I'm currently completing a program outlined by Rusty Moore over at fitnessblackbook.com called Visual Impact.
This is a program designed to give you the 'mens health' or 'Hollywood' kind of look rather than the bulky muscle-bound look that a lot of
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Shoulder impingement syndrome
One of the top 3, if not THE top injury to be found in any weights area of a gym, is a shoulder injury. The most common of these would have to be a shoulder impingement.
If you've ever felt pain in your shoulder when pressing overhead, you may ver
If you've ever felt pain in your shoulder when pressing overhead, you may ver
Sunday, July 25, 2010
5 ways to stop binge eating
We all have our moments where reaching for a bag of cookies becomes part of our 'zombie-like' mindset. It all happens with surprising autonomy.
It wont become apparent until you are licking the last crumb from the packet either, which is the most di
It wont become apparent until you are licking the last crumb from the packet either, which is the most di
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Don't say 'NO' to the cheese plate!
I normally wouldn't post on what I'm doing at the weekend, but this feels pretty relevant.
A healthy lifestyle, in my mind, takes into account variation, enjoyment and doing it all with a smile on the dial.
This weekend, I happen to be going to t
A healthy lifestyle, in my mind, takes into account variation, enjoyment and doing it all with a smile on the dial.
This weekend, I happen to be going to t
Easy Breakfast: #1 Protein Shake heaven
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be profiling a meal that I eat MYSELF which is easy to make for the time poor amongst us – oh, and is healthy and will keep you satiated until lunchtime. WIN?
Without a doubt, convenience is paramount to success for
Without a doubt, convenience is paramount to success for
Monday, July 19, 2010
Top 10 ways to lose stubborn fat
We all want the holy grail of fat burning advice to the point where we’d probably sell our first born child, and maybe even the second one, all for a magic pill which will make that stubborn adipose tissue get the hell off our waistlines and annoy
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Want to burn fat fast? HIIT will kick your ass
If your current cardio routine is 'easy' for you, then perhaps you’re doing it wrong. Hold on a minute matey, I’m not talking about aerobics, pump classes or anything else ending in ‘class’, but rather, I'm talking about the zombie-like crowd of gym-goers that consistently leash themselves to the nearest elliptical/treadmill or any other piece of ‘fat burning’ equipment that is hooked up to Pay TV, to run at a steady-state for 45mins or longer.
If you are training like this 5 days
If you are training like this 5 days
Fit ball exercise – What you didn't know
A topic that is largely stigmatised and seldom spoken about, is one on using a fit ball to exercise. To the guys reading this, I know you're probably thinking that they're ‘girlie’ and no man would be caught dead using one.
Seriously though, I use one every second or third workout and they are NOT a gimmick by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want to improve all your lifts (yes guys including bench press), read on.
Janelle Waters a Holistic Lifestyle coach over at NESH will
Seriously though, I use one every second or third workout and they are NOT a gimmick by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want to improve all your lifts (yes guys including bench press), read on.
Janelle Waters a Holistic Lifestyle coach over at NESH will
Top 10 traits of a gym 'douchebag'
We’ve all experienced the dreaded gym ‘douche-bag’ and we often let it fly and don’t not say anything (Let’s face it – it’s easier to be nice and let things slide than to cause a scene).
How can you recognize one? What if you ARE one and don’t realise it? Here is a list of things that you can measure yourself against to see if you’re one of the culprits.
[caption id="attachment_508" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Jeans have no place in the gym "] [/caption]
How can you recognize one? What if you ARE one and don’t realise it? Here is a list of things that you can measure yourself against to see if you’re one of the culprits.
[caption id="attachment_508" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Jeans have no place in the gym "] [/caption]
Which supplements are worth it?
Ive been there and spent the hard earned cash.
Here ill tell you which worked for me and which didn’t.
Let me first state up front that I am in no way affiliated with any supplement suppliers and am not being paid for the following information. It is entirely my own opinion.
There’s a lot of propaganda surrounding the fitness industry. The supplement companies would have you believe that you need buy and use a little bit of everything. It’s one of the most daunting and confusing thi
Here ill tell you which worked for me and which didn’t.
Let me first state up front that I am in no way affiliated with any supplement suppliers and am not being paid for the following information. It is entirely my own opinion.
There’s a lot of propaganda surrounding the fitness industry. The supplement companies would have you believe that you need buy and use a little bit of everything. It’s one of the most daunting and confusing thi
Body of a Hollywood star
We’ve all seen plenty of movies and think to ourselves:
“How come I spend literally HOURS in the gym, and yet can’t achieve a body that looks even remotely like what’s up there on the silver screen.”
The Photoshop effect in Hollywood (Hollywood muscle)
Who isn't aware of the Photoshop work that goes into movie posters and magazine covers. What about movies then? Surely, what we see on the big-screen is real? How can you Photoshop video?
Well you can, but there are several other t
“How come I spend literally HOURS in the gym, and yet can’t achieve a body that looks even remotely like what’s up there on the silver screen.”
The Photoshop effect in Hollywood (Hollywood muscle)
Who isn't aware of the Photoshop work that goes into movie posters and magazine covers. What about movies then? Surely, what we see on the big-screen is real? How can you Photoshop video?
Well you can, but there are several other t
Beer made me fat
One of the toughest issues affecting anyone committed to a healthy lifestyle, would have to be the topic of alcohol. After all, we all want to look lean and mean, but still enjoy life. Is there a happy medium?
Can we still go out and 'get smashed' from time to time whilst maintaining an awesome physique? Or will beer make me fat?
