Explosive Exercises: Dumbbell Snatch & Split Jerk

In this video I'm working out with Strength Coach Jason Paris. He is a Division 1 football strength coach for Georgia Tech. In the video Jason shows how to do some Olympic weightlifting exercise variations; the dumbbell snatch and dumbbell split jerk.



Click on the link below to subscribe to my YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/leemhayward

Bodybuilding Competition Pics...

We had our local Newfoundland Provincial Bodybuilding Championships this past Saturday. I was helping some of the competitors get ready backstage and I have to say I was very impressed with the quality of some of the physiques these folks had.

Many of them were first time competitors. They aren't "pro athletes" they are just average people who set a goal and then busted their butts in the gym and actually followed through with it. If you are looking for the "secret" to muscle building success that's pretty much it right there.

The 2 guys that really impressed me was the lightweight and overall winner Zaid Adamo and the Bantamweight winner Jeff Nippard. They are shown in the pic below with the figure short class winner Lisa Woolgar.

I have a bunch more pics that I took back stage at the competition posted up on my FaceBook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=176946&id=502320147&l=1b1fc90137

Let me tell you, just being at the show, helping out backstage, and smelling the protan has got me itching to compete again... Maybe the Atlantic's next spring...

If you have ever thought about competing in a bodybuilding competition and would like to know exactly what's involved with contest prep from losing bodyfat, getting ripped, and all the fine details to posing, tanning, and looking your best on stage. Then you should grad a copy of my book "Your First Bodybuilding Competition".

This is a complete step-by-step bodybuilding competition training guide that explains everything you need to know about preparing for and looking your best at your first bodybuilding competition. In fact several of the competitors at our local show this year have this book and have followed this exact program to help them get ready for the competition.

Click Here For More Information...

Try These Killer Push Up Variations...

I just posted up another kick butt Strength and Conditioning workout that I filmed this past weekend with Division 1 Football Coach,
Jason Paris.

In this video we go over some killer push up variations and upper body conditioning drills to help strengthen the shoulders and prevent injury. There are some cool training ideas here that you'll want to incorporate into your own workouts.

You can Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Now at:

http://www.YouTube.com/leemhayward

==========================

P.S.
Tonight Thursday Nov. 19 at 9:00 pm EST we are having our live
Total Fitness Bodybuilding Video Talk Show.

If you have any questions about your workouts, nutrition, supplementation, etc. this is your chance to get them answered live on the show!

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

What Is Total Fitness Bodybuilding?

My goal with my website is to help guys just like you get in your best shape ever by building muscle, burning bodyfat, and improving your overall strength and conditioning. That's my definition of "Total Fitness Bodybuilding" - building your body and improving your fitness level.

There are several ways to go about achieving "Total Fitness Bodybuilding". You can follow numerous weight training workout routines; from bodybuilding splits, powerlifting programs, high intensity, high volume, etc. to build muscle and strength.

There are numerous forms of cardio that you can do to help burn fat and improve your endurance; from long duration steady pace cardio, to high intensity interval cardio.

If you have been following along with my training philosophies then you know that I'm a big believer in cycling your workouts and incorporating different types of training to help maximize muscle stimulation, prevent training plateaus, and make your workouts more enjoyable along the way. That's why I'm constantly pumping out new training ideas, exercises, and strategies that you can use in your own workouts.

However, I was quite surprised to get some negative feedback about my recent blog posts from some people who were actually upset by the fact that I would ever suggest a workout that wasn't a traditional "bodybuilding" routine.

Now if you are only interested in bodybuilding workouts, and that's all you want to do, then that's totally cool. But like I mentioned above, there is more then one way to get in shape and build your body. So I like to take advantage of the different training styles that are out there because in the big picture they all complement one another in helping you get in your best shape ever.

I didn't always do bodybuilding only workouts...

Right on up until my late-teens I worked out with weights. But I was involved with swimming and martial arts and I also participated in other activities such as skateboarding, BMX biking, mountain biking, and skiing.

In my late teens got more serious with weight training and started competing in bodybuilding competitions and did so for several years. Then in my mid-twenties I took a break from bodybuilding competition and focused on training for powerlifting.

