22Jan 2009

Which Split Training Method is the Best?

Split Training refers to the way you organize your fitness program based on body parts, movements, and exercises. There are three methods of organizing fitness plans that I particularly use very often: Full Body, Upper/Lower Split, and Push/Pull/Legs Split.

Full Body

  • A full body program is where you train your entire body in one session. The following is a three-day program based on a full body split:

Monday

Push-ups
Squat Jumps
Mixed-Grip Chinups

Wednesday

Incline Pushups
Lunges
Pullups

Friday

Hindu Pushups
Bodyweight Squats
Chinups

  • Creating a full body workout simply involves having at least one upper body and one lower body exercise.

Benefits of a Full Body Split:

  • Great starting point for beginners to develop a base level of strength
  • Muscles will respond quickly due to a higher frequency of work
  • Ideal for athletes that need to train their body as one unit

Bruce Lee Trained his Body as One Unit – Image by BeWaterMyFriend

Upper/Lower Split

  • An upper/lower split is where you train your upper body on one day, and your lower body in another day. The following is a three-day program based on a upper/lower split:

Monday

Pushups
Mixed-grip Chinups
Incline Pushups
Pullups

Wednesday

Bodyweight Squats
Squat Jumps
Lunges

Friday

Repeat Monday’s workout

* Perform Wednesday’s workout the following Monday. Alternate the program between an upper body and a lower body workout.

Benefits of Upper/Lower Split

  • More rest between muscle groups will allow for more focus in each workout
  • Ideal for athletes who need to work on either upper body or lower body individually for specific improvements
  • Great transition point from beginner to intermediate trainees

Push/Pull/Legs

  • Push/Pull/Legs is the most common used split. Push involves any exercise where you “push” away from your body. The chest and triceps are the primary muscles being stressed. Pull involves any exercise where you “pull” towards your body. The back and biceps are the primary muscles being stressed. Leg day is devoted to lower body training. The following is a three-day program based on the a push/pull/legs split:

Monday

Push-ups
Incline Push-ups
Hindu Push-ups

Wednesday

Mixed-Grip Chin-ups
Pull-ups
Chin-ups

Friday

Bodyweight Squats
Squat Jumps
Lunges

Benefits of Push/Pull/Legs Split

  • Ideal for athletes who need to work specific weaknesses
  • Ideal for advanced athletes who need to work strength training along with other methods of training
  • More rest between muscle groups will allow for more focus in each workout

Study the benefits of each training split, and decided which suits best for your goals and fitness level.

Additional Resources:

Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle – This is the perfect resource to check out if you want to explore split training further. Tom Venuto provides with a template for a full body and a variety of other training splits. You also recieve a ton of information on diet and nutrition for fat loss. Check it out here.

15Jan 2009

Four Questions to Ask Yourself Before Designing Your Next Training Program

Designing an effective training program is a very difficult task to undertake. You cannot just throw together a few exercises and expect something magical to occur. I have come up with four key questions a trainee, whether at the advanced or beginner level, must ask themselves before setting up their training program.

What Have You Done?

When creating a new training program, many times all I need to do is look into the past.

  • Which workouts made us cry?
  • Which workouts did we conquer?
  • And which workouts barely broke a sweat?


This requires hitting the training logs. If you have not been keeping a training log, then I suggest you start doing so immediately. It is next to impossible to plan for the future without an accurate record of the past. Get in the habit of logging every single workout that you perform. Once you get into the habit of tracking your workouts, it’s time to track your progress. Tracking your progress means that you find a means of measurement specific to your objectives.

Image by Betz Method

Shah Training is all about intensity, and intensity is all about power. So we measure the amount of work accomplished within a given time frame. The most common, simplest, and sensible method of measuring progress for us is to define work (develop a workout) and define a threshold (time allotted to complete the work). For example, take the following workout:

Perform 50 burpees in 2 minutes

50 burpees would be our work, and 2 minutes is our threshold.

For a beginner, time would play a part in developing some level of conditioning. For example, if a beginner were to perform a workout that consisted of 50 burpees, it would be wise to perform 10 sets of 5 repetitions with 90 seconds of rest in between. Gradually, the rest periods would decrease by 15 seconds each week, until the athlete was able to perform 50 burpees with minimal rest. Once this level of fitness is achieved, we then start timing the 50 burpees to see how fast one can complete them.

What Do You Wish To Do?

