Fat Loss Cardio Tips...

Let's clear up some FAQ about cardio!

1. DO NOT perform cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach! This is a great way to encourage muscle wasting. As soon as you wake up you should have whey protein isolate and a carbohydrate source (my favorite combo is VP2 Whey Isolate by AST Sports Science with breakfast cereal as you can see in my "Lost Logs" e-book. After you have supplied the critical nutrition upon waking you can then attack Max-OT cardio and achieve great results!

2. Keep cardio short and intense. 16 to 20 minutes of high intensity cardio will have a greater effect on elevating your metabolism and will keep your metabolism elevated longer after exercise than long duration moderate intensity cardio.

3. Work out of your comfort zone the entire session. You should be "huffing and puffing" throughout.

4. Set distance goals and try to beat them every session. Working to beat your distance goals will give you a tangible marker of intensity to strive for rather than simply putting in your time.

5. Frequency. If fat loss is a high priority I recommend cardio 5-7 days a week. Remember every cardio session you do will give your metabolism a jolt and fire up the fat burning process!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Does Soreness Matter?

The answer to this common question is no.

Muscle soreness or lack there of is not an indicator of the success of your workout. Remember the goal of each weight training workout is to overload the muscle with a heavy weight (Max-OT style) and therefore initiate the best muscle growth response.

You have probably found there are certain muscle groups that always get a little sore and some muscle groups that never do. I think this is normal based on my own experience and the feedback from many others. I wouldn't put much stock into it one way or the other.

As you go forward with your workouts I would suggest not placing emphasis on your degree of muscle soreness and certainly don't use it to gauge the success of your workout.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Body Transformation Tip!

To truly transform your body you need to have a strong muscle building component to your plan. This is true for men and women.

Remember that every ounce of muscle you build you will increase your resting metabolic rate and thus greatly aid the fat loss process.

Weight training is the catalyst for the muscle building component of your plan and there is no better weight training approach for encouraging muscle building than Max-OT.

Pictured to above is Stuart MacDonald and he underwent an amazing body transformation in a 6 month period of time and one of the keys to that transformation was Max-OT training. (You can see Stu's amazing transformation unfold in front of your eyes in the popular documentary "I Want to Look Like That Guy.")

Don't have the mindset that you have to lose weight before you focus on building muscle. It is best for your plan to have an emphasis on muscle building right out of the gate!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Max-OT Warm-up Protocol

The goal of the Max-OT warm-up protocol is to gradually introduce heavier weights without approaching the point of muscle fatigue.

Below are the main points to consider when you are doing your warm-up sets. These points are taken from a passage contained in my book "Inside the Mind of a Champion." The complete passage explains each of these points in detail and gives some specific examples.

* Warm-up on the first exercise for a body part only.

*Progressively introduce a heavier weight each warm-up set.

*As you add weight each warm-up set, decrease reps.

*Do not approach the point of fatigue.

*Your last warm-up set (also called weight acclimation) should be close to your muscle-building set weight.

*4-5 warm-up sets should do the job.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

Principles are more important than the routine.

I get a lot of questions about which Max-OT routine is best to follow. The answer is there really isn't one Max-OT arrangement that is better than any other. The important thing is that each routine sticks with the important Max-OT principles:

*Train each body one time per week.

*Stick with basic free weight compound exercises.

*Train in a 4-6 rep range.

*6-7 total sets for larger body parts (chest, back, legs)

*4-5 total sets for smaller body parts (biceps, triceps)

*Train to achieve overload NOT muscle fatigue.

Remember, there are a number of different Max-OT routines you can follow and all can be effective. Let me reiterate the adherence to the Max-OT principles is more important than the actual arrangement you follow.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

Biceps Training Tip!

There are many instances where people search for "new" and "inventive" training methods that will pack on gobs of muscle and often in this pursuit of new techniques they overlook the basics. I'll warn you right now the routine I am going to suggest may not look real flashy but it will be effective.

The best mass building biceps routines incorporate the Max-OT principles and are revolved around free weight exercises like barbell and dumbbell curls. These basic free weight exercises allow you to achieve maximum overload on the targeted area while using a full and natural range of motion.

