Five Ways A Flat Stomach Can Improve Your Life  Defined abs, in many ways have defined fitness. But they do something else: They're the hallmark of a person who's in control of his body and, as such, in control of his health. When you have abs, you're telling the world that you're a disciplined, motivated, confident, and healthy person. But more importantly, those with the weakest abdominal muscles have a death rate more than twice as high of those with the strongest midsections.

Clanks & Bangers...The Ear-Piercing Sounds of the Gym   Ahhhhh . . . . the sounds of a gym.  The racket created by metal colliding with metal . . . the hallmark of a hard-core gym where the serious bodybuilders train!  Right?  Wrong!  Actually, noise created when dumbbells collide is just that . . . noise.

Making Your Resolutions Stick  Whether it's weight loss, increasing your stamina or toning your butt, who doesn't make a New Year's resolution every January 1?  Or perhaps the better question to ask is: Who is still keeping his/her resolutions on January 31?  Has your New Year’s Resolutions already fallen by the wayside?

New Year Resolution No-No's  Do you see New Year's Eve as a great time to make resolutions you will inevitably break?  You're not alone.  However, believe it or not, a full 63 percent of people do stick to their primary resolutions for at least two months.  It can be done.

Training Myths and the Female Athlete  As a personal trainer, I have been approached many times by clients or other women in the gym asking me questions on the best ways to "tone up, lose cellulite, get a butt that 'sticks out', get a sexy stomach..." the list goes on. My answers are always the same.  In this article I will break down the six most common myths many women believe and thus hinder their progress or potential gains.  Hopefully this will help educate more women to the truth behind what makes the body effectively transform.

Blasting Chest Development To New Levels  What to do?  If you want to develop a deep, thick chest, then read on.  As published in Body Talk Magazine.

Quit Wasting Your Time  Okay…I need a little help.  I need someone to explain something to me.  Hear me out, please.  As published in Body Talk Magazine.

Feel Like Walking?  Keep On Working  Muhammad Ali knew that.  And that's how he became "The Greatest."   It may not be your choice to get knocked down, but it is your choice whether or not you get back up.

SPECIAL ISSUE  Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude  Success in any exercise program...and in LIFE, for that matter...depends largely on the attitude that a person brings to his/her endeavors.  This article touches on the importance of a positive mindset in achieving your ideal body.  You ARE what you think!

Frequently Asked Questions (Excuses) That Inevitably Lead To Weight-Loss Failure When we take small daily steps and congratulate ourselves every day for even the smallest change towards achieving our weight loss goals, we begin to think like a winner.

10 Weight-Loss Myths:  Don't Be Fooled  When does a lie become an accepted truth? When the lie is repeated often enough.  It’s the oldest trick in the book, a favorite ploy of politicians and others who stand to gain…but we still fall for it.  Especially when it comes to losing weight.  The truth is Americans want to believe so badly that they can lose weight quickly and easily that they are readily willing to accept any ruse that implies it is possible.  And the diet industry is riddled with self-perpetuating myths, misconceptions, and downright mistruths that prey on our dreams.

Shake That Ass - A Sure-Fire Way to Glutes of Steel  The buns are getting loads of press lately.  It seems a perky posterior is as high a priority for many women as a pair of equally perky breasts.  Some women are going to great lengths to achieve a more voluminous back-side, including undergoing buttock implants, augmentation and fat injections – extreme procedures when trying to eradicate a saggy, unimpressive derriere.  Haven’t these people heard of weight training? 

Weapons for Mass Construction  Warning:  This article is only geared towards those who want to pack solid muscle onto their frame.  If you feel that your physique is flawless and you have no room for improvement, than stop reading this article because you’ll surely pick up some irrefutable tips for gaining solid mass.  You surely don’t want to risk that, right?

The Principles of Proper Nutrition  Nutrition is almost always THE neglected factor when someone isn't making any progress with their fitness training.  And why shouldn't it be?  It can be quite confusing.  But understand that without a grasp of proper muscle building and/or fat burning nutrition, you won't be able to make the progress that you desire, and you won't reach your potential.  Why does nutrition seem so confusing?  For starters, there are too many choices.  This makes it very difficult to decide the appropriate course of action.  Obviously, nutrition is big business.

Fat-Burning Zone?  Let's Do The Math  I want you to do me a favor.  I know you're gonna hate it, but please do it anyway.  I promise you it will make life so much simpler…make things so much clearer…and save us so much time in the coming months.

What To Eat After Cardio  Just what are you supposed to eat after a hard cardio session? By focusing on your post-cardio meal, you’ll be able to maximize fat burning and keep the torch lit even after your cardio session.

