Tracking your workouts with a workout log template is one of the most effective and simple ways to help ensure you maximize your results. If you are working out for fun, or to maintain your health and fitness, a workout log can be overkill. But if you want to change your body, whether it’s to improve strength, build muscle, lose fat, or increase performance, tracking every set of every exercise of every workout is the fastest way to help you get the best results.

Over the years, I’ve used tons of different workout log templates to help track my workouts. I’ve also experimented with several different workout logs as I was creating my BuiltLean Program. While there are endless fitness apps that make workout logs digital and dynamic, call me old fashioned, but I prefer writing everything down on a sheet of paper.

The workout log templates below are my favorites, but I am biased because I created them from scratch and tweaked them for years. You can view the workout templates by clicking on the image, download them for free, and print them out as many times as you want.

Here’s some more information so you can understand how to fill out each workout log properly along with some tips:

Workout Log Training Calendar

The first workout log isn’t really a workout log, but a 12-week training calendar to plan out your workouts. Again, if you are just working out to stay fit, this is probably unnecessary. But if you are trying to create a specific result, planning out your workouts and adding progression is absolutely essential!

In a perfect world, your training regimen would change overtime so as to keep the body guessing and prevent overuse injuries. So over a year long period you could change your regimen from an endurance focus, to strength, to hypertrophy, to power. You could consider focusing each 3 month period on a certain theme, or change the theme every month (technically this is called a macrocycle, mesocycle, and microcycle periodization approach).

How to use the training calendar – fill in the workout name under each day you plan to complete it, then mark days where you will not be working out as “rest”.

Workout Log Template #1: Daily Workout Template

The most common way of creating a workout log is to have a single workout on one sheet. So for example, if you are doing a full body workout, than all the exercises, sets, reps, rest periods for just that workout is included in the sheet.

In this particular log, I include a section for workout paramaters such as primary muscles used, total # of sets, total # of reps, and length of workout, a warm up section, an aerobic/intervals/stretching section, and a comment/notes section.

The downside of this template as you will learn from the next workout template is that each workout is on a single sheet. If you do a workout 4x, then you will have 4 different sheets, which can become annoying as you need to flip back and forth between the sheets to see how you are progressing.

How to use the daily workout template – before starting your workout, fill in the sheet with all your workout information, leaving just the boxes in the center of the sheet under “Exercises” blank. When you are at the gym, fill in all the blank boxes.

Workout Log Note: “TR” stands for Targeted Reps, or the number of reps you plan on completing for a given exercise set, “AR” stands for Actual Reps you complete, and “W” stands for the weight you used, and “RBS” stands for Rest Between Sets. Finally, brackets are used to connect exercises that are completed as circuits. If all these terms are getting you confused, check out this list of strength training terms on BuiltLean.com.

Workout Log Template #2: Monthly Workout Template

What if there was a way to combine most of the information in the preceding daily workout log, but include the same workout 4 times on one sheet for easy comparison?

Well, that’s exactly what my monthly workout log template is able to accomplish.

The reason I call it the “monthly” workout log template is that if you complete 1 workout per week, then you are done with the sheet after one month. Given that research has shown the effectiveness of a given workout can diminish in as little as 4 workouts (for those in shape), 4 is a great number of times to complete a given workout before recycling.

This workout log is my favorite because you are easily able to track the sets, reps, and weight you complete from workout to workout for a given exercise, which makes creating progression in your workout a breeze! In fact, this makes the sheet downright brilliant! I must give credit where credit is due because this template was based off a workout template created by Alwyn Cosgrove in his “The New Rules of Lifting” book.

How to use the monthly workout template – before starting your workout, fill in the exercises you plan to complete along with the targeted sets and reps. Within the first Workout 1 row, you will write down the actual weight and reps you completed for each set. You will then move on to the next exercise and fill in the weight and reps for each set for the row Workout 1. If you intend to pair exercises together in a circuit, you can use brackets as I show in the example sheet, which I filled in.

Workout Log Note: You’ll notice that I have 10 exercise rows and with 5 sets across, which equates to 50 total sets that can be completed on this sheet. For your workout, you will likely only use about half, or less of the sheet. I included these extra exercise \rows and columns to give you more flexibility when creating your workout.

I hope you use these templates to help get your body to the next level.

