Cutting Exercises - A Bodybuilding Myth?

One of the most common goals of fitness enthusiasts is to have low levels of body fat covering their hard-earned muscles. Whether the individual is an athlete that wants to look good in and out of uniform or a fitness instructor that wants to have "toned" arms, everyone is looking for the most effective exercises to reach their goals.

There is certainly no shortage of opinions when it comes to training programs and exercises that trainers and magazines seem to promote to reach these goals, so it is understandable that many bodybuilders and gym-goers can be overwhelmed by information. But what really confuses me is the claim made by gym employees and fitness authors that certain resistance training exercises are for definition and cutting up.

Believe it or not, but no strength coach or exercise physiologist has been able to prove that one exercise rather than others can promote more definition or toning! Can someone explain how leg extensions are a better exercise for muscle definition than squats? This article will dispel these myths and will reveal the best exercises for meeting the goals of increased muscle definition, which is the correct term for toning, cutting up or getting ripped. In fact, lets just eliminate toning from our vocabulary all together.

First a little background for those without a long history of weight training experience. Bodybuilders (that includes any man or woman that is seeking to improve their bodys appearance!) traditionally perform a number of exercises for a body part during a single resistance training session. For example, in a chest workout one might start with bench presses, move to incline dumbbell press, and finish with dumbbell flyes or the pec-deck.

Now according to many personal trainers and fitness magazines, the rationale behind this type of program is that the pressing exercises are best for strength and mass development and the pec-deck would provide for definition. Also, people believe that these definition exercises should be emphasized in order to develop a ripped body (that is, low levels of body fat). Unfortunately, it seems bodybuilders and fitness buffs alike have been led astray, and the end result is a poorly planned program that does not lead to the desired results.

Next we need a brief, yet simplistic, review of human anatomy and physiology to reason why these cutting exercises (i.e. pec-deck) do not do the job. For our purposes there are 2 components determining body composition, muscle and fat. For most people it is the amount of fat that is the limiting factor for them in the development of muscular definition and not the quality of their muscle. If an overweight individual were to be stripped of all their fat, they too would have muscle definition.

On the other hand, a skinny individual can increase their muscle definition by lifting weights and increasing muscle hypertrophy (growth). The body cannot tell the difference between exercises! It responds according to the demands applied to the body. If you lift weights the muscle will grow so that it is stronger and can lift the weight easier the next time. If you eat too much and do not exercise, the energy is deposited as fat and your muscle definition will be lost. It is a very simple equation!

The pec-deck can still be incorporated into workout designs, but it is not the best exercise for promoting a better body composition. In fact, this isolation exercise recruits only the chest muscles and ignores the triceps and deltoids, unlike the previously mentioned presses. And remember that more muscles result in greater energy expenditure and a greater overall training stimulus.

Another myth that seems to propagate is that sets performed for a very high number of repetitions are most effective for cutting up. Refer back to the basic anatomical principle that the bodys appearance is determined by the amounts of both muscle and fat, and most importantly that low levels of body fat are necessary for muscle definition. Using a lightweight to do a huge number of repetitions might not show off your muscles better than using a moderate weight and performing a moderate number of repetitions.

Why not? Because there would likely be no difference in the amount of total calories burned between the two workouts provided each performed a similar exercise volume in the workout. The greater number of repetitions in the one workout would be offset by the greater intensity (weight) used in the other workout. However, a heavier weight will stimulate more muscle growth. More muscle results in a faster metabolism and theoretically greater energy expenditure at rest. So over the long haul the more intense (heavier lifting) workout may be the optimal choice for reducing body fat. In addition, larger muscles are easier to see!

Okay, so what is going to bring you the results (i.e. definition) that you want? Keep the exercises basic and intense (i.e. moderate to heavy weight). Most bodybuilders are better off to do 4-5 sets of bench and incline presses (for a total of 8-10 sets) rather than including 3 sets of pec-deck in the traditional manner. The volume of exercise will be the same but the difficulty of exercise will be harder and the cumulative effects will greater.

Aerobic exercise is not essential for low levels of body fat but can certainly promote greater cardiovascular fitness and help prevent excessive weight gain. Interval training has now been shown in 2 studies to be more effective than slow cardio.