Goals are as important as the work itself. However, I do not believe that a goal such as “put on muscle mass” should be a single objective. You should always have one end objective that is above all else. For example, my primary objective is to maintain my strength and mobility throughout my life.

Image by oetill

I do wish to attain that six-pack level of definition, but I refuse to engage in any sort of training program or dietary technique that is not sustainable in the long-term. Fitness needs to be a part of my life, not a tool that I use in order to achieve a temporary level of conditioning. I am not a Hollywood actor getting ready for a role, nor am I professional bodybuilder competing on the stage. I’m an average guy, with average genetics, trying to achieve a healthy, athletic, and aesthetically pleasing physique.

First and foremost, the movements that I choose all must adhere to the principles of mobility:

  1. I must be able to pick things off the ground
  2. I must be able to lift heavy objects and put them on shelves
  3. I must be able lift heavy objects across a certain distance
  4. I must be able to move quickly in the face of danger.


The point is my mobility and real-life fitness goals are above all else. This is one of the reasons why I am very weary of making barbell curls a permanent part of my training. You must think, is what you are doing sustainable in the long term? Will a 6 hour per week training schedule fit into a real-life schedule filled with a 9-5 job, trips to the daycare center, grocery store, and laundromat all in the same day? Is there a better way to maintain and gradually improve your strength and fitness?

What Are You Capable Of?

When I say “what are you capable of?” I mean what are you capable of in the future. For example, based on your training log you know that you are capable of performing 33 burpees in 2 minutes, but are you capable of performing 50 burpees in 2 minutes? The best way we can determine this is by hypothesizing. I have some sense of what a two -minute burpee drill feels like, and what it would take to hit the 50 mark. What I need to figure out is:

  1. Is this physically possible? Can I perform 1 burpee for every 2.4 seconds? That speed is doable, but can I sustain that speed throughout the two minutes?
  2. Is this mentally possible? What mental blocks did I face when performing 33 burpees and where did those mental blocks occur? Did they occur at rep 20, and is rep 20 the culprit, or is the culprit 60 seconds. If the culprit is 60 seconds, than we can set a goal of hitting the first 30 burpees in the first minute, and 20 burpees in the second minute.


At the beginner level, these questions are important, but from a different perspective. For example, can you even perform 1 burpee? If not, then what will it take to achieve that one burpee? Do you need to work on your push-ups, or do you need to work on your squat? Or do you need to work on the transition between the two?

What Are You Not Capable Of?

I believe that with some practice in technique, endurance, and mental strength, I will be able to hit the 50 burpees in two minutes mark. I believe it is physically possible to achieve that level of intensity for two minutes straight. Difficult, but possible.

Image by flossy22

However, performing 100 burpees in the said time would be impossible. I would be surprised to come across an athlete that could achieve such a feat. But also, we have to think about the relevance of the feat. Is it really necessary to be able to perform 100 straight burpees? There is a ceiling in every sport or endeavor in terms of what level of endurance, power, and agility is necessary to accomplish the task. Performing fifty extra burpees may actually cause you to sacrifice power and speed for endurance. Although burpees are a great way into increase one’s mass, strength, and power, at the end of the day it is a calisthenic exercise and so you will always be training for muscular endurance when you train for reps. The point here to be very aware of your “ceilings.”

Some things are not physically possible, and most things are just not necessary. Learn to differentiate between the relevant and irrelevant.

The above four questions are just the beginning of effective program design. Think of these as the preliminary questions a scientist must ask himself before setting up the proper experiment. They will help you identify specific parameters of action and allow you to gradually progress with your training. Many trainees just skip right over these questions and often hit a brick wall too early. Take the time to sit down with a paper and pen and really get your thoughts down on paper.

Any questions or feedback, please post to comments.

14Jan 2009

Circuit Training Karate Style

My Sensei (Karate instructor) used to do a circuit training workout with us once a month. This workout was for the hard-hitters: a group 10 – 15 guys (and a few girls). The Circuit Training workouts were the type of workouts I enjoyed and looked forward too. They were painful and I loved the feeling of my entire body covered in sweat. By the time your were done, you would have sweat pouring into your eyes. Many times, when it was cold outside, the windows would fog up due to all the heat being generated in the dojo.

Image by IndyWeek.com

Yup….those were the days.

Circuit training at the dojo was very simple. You stick to one station for about 3 minutes, then move onto the next station. In the middle of the workout, Sensei would make us drop and do about 20-30 push-ups. His words were, “You improve when you’re tired.”

