When it comes to big compound lifts like deadlifts and squats, many people think they know the correct technique and posture for them, but in most cases they are a bit off.

The most common problem is slouching your back over (like the guy on the left in the illustration below). People new to deadlifting seem to almost always start out like this if they are unsure on the proper alignment. When I first started I too did this.

You tend to also see guys do this when trying to lift extremely heavy weights that are in most cases too heavy for them. Hence the bad posture begins to come out to try and compensate and get the weight up. Doing this with heavy weight is just asking for an injury to happen, so make sure to learn the proper technique, and increase weight progressively for you.

So after some time, people may see your bad form and some may try to explain to you how to deadlift and squat properly. They usually then tell you to do the complete opposite of the slouching dilemma. They tell you to arch your back and stick your butt out (kind of like a much more exaggerated version of the guy on the right in the image below also known as Anterior Pelvic Tilt (APT)). I thought this was the correct way to do things for a very long time, as it did make more sense than the slouching version.

While it was a step in the right direction, the technique is still not 100% correct. Ideally you want your back to be completely flat and have a straight line from your head all the way to your butt. The way to do this is to squeeze your glutes and push your belly button in as much as you can (think of trying to touch your belly button to your back). Give it a try now. You can stand up and practice it. Don’t worry if you can’t get it right away, it takes some practice to change what you have been doing for so long.

The perfect exercise to master this and get used to it is the hollow body hold or hollow body rocks (you can see how to do them in the video below). These are the core exercises (excuse the pun :p) in gymnastics. A lot of times when people train their core they forget this very important point, and that is to keep a flat back and squeezed glutes while training core. For instance, the plank that you see everyone perform. If you just lazily get into a plank and hold it without activating your glutes and bringing your belly button in to create that straight line from your head to your butt, you are working more of your arms and shoulders than your ‘core.’

The video below explains and shows all the above points quite nicely if you are still unsure:

[youtube_sc url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6EKqk08WXU”]

The post The RIGHT Form And Technique To Deadlift And Plank, The Hollow Body Way appeared first on FitNish.com.

Quick Stats

Name:  Luly Guerra
Age:  40
Height:  5′
Competition weight:  104 lbs
Current weight:  105 lbs
Current city:  San Antonio, USA
Occupation:  Nutritional coach

Give us a brief background on how you got into competing in Ironman competitions?

I have always been a gym enthusiast since high school. I really got into seeing myself as an athlete after completing a half marathon after I had my third child. I was suffering from post par-tum depression and running became my escape. Soon after, I started training for my first triathlon, which then became half Ironman races. I knew I wanted to become an Ironman and I then became an Ironman finisher in 2012.

Following that, I wanted to go back to another one of my goals which was to become a bikini competitor. The reason being when I was trying to get back into shape in 2009, after my third child I read all the fitness magazines and followed the nutrition and training plans. The competitors in the magazines were my inspiration and motivation.

How do you stay motivated?

“Motivation is something I learnt is extremely vital on bad training days or when your life gets complicated.”

I find my motivation from women around me. I have always had the gift of uplifting or motivating other people. When they are uplifted it in turn motivates me to be a better version of me.

What do you love about triathlons/Ironman competitions?

I love that it’s three sports: swimming, biking, and running. Using the powerful vessel we are given to do these three sports and the challenge of juggling three sports in training!  It’s freedom. Ironman to me represents the holy grail of triathlon. I get chills whenever I watch one. Finishing an Ironman was a beautiful experience, I cried on and off the entire day.

3 tips for someone entering their first Ironman?

1. Have a support system (coach, loved ones)

2. Keep life in balance

3. Make sure you keep up on your nutrition throughout your training

You’re a women over 40 with three kids. What would be your response to the women your age or younger who are mothers and use their age or the fact that they have kids as an excuse for not exercising? How do you manage everything?