The Pipsqueak Posse  Okay…I’m standing in the gym one day.   I look up and see, what had to be eight of the skinniest, goofiest looking dudes come in.  They all looked like a bunch of little Eminems (not the candies…the rapper).  They all had on wife-beater undershirts (you know the tight fitting white ripped tanks).  All of them had a little peach fuzz on their upper lip (a very weak mustache), and of course all of these kids thought they were Arnold Schwarzenegger.  So I decided to hang around for a little bit while watching these guys.  Thank God I did!

Weight Training is Like Sex - Everyone Thinks They Do It Right!  There’s a postulate in quantum physics that states, “We don’t know how much we don’t know.”  This statement rings out such resounding truth when it comes to weight training…and, yes, sex…but for now we’ll stick to the topic of weight training.  Every gym across the country has them…you know the people…the men and women who filter in and out of the gym every day thinking that they are accomplishing something with their aimless antics and lack of planning.  Every one of them thinks that they are doing it right!  As published in Body Talk Magazine.

Excuses Are For Losers  Brad is a 26 year-old bodybuilder that lives in Blue Springs, MO.  He is not a fictitious character.  He is a real person.  If you met Brad you wouldn’t think anything special is standing in front of you.  He is a very kind, unassuming individual.  But Brad is a special as it gets.  Brad has the heart of a lion and a will to live that is rare and exceptional.  Brad is what I want to be.  Brad loves life and is doing what is necessary to live. 

My Unified Theory of Nutrition   In this article I am attempting to unify seemingly incompatible, or opposing, views regarding nutrition... namely, what is probably the longest running debate in the nutritional sciences: calories vs. macro nutrients.

The Importance of Discipline...Think On Paper 

Steroids?  Alcohol Is The REAL Problem!  OK.  Let's say the motive for this steroids hearing was, in fact, about protecting America's kids from the harmful influence of sports leagues that care only about boosting ticket sales and TV ratings.  Then I imagine we can expect a big ballyhooed hearing soon on the substance that is most glorified by sports leagues and kills more kids every year than every other drug combined.  Alcohol.   I doubt we’ll see a public hearing about that any time soon.

Are You Making These Common Mistakes In The Gym?  Avoid looking like a rookie and improve your results by following these corrective techniques.  As published in Body Talk Magazine.

Steroids...The Dark Side of Bodybuilding Steroids.  They’ve been a topic of discussion in my life for over 25 years.  Do I recommend them?  Never!  Have I worked with athletes who have used them and found at least short-term benefit?  Absolutely!  It alarms me that teenagers, non-competitive athletes, and those who are new to weight training get caught up in the language of drugs, believing they’re about to make positive changes when they’re teetering on the brink of randomly altering the hormonal system that regulates body composition, sex drive, and a sense of well being.  Because of the number of steroid questions I started receiving, and because each question answered seemed to lead to a follow-up question, I decided as of 2004 that I would no longer answer steroid questions.  Despite my decision, they keep coming in.  Today I received one that prompted me to write this article.

Steroid "Experts" Need to Open Eyes Wider   I, like most of the NFL, caught last week's 60 Minutes report on the Carolina Panthers and their steroid scandal.  While the entire affair is certainly concerning, I couldn't help but to laugh at the "shocking" interview done by David Black, a man the piece boasted as "a forensic toxicologist who helped the NFL set up its drug-testing program in the late 1980s."

You'll NEVER Have Great Shoulders Training Like THAT!  Nothing looks sillier than a guy with a big chest, decent arms and little width and thickness to his shoulders.  It’s a narrow, girlish look.  That’s right – GIRLISH!  Without wide, round shoulders it’s IMPOSSIBLE to have an exceptional physique.  As published in Body Talk Magazine.

What Are You Talking About?   What has this world come to?  Is the gym no longer sanctity where one can go to get away from the chaos of their hectic lives?  When you enter a gym, there are certain sounds that you expect to hear. Loud music, dumbbells banging together, people chattering.  That’s fine.  However, amidst all of this noise, there is yet another distraction that has made its way out onto the gym floor these days.  As published in Body Talk Magazine.

 10 Tips for Controlling the Way You Eat  Lately, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions and comments about how to control eating habits, cravings and the urge to eat unhealthy foods.  On the one hand, it shows me that these people are making an effort to achieve their physique goals.  However, on the other hand I am constantly being reminded of how people unwittingly sabotage their own efforts, and more importantly, how people talk themselves out of their own goals.  Anyone can control their eating habits if they’re willing to.  Everything else is simply an excuse!  That being said, here are some suggestions that may help you get where you want to be.

