A little video of The Body Synergy Gym

Hey everyone I have been getting a lot of people asking to see what I have put together for my gym at home so here is a little video. Let me know what you think



Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

Another Great Underground Strength Video

Hey everyone my buddy Zach, 'The Underground Strength Coach'
is again giving everyone 110% and back with another video,

Check it:
==> Underground Strength Video

He has something he needs your help with and
he wants to give you a pretty sweet deal.

Come on over and watch what he has put
together for you:

==> Underground Strength Video

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes

P.S. So my business trip has come to an end tonight is my last night then I am off to JFK in the morning to head back to Los Angeles. I wanted to say thank you to everyone that has helped me out on this trip with all the great info and it was great meeting everyone.

To all my clients I missed you all and will see you when I get back home, oh and be ready!!

No Nonsense Muslce Building Interview

Do I have something great for you guys! Today I interviewed Vince DelMonte creator of the #1 selling muscle building book "No Nonsense Muscle Building". I was able to lock down Vince for a jam packed interview with all his secrets to get you gaining muscle and and looking like the inner beast you have! So sit down, get out your note pad, and get ready to become a muscle building beast!

No Nonsense Muscle Building with Vince DelMonte!

To find out more about Vince Delmonte and his No Nonsense Muscle Building Book you can visit his site at www.InsaneMuscleGains.com

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes


P.S. Stay tuned as I have more jam packed interviews and articles coming to you!

The Secret of Underground Bodybuilding

Hey everyone I tell you Zach just keeps it coming!
I just watched another video Zach put together
on the secrets of Underground Bodybuilding...

Watch it:
==> Underground Bodybuilding Video

This might be the coolest video Zach has done yet
because it shows you how to pack on lean muscle
WHILE getting freaky strong at the same time.

(And you'll also learn some 'Prison strength training
tips and Zach will demo some killer exercises too)

People have been raving about these videos and I hope
you're diggin them too...

Check it out here:
==> Underground Bodybuilding Video

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes

P.S. As you all know I am out of town and a bunch of you have been waiting to see a picture of me in the city so here it is.

Killer grip training video!

Just as promised yesterday my buddy Zach,
The 'Underground Strength Coach' is at
it again and 'They' don't want you to
see what he's giving away now...

He just released a killer new free video
on how you can create a 'crushing grip'

See it here:

==> Killer grip training video

In this video Zach reveals:

-> 7 grip training tools

-> Rope climbing grip tips

-> Captains of Crush Gripper training

-> How Zach helps his athletes create
powerful 'vice-like' forearms...

-> And a 'hand-full' of other grip training
insights you need to see...

==> Killer grip training video

If you're a serious 'strength addict' like
Zach then you'll want to come watch this
video so you can get your 'fix...'

Hurry though...

I am not sure how long Zach will be able to
keep this free training video up before
he gets pressured by other trainers who
don't want Zach sharing all these killer
training tips for free!

==> Killer grip training video

'They' don't want you to know these grip
training tips but Zach is dedicated to
exposing to his group of 'underground insiders'

He constantly shares real NO B.S. training
techniques that you can start using TODAY
to jack up your strength levels...

Come see 7 of his favorite grip tools here:

==> Killer grip training video

Zach's taking some heat from other industry
experts because he's giving away the farm
in these free videos, so come watch it before
he has to take it down...

Enjoy the video and train hard,

Dedicated to your success
Matt Holmes

PS - Here's where you can check out Zach's
free grip training video:

==> Killer grip training video

My Most Powerful Training Tool

Hey everyone as you know I am out of town
in NYC right now on business and a little
vacation for a couple days. One of my stops out
here is meeting up with my buddy Zach at his
gym in Edison, NJ. As to no surprise he is always
over delivering for his subscribers. This morning
I came across this awesome (free) video
from my buddy Zach Even-Esh and I wanted to
share it with you because in it he shares his
'favorite and most powerful training tool" Some
of you know this is one of my favorite as well.

You can watch it here:

==> Zach's Video

If you're into 'real' No B.S. training then
you'll definately want to see Zach's video
that he put together for you...

He demonstrates some great exercises and
he flat out tells you where you can get
your hands on this training tool in your
home town for cheap!!

