Lebron James' Workout

THE WORKOUT
Begin each session with calisthenics and core moves. Then do the exercises specified for each day as pairs, or supersets, moving from one exercise to the next without rest. Do each superset three times, resting 45 seconds between supersets.

MONDAY
Superset 1
Pushup
Assume the classic pushup position, with legs straight, hands beneath your shoulders. Keeping your body rigid, bend your arms to lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Then push back up until your arms are extended. Do as many reps as you can.

Pullup
Grab a chinup bar with an overhand grip (palms forward) and your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Hang with your arms straight and pull your shoulder blades down. Pull your chest to the bar. Then lower yourself to the starting position. Aim for 10 reps.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Snatch
Assume an athletic position (knees bent, hips back), holding a dumbbell in one hand below your knees. In one movement, jump as you thrust the weight overhead, keeping the weight close to your body. Land softly. Aim for 5 reps with each arm.

Cable Single-arm Row
Grab the handle of a mid-pulley cable with your left hand, pulling your right arm back. Row the handle to your torso as you extend your right arm. Then resist the weight as you return your arms to the starting position. Do 10 reps with each arm.

TUESDAY
Superset 1
Dumbbell Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Keeping your back naturally arched, bend at the hips and knees and lower your body until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Push back up. Do eight to 12 reps.

Swiss-ball Hamstring Curl
Lie on the floor with your ankles on a Swiss ball, arms at your sides. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line. Squeezing your glutes, pull the ball toward your butt with your legs. Then roll the ball back out. Do 12 reps.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Stepup
Holding heavy weights at your sides, lift one foot and place it on a bench. Then push your body up until your weight-bearing leg is straight and your other foot hangs off the bench. Return to the starting position. Do 10 reps with each leg.

Dumbbell Calf Raise
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and stand on your left foot. Rest the instep of your right foot across the back of your left ankle. Hold onto something for balance. Rise on your toes as high as you can. Do 12 reps with one leg before repeating with the other leg.

THURSDAY
Superset 1
Dumbbell Incline-Bench Press
Lie faceup on an incline bench and hold a pair of dumbbells at the sides of your chest with an overhand grip (palms forward). Press the weights straight above your chest. Then lower them to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Lat Pulldown
Sit at a lat-pulldown station and grab the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your head and back straight, pull your shoulder blades down and then pull the bar to your chest. Let the bar rise. Do 10 reps.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Single-arm Overhead Press
Stand holding a dumbbell at shoulder height with your palm facing toward your body (as shown). Press the weight straight up and then slowly lower it. Do six to eight reps before repeating with the other arm.

Dumbbell Single-arm Row
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, arm straight, and place your left hand and left knee on a bench. Use your upper-back muscles to pull the dumbbell up and back. Pause, then slowly lower the weight. Do 10 reps on each side.

FRIDAY
Superset 1
Single-leg Squat
Stand on a bench. Hold your arms in front of you and flex your right ankle so your toes point up. Keeping your torso as upright as possible, bend your left knee and lower your body until your right heel touches the floor. Push up. Aim for five reps per leg.

Single-leg Swiss-ball Leg Curl
Perform as you do the Swiss-ball hamstring curl, but use only one leg. Lift your left leg and bend your knee toward your chest. With your right leg, pull the ball toward your butt and then push it back out. Aim for 10 reps with each leg.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Side Lunge
Stand holding dumbbells at your sides. With your left leg, take a wide step directly to the left. Bend your left knee and push your hips back until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Then push back up. Do 10 reps in each direction.

Unstable Jump Rope
Skip rope for 45 seconds on a cushiony surface, such as a stretching mat. The instability will help strengthen your ankles.

Workout by Stan Kellers, strength and conditioning coordinator for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Christian Bale's Workout

Diet Plan
Getting in the meals every 2-3 hours. Each meal should consist of a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The ideal ratio is 1:2:3 - that is 1 part fats, 2 parts protein and 3 parts carbohydrates. Knowing that we need approx 1-2 grams of protein per pound bodyweight we can calculate the fats and carbohydrates to be consumed using our ratio above.

