Muscle hypertrophy

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To properly understand muscle hypertrophy it helps if you first learn some basic human physiology.Hypertrophy basically means cells growing in size, this is different from ‘hyperplasia’, which means cells growing in number.

Hypertrophy

Muscles are made up of permanent cells called ‘muscle fibers’. As adults we cannot produce new muscles fibers and when their gone –their gone for good. Whilst we can’t produce new muscles cells, we can however change the size of the cells we’ve got. Therefore when you train your muscles and they get bigger, you are not actually growing new muscles cells (hyperplasia), instead each individual muscle cell grows in size (hypertrophy) to help your body cope with increases in muscle loading.

What part of the muscle gets bigger?

A common misconception in the gym is that in order for your muscles to grow you need to tear your muscles such that they grow back stronger. This is incorrect. When you tear a muscle, the muscle cell dies and is replaced with scar tissue, not muscle. Therefore your goal should never be to tear your muscles.

If you look at the diagram below, without getting too technical, basic anatomy shows us that each muscle is made up of muscle fibers (also known as muscle cells). The muscle fibers are then made up of myofibrils and then myofibrils are made up of 2 proteins called actin and myosin (not shown in the diagram).

Muscle anatomy

The size of the muscle fibers in an untrained muscle can vary considerably in diameter. Strength training stimulates the smaller muscle fibers to grow such that they meet the size of the larger ones. This muscle hypertrophy is caused by an increase in the number and size of myofibrils per muscle cell, increased total protein (especially myosin), and increased amounts of connective tissue (tendons and ligaments).

Increases in muscle size (seen in the mirror and measured by tape) can also be a result of increasing capillary (blood vessel) density and through increasing blood flow to the muscle. This increase in capillary density is stimulated by the increased demand for oxygen and blood flow to the muscle during training. This is one of the many ways in which you get fitter, as you train and the demand for oxygen and fuel increases in your muscles your body adapts by increasing capillaries to the region such that next time you can deliver blood more efficiently and better deal with the stimulus.

In summary muscles get bigger as a result of storing more protein within muscle fibers and through increasing the amount of blood vessels and connective tissue. This helps to explain why protein is an important nutrient in your diet when you are trying to build muscle.

Given that when you become an adult muscles cells can’t grow in number (hyperplasia), only in size this helps to explain a number of phenomenon.

  1. It helps to explain why if you prescribed a group of people the same exercise program, as a group they will all finish in different shapes and sizes. Some people only seem to look at weights and they bulk up like they have been doing it for years, where as others struggle to get bigger even after years of hard training. Essentially what I’m trying to say is that genetics does play a role in determining how many muscles cells you have. That doesn’t mean you can’t make what you’ve got, look sexy and hot. More on this later.

    One of the many reasons that some people bulk up more than other is the number of fast twitch muscle fibers they have which is largely genetically determined. Fast twitch muscle fibers are recruited during strength and speed activities and therefore people with a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers will generally find it easy to build muscle size.

  2. What you don’t use you lose. When you perform muscle hypertrophy training, muscles generally grow in size to compensate for the need of increased loading, however when you stop training your muscles over time start to shrink. Why? Because as muscles cells get bigger they require more food energy to sustain them (even at rest), therefore when you’re not training enough, they start to shrink back down to help your body become more efficient it the way it burns energy.
  3. The last thing to consider is the effects of aging. Because your body can’t grow new muscle cells, this also helps to explain why as you get older you tend to lose muscle mass. After the age of 30, you lose approximately 3% of your muscle mass each decade thereafter. The best way to slow down this process is to remain a regular exerciser throughout your entire life which helps to preserve and maintain the integrity of your muscle cells. As a general rule you don’t stop moving because you get old, you get old because you stop moving!

When is the best time to do muscle hypertrophy training?

For athletes muscle hypertrophy training is usually best prescribed early in the off season. There are of course a few variations depending on your chosen field of sport, but for most people this is the ideal time to bulk up as you get good recovery time and other training commitments are limited. This also helps to explain why you will often hear sports commentators say “give him/her another off season.” They are usually referring to the hypertrophy training that is prescribed in the off season to help athletes bulk up and build muscle.

Again depending on your chosen field of sport your training focus usually then changes to strength and power in the preseason, and then functional, speed and agility training during competition.

Side effects of Gomad

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GOMAD is the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to gain weight naturally. But it would be too good to be true if GOMAD didn’t had some side effects. As always: there’s no something for nothing in this game.

