Strength Training

Muscle Sculpting Workout Tips Part 1

December 11, 2012 by Nia Shanks

Muscle sculpting. Muscle building. I prefer the term "muscle sculpting" since the objective, as the definition implies, is to "change the shape or contour of" the body; and it's fitting because the human body is truly a work of art. Plus, I'm not gonna lie, it just sounds a lot better. Call it whatever you prefer, but this article contains workout tips for women who want to add sexy muscle in …

The Reason You May Not be Getting Results & What to do about It

November 27, 2012 by Nia Shanks

“If you want to lose body fat, you have to eat this way and you have to workout this way.” “If you want to build muscle, you have to eat this way and you have to train this way.” The fitness and nutrition world is an interesting place. The latest and greatest fad surfaces on a frequent basis with high promises of allowing you to “finally lose the weight”, or “build muscle”, or whatever desire …

High Intensity Low Volume & Low Intensity High Volume Strength Training. When & How to Use Both for Great Results

November 5, 2012 by Nia Shanks

I really like high intensity low volume training when you push every set brutally hard but you only do a few sets (sometimes only one) for each exercise. I also like lower intensity and higher volume training when you keep several reps "in the tank" and perform many more sets for each exercise. Both types have their pros and cons, and each can be incorporated into a training program to achieve …

5 Training Techniques to Shake Up Your Workouts – Part 1

October 17, 2012 by Nia Shanks

By "shake up" your workouts I'm in no way referring to the infamous "Shake Weight", so don't even think about it. That's not a valid exercise or training technique, no matter how you do it. Anyway . . . I love the basic barbell and bodyweight exercises and their variations. These basic exercises have been staples of my workouts for months: Squats TO a box (pictured above) Kettlebell …

How to Train When You’re Traveling or on Vacation

August 21, 2012 by Nia Shanks

How should you train when you're traveling or while you're on vacation? Should you find a way to stick with your current program? Should you skip training all together and participate in some other physical activity? Should you simply adapt your current program based on the equipment that's available. I'm going to answer those questions and more in this article. I've managed to create four …

The 10 Commandments for Simple Fat Loss

July 31, 2012 by Nia Shanks

I promote training for performance as a great way to achieve a healthier, stronger, and leaner physique. I encourage individuals to stop thinking about fat loss, even if that's their primary goal, and instead focus on getting stronger or improving their performance with their workouts. Now, I understand that some people just want to know how to achieve fat loss in the simplest, and easiest, way …

What If I Don’t Want to, or Can’t, Lift Heavy?

July 24, 2012 by Nia Shanks

What if you don't want to "lift heavy", or you can't because of an injury or physical limitation? This is a topic I've thought about discussing for a while, and a recent Facebook exchange between Matt Ryan Brown and my good friend, Jen Comas Keck, spurred this idea into fruition. Jen posted an excellent article about Fitness Bullies that I strongly agree with, and it's a short read worth your …

Beautiful Badass Pillars – The Sane & Simple Way to Build a Better Body Part 1

June 20, 2012 by Nia Shanks

The Beautiful Badass Revolution is gaining momentum, and I’m dang proud to be the leader. I’ve discussed and revealed How to be a Beautiful Badass in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 before, but the Pillars are a little different, and kick things up a notch. I like to keep things simple in the world of training and nutrition; that should come as no surprise if you’ve followed my website for any …

Strength Training

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