Let me know what you think of these templates and if you have any questions!

While the squat is a functional movement that many consider the “King” of all exercises, it can be very difficult exercise to complete with proper form.

So why is proper squat form difficult for so many people?

The simple answer is that many men and women have muscle imbalances, movement inefficiencies, or flexibility issues that inhibit proper squat depth to maximize strength and minimize injury.

This article will teach you (1) 5 of the most common issues that inhibit squat depth, (2) an exercise test to determine if you need work in a given area, and (3) possible solutions to rectify these issues.

Note: “Possible” solutions are listed because some postural, or flexibility issues may not be correctible due to congenital issues, or trauma.

Squat Depth Problem #1: Core Muscles Aren’t “Firing” Properly

If the muscles in your abdomen aren’t stimulated, or “firing” correctly, then you don’t have a strong support system to get enough depth.

Even if you do a lot of crunches, that doesn’t mean the deep core musculature is firing correctly. It simply means that your outer abdominal muscles may be well developed. The outer abs muscles are made of different muscle fibers that fatigue fast under a load, which means they are useful for explosive movements, like throwing, or jumping.

If you’re going to hold a weight on your back for 45 seconds or longer (typical time for a set of squats), the deeper core musculature must be firing correctly to keep you upright and sturdy.

The Test: Hold a plank for as long as you can with good form. Note where you first feel pressure. If it’s in your lower back as opposed to your abs, then more than likely, your deep core musculature isn’t firing correctly.

Possible Solution: Pall-off press & Single Leg Lowering. Both of these exercises “wake up” your deep core musculature.

Squat Depth Problem #2: Tight Calves

While the other 4 issues in this article relate to incorrect movement patterns, or large tight muscles, oftentimes it’s the small muscles in your calf that will inhibit you from dropping to a proper depth and will make you unstable.

The Test: Put an empty bar on your back and see how far you can squat. Then place 25-pound plates under your feet. If you can go down further this second time around then your calves are limiting your depth.

Possible Solution: Foam rolling for calves and calf stretching

Squat Depth Problem #3) Tight Hip Flexors

Due to either lots of sitting or not moving for excessively long periods of time, our hip flexors can become tight. Hip flexors are the muscles right above the front of your thighs and on the side of your groin that when tight will inhibit other muscles from firing correctly and from achieving proper squat depth.

The Test: Stand in front of a squat rack or pole. Grab the pole at about waist height and perform a squat, going as low as you can go. This should help stabilize your core musculature. If you’ve already tested for the calves and “passed” then you should be able to drop to below parallel while holding onto the squat rack. If you can’t or if you can’t move out of the bottom position then your issue is probably tight or inactive hip flexors.

Possible Solution: Hip flexor stretches like crescent lunge

Squat Depth Problem #4) Upper Back Tightness

You upper back (thoracic spine) can lose its flexibility due to improper posture, lots of sitting, or a focus on chest exercises, which forces chest muscles to tighten and upper back muscles to weaken.

Most guys I’ve worked with have this as a limiting factor when first starting to work out.

The Test: Perform a squat with no weight and your hands in front of your chest. See how low you go and when/if your back rounds at the bottom. Now perform the same movement, except this time bring your hands overhead, interlock your thumbs and mark how low you can go and when/if your back rounds. If your back rounds at a higher position or you can’t go as low without feeling like you’re going to lose your balance, then your thoracic spine extensibility is most likely the cause.

Possible Solution: Marc has a great article on How to Correct Rounded Shoulders. Follow everything in that article and you will be well on your way to fixing hump back posture.

Squat Depth Problem #5) Glute Medius & Minimus Not “Firing”

Your “butt” muscles are your glute medius and minimus, which help maintain balance when standing on one foot. They are the muscles that fire as we walk so we don’t cave in and fall over.

There are two main causes of improper firing of the glute medius/minimus; one is that your adductors are tight (your inner thighs) and the other is that those muscles are weak

The Test: Perform 10 bodyweight squats. Look at where your knees are going. Are they slightly caving in when you squat down or are they following the midline of your toes? If they’re caving in (no matter what the rep number) then stop the test and work on the solution.

Possible Solution: Foam roll your inner thigh, side-lying “clam” exercise, X-band side walking.