What follows is a list of things you might experience on GOMAD. I write “might” since much of this is individual: you won’t necessarily experience everything in this post. Just know that if you do: it’s normal. So stick with it.


Fat Gains. Expect 2-3% fat gain per month on GOMAD. You won’t need to do GOMAD for more than 1-2 months to get your goal weight. So you’ll gain 6% body fat at most. Keep these 3 points in mind:

  • You’re doing GOMAD because you’re skinny & under-weight. Your body fat is low and you have room for some extra. Even if you’re the skinny + fat type, you should ignore the fat gains for now.
  • Gaining weight without fat is hard & slow. Those who try this usually get nowhere. Gain weight first, then focus on fat loss. It’s easier to lose fat with the added muscle mass & strength from the weight gain.
  • You’ll lose most of the fat gained when you stop GOMAD. Simply apply the 8 nutrition rules and keep getting stronger. You’ll lose fat without losing weight. Read Bluestreak’s story.

Don’t make the mistake of using low fat or half-skimmed milk. The fat gains onGOMAD come from its high carb content which spikes insulin, not from the fat content. You need the saturated fat & calories from whole milk.


Bloating. Cause: you weren’t eating much before. Bloating will go away if you persist with GOMAD. Your body will adapt. 2 tips in the meanwhile:

  • Spread Your Milk Intake. 1/4 gallon at breakfast, 1/4 gallon at lunch, 1/4 gallon post workout, 1/4 gallon at dinner.
  • Increase Milk Intake Slowly. 1/4 gallon of whole milk a day the 1st week. 2/4 gallon the 2nd week. 3/4 gallon the 3rd week. 1 gallon in week 4. This gives your body time to adapt, but gains will be slower.


Diarrhea. Lactase breaks down the lactose in milk in your stomach. If lactase is unavailable, milk will make you sick. You’ll get cramps, bloating, gas & diarrhea. This is called lactose intolerance.

If things don’t improve after 1-2 weeks, take lactase pills. They’re as efficient as lactaid milk, but cheaper. How much lactase you need varies. Most people need 16 pills for 1 gallon of whole milk. Take the pills with your milk.


Acne. This is caused by the increase in testosterone levels from the saturated fat content in milk. If not: you’re allergic to dairy. You won’t do GOMAD for more than 1-2 months so stick with it. 3 tips meanwhile:

  • Eat Healthy. Eat whole, unprocessed food 90% of the time. Limit your junk food consumption. Apply the 8 nutrition rules.
  • Take Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation, including skin inflammation. Eat fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines and consider fish oil.
  • Take Zinc. The most important skin nutrient. Most people are zinc deficient. Take a zinc supplement, at least 30mg per day.


Sleepiness. Milk is high in carbs. Carbs increase the release of serotonin. This can cause sleepiness & tiredness. Remember they told you to drink warm milk before going to bed? This is why.

Solution: spread your milk intake through the day and limit your carb intake to post workout only the rest of the day. So pasta, rice, oats, breads, … post workout. Rest of the day veggies, fruits, proteins, healthy fats & milk.


Lowered Appetite. Milk fills your stomach. You’ll struggle to eat on top of the milk the first days or weeks.

  • Eat First, Milk After. If you’re drinking milk with your meals, eat your meal before you drink the milk.
  • Spread Your Milk Intake. Drinking 1 gallon of milk at once is harder. So spread your milk intake through the day.
  • Persist. This is like building the habit of eating breakfast. The only way to get used to it, is by doing it. Drink your gallon no matter what.


Milk Cravings. After a few weeks GOMAD you’ll start craving for milk. You’ll also be more hungry than before. Drinking your daily gallon of whole milk will be easy, even though you’re eating every 3 hours on top of it.

This is why GOMAD gives permanent gains: milk teaches you to eat more. You’ll never be skinny again. Avoid fat gains by applying the 8 nutrition rules..

There’s no something for nothing. GOMAD has side effects, but you should focus on the positive: your weight gain. You won’t do GOMAD for the rest of your life, only for 1-2 months max. So stop whining and do it.

Gain 25lbs in 25 days with Gomad

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To gain weight you must eat more than you’re doing now. But if you’re skinnyand struggle to gain weight, you know that eating more can be hard. You may feel like throwing up every time you try to eat more.

Luckily there’s an easy, fast & cheap way to gain weight naturally: GOMAD. Any “hard gainer” will gain weight drinking 1 US Gallon Of Milk A Day. This article will teach you how to gain weight with GOMAD.


