For my last Grappling competition I had to drop around 18 lbs in about 3 weeks time.  Here’s an example of what I did on my non-weight training days for cardio.

It’s a break-fall combined with an up-down.

I completed 20 repetitions of each and then rested twice as long as the amount of time it took me to complete the set.  Then I repeated that process 2 more times for a total of 3 sets.

If you combine this type of training 3 days a week with weight training 3 days a week.  It’s nearly impossible not to get lean.  Your body is forced to comply.  Be smart and aggressive with your training and you’ll always see results.

Fitness advice from a bum?  Nope, it’s just me looking very homely today.

Listen to me ramble a little bit about the use of exercise equipment and why I don’t believe machines are gods gift to the gym.

How do you feel about training with machines?  Good?  Bad?  Is there a place for them in a solid fitness routine?  Let me know how you feel.

By Jason Ferruggia

Let’s face it; nobody wants to be skinny and weak. Deep down everybody desires the ripped, muscular physique of a UFC fighter or an NFL running back. That’s the kind of look that attracts the ladies and earns respect from the guys. But the question that perplexes many of you is “how do I get that look?” Well search no more because I am about to teach you how to gain weight and build muscle at break neck speeds and finally achieve the head turning physique you have always dreamed of.

Most skinny guys and wannabe mass monsters make numerous mistakes in their training programs and naming them all here would take an entire book. But the important thing is that you stop making those mistakes immediately and start following my top ten tips on how to gain weight fast.

1. Train Heavy- You will never build any significant size with high reps and light weights. If you want to get huge you need to add weight to the bar and bring your reps down a bit.
2. Don’t Train For More Than 45 Minutes Per Session- Your testosterone output is dramatically increased during a weight training workout but this only lasts for 45 minutes. After that point its shot. What happens then is that your testosterone levels start to plummet and cortisol levels start to rise. Cortisol eats muscle and increases body fat storage. So hit it hard and get out quick.
3. Always Follow the Law of Progressive Overload- If you want to get huge you have to use progressive overload in your training. What this means is that you absolutely must improve upon your previous performance every time you enter the gym. You can do this by lifting heavier weights, doing more reps with the same weight, doing more sets, doing the same amount of work in less time or doing more work in the same amount of time. But whatever you do, DON’T do the exact same thing as the last time you were in the gym. You must give your body a reason to grow and repeating the exact same workout as last time does not force muscle growth.
4. Use Big, Compound Exercises- Exercises like squats, deadlifts, military presses and rows should be the staples of your mass building workout program. These are the exercises that build the most muscle and stimulate the greatest testosterone production. Most machines are a waste of time and do very little to help you pack on size. Stick with free weight movements like dumbbell presses and good mornings, and bodyweight exercises like chin ups and dips.
5. Eat Big- No matter how good your training program is you will never develop a massively muscled physique if you don’t consume enough calories. You need to eat every 2-3 hours and focus on getting one gram of lean protein per pound of bodyweight daily and an ample amount of clean carbs and healthy fats. For super skinny guys with a fast metabolism I recommend focusing on foods like rice, potatoes, pasta and consuming 30% of your calories from healthy fats like avocado, nuts and cold pressed oils.

By following those five tips you will start to pack on slabs of new muscle in no time. For more explosive tips on how to gain weight rapidly check out http://www.thebuffgeek.com/musclebuilding.php .

 
Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He has trained thousands of clients during his 14 years as a professional fitness coach, including more than 500 athletes from over 20 different sports. Jason has written hundreds of articles for numerous top rated training magazines and websites and has authored four fitness books. He is also the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit http://www.thebuffgeek.com/musclebuilding.php

One of my most favorite events in the Olympic games has to be Gymnastics.  Probably because it is a perfect example of mastering the human body and what it can do.

When it comes to Men’s Rings Yibing Chen and Wei Yang are the two best in the world right now.

If you watched the Rings finals you may have noticed that every single competetor was, for lack of a better adjective, “jacked”.

How do they get these completely developed physiques?

They don’t do biceps curls or triceps push downs.

They do not have a “shoulders” day.

In fact, when it comes to their training, the asthetics of their physique is the last thing they are concerned with.  They train completely to be the best at what they do.  When you train to be the best at something you can not afford to waste time.  You can not afford to waste energy.  Everything useless gets tossed and only the truly important and effective techniques are used.

It’s something to think about next time you take to the gym.  Could you be doing something more effective with your time and energy.

Anyway, if you’re interested in doing some bad ass ring training go here.