Ask Joe Weider from Creators Syndicate

Ask Joe Weider, July 19 for 07/19/2008

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Whether it's a training partner, a regular spotter or a personal trainer, having someone to support your body-reshaping efforts is often a good idea, especially when you're just starting out.

The main problem I've seen with most new trainees is in their ability to stay motivated through the initial stages of their fitness regimen. In the beginning, the gains come relativ ...

Updated: Sat Jul 19, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, July 26 for 07/26/2008

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: There's no time like the present to begin your fitness routine. Not tomorrow, nor even next week. NOW!

As humans, we tend to procrastinate. I know — I've been there myself. If I may belabor an old axiom, however, none of us are getting any younger, which means with each passing year it becomes more difficult to start good habits. And to me, there's simply no better ...

Updated: Sat Jul 26, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, August 2 for 08/02/2008

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: You are greater than the sum of your parts, but you shouldn't forget to pay attention to each of those parts to create a great sum.

There are lots of options for the person looking to get into shape these days, many of them quite good. From bicycling to swimming to hiking and even yoga, there is a system of exercise for almost everybody. Yet as good as all of these are, ...

Updated: Sat Aug 02, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, August 9 for 08/09/2008

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Never forget to honor your mother and father as well as those who have paved the way you now follow.

These days, we're all too ready to think about the future — what's new and exciting — whether it's the latest technology that will make our lives immeasurably easier or coming trends in fashion, food or entertainment. Yet all that we have today and all that wi ...

Updated: Sat Aug 09, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, August 19 for 08/19/2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: A rolling stone gathers no moss, so goes the saying. I believe in applying this philosophy to your exercise routine, as well.

Far too often we get complacent in our lives, be it in our home life, at work or even in the gym. Day after day, week after week, for months and even years on end, we perform the same exercises with the same weight for the same amount of time each ...

Updated: Tue Aug 19, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, August 23 for 08/23/2008

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Over the years, I've often been asked whether one should begin a workout with cardio or weight training. The bike or the barbell? My answer is that there isn't one "right" answer to this question, only options for each person's fitness objectives.

Of the many bodybuilders I've known, very few have performed any appreciable amount of aerobic activity prior to a ...

Updated: Sat Aug 23, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, August 30 for 08/30/2008

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Don't compare yourself to anyone but you.

In this day and age, we are bombarded with an influx of images of sculpted bodies and people who have the resources available to get themselves into the kind of shape many can only hope to achieve. From commercials to TV programs to magazine images and even billboards, we are constantly surrounded by idealized versions of the hum ...

Updated: Sat Aug 30, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, September 06 for 09/06/2008

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Don't compare your weight or appearance on a day-to-day basis. It's a surefire way to get discouraged and lose sight of your long-term goals: to get healthy and fit, and to stay that way.

I've seen and heard far too many people lamenting how they woke up one morning looking fatter than they did yesterday, or how they gained a pound over the last day and are miserable abo ...

Updated: Sat Sep 06, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, September 13 for 09/13/2008

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Beware overtraining! For some, the thought of training too much may be nearly impossible to fathom. But for those of us who can't imagine a day in which they didn't perform some form of physical activity, overtraining is a real risk.

How do you know when you've overtrained? The signs aren't always clear, but there are several you need to watch out for, including chronic ...

Updated: Sat Sep 13, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, September 20 for 09/20/2008

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Never, ever compromise your health for the sake of meeting your mind's eye view of how you want your body to look. I know this probably sounds obvious, but it's important to remember. Last week, I discussed the dangers of overtraining. This time, I want to focus on diet.

Understand, I'm not implying that low-carb and low-fat diets aren't effective for weight loss. Too mu ...

Updated: Sat Sep 20, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, September 27 for 09/27/2008

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Remember to take your eyes off the monitor and leave your desk several times a day.

I've been as guilty as anyone for having not heeded this bit of advice. While I don't use a computer (I am 88, after all), I have found myself glued to my desk chair for many hours on end, only to finally get up from it and find my joints stiff and my vision blurred.

So many of us ...

Updated: Sat Sep 27, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, October 4 for 10/04/2008

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Don't waste your time doing sit-ups. There are far more productive ways to train your abs.

I've never been a fan of sit-ups, and recent studies have shown that not only are they not very effective for working your abs, they can also be dangerous. Because the emphasis of the exercise is raising your torso from a lying position, you run the risk of keeping a straight back, ...

Updated: Sat Oct 04, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, October 11 for 10/11/2008

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: To maximize muscle building pay attention to the cadence of your reps.

A lot of us take rep speed for granted, but what you should know is that it matters how fast you perform each rep, and even how fast you perform each segment of a rep. For example, speed builds explosive power while slow builds strength. The difference can be seen in the way powerlifters train as oppo ...

Updated: Sat Oct 11, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, October 18 for 10/18/2008

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the week: Remember not to judge yourself by others. You are you, they are they, and the sooner you accept that the happier you will be.

Far too often I'll have people tell me that they want to look like so-and-so: “I want to have a stomach like hers!” or “I want arms like his!” The sooner we start appreciating the fact that each of us is a unique individual ...

Updated: Sat Oct 18, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, October 25 for 10/25/2008

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the week: If you don't love what you're doing, then figure a way to do what you love.

There's absolutely no need for you to stick with an exercise program that isn't thrilling you because there are so many option available when it comes to exercising. For me, there is no greater joy than feeling my muscles strain under the weight of, well, weights. It's an indescribable feeling th ...

Updated: Sat Oct 25, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, November 1 for 11/01/2008

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Tip of the Week: Don't be afraid to incorporate free-weight lifting into your training routine, as opposed to using machines only.

I see many novice fitness enthusiasts relying almost solely on exercise machines, never venturing into the barbell and dumbbell area of the gym. While machines can be very effective in strengthening one's body, they have built-in limitations that free weights ...

Updated: Sat Nov 01, 2008

Ask Joe Weider, November 8 for 11/08/2008

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: Embrace change, don't shy away from it.

Change is intrinsic to life. It is required of every living thing on this planet. Change happens constantly, as we digest, repair, grow, rehydrate, respirate, excrete, process, shed and age, every single day. Change is inevitable to life, and it is something we all have the power to affect on the outside as well as within.

O ...

Updated: Sat Nov 08, 2008

To Squat or Not to Squat for 11/15/2008

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: You can never have the physique you want without first building a solid foundation.

Like a contractor building a house, you must construct your creation from the ground up. I'm sure you couldn't imagine beginning construction on a house without first having set a foundation in level ground. Neither should you consider going about the task of building your body without a ...

Updated: Sat Nov 15, 2008

Workout Tips for an Octogenarian for 11/22/2008

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: Pay attention to all aspects of your exercise form. A break in good form can lead to a loss in productivity or, worse, injury.

Take, for example, as basic an exercise as the squat. On the surface, it seems like a fairly straightforward exercise to perform: You place a bar across your shoulders and squat up and down. Easy enough.

The fact of the matter, however, is ...

Updated: Sat Nov 22, 2008

Finding Your Ideal Weight for 11/29/2008

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Tip of the Week: You are unique and cannot be measured according to the standards of others.

Every single one of us has his or her own specific set of physical strengths and weaknesses, tolerances and intolerances. Our culture would have us believe that every woman must fit into a size-2 dress and that every man requires a 42-inch chest to go with his 32-inch waist. For some of us, howev ...

Updated: Sat Nov 29, 2008