Author: Fabian

This is a question that has plagued many people since the dawn of time. Well, since the dawn of working out, anyhow. And for a number of years, I didn’t really have a definitive answer to it myself. All the sources I turned to for an opinion were pretty much evenly divided, and there just didn’t seem to be any clear consensus one way or the other. As it turns out however, they were all right. Lunges target both the glutes and the quads, in fairly equal measure, depending on a few simple variables. And the great thing about this…

There are two very common misunderstandings around the existence and consumption of so-called “good foods” and “bad foods”. One of the difficulties in having a discussion about this, however, is even agreeing on what a “good food” is supposed to be and what a “bad food” is supposed to be in the first place. Unfortunately, there’s quite a mixed bag of opinions out there about this. So I’ll give you what I think is probably the most widely-accepted view. Let’s agree for now that a good food is simply any natural, unprocessed food. Or a food that has been processed…

It’s very sad to see the huge split that has occurred in the IFBB over the past couple of months. It would have been nice if both sides could have worked together to continue to represent the huge internationally-amalgamated organization that the IFBB has been for years, but I guess it’s just not to be. Understandably, since the split was announced there has been a lot of concern and confusion among competitors over the future of the IFBB and the NPC, and what it means to them. I therefore just want to summarize what has happened within the IFBB and…

Unless you’re fairly new to working out with weights, chances are you’ve heard about the concept of Time Under Tension. So what does it mean, exactly? Well, Time Under Tension relates to training with weights, or any other form of resistance, for that matter. To most people, it basically refers to the total length of time over which the target muscle group is placed under load during an exercise repetition. And there are those who believe that to get optimal results from a training session, you should maximize that length of time. This is why it’s not uncommon to see…

Protein powder is arguably the most popular dietary supplement you’re likely to ever come across. Commonly used on a daily basis by athletes and fitness enthusiasts of all levels, it even appears to be one of the first supplements of choice for many people simply seeking to lose weight. And the fact that you’re visiting this website and have an interest in fitness suggests there’s a pretty strong chance you’ve actually used it yourself in the past or are currently doing so. If not, I’m sure you know someone who does. Unless it’s used as a cooking ingredient, protein powder…

It‘s a commonly-known and unfortunate fact that misunderstandings, myths, misinformation and flat-out blatant lies run rife in the health and fitness industry. Sad, but true. So why is that? Well, it’s largely made possible by a combination of three distinct forces. Firstly, the desire for certain individuals to create attention and make lots of money, ethically or otherwise. Secondly, the desire for many people to find quick and easy solutions to their health and fitness woes, and the willingness to pay good money for them. After all, keeping fit and healthy is hard work, right? And thirdly, the fact that…

OK so I have a confession to make. I don’t normally like to do this kind of thing, but the truth is I intentionally colored the title to this blog post with bro-speak, just for the purposes of grabbing people’s attention. If you read the title and didn’t find anything wrong with it, that’s good. You’re probably about to learn something, so please read on. The fact is, there’s a huge number of women out there whose goal it is to simply get a nice, lean, toned-looking body. They have no interest in developing big, bulky muscles that make them…

If you’re someone who keeps up to date with the current science and practice of nutrition, you’ll know that the debate between Flexible Dieting (aka IIFYM, or If it Fits Your Macros) and Clean Eating for weight loss or general fitness has been pretty active of late. Traditionally, Clean Eating has been the staple approach for anyone who’s trying to lose weight or who’s interested in maintaining good health and fitness in general. Recently, however, a charge has been led by highly qualified industry icons such as Dr. Layne Norton against the validity and even the rationality behind Clean Eating.…

We all know them. Those women who have seemingly superhuman discipline and determination with their training. They never skip a single workout, ever. And when they’re in the gym, they train like machines. And not just in a physical sense. Strength, speed, power, athleticism . . . all those things can be developed over time. It’s more than that. They seem to have this ability to push their limits time after time after time and leave it all in the gym. No matter what they’re doing, no matter how they’re feeling. They just give it all they have without fail.…

I was in the park this afternoon, sitting under a shelter recovering from just having run some sprints. As I was resting there were two young boys nearby playing, chasing after one another. And as they ran by me, I noticed they were both breathing quite heavily from all the running they were doing, yet they were both also laughing and having fun at the same time. It immediately occurred to me that there was a great lesson there for anyone who was interested in getting into shape but always found it difficult to stick to their program. These boys…

Having six pack abs is the cherished goal of many women. Actually getting them is easier said than done, however. There are two reasons for this. The first is that there’s a lot of very bad information out there about training the abs. Much of that stems from misinformation propagated by marketing companies looking for quick profits. The second reason is that there’s more involved in getting good looking abs than in developing other muscle groups in the body, and many women aren’t aware of this. Below are the 5 biggest reasons that women fail to see any results in…