Well, you just have to make the time for it, carve it out and stick to it. I plan my days around my training not the other way around. I taught elementary school full time and I woke up early to get my training done. I also trained a lot running stairs outside my apartment door. But I do give up a lot of other things in exchange like social events or outings for instance.

What are your future plans?

One of my dreams is to become an IFBB Pro so that in the big picture I can support other women to become empowered, strong, and independent. I hope people will see that they can hit the reset button at any time in their lives.

Take us through an average day of yours:

• I wake up for fasted cardio, then eat my breakfast.
• Work; I do my weight training either during my lunch or evening depending on my work schedule.
• Then it’s home for organizing meals for the next day, chores, time with loved ones.
• Sleep Zzzzz

What type of eating plan do you follow?

I prep my meals on the weekends. I eat 6 small meals a day.

Have you encountered any major setbacks in your training or in your life and how did you deal with them and move forward/keep moving forward?

Yes, I was diagnosed with Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) syndrome during my Ironman training. It is a genetic nerve disease that has resulted in severe nerve damage in my lower and upper extremities, and muscular atrophy. Running has become less frequent and so has high impact cardio. Frustrating is an understatement but I am more stubborn than it is!

What do you think are some of the biggest mistakes or myths that many girls fall prey to when starting out in the gym/exercise?

The biggest one I see is they want things to come QUICK and EASY. Results take patience and time.

What has been your greatest accomplishment to date?

Four things: Each one of my three children and becoming an Ironman, in that order

Is there anything that you would have done differently in your career to date?

“I can become so focused and driven, I wish I was more balanced during training.”

Give us a brief description of your philosophy on your training:

I train 6 days a week; a cardio session and a weight training session.

How different is your training when training for a fitness competition as opposed to a triathlon?

It is very different! Bikini training is 24/7 and the training takes more gym sessions. The nutrition component is different in that my meals are VERY planned and CLEAN with no room for error.

Triathlon training however is tricky when you have to get out for your long bike rides.

What’s your favorite form of cardio?

Running, hands down, however it is now shorter and less frequent due to my disease.

What are your 3 favorite exercises?

1. Squats

They make beautiful glutes while burning calories.

2. Deadlifts

Create gorgeous hamstrings and glutes.

3. Leg press

There are so many variations of foot placement to work different areas of your legs and glutes.

What are your top training tips?

• For cardio, I like to do Hiit training (high intensity interval training)
• I hit weights everyday even if my time is limited.
• If I have to choose because my time is constrained I choose weights!
• And lastly, you can’t out train a bad diet.

Favorite female fitness icon(s):

Jaime Baird and Ava Cowan

Favorite Quote:

“She believed she could, so she did.”

Advice for someone wanting to change their lifestyle and achieve their ideal physique?

I would first advise them to completely revamp the way they view food; that food is fuel for the body, and you’re eating for a purpose. To allow themselves during this change one cheat meal a week. That if they find themselves weak, to self-talk, ie. does this short term satisfaction meet their long term goal?

I also kept motivation pictures of physiques I admire, still do, to keep my eye on the prize. Drink lots of water and green tea at every meal also helps with weight loss. Which reminds me the only sweetener I use is liquid Stevia.

What competitions have you competed in and your placings?

• Calaveras Duathlon | 2^nd AG
• Memorial Hermann Ironman | 70.3 finisher
• Longhorn Ironman | 70.3 finisher
• Ironman Texas | 140.6 finisher
• Natural Bridge trail run | Overall female | 1^st
• Battle of the Beach | Masters | 4^th
• Texas Shredder | Masters | 15^th
• Adela Classic | 16th

Where can people get hold of you?

• Instagram: @lulymguerra
• Facebook: Luly Guerra
• Email: lmgconsul[at]gmail.com

Photography credits

• S.L. Smith Photography
• Dirty Dolly Photography
• Rosetti Glamour Athlete Photography
• J.M. Manion Photography
• Lift Studios Photography
• Chris Pichado Photography

Luly Guerra Gallery

[nggallery id=94]

The post One on One With Ironman Athlete And Bikini Competitor, Luly Guerra appeared first on FitNish.com.