I think you'll like it:

==> Zach's Video

Add this item to your home gym and I know
it will help you,

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
Body Synergy


P.S. - Enjoy the video and be sure to Opt-In
because Zach told me he is going to be giving
away some more free NO B.S. training videos in
the coming days...

Here's that link again:

==> Zach's Video

Miss you guys

A quick little video saying hi to my clients and that I miss you guys.


Miss you on 12seconds.tv



Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

Work hard, play hard...
TRAIN HARDER!!

You caught me!!

Ok so most of you know I am headed out of town for 12 days on a business trip over to the east coast. Well it's about 9am and I am sitting at my terminal at LAX. The reason I am blogging to you now is because I wanted to tell you it is ok to have a little fun and eat something bad. Come on who wants to be 100% perfect that would be no fun, if anyone would ever go through life doing that, and if they could I bet they would be very boring! So I am telling you all yes I indulged myself in a nice gooey fat cinnabun!! Yes thats right yours truly did that I even have a picture to prove it. So my message to you all is yes I am leaving for about 2 weeks but I will still be keeping up on you, and have a little fun with all the hard work you put in you deserve it! Talk to you all soon.

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com


P.S. If you have any questions feel free to call or e-mail me and I will get back to you ASAP.

P.S.S. Ok its not uploading my picture right now as I am using a wireless aircard but at least I have internet. So I will do it when I get to my hotel.

Work hard, play hard...
TRAIN HARDER!!!

Take some time off

Take some time off to recover. Why take time off to recover Matt? All I want to know is how to lose those 15 lbs or gain that 10 lbs of muscle. Well because your training is only half of the battle and equation of the process. The other half is your recovery from the hard training you are putting in. I want to make sure you are getting the most out of the hard work you are putting into your training. I know a lot of people just workout to workout and leave it at that, when they are done at the gym that's it. Those are the people you see spending countless hours at the gym and never seem to change. I do not want that to happen to you, do you?

Well do not get all worked up because like always I am going to tell you how to maximize your results so you can look good for that special someone.

One thing you need to remember that when you are training you put your body under major stress and it takes a toll on it, yes that is what we want but you have to make sure you build it back up. The following will help speed that up continuing to get you progress.

Stretch:

I know none of us like to do especially if you have to do it yourself, I know I do not. The best time to do this would be on the day after you work out to help release some of the tension in your muscles and get the blood flowing through them delivering much needed nutrients to your damages muscles.

Get a massage:

This can play in with your stretching also because it again relieves tension thats built up. Also after getting a massage the unwanted toxins that are built up in your body are released so make sure to drink plenty of water to help flush them out. And come on who does not like a nice massage I know I do!

Nap:

This has to be one things I always get crap for from people because I sure love my naps. But I think it is just because those people are jealous that I MAKE time to have one. The great thing with naps is you only need to take a 20-60 minute one. When you do this your body releases growth hormones that help speed up recovery.

Night time sleep:

Yes I am going to repeat myself like I have in the blog last week on how important sleeping 8-10 hours a night is. When you do not sleep as much as you should you are only hurting yourself. Why spend so much time and hard work training when you do not spend enough time to relax and sleep at night?

One thing to help is get on a schedule going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day and night.

Avoid high stimulation before sleep, so RELAX!

Do not drink alcohol at night, I know some people that I wont mention names of that think it actually helps them sleep but studies have shown that it really lessens your sleep quality. So that brings me to the next subject.

Alcohol:

One of the major things with alcohol that negatively effects recovery is it throws off your estrogen and testosterone levels. Also after a night of drinking the next day your body is not in the optimal state it can be for the next days training session so your not getting to where you want in the most effective way. I do not know about you but that does not sound good to me.

Stress:

Here's a big one and always a constant battle with everyone. No one likes stress and it does not like you that's why its always trying to find a way into your life. The great thing here is exercise is a great way to relieve stress in your life. One of the things stress does on the body is it increases its production of cortisol which is a hormone that eats muscle for energy and stores fat. WE ARE TRYING TO DO THE OPPOSITE!
Find things to help you relax in the day and at night. Read something that calms you down, think of something of the complete opposite, listen to some relaxing music. Whatever it takes to avoid stress.