Training Plan
Day 1
Chins superset with Cable rows: 4 sets, 12 reps each exercise
This superset is used as a warm-up and to prepare the body for what is to come for the heavier power exercises.

High Pulls: 4 x 10, 8, 6 reps
It is important to note that when performing this exercise you explode from the starting position (bar on floor) to the finish (bar as high as possible - usually chin level) and that you explode up with maximum force onto the toes!

Power Clean: 4 x 10, 8, 6 reps
Power cleans are a great exercise for overall mass building as well as power, most of the major muscle groups are utilized during the execution of this movement.

Day 2
Sprints
Run-ins with a 10 meter run in perform 5 sets of 30m sprints and 5 sets of 40m sprints. 60 second breaks between sets and 120 seconds between distances.

Squat jumps: 4 x 10, 8, 6 reps

The weight used here should be minimal so as not to risk injury, ideally a "power-bag" should be used, this is a weighted bag and is much safer than using a barbell. However is only a barbell is available, when performing the exercise explode out of the squat to your until you are on your toes, and repeat.

Lunges: 4 x 10 reps

Day 3
Warm up with 3 of Dumbbell Flyes - 3 sets, 12 reps
Followed by Smith Machine bench press, 3 sets, 12 reps
Although these sets are primarily to warm up the muscles of the upper body maximum weight should be used for each set of 12 reps!!!

Explosive Bench: 4 x 10, 8, 6 reps
This exercise because of its explosive nature is a great tool for increasing the functional capabilities of the white muscle fibers. Once the bar has been taken off the rack, lower it to the chest and explode from there releasing the bar from your grip.

The height the bar achieves should be noted by your spotter, as the bar begin to return, it should be caught in the hands and returned to the start position under control but also keeping the momentum going.

Ricochets
This is done in intervals: 2 minutes on, 30 seconds off, Mark a 2 foot wide square on the ground with tape or chalk. Jump from corner to corner as fast as you can, jumping to different corners every time. This exercise is performed for a total of 30 minutes.

Day 4
Active rest, this a day where you do not train so hard, but are still active, a pool session is good here or a combination of swimming and aqua jogging. This will aid the recovery process.

Day 5, 6 and 7
Repeat days 1, 2 and 3

Why Belly Fat Hurts the Heart

Belly Fat, Also Called Visceral Fat, Boosts Inflammation and Atherosclerosis, Say Scientists Studying Mice
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Belly fat tucked deep inside your waistline may be worse for your arteries than fat padding the rest of your body.

That's according to University of Michigan scientists studying the health risks of abdominal fat, also called visceral fat.

Here's what Miina Ohman, MD, PhD, and colleagues learned from their lab tests in mice:

• Belly fat appears to boost inflammation.
• Belly fat is linked to worse atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which makes heart attacks more likely.

In those tests, some mice got a transplant of visceral fat. Other mice got a transplant of subcutaneous fat (which sits directly under the skin, not deep in the belly) or no fat transplant.

The bottom line: Visceral fat brought the most inflammation and the worst atherosclerosis.

After visceral fat transplantation, mice developed less severe atherosclerosis if their chow was laced with the diabetes drug Actos for 10 weeks. But Actos didn't affect atherosclerosis in other mice, and the researchers aren't ready to recommend any drugs for visceral fat.

Don't disregard the study, published online in Circulation, just because the tests were done in mice. Other studies have linked belly fat to health risks in people.

Belly fat does budge, but it takes work. Researchers have found that exercise is a must to get rid of belly fat. If you're not exercising already, check with your doctor before you start a new fitness plan.

Fitness

Fitness is defined as a state of being healthy, which prepares the body for the physical necessities of daily life. To be more precise, fitness provides strength, flexibility and stamina for the proper functioning of the body. It is a total solution for a perfect, fine-tuned life. The five main components of fitness are aerobic endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility and body composition. The right kind of physical and mental exercises and proper intake of nutritious food are the factors that contribute to fitness. A well-balanced diet not only makes one fit, but provides all necessary nutrients for the body. Mental fitness, essential for the psychological well-being of a person, is also a key factor in sustaining a healthy state.