Following the same principles of dojo circuit training, I have come up with the following workout:

  • Station One: Perform any variation of push-ups for the time allotted
  • Station Two: Alternated between bent-over rows, and push press, 95lbs
  • Station Three: Jump Roping
  • Station Four: Free Standing Heavy Bag Punching

You are to perform three rounds of this workout in the following manner:

  • Round One: 1 minute at each station
  • Round Two: 2 minutes at each station
  • Round Three: 3 minutes at each station

Try it out and get back to me!

13Jan 2009

The Truth about Building Huge Arms

A lot of trainees want big arms, but what most of them do not know is that you need to put on about 15 pounds of muscle all over your body in order to put on just a half inch of mass on your arms. Well, actually I don’t know the exact ratio, but think about it for a second. Have you ever seen a guy with big arms not be a big guy over all? Just imagine someone with big arms, but no chest, back, shoulders, or legs to speak of.

Image by ELAREE


My suggestion is to start off with a full body routine, then steadily transition to a split body program so you can specialize on your arms further. Here is a sample template to help you out:

Months 1-3: Full body workout

  • Start off with a basic full body workout routine, performing it 2-3 days per week. If you’re performing a full body routine more than three days per week, then it is wise to have multiple full body routines so that you are not performing the same exercises on an incredible high frequency

Months 3-6: Upper/Lower Split

  • After three months of full body workouts, split your body in half. Train your upper body on one day, and train your lower body on the second day. You can use a 2-day, 3-day, o 4 day split with this program
  • In order to complete a three-day split, you can perform an Upper Body workout on Monday and Friday, and a lower body workout on Wednesday. In the following week, switch it up and perform a Lower Body workout on Monday and Friday, and a upper Body workout on Wednesday.

Months 7-9: Push/Pull/Legs

  • Push means that you perform an upper body exercise which requires you “pushing” something away from the body. Examples include push ups and bench press. Pull means that you perform an upper body exercise which requires you “pulling” something away from the body. Examples include pull ups and bent over row.
  • On the third day, work your lower body. The suggestion is to use a different workout than you did in months 3-6.

Months 10-12: Arms/Back/Chest/Legs

  • It’s finally time to specialize. Start the week off with the muscle group you’re targeting, which arms. This workout should comprise of two to three isolation exercises for the biceps and triceps.
  • Second and third day will involve training the back and chest. You will probably using many of the similar exercise from your push and pull workouts.
  • Once again, on the last day with legs, design a different workout other than the ones that you have been performing thus far.

As you can see, this is a year-long program. I’m not going to sit here and lie to you about building muscle. It takes time. There is no short-cut path to building incredible arms in six weeks. This program is for those that want to train and eat the right way. For the rest of you, go pick up a bodybuilding magazine.

One of the best practical bodweight programs out there is the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution:

Bodyweight Exercise Revolution

Bodyweight Exercise Revolution is based off the Circular Strength Training system. In other words, hit your body from as many angles as possible. This is beyond basic pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats.
Click here for more info

15Dec 2008

12-Week Advanced Strength Program – Month Three (with Free Printable Workout Logs)

Image by TMX142

Welcome to the Last Month of the 12-Week Advanced Strength Program. This month we’re only performing two exercises per workout. Why? Cuz it’s gonna hurt. Here is what the schedule looks like:

Workout A:

  • Bench Press
  • Deadlift

Read More →

09Dec 2008

A Basic Primer on Testosterone for Females

testosterone

In response to my “Three Intense Bodyweight Workouts for Females,” article, Neena Longia wrote: “I’d like to say that the article was great, but I’d like to suggest that you explain more in depth what high levels of testosterone really does to a females body, because I can guarantee that most women don’t know that they carry both estrogen and testosterone, but the testosterone is in a small amount compared to the estrogen, and how women in some ways do benefit from some testosterone, just as a side note letting the readers know that testosterone isn’t bad for women!”

Here is my response:

An Introduction to Testosterone

Testosterone is a steroid hormone produced in both men and women that plays a vital role in the maintenance of health, well-being, and sexual function. The hormone also boosts one’s appetite, fuels the immune system and helps build lean muscle mass.

Women produce about one-tenth the testosterone of the amount naturally found in men. Normal testosterone levels will help women look, feel, and perform better from day to day. The hormone has been linked to helping treatment with Osteoporosis (weak bones). Fibrocystic Breast Disease, and Breast Cancer.

