Bench Press and Body Fat: Separating Fact from Fiction
In the world of fitness, the quest for a leaner physique often leads to myths and misconceptions. One such myth is the idea that chest bench presses alone can magically reduce body fat around the midsection and abs. In this blog post, we'll uncover the truth about how increasing lean muscle through strength training can indeed help reduce body fat, with a focus on three bench press variations: the Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, and Incline Bench Press. Additionally, we'll provide you with an effective 6-8 week training program that balances these pressing movements with essential pulling exercises for a well-rounded approach to fat loss.
The Power of Lifting Weights: A Personal Journey
Ever wondered why people get into lifting weights? It's a question that often reflects personal stories of transformation and empowerment. Let's explore the profound reasons behind my Journey lifting weights. Understanding the motivations behind weightlifting can be a mystery to those who haven't experienced its benefits firsthand.
What’s the most useless exercise machine you’ve seen at the gym?
Ever walked into a gym and wondered about the purpose of certain exercise machines? You're not alone. In this post, we'll take a closer look at some of the most perplexing and, dare we say, useless gym machines specifically the Smith Machine. Misusing or relying on gym machines can hinder your progress and waste valuable workout time, which I have seen first hand when I see people using the Smith Machine. Understanding the benefits and limitations of gym machines can help you make informed choices during your fitness journey.
Will weightlifting have a negative affect your joints once you are over 50 years of age?
Strength, mobility, and fitness know no age limits. If you're over 50 and looking to increase lean muscle and strength while maintaining joint health, you're in the right place. Atlas Performance Training has crafted a 6-week program that prioritizes joint mobility and resistance training to empower you to become the hero of your fitness journey.
Can you still Lift heavy weight if you’re overweight?
Being overweight often comes with concerns about joint health, mobility, and the effectiveness of workouts. Many individuals are hesitant to incorporate heavy resistance training into their routine, fearing that it may not be suitable or safe for them.
Starting at 40: Your Journey to a Remarkable Physique
Is it too late to start working out at 40? Not at all! In fact, it's the perfect time to embark on your fitness journey. In this blog post, we'll provide you with a comprehensive 6-week plan of action that focuses on nutrition, complete strength training, and the top five exercises and meals to promote fat loss and lean muscle gain.
Lean Muscle Hacks: Fast-Track to Fitness Success
Building lean muscle requires a balanced approach that includes both nutrition and strength training. In this blog post, we'll provide you with a 6-8 week nutrition and strength training program designed to help you build lean muscle effectively…..
"Fitness Center 'Don'ts': Common Mistakes to Avoid"
In today's fast-paced world, finding time for exercise can be challenging, especially for busy professionals and remote workers. However, with a well-structured workout plan that fits into your daily routine, achieving your fitness goals is entirely possible. In this blog post, we'll provide a workout schedule tailored for individuals with tight schedules, allowing you to work out 3-5 days a week for 35-45 minutes per session. We'll break down each training session, focusing on resistance training, and provide exercises for the upper body, lower body, and total body workouts.
Gaining Muscle and Getting Shredded: The Power of Nutrition
Balancing muscle gain and fat loss can be a complex task. Many individuals struggle to understand how their nutrition habits can support their efforts in the gym. Our targeted member avatar seeks guidance on optimizing their diet for maximum results.
Maintaining a 20-25 Pound Fat Loss: The Role of Consistent Strength Training"
Losing 20-25 pounds of body fat is an incredible accomplishment, but the real challenge lies in maintaining that hard-earned weight loss over the long term. Many individuals find it difficult to sustain their progress without making drastic changes to their diets, often leading to the frustrating cycle of yo-yo dieting. In this blog post, we will explore how a consistent strength training routine can be the key to maintaining significant fat loss without the need for drastic dietary alterations. Let's delve into the problem, its impact on health and performance, and the detailed solution we offer through our Atlas Performance Training (AP Excel) Personal Training Program.
The Problem:
Six-Pack Abs in 6 Weeks: Nourish Your Way to Success
It's time to turn that dream into reality. In this blog post, we'll provide you with a complete nutrition and exercise program that focuses on developing and maintaining those coveted six-pack abs. This program includes a 7-day nutrition plan, meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, a grocery list, recommendations on alcohol consumption, and an 8-week strength and cardio exercise training program.
Navigating Weight Loss: Medication vs. Nutrition & Exercise
Today, we're shedding light on two pathways to shed body fat: the innovation of the weight loss medications Wegovy and Ozempic compared to harnessing the power of nutrition and exercise for long-term well-being.
