Back it up

During the short lifespan of this blog I have concentrated mainly on full body workouts and other variations. My target audience are busy people and training individual body parts can be time consuming. Also, I am a big believer in super setting and multiple move training whenever possible. You tend to burn more calories and gain more strength using these methods. Nevertheless, if your goal is to improve a specific weakness, concentrating on a body part for a week or two can reap big benefits.

I love "back day". A tapered torso is sure to draw admiration and a strong back, along with a strong core, is a pillar of overall strength and total fitness. I usually do 3-4 exercises with 2-3 sets each making sure to vary how many reps I do, how much weight I lift and the order of the exercises in my routine. You want to shock your muscles by switching things up. It forces them to "think" differently and adapt to different stresses, thereby increasing strength.

Give the following workout a try and see if you don't notice a marked improvement in your training performance and physical appearance.


Pullup: This one is old school and for good reason. You are dead lifting body weight. It's just you against gravity.

Grasp a bar with an pronated (palms facing away from you) grip that is outside your shoulders. Fully extended your arms and relax your shoulders to fully stretch your lats. Pull yourself up so your chin can touch the grip.

Do this till you fail. The "Arnold" method is the best. Do these in small sets until you hit 35.

Pulldown: This allows you to concentrate all effort onto your lats, especially the outer lats to acheive a wider "V" cut in you torso.

1. Start by taking an overhand grip on the pull-down bar slightly wider than shoulder-width. Sit down and position your thighs under the pads, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2. Keep your back slightly arched and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull the bar down to your upper chest, pause for a beat and return to the start position.

3 sets x 10 reps

Power Clean: The name says it all. You will burn a ton of calories and lift a ton of weight over time. A great over all body strength workout. **MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A SPOTTER FOR THIS MOVE. HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER SHOW YOU HOW BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THIS MONSTER MOVE!**

1. Stand holding a barbell at about knee height with an overhand shoulder-width grip.
Space your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees slightly. Incline your trunk forward up to about 45 degrees and maintain a slight arch in your back.
Keep your arms straight and your shoulders over the bar, your vision focused downward and forward.

2.
Lift the bar with powerful extension of your legs and trunk while simultaneously pulling with your arms.
As you complete the pull, lean backward somewhat, rise up on the balls of your feet, raise your shoulders and flex your arms.
Jump up and spread your feet, turning your knees and feet out to the sides slightly.
Quickly drop down to squat under the barbell. As you do this, rotate your arms, bend your elbows and turn them so that they point forward and the barbell rests on your palms and the upper portion of your shoulders and deltoid muscles.
Straighten your legs and rise to the standing position, placing your feet back into the shoulder-width position.
Return the barbell back to the start position in a slow and controlled manner. Be sure to keep your back arched as you resist the weight back down. Repeat for reps.

3 sets x 10 reps

This is a good start. Master this routine for a week or two before moving on or adding any new moves.

In the market...

How do all you brokers feel about the 12b-1 conundrum and the repeal of the "Merrill Rule"? Lots of good info in the following link. All About Alpha is one of my favorite sites. A must read for anyone in Asset Management.

http://allaboutalpha.com/blog/2007/06/05/what-do-fiduciaries-etfs-and-12b-1-fees-have-in-common/

Till next time, don't go getting lazy till Monday. Weekend means it's the end of the week not the END of the week.