Benefits of GOMAD. GOMAD stands for Gallon Of Milk A Day. GOMAD is a weight gain method that has been going around since years. Some benefits of drinking 1 US gallon (4 liters) of whole milk daily:

  • Weight Gain. 25lbs weight gain during the 1st month is common on GOMAD. Read the GOMAD success stories, especially Bluestreak’s.
  • Strength Gain. The protein & fat content in whole milk helps muscle & strength gains. The weight gain also helps strength gains.
  • Easy. Liquid food is easier to get in than solid food and digests faster. Milk also needs zero preparation and is easy to take with you.
  • Cheap. 1 gallon whole milk contains 2400kcal, 200g carbs, 120g fat, 120g protein and lots of vitamins & minerals for a relative low price.
  • Natural. Some say that GOMAD works even better than steroids with beginners who want to gain weight fast.
  • Permanent Gains. GOMAD teaches you to get more calories in, the key to weight gain. You’ll never be skinny again.


Why GOMAD Works. GOMAD equals 2400kcal. Eat every 3 hours and you’ll get 5000kcals/day. Eating this much will make most “hard gainers” gain weight. But GOMAD is not just about its high calorie intake.

  • High Protein. You need protein to build muscle & prevent muscle loss. 1 gallon of whole milk contains 120g protein. 20% whey, 80% casein.
  • Saturated Fat. Increases testosterone levels, which means more muscle & strength. Don’t believe the cholesterol myths: saturated fat is healthy.
  • High Carb. The dextrose in whole milk spikes insulin, a muscle building hormone which tells your body to move the proteins into your muscles.


Is GOMAD Safe? Yes. Or we wouldn’t feed babies milk. And even if milk wasn’t safe, you won’t do GOMAD the rest of your life. Once you got your goal weight – within 1-2 months – it’s back to a regular diet.

  • Cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect blood cholesterol. Your body produces more cholesterol than you can consume.
  • Kidney Stones. You can find studies showing that a high dietary calcium intake decrease the risk for kidney stones. It doesn’t increase it.


Should You Do GOMAD? If you’re skinny or under-weight: yes. No matter what your body fat is. You should weigh at least 1kg for each cm above 1m. Anything less you’ll always look skinny. Some goal weights depending on your height:

  • 1m70/5″7″ at least 70kg/154lbs
  • 1m75/5″9″ at least 75kg/165lbs
  • 1m80/5″11″ at least 80kg/176lbs
  • 1m85/6″1″ at least 85kg/187lbs
  • 1m90/6″3″ at least 90kg/200lbs

Note that these aren’t ideal weights but minima. If you want to weigh more, go for it. Best is to aim for 10lbs/5kg more to make sure. As always: age & gender are irrelevant, GOMAD works for everyone.

If you’re skinny + fat: gain weight first, then lose fat. It’s easier to lose fat once you’ve gained weight: you’ve got more strength, more muscle mass, … People who want to gain weight without gaining fat usually get nowhere.


Which Milk to Use for GOMAD. Don’t waste your time with low fat, skimmed or half-skimmed milk. They’re lower in saturated fats & calories and won’t give the same results. Go with whole milk, it also tastes better.

  • Whole Milk. Full fat milk which contains 3-4% fat. Alternative names: full cream milk or homo milk.
  • 3-4% fat. Check the nutrient data on the whole milk you buy. It should contain 3-4g fat, 3g protein & 5g carbs per 100ml.
  • 2400 Calories. Whole milk contains 60kcals per 100ml. This accounts for 2400kcals when you drink 1 gallon whole milk.

Pasteurized, UHT or raw? These processing methods don’t matter as long as you’re drinking whole milk. If you’re lactose intolerant: take lactase pills. They’re as efficient as lactaid milk, but cheaper.


How to Do GOMAD. GOMAD won’t work if you drink 1 gallon of milk 3 days out of 7, skip workouts and neglect eating. Be consistent!

  • 1 US Gallon Milk Daily. Equals 4 liters. Spread your intake. Example: 1/4 at breakfast, 1/4 at lunch, 1/4 post workout, 1/4 at dinner.
  • Eat Every 3 Hours. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, pre-bed and post workout. Milk as snack is ok. Don’t be hungry: eat your stomach full.
  • Squat. Lifting weights gives your body the stimulus to build muscle.Squat a lot. Check StrongLifts 5×5 if you don’t know where to start.
  • Track Progress. Take pictures front/back/side, track body fat using a fat caliper and weigh yourself every 2 weeks. Keep a training log.
  • Use Fitday. Unless you’re very active, you’ll need about 5000kcals/day to gain weight. You’ll get this doing GOMAD + eating every 3 hours.

