Shoulder Muscle Training Trick

Weight Plate Pizza Presses for Massive Shoulders

If you’re looking for an effective new way to train your shoulders,look no further than the Pizza Press.
You won’t be using a barbell, dumbell or cable for this one…all you need is a weight plate!

When you read the description and see the pictures of this one in action, you’ll know exactly where I got the name for it!

Basically, you’re going to be doing what looks like a standard shoulder press movement. But here’s the trick…instead of holding dumbells or a barbell, you’re going to be using a single weight plate.

So how do you press a weight plate? Well, you’re going to use one hand to grab the plate and place it FLAT on top of your other hand so you’re pressing with your palm.

Ever see a picture of a shotputter about to throw? THAT is the position the weight plate will be in - palm up, ready to shotput it across the room. As for the name of the exercise, think of the weight plate you’re pressing as a pizza you don’t want to drop on the floor as you’re pressing it overhead.
Continue Reading »

Training The Lower Abdominals

There are two basic areas of confusion when it comes to abdominal training. The first of these is that of the much sought after lower abdominals. Many folks (including my new personal training clients) say that their upper abdominals are starting to really show, but the lower abdominals are not coming in at all regardless of how much training they do. These are also usually the same folks that are always on the lookout for the miracle lower abdominal exercise.

But if you look at the anatomical picture of the abdominals found here (clients only), you can clearly see that the rectus abdominus is a single muscle running from sternum to pelvis. The lower abdominals do not exist. Continue Reading »

Comfort Eating

Hello Ray,

I found your web site, signed up for the Deluxe program, and was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions for me. I’m an Endomorph body type. I weigh 300 lbs. I do really good on the low-carb “Atkins” type diets, but I noticed in your site (and others) that Endomorphs should eat complex carbs, which would “kill” the low carb concept by putting me over the daily intake of carbs. So, is it better that I lose weight on a low carb diet, or should I stick with your diet?

And why? Continue Reading »

Cardio Workout Balancing Act

Hi Ray, I know you are really busy, etc., but I do have your fat to fit book and I am just trying to refocus on my cardio workout / weights balancing act.

Female
45
5′3″
approx. 123lbs

(I am fairly lean, however, any weight I do carry is in my lower body and I find that if I can get under 120 my legs start really responding nicely to definition and “leanness”, I am not after bulky legs)
RHR: 46

I am within 5lbs of my desired body weight and would still like to burn more fat particularly off my legs as they are not nearly as defined as I would like! I am currently doing a split routine that allows me to do a leg workout 2x per week and upper body workout 2x per week. My question for you is how many cardio workouts should I do to drop the last bit of weight but to compliment the legs. I am extremely strong cardio workout wise as I have been a junkie for so long that my resting heart rate is now around 46 or so. My endurance allows me to do a cardio workout with incline training at 12/14 inclines for an hour at 80 to 90% heart rate. Do you think I should bring this down to 70 or 75%? Do you think there is truth to fat burning cardio workouts at lower heart rate levels?
Continue Reading »