Using the Max-OT principles means keeping the volume of total sets low and the intensity high. Here is an example of an effective Max-OT biceps routine:

• Barbell Curls: 3 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
• Standing Dumbbell Curls: 2 sets 4-6 reps

This routine may not look fancy on paper but you can be assured if you apply the intensity it will blast your biceps and stimulate maximum muscle growth.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss

I am against the biggest loser mentality because I think it encourages the wrong approach to fat loss. A person’s goal shouldn't be to lose as much weight as possible in the shortest amount of time. It should be to lose fat and build muscle on a continual basis. Emphasizing muscle gains will yield the greatest long term results. The key phrase there is long term.

There are quicker ways to get more immediate weight loss results than the approach I follow, however, rapid weight loss often equals having a worse body composition (body fat % vs lean muscle %) than what you started with. Let’s examine why.

If your program is simply focused on weight loss you are most likely not doing things very conducive to building muscle or at minimum maintaining muscle and that is where the trouble begins.

Losing muscle is a bad thing for long term results because every ounce of muscle you can gain, you raise your resting metabolic rate. That’s right; with more muscle added to your body you will burn more calories each day right out of the gate. That is why having a strong muscle building component to your program is critical for fat loss.

Following Max-OT style training will set you up to build muscle, lose fat and really transform your body. That means you may not see much movement on the scale initially and that is OK. We are concerned with long term results and over time there will be a downward trend with your weight but it will not happen over night. For this reason I don’t encourage frequent weight checking.

Here’s another cautionary tale for scale addicts. Contrary to popular belief muscle does not weigh more than fat. That is like saying a pound of bricks weighs more that a pound of feathers. A pound is a pound. Muscle is, however, more dense than fat. That means the same volume of muscle will weigh more than the same volume of fat therefore you could be a few pants sizes smaller and yet weigh almost the same as you did when you were carrying more fat. You see how that works? This is a prime example why the scale is not the best way to measure progress.
I believe a better indication of progress is how our clothes fit or if you want to get more exact you can chart inches lost or measure your actual body composition. Another good tool is visual assessments and the use of photos to see the changes made over time.

The moral of this story is concern yourself with fat loss and not simply weight loss because they are two different things. Be patient and execute a smart plan that has an emphasis on building muscle.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

Father's Day MASS Pack Special!

The MASS Pack is a collection of my best instructional products with a retail value of over $130.00. Normally the MASS Pack sells for an already discounted price of $79.95 but in honor of Father's day you'll save an extra $20.00 and pay only $59.95!

MASS Pack Includes:

• Training DVD A
• Training DVD B
• Nutrition Seminar DVD
• Training Journal
• Autographed 8x10 Photo

This Father's Day special is only available until Monday so act now and save over $70.00!

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Learn From the Best

In many ways it seems like only yesterday when I made my way to the gym for the first time and my love affair with bodybuilding began. I loved everything about it, especially the possibility of one day becoming a great competitor.

When I started out I was probably as naive as I was passionate. Naive about certain aspects of the sport, both good and bad. I didn’t know about supplements, nutrient timing, Max-OT or Max-OT cardio. I also didn’t know about the use of performance enhancing drugs in the various levels of the sport.

I remember when I first became aware that many top guys in the sport were using steroids. It was like finding out there wasn’t a Santa Claus. It disappointed me but didn’t discourage me. Thankfully I had a strong belief in myself and found role models that helped me stay true to my dreams and I continued going for the coveted IFBB pro card "my way."

I’m not here to preach, I never have been. To each his own and how you choose to go about bodybuilding is your decision, however don’t make that decision because you think you can’t be outstanding if you stay drug free. I am here to tell you that you can achieve great things training naturally and to make your quest easier there are blueprints for success you can follow.

