The ULTIMATE Body Survey For Men and Women!!!

Check this out. I just created a short survey for you guys and gals to fill in. It will literally take you about 2 minutes to complete, and I’d appreciate your help in having as many people fill in the survey as possible, so please forward the link onto your friends and loved ones.

GUYS Click here >>> The ULTIMATE Body Survey For Men <<<

LADIES Click here >>> The ULTIMATE Body Survey For Women <<<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com

P.S. Ohh there’s no particular reason for the photo full of hot butts, other than the fact I like it.lol

Fitness Body Interrogation with Rachel Cosgrove: Author of The Female Body Breakthrough

I am delighted to tell you that this weeks ‘Fitness Body Interrogation’ is with fat loss expert Rachel Cosgrove, the author of The Female Body Breakthrough! Let’s jump straight on into todays interrogation with Rachel. I hope you all ENJOY!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachels Websites:

Rachel Cosgrove

The Fit Chic Body

The Female Body Breakthrough

ADD Rachel as a FRIEND on Facebook

Become a FAN of The Female Body Breakthrough

Achievements:

B.S. in Physiology, CSCS, USAW cert, USAT Level 1 cert, CISSN

Ironman Triathlete

Set a U.S. record in Deadlift at USAPL Powerlifting Competition 2007

National Level Fitness Competitor

Author of The Female Body Breakthrough, published by Rodale

Columnist in Women’s Health Magazine

Featured in Shape, Self, Women’s Health, Oxygen, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health,

Co-Owner of Results Fitness, open for 10 years now

Ambitions:

Have a best selling book and reach as many women as I can with my message.

Vital Statistics:

Hair Colour:  Brown   

Eye Colour:  Hazel

Height: 5′ 7″     

Weight: 150ish

Size: 6-8 (which is what really matters)

Captainsixpack.com: All about Rachel… Tell us a little bit about yourself as a person?

RC: I grew up in Southern California. I started going to the gym with my dad when I was probably 11 or 12. I took dance classes growing up competing and winning a few national dance championships, became a cheerleader in high school and went on to college at UCSB and studied Exercise Physiology while I was on the dance team there.  After graduating from college I moved to New York City where I pursued my passion at the time which was dance and to be on Broadway one day.  While in New York started working as a personal trainer and slowly my passion for dance and being on broadway turned into more and more time spent in the gym and less and less time spent in the dance studio as I discovered what I am truly passionate about – helping women to reach their potential physically and mentally.  Since then I have taken advantage of every opportunity I can to learn more about fitness, nutrition, mindset and health. I have also challenged myself physically with different goals such as fitness competitions, triathlons and powerlifting. I competed at the national level in fitness competitions, completed an Ironman Triathlon and set a record at a powerlifting competition.

Captainsixpack.com: Getting started… How did you get into the health and fitness industry and what led to you becoming involved a trainer and specialising in training the female clientele?

RC: I am a female who has struggled with my own body image and weight. I have had an eating disorder and have always been in pursuit of looking and feeling like a fit female. It has never been easy for me and I know how most women feel. I also know how hard they can be on themselves and hopeless they can feel at times.  After years of studying and working with thousands of women, I have finally figured out what works.  I love seeing the light bulb go off for one of my female clients which is the moment I live for and do what I do for.

Captainsixpack.com: On your website you say the following… “I have spent many years researching the best methods for losing fat, gaining muscle and achieving that lean, athletic look every female wants. Every one of us has the power to transform ourselves into something incredible, yet confusion and lack of knowledge keep most women from ever realizing their true physical potential.” Explain to us what sort of confusing exists out there today and some of the myths that may be holding many women back from developing that lean athletically sculpted physique they really want to achieve?

RC: Most women think they have to do hours and hours of cardio or running torturing themselves. They think the answer is to train for a marathon but then put all of the time in and effort and still don’t have the body they want. The average woman also feels that she needs to starve herself eating very little food. You don’t know how many times I have heard women say- I am only eating 1200 calories a day and going for an hour walk/run every single day to lose weight. And they do lose weight initially but then their body plateaus and they can never keep up with it.

Captainsixpack.com: “I Believe Everyone Is An Athlete Whether They Are A Housewife Or A Full Time Training Athlete. Everyone Should Train Like An Athlete.” This is a direct quote of yours… can you explain to our readers why you believe everyone should train like an athlete… and explain what it actually means to train athletically or like an athlete?

