Are you this guy? The Popsicle Syndrome

Joe Blow: Whew the new year is coming up and I need to get in shape before the summer. I want that six pack in time for the summer and some muscle for the ladies. Ok, day one let's get things kicked off with some chest and biceps................STOP RIGHT THERE!

On any given Monday you will see 90% of males pumping up their chests or doing thousands of biceps curls. Not that there is anything wrong with this approach, accept WHAT ABOUT YOUR LEGS?!? I make it a point to start all of my male clients out with working their lower body. WHY? Its the most overlooked area when it comes to guys. Men tend to work the show muscles first, developing what I call the popsicle physique. You know the type, big arms and chest and skinny legs. If you want to transform your body and have balanced physique, make your legs a priority. You can build more muscle in your lower body region, which translates into greater caloring burning at rest. Plus, you need a stable foundation to hold up that massive upper body.

In addition to the legs, focus on the muscles that you cannot see, including: your back, triceps, hamstrings, and glutes (butt muscles for the the uninformed). Yes gentlemen it is important to work your glutes, they help support your back..... And NO that is machine is not for ladies only (aka the Abductor machine), and ladies placing 20 lbs on the abductor machine and performing a thousand reps while reading a magazine is not adequate to work this large muscle group (and in some cases very large.........I'll probably get in trouble for that one). Many of the back issues suffered be millions today result from poor glute and hamstring development. Remember that you glutes are like your shoulders on your lower body, AND I KNOW YOU WORK YOUR SHOULDERS.

And guys, it is not enough to "workout" for 3 hours, although if your training session lasts this long it is probably lacking in intensity (But we'll talk about that another time), diet and cardio are still critical components. I get on the ladies about doing too little resistance work, and the reverse is true for men. Put in an intense bout of interval cardio training, about 20-40 mintues, and you will be amazed at your results. But ultimately, if you want to get lean, YOU HAVE TO EAT CLEAN! Diet is often where the battle is lost.

Improve 1% Everyday!