Take a close look at accomplished bodybuilders who train drug free and learn from them. That’s exactly what I did and what I strongly prescribe to you. For example, I remember after the 1998 Team Universe I knew I needed guidance. I wasn’t afraid to seek out help and decided to go to the best. I just witnessed Skip La Cour come back from disappointment in 1997 to smoke everyone and set a new standard for conditioning at that show, so who better to learn from I thought. I modeled a lot of what I did after Skip’s approach. I didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. I didn’t look at Skip and think “he’s better than me so he must be cheating.” I looked at him as someone who has achieved great things and someone I could learn from because he was obviously doing something right.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people missing the boat in my opinion. Rather than learning from the best natural guys they accuse them of cheating and assume they are lying about their methods. You can't have this type of limiting mindset and expect to achieve outstanding results.

If you open your mind and learn from the best, you can unlock your full potential.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

What is Max-OT and why is it best for changing body composition?

Max-OT stands for Maximum Overload Training and is based on the physiological principle that overloading a muscle with heavy resistance creates the best stimulus for growth. The Max-OT principles were created by Paul Delia, CEO of AST Sports Science and are the principles I’ve followed exclusively since 1998. Paul was a very valuable mentor and I model a lot of my teaching after things I learned from him.

Max-OT is a low volume, high intensity approach to weight training that will maximize muscle and strength gains. Remember, this is very important to anyone interested in fat loss because every ounce of muscle you can build you are going to raise your resting metabolic rate and make fat loss easier. Plus, if you can build muscle you will achieve a more shapely/toned body when all is said and done.

When I speak about volume I am talking about the total number of sets and reps you are going to perform in any given workout. Most programs advise way too many sets and reps in my opinion, particularly those programs that are supposed to be designed specifically for “toning”.

I often hear people say they don’t want to lift heavy because they don’t want to get too bulky or they will point to one of my contest photos and say "I don’t want to get that big"; they just want to tone up. They make it sound as if the moment they start lifting any weights they’ll add gobs of muscle over night. Before I yell at them, I remind myself it is not their fault they have this fear of lifting heavy. It’s because that is what has been ingrained in their heads. We all hear it all the time….light weight and high reps for muscle tone and heavy weight with low reps for bulk (BTW - I hate the term bulk. To me that is another way of saying fat because adding quality muscle will never make anyone look “bulky”. A so called “bulky” look comes from too much body fat). Every time I hear the talk about light weights for muscle tone I want to scream because that is just not accurate and leads people to mediocre results.

You don’t need to lose any sleep over building too much muscle. Building muscle is very low on the physiological totem pull. You need to do a lot of things right with your weight training and diet to build muscle and not only that, you have to do these things day in and day out for a long, long time. Even then you might not build appreciable amounts of muscle depending on your body type. It is doubly hard for women right out of the gate because they don’t have the hormonal support to build muscle easily on top of everything else.

Take most drug free bodybuilders for example. They work their tails off for years doing everything geared towards building muscle from a diet, training and supplement standpoint just to add a few inches of circumference to their muscles. What makes the average person think they are going to start working out and become the Incredible Hulk over night? It just isn’t going to happen so stop listening to all that nonsense and start grabbing heavier weights.

Lifting heavy weights is not going to make you huge but it is going to set you up to build muscle way more efficiently than high rep training. The reason is because overloading the muscle with a heavy weight will create the best stimulus for the muscle to grow and become stronger. This is not my opinion, this is physiology talking. And let’s remember that is the whole purpose behind lifting weights to begin with is to build muscle and strength. (More muscle = higher resting metabolic rate and a more shapely body when you lose the fat with smart diet and cardiovascular exercise.)

I believe Max-OT is the best way to train to maximize results based on what physiology tells us and also based on my own 20 year real world study with myself as the primary test subject. Plus there are countless success stories of men and women all over the globe who've really changed their bodies by executing this style of training.

If you’ve seen our documentary “I Want to Look Like That Guy” it illustrates this point perfectly. In the documentary, Stuart MacDonald (Pictured Above) was the test subject and he followed Max-OT training for a 6 month period while also following the Max-OT cardio principles as well as a very strict and carefully calculated nutritional plan. In those 6 months his results were astounding and you can watch it happening right in front of your eyes during the film. He went from over 30% body fat to under 6% body fat and lost over 50lbs. All this by continuing to lift heavy weights throughout. If you follow the logic that heavy weights build bulk and light weights get you toned and trim then how do you explain Stuart’s outstanding results?