There’s a reason the phrase ‘competitions are won from the back’ is so often used in bodybuilding and fitness shows. Having a thick and wide back, paired with a narrow waist and flaring quads creates that perfect X frame physique which so many of us strive after. It is all about achieving ideal proportions coupled with perfect symmetry across your entire body.

Now, by focusing your efforts on your back, and building a wider back you can create the illusion of a smaller waist, which plays into attaining that whole ‘X’ frame build. But this is not to say you should neglect training other body parts, no. Pay equal attention to every single body part in order to not have any muscle groups out of proportion.

In order to make the most of your back workouts here are 5 simple but effective Back Training tips:

1. Pull with your elbows

When performing any back/Lat focused pulling exercises, visualize pulling from your elbows and think of your hands, as part of or attached to the bar. By pulling with your elbows you reduce the involvement of your biceps and forearms in the movement and place more emphasis on your Lats, allowing them to do more of the work, which is want you want.

Try to think of your hands more as hooks onto the apparatus and not so much as using a stern grip when pulling, during a machine or dumbbell back workout.

2. Feel and visualize your back in each exercise

Carrying on from the first point, having that ‘mind muscle’ connection can play a major role in ensuring your back does the work and not other muscles such as your biceps.

What this means is, when performing a back exercise try to, in your mind, visualize the exact part of your back that you are working on as you pull the weight.

Also try to really squeeze that specific muscle as you approach the end of the concentric movement of each exercise.

3. Hit the back from a variety of angles with a few different exercises

The entire back is quite a large muscle group and in turn it needs to be worked from a variety of angles in order to place sufficient stress on it, to enable growth. So do not be scared to dedicate one whole training session to only doing your back, and try to include a number of varying exercises to focus on width as well as thickness. Most narrow grip exercises will contribute thickness, while most wide grip pull down movements will help with width.

4. Alternate your grip positions

By just altering your grip position, you can focus on working a different part of your back. For example take bent over rows with a barbell. By taking a wide overhand grip you focus more on your outer Lats. Alternatively by using an underhand grip you now work more on your lower and inner Lats.

So it is good to experiment and to see which specific positions you can feel more.

5. Schedule 2 workouts in a week

Sometimes a good way to bring up or improve on a lagging body part is to train it twice a week.

When doing this ensure you are eating enough as well as getting adequate rest in order to aid your recovery.

When planning 2 workouts, try to make one of them a heavy, compound day. This means choosing and including more compound exercises such as deadlifts and different types of rows, and lifting relatively heavy weight for them. (Try aim for a rep range of 10 to 6 or even down to 4)

Then on the other workout include more isolated exercises such as Lat pull downs, machine rows etc. and keep the weights relatively light. (Aim for a rep range of 15 to 8).

The Monster Back Workout

Download a printable workout log here:

• Editable Word Document: Monster Back workout Log
• Pdf Document: Monster Back workout Log

The workout below starts off with some heavy compound exercises and ends up with a few lighter isolation exercises like pull ups. You can break it up into 2 workouts if you like, as discussed in point 5 above.

Exercise 1:

• Deadlifts

Sets: 5
Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4
Increasing weight each set

Exercise 2:

• Bent over (T Bar) rows close grip (Palms facing each other)

Sets: 5
Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6, 6
Increasing weight each set

Exercise 3:

• Seated cable rows

Sets: 4
Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6
Increasing weight each set

Exercise 4:

• One arm dumbbell rows palms facing forwards

Sets: 4
Reps: 10, 10, 8, 8
Increasing weight every 2nd set

Exercise 5:

• Wide grip bent over rows

Sets: 4
Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6
Increasing weight each set

Exercise 6: Tri set:

A ‘Tri set’ is when you perform 3 exercises, one after the other with no rest in between.