RC: One of the main differences is having a goal and a focus. I am big on setting goals with my clients constantly asking- what are working toward? What is our goal with this workout? Athletes train with a goal in mind and they periodize their training to peak for a season or event. I recommend this for the average female client too. Pick out a goal to “peak” for.  This will give you focus. Instead of just going to the gym everyday and doing the same workout and having no real plan or focus.  

Captainsixpack.com: OKAY… so based on your training philosophy… do you train yourself and all your female clients in a very similar manner? How do you initially start out training a new female client and what differences will there be between a new client who has a solid training background as opposed to a new client who has being leading a rather sedentary lifestyle for the past few months or even years?

RC: Yes, with women I almost always use a full body program and I never have exercises that isolate anything. I also usually keep them on their feet or using their core. Very rarely will have them sit or lie on a bench unless I am trying to progress them to an exercise that is not sitting or laying on a bench and start there as a starting point. Very woman is different but some of the usual imbalances including forward head and shoulder posture, tight hip flexors and usually a case of gluteal amnesia along with tight calves from wearing high heels are some of the usual imbalances that I like to address first thing.

Most women no matter what level they are at can usually benefit from doing a phase of body weight really focusing on correcting posture and imbalances. These can be some of the toughest workouts.

 Captainsixpack.com: Lifestyle of the fit and fabulous… Apart from training and nutrition, tell us about the lifestyle (habits) required to achieve a lean athletic physique. Obviously you don’t smoke, but would you ever consume alcohol… and what about junk food (cheat meals), do you ever indulge in these…. ALSO, how important do you feel quality sleep, stress management and social support is for someone who’s looking to take their physique to the next level?

RC: I live and preach the 90% rule giving myself and my clients 10% of the time to relax and enjoy life. I myself like to splurge on a glass of wine 1-2 times a week or maybe dessert. In my book I talk about what I call a splurge grid, based on the compliance grid that John Berardi came up with, which allows you to splurge 10% of the time. I explain that it is like a budget- you get 10% of your budget to indulge so indulge wisely, don’t waste it and get right back on your budget. Just because you bought an expensive pair of shoes doesn’t mean you should max out your credit card. Instead enjoy the new pair of shoes and get back on your budget. Same with a splurge- enjoy the indulgence and get back on your plan and do not feel guilty.

Captainsixpack.com: Confidence gained… confidence sustained. It’s clear to see that you’ve developed a fantastic physique and are a perfect representation for your personal training business and no doubt someone with a physique your clients admire. Obviously you look like a very confident woman. How important do you think being fit and healthy and seeing ‘visual’ results are in developing and maintaining ones confidence, especially for females?

RC: Extremely. Confidence, mindset and ending the negative mental chatter that most women have going on upstairs is huge for their success and long term goals. When I started writing my book it was about exercise recommendations for women but as I started to interview my clients and figure out what exactly I wanted to include I realized the clients who have made life long changes were the ones who changed their mindset and became confident and empowered in their new bodies. Too many women lose weight but still hang on to that negative mental chatter which will eventually send them right back to where they started. Our minds are very powerful.

Captainsixpack.com: Reality checks… I know myself that potential clients and people in general always want information and tips on ‘what’s the best exercise for _____ (fill in the blank) or they say ‘how much weight can I lose or what sort of shape can I expect to get into in the next few weeks if I’m really, really good’. Do you experience this yourself and if so… how do you respond? Do you have to give clients ‘REALITY CHECKS’ often?

RC: I always use the big picture talk of- What is the big picture? Where are we going and that keeps them focused on the bigger picture. I believe that if the client vocalizes it, they have it within them to accomplish it. So asking them the right questions to find out what they truly want to accomplish will give you a real picture of what they need. As our clients learn and are in our environment they tend to “get it.” It is the type of culture we have created at our gym where all of our trainers and staff speak the same language and if you have been a client long enough you also speak the same language and like I said, “get it.” If they are still asking these types of questions then we need to do a better job of explaining the process. Usually these types of questions are because they want a focus or a vision or a goal to work toward- if you take care of that up front you won’t have these questions. Plus most of our clients trust us and don’t really question too much, especially when they look around and see other women who look the way they want to look. They are ready to follow our advice and enjoy the journey.