Take time off from training
Here is a big one most people are like why would I want to take a break, because so many thing more more more is always the best thing. But not true as a lot of you learn from me less is more. As shorter more intense workouts, smaller more frequent meals just to name a few. You should take a week off from training every 8-10 weeks depending on beginners and advanced lifters.
Think of it this way you take vacations from work and where you live right? Why do we do this? Because if we do not we get burnt out and become unproductive and our quality in work and life suffers. The same goes for your training, you need to take a break and relax at times. Trust me on this one that when you do and start back up a week after you will continue to make progress and keep your training from turning stale.

Keep all of this in mind that your health and fitness do not just start and stop in the gym. This is a lifestyle and goes far beyond the 45-60 minutes you are spending training. That is only half of the battle. These are just some basic guidelines that will take you a long way to fitting into those "skinny jeans" or that XL t shirt that you want to grow into. Now start putting these into practice take a couple and work on them each day.

"Tomorrows workout is as good as today's recovery"

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

Work hard, play hard...
TRAIN HARDER!!

T-shirts are here!

on 12seconds.tv

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

12 seconds

Hey everyone so I just joined 12seconds.tv I will be doing weekly nutrition and training tips. Also just posting other fun interesting things. You can keep up through my Twitter account here, on my blog or directly through my 12seconds.tv channel here.


Hello to everyone on 12seconds.tv

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

Work hard, play hard...
TRAIN HARDER!

Sleep: The Missing component Pt.2

This two part post on sleep has been one of the most important posts I have done because so many people over look their sleep and time to rest their body. I was surprised to see how many e-mail I received from everyone on this topic. So just as promised here is Part 2. Enjoy

By Greg D. Hovey


In Part I, I outlined the basics of sleep optimization. This time, I'll walk you through the remainder, giving you some handy tips (including nutrition and supplementation suggestions) along the way.

Four Elements of Quality Sleep

1. Uninterrupted Sleep
Ask any new parent if their sleep is uninterrupted and you might get a punch in the face for asking such a dumb question. But hopefully as a serious and responsible athlete, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Nevertheless, the occasional interruption is bound to occur. Waking up to go the bathroom, friends stopping by unexpectedly, and inconsiderate neighbors/roommates still can interrupt your sleep. So what can you do? With respect to hydration, if getting up in the middle of the night to pee is interrupting your sleep, consider cutting back on your fluid intake three hours prior to going to bed. As for the others, let your friends know of your sleeping arrangements and refer back to the paragraph on noise level.

2. Refreshing Sleep
For years the Soviet sport scientists measured an individual’s recovery capabilities based on their quality of sleep. If the individual in question woke up feeling groggy or sluggish, they obviously had not recovered, and therefore needed more sleep. On the other hand, if that individual woke up feeling energetic, they were judged to have had recovered, and were deemed ready for the next training session. So, how do you feel when you wake up? Groggy? Energetic? Could it be you might need more sleep?

3. Deep Sleep
To have quality sleep, you must reach Sleep Stages 3 and 4 (please refer back to Stage of Sleep).

4. Length of Sleep
While some people swear that four hours of sleep is enough for them, sleep experts unaminously dismiss such a claim as dead wrong. Most suggest a minimum of 7.5-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. But what about athletes? nternationally renowned physical preparation coach Ian King suggests athletes get a minimum of 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night, plus a nap here and there if it doesn’t disturb their nightly sleep patterns.

Tips for Improving Sleep Quality—Your Part

1. Make Sleep a Priority
Yeah, that might mean not staying out all night, giving up the endless hours of Dukes of Hazzard reruns and reorganizing your schedule a bit. You may have to make some tough choices. But when considering the removal of a particular late night event, ask yourself, “Is this furthering my goals? Is it helping me improve my health, performance and body composition?”

2. Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule
This means going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday, including weekends. Yes, I know this sounds like an end to your social life, but it doesn’t have to be. Just pick a time to go to bed and wake up, allowing for 8-10 hours of sleep, and work in your social events around this time frame. As JB says, “Think AND solutions, not OR solutions.” What does this mean? It means you can have both restful sleep AND a social life, if you’re willing to plan ahead.