A few years after that, in my late twenties, I wanted to try something totally new so I took up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, and I even did some yoga in there as well. During this time my main strength training workouts were focused around bodyweight conditioning exercises and sandbag workouts.

After that I went back to bodybuilding competition and got in my all time best contest shape ever, winning the light heavyweight division and overall at the 2007 HWC. Since then I've pretty much stuck to a bodybuilding based workout program, but I'm open to changing things around from time to time.

I'm more interested in the final outcome of getting in better shape, I'm not so narrow minded in my approach to think that I can only stick to one method of training to get in shape. Variety is the spice of life!

So even though I love bodybuilding and have focused the majority of my training and workouts around bodybuilding, it doesn't mean that you have to only do bodybuilding workouts. I personally believe that you'll become better conditioned and a lot more athletic all around if you incorporate different styles of training in your workouts from time to time.

In fact, I just spent this past weekend working out with Jason Paris, who is the strength and conditioning coach for Georgia Tech. Jason has coached numerous Division 1 and NFL football players and he knows how to whip athletes into shape in a hurry.

Over the next week I'm going to be posting up some videos that we shot while working out together. This will give you an idea of the type of training that Jason uses to get his athletes in top shape.

Let me tell you, Jason put me through my paces with a lot of killer workout drills that really focus on building up work capacity, functional strength, balance, agility, and coordination. These aspects of fitness very often get neglected with typical bodybuilding workouts that simply focus on weight training and cardio.

I'm still recovering from all the workouts we did this past weekend. And as they say... "I worked muscles I never knew I had" :-)

You can check out one of our workout videos below...

You can Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Now at:

http://www.YouTube.com/leemhayward

5 Big Reasons Why Everyone Should Train Like Athletes

By Elliott Hulse Co-Creator of Lean Hybrid Muscle

If you're like me, you probably want nothing more than to feel like a 'super-stud' every time you take your shirt off in public. You want to have the confidence to say, 'Boy, this sweaty shirt is chaffin' me', then reach over your shoulder and tear your shirt off like Brad Pitt in Fight Club. When you know that your pecs look like two soup bowls inserted beneath your skin, and your abs are as hard the asphalt you stand on, it's tough to keep your shirt on!

Today you are gonna learn the top 5 training principles that you MUST implement in order to make your physique and performance goals… a reality. But, before I open the info-floodgates, there is something you've got to understand. Men… all men, should recognize that we are athletes and our training programs must reflect this.

Even if you're a 'pencil pusher' or a 'white collar crook', the essence of your being is athletic. In order to see any type of fitness results it is essential to recognize that Squats, Power Cleans, 40 Yard Dashes and Vertical Jumps are not only for NFL Combine participants… they are for you!

1. You're An Athlete By Design

The foundation principle of everything that I teach all begins with one extremely powerful phrase: “We are primal beings living in a modern world”

Our physical bodies have been unchanged for thousands of years. In fact, today, our bodies are an exact expression of what our ancestors were over 100,000 years ago. It is believed that it takes about 100,000 years for 0.001percent of a genome to change… so yourself and Primal Man are for all intents and purposes… the same.

What has changed is how WE have chosen to live, if you can even call it that. As we have 'advanced' in technology we have regressed in physical strength and stature.

We function at a much lower capacity than were inherently capable of. This is analogous to those people who buy off-road vehicles that will never see anything but concrete! You've been given the ultimate athletic tool… use it.

2. Short, Hard and Intense Workouts Yield Lean, Hard and Muscular Bodies

When you spend over an hour in the gym sitting on useless 'fitness machines' while you're waiting to do your 'next set'…your nervous system's primal response is to release Cortisol and Glucocorticoids - which are stress hormones, (these make you sick, sad, fat and, stupid) in response to your body thinking… “Holy Cow, we've been training for over an hour… perhaps we're being chased by a tiger and need to preserve body fat”, then it begins sacrificing muscle tissue for energy! This is called The Catabolic Effect. Also, workouts exceeding 1 hour have been shown to be associated with a rapid decrease in androgen levels.

This is why marathon runners look so emaciated… id much rather look like one of those Lock, Stock & Ready Sprinters with muscles rippling across their backs and abs.