Keep in mind that rectifying any of these issues may take some time (1-3 months), so please be patient. The good news is that you will be able to truly master the squat and receive the greatest benefits from this exceptional exercise.

For more on squat depth, check out: How Deep Should You Squat?

“How Deep Should I Squat” is a very common question that causes a lot of confusion. Some people believe squatting 1/2 way down is easier on the lower back, while others believe squatting very deep is actually safer for your back and more effective overall.

How deep should you squat? What is good squat depth?

Research and experience suggest squatting “below parallel” as the safest and most effective squat technique. “Below parallel” means that your hips should drop below your knees during a squat.

Conventional wisdom teaches us the safest way to squat is to form a 90 degree angle at the knees, but the exact opposite is true. The 90 degree, or L-angle decreases the stress on your knees slightly (about 28%) but increases the stress put on your back by over 1000%. As long as you can maintain the natural S-curve in your spine, along with keeping your knees aligned with your toes, a deep squat can be completely safe (Research: Strength and Conditioning Journal (2007) Volume: 29, Issue: 6, “Optimizing Squat Technique”).

If you’re legs stay above that 90 degree mark, which I see often in the gym, the emphasis of the exercise will be on your quads (the front of your thighs). If you’re able to drop below 90 degrees (break parallel), then you start to activate the large musculature on the backside of your body – your hamstrings and glutes.

By activating these larger muscles, less stress is placed on your back while working more muscle in the same exercise. If you’re trying to lose fat, this will help you burn more calories and if you’re trying to put on more muscle, this will help to stimulate a greater release of muscle-building hormones. It’s a win-win.

Now that you know it’s more effective and safer to drop below parallel when squatting, let’s go through some commonly asked follow up questions:

1) “Won’t squatting deep put excessive strain on my knees?”

You still might be concerned about the extra strain put on your knees from dropping below parallel, especially since I said it puts an extra 28% strain on your ACL. This is a fair concern, but there is a slight increase in tension on the ligament, the lower you go, the more muscles you activate which helps to stabilize that ligament. On the other hand, research has also shown that a leg extension machine, which focuses on the quads exclusively, actually puts more strain on both your ACL and PCL ligaments than the squat. So while a deeper squat protects the ligaments by using additional muscles, no additional musculature is activated on a leg extension machine. In other words, a deep squat slightly increases the strain on your knee but at the end of the day it’s still safer than a simple leg extension machine if proper squat form is used.

2) “I’ll have to drop the weights considerably to squat below parallel. Isn’t using heavier weights better?”

While this is true with most exercises, having impeccable squat form is imperative. The squat is a coordinated, high impact movement. You may have to drop the weights for some time to improve your squat depth and form, but it will be worth the time and effort. You won’t have to worry about hurting your knees or back, as most people who get injured from squats have poor form and depth.

3 ) “What if I can’t squat below parallel without my back rounding or hurting?”

For most people who are unable to squat below parallel, a lack of flexibility or the inability to activate the proper “assistance” muscles is usually the issue. When your back rounds during a squat, it’s usually from a lack of core strength, or flexibility issues that can emanate from your calves to your thoracic spine. Other issues may include knee, or back injuries, which may require switching to a different squat technique such as a front squat or goblet squat.

In the next video we will post next week, Marc and I will address the issue of limited flexibility while teaching you 5 ways to help improve your squat depth.

“Almost everything we have been taught about aging is wrong. We now know that a very fit body of 70 can be the same as a moderately fit body of 30.”

–Dr. Walter Bortz, MD

Do you use your age as an excuse for not feeling, or looking your best? For not being strong, fit, or flexible?

If you do, you need a wake-up call my friend! I’m hoping this article inspires you to reach your true potential to live a longer, fuller, happier life with the fit and strong body you deserve.

I remember my first year in the work force as a 23 year old, my friends would complain about back stiffness, or not being able to lift as much as we did in college. We all had become “has-beens” and in a way, we thought it was funny.

I don’t think it’s funny anymore. The idea that we cannot improve our physiques as we age is simply inaccurate. I’m going to make the bold claim that my body will look and perform better when I’m 50 years old than it does today at 29…as long as I don’t get hit by the proverbial bus and maintain good health.

Are you ready to make that commitment, that claim? If you’re already in your 50′s or older, can you commit to exercising at least 2x per week for the rest of your life?

