<![CDATA[Figure Membership Site - Figure Ready Blog]]>

<![CDATA[Figure Membership Site - Figure Ready Blog]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 17:27:39 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Working upper and lower body together]]>Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:16:25 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/07/working-upper-and-lower-body-together.html

Congratulations:
Before we get to the exercises I want to congratulate Kerry for rockin' it at the Bikini Nationals a few weeks ago. Kerry was featured doing the glute exercises last month (below) in the videos the last time I send you and email. One of the most energetic competitors you'll ever meet. Kerry trains and diets as hard as any competitors (figure or bodybuilding) I've ever trained.

A lot of women ask me about the difference in training and diet regimens that figure competitors and figure competitors follow in preparation for a show. I'm going to let you in on a secret - they follow the same diet and workout right alonside each other! The only difference is that the bikini competitors stop dieting when they reach their goal ...and figure competitors keep going until they are leaner.

The off-season is different because the figure competitors usually want to build more size. Sometime bikini competitors will work on size also.... the others just try to maintain their muscle.

I go into a little more detail about training figure competitors and bikini competitors together at my other blog: https://figurecompetitor.wordpress.com/

EXERCISES

Working the upper and lower body together is the BEST way to burn fat with resistance
exercises below are a few of the many combinations we use.
Try to perform the next two exercises back to back without resting

This is a great exercise for shoulders and glutes/thighs. You can use dumbbells or even small plates (like in the video).
In this video Shrell is performing 8 lunges w/lateral raises on one leg and then switches to the other leg. After working both legs, she performs a set of shoulder presses with the weights. Use lighter weights because they will get heavier after a few sets. Figure competitors need shoulders that stick out from the sides. The lateral raise combined with the the shoulder press is a great way for a figure competitor to focus on the side (lateral) delotoid muscle.

1 cycle: (lunge/laterals with both legs + 1 set of shoulder presses).

Perform 4 cycles of:
lunge laterals for 10 reps with each leg + 15 shoulder presses (one cycle)
- do these 4 cycles non-stop
- use your legs as little as possible during the shoulder press, focus on just working the shoulders
- the dumbbells you use will seem like a 100lbs by the last set

Here is another exercise that will work upper and lower body. I call it the Squat Hold Curl. It's tougher than it looks. The key is the squat position - don't cheat by not squatting far enough. You should squat far enough so that your elbows rest on the inside of your thighs. I often put this exercises in between jump squats
example: Jump squats X 15 reps + Squat hold curl X 25 reps + Jump squats x 15 reps + Squat hold curls X 25 reps etc......

]]><![CDATA[Building Great Glutes]]>Mon, 30 May 2011 12:16:56 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/05/building-great-glutes.htmlGet ready to be sore!

If you can get through this workout and still walk out of the gym.... you deserve a medal. BUT you have to do them the way I describe them.
This is series of exercises designed to target the glutes. In the videos below, bikini champion Kerry is getting ready for Nationals - she focuses a lot on having a tight butt. This is how she trains her glutes.

When working the glutes there are a few things to remember:

focus on pushing with your HEELS, this puts the stress on the glutes - if the pressure is on the balls of the feet, the stress is on the quads and knees
the lower you go down, the more stress there will be on your glute muscles
but... only go down as far as it's comfortable for your knees

Step ups and split squats:
In this video she is working the same leg back-to-back with both exercises and then she switches and focuses on the other legs (ex. perform a split squat with the left leg and immediately perform a step-up with the same leg). This one will get you sore the next day!

Perform 5 cycles (1 cycle is complete after you've done step-ups and split squats with both legs)
15 reps each leg

Duck squats + Frog Jumps:

If you can perform 2 cycles of this without resting you are in great shape (but you have to do it with your legs bent the entire time - no standing straight up.... in other words - try to keep your knees bent the entire time you do these cycles). Your legs and glutes will be burning

Perform 5 cycles nonstop.... remember keep those knees bent the entire time (you won't be able to do it... nobody can!)
15 reps each leg

Duck squats + Spy squats

Spy squats are killer.... but when you combine them with duck squats it's even worse. The key is to stay low and keep your knees bent the entire time!

Perform 5 cycles nonstop.... again, you won't be able to do it!
15 Duck squats + 30 Spy squats (15 each leg)

Kerry performs the spy squats from 2 different angles so you can get a better view

]]><![CDATA[Advanced Barbell Progession For Figure Competition Fat Loss]]>Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:21:41 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/04/advanced-barbell-progession-for-figure-competition-fat-loss.htmlThese are advanced exercises... attempt with caution:
There are 3 videos below showing a progression of barbell exercises. Each video gets more difficult than he previous one.
Barbells are great for burning body fat because they usually call for you to use your entire body to complete the exercise. If you're not comfortable with the barbell It may take you a few weeks to master these exercises. If you're not strong enough to handle a 45lb Olympic bar, then it may take you longer until you develop enough strength. There are also lighter 35lb and 25lb Olympic bars available.