Despite the gender differences, testosterone is required in both men and women for the same reasons: to generate more energy, reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass, maintain healthy libido, and to improve mood.

Many women find it frustrating that men often can control their weight more easily and even lose more weight when following the same weight loss program. This has to do with the amount of muscle mass found in men. Extra muscle helps men burn up to 30 percent more calories than women, and can even help increase the level of testosterone found naturally in men.

Testosterone Research

The research on testosterone for women is very mixed. Studies have found that improving testosterone deficiencies by using some sort of supplement can boost mood and sexual health, but other studies have also found that high levels of testosterone can triple heart risks for older women.

In a study conducted by Dr. Karen Miller, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, 51 premenopausal women with below-normal or undetectable levels of testosterone were randomly assigned to either a placebo or Proctor & Gamble’s testosterone patch, Intrinsa, which has not yet received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for use by American women. During the one-year trial, women on the testosterone patch showed improvements in mood, sexual function and quality of life.

The findings in this study are very important in understanding the role testosterone plays in women, however Dr. Miller also stated that the study did not deal with women with normal testosterone levels. She stated that supplemental testosterone in women with normal levels may have unwanted side effects such as increased facial and body hair.

Dr. Anne R. Cappola, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, conducted a study, which found that high testosterone levels in older women are a predictor of cardiovascular disease. In this study, Cappola and colleagues measured testosterone levels in 344 women, aged 65 to 98 years. They found that women who had the highest testosterone levels were three times more likely to have heart disease compared with women who had lower testosterone levels. However, they also found that women with the lowest testosterone levels were also at a higher risk of heart disease compared with women who had testosterone levels in the midrange.

Last December, the FDA voted against the approval of Intrinsa for women with lower than normal testosterone levels, citing insufficient long-term safety data. To me, it is clear that normal testosterone levels are a vital component to long-term health.

Checking Testosterone Levels

My suggestion is that you get a blood test done to determine if your testosterone levels are normal. For men, a normal testosterone level is 350 – 1200 ng/dl (nanograms per deciliter). For women, a healthy number could be 35 ng/dl to 120 ng/dl. However, it is best to speak to your physician about these numbers. When you get your blood test done, you will see a range right next to your number, which will tell you if you fall within the healthy range.

If you are unable to get a blood test done anytime soon, then there are certain symptoms associated with a low testosterone count. These include feeling tired for no reason, loss of interest in sex, uncontrollable fat gain, and mood swings.

This is great feedback from Neena, and the kind of feedback I urge all of you to send to me. There are many modes of communication, including posting to comments, sending me a facebook message, or simply sending an email to shah@shahtraining.com.

For further reading:

Testosterone Offers Women Benefits, Risks
How To Increase Testosterone Level
Women and Testosterone
Testosterone Information
Nanograms per Deciliter (ng/dl)

24Nov 2008

Use Supersets Training to Torch Those Love Handles

Image by SuperFantastic

Stubborn fat is a bitch. Through all the research I’ve been doing, there is only one really way of destroying stubborn fat: make your workouts more intense! Work harder. Sweat like you’ve never sweat before, and really kill yourself under those weights.One of my all time favorite training methods is superset training. This isn’t something new. It’s been beaten over your head over and over and over again. Superset training is a common bodybuilding method where two or more exercises are performed one after another. These exercises often have some sort of flow to them. Here are a few variations of superset training:

  • Work the Same Muscle – You perform two different exercisess for the same muscle group. One example of this would be to perform a set of push-ups followed by a set of incline push-ups.
  • Isolation/Compound - Perform an isolation movement, followed by a compound movement. For example, perform a set of Drag Curls followed by Power Cleans.
  • Antagonistic Supersets – This big word simply means that you perform two different exercises for opposing body-parts. One example would be to perform a set of push-ups followed by pull-ups
  • Upper Body/Lower Body – Perform a set of an upper body exercise, followed by a lower body exercise. For example, perform a set of push-ups, followed by body-weight squats.
  • In-Set/ Hybrid Moves – Combine two movements that flow well together and work them in a set. For example, combine the push-ups and the squat jump, and you have the burpee.