I have below profiles of 5 men who can inspire you to believe in your own potential and believe that you CAN look and feel better as you age. Interestingly, all these men have different diets and training regimens, but there are two common themes:

1) Eat Real Food – Unprocessed, nutrient dense food

2) Strength Train – Use resistance training with one, or a combination of the following: dumbbells, barbells, or bodyweight exercises.

Let’s begin…

Herschel Walker at 48

Herschel Walker is a former professional football player and heisman trophy winner who as a child was “pudgy” with a stutter. In this photo at 48 years old, I’m sure you would agree he’s anything but pudgy. “Totally jacked” is a better description.

Herschel Walker’s daily workout routine is legendary; he claims he’s done 2000 situps and 1500 pushups a day for the last 30 years…and mostly at 5:30am.

Not only are his exercise habits atypical, but his nutrition habits are just bizarre. A vegetarian, Herschel doesn’t eat any red meat or fish and eats one meal a day. He claims he can run as fast now compared to his professional football days…but his guns are bigger.

Herschel Walker on Aging:

“Everybody talks about 48, but I think I’m in just as good a shape as at 20, or 30 years old. Somebody posted a tape on my Twitter of me working with some kids. I look exactly the same in 1983 as I look today. My guns got a little bit bigger, but I look the same.”

Herschel Walker On Exercise and Nutrition:

“I’m just not a guy that loves to eat. I love to work and love to work out. I think I go against all the nutritionists who say you need to do this, or need to do that so I’m one of the oddballs.”

Tony Horton at 51

Celebrity trainer and P90x creator Tony Horton has inspired millions of people around the world to improve their health and well-being. His initial desire to get into fitness stemmed from his ambitions to become an actor in LA. He was told getting in shape and getting a better body could land him some acting roles.

While his acting career didn’t quite pan out, he did become a very successful trainer and would later team up with fitness marketing company Beachbody to launch several fitness programs sold through infomercials.

Tony Horton on Nutrition

In his book “Bring It!”, Tony recommends eliminating sugar, processed foods, gluten, caffeine, and alchohol, and dairy consumption. Pretty hard not to get a lean body following that advice.

Tony Horton on Intensity:

“Intensity is finding your fire and working out as hard as you can, based on where you are today (now, here, in the moment), without sacrificing exercise form. Intensity is a moving target too. It changes from day to day, and there are so many variables outside your control. It’s your job to show up, and that’s within your control.”

Dave Draper at 54

Dave Draper (nicknamed the “Blonde Bomber”) is an accomplished bodybuilder who used to train with Arnold Schwarzenegger. As you can see from the photo of Dave at 54 compared to 25 years old (on right), the density of his muscles has increased and he is leaner.

The following quotes are from Dave’s book Brother Iron, Sister Steel, which is one of the most sensible, passionate, and well-written books on strength training and bodybuilding I’ve read:

Dave Draper on Fitness and Aging:

“Now I see that just as the mere awareness of age can affect your ego and attitude, so can a more confident and determined attitude awaken you to the fact that the other side of forty, and fifty, sixty and seventy holds a valid promise for improving your physique.”

Dave Draper on Lifting:

“Superset. Hit heavy workouts…Push it, blast it, no tiptoeing through the fields of metal. Train with confidence and enthusiasm – the only way to train. If you perceive exercise and hard work as dull and dubious, they will be. Fact is, they are fun, exciting and fulfilling. Your perception may be broken and your confidence not established. Tune them up. Pain, strain, gain.”

Is this guy awesome, or what?

Dave is now approaching 65 years old and is still hitting the iron hard!

Mark Sisson at 58

Mark Sisson is one of the pioneers of the “paleo” movement, defined by the desire to eat and exercise like our ancestors before the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago. The motto of his very successful fitness blog Mark’s Daily Apple is “primal living in a modern world”.

In short, Mark avoid grains completely, eats low carb with a high fat diet. He also eats plenty of meat, vegetables, and fruits. Mark does strength training 2-3x per week, high intensity sprints “intermittently”, and moves slowly a lot.

Needless to say after I saw photos of him, I read his Primal Blueprint book (which I will review at a future date) and a large chunk of his blog.

