Generation Athlete

05/25/2018

Top 4 Tips For The Toned Summer Body

With summer just around the corner I'm sure many of you are on the chase for the lean, tone, attractive physique to show off at the beach/lake. So I put together the best top 4 tips to help guide you on your path for the optimum summer body! Let's get one thing out the way real quick before these tips though; Your nutrition is what's going to ultimately dictate how you look!! It doesn't matter how much cardio you put in or how long you train, if you don't have respect for what you put into your mouth or find yourself frequently indulging in alcohol then you can pretty much consider these tips useless because no amount of hard work will make up for a bad diet.

Tip 1: Prioritize Recovery

Recovery is everything you do outside of the gym, not just sleep! Proper nutrition, supplementing appropriately, hydration, getting at least 8 hours of sleep is what you need to be putting in priority over all the other counter productive stuff. Overtraining is a very real thing and it's even worse than not training at all! Obviously for the people using steroids, they don't have to worry about getting this process right because of the recovery rate those drugs induce. As for the rest of us that choose to go the natural safer way, you better have respect for recovery.

Tip 2: Choose Free Weights, Don't use Machines as a Crutch

I'm not saying that machines like the smith machine, hamstring curl machine or leg press are useless. As a matter of fact I would program some of these machines under very special circumstances only if a client has a major strength imbalance but 9 times out of 10 they're not necessary. The problem with utilizing these machines over free weights is they completely take away the 3-D stability challenge for your core as well as not allowing the rest of your muscle groups work together how they are meant to work! Which leads into the next tip...

Tip 3: Don't Neglect The Compound Lifts

Compound lifts involve more than one muscle group working together; Deadlifts, Squats, Bent over rows, barbell clean and press are all examples. More muscle groups working together means more calories burned, a higher metabolism means faster rate of fat loss which means better muscle visibility/tone and including abs! These lifts indirectly also challenge your core which is what your going to need in combination with your direct ab training if you really want them to stand out.

Tip 4: Abs Are Only 1/3 of Your Core

There's a lot more to train on your core other than your abdominals. You have your obliques which are the pair of muscles on the side of your abs that are responsible for rotation movements extending diagonal from your ribs to your pelvis and you have your transverse abdominals which is where you might call "love handles". I'm telling you this because you need to train your damn obliques! Don't limit your direct core training to just top down or bottom up movements, throw in some rotational exercises such as corkscrews, opposite elbow to knee tuck planks etc. to top this final tip off, don't expect direct core training to make your abs stand out. As I said earlier, throw in some compound lifts in your training that indirectly fires up your core such as Front Squats, dumbell bench press for examples.

05/08/2018

💪🏻SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!💪🏻
My personal training/coaching services, training programs and meal plans are now 100% available online! Powered by the Trainerize app; you can simply go on your smartphone and have your daily training plan and meal plan prepared for you whenever and wherever you may be. No gym membership required, no need to switch gyms or go through the hassle of adjusting your schedule around to meet with me, train on your own time!
From this app, I will also be able to track your progress and stats and you will have 24/7 access to contact me via IM or even video chat ensuring to keep you motivated as well as to answer any training and nutrition questions on your plan. You can also connect your FitBit and MyFitnessPal to the account for me to track!
A training plan must have three traits to be effective: It must be sustainable, it must have a purpose and above all it must work. I truly honestly believe you will see that my online training and programs carry all three of those traits. Click on the banner below to find out more or request to sign up! Also I would most certainly appreciate if you share this post to whoever is interested in an effective plan that will transform and change their life. Thank you!
HTTPS://www.trainerize.me/profile/generationathlete1/Jacob.Bordelon

I am a certified personal trainer through the National Council on Strength & Fitness and currently studying for Sports Nutrition Certification as well. I was in power lifting in high school as well as football for several years from High School through my time in the Marine Corps. as well. My traini...

05/02/2018

IMPROVE YOUR SQUAT ALMOST INSTANTLY!
The front squat is one of the very best exercises to improve your squat form. We also know that it comes with many other benefits since it's a compound lift; such as boosting your metabolism, speeding up muscle growth and definition, burning off fat at a higher rate while building muscle and even overloading your abs indirectly, bonus for those of you who want chiseled abs!

But here's a problem, plenty of people struggle with hitting a plateau on this lift. The most common issue is not that you hit a plateau, but somewhere within the lift we are generally weaker and typically that would be keeping extension in the thoracic spine at the bottom of the front squat and rounding your back instead. So what happens is as that portion of the squat gets undermined and neglected, those muscles get weaker until you do something about it.

Good news is we can fix that, and you'll practically see improvement instantly! Plate raise squats will force your thoracic spine to keep extended at the bottom of the squat. Using just a fairly light plate it's best to do just 3 sets of 10 reps of this exercise right before performing your front squats. This is to groove that habit right where you would typically struggle in the front squat, thus improving your overall form, and that's where you'll see the gains continue. NOTE: if you lack the flexibility to raise a plate above your head then by all means, ditch the plate and just raise your arms up as far as you can while squatting.

This is just a fragment of the many ideas I have been putting together on my plateau destroyer program. If you would like to know more about any of my training programs or address to me what you're struggling with in training or nutrition, feel free! My current rates are now $60 every two weeks or $120 per month!

12/20/2017

CHEAT MEALS FOR LIFE!
Just do this for me real quick y'all; define what a cheat meal is. If you say something like spaghetti, dirty rice, steak & potatoes, cinnamon toast, pork chops, pancakes or waffles, then your going to wanna keep reading. As a matter of fact all those foods are actually on my meal plans!

