Well, it’s March. How are those New Year’s Resolutions going? I recall a conversation with a friend at my gym in January that went something like this: “It’s so crowded in here because of all the New Year’s Resolutions to get in shape”. “I know, but give it a month, it’ll clear out!” And sadly, it has. I recently posted a photo on facebook of my empty gym at a time of day when just a couple weeks prior it was packed. At the time I was excited to no longer have to fight the morning gym mob, but have since had a change of heart. I don’t want to see anyone give up. So come back people, you’re still paying your gym membership anyway! It’s not too late; in fact, it’s not even close to being too late! It’s only March, so if your 2012 fitness goals don’t seem to be coming as easily as you like, re-up (or revamp) those resolutions and get back on track! But do us all a favor, and find somewhere other than the squat rack to do those bicep curls! :)

Now, get out that list you made of fitness goals (I know you have it!) What have you done to reach them? Here’s my list of things I wanted to do differently and how they’ve gone so far:

1. Start stretch therapy…1/2 check. I’ve started, but need to go more regularly.
2. Do a wider variety of cardio…1/2 check. I used to over-do- it on the stair climber, but so far this year I’ve tried some new hiking trails and even ran some bleachers. I still want to give a boot camp and spin class a shot!
3. Use Nutrabolics supplements exclusively…check. They’re great products and I can see the improvements in my physique already.

And in honor of ‘March Madness’, here’s a push in the right direction from legendary college basketball coach John Wooden, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best at what you’re capable of becoming.”

Go get 'em!

Here’s a detailed look at how some Nutrabolics supplements can be worked into a great fat-burning diet plan:

Upon waking: 1 serving Isobolic w/ 1 serving of L-Carnitine 1000 and 1 serving Thermal XTC

30-45 min later: 45-60 min Cardio

Meal 1: 8 oz. tilapia, ½ cup quinoa, 1 cup fresh broccoli w/1 serving Vitabolic, 1 serving Thermal XTC and fish oil

Meal 2: 8 oz. chicken breast, ½ cup brown rice, 1 cup fresh broccoli, fish oil

Meal 3: 8 oz. chicken breast, ½ cup brown rice, 1 cup fresh broccoli, fish oil

1 serving Swollen

30-45 min later: 45-60 min of weight training

Immediately after: 1 serving Anabolic Window or 2 scoops Isobolic w/Micronized Creatine and Micronized Glutamine.

Meal 4: 8 oz. Salmon, 1 cup green beans, 1 serving Vitabolic, fish oil

Meal 5: 6 egg omelet (2 yolks) w/onions, peppers, and mushrooms, fish oil

Prior to bed: 1 serving Hemotropin

*Drink at least 1 gal of water/day

I’ll add my two cents to a topic people within the fitness industry can’t get enough of: abdominal training! There are hundreds of different ways to train them and I’ll outline my current regimen below. In the past, I’ve dedicated an entire training session to ab work, and have even followed an ab workout video at home first thing in the morning. Right now, I divide abdominal workouts into three separate sessions at the end of each weight training routine- lower abs on day one, side abs (obliques) on day two, and upper abs on day three. For me, the most effective style of training abs is the use of resistance. Getting 10-15 solid reps with weight manipulation seems to do the trick more efficiently than just doing high volume work.

Try the following routine at the conclusion of your weight training session for four weeks:
Day 1- hanging leg raises, hanging bent-knee leg raises, decline leg raises
Day 2- side bends, side planks (1:30 each side), Russian twist
Day 3- cable rope crunch, decline crunch, exercise ball crunch
On the first two exercises each day, use a weight that will allow you to only get 12-15 reps. On the third, use weight until failure (10-12 reps) then go for max reps to completely exhaust your abs.

Of course, there are several methods to help improve the appearance of your midsection. Eat a clean diet, deplete water, tan, take a thermogenic (I use Nutrabolic’s Thermal XTC) and my personal favorite from the infamous Craig Titus (Google him): When asked his advice on making one’s waist look trim, he replied, “Make your shoulders wider!” Hard to argue.

Good Luck!

Who do you take fitness advice from? I've learned to never stop seeking knowledge, and have probably annoyed some people with the number of questions I've asked them! But you have to come to the realization that everyone's different and what works for some people may not work work for others.

One of my favorite bodybuilders is Jay Cutler. I have so much respect for him and what he's accomplished that I decided a few years ago to try and emulate his training/nutrition plan. The problem is, many of his methods were counter-productive for me. Granted, the most potent thing I take is a multi-vitamin (Vitabolic, in case you were wondering), so he and I are definitely on different playing fields! Along those lines, when I saw a recent photo of Branch Warren, instead of thinking, "Man, I wonder what he's taking?", I now say to myself, "I really need to go train legs!"

I still check in with Jay and Branch's training and SOME of their nutrition advice, but for the most part I steer clear of Pro Bodybuilders' routines.

My goal is simple: I want to look great and hopefully land the cover of a fitness magazine someday. So I ask several natural bodybuilders for tips, and I check out multiple fitness models and photographers blogs/posts and am always willing to try a new approach. But in the end, you have to decide what works best for you and your daily routine. Decide if you're making progress and if not, change it up. You're your own worst critic- use that to your advantage!