Fitness lowers the risks of various health issues such as obesity, cardio-vascular problems, habitual inactivity and depression. It helps to prevent age-related problems. Moreover, fitness makes one feel relaxed and active throughout the day.

To stay physically fit doesn't entail spending hours in a gym or on costly fitness to develop muscle mass like body builders. All you need to do is improve power and endurance and get mobile. Nowadays, immobility has become part of a lifestyle, with people spending more time in front of the computer. So the need for exercise is a must.

A systematic workout of small exercises such as brisk walking, cycling, jogging and swimming can energize the body. An overdose of exercise might injure the body. So it is vital to find an enjoyable schedule of activity. The fitness methods adopted must be person-specific. It varies for men, women, children and the aged. Individuals have to choose exercises that are ideal for their body. Fitness methods include meditation, yoga sessions, aerobic classes and muscular fitness exercises.

Today, more and more people are struggling to keep their body and mind fit. This has resulted in the growth of a range of sophisticated multi-gyms, professional fitness institutions and clubs. Health and fitness magazines and publications are also available, and fitness tips and training programs are available via the Internet.

by: Jimmy Sturo

Six Steps to a Six-Pack

The year was 1991, my senior year of high school (Yeah, I'm only 29 for those of you trying to do the math while thinking, "Boy, he's young!"). For some reason my school decided to coordinate a senior trip to White Water (a water theme park). I noticed that many of my classmates seemed to be sneaking glances at me, especially the girls. Being shirtless and slightly insecure about my physique, as most teens are, I thought maybe they were laughing at me for some reason. After what seemed like an eternity (probably an hour), someone finally commented on how great my body was, especially my six-pack. I was just about floored, although relieved! I think to myself "so that's why everyone is staring at me, because of my abs? My abs aren't that good. Don't they read Muscle & Fitness and know what really good abs look like?" Evidently not, because they were impressed with my six-pack in the making.

I know this sounds corny, but for a not-so-suave 18-year-old kid who had only kissed three girls in his life, that day was a turning point. No longer did I only train for myself and the love of training, I now had extra incentive: to attract girls! I reasoned that if I had a killer six-pack, I wouldn't even have to muster up the courage to talk to girls, they would come to me. So I trained like a madman to improve my six-pack as much as I possibly could. It worked. I soon kissed my fourth girl!

If you think six-packs are only for guys, you're wrong. Practically all guys find a lightly muscled and toned six-pack on a female very sexy. Oh, and for the two of you reading this that don't want to look more attractive in the midsection, well developed abdominals are ultra important for sport performance and for preventing and alleviating lower-back pain.

Without further ado - unless you want more pathetic stories from my youth - here are six tips for developing a six-pack.