Captainsixpack.com: Planning and Goal Setting… How much planning do you put into your programming and nutrition? Do you plan out your workouts well in advance and do you pencil in planned days off and would you ever plan a week off? And what about goal setting… is it that important?

RC: I am a huge planner and plan most things. At our gym we plan our clients training programs at least 12 weeks in advance. They stick with the same program for 4 weeks and then change the program before their body adapts. I am also huge on goal setting. With everything in my life I start with the big picture in mind of what I want and then work backwards and figure out the plan of where I need to be or what I need to do today to make that bigger picture happen. This is true with my business, my training and my clients programs.

Captainsixpack.com: Nutrition and taste bud satisfaction… When it comes to ‘eating clean to get lean’ a lot of people assume they must eat boring and bland foods. I think a lot of this comes from how bodybuilders and fitness competitors diet down for shows. What’s your take on eating clean and what do you do to keep your taste buds satisfied?

RC: Having the 90% rule helps because if you are really craving something you can have it as long as you keep it to less than 10% of your week. In addition I have made Shepherd’s pie using cauliflower as the pie crust or spaghetti squash as pasta. You can get creative. John Berardi has put out some great resources of recipes with some delicious healthy foods.

Captainsixpack.com: Nutritional madness… Counting calories and weighing food… Do you make your clients weigh their food and count calories? Or do you have them use and implement simpler strategies? Also, are there any nutritional myths you find people still fall for when it comes to nutrition for fat loss and physique development?

RC: Nope, I do not make them count calories and weigh their food unless they are a figure competitor or really “dialing it in” to peak for an event. The biggest myth is to eat less and less depriving yourself. I am a big proponent of the eat more, burn more principle- getting really effective training programs to get your metabolism revving and fuel your body to be fabulous!

Captainsixpack.com: Supplements… Personally I think there’s a limited number of ‘EFFECTIVE’ supplements on the market today and find that most people don’t have their training or nutrition in order… or consistent enough to validate their use of supplementation. What’s your take on supplements and do you have certain rules or guidelines people must meet before they start to supplement?

RC: I stick to the basics with myself and my clients. Multivitamin, Omega 3 Fish Oils and Whey protein for snacks or post workout. I’ll also recommend women take a Calcium supplement too. Other than that there is no magic pill or supplement that will do the work for you.

Captainsixpack.com: Tell our readers a little bit about your new ‘ladies only’ website called The Female Body Breakthrough? What is the site all about?

RC: The website is my answer to the requests to be coached by me but being unable to come to our gym. Within the site I have programs to follow, I have a forum where I am active answering questions and helping the members of the site. I also have exclusive content. It is basically a support community for those who read my book and want to make sure they are going to follow through and have the support they need and access to me as your coach.

Captainsixpack.com: What is your favourite…

Exercises to perform? Love Deadlifts

Body part to train? Butt and Legs

Physique(s) you admire? I always liked Monica Brant and of course Rachel McClish and on my vision board right now is Dara Torres

Food? Avocados and/or Guacamole

Cheat food? Wine and Ice Cream

Drink? Cabernet or of course an occasional Guinness (I am married to a Scotsman)

Place to visit? The Beach

TV Show? So You Think You Can Dance

Activity to do? I love to go cycling long distances and hills.   Otherwise, read magazines in the backyard sitting in the sun.

Captainsixpack.com: Any closing words of wisdom for our readers?

RC: Life is too short to not look and feel your absolute best every single day. Stop beating yourself up mentally and start taking action and make your “someday” TODAY to reach the body you have always wanted.  Enjoy the journey to become a fit female and remember that you will very soon inspire someone else!

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks Fitness Body Interrogation with Rachel. Be sure to check out her new book and stayed tuned for the next installation of The FBI Files. Until then, be good and stay committed to your goals!

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com 

The JOURNEY of Developing a LEAN Body!!!

En Route to Developing A LEAN Body!!!  It’s a long and winding road and it’s not going to be an easy or smooth journey! Here’s a few steps to follow that will make your journey a bit more direct and smooth!

STEP 1: Decide where you want to end up… do you want to end up with an ATHLETICALLY LEAN physique?

STEP 2: Define where you are starting out… where you are at right now physically?

STEP 3: Map out (PLAN IN DETAIL) your journey. Plan out exactly what you need to do physically, emotionally, and nutritionally.

STEP 4: Decide on a realistic timeline to get you from your starting point to where you ultimately want to end up.

