The Difference Between Romanian Deadlifts and Stiff-Leg Deadlifts

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts:

Begin with the weight in front of your quads and a very slight bend in the knees. Bend forward from the waist. The weight should be several inches away from your body. Lower the bar as low as your flexibility allows. 

Romanian Deadlifts:

Begin with the weight in front of your quads and a very slight bend in the knees. Bend forward from the waist. Keep the bar as close to the legs as possible. Stick your butt out behind you as you lower the bar. Lower the bar as low as your flexibility allows.

Intense Leg Workout

Circuit 1:

4 Sets X 15-20 Reps

Circuit 2:

Heavy Leg-Press (Upward Pyramid)

4 Sets X 12, 10, 10 Reps Each Set

Circuit 3:

Squats

4 Sets X 12 Reps

Circuit 4:

Laying Leg Curl

5 Sets X 12-15

Circuit 5:

Standing Leg Curl

5 Sets X 12

Circuit 6:

Stiff-leg Deadlifts

4 Sets X 12 Reps

Foot Position on Leg Curls

Tip of the Day:


The angle of your foot on the leg curl can change how you engage your hamstrings. By pointing your toes up toward your shin, you are enabling the calf to assist in the leg curl, therefore taking some stress from the hamstring. If you point your toes down, you are using less calves and placing more tension in the hamstrings.

NOTE:
I recommend performing the leg curl with the toes up first to isolate the hamstring muscle and then as the hamstrings begin to give out you can point the toes down. 

How to PROPERLY Do Planks

Tip of the Day:

Many people just plank and see how long they can hold it but that is not the goal. First, suck in your stomach as far as it can go. Second, pull your elbows back as hard as you can while still maintaining focus on the abdominals. A little pelvic tilt will increase the activity in the abs.

Give it a try! If done properly you should barely be able to hold it for 20-30 seconds!

Not all Gluten-Free Products are created equal!!

By now, most of you heard that going gluten-free is a good thing especially if you are gluten intolerant. It is a protein in wheat, rye, barley etc. that can be hard to digest and cause weight gain especially in the midsection.

That being said, staying mostly gluten-free is a great thing, but most people just see a gluten-free product and automatically assume it's better than the regular gluten products. This is not neccessarily true!!

Some people who go off gluten to lose weight end up gaining weight instead. That's because they consume gluten-free packaged products that are often just as high in saturated fat, sugar and sodium as other junk food, and these products often contain high-glycemic refined ingredients like white rice flour or fillers like potato starch that can affect your blood sugar and trigger cravings!

Solution:

Go for gluten-free products that contain quality ingredients such as Buckwheat, Amaranth, Quinoa, Millet, Chia Seed or Gram Flour (derived from chic peas)

Reverse Lunge to Single-Arm Shoulder Press

Perform a reverse lunge with a dumbbell in the opposite hand. At the bottom of the lunge, you will shoulder press before returning to the starting position. Switch sides.

NOTE: Performing the shoulder press at the bottom of the lunge will place more stress on the legs thus giving them a better workout.

Tip of the Day:

Are you experiencing muscle asymmetry? A big reason for this could be due to lack of range of motion! If your range of motion is compromised it can lead to that set of muscles getting weaker and therefore one side of the body getting more resistance than the other. You should stretch those muscles often and hold for 20-30 seconds minimum to improve the movement.