Exercises By Body Part: My List Of Favorites

exercises-by-body-partClearly, I am not a body builder.  But I am occasionally asked about the best exercises by body part…

What can I do to work my triceps?

Should I do crunches or sit ups for great abs?

Is there an exercise I can do to make my butt as firm as a bowling ball?  (not joking, that’s a direct quote)

Unfortunately when someone typically asks about a body part (how do I get rid of my belly fat?!), they are asking about fat loss and not muscle building.  They want to know how to change the appearance of a particular body part, and the best way to do that is through reducing body fat which is done primarily through diet.

For fat loss, you cannot spot reduce a specific problem area by doing an exercise that uses the muscles of that body part.  So crunches won’t give you great abs, leg lifts won’t erase the cellulite on your thighs, and the shake weight WILL NOT fix those flabby triceps.

But with muscle building, you can target a specific body part through exercise.  Having a clean diet is always important.  But a clean diet without deadlifts, ketttlebell swings, or some other exercise using the glutes will not result in a bowling ball butt.  With that being said, here are my favorite exercises by body part…

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GFWV 012: Healthy Habits, Olympic Weightlifting, And Intermittent Fasting With James Clear

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healthy habitsOver the years I’ve gone from the “suck it up buttercup” drill sergeant style trainer (I was fresh out of the Infantry when I started training fitness clients way back in 2001), to being focused on what it takes to create healthy habits that stick.

In this podcast episode, I interview James Clear of JamesClear.com about developing healthy habits.  We also talk about Olympic weightlifting, strategies for diet and exercise while traveling, and James’s experience with intermittent fasting.  And if you’d like some great additional free resources on these topics, be sure to check out what James has for the Get Fit With Vic Podcast listeners by clicking here.

Click the player above to listen to the podcast or you can watch the video of the podcast by scrolling below.

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GFWV 011: How To Workout On A Budget

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workout on a budgetOne of the most common issues that people bring to my attention when I ask what they are most frustrated with when it comes to losing fat and getting fit is the cost.  This goes especially for eating healthy (which I’ll address in a future podcast episode) but also for exercise.  In this episode I give specific tips for how to workout on a budget.

Listen and hear me talk about:

  • A simple and effective training program that is perfect for many people, especially beginners, and is completely free.
  • My rant on 99 cent cheeseburgers.
  • If you are looking for used equipment, the pieces that give you the most bang for the buck.
  • The one piece of fitness equipment that I consider indispensable (and it doesn’t have to cost you anything).
  • My best suggestions for improvised and home made fitness equipment.

Links mentioned in this episode or related to working out on a budget:

Fat Loss For Free

My Facebook Page

Homemade Parallettes Instructions

Girl Walks Into A Barbell

Ross Training

My Guest Post At Nerd Fitness On Homemade Sandbag Construction

Many thanks for listening to this episode on how to workout on a budget.  Please head over to iTunes to subscribe and/or give the show a review.  You can do so at the link below:

Get Fit With Vic Podcast on iTunes

Thanks again for listening.  Share your thoughts and tips for saving money on health and fitness below.

Stay strong,

Vic

Fat Burning Foods – What’s The Deal?

fat burning foodsWhat do you think when you see the phrase “fat burning foods”?

Do you think that if you eat certain foods, they will burn away body fat?  Do you think that they contain some chemical or compound that causes body fat to melt away upon their ingestion?  What’s the real deal with fat burning foods?

I submit that when you see the words “fat burning foods” it is usually the intent of the magazine or website that printed them to give you the impression that burning fat is just that simple.  All you need to do is eat a cup of broccoli (or worse, some obscure tropical berry) and the fat just melts away!  This plays on the quick-fix mentality that helps sell magazines but does little to help you lose weight.  Although Coda did spontaneously combust when I fed him some carrots…

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