Mark Sisson on American Lifestyle Trends

“Hecitic schedules compromising quality family time, processed foods in place of natural foods, prescription drugs used in place of lifestyle change, digital entertainment replacing physical activity, and overly stressful exercise programs that cause even the most devoted to fail with weight loss and fitness goals.”

Mark Sisson on Exercise

“You can get healthy and fit on two hours a week of walking around, one mini-strength training workout a week lasting less than 10 minutes, one complete strength training workout lasting 30 minutes, and a sprint session every 7 to 10 days with perhaps 10 minutes of hard work (bookended by sufficient warm up and cool down).”

Jack Lalanne at 67

The late Jack Lalanne is a “fitness legend” who passed away last year at 96 years old. His spirit lives on, however, through his videos from the 1950′s “The Jack Lalanne Show”, which have amassed millions of views on Youtube. For my tribute to Jack and a bunch of facts about him, see: Jack Lalanne Tribute: Facts About Fitness Icon.

Jack Lalanne on the American Diet (my favorite):

“Would you get your dog up every day, give him a cup of coffee, a doughnut, and a cigarette? Hell, no. You’d kill the damn dog.”

Jack Lalanne on Aging:

“Your waistline is your lifeline. It should be the same as it was when you were a young person.”

Jack Lalanne on Looking More Manly (so to speak):

“If you lose a couple of inches off your stomach, your business down there will look an inch longer.”

So what do you think? Inspired?

I encourage you to get fired up about your health and commit to some long term goals – and I mean long term. What about 20 years from now, how are you going to look and feel?

I encourage you to share this article with your friends and take one step toward your long term fitness goals today .

Last week I attended a full day workshop on “Posture and Movement Analysis” in NYC. About 25 fitness professionals showed up, all of whom exercise regularly. After we conducted a posture assessment for each other, we were shocked to learn that EVERYONE had moderate to severe posture problems.

It is very possible that you too have a moderate to severe postural problem that can affect your health and performance. I must admit I have a small to moderate degree of every postural deviation listed in this article!

While this article does not cover how to conduct a comprehensive posture assessment, I chose the 5 most common posture problems I see that are caused by a sedentary lifestyle. For each posture problem, I list the (1) indentification, (2) cause, (3) problem, and (4) solution.

Keep in mind the solutions listed are only “possible” solutions because some of the causes and problems may not be correctible (i.e. congenital issues, or trauma). Finally, be aware that any posture problem can lead to other problems as the human body is one “kinetic chain”.

Posture Problem #1: Over-Pronated Feet

Identification – As shown in the photo above, put both hands 1 inch away from each side of your foot. Straighten your ankle so that the space between each hand and your ankle is equidistant. Now naturally let your ankle and feet rest. If your foot and ankle caved inward, you have over-pronated feet.

Causes – Obesity, pregnancy, improper footwear, or repetitive pounding on a hard surface can weaken the arch leading to over-pronation and oftentimes flat feet.

Problem – Over-pronation adds stress to the foot, tightens calf muscles, and can internally rotate the knees. Over-pronation often leads to Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Spurs, Metatarsalgia, Post-tib Tendonitis and/or Bunions. As many as 20-30% of Americans have flat feet, or over-pronated feet.

Solution – If the arch has already fallen, orthotics are the best bet. If the arch is in the process of falling, or is weak, barefoot running/walking may help strengthen the arches, but be sure to check with your doctor (orthotics may be the best bet in this case as well). For more on barefoot running, check out Barefoot Running Research: Benefits of Barefoot Running.

Posture Problem #2: Forward Hip Tilt

Identification – Identifying a forward tilt can be tricky, but one method is to purposely tilt your pelvis forward as far as you can, then backward as far as you can. You may realize your natural hip tilt is not far away from the exaggerated forward tilt.

Cause – Sitting too much and not stretching, which shortens the hip flexors

Problem – Forward hip tilt (aka anterior pelvic tilt) is associated with tight hip flexors, which are a group of muscles on the front of your hips that pull the knee upward. As you walk, tight hip flexors prevent the glutes (butt muscles) from firing/activating, which forces the hamstring muscles to become overworked and excessively tight. If you have tight hamstrings, the root cause may be tight hip flexors and an anterior pelvic tilt.

Solution – Stretch your hip flexors with static lunges, such as the Crescent Lunge (See: Yoga For Back Pain), activate your glutes with exercises like glute bridges, and foam roll and stretch your hamstrings.