Wegovy and Ozempic: A revolutionary approach to weight loss, the cutting-edge injectable medicine by Novo Nordisk, is tailored for adults with obesity (BMI 27+) aiming to embark on their weight loss journey. Building on the success of Ozempic, Wegovy offers a targeted solution backed by clinical evidence.
How to Maintain Wellness and Self-Care Goals
8 step to help you create a plan of action to manage you Goals
With the hustle and bustles of our busy days, it's not always easy to take care of ourselves. But now, there are tons of wellness goals you can achieve with just 10 minutes per day, like eating healthier or getting more exercise throughout your weekdays……
Rebuilding Your Body
It is important to consult with a physical therapist or certified fitness professional coach with the knowledge of how to work with and train individuals with joint and mobility limitations. These professionals have the experience to develop a personalized exercise plan that focuses on strengthening the muscles (for example the Quadriceps and Hamstrings in regards to the knee ) and opposing joints surrounding the joint that will be replaced (hip and ankle in regards to the knee). This also will help improve joint stability and range of motion, as well as prepare the body for the demands of surgery and rehabilitation, which is very important to help speed up your recovery and help prevent additional complications…
Maintaining Your Health at an Older Age
As you’ve grown older, you may have noticed that things don't feel the same as they used to. You might not have as much energy, and you might want to change things in your life that don’t benefit you anymore. Don't worry; there are several ways to reinvigorate your health and improve your mood….
Goal Setting: Create your outcome
This is something that we all use to give our wants and dreams a destination. I first learned about goal setting was my sophomore year in high school during a black student union meeting. Todd Lyght from the University of Notre Dame was invited to speak to us about his experience and to give us some tips and advice on how to set yourself up for success. The steps that he used were simple and straight to the point. At the time Notre Dame was the top college football organization in the country. One of the first topics he covered was goal setting and his system for setting his goals. Being a guy who loves examining systems and processes this was right up my alley!
3 Tips To Help you lose that last 20 lbs
This is a basic form of calorie restriction. Although there are several different versions of intermittent fasting, they all have the same fundamental rule; No Food or drink with a caloric value are to be consumed during the fast….
This is tried and true way to increase your energy expenditure to 525-625cal of energy per day. This could possibly help you hit that 1 lb- 1.5 lb fat loss per week. However, the 1# rule to remember is that you can not train yourself out of a bad or inconsistent nutrition/diet routine…
This is a more holistic way of planning out your weight loss program, and in my opinion, this should be the first method you should try to lose unwanted fat….
Is your success Too expensive?
Over the last year, my goals have been good but that was not great! And so went my effort, it was good on a great day and ok on a good day; which equals average. As I prepare for the mid-year and as I look forward I will make my goals larger than my current life, this is scary but I need this more than anything. I don’t like being comfortable but it’s easy to be comfortable. I DON’T NEED IT EASY! As an athlete, I truly loved everything thing about playing sports but there were days that I did not like the preparation, the long hours watching game film, and even sometimes lifting weights (and anyone who knows me knows how much I love lifting weights).
Body Composition: Body FAT Mass v.s. Lean Muscle Mass
I can speak from experience as a trainer and former college and professional athlete that recording and tracking your body composition during training can improve your results and give you the blueprint to reaching your goals even if you fall off the wagon and regain that extra 20 - 25 lb over the holidays or on a vacation. There are 4 ways body composition can help improve your training experience along with your health in general, but only if you are looking for a long-term solution and not a quick fix plan that will leave you 30-40 lb heavier and wondering what happened. These are the 4 reasons you should be using body composition to improve your training experience………
Energy System Development Series
Lifting heavy weights to become stronger is one of the most popular reasons to lift weights. But the combination of using various weightlifting principles and program variations to improve muscular Hypertrophy (increase in muscular tone and size) is even more effective and fun. Lifting to increase muscular size helps individuals improve not only their physical appearance but also their physical performance. One of the factors that are important is the use of set and rep manipulation. This means programming different sequences sets and reps to increase the stress applied to the muscles that are being trained and. In theory, the number of sets should be about 2-4 sets and the reps should be 8-12 reps using 65%-85% of the maximum weight you can lift for 1 rep for that exercise to achieve hypertrophy. One other important factor is limiting your rest in between sets to less than 1 minute. This limit in the recovery time will increase the stress on your muscles which increases the growth response your muscles have during the recovery process. THE MAGIC HAPPENS IN THE RECOVERY!