1) BB suicides: a real calorie burner - work on this for a week or two before moving on to the 2nd progression

2) BB suicide with a clean to squat (progression #1): pull the bar to your shoulder and then go into a squat

3) BB Suicide with a squat press (progression #2): now we complete the movement with a squat press

These exercises are not easy to do. It's easy to get frustrated if you don't have the strength or coordination to do these exercises. Stick with it. your strength will increase quicker than you think.

Squatting with an Olympic bar in front is difficult, you may have to practice with a broom stick to get the proper form.
Jumping with an Olympic bar has to be done with a nice and smooth motion (soft landing) so that you don't hurt your knees.
Doing pushups on a bar may be a little scary at first... trust me, the bar won't roll away (just make sure you stay over it)
get ready for strange looks at the gym when you start doing these exercises

Workout suggestion:
Try running for 4 or 5 minutes on a treadmill and then doing one of the above exercise for 10 ro 12 reps... then repeat {treadmill + exercise (above)} for 30 minutes!

]]><![CDATA[What competitors eat to get lean.]]>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:38:23 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/04/what-competitors-eat-to-get-lean.htmlI get a lot of questions about the structure of the competition diet. Below is a graph I came up with as I developed my diets for figurecompetitiondiets.com

If the graphs below are hard to read. You can download them from the link below the graph.

Below is the Pdf if you want to download the above graph:

Part 1

competition_diet_1s.pdf
File Size:	255 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Part 2

competition_diet_2s.pdf
File Size:	269 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

]]><![CDATA[Advanced Fat Loss Workouts]]>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:57:17 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/03/advanced-fat-loss-workouts.htmlI've been using the following technique quite successively in training competitors to lose body fat:
When competitors (or anyone) wants to get really lean, they have to learn to push themselves through exhaustion. Where the average person would quit... they must keep going. One of my techniques, is to give competitors a workout that I know they can't finish without taking a break. They work until they are too exhausted and need to take a short rest before continuing. This forces them to work to their max. Remember, fat loss is stubborn... you gotta give it 100% if you want to get lean.
Below are some examples designed to push you past your limits.

Mountain Climbers + Pushups (non-stop)

See how exhausted their upper bodies get toward the end of this workout...
The idea is to finish the entire 8 cycles without stopping... good luck!

Barbell Squat Press

Here is another example of a demanding exercise I use to get competitors in shape. I will give the competitor a high number of reps that is nearly impossible to complete. In this example it's 70 reps with a 45lb Olympic bar. She must keep going until she is finished, with only short breaks to catch her breath or shake the lactic acid out of her muscles.
(try combining this with the workout above with no rest between them)

Try combining this with the workout above with no rest between them or.... you can combine this exercise with 3 or 4 others and do them all in succession without resting... you will be crawling out of the gym.
- If you can't handle the Olympic bar, you can use 2 dumbbells instead.

Exercise Spotlight

Arm position and Pushups

What muscles are you working?
Depending on where your arms are positioned will determine if pushups effect the triceps more... or the chest and shoulders.
Most women do push with wide arms but if you want to focus more on the triceps, you need to use a different arm position.
Watch the video below and check out the different hand positions.

Pushups done with arms closer to your body (elbows in) are more difficult because there is more pressure on your triceps.
Pushups done with arms further apart focus more on the chest and front deltoids... they are also easier to do because the shoulders and chest are stronger than the triceps.

]]><![CDATA["Running the Rack" for fat loss]]>Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:01:47 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/01/running-the-rack-for-fat-loss.html

'Running the rack' is something I I've talked about online and get emails asking me about it. It is featured in week 5 of the Figureready program.
I needed a workout to give to figure competitors who had trouble losing body fat. I often had them train separately, but I needed to know that they were working out intensely since I couldn't always watch their entire workout. So I came up with running the rack - when done correctly, It burns a lot of calories.

The first exercise is the key (it's usually a squat row), you increase the weight each set by 10lbs. until you can no longer perform the required number of reps. The second exercise stays the same (weight and reps) throughout. In this video the Db squat press is the 2nd exercise.
- Once you reach your maximum weight on the squat rows (when you cant do the required number of reps) then you work your way back down the weight stack, decreasing the weight by 10lbs each set. until you reach your starting weight.