Posture Problem #3: Hunchback

Identification – Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. If you notice that your upper back is excessively curved (greater than 40-45 degrees) as in the photo to the right, you have hunchback posture.

Cause – Sitting with bad posture, especially at an office doing computer work

Problem – Sitting hunched over a computer screen forces chest muscles to tighten, which can cause excessive curvature (kyphosis) of the upper back (thoracic spine). Postural muscles in the upper back weaken and loosen.

Solution – Relieve chest tightness with self myofascial release (use a massage ball) and stretching, while strengthening the upper back postural muscles. My favorite exercise for hunchback posture is upper back foam rolling. For more information, check out Correcting Rounded Shoulders From Office Work.

Posture Problem #4: Rounded Shoulders

Identification – The “Pencil Test” involves holding a pencil (or pen) in each hand. As shown in the photo above, if the pencils are pointing straight forward with your arms comfortably at your sides, that indicates correct posture. If on the other hand the pencils are facing each other, or are rotated at an angle, then you have internally rotated shoulders.

Cause – Sitting with bad posture, especially in an office while typing, or using an imbalanced exercise routine with excessive chest pressing.

Problem – Sitting hunched over a computer screen forces chest muscles to tighten, which can internally rotate the shoulders forward. Postural muscles in the upper back weaken and loosen.

Solution – The solution is very similar to correcting hunchback posture – relieve chest tightness with self myofascial release (use a massage ball) and stretching, while strengthening the upper back postural muscles. For more information, check out Correcting Rounded Shoulders From Office Work.

Posture Problem #5: Forward Head

Identification – Have someone take a photo of you standing sideways. As shown in the photo to your right, find the AC joint (bony protrusion on the side of your shoulder) and check if your ear lobe is on top of the AC joint. If your ear lobe extends in front of your AC joint, you have a forward head posture.

Cause – Sitting in an office chair hunched over while staring at a computer

Problem – Muscles in the back of the neck become tight, along with the upper trapezius and levator scapulae (upper back muscles).

Solution – First, practice proper head posture by sliding your head backward while keeping your line of sight ahead. Be sure not to tilt your head upwards as you slide your head back. Second, get a massage, or use a massage ball against your upper back, which can be very helpful to help relieve tension around your neck.

While these 5 common posture problems are just scratching the surface of posture as a very important fitness topic, I hope it helps you think more consciously of your posture and is useful for you.

The photo comparison below highlights the impact of wearing tight fitting and heavily padded sneakers and shoes. Notice in the photo on the left how the man’s feet have conformed to the shape of his shoes with his toes scrunched together and feet narrowed. The photo to the right of a man who walks barefoot has a “fanning” of the toes. Can you imagine the implications of running, or playing sports with feet like those on the left? Less stability, less strength, less ability to absorb shock – a whole lot of injuries waiting to happen.

Below is an infographic from my friends at XRay Technician Schools that highlights some of the issues of running with sneakers (still a very controversial issue) and describes the benefits of barefoot running. I think by the end of this infographic, you’ll have a greater appreciation for how “freeing your feet” may help improve how your body feels and functions.

Barefoot Running Research

Created by: X Ray Technician Schools

One of the most common questions I get is, “Should I do cardio before, or after weight training?”

While the long answer is “it depends”, most people will be better off completing cardio after weights whether their primary goal is muscle gain, strength gain, or fat loss.

Here are 7 reasons why you should consider doing cardio after weights:

Cardio After Weights Reason #1) Increased Energy For Lifting Weights

During exercise, the body uses stored energy in our muscles called glycogen. If glycogen levels are low, it affects our energy levels for workouts. For example, if you’ve ever gone on a low carb diet and experienced less energy during workouts, then you know what it feels like to have low glycogen levels. The same phenomenon happens if you do cardio before strength training – you use up your body’s preferred energy source for intense exercise. If you use up that energy, it won’t be available when you need to lift heavy weights, making a goal of building muscle, increasing strength, or maximizing calorie burn through weight lifting compromised.

