By just looking at someone, you can tell if they’re strong and in shape. Right? Come on, that guy at the beach looks like he could bench press me! Well maybe he can, but there’s also a chance he just looks the part. At Art of Strength, we want you to not just look the part but be the part too.
Our philosophy is that cardio vascular strength has been lost in the shuffle of quick result workouts and diets. We’re looking to build quality, not quantity.
When sculpting your body, you must find that perfect balance of exercise and diet. For best results, your program should include cardio and strength training (we recommend using kettlebells) and stretching to increase your muscles flexibility. This exercise program will create a natural, sculpted look where your muscles are well defined and easily seen while avoiding a bulky look. More important than the effect this will have on your look, this program will have you in tip-top shape and feeling great. Strengthening muscles through body sculpting improves blood circulation, strengthens the heart and reduces age related problems such as stiffness, soreness and weakness.
When someone says they want to build their body, the first thing that comes to mind is an image of an unnatural, bulky and unhealthy bodybuilder. You will lift weights, then lift some more and for good measure why not do a few more repetitions. Odds are you’ll do this a couple times a day too. There’s nothing wrong with lifting weights; in fact, it’s a necessary part of sculpting your body. However, the next time you’re at a gym and see one of those bodybuilder-looking guys, pay attention to the amount of running, walking or biking they do. They may be building muscle, but when it comes to being in shape they are not.
An essential part of most exercise programs that is frequently forgotten, is the diet. One of the main principles of a body-sculpting diet is the need to eat several small meals a day. This will increase your metabolism while keeping your blood sugar levels balanced, and prevent hunger that leads to overeating. Now just because they’re small meals doesn’t mean you can be eating bad foods with a high fat intake. The Department of Health and Human Services advises you to eat lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy and other forms of lean protein as important components in building muscle, burning fat and keeping your appetite satisfied. Whole grains are also important, as they provide fuel for the body. Saturated and trans fats should be avoided; while monounsaturated fats are encouraged. Leafy green vegetables and a variety of fruits should also be included.
Just like the exercise program for building muscle is lifting, lifting and more lifting, the diet includes protein, protein and more protein. Intense-workout.com suggests you eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 200 lbs, you should eat at least 200 grams of protein a day. That’s an insane amount of protein intake. Especially when it’s suggested you eat a lot of protein when you first wake up, after every workout and right before you go to bed. To help reach those goals you’ll have to start drinking protein shakes, eating protein bars and taking other protein supplements so that you can bulk up, and watch as your wallet size decreases. Unless you plan on making a career out of bodybuilding, can you really afford to spend money on shakes, bars, supplements and going to the gym multiple times a day? Time is money and so is building your body.
While the body building guy at the beach may look good, following an exercise and diet program with the intent to sculpt your body, will leave you looking good, feeling good and building on what your body already has.
Why you need to monitor your heart when exercising
Monday, 19 July 2010 03:11
By Scott George
Just like good workout shoes are necessary to protect your feet when exercising, a heart monitor can keep you in a healthy range for a workout. To know exactly what your heart is doing, we need to pay attention. The heart monitor keeps us paying attention.
As you breathe in air, your heart breathes life into your organs bringing oxygen to every part of your body. Your heart also pumps blood to your brain and throughout your entire body. When you exercise, your heart rate will increase. Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time – typically expressed as beats per minute (bpm).
The number on your heart monitor is an indicator of how hard your heart is working to pump blood. The monitor also allows you to see your recovery time. Viewing how long it takes your heart rate to come down from a strenuous workout is an indicator of how conditioned your body is and what shape you are in, regardless of your weight.
When your heart rate increases above 170 bpm, we require you to rest until your heart rate comes down to a certain point of recovery. By resting, you allow yourself a chance to complete every set and finish the repetitions we implement as trainers.
Effective exercise strengthens your heart muscle just like it strengthens your biceps and triceps. In order for us to know how effective the exercises are you need to wear a heart monitor.
There are several heart monitors on the market, which look like average sport watches. A good heart monitor not only shows your heart rate, but it calculates the calories you are burning.
At the Art of Strength, we recommend that everyone wear a heart monitor regardless of the shape you are in. However, if you are overweight or do not workout on a regular basis, we require that you wear a heart monitor in the fitness center and during all exercise routines.