Do GOMAD until you got your goal weight. Best is to aim for 10lbs/5kg extra just to make sure. If you’re consistent you won’t need to do GOMAD more than 1-2 months to get your goal weight.


How to Make GOMAD Easier. If you’re 110lbs/55kg GOMAD will be hard at first. You might feel bloated. Solution is similar to StrongLifts 5×5: start light and add milk progressively.

  • Week 1: eat every 3 hours, apply the 8 nutrition rules.
  • Week 2: eat every 3 hours + ¼ gallon whole milk a day
  • Week 3: eat every 3 hours + ½ gallon whole milk a day
  • Week 4: eat every 3 hours + ¾ gallon whole milk a day
  • Week 5: eat every 3 hours + 1 gallon whole milk a day

This gives your body time to adapt. Drawback: weight gain is slower since it takes 4 weeks before you’re drinking 1 gallon of whole milk daily.


Example GOMAD Meal Plan. Spread your milk intake through the day. If you have milk with meals: eat first, drink the milk after. Eat your stomach full on each meal and make sure you eat every 3 hours.

  • Breakfast: eggs, veggies, orange, green tea.
  • Snack: 1 liter milk, mixed nuts, banana
  • Lunch: chicken breast, mixed veggies, peer
  • Snack: 1 liter milk, mixed nuts, apple
  • Post workout: 1 liter milk, oats, banana
  • Dinner: ground round, pasta, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese
  • Pre bed: 1 liter milk, berries, ground flax seeds, cottage cheese

Room temperature milk isn’t tasty. Buy thermoses, fill them with cold water for 5mins, then drain them and fill them with milk. Milk is 87% water so you won’t need to drink that much water on top of your daily gallon of whole milk.


Once You’re Done GOMAD. Stop GOMAD once you’ve reached your goal weight. This shouldn’t take you more than 1-2 months if you’re consistent. Things you can expect when stopping GOMAD:

  • Fat Loss. You’ll gain 2-3% fat per month on GOMAD. When you stop GOMAD: follow the 8 nutrition rules and keep getting stronger. Your body fat will decrease, but your body-weight won’t change.
  • Weight Loss. 1 gallon of whole milk a day means lots of carbs. Carbs bind to water. Expect weight loss when stopping GOMAD: water loss. That’s why you should aim for 10lbs/5kg extra as goal weight.
  • Increased Hunger. You’ll be more hungry than before. This is your body telling you to eat to maintain your increased body-weight.

You can keep drinking milk if you want after stopping GOMAD. Just know that iffat loss is your goal, best is to drink milk post workout only.

Note that GOMAD is not the only way to gain weight. But it’s definitely the most efficient way to make anyone gain weight fast naturally. Read:

Drinking water

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Drinking lots of water can help you lose weight! There are several ways this works, the main way is that the two glasses of water you drink before your meal makes your stomach feel full so you eat less. In rough numbers, it looks like drinking those two 8oz glasses of water before every meal can help you lose an additional 20lbs a year. That’s a very easy way to lost weight! The other way that drinking lots of water helps you lose weight is that it appears to reduce the energy intake (EI), that is, it reduces the number of calories energy you body extracts from the food you eat. It appears that those two 8oz glasses of water before each meal make you lose fat 44% faster! Pretty incredible! Bear in mind the 44% number in this research was obtained with older folks, it may or may not be the same for younger people. Want another reason to drink lots of water and stay well hydrated? Being dehydrated by just 3% can decease your strength by 19%! You wont be able to do your cardio or make any progress lifting weights if you are dehydrated!!!

Another very important point about drinking. Don’t drink your calories! Eat them! This simple tip can make a huge difference in your weight loss! It takes longer to eat calories than drink them. The reason this is important is that your body has a feedback mechanism that is used to tell you when you have eaten enough food but it can take 10 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain to turn off that conveyer belt to your mouth. Now I can polish off those two huge glasses of OJ in about 2 minutes when I’m thirsty and the brain cant react fast enough to shut down the drinking at the proper time. Our bodies were not designed for high calorie beverages, cavemen didn’t have OJ and coke, they had to work hard to gather their meager calories.

