The Break is over

The holidays are over and training hard is back in full swing. Today I hit a pretty good chest workout: ( real quick, I really like push/pull workouts so I will usually couple my chest days with a pulling movement, so today I did a lot of supersets with strict palm facing away, pull ups)

Warm up your bench press and find a weight at, or close to a 10 rep max, (that was 225lbs for me).

Complete 10 reps at that weight

Rest 2 minutes and drop the weight by 8%-10%
Complete 10 reps at that weight ( I did 205lbs)

Rest 2 minutes and drop it again by about the same percentage
Complete 10 more reps ( I did 185lbs)

Rest 2 minutes

Then complete 1 max effort set at a light weight, and do as many reps as possible. ( I did 135lbs, and got 16 reps)

Rest 2 minutes

3 sets of chest fly’s (reps- 15-12-10)
Superset the fly’s with pull ups (reps- 12-10-8)

Rest 2 minutes

Incline bench press 3 sets of 8 reps with a 1 second pause at the bottom ( I did this at 135lbs)
Superset these with 6 pull ups between each set

Rest 2 minutes

3 sets of 10 dips
And I also superset these with 6 pull ups

I completed this in about 40 minutes, it is a great workout and does not eat up too much of your day.

Holiday Break Grind

If you have decided to keep training though the holiday’s and need a good gym workout you can sneak in give this one a try:

10 Minutes of Cardio

Rest 2 minutes10 Bench Press

5 Rounds:

10 Bench Press

:30 second Plank

40 Step back lunges

Rest 2 minutes

5 Rounds:

12 shoulder press

15 sit ups

20 air squats

Rest 2 minutes

5 Rounds:

10 Dumbbell curls

5 Pull ups

10 Dips

Don’t get motivated

Here is a little dose of some motivation after Monday.

I was just reading an article about how some people that lack the motivation to stick with a workout routine for an extended period of time. I seem to cringe when I hear the word motivation, because to me exercise is not about motivation. Do you get motivated to brush your teeth, or take a shower, I know I sure don’t. You have to change your perception of what working out is. I say it all the time that, “ it is just like brushing my teeth.” I am sure I heard that somewhere and it is not a original thought but it is also the best explanation I have. I brush my teeth to ward off things that could happen to my teeth in the future and exercise is no different. I work out to ward off all the possible health problems I could have in the future (and because I am a little vain, admittedly). I rarely have the motivation to work out in the traditional sense, I know once I get moving, or once it is over I will have a better outlook on the day and that I am doing something to help myself in the future.

I think everybody needs to quit using that stupid word “motivation” because most of us are rarely motivated, but its discipline that helps us change our clothes and start moving. Plan your workouts out, whether that’s for the week, the month, or just a day at a time and get going, having a plan and writing it down will definitely help. Make sure you know when you are going to workout during the day and don’t let yourself talk you out of it, and at some point it won’t be a chore but a necessity instead.

Time Off

Don’t be afraid to take time off from the gym. This year I will be taking some time off between the holidays. Some people say that discipline and dedication don’t have breaks, and I say that’s bullshit. I love to train, but finding extra time to spend with family, let the body rest, and have fun doing other things is important, you can still practice discipline in other areas of your life. Have fun and be safe

The Doing

“Just do it” – some shoe company

A little note to myself but thought I’d put it out there in case anyone else is a functioning yet semi-pro head case like me.

Luck, talent, ability, genetics, golden spoon… yeah some folks get ahead start. Many squander it, myself included, at times. I often find myself searching for the value, the lesson, the moral of most if not all situations and interactions. Then it hits me… who the f*ck cares. The doing is what matters, not the thought. My old man always used to ask me “wish in one hand and shit in the other.. which one get fullest fastest?” Not as eloquent as Teddy Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” speech but the sentiment is there.

It’s the doing, the going, the ACTION that will impact and change you and those around you. Whether it’s for business, family, fitness, whatever, no one remembers your intent but they surely remember actions. Be rememberable.

You won’t succeed all the time, hell maybe not even half the time but the lessons that come from the doing, that’s where value and purpose come together.

The late, great Tom Petty once said “…baby, even the losers get lucky some times.”

So go and DO!

Workout for Christmas

Here is another 30-40 minute workout you can do if you want to get a great workout. Great gains and don’t have all day to spend I the gym.