Why strive for a regular sleep schedule? Regularity is an essential component in setting and stabilizing our internal biological clocks. In addition, researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that even if your sleep schedule shifts just a few hours, your mood, energy level, and outlook can rapidly deteriorate.

Think about this situation, one we have all encountered: You struggled through the week sleeping, on average, maybe five hours a night. Now the weekend has rolled around and you’re going to catch up on the sleep you missed during the week by sleeping in. Sounds good, right? Well, it’s now Sunday night, and earlier today you slept in till about 12:45pm, and now you’re up watching the television-edited version of Conan the Barbarian until 1:30am. And guess what, you drag ass all Monday morning, and the rest of the week you find yourself playing catch-up on your sleep. Sound familiar? Well, this can be avoided by keeping a regular sleep schedule.

3. Develop Your Bedtime Ritual
Next to keeping a regular sleep schedule, having a bedtime ritual is the most important step to ensuring a good night’s sleep. So what should your ritual consist of? That’s for you to decide, but whatever you choose, do it with consistency. Your ritual might include, for example, stretching, deep breathing, yoga, reading (nothing too dramatic), taking a hot bath or listening to relaxing music. Again, find what works best for you and stick with it.

4. Keep a Sleep Log
Okay, I know this sounds like a hassle coupled with a burden, but it can be a real eye-opener (it certainly was for me). Whether you are having problems sleeping or you assume you are getting adequate sleep, a sleep log can be provide valuable insight into to your sleep patterns and behaviors. Now, I know you’re asking, “What does a sleep log look like?” While you can find quite detailed sleep logs in the backs of most books on sleep, however, my suggestion is to keep it simple. For example, simply write down the following: when you went to bed; when you got up; how refreshed you felt; and finally, list the number and duration of any naps taken. Try it for a week and I think you will be amazed at what you find out.

Bedtime Meals

Now, as athletes or coaches, whether your goal is to increase your physical health, improve your performance or enhance your body composition, I am going to assume that you are eating 5-8 small, nutrient dense meals. Therefore, when we close our eyes for an 8 to 10 hour slumber, we are about to encounter our longest fast of the day. As a result, it is imperative that we ingest something that will provide us with the nutrients that will sustain our anabolic environment throughout the night. So what should this bedtime meal consist of? A slow digesting protein blend or a mix of whey and casein will ensure we have an ample amino acid pool throughout the night. Toss in some health fats (natural peanut butter, fish, flax, olive oil) and 5-10 grams of fiber, and you have an ideal pre-bed meal. Here are some examples:

½ cup nonfat cottage
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 tablespoon flax oil
2 teaspoons soluble fiber

½ cup nonfat cottage cheese
1 scoop whey protein
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
7 fish oil capsules

What to Avoid Before Bed

1. Alcohol
Consuming alcohol prior to heading to bed will actually impair your ability to enter Sleep Stages 3 and 4, which are the most crucial to ensuring quality sleep. Therefore, alcohol, while seemingly a sleep inducer, should be avoided.

2. Caffeine and similar stimulants
Many of you reading this article may drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages to give you that mid-afternoon boost. Since the caffeine in such products is a powerful enough stimulant to impair sleep quality, these items should be avoided 4-5 hours prior to going to bed.

3. Nicotine
Smoking…can you believe this is even still an issue? Forget about how it negatively affects sleep, in this day and age, it boggles me when I see people smoking. As we all know, cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a stimulant, and as with caffeine, should be avoided prior to heading off to bed.

4. Certain medications
Certain medications produce side effects that may disturb your sleep, so check your prescriptions with your doctor or pharmacist.

5. Exercise
While we all know the benefits of exercise, researchers have shown exercising too close to your bedtime will inhibit your ability to fall asleep. It is suggested not to exercise 4-5 hours prior to going to bed.

Supplements for Sleep

The following is a list of supplements that could potential aid in the sleep process.

Name & Recommended Dosages:

Melatonin, 0.5-3 mg
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), 40-100mg
Valerian Root, 600mg
ZMA, see the manufactures’ suggested dosage
Multi-vitamin/mineral tablet, see the manufactures’ suggested dosage
Magnesium, 200-400mg
Final Guidelines for Obtaining a Better Night’s Sleep

You should, of course, follow all the tips given above. But here are some general tips you should keep in mind.