So stick with multi-muscle strength exercises and interval training to burn more calories out of the gym. It really adds up to more calorie burn and less body fat. That is a far better approach than relying on cutting exercises.

And finally, make the proper dietary changes to promote muscle gains and body fat reductions. Nutrition is the #1 factor for fat loss. If you don't have good nutrition, no exercise program will help you lose fat. In the end you will be healthier and will achieve superior muscle definition!

You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (HTML clickable) and references and copyright info.

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked cutting workouts have helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Get ripped with new fat loss workouts each month and get more results in less time. Craig is using the Muscle Gaining Secrets Workouts from Jay Ferruggia to gain 25 pounds of muscle without supplements.

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Grooved Golf Swing Series - How To Hit Your Ball From Bad Lies

When your ball finishes in a divot, your heart falls and you are filled with dismay and perhaps a little anger towards the inconsiderate player before you who has not repaired after taking his divot.

So easy to throw a little sand over the depression isnt it?

Any way, what to do? You can play a punch shot with the ball just inside your right toe, and run the ball onto the green, or, hit with your right hand, with open club face and ball well forward in your stance to get the ball up into the air and fly to the green..

In this article, I want to talk about other bad lies from simple depressions to ditches and a bit more on playing from a divot.

Firstly, if your ball finishes in a divot, you can use one of your fairway metals to get your ball out and onto the green. This is a technique to use if you want distance. It is superior and much easier than using a long iron to achieve the same result. This also applies not only for divots, but small depressions whether with grassy base or not. Dont use a metal with a flat sole, but pick the one with the most rounded one. This obviously gets into the depression better than a flat soled club.

Line up your shot a little to the left of the target, and then open your club face a little. This gives you more loft and will aid in getting your ball up. If you do not open your club face, it will meet the ball too squarely and the ball will have every chance of running along the ground instead of getting up in the air. A bit like opening the face of one of your wedges to get the ball up in the air more. You have aimed to the left of your target because with an open club face, your ball will fade to the right.

Have the ball 2 or 3 inches further back in your stance than normal, and hit firmly down onto the ball.

I emphasize the word firmly.

Ok, how about hitting out of a ditch? One of those placed lovingly by the course designer between the fairway and the edge of a hazard. This is a difficult, shot and you can take a drop and a one shot penalty. This will probably allow you to get your ball onto the green. The danger is that you may not get your ball out of the ditch and this will cost you a shot.

If you think it is worth a try, here is how you should go about it. Have the ball in the middle of your stance, and bend your knees I mean really bend them.

Bend them enough so that your club head can reach the ball. Then during your shot, make sure you keep your body at this level during the whole swing. This is one important point.

Then next is to hit DOWN on the ball. This is so important. If you try to sweep it, you will almost certainly fail.

The back swing should be done by picking the club up sharply breaking your wrists quickly. Your down swing should be a punch type shot straight down onto the ball. You will not be able to follow through, so dont worry about this part of the swing.

This is for a dreadful lie in a ditch. Sometimes the ditch is wide enough for a more orthodox swing.

In this case, bending your knees and hitting down on the ball still applies and are a must, but the swing can be a little more of a swing instead of a punch.

The important things are to keep your body at the same level and your head still. Watch the ball and keep looking at the spot where it was long after it has left. You will be able to have some sort of a follow through and the ball will fly high and long.

Bill Maitland is a thinking, inventive golf guru. He thought out and developed simple techniques and tips which enabled him to lower his handicap from 25 to 18, then from 18 to 15, and finally from 15 to 12. He is a passionate golfer, and delights in helping others with their game should they want his help. To receive a valuable weekly golf tip go to his web site http://www.onlinegolfershandbook.com and subscribe to his free Hole In One News Letter. You will be so glad that you did.

Author of On Line Golfers' Hand Book. An e-Book that takes you step by step to being the best golfer that you can possibly be. The basics in great detail. To learn about his tips and simple techniques and order his book, visit his web site

http://www.onlinegolfershandbook.com

sign up for his free news letter and receive a wealth of great tips every time. He really tries to tell you everything and leaves nothing out as so often happens. When you sign up, receive his free chapter from his book on bunker play.

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