For a little while now, I've been planning out my custom meal plans for everyone. However, I don't think a simple meal plan would do justice for you in the future. The more I've been asked about cheat days and cheat meals the more I realize that it's not a matter of struggling to eat "clean", but it's a matter of being uneducated or misinformed about nutrition in general. Which is why I'm creating more of a "road map" to help you become educated and choosing the right kinds of foods.

You might be thinking "how the hell is spaghetti healthy Jacob?" Well like I said, it's a matter of you choosing the RIGHT kinds of foods! Choosing 90-95% lean ground meat or deer meat over your 75% lean ground meat will give you the high quality protein you need minus the extra dense saturated fat that comes with it. Adding in bell peppers, chili peppers and onions of course will give it flavors but they are also a natural thermogenic! Choosing whole grain noodles over the regular noodles will give your body the proper amount of fiber and complex carbs to recover your ATP and glycogen levels after intense training. Where as the regular noodles have been depleted to almost no nutritional value at all.
(Btw, glycogen is still far superior over ketones when high intensity is required in your training to make changes. Something the Keto experts fail to mention.)

I hope this gives you a little insight on proper nutrition and how to go about choosing the right quality calories. The meal plan and 6 pack abs road map should be available early 2018. Mean while if you are looking for a change, I have 8+ training programs you can choose from to help you get on the right track before the New Years. Just send me a message and we can get to work wherever you may be in Cenla.

12/09/2017

YOU CAN'T HAVE ABS... AND YOU NEVER WILL!
Yep, I said it. Before you get your feelings hurt, click on the video and hear why. Leave a like if you're not looking for myths and send a message to get the best nutrition help or best training program for you.

12/09/2017

Great workout today with a good friend of mine Natalie O'Shee hitting back and biceps. Combining both heavy exercises with light exercises and isometric hold. Working on type 1 and 2 muscle fibers plus the added bonus of strength endurance! I can honestly say Natalie has impressed me with her hard work and mental fortitude. She's already among the few, instead of settling for excuses and looking for ways to hesitate, she took the bull by the horns and got it done.

11/29/2017

My group bodyweight program is still up for the beginning of January. I have up to 8 different training programs and counting including a 6 week arms program "Call to Arms", 6 week core program "ABSolute" a few 3 month program for adding lean muscle size or shredding and even a program inspired by Hugh Jackman's training for his role as the Wolverine. All are 100% scalable to meet you at your level! Send me a message and let's make some changes.

11/14/2017

KETO DIET "IT'S THE WAY TO GO!"
Man if you only knew how many times I've been asked about this diet. I'm not here to knock on any diet or training because the truth is there is no ONE and ONLY answer for everyone! However I do notice a lot of people that have been on the Keto diet swear up and down that it works wonders, just like people on fasting diets swear up and down that it's the only way to go. I'll tell you my input; I don't do diets! And yes, I'm using a photo of myself to at least show that I know what I'm talking about here.

For those of you who don't know what the Keto diet is, it's basically about 20% of your daily calories from protein, about 5% from carbs or close to 0% and the majority of calories from your healthy fats. A very low carb diet avoiding all your complex starchy carbs and limited to maybe just vegetables. The reason behind this is you're basically getting the same benefits of loosing weight from starvation WITHOUT feeling hungry and your body is converting the fat nutrients to energy.
In my opinion, if you're someone who doesn't get involved in a lot of intense training or has a minimal to moderately active lifestyle, then I think this could very well be your savior to loosing weight! Notice I said loosing weight though. Because loosing weight and loosing fat are two different things people.

You have to understand that when you are on these low carb diets you are depleting your body from glycogen, and with glycogen comes water. Glycogen and water are very heavy in your body so it's not uncommon at all for people seeing 10-15 pounds lost in a few weeks on this diet. But if you're someone who is about 28% body fat or higher, then literally ANYTHING will work for you! Whether it's a change in your eating habits or training regardless of what "diet" you are on.

As I said before, I'm not here to knock on any diet or training. My brand is all about making lifestyle changes, there's a reason why I hate the word diet. Forget about 5 weeks, we are looking way beyond that! Try the next 5 years... I said it a million times, but I would never give you advice that I feel isn't sustainable for a lifetime. These diets are always going to come and go as trends like the daisy duke shorts in the 70's but there's a way to have the athletic body and keep your 6 pack abs all year around, and it's not as
difficult as following the newest diet trend.

If you are someone who's been on the Keto diet for a lot longer than 5 weeks and it's still working for you then that's awesome and I think you should stick to what works for you! I will give a warning though; If you take part in any of my training or programs while on a low card diet, you're going to have a very rough time due to the lack of glycogen that's needed for the intensity level required. There have been studies shown that individuals on the Keto diet have improved aerobic performance but as far as anaerobic training and circuits combining strength training with aerobic, intensity suffers by a lot.

11/07/2017

Being a personal trainer and a horror movie fan, I had to come up with a SAW themed challenge. Except the stakes here aren't life or death (at least not in a literal sense). I give you The Jigsaw Challenge. So with that being said... I wanna play a game.
You have 3 circuits you must complete, each circuit only having one rule. Should you fail to comply with the rules... there will be painful consequences. Each time you break a rule you will have earned a round in the "punishment" circuit that you must complete in one lump sum after the last circuit:
30 seconds side kick throughs
10 fingertip push-ups

1st circuit:
10 creeper pull ups
25 bat crunches
20 suspended one down two ups
Rule: Do not touch the ground or any platform

2nd circuit:
20 tornado push-ups
20 Hannibal push-ups
20 power plank ups
Rule: Your knees must not touch the ground

3rd circuit: using a barbell with your 10RM for curls-
20 front squats
10 overhead press thrusters
20 bent over rows
10 barbell curls
Rule: You must not put the bar down until you have completed the circuit.
Your score is determined by how many punishment rounds you've accumulated. There will be sweat, live or die.