3. Aerobics and Cardio Training Is Boring & Ineffective

Strength coach Charles Poliquin has coined the phrase “Chunky Aerobic Instructor Syndrome” (CAIS). You've seen them, they do cardio all day long… don't you think that they would be a bit leaner? Well, there is a scientific reason as to why they are cubby even though they bounce up and down on those colorful blocks all day long. In fact research has shown that aerobic instructors who taught an average of 3 hours a day maintained a body fat of 22-24% - mind you, that Olympic athletes hover around 9%.

Especially with repetitive exercises like aerobics the body adapts quickly to the stimulus and ceases to respond to the stimulus. Also, you begin to become very fuel-efficient… Listen, think of a metabolism that has adapted to long treks of cardio as being a Honda… it burns very little fuel (i.e. fat) but can go miles and miles. Think of a metabolism that is roaring with increased mitochondria activity (as is present in someone who weight trains with circuits) as a Hummer, large fuel combusting metabolism!

Here's Why this is so important! You want a stronger heart, without the fat saving response of long boring cardio treks. That is why I teach my clients how to do work capacity sets. We take 4-6 exercises and complete them back to back with no rest and aim to complete them all with in about 2 minutes… if your heart is not ready to pound out of your chest after that, then maybe you should visit your veterinarian!

Here's a simple circuit that you can do at home - first 20 squats, then 20 lunges, then 'step ups' on a bench 10 each leg, finally do 10 squat jumps and get it all done in less than 90 seconds! Kick-ass workout!

We begin every session with Plyometrics and then get right into 3-5 “work capacity” sets for upper and lower body.

4. Get High on Oxygen & Sunshine

Besides the fact that training on treadmills and 'sit down' exercise equipment is less effective than getting your feet on the ground and learning how to use your own bodyweight, training indoors can be detrimental to your performance and fitness results.

As 'primal beings' we are in need of several vital elements and forms of energy. The suns rays are nourishing to your mind as well as body. It is well documented that those who live in the cooler northern climates that enjoy less sunshine through out the year are several times more likely to suffer from depression.

Also, if you're like most Americans you work and live indoors (maybe). In fact, the average person spends 90% of their time indoors. Several health experts have propounded that our homes and workplace are the most toxic environments in our lives. Many studies have stated that toxic particles and fumes found in your home and workplace include: air fresheners, spray starch, paints, mothballs and even 'new car' smell kills more people every year than automobile accidents!

So, what do you do? Train in the great outdoors! When I train my Strength Camp clients at Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg Florida, not only do we benefit from the sweet bay breeze but also the scenery is beautiful enough to give a nun spring fever!

5. It's Gotta Be Fun!

Drop out rates for exercise programs are almost as high as the drop out rate in my old middle school! The bottom line is, if you don't enjoy it - you wont do it. The most effective way to ensure that you stick with your training program is to change it often. This doesn't mean hop from one modality to the next before you get any results. It means stick with your weight-training program for a minimum of 90 day but change the exercises you use for each body part at least every 3 weeks.

This not only keeps you interested but also, your nervous system will be challenged with the new exercises and be forced to adapt. This yields fast and long-lasting results!

Note: this is last day to pick up the Lean Hybrid Muscle training system for 50% off before it's released to the general public. If you are interested in trying this program out, you should take advantage of it now before the price goes up.

http://www.leanhybridmuscle.net

Power Building and Resistance Cardio

Power Building and Resistance Cardio:
The Killer Combo!


By Elliott Hulse

It never ceases to amaze me how many people have fallen victim to the lie of "isolated results." Essentially, the idea that fitness, success and life results are created in a vacuum... completely detached and isolated incidences.

For example, many women call me inquiring about fitness training and assert their desire to "lose belly fat" or "get leaner arms". What they fail to realize is that fat loss, muscle building and all fitness results are the expression of a SYSTEMIC change in their bodies... not just the manipulation of a single muscle or energy system.

As one of my favorite authors Dan John, would say... "The body is one piece."

We evolve as a whole. All systems... muscular, nervous, cardiovascular and hormonal systems work synergistically to move us in the direction that's most consistent with our behaviors. Even when we aim to isolate systems, we unexpectedly receive the benefits of advancement in others.

