Most people change up their weight, they change their sets, they may even change the exercises in their routine.  However, not many people think of changing the way they exercise.  The average person does 3 sets of between 10 – 15 repetitions.  Changing the WAY you work out would be something like stacking, adding power exercises, or changing the pace of your workout.  In this particular article we will talk about stacking.  This type of routine can help you break your plateau and increase your muscle mass for increased fat burning in NO TIME!

Stacking involves doing a total of 6 sets.  The repititions are as followed

Take a maximum of 45 seconds rest with NO rest between set 5 and 6

Set 1:  15 reps (easiest set – more like a set to warm up)

Set 2:  12  reps

Set 3:  10 reps

Set 4:  8 reps

Set 5:  6 reps

NO REST then set 6

Set 6:  12 reps

Here’s an example.  While doing the chest press…

Set 1:  30 pounds / 15 reps

Set 2:  35 lbs / 12 reps

Set 3: 40 lbs / 10 reps

Set 4:  45 lbs / 8 reps

Set 5:  50 lbs/ 6 reps … NO rest then drop the weight to the same weight as the set where you preformed the 10 reps (i.e. 40lbs)

Set 6:  40 lbs / 12 reps or your max

This way of training was made famous by the best selling book “Body For Life.”  This program was an easy outline of a diet and workout for people who had no previous background.  Millions of people got wonderful results using this program and in the past I used it myself.  If you want to do it their way they you do ALL major muscle groups for the upper body (back, chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps).  The next day you do interval cardio training for 20 minutes with abdominal work.  The following day you do stacking again for legs (quads, hamstrings, calfs, and glutes).  You do a total of 2 days of upper body and 2 days of lower body with 3 days of cardio.

If you are going to this type of workout you MUST keep an eye on your calorie intake.  Unless your goal is to gain large amounts of muscle.  Keeping your calories at a controlled level ensures that you lose body fat, get lean and look wonderful for the summer months.  If you have questions about this routine, feel free to write in and let us know!  If you have done this type of routine in the past share you’re story with our many readers!

Adria Ali

While looking through one of my favorite magazines, I read some research that suggests that low carb / high fat diets actually dull your ability to think clearly.  You don’t necessarily need research to figure this out if you know a little bit about the brain and how it works.

Carbohydrates are the main fuel for the body.  They supply major areas of our body with the energy we need to move, think, rid our body of toxins, and run our organs.  While there has been TONS of controversy on low carb  diets and how they affect the body; many will agree that when on low carb / high fat diets there is a certain amount of fogginess.

The research in “Fitness RX,”  briefly describes that in order for the brain to function well it needs a certain amount of carbohydrates.  The study was preformed on mice that were fed a high fat diet which decreased their endurance by 35% and their mental capacity by 15% compared to the mice that were fed a high carbohydrate diet.  The research concluded that the high-fat diet impaired both brain and muscle function.

Adria Ali