Keeping the weights heavy with Max-OT style training kept Stuart in a state where he was building and at the very minimum maintaining muscle throughout his strict diet and intense cardiovascular exercise. I guarantee you that if Stuart followed the “normal” guru advice and did a lot of high rep, high volume workouts with long duration cardio he would have never achieved the results he did. He may have been able to lose 50lbs or even more but his physique and body composition would not have been as incredible as there were at the end of the film. Why? Because he continued to have a muscle building emphasis with his weight training by using the Max-OT principles.

I've said it many times before and I will say it again. There are many different training philosophies and you can workout a variety of ways and achieve results. Some programs might work more on your athleticism, some on your agility and some on your flexibility, however, if your primary goal is to change your body composition then I firmly believe Max-OT is the best. To really change your body composition you must have a strong muscle building component to your plan and that is exactly what Max-OT will give you.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Lower Back Training

One question that comes up from time to time is about lower back training in relation to the Max-OT workouts. I receive this question because most Max-OT routines don't have any specific lower back exercises. Here's my answer:

I don’t do any direct exercises to target my lower back. This is due to the degree the lower back is recruited during many compound exercises to stabilize the upper body. I feel that any additional work is not necessary and could possibly lead to over training the area.

One of the things that makes Max-OT the most effective way to train is because it is centered on basic compound exercises which are the best for maximum muscle recruitment and stimulation.

Movements like squats, deadlifts, stiff leg deadlifts, and bent over barbell rows all involve the lower back quite a bit. I feel that a Max-OT routine that includes many of these exercises gives the lower back plenty of work already.

If you feel your lower back is a weak point, you may want to include a couple sets of direct work to target the area. But remember, the lower back has already received a good deal of stimulation throughout the entire training week and doesn’t require a lot extra. I would say 2 to 3 sets of good mornings or weighted hyper extensions would be plenty.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Workout Duration Doesn't Equal Overload Success

One common question from people who are new to Max-OT training is about the short duration of the workouts. A lot of times people have been brainwashed into thinking long workouts equal better workouts and that is not the case when it comes to maximizing your gains. You want low volume/high intensity workouts focused on one or two muscle groups. You don't want to be in the gym for hours. In fact, if your workouts are taking you more than an hour to complete you may want to re-examine your approach.

Max-OT workouts will range anywhere from approximately 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending upon the body part arrangements. Don't be fooled by the short time span because short doesn't mean less intense. I'd argue it is just the opposite. Shorter workouts allow for greater intensity and focus compared to marathon workouts that span an hour or more. The longer you are in the gym and the more sets you have piled up the more likely your intensity and focus will decline over the span of your long duration workout.

Remember, the goal of each Max-OT workout should be to effectively overload the targetted muscle group(s) and the duration of a workout has nothing to do with the overload success achieved.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Short Duration/High Intensity Cardio is Key

Short duration (16-20 minutes), high intensity cardio is a key element in the fat burning equation. A.K.A. Max-OT cardio.

Max-OT style cardio will have a bigger elevating effect on your metabolism and keep it elevated longer after exercise compared to long duration moderate intensity cardio. Plus Max-OT style cardio has less of any negative impact on the muscle building process.

Why 16 Minutes?

There is noting magic about the number 16. Your sessions could fall anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes. We settled on 16 because that seems to be a good time frame where you can keep maximum intensity and focus. The closer you get to 20 minutes the harder it is to maintain that high level of output. That's not to say 15 or 17 minutes wouldn't accomplish the task so don't over-analyze that number. The idea is to keep it between 15 and 20 and work your tail off every single minute!

How do I gauge intensity?

The best way I can describe it is you need to be "huffing and puffing" throughout the session and you need to be working out out of your comfort zone.

One tangible way to gauge this is to set distance goals and try to beat it. For example, if you travel 4.2 miles in 16 minutes on a recumbent bike then your next session you try to beat 4.2 miles with all settings being equal. Working to exceed your distance every time will quickly ensure you are working at the level necessary for maximum results.