How LONG Is It Going To Take To Develop A LEAN Body???

Everybody wants to know how long it’s going to take to develop a better body, a leaner body or an athletic body. We live in an… ‘I WANT IT NOW’ society. A lot of people seem to think they can BYPASS the hard work and dedication and just get results. Hmmm… SORRY, but it doesn’t work that way!!!

Let’s ask a few questions first before telling you how long it’s going to take. First I’d like to ask, what’s the rush? Why are you in such a hurry to get there? And when you get there, what then? These are all very important questions that YOU need to ask yourself!

So how long is it going to take? Well that depends on where you are starting out from. In order to better understand how long it’s going to take… Let’s go on a  journey to Los Angeles!

Two people are going to start a journey from their homes and drive to Los Angeles for the first time. LA is the final destination for both people. They will start out their individual journeys to LA via car on the same day at the same time. Both persons are only allowed drive for the same maximum number of hours per day and at the same average speed.

Now both individuals could have taking a plane and it would be much faster, likewise you could look at having surgeries and operations, but that could end up a DISASTER! So let’s forget about that, it’s not an option and besides we want you to be successful and gain confidence from knowing that YOU achieved what you want via discipline and hard work.

Their driving (progressing forward, clocking up the miles) is similar to you striving for that final destination of a lean athletic body. Along the way these two drivers will encounter distractions, things to tempt them to get off course, just as you will in your journey. Maybe they will run into some road works or a detour, maybe even a road accident that brings traffic to a complete stop… something they didn’t expect or plan for that will slow down their progress, but they will have to deal with it, just as you will have to deal with any unexpected events that pop up along the way.

These unexpected events may get you slightly off track, just don’t let yourself be totally derailed. You must keep on course and keep striving forward towards your final destination.

So who is going to reach the final destination of LA first? Care to guess an answer???

The answer is rather simple. You see we left out one piece of vital information. We never told you where each person was starting out from. This is the KEY piece of information that’s needed. Whoever lives the closest to LA will get there the quickest because his starting point is that much closer to his final destination. The person driving to LA from New York won’t get there as fast as the person who’s driving to LA from Las Vegas. The person driving from New York will get there eventually, but it’s going to take longer to reach that final destination because his or her starting point is that much further away than the person who’s starting out the from Las Vegas.

So you see it is very important that you set realistic timelines, and the timeline will be based upon YOU and where YOU are at currently (where you are starting out). We understand that you want the results now and you will experience results fast, but you may not achieve the end result as fast as you would like. So just BE PATIENT and BE PERSISTENT. Most importantly, be in it for THE LONG HAUL and learn to ENJOY THE PROCESS!

Are you bringing anyone else with you on this journey??? Sometimes drivers will have passengers, people travelling along with them who want to reach the same final destination. Now passengers can be great at times. They can keep you company, keep you focused and keep you on track. However, choose the wrong passenger and your journey can quickly become a nightmare. Maybe they are not as committed or focused as you are about reaching that final destination and reaching it as quickly as you can. Maybe your passenger is more concerned with stopping off at Dairy Queen along the way for an Oreo Cookie Blizzard. This isn’t going to help you very much now is it?

Social support as we have already mentioned is great. Now social support can come in various forms, however when it comes to a training partner or people who you spend a lot of your time with, you need to make sure they are aware of your goals and what you are aiming to achieve. So choose carefully those you surround yourself with and if you invite anyone on this journey with you, just make sure they are supportive in the right way and that they assist your progress as opposed to resisting it. Put YOU first! This is not selfish in any way. Remember IT’S YOUR JOURNEY, not anybody else’s.

Backtracking DOESN’T HELP!!! Earlier on this year I was flying from London, England to Toronto, Canada to do my first physique contest. We were over 2 and a half hours in the flight when the captain informed us we had to turn around and fly back to London as their was a minor (lol) issue with the aircraft.

This slowed down our progress and made the journey longer. Many people slow down their own physique progress and make the process harder and longer by backtracking… Taken long breaks from training, etc. I’m even guilty of this one, and then some reasons for backtracking are unintentional… such as injuries!!! Just avoid and ‘avoidable’ backtracking issues and keep pushing forwards!

LA again anyone??? Maybe you’re someone who has taking a journey to LA before. So no doubt you know what it’s like to get there. What roads to use, what distractions, etc there are along the way. Maybe the last time you travelled there you remember some wrong turns you took. 