1. Do cardio - Yes you're reading the right article. As you well know, cardiovascular exercise (cardio) helps to burn body fat. If you have an inch thick layer of fat on your midsection, even the most well developed abdominals will be hidden. I’m sure you’ve seen those poor, misguided souls in the gym who train abs like there’s no tomorrow, and yet have no visible definition whatsoever. They probably have a great six-pack, but it’s under a bunch of fat. Remember, doing crunches does not burn fat from your stomach. Heck, it doesn’t burn any significant fat from anywhere. Resistance training builds muscle and cardio burns fat! Don’t forget that simple principle.
2. Eat Right - Yeah, I know. I can here you moaning from here. You want to know how to get a six-pack and I 'm lecturing you about diet. Sorry, but I'm not here to blow smoke up your skirt and tell you I've got a new cream that you can rub on your belly that will melt away the fat; I'm not going to reveal any miracle cures today because there aren't any! Eating right is imperative if you want to get lean and stay lean. To make progress from where you are now, you simply need to improve your eating. Notice I didn't say eat fewer Calories. I said eat better. Sometimes that may be less, sometimes it may be more. I'm not going to get into nutrition specifics here, but as a general rule, you want to eat fresh, natural foods - stuff you'd eat if you lived on a farm and raised your own crops. One exception to this rule is foods that are processed, but done so to improve its nutrient density and absorbability. For example, meal replacement drinks like Lean Body.
3. Train Abs two to three times per week - OK, now we're talking. Let's move on to actual ab training. I've heard everything from 'train abs every day' to 'train abs once per week'. Personally I think both are wrong and I'll explain why. Training abs everyday is definitely wrong due to the simple fact that muscles have to recuperate to grow. Training causes micro trauma and inflammation to a muscle, but the muscle responds by laying down new muscle, which equals bigger and stronger muscles. By the way - you do want your abdominal muscles to be bigger. That doesn't mean that your gut sticks out. It means that each bump within the six-pack is simply thicker, making the grooves between the six-pack deeper.Training the abs every day would not allow sufficient time for them to recuperate between workouts. I do, however, agree that the abdominals recuperate faster than most other muscles. Therefore you could probably get away with training them three nonconsecutive days per week, for example: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On the other hand, you could err on the side of caution and train them only twice per week, for example: Monday and Thursday. Either way should suffice.
4. Train abs with lower reps - Forget those sets of 50 crunches and especially those one-hour ab classes! It is well accepted among us exercise science geeks that eight to twelve repetitions is optimal for building fast twitch muscle fibers. The rectus abdominus (abs) muscle is just that - a predominately fast twitch muscle. Therefore, you should use enough resistance such that you can only perform eight to twelve repetitions before reaching failure. If you're a beginner, your bodyweight will likely be enough. On the other hand, experienced trainees will likely need to add resistance to make the exercise more difficult. If you're doing regular crunches, the easiest way to do this is to hold a weight (plate or dumbbell) or medicine ball over your chest while performing crunches. If you're doing cable crunches, simply increase the weight on the weight stack. Don't forget, you can always make the set harder by pausing at the top in the contracted position and by lowering yourself very slowly to the starting position. You should be able to complete 12 reps in this manner before adding extra weight.
5. Train ALL areas of the abdomen - When we think of training abs, we typically think of doing crunches. If you typically think of "sit-ups," let me be the first to welcome you to the new millennium. Crunches primarily stress the upper abdominal muscles, while reverse crunches* primarily stress the lower abdominals. Some old school experts will say that you cannot stress upper vs. lower abs and that the whole rectus abdominus functions as one muscle. Wrong! This debate has been settled years ago with a slew of studies showing that the upper and lower abs each respond differently to different exercises. The last area of the abdominal area that you really need to train is the oblique muscles, which lie on the sides of your abdominal area. Obliques respond to twisting and side bending movements. Let me give you a word of caution here: DO NOT train the oblique muscles with low reps, only with high reps. Remember, eight to twelve reps builds muscle which is what you want to do in the abs themselves. However, you don't want thick oblique muscles! You want fairly thin but defined obliques. Overly developed obliques can give the false appearance of "love handles" on the sides. Remember: thick abdominals, thin obliques.
6. Don’t forget the TVA - The Transverse Abdominus (TVA) muscle is the only muscle of the abdominal area that doesn't cause movement of the spine. Its job is basically that of a girdle: to keep the abdomen pulled in nice and tight, giving the midsection a smaller and tighter appearance. I'm sure you've seen people who are quite lean, they may even have a six-pack, but have a belly that seems to stick out quite a bit. This is made possible by a weak TVA muscle. Think about this: in clothes, people can't actually see your abdominal development; but what they can see is whether or not your TVA is doing its job. Training the TVA is very easy. Simply blow all of your air out and suck your abdomen in as far as you can, bringing your navel closer to your spine. You can also train the muscle throughout the day by simply 'sucking your stomach in.'’ That may seem rather goofy, but it's very good for developing the TVA. Because you're training the TVA for neurological development rather than muscular development, you can (and should) train it everyday.

source: binaraga.info