How Often?

If fat loss is a primary goal then I'd say you should be doing Max-OT style cardio 5-6 days a week.

If you are in a maximum muscle building phase and looking to maintain condition then I think 2-3 days a week is good.

What makes you so sure?

I was just like all of you and early in my career I did the customary long duration/moderate intensity cardio because that is what the magazines said to do. I achieved good results doing more traditional style cardio, in fact, I won many contests doing cardio that way. However, I always had a hard time getting that razor sharp condition until I implemented Max-OT style cardio. Results went from good to GREAT!

Max-OT style cardio was one of the biggest factors in the outstanding condition I achieved in 2003. It was without a doubt the greatest condition of my career and that is why I am so confident in Max-OT style cardio.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Training Tip - How much weight do I increase?

I recently talked about when to increase weight and I said when you can get 6 reps on your own with good execution it is time to bump up the weight. How much do I increase you may ask?

When moving up in weight, keep this tip in mind. You always want to increase weight by the smallest increment possible. If you are using a barbell that typically means 2.5 lbs per side. If we are talking a cable machine or dumbbells then use the smallest increase available.

Your body will be able to accommodate these small increases better than bigger jumps in weight and thus it will help your strength progressions keep moving forward without hitting a plateau.



Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Training Tip - When to Increase Weight

If you are familiar with Max-OT you know the rep range we shoot for is 4-6 reps. When you can get 6 reps on your own with good execution it is time to bump up the weight. That being said you don't need to get 6 reps on every set of an exercise before you increase the weight. That's one commonly misunderstood principle. Let's examine.

We'll assume you are doing 3 working sets of an exercise. If you hit 6 reps on the first set you need to bump up the weight for sets 2 and 3. You should not be getting 6 reps every set. If you are, your intensity needs to be examined.

The reality is you should be closer to 4 reps on the last set of any exercise. It is even OK to get only 3 reps on the final set.

Don't get into the mind set that you should always be getting 6 reps. It will limit your weight progression, however this does come with one warning.....Don't sacrifice weight increases for good exercise exectution. You always want to find the best balance of both.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Sample 3-Day Max-OT Arrangement

I was asked in response to the sample 5-day Max-OT routine if I could list a 3 day variation.

The principles remain the same the only difference each workout will be longer because you are forced to work more body parts each workout. For that reason I prefer to train over a 5 day period to keep the workouts shorter but if your schedule doesn't allow you to workout 5 days you can still achieve results with 3 days a week.





Day 1 – Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Flat Bench Press….3 sets 4-6 reps
Incline Bench Press….3 sets 4-6 reps
Dumbbell Presses….3 sets 4-6 reps
Side Lateral Raises….2 sets 4-6 reps
Tricep Cable Pushdowns….2 sets 4-6 reps
Dumbbell Overhead Extensions….2 sets 4-6 reps


Day 2 – Back, Biceps & Abs

Deadlifts….3 sets 4-6 reps
Lat Pulldowns….3 sets 4-6 reps
Bicep Barbell Curls….2 sets 4-6 reps
Dumbbell Curls….2 sets 4-6 reps
Ab Rope Crunches….3 sets 8-12 reps
Swiss Ball Crunches….2 sets 8-12 reps

Day 3 – Legs & Calves

Squats….3 sets 4-6 reps
Leg Press….2 sets 4-6 reps
Stiff Leg Deadlifts…2 sets 4-6 reps
Seated Calf Raises…. 2 sets 6-8 reps
Calf Raises On Leg Press….2 sets 6-8 reps

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

Sample 5-day Workout Schedule

I thought some of you might find it helpful to view a sample 5-day Max-OT workout schedule. There is nothing special about this arrangement or any other Max-OT arrangement for that matter. You can group the body parts and the order of days in any number of ways and still be effective.

Here are some important principles to keep in mind when constructing your schedule:

• Train each body part once per week.
• 4-6 reps for major body parts.
• 6-8 total sets for bigger muscle groups.
• 4-5 total sets for smaller muscle groups.
• Select mostly free weight compound exercises.
• Don't group large body parts together like chest and back or legs and chest.