Benefits of Superset Training:

  • Allows you to perform the same amount of work in a shorter period of time.
  • Adds excitement to your workout, and prevents boredom
  • Provides an incredible muscle pump, causing greater muscle growth
  • Allows you to train like an athlete forcing you to work hard

Why Superset Training Helps you Burn Fat and Build Muscle

The muscle pump you feel is actually Lactic Acid production. Lactic acid is a major player in the way our bodies generate energy during exercise. Before I tell you exactly how supersets aid in fat loss and mass gain, you need to know exactly what lactic acid is.

What is Lactic Acid?

  • Formed from the breakdown of glucose when glucose from dietary carbohydrates reaches muscle after bypassing the liver and entering general circulation.
    • Then, goes back into the blood and returns to the liver. Here it is used to make liver glycogen.
    • Known as the “Glucose Paradox.”

What does Lactic Acid Do?

  • Fuels glucose and glycogen production in the liver
  • Helps us use dietary carbohydrates more efficiently
  • Serves as a quick energy fuel preferred by the heart and muscles
  • Important to mechanisms involved in how we adapt to stress
  • Important key to athletic success in high intensity sport
  • Stimulates testosterone production
  • Signals release of human growth hormone from pituitary gland
  • Can be transported between cells to supply additional energy for work

Why Do I feel the Burning?

  • Lactic Acid is not what is creating the burning sensation. It is actually hydrogen ion, the acid in lactic acid which interferes with electrical signals in nerve and muscle tissue. Hydrogen ion is made when lactic acid splits into lactate ion, and hydrogen ion.
  • When Lactic Acid enters our blood faster than our ability to remove or control it, hydrogen ions begin to lower the pH of muscle, creating an acidic environment. This process interferes with our performance.


Here’s a great way to lose fat without working out! – Image by neb_boyWhat is HGH?

  • Human Growth Hormone, or HGH is a naturally producing hormone in our bodies. Along with testosterone, it is one of the reasons why we have 300lb bodybuilders walking amongst us.
  • Plays an important role in regulation of body fat levels, immune system, muscle mass, recovery, and other bodily functions.
  • HGH is present in the body at a rate of 500 micrograms in the blood between the ages of 20 and 30.
  • As you age, HGH in our bodies starts to decline, leading to a steady loss of muscle mass, skin elasticity, fat gain, and many other physical changes.
  • The daily production falls below 60 micrograms at age 80.
  • Produced by the anterior pituitary gland, stimulated by the Hypothalamus.


This guy’s HGH levels aren’t going down anytime soon. – Image by DarthAbraham

Benefits of HGH

  • Promotes and increases the synthesis of new protein tissues. This aids in muscle recovery and repair.
  • Involved in the metabolism of body-fat and it’s conversion to energy.
  • Improves sleep patterns.
  • Produces more energy.
  • Improves sexual performance.
  • Build stronger bones, and reduces osteoporosis.
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Improves cholesterol profiles
  • Slows aging
  • Reduces the risk of Developing Type 2 diabetes

The Connection Between Supersets, Lactic Acid, and Growth Hormone

  • Short, intense bursts of exercise work best to stimulate the natural production of growth hormone.
  • Supersets training is a form of intense exercise which releases Lactic Acid as a method of providing energy for the muscles
  • When Lactic Acid splits into a lactate ion and hydrogen ion, the hydrogen ions begin to lower the pH of muscle, creating an acidic environment, as discussed earlier.
  • When the pH is lowered, it triggers a release of HGH as a way to aid in muscle recovery and repair.
  • The more HGH you release, the bigger and leaner you’ll get.


How can I Design a Supersets Training Program?

  • Best method for fat loss is to use upper/lower split
  • For a three-day per week program, Choose six exercises, 3 upper body and 3 lower body
  • For each day, choose one upper body exercise and one lower body exercise.
  • Organize the exercises using the templates below

Superset Training Templates

  • Perform 21-15-9 repetitions of each
  • Perform 3 rounds for time
  • Perform 4 rounds for time
  • Perform 5 rounds for time
  • Perform maximum rounds in 20 minutes
  • Perform 50-40-30-20-10 reps of each
  • Use inverse pyramid scheme, such as 10-1, 9-2, 8-3, etc.