The second reason that eating your calories is better than drinking them is fiber. Fiber is good because it physically jams up your stomach and makes you feel full without adding any calories. Most juices have no fiber at all. Even if you get the OJ with “lots of pulp” it has only a small fraction of what you would get by eating a fresh orange. Part of what tells your brain that you have had enough to eat is the amount of bulk in your stomach, juice has no bulk so it takes a lot more.

The worst part about drinking your calories is that most people don’t think about them or think they are important – they are hidden calories. Those two spoons of sugar and those two tablespoon of half and half in your coffee just cost your 70 calories. 70 calories doesn’t sound like much but if you eliminated the sugar and cream in those two cups of coffee, you could lose 15 pounds of fat in a year!

Strong lifts

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Are you a lifter… or do you plan to lift weights? If so, then this StrongLifts 5×5program will be the most important routine you’ll ever read about.

Here’s why: StrongLifts 5×5 is a foolproof training program guaranteed to pack on solid muscle and raw strength… while burning body fat… regardless of your age, genetics and bodytype… in only 3 workouts a week of 45 minutes each.

I know you’re skeptical – who wouldn’t be, with all the muscle magazines filled with outrageous claims like this. But StrongLifts 5×5 is different. It is NOT like anything else you’ve seen before. Actually, there’s not even a single thing for sale on this webpage (no books, no supplements, nothing!) And if you trust me (even a little) for just 12 short weeks, I will show you the secrets of…

How To Put On Unbelievably
Rock-Hard Muscle And Hulk-Like Strength As
Fast As Humanly Possible… While Melting
Fat Like Butter In A Microwave!

And I don’t frigging care if you’ve been lifting for years, or are just starting out.20,948 StrongLifts Members worldwide have already “come on board” with me, and packed on more brute strength and dense muscle in 12 weeks than most lifters achieve in 12 years of hard work. In fact, here are the faster and better results you’ll see with my StrongLifts 5×5 program…

 

  1. Gain Raw Strength. You’ll add 100 pounds to your lifts every month and become stronger than 99% of the guys in your gym (even those steroid-drenched jerks who spend more time with their drug-suppliers than on training). This strength will make you a better runner, fighter, golfer (or whatever your sport is) and picking up or carrying stuff will be easier.
  2. Build Solid Muscle. You’ll pack on 25 pounds of raw, dense muscle your first year of StrongLifts 5×5… even if you have lousy genetics or have been training for several years. And because muscle is denser than fat, you’ll look slimmer despite your weight increasing by a few pounds!
  3. Burn Off BodyFat. Your bodyfat will plummet without doing that boring cardio, and while gaining muscle and strength. Your man boobs and belly fat will vanish and you’ll look more athletic at the same body-weight… all while eating like a horse… and without skipping your favorite foods.
  4. Increase Fitness. StrongLifts 5×5 will skyrocket your fitness levels by increasing your muscle strength and endurance. As a result, you’ll be in better shape than almost all of your friends, you’ll even be able to easily run 3 miles any time you want (without actually training for it).
  5. Improve Health. Stronger joints, denser bones, better posture, higher libido, lower blood pressure and more flexibility. Hundreds of StrongLifts Members have gone as far as eliminating nagging lower back pain as well as knee and shoulder pain with the StrongLifts 5×5 program.
  6. Boost Confidence. You’ll become so strong, you’ll turn heads in the gym and gain respect from other guys who will start coming to you for advice. People will compliment you on your physique. Clothes will fit better. And yes, your girlfriend is going to love your new muscles (if you’re single, you’re going to have to hire a secretary to organize your dating life!)
  7. Save Time & Money. StrongLifts 5×5 yields results in only 3 workouts a week, without bogus supplements or fancy machines. Heck, you’ll save even more time and money if you invest in cheap home gym equipment and do StrongLifts 5×5 in your garage or basement. No more gym fees, no more driving back & forth, no more waiting for equipment to be free.

And more… so much more, it would take me 20 pages just to outline it all here.

Listen, I’ve spent the past 15 years trying every technique in the book in order to gain muscle and strength while burning fat – Pushups, situps, db curls, flyes, lat pulldowns, calf raises, HIIT – you name it. No one wants to hear this, but I’m here to tell you something you’ve needed to hear for a long time. It’s this:

The Way You’re Training Now Is Murdering Your
Efforts To Get As Strong And Muscular As Possible While
Keeping Your Bodyfat In The “Good Looking” Range!