It is imperative that we keep you exercising in a healthy range, and the only way we can know for sure is if you are wearing a heart monitor.
Memorial Day Tribute
May 31, 2010 — It was a hot and humid day with a chance of thunder showers but that did not stop some 60 members of Art of Strength from heading to West Bloomfield High School’s football field for a workout – military style.
Our fitness trainers organized a training program to commemorate the members of the United States armed forces who were killed in war and at 8:30 Memorial Day morning the music started and the workout began.
Red Wings player and father of three young kids, Kris Draper was among those swinging kettlebells and sprinting across the field. “It is great to be out here honoring the men and women who have made it possible for us to have our freedoms,” said Draper.
The traditional workouts at Art of Strength, which are considered unconventional, were done on the field. These included kettlebells, ropes gone wild and strength training exercises like squats using a person’s own body weight.
As our members know, every routine at Art of Strength consists of core, cardio and strength training. There are several exercise tools used at the center and kettlebells are a focus. Originated from Russia, they were brought to the United States and implemented by Anthony DiLuglio of Punch Gym/Art of Strength; all seven trainers at Art of Strength are kettlebell certified.
What you may not know is that Ropes Gone Wild — the black nylon rope used in various motions including alternating swings, circles and squats — was rated in Men’s Health Magazine as the number one cardio tool in the United States. It also helps strengthen the core.
Our own Mike Knight led the Memorial Day training session with the same serious attitude he brings to the center every day.
“We have an obesity epidemic in this country,” said Knight. “As fitness trainers we wanted to do our part to honor our men and women in the military and no one goes through more rigorous physical training then our military. We wanted to show the average person that they can do the same.”
According to a 2003-2004 study from the University of Michigan, 17.1% of children and teens, aged 2-19 years (more than 12 and a half million young people) were overweight, and 32.2% of adults (more than 66 million) were obese. Almost 5% of adults were extremely obese
“We are so confused as a society,” said Knight. “We have to change the way we think about exercise.”
Watch The Fox 2 News Clip:
An Unconventional Workout
Art of Strength is reshaping Michigan lives by Vanessa Denha-Garmo
May 1, 2010
It is neither a typical gym nor a place you will get a conventional workout -- but you will sweat, your heart rate will increase and you just might have some fun. At the Art of Strength training center in West Bloomfield, trainers are putting their clients through many of the routines often seen on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
During an appointment-only 60-minute session, you might do several swing repetitions with the kettlebells; you might flip over a 400-pound tractor tire a few times; you might lift up some sandbags and throw them down; or you might do some first-time pull-ups with a leg band for support. The workouts are not routine but they are rigorous.
The center opened January 15 and is owned by Scott George, Bassam Salman, Karla Atchoo and Mike Knight. It does not resemble a typical gym. There are no treadmills, stationary bikes or Yoga classes going on. No sauna, no café and it is not open 24 hours.
The motto is “Work Out Loud.”
“People shout here. We are serious about our routines,” said Scott George, co-owner and trainer. “This is not a place to socialize; it is a place to get fit.”
George has been a dedicated athlete and fitness buff most of his life. With moves like Spiderman, he can jump onto a more than five-foot-high platform with ease.
Every routine consists of core, cardio and strength training. There are several exercise tools used at the center and kettlebells are a focus. Originated from Russia, they were brought to the United States and implemented by Anthony DiLuglio of Punch Gym/Art of Strength; all seven trainers at Art of Strength are kettlebell-certified.
The kettlebells look like bowling balls with a handle on it and ranges from 8 pounds to 102 pounds. There are more than 20 different routines that can be done with the kettlebells.
“The reason we focus on your core is because if you have a strong core, you can do any routine pretty consistently,” said George. “You can do abdominal workouts, swing routines, bar bells and ropes gone wild. A strong core gives you movement.”
Ropes gone wild, one exercise tool, is a black nylon rope used in various motions including alternating swings, circles and squats. It was rated in Men’s Health Magazine as the No. 1 cardio tool in the United States. It also helps strengthen the core.
“Your core carries your body,” said Bassam Salman, co-owner and trainer, who has resculpted his body since implementing the exercise routines used at the training center.
Having struggled with a weight-problem most of her life, co-owner Karla Atchoo now wears a size 8, down from her largest size of 22. She first lost 40 pounds on a cleanse diet but then began to train the Art of Strength way. “It is true to its name,” said Atchoo. “I was so weak I couldn’t even do a squat before I began training.” After incorporating this regime she said, “I water-skied for the first time in 20 years. I am so much stronger today.”