Reduce Stress
Stress is obviously a major factor in sleep quality. You can’t expect quality sleep if you’ve fired up, nervous, anxious, or worried about what tomorrow will bring. While eliminating stress entirely is impossible, you should strive to quiet your mind in the pre-bedtime period in order to get the best sleep possible. So take some time to relax and unwind before thinking about going to bed (this is where the bedtime ritual should come in handy).

Get Regular Exercise
Since most of the readers of this article are well aware of the importance of exercise, this one should already be checked off. But if you’re still a holdout, you should know that exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress and it has been shown to actually improve one’s sleep quality. Just another reason to exercise!

Keep Mentally Stimulated During the Day
This can be a tough one, especially if you sit behind a desk all day or if you’re currently taking classes where the professor reminds you of that guy from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. As challenging as it sounds, try to stay mentally focused and try to stay on task without post-lunch lulls.

Well, there you go. In Part I and Part II, I’ve given you all you need to get the quality sleep necessary for optimal health and body composition. Now, shouldn’t you be getting ready for bed?

--

Greg D. Hovey is currently finishing his undergraduate degrees in Exercise Science and Business Management and working as a student assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Texas Tech Red Raider Men’s Basketball Program and Texas Tech Sports Nutrition Department. Greg is also certified as a strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. You can contact him directly at hoveyg@rocky.edu.

References:

Berardi, John, M. Bedtime Story
www.johnberarid.com/articles/nutrition/bedtime_pr.htm

BJC HealthCare-Sleep Guidelines
www.bic.org/bjc/bjcwell.nsf

Burke, Edmund, R. Optimal Muscle Performance and Recovery
Penguin Putnam, Inc. 2003.

Hatfield, Frederick, C. Fitness: The Complete Guide
The International Sports Sciences Association, 1992.

King, Ian, J. Get Buffed
King Sports Publishing, 2000.

King, Ian, J. Get Buffed II
King Sports Publishing, 2002.

Mass, James, B. Power Sleep
First Harper Perennial, 1999.

McDougal, Marc. Mechanical Advantage
www.johnberardi.com/updates/apr112003/na_mechadv_pr.htm

Sleep Guidelines
www.dietitian.or.jp/english/jp_health_nutrition/sleep_guidelines.html

Sleep Hygiene: Basic Guidelines
www.queendom.com/articles/mentalhealth/sleepguide.html


Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

7 Weight Loss Transformation Secrets

7 Weight Loss Transformation Secrets

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Millions of men and women want to lose weight because they are sick of their
excess body fat and low energy levels. If that sounds like you, then you
need to join the Turbulence Training weight loss transformation contest.

There's already been some powerful, emotional stories told in fitness
magazines, and folks from all over the world are helping one another to
finally change their bodies. Your weight loss transformation is going to be
an amazing 12 weeks. So I thought this would be the best time to give you my
Top 7 Transformation Tips to help you lose more weight in the next 12 weeks.

Here are my Top 7 Transformation Secrets that you can use to burn fat from
all over your body with Turbulence Training.

Tip #1) Clean out the pantry

One of the biggest pitfalls in a weight loss program is added sugar and
mindless snacking (especially between getting home from work and dinner).

Get rid of the junk. Toss it. Better the garbage can eats it than you do.

Tip #2) Stop doing slow boring cardio

Increase the intensity of your workouts and switch to interval training. And
yes, even beginners can do interval training when using the metabolism-
boosting short, burst workout system.

Tip # 3) Use professionally designed, structured workouts such as my
Turbulence Training Workouts that have been featured in Men's Health magazine

You should be in and out of your short, burst workouts in less than 45
minutes, three times per week. On the other 4 days of the week, stay active,
getting at least a 30-minute walk in each day.

Tip #4) Set up home gym with ball, bench, and adjustable dumbells

That's all you need. If you are feeling frisky, you can add a pull-up bar to
your home gym.

But to change your body, you only need a little bit of equipment at home.
You don't need an expensive gym membership or one of those colossal home
gyms, or even a pricey bowflex.