Finding The Right Personal Trainer   It’s not easy finding a professional personal trainer that meets your needs.  Every person has different needs, wants and requirements, and finding the right personal trainer involves going through a testing and hiring process.    Your training success depends on making the correct hiring choice and achieving this balance successfully.

Seven Steps To Fitness Success  Let's take a look at seven simple steps you can take right now to move you rapidly along toward your fitness goals.

I Offended You???  People have been telling me for the last month that the previous month's article offended them and that they took some of my comments personally.  Want to know my response to them?  “Good!”  They need to take it personally.  They need to be offended.  The big question is what are they going to do about it? 

An Interview With Dr. Diet  As published in Body Talk Magazine.  A candid interview with Rick Streb. 

Turn Walks Into Workouts   You're already fitness walking several times a week – great! Ready to step it up a bit? There are several ways to turn walks into workouts without significantly breaking stride.  Just keep reading, and happy trails.

The Six Secrets To Fitness Success  Have you ever stopped to wonder why so many individuals, bodybuilders and athletes fail to make the fitness gains they desire?   Why is it that so many people fail to see results for their hard work?  This article will examine the six variables that are within the control of any individual in an attempt to help people evaluate their training and produce maximum results.

Are Your Habits Killing You?  Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States...Sixty-seven percent of the people who smoke die from their habit...Defining the success of low-carb diets.

Women - You Don't Have To Get Bulky  How can you tone up and not get bulky?  Learn how here.  My last training partner was a woman who has been lifting hard and heavy for over five months, and when I say hard and heavy I'm talking about lifting as much, if not more, then most men.  Guess what?  If it were as easy to get big and bulky as you all think, she would be 250 pounds of rock hard muscle.  She's not!  She is very feminine looking and has a physique that a lot of you admire.

The Power Of The Written Word  I learned a tragic lesson tonight.  One I'll never forget.

Calories Still Count - The Skinny On Low-Carb Diets  Low carb diets continue to be the craze.  Lately, there has been a lot of bickering back and forth about the positives and/or negatives of eating a low-carb diet.  As published in Body Talk Magazine and Planet Muscle Magazine.

20 Minute Back Workout  This month, I am going to be revisiting back training.  Back training will help you develop a powerful V taper look in the upper body.  If you're female and don't care for a "V taper" don't worry - you're not going to end up looking like a guy!  And a well-toned back is very sexy, so go for it!

What In The Hell Do People Think?  Why is it that common sense seems to escape otherwise intelligent people when it comes to exercise?  This is not molecular science.  It's not even basic math.  These things are COMMON SENSE!  As published in Body Talk Magazine and All Natural Muscular Development.

Gain Ten Pounds In Two Weeks - DRUG FREE…and keep gaining afterwards on this 10 week program!  By Rick Streb.  As published in Body Talk Magazine and All Natural Muscular Development.

The Top Five Diet Blunders  So you're eating less and exercising more.  So why won't that scale budge?  Even when you feel like you're doing everything right, there are certain behaviors that can still sabotage your efforts to lose weight.  Are you guilty of any of these following habits?

Back To Basics For New Gains  Basic routines are not just for beginners.  In fact more advanced trainees would probably make better gains if they focused on the basics more often in their training.

Counting Calories:  What Is It All About?   Losing weight by counting calories is about ensuring the amount of calories you consume each day is less than the amount of calories you burn up.

How Weight Watchers Works  A Big Mac has 14 weight watchers points, a quarter pounder with cheese 13 and a KFC chicken 9.  So what is Weight Watchers all about?

Top 10 (Shallow) Reasons To Work Out  How many times have you started working out and then quit? You will never reach your goals that way!

Breakfast:  The Most Important Meal?  Eating a good breakfast to "Jump Start" your metabolism...Don't eat late at night because everything you eat will be stored as fat...Both of these theories have explanations and logical reasoning behind them, but regardless of how you come to the conclusion, they are, at the heart the same.  But are they true?

Pumping Iron With Carmen Garcia  Fitness Model & Actress, Carmen Garcia, reveals a few facts about women and weight training.

DeeAnn Donovan's Fitness Tips    As one of the country's top Fitness Models, DeeAnn knows what it takes to get in shape.  Here she tells you how to get ready for the summer. 

Top 10 Tips for Getting Your Weight-Loss Program in High Gear  Don't let weight-loss woes give you the blues.  These 10 helpful hints will help you get on the right track.

Cardio Exercise to Burn Fat, Increase Muscularity & Build a Healthy Heart  Taking care of your heart muscle is of the utmost importance, not only to your appearance but also to your total health, longevity and quality of life!

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