2010 February

Fitness Simplicity

February 24, 2010 By JC Deen 31 Comments

Today’s article is by a dear friend of mine, Ryan Zielonka. This is the first guest article here at JCDFitness and if writing here may be of interest to you, never hesitate to contact me with your ideas/topics.

Expecting greatness out of the ascetic servitude the world has deemed necessary for six-pack abs or firm thighs seems, on the surface, perfectly logical. Fitness gurus told us we need three days of high-intensity interval training and four days of metabolic weight-training a week to get there, while on a low-carb diet no less. But is all this really necessary?

We are raised in a culture where more is better. More hours at the office, more time at the gym, more gadgets and gizmos means more money, more muscles, and more happiness, or so we are told. The unfortunate reality is that this ambition has its limits, limits that are probably far lower than most people believe. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guest Articles Tagged With: Guest Article, Guest Post

The Muscle Building Guide for Women

February 15, 2010 By JC Deen 36 Comments

Women and Building Muscle – Photo Credit: April Greer

Before I begin, this article was inspired by a lady I had the wonderful opportunity to converse with a few weeks back. I hope this helps answer all of your questions and thanks for the inspiration.

While I understand most women aren’t training with the hopes of becoming a competitive bodybuilder, I know many would like to tighten up their physique and achieve that coveted, athletic look – the look you might see on the cover of Oxygen Magazine or in many of the mainstream fitness advertisements. Then, in the rare case, there are ladies who desire the full blown, big and ripped physique similar to those who’ve obviously been taking plenty of androgenic drugs.

Regardless of the look you’re after, both groups got from point A to point B in a similar fashion. They took their time and did things right. Building muscle, especially for women, takes years of hard work; therefore, regardless of taking drugs or not, both groups busted their ass, watched their diet, and set goals they thought to be reachable and acceptable (realistic).

So now, let’s take a look at exactly what it’s going to take for the women who wish to build muscle in a sensible and practical manner. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Female Fitness, Popular Tagged With: Muslce Gain for Women, Women and Muscle Building, Women's Fitness, Women's Strength Training

Look Great Naked Without Breaking The Bank

February 10, 2010 By JC Deen 13 Comments

Today, we’re going to discuss eating on the cheap given our current economic situation in America as well as the rest of the world. The views presented are purely out of my personal experiences over the last year and how I managed to cram in the most food possible while being on a very limited budget. I have spent most of the past year in a caloric surplus to add some quality weight after a prolonged period of dieting/maintenance stuff.

This particular article was originally posted on Leigh Peele’s short-lived project called FLzine but since the forums are dead, I’d imagine daily traffic is dead as well. In lieu of that, I figured I’d add this one to the archives for any of you who need a quick reference to a grocery list that is both cheap and easy to acquire.

So in regards to building lean body mass, we all know (or should know) that this requires two consistent variables: a surplus of calories and proper training. Being as frugal as I am, I decided to make a list of relatively cheap foods that have a long shelf life and would allow me to save as much money as possible for fresh food purchases.

Since I have come to be somewhat of a minimalist, here is my list of staples. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Diet Tagged With: Diet Food, Grocery List