The plain, simple truth is that you will never get the results you really want… unless you’re willing to admit all the muscle magazines have been purposely misleading you… cheating you of the physique and strength you deserve.

Here’s the story: in 1999, I joined the gym and started the typical 5 day muscle magazine split routine. And, guess what? After 17 weeks of relentless benching and curling, I had little results to show for, hit a brick wall and my motivation was completely shattered. I swear I’ve sat on the bench, right after struggling to get my normal reps, one emotional hair-trigger away from tossing the barbell into the mirror and never stepping into a gym again. Doesn’t it drive you nuts?

Fortunately, I’m the kind of guy who will seek for answers. I spent the next few years training with dozens of guys stronger and bigger than me, reading a lot of books and trying every possible training program out there…

What is HIIT?

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What if I told you that you could burn more fat by doing less cardio? Well, with High Intensity Interval Training (also known as HIIT) you can do just that, burn more fat while spending less time in the gym. In this article I will explain how to get the best results from this new and cutting-edge type of cardiovascular training.

You have probably been told, just like the rest of us, that in order to burn the greatest amount of fat you need to do cardio for 20 to 60 minutes at a moderate intensity. This will indeed melt the fat away, but HIIT is a more efficient and athlete-friendly way to train and burn fat at the same time.

With HIIT, you will be working harder than you normally work but for about a quarter to a half of the time that you would normally spend on the cardio machine of your choice. HIIT is so intense and effective that you only need 15 to 20 minutes, tops!

Here’s What You Do:

 

  • Pick the cardio machine of your choice (treadmill, elliptical, rower, bike, swimming) and perform a 5 minute warm-up.
  • Then take time to stretch properly and you are ready to begin.
  • Start at a moderate pace for 1 minute, then crank up the pace to 90 or 95% of your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR).

Benefits Of HIIT

A study at Laval University in Quebec, Canada found that HIIT cardio helped trainees loose nine (yes, 9!) times more fat than those who trained the traditional way (moderate speed for 20-60 minutes). Combine HIIT with your weight programand you boost your metabolism through the roof!

The Reason HIIT Is So Successful Is This:

 

  1. When you work at a high intensity, you burn more total calories per pound of body weight.
  2. High Intensity workouts such as weight training and HIIT boost growthhormone levels.
  3. Elevates the body’s metabolism throughout the entire day!

 

What does this mean for you? The more calories that you burn in a day, the more weight you are able to lose. Even if weight loss is not your goal, HIIT is for you.Athletes will see better gains from doing HIIT cardio as opposed to traditional cardio.

sprintingUnless you are training for a marathon, you do not keep a constant pace during your sport. All sports whether it be soccer or football, evenbaseball or basketball have a point where you need to change gears and hit a full sprint.

HIIT will not only help your cardiovascular system, but will train the anaerobic ATP/CP system as well. Not only will you increase your cardiovascular endurance, but improve your raw speed and explosiveness as well!

Interval training to lose fat

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s a man, you can accomplish many things in just an hour a week, based on my observations as a graduate student in exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma. Here’s what would not impress me: You watching any reality show with a number in its title. You doing chest bumps with your buddies during a pickup basketball game. You achieving your best score—ever!—on Guitar Hero.

What would impress me is you doing high-intensity intervals as your cardiovascular training. That means alternating between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. In fact, you can achieve more progress in a mere 15 minutes of interval training (done three times a week) than that guy grinding away on the treadmill for an hour. An intelligent man draws maximum benefit from a minimum time investment, and smarts are sexy. So are abs, a benefit of this training style. Researchers at Australia’s University of New South Wales found that intervals burn three times as much fat as running twice as long at a moderately hard, steady pace.

Pushup variations

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The pushup is probably the first muscle-building exercise most guys ever master, and also the first one they abandon. At some point they discover the bench press, come up off the floor, and never look back. But if you want a truly athletic physique, that’s a big mistake.

How do I know? Because 3 years ago I set out to discover the training secrets of the world’s best fighters for my book Ultimate Warrior Workouts. I traveled from sun-scorched beaches in Brazil to blood-and-sweat-soaked rings in Thailand. No matter where I looked, I found the planet’s toughest men training with pushups. And many were doing variations of the exercise I’d never seen before.

I’ve included eight of those variations here. Think you’re tough? Try to complete 10 reps of each—80 pushups total—in 5 minutes or less. It’s a body-weight challenge that’s sure to make you a believer in the power of the pushup.

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/international-pushup-variations/index.php#ixzz1TeBW8Kx4