Fitness Facts — Health & Lifestyle

So, you want to work for Gaspari? Maybe you don't.... Not a day goes by that doesn't include at least one person inquiring about working for my company. However, once they get an idea of the hard work and discipline I expect from my employees and athlete reps, many of those inquiries disappear. Somehow, there's an idea circulating in our industry that a sponsored athlete is entitled to free money that doesn't require much in the way of hard work to get.  That may be true for some companies, but not mine. Work ethic is the number one most important...

Even though more people lose than win, success stories seem to be a dime a dozen. No one really talks about losing, and no one really talks about getting back up, but we should. But, before we do, I think we should actually define winning. In a foot race, that's a petty easy thing to do, but in life and in business it's not so cut and dry. Measuring success is, too many times, measured in dollars. Well, I'm here to tell you that's not the case. Vision, passion and drive will bring you success in business. If you can...

A sports dietician would probably say that nutrition for athletes would seek the same ultimate goal as general nutrition – insofar as that ultimate goal being, of course, good overall health. However, within the confines of good overall health an athlete is able to train hard. Hard training athletes expose themselves to nutritional needs that non-athletes don't usually face. So, in constructing an athlete's meal plan, not only must the tenets of good health be followed, but an athlete's diet should also consist of specific nutrient densities that satisfy the unique requirements generated by the sports they pursue. So, to...

The term “snake oil” has long been associated with any dietary supplement that made health claims, usually devoid of proven supplement facts, of their product. The concept goes back to the pioneer days, when a traveling salesman hawked an anti-inflammatory, made from a proprietary blend that contained actual Chinese water snakes. Based on today's supplement facts, the stuff worked. High in omega-3 fatty acids from the snakes, daily supplements made from the snake oil actually reduced inflammation and eased the symptoms associated with arthritis. It wasn't long until an enterprising pitchman decided to make his own snake oil and travel...

“Work ethic” seems to a be a perception difficult to share. One man's version of hard work could seem like a vacation to another - the “your workout is my warm-up” philosophy. It's a pretty common belief that, if you come from a family of immigrants, you have been instilled with a pretty powerful work ethic. It's pretty hard to argue with that. Anyone who has traveled to America since the turn of the century (the 20th) perusing a dream only realized that dream by working hard. Those born with the proverbial “silver spoon” in their mouths are routinely accused...

“If you stay ready you don't have to get ready” - Suga Free People always ask me how l get so lean? My answer is simple, l stay lean. If I stay lean I don' t have to get lean. Right? I mean, that's pretty simple. Ah, but is it? A casual stroll through the domestic terminal of your basic international airport, in any city (my de facto example of the most diverse cross section of America), and you will find an extraordinary number of people who don't pay attention to Suga Free, cuz, they ain't ready. Well, maybe for...

For some reason, many bodybuilders believe they have to turn themselves into a giant pumpkin during the off season in order to build any muscle. They believe, “you can't grow muscle when you're dieting.” Oh my God..... To find a greater pile of bullshit than that you'd have to visit a cattle ranch. That is such utter nonsense. It's true that you could not eat enough on a diet and not gain muscle, but it's not necessary to gain fat in order to gain muscle. All my clients gain muscle leading up to a bodybuilding show while losing body fat....

Pondering whether or not a 30-minute workout is enough to build muscle is a bit like wondering if 30-minutes is enough to cook a meal. Sure, it could be. Depending on who you are. It could also be a disaster. Clearly, it's what you do with those 30-minutes that may or may not trigger muscle growth. Whether it be a good circuit workout, “popsugar” workouts, or whatever 30-minute fitness thing you can come up with, the reality is, that it's largely irrelevant. What is relevant – the only thing that's relevant. - is exercise intensity. And I'll tell you why.......

Many a hard training athlete has taken part in the debate, either for or against, as to whether or not the naked egg can stand up against a slab of beef steak, as far as protein sources go, or do the egg macros in that plate of scrambled eggs fall short? It's an age old question really. Athletes are hell bent on finding the best protein sources and the comparison is inevitable. And, that's just as far as food goes. When it comes to supplemental protein, egg macros are always held in high regard – even higher than whey in...

Protein supplements are becoming popular among athletes as a way to boost the efficiency of their workouts and to help build muscle mass. People trying to shed body fat also use protein supplements. However, with so many different protein supplements available on the market these days, which one(s) to choose can be a mind-boggling experience.…

Dan Palacios of Kinetic Training in Davie, Florida takes Team Gaspari members Alex, Aliona, Melissa and Alex through a training regiment designed for military personnel and policemen to improve their tactical skills. This outdoor workout works all muscles in the body for complete physical conditioning!

Rich Gaspari takes Jose and Alex through an old school chest and back superset workout, just like the sets he used to do to prepare for the Olympia and the Arnold Classic.