If you’re someone who has trained before and achieved great results, but for whatever reason(s) you let yourself slip, do not worry. You have a bit of an advantage. If you’re body has been there before you can achieve results faster than if you where starting out from scratch, this is provided your nutrition and mindset is in order of course.

UNTRAINED VERSUS DETRAINED! An individual, like myself, who has a trained background can make progress much faster after a lay off, than the average person. I often have lay offs just like I do now because of an old back injury that flair’s up from time to time! It severely hampers my progress, but once I can get back into solid hard-core training my body responds well because it’s been to that place where I am wanting it to go again!

An UNTRAINED individual is someone who has no training experience whatsoever or their training experience is from years ago, so they are like a TRAINING VIRGIN once more.lol

DO NOT be fooled by the majority of before and after photos! Since we have just touched upon progress and people often used before and after photos to promote their products and supplements, we want to point out to you that you should not let yourself be fooled by supplement companies and how they use before and after photographs to sell shit.

Supplement companies will often use DETRAINED athletes and body builders, pay them NICE AMOUNTS OF MONEY to train (knowing they will get results fast) and then try and portray to everybody that anyone can achieve these same level of results if they use their supplement. Refer to the “Supplement Shockers” report included with the ‘Athletic Body System’ for more information about supplement company marketing tactics. Don’t be fooled by all the hype and nonsense.

Have you been to LA before??? Maybe you are someone who has taken a journey to LA before… so no doubt you know what it’s like to get there. What roads to use, what roadblocks you may run into and what roads to take so you avoid the heaviest traffic! Maybe the last time you travelled there you took some wrong turns and this time around you plan to avoid making those same mistakes!

If you’re someone who has trained before and achieved great results… but for whatever reason(s) you let yourself slip and regress, don’t worry. You have a bit of an ADVANTAGE! If you’re body has been there before, you can achieve results faster than if you were starting out from scratch, this is provided your nutrition and mindset are in order of course!

MAP or GPS Navigation System, Which Is BETTER???

Think of your mind as a blank GPS before you set out on your journey… imagine if you were to set out on a journey with no navigation system, no map, NOT EVEN A COMPASS . . where would you end up? probably in Mexico! You would possibly follow the weather or some climate change. But in essence it would be a wander, A STROLL. . strolling is not the route to anywhere!

Now think if you have a specific route outlined and downloaded into your GPS… that is the only route on there, so its very hard to go wrong eh? Every turn is mapped out for you. Your fuel requirements, your engine is automatically serviced . . there is no chance of a breakdown!

The ‘Athletic Body System’ is essentially your programmed ROUTE to success! There are different ways to go to LA, side roads, highway etc. These are like your pathways (Training pathways are discussed in chapter 2). If you are ‘CLOSE’ to your ideal physique then maybe you will take the highway or your journey started in Vegas! You weren’t far away and therefore you will reach your destination much sooner. 

You Arrive in Los Angeles, WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT???

So you’ve ARRIVED in LA. You have finally reached your desired destination. The journey along the way was fun, but frustrating at times. Maybe you ran into some troubles and obstacles. Maybe there were times when it seemed like you would never get there, but you were able to overcome all obstacles and setbacks you encountered and you kept focused. You kept pressing onwards towards your final destination. BUT… now that you are there… what are you going to do now??? Well here are your options…

1. Stay and enjoy LA whilst you are there. Take it all in and enjoy the environment.
2. Leave LA, but don’t go too far away, so you can return there FASTER the next time you want to go back.
3. Leave LA and head back home for good, never to return. BAD option!!! lol

If you decide to totally leave LA, at least you know what it’s like and what’s required of you to get there again if you ever decide to go back. You’ll understand what to do and what’s required of you to get there.

However, when you get to LA we suggest you stick with options one and two, ENJOY what LA (the lean body) has to offer and STAY PUT. There’s no need to leave because it’s a much better ENVIRONMENT. If you do leave, you need to make sure you don’t get too far away (don’t go back to your old habits) and make regular short stay return visits (keep up the training, even if you reduce the amount of training) to LA.

So what are you waiting for? Start your journey to developing that ATHLETICALLY LEAN physique, and start your journey today!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Graham, ABS Co-Author and BEST Body Award Winner
Sculpt Your WHOLE Life, Not Just Your BODY

http://www.AthleticBodySystem.com