MONDAY (Back & Traps)
Back:
Deadlifts....2 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Weighted Pull-ups.... 3 sets 4-6 reps (After acclimation set)
Bent-over Rows.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After Weight Acclimation)
Traps:
Barbell Shrugs.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After Weight Acclimation)


TUESDAY (Chest)
Chest:
Flat Barbell Bench Press.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Incline Barbell Bench Press.... 2 sets 4-6 reps
Weighted Dips.... 2 sets 4-6 reps


WEDNESDAY (Legs & Calves)
Calves:
Calf Raises On Leg Press.... 3 sets 6-8 reps
Seated Calf Raises.... 2 sets 6-8 reps

Legs:
Squats.... 5 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Stiff Leg Deadlifts.... 2 sets 4-6 reps (After weight acclimation)


THURSDAY (Biceps, Triceps & Forearms)
Biceps:
Barbell Curls….3 sets 4-6 reps
Standing Dumbbell Curls….2 sets 4-6 reps

Triceps:
Lying Triceps Extensions….3 sets 4-6 reps
Cable Push-downs….2 sets 4-6 reps

Forearms:
Barbell Wrist Curls.... 3 sets 6-8 reps


FRIDAY (Abs & Shoulders)
Abs:
Cable Crunches.... 3 sets 8-10 reps (After weight acclimation)
Weighted Leg Raises.... 2 sets 8-10 reps

Shoulders:
Military Barbell Press (To the front).... 3 sets 4-6 reps (After warm-up)
Side Lateral Dumbbell Raises.... 2 sets 4-6 reps
Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raises.... 2 sets 4-6 reps

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Don't Over-complicate the Process

The muscle building process is actually pretty simple. When I say that, I am not talking about the effort required to execute the process, just the basic formula which can be summed up as stimulus and response. Muscle is best stimulated to grow by being placed under heavy mechanical tension (overload) and responds to that stimulus by building bigger stronger muscles through proper recovery.

It’s almost like some people feel a need to make it harder than that. So they over-examine things, dissect the minor details and look for the hidden strategies. In the process of scouring particulars they miss the bigger picture. Like Paul Delia once told me, “They are missing the dollars to pick up the pennies.” That has been a favorite saying of mine ever since.

For instance, some people ask me questions about weight selection. They say they are confused and don’t know exactly when to increase weight or what percent to increase it by. Rather than making it difficult, simply use the 4-6 rep range as your guide. If you can get 6 reps on your own then increase weight by the smallest increment you can. It doesn’t have to be a perfect science as long as you progressively work to use more weights while staying in the 4-6 rep range with good control and execution.

If you over analyze the process you are wasting energy and causing yourself unnecessary confusion. The principles are pretty clear cut and spelled out simply throughout the Max-OT course. And above it all, the underlying key to your success is the consistent hard work you do while executing those basic principles.

You can basically break the muscle building process down to a few major points:

*Train heavy with the Max-OT principles.
*Follow a good nutrition schedule daily.
*Practice smart post workout nutrient/supplement selection and timing.
*Train with Intensity.
*Execute the program consistently.

Don’t over complicate the process rather channel your efforts towards executing the plan to the best of your ability each and every day.

Believe. Achieve.

http://www.jeffwillet.com/

Abdominal Training Tips

There is a big misconception when it comes to abdominal training. You often hear that in order to trim your waist line you need to do countless high rep sets of crunches and you need to train your abs frequently throughout the week. This is simply not true. You can’t spot reduce fat around your waist no matter how many reps you do so forget about it.

To have great abs you need two things. One is good abdominal muscular development and the second is a low level of body fat so the musculature is visible. Neither of these ingredients is accomplished with frequent high rep ab training.

For increasing abdominal muscular development you need to think of ab training like you do any other muscle group. If you want to increase development, you need to train the area with resistance. I recommend overloading the abs in an 8-10 rep range. A higher rep range is used compared to the normal Max-OT 4-6 reps so you can effectively overload the abs while maintaining good form and feel during every rep and maintaining tension on the abs. I'd say my favorite exercies for overloading the abs is cable crunches.