20 minutes of hard cardio, personally I like to get my heart rate to between 150-160, and keep it there for the entirety of the 20 minutes of cardio. Today I did the stair climber for my cardio piece.

Right in to:

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Reps of:

Strict Overhead Press ( I used 95lbs)

Strict Toes to Bar

Hack Squat or Front Squat ( I am dealing with a bit of a back issue so unable to front squat right at the moment, but the hack squat is a great alternative.

Forcing yourself

This will be quick, just a small thought I had.
Forcing yourself to do things is unnatural, and that makes it tough to do. Forcing yourself to workout, get out of bed before you are ready, or go to an uninspiring job is tough for all of us. Some of us see a light at the end of the tunnel, whether that is retirement, wealth, family etc.. We all do the things necessary to keep ourselves and our families alive and happy. If you are like me I always wish I could do more. More money for vacations and family interests, more time off to spend with the people I love the most, a better and more fulfilling job.

So lately I am trying to force myself to see the good things when I am stuck in a rut. I work close to home, and some people have to commute. My time off is pretty good compared to many people, I love to work out and enjoy physical things even if I am not a professional athlete. Striving for better things is important, we all can grow. I believe that we can grow in other ways as well though. Satisfaction is never going to be perfect but allowing yourself to be satisfied with parts of your life at different times and focusing on those things can allow us to appreciate life in the moment now, not just what we want in our future.

So, my point is, force yourself to be okay and appreciate the things you do have and that are going right, even if you are striving for something better. This is all very cliché, but I find myself thinking about it, and if I am so are other people I am sure.

Full Body Burner

Quick, full body workout today. If you are like me and are pressed for time some days you can still get a great workout. Personally I really like 10 rounds of 2 to 3 exercises. Today, I did 2 burners back to back and accomplished it in about 35 minutes, here it is:

10 Sets
5 Incline Bench Press
6 Strict pull ups
21 Lunges

2 minute rest

10 Rounds, every minute on the minute
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 air squats

Tough Arm Workout

Here is a great arm workout I do versions of at home. All you need is a light pair of dumbbells and about 30 minutes. I either use 15lbs dumbbells or 20’s, this just depends on how much I have done and how I feel.

4 Rounds:
10 Chair Dips
10 Dumbbell Curls

4 Rounds:
20 sit ups
15 push ups
When finished do 40 more pushups as fast as possible.

4 Rounds:
20 Double Dumbbell Curls
20 Alternating Dumbbell Curls
:30 second 90 degree Dumbbell hold
20 Dumbbell Tricep extensions
20 Dumbbell shoulder press
20 push ups

Looks vs performance

I have been a little busy of late and honestly have been slacking off on doing these lately, so I apologize for my lack motivation. Let’s jump right into it though

Should we train for looks or performance? I would almost always say 100% without a doubt that you should always train for performance. In my opinion, training for performance allows you to set real concrete goals and work toward that goal.

I do believe there is a large problem with training for looks, well unless you are a legit body builder and are going to step on stage, that’s a different game. However, for the general public that wants to train, training for looks is a pretty depressing and fruitless indeavor, and it’s a mindset that can really suck you in. This way of training doesn’t produce anything but body dismorphea and an unhealthy eating disorder.

Let me explain, i do not think ever in my time doing this have I ever met somebody that is 100% happy with the way they look including myself. It’s always something, and in many instances it can vary from day to day. Which to me, means that it’s subjective, subjective on your mental state, subjective on other people’s opinions of what bodies are supposed to look like. The other thing is bodies vary so widely, genetically, on what they can look like. So, you see somebody that you want to look like in a magazine or on social media, and it may be absolutely impossible for you to look like that. That can really effect your mental state.

Instead though, training for performance, is the best, funnest and most engaging way to train in my opinion. It can vary widely on goals and can change and grow based on your interest. Maybe, your a guy that wants to hit a 225lbs bench press. Put a plan together and smash it. Once you get there, maybe it’s 20 strict pull ups, or a double body weight back squat. The ideas are almost infinite and in many cases can build off of each other making you increasingly better after reaching each goal.

Other great thing about training this way is that the body will just naturally come with it. If you focus on making your physique stronger then usually it will increasingly be a better physique. Feeling physically strong can be one of the most empowering things, and is a status symbol that can be powerful because it can never be bought, it just takes a lot of hard work.

Train hard, make less excuses.