The 70% Rule
A rule I regularly practise, and actually works. It might not work for a small number of the population, but for the rest of us it will lower your
Can we still go out and 'get smashed' from time to time whilst maintaining an awesome physique? Or will beer make me fat?
The 70% Rule
A rule I regularly practise, and actually works. It might not work for a small number of the population, but for the rest of us it will lower your
Looking 'good' naked
We don’t all want to look big, bulky and like we’re on the juice.
I see it all the time. Program after program designed to target one thing–making you look massive.
Don’t get me wrong, muscle size is definitely something I aspire to, but unless you’re an up and coming footballer or a Mr Olympia competitor, lets go back to the basics and concentrate on things that matter.
[caption id="attachment_182" align="alignleft" width="214" caption="Looking MASSIVE isn't always a good
I see it all the time. Program after program designed to target one thing–making you look massive.
Don’t get me wrong, muscle size is definitely something I aspire to, but unless you’re an up and coming footballer or a Mr Olympia competitor, lets go back to the basics and concentrate on things that matter.
[caption id="attachment_182" align="alignleft" width="214" caption="Looking MASSIVE isn't always a good
Supplement madness
Save your hard earned cash. Most of them aren’t worth their weight.
Like most people, you're probably hounded by advertising day in and day out about the next big thing in bodybuilding or fitness supplements.
They all preach the same things: 'Six pack abs' or 'mind-blowing pumps!’ and the list could go on forever.
Let me be honest with you –I was fooled by marketing for a long time before I realized that it was costing me more money than it was worth.
I took varying degrees of ever
Like most people, you're probably hounded by advertising day in and day out about the next big thing in bodybuilding or fitness supplements.
They all preach the same things: 'Six pack abs' or 'mind-blowing pumps!’ and the list could go on forever.
Let me be honest with you –I was fooled by marketing for a long time before I realized that it was costing me more money than it was worth.
I took varying degrees of ever
Supplement madness
Save your hard earned cash. Most of them aren’t worth their weight.
Like most people, you're probably hounded by advertising day in and day out about the next big thing in bodybuilding or fitness supplements.
They all preach the same things: 'Six pack abs' or 'mind-blowing pumps!’ and the list could go on forever.
Let me be honest with you –I was fooled by marketing for a long time before I realized that it was costing me more money than it was worth.
I took varying degrees of ever
Like most people, you're probably hounded by advertising day in and day out about the next big thing in bodybuilding or fitness supplements.
They all preach the same things: 'Six pack abs' or 'mind-blowing pumps!’ and the list could go on forever.
Let me be honest with you –I was fooled by marketing for a long time before I realized that it was costing me more money than it was worth.
I took varying degrees of ever
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Is it Impossible To Achieve Hollywood Muscle?
All of the movies that we've seen have shown us movie stars with absolutely perfect physiques, but where are our results after blowing hours working out to no avail? With the help of this article, we will discover what you could be doing better.
Doesn't it seem impossible?
All of the musclebound men in Hollywood with great physiques can make you feel inadequate, no matter how hard you work out at the gym and try to get more toned.
Hollywood Muscle and PhotoshopHow can those muscles not be real? How does video get the Photoshop treatment? It's possible, but actors have a few advantages up their sleeve that you simply do not have access to.
Down-lighting
Do you ever see 'before' and 'after' pictures, and notice that the lighting is a lot different between the two? When you look at the 'before' picture, there are a lot of highlights and a lack of shadow definition. These lighting effects leave people looking much flabbier than they are normally, and without a lot of muscle.
Everything changes when we get to the 'after' picture, however. With the help of down-lighting, each muscle is more defined and the edges are easier to see, helping with that 'ripped' look.
Films can also use this technique, as a lot of work goes into the lighting of a particular setpiece. If you use the right lighting trickery, you can give added definition to an actor's muscles. Given the correct 'grading' and perfect editing, the film will have a much different contrast to enhance their physique.
Get Greasy
Baby oil is often used to make actors look better on film. If you grease them up with this appearance, their muscles will be more defined and look more full.
Angles Are Everything
Despite what you may think, Sylvester Stallone is incredibly short, only 5'7". Given this fact, what makes him look gigantic in the films that he is in? There are low camera angles that are used under a person's chin, which has the effect of making him look taller than his real stature.
Pumping Up
As Hugh Jackman filmed the Wolverine movie, he let out a secret. Before each take of the film, he would keep dumbbells just off shot in order to pump up his muscles with blood, making them look bigger every time. There is no faster way to make your biceps look at least an inch bigger.
Get a tan!
When you go to the beach, who do you look at: The toned girl with a good body, or the tan skinny girl? The girl with the tan will actually show off her muscles more. How we perceive shapes is how we largely determine muscle tone. The girl with the tan will look more defined than the lighter-skinned girl, because her skin will reflect a greater amount of light back into your eyes.
Waxing
Hair on your chest can get in the way of seeing your pecs. You will not look as ripped if you have a lot of hair on your chest. Chest hair was conspicuously absent on the physiques of 1980s action stars. (Women obviously do not have this problem!)
Is there anything else?
When movie stars are on the screen, they will be at their absolute physical prime and have the help of many. Movie stars will undergo strict diet and exercise regimens for months at a time with the help of experienced trainers and nutritionists, and makeup artists and hairstylists will help them look their best - their outfits are usually well fitting and flattering as well.
As a result, you should not feel bad about not looking as good as Taylor Lautner does the next time you go to a movie. He has a lot of training, but you work hard as well. He can only get that perfect look with the help of dozens of trainers and stylists - you have more realistic goals in mind.
Can you get Hollywood muscle? Of course you can.
Like this article? Read more at Crude Fitness
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