As for frequency, I think direct ab training once per week is plenty. Remember, abs get a lot of work all week long stabilizing your body during free weight compound movements so one time a week with direct overload should be all you need.

After increasing abdominal muscular development by executing intelligent Max-OT training you need to focus on the other ingredient for great abs which is shedding body fat and that is accomplished through attention to diet and intense Max-OT style cardio.

If you are smart and consistent with your diet and cardio, you’ll melt away the fat and the abdominal muscles you’ve worked hard to develop will be visible. The end result will be an awesome set of rock hard abs.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com

Examining Deadlifts

Not all exercises are created equal. Some are far better at stimulating muscular development than others. It is a wise choice to structure your training schedule around the most effective exercises in order to maximize your time and efforts in the gym.

As a rule, free weight compound exercises that involve movement through more than one joint and the recruitment of multiple muscle groups are most effective. Compound exercises require you to balance the weight as it travels through a natural and full range of motion, while effectively achieving maximum overload. These are all very important characteristics to look for in the exercises you choose. That is, of course, if you want to achieve the greatest results.

When you are talking about compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups and movement through multiple joints, deadlifts is one of the best. Along with squats, it is hard to think of another exercise that has as much total body involvement.

The nature of this exercise makes it extremely effective for stimulating muscular strength and development from head to toe. It also makes it possible to generate a lot of power and handle some pretty serious weights.

As they say, “with great power comes great responsibility.” That is very true when it comes to executing deadlifts. To get the most out of the movement and to protect yourself from injury it is important to fully understand the mechanics of this exercise and develop great execution techniques before building up to massive weights. Remember – better execution will lead to greater results.

When I perform deadlifts I like to envision my body working as one powerful unit to raise the weight off the ground as my body moves from a squat into a standing position. I like to feel the power I can generate each rep by driving through with my legs and keeping my abs and lower back (core) tight as I stand up. This helps remind me to use my whole body to move the weight and not place all the stress on my lower back.

To begin I stand with my feet a little less than shoulder width apart and my shins very close to the bar, approximately 1 or 2 inches away. I squat down and grip the bar with an overhand grip and my hands positioned a little wider than my legs. I like to use wrist wraps to help my grip strength.

To start the movement I keep my head looking up to help maintain a natural arch in my back and my abs and lower back remain tight. I generate the initial part of the move by keeping my butt low and driving through with my legs and hips as I lift the weight off the ground. I keep the bar close to my body, almost as if I was dragging it up my legs until I get to a standing position.

Once I am standing straight I don’t hyper extend my back by leaning backwards, I stop and prepare mentally for the second part of the movement.

I follow the same procedure in reverse for returning the bar to the starting position. I keep my head up and back arched with the bar remaining close to my body. As I lower the weight I squat down using my legs to help me lower the weight. Under complete muscular control I sit the weight back on the ground.

Once the weight is stationary on the ground I make sure my grip is set and my base is sturdy with my feet firmly planted. I remind myself to keep my butt down and my head up. When I am mentally and physically prepared, I do another rep.

I find it helpful to “reset’ myself after every rep rather than trying to do one continual set with no rest. Resetting myself after each rep keeps my form and focus strong and helps me execute the exercise correctly. This is especially important during a full body compound exercise like deadlifts.

Deadlifts have always been a challenging exercise for me and for the longest time I never felt very comfortable with the form and execution. I didn’t even include deadlifts the first several years I started bodybuilding because I didn’t realize the importance of the exercise or its impact on overall development, especially for the back and traps. Once I understood the important role deadlifts could play I made a commitment to learning and executing them better. As my execution improved, my confidence grew and so did my weights. Consequently making deadlifts a bigger part of my training really improved my back development and it was especially noticeable the last couple years of my career.

I definitely think it is worth your while to incorporate deadlifts into some of your Max-OT routines. Take the time to learn and get comfortable with the mechanics of the exercise and then work to increase your weights from there.

I often say "basics are best" and it doesn’t get much more basic than loading a bar up with weights and picking it off the ground.

Believe. Achieve.

www.jeffwillet.com