Ask Joe Weider from Creators Syndicate

When Lifting, Where Do Your Thumbs Go? for 07/18/2009

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Do NOT stretch before warming up!

There is a common misconception in health and fitness circles that the first order of business one needs to attend to when entering a gym is stretching. How many times have you seen someone start off their workout with a good stretch? The only problem is that a stretch performed cold isn't a good stretch.

The problem with stretchi ...

Updated: Sat Jul 18, 2009

Is CrossFit Worth It? for 07/25/2009

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: When it comes to lifting, go short.

For many years, a notion persisted that one should keep the range of motion as large as possible when lifting weights. It was something even I advocated back in the day — and in one sense, the theory behind it still holds true.

Let's take, for example, the dumbbell flye. It is the exercise in which you lie on your back and ...

Updated: Sat Jul 25, 2009

No Pain, No Gain? for 08/01/2009

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: When it comes to exercise, confusion can be a good thing.

I've noticed that one of the popular new training systems of today promotes something they call "Muscle Confusion" as being a way to keep progressing to ever-greater heights of strength and fitness. They're right — keeping the body on its toes and unable to adapt to the next stress it receives is a ...

Updated: Sat Aug 01, 2009

The Bigger the Muscle, the More It Can Handle. for 08/08/2009

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Something I see quite often in bodybuilding is smaller muscle groups being trained with a comparable number of sets to larger ones. For example, a common training split would include a day in which back and biceps are trained together. So, the trainer might perform 16 sets of back exercises followed by 12 sets of biceps.

The problem here is twofold. The biceps muscles ar ...

Updated: Sat Aug 08, 2009

Getting a Handle on Different Handles for 08/15/2009

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Stretching is fine — just don't overdo it.

I'm writing this week's tip in response to a trend I've seen develop over the years in which people spend nearly as much time stretching as they do exercising. This is, in my opinion, overkill.

There's little question that some stretching can be beneficial, especially to those who exercise regularly. Stretching help ...

Updated: Sat Aug 15, 2009

Personal Thoughts on Personal Trainers for 08/22/2009

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Park far, and reap the rewards!

How many reading this have gone to a shopping center and sat in your car for untold minutes looking for a parking spot close to the entrance? Then, once you have the spot, you'll go into the mall and ... walk. For some reason, many of us have it in our heads that grabbing a spot close to the entrance, of anything, is a significant achievem ...

Updated: Sat Aug 22, 2009

Red Meat Blues for 08/29/2009

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Get your antioxidants, but don't pay an arm and a leg for them.

Over the past decade, the term "antioxidant" has picked up a lot of steam, and for good reason. Antioxidants are molecules that can slow or stop the process of oxidation in the body by other molecules called free radicals. Free radicals occur in a variety of things to which we're exposed, from air ...

Updated: Sat Aug 29, 2009

She's With the Band for 09/12/2009

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: If it hurts, don't do it.

OK, so you're probably saying to yourself about now, "Gee, Joe, how come I didn't think of that?" Of course I realize how obvious this bit of advice sounds, but sometimes it's important to reiterate the obvious, because it is often that which is right before our noses that we fail to see.

Case in point: Let's say you're an avid ...

Updated: Sat Sep 12, 2009

"To Sit, Perchance to Stand" for 09/12/2009

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: If it hurts, don't do it.

Case in point: Let's say you're an avid ...

Updated: Sat Sep 12, 2009

I'm So Confused! for 09/19/2009

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Your body isn't responding to your workouts anymore? Confuse it!

Years ago, I observed all of the subtle techniques employed by bodybuilders in their training, wrote them down and organized them into something I call the Weider Principles. These include techniques that don't just apply to bodybuilders, but to everyone who aspires to change their bodies for the better.

Updated: Sat Sep 19, 2009

I'm So Confused! for 09/19/2009

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Your body isn't responding to your workouts anymore? Confuse it!

Updated: Sat Sep 19, 2009

Spice Things Up! for 09/26/2009

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: One of the most powerful antioxidants also goes great with applesauce.

By now you've probably heard about acai berries, goji berries and the mangosteen fruit. These and other exotic sounding fruits are all the rage for their antioxidant properties, and rightly so. All of them contain lots of antioxidant power, something needed to help fight the damaging effects of free r ...

Updated: Sat Sep 26, 2009

No Gab Zone for 10/03/2009

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: One group of muscles you want to avoid working at the gym is those of the jaw.

I consider myself to be a fairly gregarious fellow. I especially enjoy chatting with people who share my love of exercise — just not in the gym. Or, if I do, it's after I've finished my workout.

To my mind, you need to treat your workout as you would a job. You have work to do and ...

Updated: Sat Oct 03, 2009

Age-Old Question for 10/10/2009

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Know thyself.

As someone who has been publishing fitness magazines for seven decades, I have doled out advice to literally millions of people, hopefully helping more than a few during that time. Still, for the wide range of instruction I've offered regarding sets, reps, calories and cardio, there is one piece of advice that I can say with absolute assurance is universal. ...

Updated: Sat Oct 10, 2009

Time Travails for 10/17/2009

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: When it comes to eating, timing is everything.

While most people are aware that the food choices they make can have a profound effect on their health, their energy levels and their bodyweight, many don't consider the importance of nutritional timing. When, not just what and how much, you eat can make of break your carefully planned diet.

Our bodies go through natu ...

Updated: Sat Oct 17, 2009

Failure and Beyond for 10/24/2009

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: How much food you eat is important, but not more than the quality of the food you eat.

It seems that a lot of dieters fastidiously track the number of calories they'll consume in a day as well as the amount of macronutrients — protein, fat and carbohydrates. Unfortunately, not as many concern themselves with the types of foods they eat, preferring to focus on quant ...

Updated: Sat Oct 24, 2009

Sweet on Agave for 10/31/2009

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Anytime is a good time to flex your muscles.

A lot of people complain that they don't have enough time in the day to exercise. Yet how often do you find yourself sitting in traffic, waiting in lines and sitting at your computer doing little more than answering emails or surfing the Web? While you may not think you have time to work your muscles, the fact is that keeping ...

Updated: Sat Oct 31, 2009

Just Nuts! for 11/07/2009

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: Walk, don't run.

Since the 1970s, running has been a popular form of exercise. Once limited to track and field athletes and football players, running took a leap in popularity upon the release of the late Jim Fixx's "The Complete Book of Running." Since then, running has become the second most popular form of exercise in America, and while it certainly can have ...

Updated: Sat Nov 07, 2009

Red, Red Wine for 11/14/2009

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: Hold the dressing!

For as popular as salads are with dieters, it never ceases to amaze me how many drench their greens in heavy dressings. I've have seen otherwise healthy salads have their calorie count multiplied tenfold, thanks to a couple of dollops of creamy ranch or bleu cheese.

For example, a serving size (2 tablespoons) of a popular brand of ranch dressing ...

Updated: Sat Nov 14, 2009

Supplement Insurance for 11/21/2009

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: Go green ... tea, that is.

Over the past decade or so, mounting evidence has supported something Asian cultures have known for centuries: Green tea is good for you!

Although there's long been an understanding that green tea possesses health benefits, how many and to what degree hasn't been exactly clear until recently. Now we believe that green tea's potent mix of ...

Updated: Sat Nov 21, 2009