline since their participation is not needed due to the restrictions of the machine’s movement.  Less muscle fibers participating, less power output, less stimulus for growth….less muscle!

  It’s actually  not all that complicated.  If you want to build maximum lean muscle growth then you need to engage maximum muscle fibers into the workouts and exercises themselves.  You can do this by using a hefty dose of free weights and by also pushing yourself beyond momentary muscular failure by throwing in a few drop sets to your next workout.

  The free weights DEMAND participation and help from “assistance” or “stabilizer” muscles when you’re lifting. With the fact that the weights can usually float into 3D space…it is very important that you don’t allow this drift and instead control it by activating smaller core stabilizers, shoulder stabilizers, and back muscles to try and manage the float!

  Machines can’t offer you this.  Now, I’m not talking about cables.  Yes, those are attached to machines but they act very differently.

  Cables can reproduce 3-Dimensional space and pretty much let you overload your body without fear of being crushed by the them like you may have thought about the last time you crawled under the bar for “bench” day !  Am I saying that machines are the worst possible thing you can do?  Not at all.  Hey, after all, you’re working out right?  And that’s a great great great first start!  It’s just that, once you become a seasoned gym goer, you’re body is going to definitely shift into becoming much more responsive to free weights (and the extra stimulation that they offer) than to the unchanging machines.

  Don’t make the mistake of relying on them too much now…since as they say….habits may be hard to break! Establish a great base level of strength AND stability (not to mention more noticeable muscle growth) by training your muscles to fatigue in all directions and not just the one that stupid overgrown, single purpose, shoulder machine intended you to!

  Stay Strong,

  Jeff

  Have you been looking for a weight training program that met the three following criteria…it works, it’s quick, and it can be done without crazy equipment? Then you’ve found the answer and the answer is “X”!  The AthLEAN-X Training System is the most advanced yet simplest body resconstruXion program available today.  Find out more by visiting http://athleanx.com/getripped.html

  
  

• IS THE PERFECT PUSHUP THE PERFECT PIECE OF WEIGHT TRAINING EQUIPMENT?

  Posted: November 20, 2010

  

  Everyone would love to be able to buy just one piece of weight training equipment and have it meet all their fitness needs.  The only problem is, that piece of equipment really doesn’t exist…at least not for less than $14,572 (have you ever seen that stupid contraption that they sell in all the onflight airplane magazines?!).  I definitely wouldn’t recommend spending this type of money on something that looks like a trap out of the “SAW” movies, so we’re forced to look for alternatives.

  That said, the Perfect Pushup was one of the most solid entries into this competition a couple of years ago and still is hanging on as one of the top favorites of all home exercisers.  But is it worth it?!?

  Well, to be honest while the little device is certainly portable, unique and effective…it does have it’s limitations.  You definitely couldn’t order one of these and think you’re getting a complete workout.  What about the legs?  What about the back?  What about the biceps?  What about conditioning?  That’s a lot of “whats”, especially for a contraption that calls itself “PERFECT”!  Perfect for pushups…..yes (by easing the unnecessary strain on the wrists).  Just plain perfect?  Heck no.

  So you need to consider other options.

  Kettlebells? Again, while I personally love them and feel they have many benefits, the learning curve is too steep for the average consumer.  I have seen more than just one person smash the back of their wrist using the kettlebell and trying to do somme kind of one arm swing or clean.  They’re very difficult to control and for that reason, they don’t make the ideal training device for the home gym rat.

  Total Gym? How could it be bad?  Chuck freaking Norris endorses it!  Well, it’s definitely not bad.  In fact, it’s good for helping you to get a pretty good home workout and for hitting all the major muscle groups like the biceps, triceps, chest, legs, back and shoulders.  The problem is that most guys feel as if this thing is made for women, and that by somehow stepping foot on one they are checking their manhood at the door.  Rubbish!  This machine is effective and can even be made to be MORE challenging than some non-total gym exercises.  Now if we could only do something about that size of this darn thing.  No traveling with the Total Gym….sorry.  Now how is that one going to get through the radar detectors at the airport!

  The ValSlide? Ummm…not really.  Any exercise device that you could easily replicate by taking off your shoes and working out in your socks (especially if you have access to some hardwood floors) cannot be called a great workout equipment piece.

  Finally…the plain old fashioned medicine ball? While this may be my favorite of the bunch there are still some major limitations to what the medicine ball can do.  Usually, with just under 10 lbs of weight (most often) the ball won’t help when you’re trying to create a significant muscle overload.  For this you need some dumbbells that can pump up the weight pretty significantly pretty quickly.  Also…the round shape can make this sucker difficult to deal with especially when you’re relying on a stabile base when you’re exercising.

  So you see…nothing is perfect!  The only formula for true longstanding suXXess is to USE the equipment that you have.  I don’t care if you have a Total Gym, the Perfect Pushup, the Valslide, a med ball, whatever.  If you leave it unused and sitting around to do nothing but collect dust, you’re body may start to resemble the very same pile.  Don’t turn to dust.  Turn into AthLEAN instead!

  Stay Strong,

  Jeff

  Want to get a cheat sheet for the perfect home gym setup for under $500?  Just head to http://athleanx.com and sign up to see what has the entire fitness industry abuzz right now…The AthLEAN-X Training System.  Get 90 days of meal plans spelled out for you day by day and meal by meal, the home gym equipment, and 90 days of unique workouts designed by celebrity fitness trainer Jeff Cavaliere.  Cavaliere was a former MLB head physical therapist and strength coach, but also continues to train of the top pro atheletes in the World right now and has created his program to be unmatched for delivering “pro athlete bodies” to the average guy.  Visit http://athleanx.com for more details today!