E-zine #22: Getting and Staying Lean

TRY THIS AT YOUR NEXT WORKOUT:

If you tried the Heavy POF/Light Preexhaustion routine listed last month and have gotten good results, stick with it for the next few weeks, but try making a few changes to it.

1) If you have a weak bodypart that usually ends up in the middle, or at the end of a training day, try prioritizing it by placing it at the beginning of the workout.

2) If you have a particular bodypart that doesn't seem to be responding well to this method, switch it up a bit. Try doing 2-3 high-rep sets of an exercise, followed by 1-2 supersets of two others.

3) If doing certain exercises before those of the same, or another, bodypart seem to have a negative effect (i.e. greatly diminshing the number of reps you're able to get), try switching them around.

4) If there's an exercise that you don't like, or isn't giving you satisfactory results, do something else (i.e. hack squats instead of squats or decline bench presses rather than flat bech presses).

5) If you have a particularly weak muscle group, try hitting it first with more isolated exercise in order to increase the neuromuscular pathways to that area (i.e. one-leg leg curls before regular leg curls for weak hamstrings).

To follow the ITRC training program in 'Train, Eat, Grow,' get a copy of the latest issue of IRONMAN. For more on POF training go to www.ironmanmagazine.com.

NUTRITION TIP FOR GETTING AND STAYING LEAN

Seeing as summer is officially here now, we'll stick with last months theme, since I don't know too many people who are spend the summer trying to bulk up. Last month we went over IRONMAN's 6X Nutrition Plan, and it's important for you to stick with that, whether your goals are to gain muscle or lose fat. This month we'll cover some supplement suggestions that my help in your quest for leanness.

Now that you may have reached a point that you've been dieting for a while and training harder than normal, you may be hitting a plateau. Although the diet manipulation we discussed can help prevent that, there are a few supplements that would be benificial to add to your regimine at this point as well.

ECA-type supplements are the first that come to mind, and are easily the most popular and provide the most dramatic results. I've had good luck with MuscleTech's Hydroxycut. This product works well, but can be strong for people like me, who aren't used to stimulants. It works very well, but I find that I need to cycle it. I like to add it to my supplement regimine about this point in the dieting cycle, and then slowly taper off and move onto something else.

After using the Hydroxycut, I like to go for about a week or so with no fat-burning supplements, and then go to a guggulsterone-based supplement such as Muscle-Link's Thyro Stak. This product works very well once you've reached a plateau, as it helps to increase thyroid production, which tends to slow down once you've been dieting and training hard for a while, thereby slowing down your metabolism. That's one of the biggest reasons for hitting that wall that seems to halt fat-burning in it's tracks. I've had pretty good luck using the Thyro Stak, and it doesn't have any of the stimulant effects of many other products. I do find that I end up feeling warmer throughout the day as a result of the increased thyroid production. Of course, I'm a bit more active in the summer as well, but I'd never noticed the feeling of increased bodyheat before taking this.

As the fat levels in food keep coming down while you're dieting, it's also a very good idea to add some essential fatty acids (EFA) to your diet. This can be accomplished through foods, but then the calories tend to come up a bit more than some might like. There are supplements on the marke, such as Muscle-Link's Omega Stak, which have optimal blends of the EFAs. It's hard for some people to fathom the fact that increasing (good) fat intake can actually be beneficial, but I promise you it is. Not only can these help your body tap into its own fat stores for energy, but they also help produce prostaglandins, hormones and are beneficial for hair and skin health.

These and many other supplements that can help you attain a beach-worthy hardbody are available at http://www.muscle-link.com and http://www.home-gym.com.

——————————————————————–
This Special Report was submitted by Jonathan Lawson
The IRONMAN Training & Research Team
www.ironmanmagazine.com

The ITRC Training Newsletter is not intended as training advice for everyone. You must consult your physician before beginning any diet or training program. You may forward this email to as many friends as you want, but do not photocopy or reprint this report in any format without the written permission of the copyright holder.

——————————————————————–
In the NEXT Issue of IRONMAN…

You want'no, make that need'more mass, so next month we give you the Ultimate Muscle-Up Guide. It's all here, gang'training, diet, supplements. You'll be growing faster than you can say Deca-Durabolin, and there are no needles involved. We'll also have a special report on grass-fed beef and bison and how theyre loaded with good fat and lean on the bad. Grass-fed meat is perfect muscle food jam-packed with protein and creatine. And if you're looking for motivation, our Jack LaLanne profile should rev up the fitness fanatic in you. The man's in his 80s and still going strong. Unbelievable! Watch for the awe-inspiring August IRONMAN on newsstands the first week of July.

All Content (c) Copyright 2002 IRONMAN Magazine
All Rights Reserved