Your body doesn't discriminate on price. It simply responds to the
turbulence training you put on your body, and you can do that on the cheap.

Tip #5) Use short, burst Bodyweight Circuits at home instead of using cardio
machines.

Choose 3 lower body exercises and 3 upper body exercises. Alternate between
upper and lower body bodyweight exercises. Watch my youtube video on circuit
training for more details.

Tip #6) Plan, shop, and prepare your food

Finding the right nutrition program is CRITICAL to success, and so is
planning. You can't out-train a bad diet, but you can out-plan bad habits.
So invest 2 hours on the weekend to prepare as many of your fat burning
meals as possible for the week ahead.

Tip #7) Get Social Support

This is the most important Weight Loss Secret that no one pays attention to.

But the bottom line is...you can't do this on your own.

You need support from others to stick to your workouts, to make the right
diet choices day-in and day-out and to have someone prop you up when you are
feeling down and also to "call you out" when you are feeling like cutting
corners.

Get social support on your side today with help from Turbulence Training.

Put these 7 Secrets to use today and you can lose 14-30 pounds in 12 weeks
just like our past Transformation Contest Winners. And please refer your
friends to the contest. You'll be supporting them and helping them change
their bodies & their lives.

I can't wait to hear about your results in the Turbulence Training
transformation contest.



About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

Sleep: The Missing component Pt.1

By Greg D. Hovey

Recovery, and in turn, progress in the gym, is for the most part dependent upon three things: one, the proper design and execution of the training program; two, adequate nutrition, covering all the macronutrient and micronutrient bases and taking advantage of nutrient timing technology; three, adequate rest, and specifically adequate sleep.

While all are important, and while other factors do play a part, it’s my opinion that sleep is the most overlooked component of this training scheme. In beginners, all three components are found lacking; in intermediate trainees, two of the three usually need work. In advanced trainees, you will generally find one of the three needing attention, and most often it is the latter: rest and sleep.

Take college athletics, for example. Most programs offer a one to five coach/player ratio and mandatory practices, so training is covered. And with more and more universities offering a dining facility specially designed to cater to college athletes and with free supplements readily available, nutrition is getting more attention. While perhaps not optimal, at the elite levels training and nutrition are generally adequate.

So, that leaves one last area. And in a world of classes, practices, team meetings, study halls, weight training sessions, etc., what’s the first thing to get sacrificed? That’s right, sleep.

But of course, you’re getting enough sleep, aren’t you? Well, let’s find out. Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I need an alarm clock to wake up on time?
Do my eyelids feel heavy during afternoon classes or meetings?
Do I use caffeine as a “pick me up”?
Do I sleep extra hours on the weekend?
Do I fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow?

If you answered, “yes” to any of the above questions, you probably need to improve the quality and/or quantity of your sleep.

Still not convinced? Then do me a favor. Next time you’re in your favorite bookstore, look to see how many books are written on the subjects of training and nutrition. A bunch. In fact, there are entire shelves dedicated to the topics. Now, look to see how many books are written on the subject of sleep. One, maybe two, but they usually focus on insomnia. As a result, my goal with this article is to inform and help educate you on how to improve the quality of sleep your currently getting.

Statistics tell us we will spend over one-third of our lives sleeping. In addition, statistics have shown a lack of sleep to be a contributing factor to work-related accidents, traffic accidents, and a decrease in overall productivity. So stop yawning and keep reading…

Why We Need Quality Sleep

Growth and Restoration:

the secretion of growth hormone reaches its peak in deep sleep
blood supply to the muscles increases
metabolic activity is at its lowest, which is optimal for tissue repair
Improves Immune Function:

sleep deprivation makes you more acceptable to colds and infections
(have you ever noticed that you always seem to get sick around finals, when you are probably sleeping less?)
Memory Storage and Retention

it is during REM sleep that the growth phase of specialized neural connections to physically memories takes place in the brain
if your sleep is disturbed, than you are less likely to preserve newly obtained knowledge in your long-term memory
The Stages of Sleep

Stage 1: This is the initial stage of sleep, which consists of drowsiness, muscle relaxation, and shallow respiration. This stage can last from 10 seconds to ten minutes.