For example, you decide to quit smoking so that you can breathe better. After several months of not smoking you notice an improvement in your cardiovascular abilities, but you ALSO recognize that your skin looks better and your hair has stopped falling out! This is exactly how our body works… we are "one piece".

Whatever we do, affects everything.

If we agree that the human body / mind is a single unit, then why do we still approach our exercise and training programs in a segmented fashion? Wouldn't it make more sense to work WITH our bodies and prepare for the advancement of ALL strength and fitness qualities at the same time?

When we follow a "holistic" or hybrid approach to our training we effortlessly move in the direction of our greatest muscle building, fat loss and athletic performance potentials without resistance from nature. We are moving with the river, instead of against it. This leads to faster, longer lasting results… minus the typical anxiety and frustration.

Two of my favorite integrated or hybrid approaches fat loss and muscle building are "Power-building" and "Resistance cardio". These hybrid training systems enhance your body's ability to naturally build muscle and burn fat at the same time. They are effective means for increasing strength, muscle mass, cardiovascular health, fat loss and systemic vitality.

The first hybrid approach is "Power Building". This is where a fitness seeker or athlete combines strength producing exercises and the variables consistent with it (heavy weights and low volume) with muscle building exercises and the parameters associated with it (moderate weights and high volume) in the same workout.

An example of a Power Building workout would include a heavy full body exercise like barbell squats for multiple sets to train the nervous system followed by a moderate intensity exercise for higher reps like dumbbell step-ups to develop muscle mass. This is a great way to improve functional strength and build attractive muscle at the same time.

With regards to conventional cardio training, most individuals limit themselves to the single dimension of jogging or cycling. This type of training is good… but what may be even better would be to combine the efforts of the cardiovascular system with the muscular system. This would create a hybrid experience within the body that produces the results of more lean mass while burning fat.

Resistance Cardio can be performed in several manners, but amongst my favorite are the use of pulling sleds and kettlebells. Pulling sleds offers a low impact, moderate intensity form of cardio training that has the capacity to build muscle and strength in the legs and core while increasing the heart rate offering a fat burning response.

I also really enjoy kettlebell training as it offers a functional (and fun) alternative to jogging. Kettlebells also elicit a muscle building response which leads to a leaner, HARDER physique that with the use of jogging alone.

When we follow a "holistic" or hybrid approach to our training we effortlessly move in the direction of our greatest muscle building, fat loss and athletic performance potentials with ease.

Hybrid muscle training is highly effective, functional and fun. If you believe as I do, that the body (and our lives) are an expression integrated systems and subsystems AND you love the fat loss and muscle building benefits of challenging workouts... then I invite you to consider Lean Hybrid Muscle training!

Click The Link Below To Try This Program For Yourself:

http://www.leanhybridmuscle.net

You Gotta Try These Hybrid Muscle Workouts...

I just got off the phone with professional strongman, Elliott Hulse. He was my special guest coach on the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Talk Show.

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

Elliott shared some killer training tips about how you can
incorporate "Hybrid Muscle Training" in your own workouts.

In fact he spilled the beans and literally GAVE AWAY the
entire basic training phase of the program right on the show.
But trust me, even though Elliott calls it a "basic phase"
it's still a hard-core workout that will whip you into shape!

I'm jacked and really looking forward to giving Hybrid Training
a try in my own workouts because it's something totally unique
from the typical weight training and cardio workouts that I'm
used to doing.

And as you know, when you incorporate something new in your
routine, you are almost guaranteed to make a new growth spurt
and take your muscular development to a higher level. And that's
exactly what I'm planning on doing with Hybrid Training Workouts.

Anyway Lee you can download the replay of the show
and get the scoop on this unique style of training at:

http://www.LeeHayward.com/tv

=================================

P.S.
If you want to try these workouts out for yourself
you can order a copy of the entire training system
online at: http://www.LeanHybridMuscle.net

And if you order within the next 48 hours Elliott is
going to be throwing in 3 extra online training DVD's
showing the exact workouts for building muscle while
trimming off that bit of excess pudge at the same time!

Not only that, but if you follow this training system
and submit your "before" and "after" photos you'll be
entered in to win a beach vacation to Florida and actually
get to train at Elliott's Hard-Core Strength Camp Gym!

Again, just click on the link below for all the details:

http://www.LeanHybridMuscle.net