]]><![CDATA[Killer legs exercise]]>Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:58:30 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/01/killer-legs-exercise.htmlHere is a quad-killer. It's a combination of jump squats and jump lunges. Individually these exercises are tough but together they are 3X as tough. This is how you perform it:

1) perform a jump squat
2) then perform 2 alternating jump lunges
3) another jump squat
4) 2 more jump lunges
...continue this pattern for the required number of reps (15 is a good number)

Workout idea:
try doing these immediately after a set of seated leg extensions (for the quads)
- perform 15 leg extensions (or until legs burn), jump off and immediately begin to perform the above exercise
- do this non-stop for 3 cycles of: 15 leg extensions + 15 reps of the above exercise (i haven't named it yet)
- you will be crawling along the gym floor afterwards

]]><![CDATA[Using the Spin Bike to lose body fat (for figure competitors)]]>Sun, 09 Jan 2011 17:57:16 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2011/01/using-the-spin-bike-to-lose-body-fat-for-figure-competitors.htmlMixing a cardio exercise (ex. running, spin bike etc) with a resistance exercise is a great way to burn calories. I use the spin bike often during the precontest fat loss period for figure competitors. The key is to push hard on the spin bike so that you get the maximum benefit when you move on to your resistance exercise.

The video below shows the:
spin bike + jump squats
spin bike + Db squat presses

Turn the tension up on the spin bike so that it's difficult to pedal. Push hard, your leg muscles should be burning by the time you get off the bike.
Workout idea:
(perfrom the following 9 sets without interrupton - this is one giant set)
1) 100 reps on the spin bike + 20 jump squats
2) 110 reps on the spin bike + 20 jump squats
3) 120 reps on the spin bike + 20 jump squats
4) 130 reps on the spin bike + 20 Db squat presses
5) 140 reps on the spin bike + 20 Db squat presses
6) 150 reps on the spin bike + 20 Db squat presses
7) 160 reps on the spin bike + max pushups
8) 170 reps on the spin bike + max pushups
9) 180 reps on the spin bike + max pushups

It's important for anyone getting ready for a figure show to constantly try to force the body to lose body fat. Sometime switching the type of workout can be the spark to keep fat loss going.

]]><![CDATA[How to do a pullup (or increase the number you can do)]]>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:24:29 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2010/12/how-to-do-a-pullup-or-increase-the-number-you-can-do.htmlPullups: How to get strong enough to do them!

"I want to be able to do a pull-up" is a comment I hear often from women. Guys want to bench press a lot of weight.... but women want to do pull-ups. Pull-ups are a far better exercise!!
The fastest way to increase your strength in pull-ups is to focus on the negative phase of the pull-ups (the lowering portion of the exercise).
Whether you can do a pullup or not, the technique is the same:

use a bench, stool etc... to get into the top position
lower yourself down under control
use the bench to get back into the top position
repeat

Can't do pull-ups:
If you can lower yourself under control (but can't pull yourself up) this shows that you have the strength to do a pullup within a few weeks of concentrating on doing negative reps.

Can do pull-ups:
If you can already do pull-ups then negative workouts will increase your strength quickly. Perform your max number of pull-up and then see how many you can do after 3 weeks of training like this.

Caution: When you lower yourself, never lower to a position where your arms are completely straight (as if you are just 'hanging' there). Always keep a slight bend in your elbows,. when you are are almost straight, use the stool to stop from going into a hang. "Hanging" takes the stress off the muscle (where it should be) and places it on the shoulder and elbow joints.

Careful: Negative repetitions put a lot of stress on the muscles and tendons, so start easy. Do a few negative reps in your next workout, then increase it with each workout (ex workout #1: 4 negatives; workout #2 (later in the week) 8 or 9 negatives; workout #3 (following week) 3 sets of 4 etc.... slowly increase the number you do so that the muscles and tendons have time to get accustomed to the extra stress.

]]><![CDATA[How to squat safely (jump squats, air squats, frog jumps, regular barbell squats)]]>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:21:58 -0800http://www.figureready.com/1/post/2010/12/how-to-squat-safely-jump-squats-air-squats-frog-jumps-regular-barbell-squats.htmlHow to squat safely

If you are training to lose body fat you will need to do a lot of leg exercises because using these large muscle burn a lot of calories.
When it comes to squatting, women have to be more careful to use proper form. Women are built differently than men (wider hips) which can put you at risk for more knee problems when doing any form of squatting.
When squatting it's important that you place your weight on your heels. This transfers the weight off the knee joint (bad) and onto the thigh muscles and glutes (good). Watch the video and pay attention to knee placement and weight distribution. If you are not comfortable with this position, it may take a few weeks before you do it before it becomes a habit.

Sore knees: If you have sore knees this may solve your problem. I would say that 75% of women perform squats incorrectly. Most feel relief once they try squatting like this

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