Mike Knight is the common denominator for all three Chaldean owners – he trained each of them at various times. Knight is not just a trainer; he once walked in a heavy person’s shoes. At age 36, he was an overweight man who was at risk of dying due to fat-related health issues. It is his personal journey that allows him to connect on a level with his clients that many other trainers have not experienced.
Today, he trains local celebrities like Mojo from 955 and national celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth, Chris Hemsworth and Josh Peck.
His entire philosophy of training is not typically found in the traditional gym. He was trained by the DiLuglio method, which he uses to train his clients today. It is a total body workout in a one-hour session. Knights says it is like rehab. It is a slow progression.
“We have the most intense workouts in the state of Michigan,” said Knight. So confident in his claim, he challenges anyone to get through a warm-up. “If they do, I will train them for free.”
The premise of the workouts is pushing clients beyond their comfort level and raising their heart rates. “We are so confused as a society,” said Knight. “They don’t know what to do. With us, you will work out harder than you have ever done in your life.”
Knight not only makes surprise visits to clients’ homes to inspect refrigerators and pantries, he will toss out the bathroom scale. “It is not about your weight,” said Knight. “It is about the inches you lose. The size in clothing you wear.”
He recently had one client go from a size 16 to a size 6 in four months. “We start with your self-esteem,” said Knight. “We become like family. You don’t just come here, work out and leave. We are part of your life.”
Nearing 50 years old, Knight not only has trained the stars, he has worked alongside them. He will be in the remake of Red Dawn, which was filmed in Detroit.
Each client is assessed before the exercise program is implemented. “We customize each program based on each client,” said Salman. “We need to know what injuries you might have and what exercise programs you have done before.”
The cost to join the center is $25 a month and $35 for each 60-minute training session. You can purchase a package of 11 sessions for $299.
Knight lives by a simple philosophy. “Enjoy life and how you do anything, is how you do everything.” He and his trainers at Art of Strength work out hard because that is what they expect of their clients.
This is not like the rope climb from gym class. Instead of dangling from the ceiling this one's anchored to the ground, and your job is to grasp the other end and heave it up and down. It doesn't sound too challenging, but after a few seconds try telling that to your heart and lungs -- not to mention your arms, shoulders, back, abs and legs. Your body would yell at you afterward if it weren’t so tired. Get ready for rope burn, because this combination of strength training and low-impact cardio is front and center at Art of Strength.
There's no rest for a single muscle, either, as the whipping motion requires you to fight against your own power. Not only do you need to generate the energy to create ripples, you also need to stabilize your body or you'll topple over. This form of exercise is used by National Football League teams, Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters and Olympic athletes and now with the help of Art of Strength folks like you and me.
Scott George one of our lead trainers says, “It looks fun, but wait till you try it, you will feel your heart rate going up. The ropes are used and endorsed by the Tennessee Titans training staff. What more could you ask for?”
Don't believe us? See Art of Strength in Men's Health Magazine - View Article
Sam Salman 
As you breathe in air, your heart breathes life into your organs bringing oxygen to every part of your body. Your heart also pumps blood to your brain and throughout your entire body. When you exercise, your heart rate will increase. Heart rate is the number of heartbeats per unit of time – typically expressed as beats per minute (bpm).
Effective exercise strengthens your heart muscle just like it strengthens your biceps and triceps. In order for us to know how effective the exercises are you need to wear a heart monitor.
Our own Mike Knight led the Memorial Day training session with the same serious attitude he brings to the center every day.
It is neither a typical gym nor a place you will get a conventional workout -- but you will sweat, your heart rate will increase and you just might have some fun. At the Art of Strength training center in West Bloomfield, trainers are putting their clients through many of the routines often seen on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”
This is not like the rope climb from gym class. Instead of dangling from the ceiling this one's anchored to the ground, and your job is to grasp the other end and heave it up and down. It doesn't sound too challenging, but after a few seconds try telling that to your heart and lungs -- not to mention your arms, shoulders, back, abs and legs. Your body would yell at you afterward if it weren’t so tired. Get ready for rope burn, because this combination of strength training and low-impact cardio is front and center at Art of Strength.