Stage 2: This is the stage where your heart rate slows and your body temperature decreases. It is a period of light sleep that usually lasts ten to twenty minutes. In this second stage, your body prepares to enter into deep sleep.

Stages 3 & 4: These two stages are deep sleep stages, with stage 4 being more intense than stage 3. In addition, these stages are known as “slow-wave sleep”.

REM Sleep: REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement, which is a phase of sleep when dreaming occurs. In this stage, the brain becomes more active and the heart rate increases. In addition, this phase of sleep can be divided into four subcategories: Period 1, usually lasts ten minutes; Periods 2-4, can last from ninety minutes to two hours.

Creating an Optimal Sleeping Atmosphere

Light Level
You want to create an environment that is void of light. Hall lights, door lights, night-lights and any other sources of ambient light can be detrimental to achieving Sleep Stages 3 and 4. In addition, you don’t want natural light interfering or awakening you from deep sleep prior to when your body will naturally wake. The solution? Use eyeshades, hang dark curtains, or completely blacken out your windows using tin foil (I used this one when I was in the Marine Corps working shift-work).

Noise Level
Ideally, you want your bedroom to be perfectly silent (this includes the ticking of your alarm clock). But if you’re one of those people who finds silence to be “too quiet,” the low humming of a fan or some soft classical music playing in the background might do the trick.

So what if I have a noisy roommate or neighbor? Well, here are some options: one, establish periods of “quiet hours” ; two, buy them a set of headphones; three, use earplugs; four, look for a new roommate or neighbors; five, take a bat to their stereo and TV (just kidding about five). Seriously, first try to find a roommate who prioritizes sleep, buy them a set of headphones, establish sleeping hours, and get some earplugs.

Here’s another tip: At night, turn down the ringer on your phone/cell phone or turn the phone complete off. You don’t want some late night caller disrupting your dreams.

Temperature
Before I did this research, I assumed you should keep your room temp around 72 degrees. I was wrong! Researches have concluded that a temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for inducing and promoting deep sleep. So turn down those thermostats and break out those down comforters.

Humidity
Now, this one can be a little more difficult to control, especially if you live in the southern states or along the coastal regions. With that said, it is recommended to shoot for a 60-70% humidity level within your bedroom. Now, for those of us who live in drier climates, you might want to consider using a humidifier or periodically boiling water to add moisture to the air.

The Pillow
The bottom line here is comfort! But, a good pillow should also provide support, alignment, and fit the unique contours of your head, neck, and sleeping position(s). It is recommended that you choose a natural-fill pillow, such as a down or feather pillow. By choosing this type of pillow, it will allow you to adjust the pillow to eliminate pressure points and match the shape of your head and face.

The Mattress
Again, look for comfort first, but also consider the age of the mattress. If your mattress dates back to when President Reagan was in office or it hasn’t been flipped since you first bought it, you might want to consider making an upgrade. So how do you pick a mattress? The same way you would pick a car. First, take the mattress for a test drive. Try it out. Lie down on it; toss and turn; check for softness or firmness, whichever you prefer. Find one that matches your needs and go with it. Spend as much as you can afford.

Sheets
Choose sheets with a relaxing color scheme, such as green, blue or earth tones. When it comes to fabrics, consider it an investment and purchase linen sheets. Yes, they are more expensive, but a good pair of linen sheets can last you up to twenty years. For those of you not willing to spend the money on linen sheets, cotton is the next best alternative.

Lastly, ensure your sheets are clean. Now, this may seem a bit simplistic, but I assure you, that you will sleep better on clean sheets (this may mean washing your sheets every three days or rotating them out with a fresh pair). Try it, and see if you don’t feel a difference.

Pajamas
We all have favorite lounge-around clothes: that robe you stole from the Palms Hotel; that old pair of sweats with no elasticity in the waistband; your old high school football T-shirt, the one you never washed during the whole two weeks of two-a-days. Why do we cling to those old, sometimes disgusting items? Because they make us feel comfortable. And that’s exactly what you should be looking for when selecting clothes to wear to bed.

Select clothes that are comfortable, loose fitting, soft, and breathable. But for God’s sake, wash them every now and again.