Cardio After Weights Reason #2) Favorable Changes in Blood PH

Completing cardio can make your blood more acidic. As you exercise, energy gets broken down and utilized to make lactic acid. Although lactic acid helps to replenish your fuel sources for continued exercise, it does so by creating excessive hydrogen ions. These hydrogen ions need to be buffered, which your body handles at an ineffective rate, lowering your pH (which makes your blood plasma more acidic). This acidic environment causes muscular fatigue and performance drops. So besides using the energy you need for heavy resistance training, doing cardio first also makes it harder for you to contract the muscles.

Cardio After Weights Reason #3) Favorable Hormonal Changes

By completing cardio first, cortisol is released without a concurrent increase in testosterone. Cortisol breaks down muscle in order to give your body the continued energy to workout. This works fine when doing cardiovascular exercises and happens extensively in long duration cardio (think marathons), but is detrimental to building muscle if there’s not a concurrent increase in testosterone. For example, when you’re strength training, cortisol levels will go up but so will testosterone levels. This hormonal shift not only allows you to have energy for the workout, but also helps to rebuild muscle after the session. Without these changes in hormonal profiles, it becomes much harder to gain muscle.

Cardio After Weights Reason #4) Clear mTOR Pathways

Another nail in the coffin for doing cardio before strength training is the inhibition of the mTOR pathways. Many people have not heard of the mTOR pathway, but in essence, this is the pathway that tells your muscles to grow. In fact, one of the biggest genetic differences between those that gain muscle easily and those that really struggle to gain muscle size is due to the differences of expression for the mTOR pathway. In other words, “genetic freaks” have easy access to this pathway, whereas “hardgainers” don’t. When you do cardio with strength training and especially before strength training, this muscle building pathway becomes inhibited, making an already difficult situation that much harder.

Cardio After Weights Reason #5) Greater Afterburn Effect

The workout that causes the largest afterburn effect will be the most effective for fat loss because you will
not only burn calories during your workout, but also for up to 48 hours afterwards. While the research is inconclusive (some studies show the afterburn effect to be greater with cardio before weights), an intense metabolic resistance training workout can create a very large afterburn effect and increase your cardiovascular health. A traditional bodybuilding workout on the other hand will not create a very significant afterburn effect so in that case, cardio before lifting may make sense from a fat loss perspective.

Cardio After Weights Reason #6) Exercise Feels Harder Doing Cardio First

The “perceived exertion” rates (how hard exercise feels) is higher when you do cardio before strength training – even if the results you get from both routines are the same. This simply means that if you do the same routine, but do cardio first, it will feel much harder then if you did the same exact workout by doing the strength portion first. In other words, all of those reasons listed above truly do make your workouts feel harder. The sad part is that this method is not more effective for fat loss or muscle gain than if you simply did the strength first.

Cardio After Weights Reason #7) Less Risk of Injury Due to Fatigue

If you try maxing out on squats after an intense cardio session, you may be mentally and physically fatigued, which increases the chance of injury. Besides needing the mental fortitude to put a heavy weight on your back after cardio, you will also need the help of a number of smaller “assistance muscles” to help with the movement. These may have become fatigued from the cardio beforehand. By tiring these stabilizer and assistance muscles before performing heavy strength training, you risk the chance of completing an exercise incorrectly or with improper form.

Why Not Combine Cardio and Weights?

If you’re truly pressed for time, you can combine strength and cardio movements. An example would be to complete two strength training exercises – think lunges and cable rows – followed by bike sprints for 30 seconds. By combining the strength and cardio portion, you are satisfying the need to create damage to the muscle, keep your heart rate high throughout the session and have more spikes to your heart rate creating a greater oxygen debt.

The Wrap Up

While there are several benefits for lifting weights before cardio, at the end of the day, the best fat loss plan is the one you will stick to and that continues to produce results. If you enjoy completing cardio first, then by all means go for it! I would caution using the “weights after cardio” approach, however, if your main goal is building muscle.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Is your low back excessively tight? Do you have chronic pain in your lower back?

If you answered “Yes” to these questions, you’re not alone. Americans spend over $50B per each year on back pain and as much as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives.

Many steps can be taken to help decrease low back pain and tightness, which range from maintaining proper posture to using a mattress with the correct stiffness. Of all the steps you can take, one of the most effective may be incorporating Yoga poses into your exercise regimen. In fact, most doctors recommend a stretching routine because it can help relieve pressure on the lower back.