Anyone who’s interested in developing a better physique will know that it takes time, as well as a lot of sweat and hard work. So naturally, we’re always on the lookout for easier and better ways of achieving it. Some people go as far as resorting to illegal, performance-enhancing drugs to accelerate their progress and level of development. Although these are extremely effective, they’re something I personally don’t recommend however, as they can often have serious short-term and long-term side-effects on your health. Unfortunately, there’s just no getting around the fact that if you want results in the gym, you…

Whether you’re new to working out or quite experienced, chances are there are some aspects of your program that you’re making mistakes with, or can at least improve upon. Below is my list of top 10 training mistakes that people very commonly make, regardless of their level of experience. These are behind so many disappointments and frustrations in the gym, and it’s important to be aware of them so that you can either avoid them, or correct them if they’re already affecting your progress. 1. Doing too much too soon One of the quickest ways to railroad your training efforts,…

Squats are arguably the one staple lower body exercise that’s virtually compulsory in any workout program. Some hate and even fear them for how challenging they are, while others love them for their results. And those results do speak for themselves. There’s no question that the hype behind squats is real. They’re one of the most versatile and effective exercises there is, and the benefits they provide are numerous. Below are 12 reasons why you should be sure to include squats as a regular and integral part of your workout program. 1. Squats burn lots of calories Squats are one…

By far one of the most common tips you’ll come across when looking for weight loss advice is that small, frequent meals are an effective strategy for speeding up your metabolism. In fact most sources would have you believe that as far as nutrition goes for fat loss, the top key points are to eat clean, manage your calories and carbs, and eat small, frequent meals. Recent research, however, has revealed some interesting facts about this common practice that may come as a surprise to many. What has been discovered is that although there are certainly benefits to eating small,…

Some time back a friend of mine asked me whether or not a piece of advice she had been given by “someone from her gym” was true. The advice was that if you only eat egg whites and not whole eggs, you won’t lose weight. My only response was to roll my eyes and sigh. Now, I don’t know whether this piece of wisdom was the work of an actual trainer or just a gym bro-scientist – I didn’t want to know and I didn’t ask, but it’s fairly typical of the type of health and fitness advice dealt out…

The Smith Machine, despite being a much-maligned piece of gym equipment by many free weight purists, is in fact one of the most versatile and useful machines you’ll find anywhere in the gym. Its detractors frown upon the fact that it constricts your movements to a single up and down direction, earning it a reputation among some of them as being strictly for novices. Some even treat it as somewhat of a bad joke, as you can see from this video (foul language warning!): OK, OK that’s very funny, I’ll admit. But far from being some kind of novelty or…

The whole weight machines vs free weights debate is one that has been raging pretty much for as long as I can remember, and it seems to have quite a number of people divided. This is particularly so among the diehard gym junkies, many of whom tend to have very rigid beliefs about which of the two is the optimal way of training. The free weight purists pretty much all have the same criticism of weight machines, which is that they’re just not functional. They’ll argue that doing a bench press, or a squat, or a shoulder press on a…

In health and fitness, any discussion about what constitutes dedication and what constitutes obsession is always going to result in a lot of debate. That’s because there isn’t necessarily any clear line between the two. People’s opinions about what’s dedication and what’s just over the top are very wide and varied. At the end of the day, everyone has their own personal priorities and goals, so they each have their own idea of what level of importance one should place on keeping fit, for example, or eating healthy foods. To some, working out 5 days a week is quite appropriate.…

Let’s face it, no one likes to believe or admit that they’re an extremist, but the fact is that extremism in health and fitness is pervasive, particularly when it comes to diet. And the real problem is just how easily it spreads to the unwary. Too many people have bought into the belief that unless they’re depriving themselves of any food that contains fats or carbs and making their life a complete and utter misery, then they’re simply slacking. This notion that unless you’re extreme, you’re not serious about fitness, is totally misguided. In fact, quite often the opposite is…

As I’m sure you’ll agree, there’s nothing quite as frustrating as when you do all the right things – work out, eat the right foods, live the healthy lifestyle, but somehow, for some reason, you still can’t lose weight. Very few of us who have ever been on a weight loss journey haven’t experienced this at one time or another. And it sucks, right? So why does this happen, anyway? Well, there can actually be a number of reasons behind it. The problem is though that too many people are quick to think that whatever is holding them back is…

OK, so what exactly does the expression, “You Got Guru’d” actually mean? Well, if you’ve been guru’d it basically means that you’ve unwittingly been misled by a piece of misinformation, myth, biased and groundless opinion, unfounded dogma, or straight-out lie, created and/or spread by some health and fitness “guru”. “Guru”, in this sense, doesn’t carry the usual definition of a master or teacher. Rather, this guru is an unqualified, self-proclaimed expert who dupes his listeners and followers by coming across as knowledgeable, when he’s in fact actually operating from total ignorance, self-interest, or both. A guru will base his advice…