Ask Joe Weider

Tip of the Week: Don't make excuses for not exercising. Make exercising a priority!

I hear the laments all the time: "Oh, Joe, I would work out, but I just don't have the time!" "How can I possibly squeeze exercise into my busy schedule?" "I can't afford a gym membership right now, but when I can ..."

It seems that we've made a national pastime out of making excuses for not taking care of our bodies. Well, I'm not hearing them!

We have one body to last us for our time on earth. That's it. There are no do-overs. What we have is it, and if we don't treat it right it will fail us, possibly long before our souls are ready to call it quits. That's why we must make exercise a priority. Healthy eating, too.

I bet you find time in the day to surf the Internet, to shop, to chat with friends. In fact, I bet if you added up all the time you spend doing nonessential things, you'd have more than enough time for a workout. It's simply a matter of prioritizing the only thing in this world that is truly yours — your body.

Q: I've heard that we don't really need to take vitamins so long as we eat a balanced diet. Is this true, Joe?

Joe: I agree that it may not be necessary to take a multivitamin if you maintain a healthy, balanced diet ... to an extent.

The problem comes when trying to get that healthy, balanced diet. You see, many of us rely on a diet that is primarily composed of processed foods. When food is processed, it loses much of its nutrient value. Oftentimes these foods are later impregnated with concentrated vitamins ("enriched," they call it), but things like trace minerals and antioxidants aren't usually added to the mix.

So, if you're like most Americans, a multivitamin isn't bad insurance. If, however, your diet consists primarily of whole foods, then you're probably fine.

If you exercise hard on a regular basis, however, you are constantly using up your vitamin and mineral stores.

If this is you, then you wouldn't do badly to go the vitamin route.

One more thing: Don't go for a cheap or generic brand of vitamin. All vitamins are not created equal. Better brands have higher potencies, better bio-availability and less in the way of fillers, sweeteners and colors. When it comes to your health, quality counts.

Q: I'm a guy who's trying to build up his chest for the summer. In your opinion, what is the best exercise for pecs?

A: Asking me what the best exercise is for pecs would be like asking Henry David Thoreau which is the best way to walk through the woods. There are so many exercises, all of which have their benefits and many of which I would incorporate into my own chest workout.

It's unrealistic to think you can build a great chest with just a single exercise. This is because the pectoral muscles are activated over a wide range of movement. When the hands are pressing low you hit the lower pecs. When they're perpendicular with your body they target the middle pec region. And when the hands are at 45 degrees from your head, you reach the upper pecs.

So, I would say that you need to do one exercise that focuses on each of these areas to build your chest. A workout consisting of dips, flat barbell bench presses and incline dumbbell presses would do the trick. Start with the exercise that hits the area you feel is weaker — this is called the Weider Priority Principle. For example, if your upper pecs are lagging, begin with inclines.

I've outlined a sample workout for you. Feel free to alter it based upon your personal needs.

Joe's Power-Packed Pec Routine

Exercise —— Sets —— Reps

Dip —— 4 —— to failure

Barbell bench press —— 4—— 8-12

Incline dumbbell press—— 4 —— 8-12

Joe Weider is acclaimed as "the father of modern bodybuilding" and the founder of the world's leading fitness magazines, including Shape, Muscle and Fitness, Men's Fitness, Fit Pregnancy, Hers, Golf for Seniors and others published worldwide in over 20 languages.To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.