The following 7 Yoga poses from Celebrity Yoga instructor Kristin McGee can help increase range of motion in your joints, decrease tension in your lower back, while also reducing pain. This is the second video in this “Yoga For Men” series, the first covered 3 Beginner Yoga Poses For Men.

NOTE: Please consult with your doctor before attempting any new exercises, or exercise regimen

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #1: Boat Pose

The boat pose that can help strengthen the abdomen, hip flexors, and spine. This pose requires balance, stabilization, and flexibility, so if you have some trouble balancing, just take your time and follow these steps:

1) Sit upright on a Yoga Mat while pulling your heels in towards your hip
2) Extend your arms forward so they are parallel with the floor
3) Stretch out your legs and feet together so they form a 45 degree angle with the floor

Note: Do not round your back as complete this pose

The variation I’m demonstrating is a beginner variation with knees bent for people who do not have very flexible hamstrings. Kristin is demonstrating a more advanced version in the photo to the right with her legs fully extended.

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #2: Forward Bend

There are many different types of forward bends, but the seated forward bend allows for a lot of control and can easily be regressed depending on your flexibility. For example, I’m bending my legs at about a 20 degree angle, which makes the pose easier while someone more advanced could have the legs completely extended. Someone who is less advanced would bend the legs even more. Be careful with the forward bend in particular because if done incorrectly, it can put pressure on your intervertebral disks.

Note: Ease into the stretch slowly keeping your knees bent, then slowly straighten your legs until the point where you feel a good stretch but the pose is still comfortable.

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #3: Seated Twist

The seated twist yoga pose can help increase flexibility in your upper while stretching the shoulders, hips, and neck. As you complete this pose, the top of the thigh should be hugged as close as possible to the torso.

There are different variations () of the seated twist, which include (1) pulling your knee with your opposite hand as opposed to fully extending the arm as you twist, (2) extending the arm as I’m demonstrating in the photo, (3) palms placed together as you twist.

Note: Be careful not to round your back as you twist

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #4: Ankle to Knee Pose

The ankle to knee pose can help increase flexibility in your hips, which is often a very tight area for most men. You can complete the Ankle to Knee pose while reclined on the floor, sitting in a chair, or with your arms extended behind you as I demonstrate in the video. Choose what is most comfortable for you.

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #5: Cat Cow Pose

The “Cat Cow Pose” is really two poses in one:

Cat Pose – Lie on the ground on all fours with your head in a neutral position and a slight lower back arch. Pretend there is a string attached to the middle of your back, which is pulling your back towards the ceiling. You back should naturally round upwards and your chin should be tucked into your chest.

Cow Pose – Lie on the ground on all fours with your head in a neutral position and a slight lower back arch. Pretend there is a string attached to your abs, which is pulling your abs downward. You back should arch as you complete the pose and your head should be upward.

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #6: Crescent Lunge

The Crescent Lunge is an exceptional stretching exercise for the hip flexors, which if chronically tight can throw off your posture and cause low back pain. Like with most Yoga poses, there are different variations that range in difficulty. In the photo, I’m demonstrating a beginner version of the Crescent Lunge where the back knee is against the floor and my torso is upright. To make the pose more challenging, extend your arms backwards, as Kristin is demonstrating in the photo to the right. The most advanced version is keeping your back knee of the ground while lunging as you reach backward.

Yoga for Back Pain Pose #7: Child’s Pose

The Child’s pose is a “relaxation pose” that relaxes the muscles in your body while lengthening the muscles in your back. While this is considered a relaxation pose, if you have tight hips and quads, it’s anything but relaxing. If your body is warm and you have completed the other poses on this list, the child’s pose should be more manageable. The two variations I show in the video are (1) with arms extended forward, and (2) with arms extended backwards, which requires more shoulder flexibility.

I want to send a special thanks to Kristin for sharing her time and insights. I hope this article was helpful for you and you can give some of these poses a try.

Kristin McGee is a celebrity Yoga Instructor based in NYC whose clients include Steve Martin, Tina Faye, Ben Stiller, and Bethany Frankel.  Kristin has appeared on CNN, FOX, the CBS Morning Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, The Tyra Banks Show, and the Isaac Mizrahi Show.  Her instruction is highly sought after because she delivers results and invites you to enjoy the journey.  To learn more about Kristin and check out here DVD’s, private classes, or sessions in NYC, visit her website at www.KristinMcGee.com.