• Front lat pull downs

Exercise 6.1:

• Lat pull downs behind the neck

Exercise 6.2:

• Lat pull downs palms facing towards you

Sets: 3
Reps: 12, 10, 8

Exercise 7:

• Pull ups wide grip

Sets: 2 – 3 sets to failure

Exercise 8:

• Pull ups reverse grip

Sets: 2 – 3 sets to failure

The post 5 Tips For A Thicker And Wider Back | Monster Back Workout Routine appeared first on FitNish.com.

Here are 6 simple tips that you can incorporate in your own life to get yourself started, if you have absolutely no idea where to begin on your road to losing that extra weight.

Now most of these tips should primarily be applied by people with a lot of fat to lose, with body fat percentages in excess of about 18%. But, all the points can still be used by pretty much anyone looking to shed that extra fat and/or for someone beginning to change their sedentary lifestyle into a more active one and firm up.

1. Start weight training with COMPOUND LIFTS at least 3 times a week

Compound lifts/exercises are ‘big’ exercises which use much more than just one muscle or muscle group. The more muscles/muscle groups you recruit in an exercise the more calories you can burn. So keep these exercises as the main focus of your training regime in order to stimulate more of your muscles in less time.

Some great compound exercises include:

• Deadlifts
• Bench press
• Standing Shoulder Press
• Squats
• Dips

2. Keep your rest periods between sets, anywhere from 45 seconds to 1 and a half minutes

The idea here is to keep your workouts intense. You don’t want to be wasting time unnecessarily and in turn not burning as many calories as you can.  If you’re using relatively heavy weights then you can rest a bit longer but try to keep your rest periods, between sets of each exercise, up to 1 and a half minutes max.

3. Don’t waste your time with ab specific training initially

Many people are still under the impression that in order for them to lose fat on their stomach they need to do every available ab exercise all the time. By doing sit ups, for example, does not necessarily mean that you will lose fat on your tummy specifically; you cannot choose exactly where you want to lose fat from, by doing specific exercises.

Check out this article to find out more on spot reduction: Can Spot Reduction (Losing Fat on Specific Areas) Be Done?

So rather focus on your weight training to burn calories and shed the fat which covers your abs, and keep the ab exercises for every now and then and for when you can start to see your abs.

4. Add in cardio slowly and build it up over time

Cardio should be used as an additional tool to burn fat, in addition to your weight training. The key with cardio is to start small and gradually increase or build it up. Don’t just go from doing no cardio to doing 5 cardio sessions of an hour each per week and expect to change your body in a week. You really do not need to do so much in order to lose weight. Small gradual changes can have more of an effect. So, as you (or your body) get used to something, then you can make a change and increase one aspect of your cardio to challenge your body a little bit more and thus keeping it from getting used to one thing. Another great way to do cardio, and burn a lot of calories in a small amount of time is with HIIT cardio. Basically this is where you, (lets take running for instance), jog for a minute, then sprint for a minute; that’s one cycle. You can repeat this 4 to 5 times or do it for 10 – 15 minutes. It is a lot more intense, but it beats doing boring steady state cardio for 30 minutes.

5. Review your diet and drink more water

When your goal is to lose weight/fat, you HAVE TO, HAVE TO, HAVE TO, clean up your diet. Without giving your diet the attention and discipline that it needs, you really cannot expect to achieve that goal. Again, to make it easier start with small changes. Cut out certain things one by one and slowly clean it up until it becomes your lifestyle and a way of life. Dont think about completely eliminating all the junk and bad stuff such as fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes, biscuits, fast food, etc., start with REDUCING it all initially.

Drinking more water is also a must, not only to help with losing weight, but also to maintain optimal hydration levels, and optimal health.

6. Be Consistent

I’m sure you may be tired of seeing this point in almost every article, but this is one of the most important factors involved in getting ahead and we need to be constantly reminded of it. You need to keep at it and keep pushing through, day in and day out to see results. Don’t stop and don’t give up!

The post 6 Tips To Losing That Gut, And To Getting You Started On The Right Track appeared first on FitNish.com.