Security
This may seem pretty straight forward, but shouldn’t go overlooked. Ensure you have fresh batteries in your smoke alarm and that your doors and windows are securely locked prior to hitting the sack.

Alarm Clocks
You should try to eliminate the use of alarm clocks. However, if your one of those people who can’t seem to wake up on time without one, follow these guidelines:

1. Place the clock where it can’t be seen, thereby eliminating the urge to wake up periodically to check to see what time it is.

2. Place it far enough away from you that you have to physically get out of bed to turn it off. This will increase the probability that you will actually get up and decrease the likelihood of you turning off the alarm and going back to sleep or hitting the snooze button.

3. If you must have an analog clock, select one that does not tick too loudly. You don’t want the ticking of your clock keeping you awake.

4. If the clock is digital, hide the illumination, so the glow does not disturb your sleep.

That’s it for this installment. So far I've given you enough to make significant improvements in the quality of your rest. Put them to use right away, and check back next week for Part II, where I’ll cover the four elements of quality sleep, and give a list of tips and supplements that you may want to employ to get more quality rest.

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Greg D. Hovey is currently finishing his undergraduate degrees in Exercise Science and Business Management and working as a student assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Texas Tech Red Raider Men’s Basketball Program and Texas Tech Sports Nutrition Department. Greg is also certified as a strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. You can contact him directly at hoveyg@rocky.edu.


Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

Work hard, play hard, TRAIN HARDER!

Just hit this work out and I am drenched after being in my hot garage LOVE IT!

1-Mobility Warm-Up

2a) Fly machine maxed out weight (wanted to mix it up on my chest) 8-10 reps
2b) Decline Push ups 12 REPS
2c) Calf Raise
rest 60 secs
5 sets

3a) 20kg KB clean n press 8 reps each side
3b) Bent over BB rows 185 12 reps
switching between under and over hand
5 sets
rest 60 secs

Finished with some BB curls and threw in a couple negatives then 12 kg KB curls and some more calf raises

Now its your turn to go hit it!

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com

"Work hard, Play hard...
TRAIN HARDER!"

Why?

The other day I received an e-mail in my inbox from a colleague of mine Jim Libadie. In his newsletter he talked about having a big enough "Why." This was by far one of the best e-mails I have read not only because it made your really think about what you really want, the why of what you want but it challenged you. In his e-mail he brought up how people are always talking about self-sabotage, fear of failure and fear of success. Why do people talk about these things? Just like stated above its fear. Fear is the autobahn to the capital of nowhere.(thank you Tony Robbins for that) When you let fear keep you from being the best you can, you lose and you are losing to yourself. That to me is worse than losing to anyone one else because we have total control over it.

The second thing that comes into play is rationalization. Wikipedia explain rationalization as this.
"In psychology and logic, rationalization is the process of constructing a logical justification for a belief, decision, action or lack thereof that was originally arrived at through a different mental process. It is a defense mechanism in which unacceptable behaviors or feelings are explained in a rational or logical manner; this avoids the true explanation of the behavior or feeling in question."

So what does that mean? Basically plays into the fear factor that you will make up some justification to not do something based on fear of facing either tasks, feelings, or anything that you make up a story to not do something. This plays into health and fitness on a daily occurrence at a large scale. If you read my blog the other day about excuses...Yup you got it right that is rationalization. And excuses are the number one thing keeping you from where you are now to those 15 lbs you want to lose, that dress you want to see yourself in, those pants you used to wear. Where do excuses come from? Fear, and fear leads to rationalization and that leads to excuses and again your back in Nowhere villa and soon you will become mayor if you are not careful.

So I want to challenge you to challenge yourself just as Jim did with me. What is your reason "Why"? Why do you want to feel better, why do you want to lose those 15lbs, why do you want to look better for that special someone. You can even take it further and I advice you to as of why do you want a better job, why do you want to do whatever it may be. Once you find out and bring it into the open then take action on it. Do not lose to yourself because of fear and whatever justification you can come up with to not do it. Once you do this you will see how you can do anything you want with passion, love and relentless drive.

Please feel free to share your why in a comment after doing this, because it will make your drive to succeed greater than you ever.

Dedicated to your success,
Matt Holmes
www.BodySynergyTraining.com