BONUS TIP: Hybrid Superset Training

  • A hybrid is a movement where two or more exercises that flow well together are combined to form a new exercise.
  • Some examples include burpees (push-ups + squat jump), thruster (front squat + press), and sumo deadlift high pull (sumo deadlift + close-grip upright row).
  • These movements can be seen as being a form of supersets, as they incorporate two different movements performed back to back without rest.
  • Hybrid Superset training is simply performing two Hybrid movements back to back as supersets. Here is a sample workout:

Superset training is actually just one way to torch those love handles. For some more great high intensity workouts and techniques, check out the following programs:

13Oct 2008

12- Week Advanced Strength Program – Month One (With Free Printable Workout Logs)

Image by Steve Collins Photography
Strength is the backbone of every art. Whether you want to lose fat, build muscle, improve your health, or become a superior athlete, strength is where it all starts. I have created a 12-week program to help you improve your strength levels. This workout is for advanced trainees only and should only be performed by athletes who have been training for at least 2 years.

The program is quite basic actually.It resembles many of the great programs out there today such as Bill Starr’s 5X5, Stronglifts 5X5, and Starting Strength. What makes it unique, in my opinion, is really in the progression. I believe that you can not add weight indefinitely, or increase volume indefinitely, or use straight sets indefinitely, or use the same rest between sets indefinitely.

You will be asked to attempt to increase the weight each time, but we’re going to push things along by steadily increase the number of sets performed, decreasing the number of reps performed, decreasing your rest periods, and decreasing the number of exercises performed.

Lets start off with the basic template:

Workout A:

  • Front Squat
  • Push Press
  • Bent-Over Row

Workout B:

Week One

Sets: 5
Reps: 5
Rest: 60 seconds

Week Two

Sets: 5
Reps: 5
Rest: 60 seconds

Week Three

Sets: 6
Reps: 5
Rest: 60 seconds

Week Four

Sets: 6
Reps: 4
Rest: 60 Seconds

As you can see, the main difference here is the 60 second rest. I like to move fast and intense. For an advance trainee, breaking through a strength plateau means trying something new, and I guarantee that the one thing strength athletes are afraid to try is reducing their rest between sets. Yes, it’ll kill you if you’ve been resting 3 minutes after each set.

Lets just assume that you can Push Press 200 lbs, for 5 sets of 5 reps with 3 minutes rest between each set. And lets say after the first set, you’re trying 200lbs again after 60 seconds. There is a big chance that you won’t make it. But lets say you scale down the weight to 170 and and work your way up to 200 lbs, 5×5, 60 seconds rest. Can you image how much more you’ll be able to lift when you go back to a 3 minute rest period?

Image by Si Ollie
People forget just how important the heart and recovery ability is in improving ones strength levels. Try the program for 4 weeks, and then I’ll tell you what to do after.Download the Free Training Log here.

For some more great home strength workouts, check out Gladiator Body Workout:


Gladiator Body Workout

  • Gladiator Body Workout is an Athletic Fitness system which combines Dumbbell and Bodyweight exercises along with interval training to help you Drop Fat, Build Lean Muscle Mass, Get Stronger, and Improve Athletic Performance.
  • If you purchase the Combo Pack, you can also get two other eBooks which Author Coach Eddie Lomax sells separately: “Ultimate Gymless Workout” and “Extreme Dumbbell Fitness.” When you include all the workouts in all three systems, you’ll get literally months worth of fitness programming.
  • The Basic version sells for just $27. Each separate eBook in the Combo Pack sell for $27 but coach is giving them to you for just $49.00.


I’ll Give you TWO FREE Bonuses if you Grab Gladiator Body Workout Today. Click Here for More Information

Cover Image by Chris Lopez

09Oct 2008

If It’s Not Measurable, Then It’s Not Manageable

I’ve been making a HUGE mistake. I’ve been tracking my workouts, but not measuring them. Before I go any further, I should probably clarify two words: tracking and measuring. There is a difference.

Tracking is the recording of an event, in our case a workout.

Measuring is estimating by evaluation or comparison.

Image by jeysun35
When you combine tracking and measuring, you get progress. I have been tracking, but I have not been measuring.

Here is the major flaw: Each of my workouts is random, from week to week I perform a completely different workout than the week before, and my workouts rarely ever repeat.I had adopted this training style simply because I realized that I adapted extremely quickly with my workouts and could not stand the thought of performing the same workout week in and week out. However, this was before I had discovered fast, intense workouts. This was when I was doing some hybrid form of martial arts and bodybuilding. I didn’t know anything about metabolic conditioning or how to train with your bodyweight. All I knew was that you were supposed to stay in a gym for 2 hours and do “stuff” until the clock told you to leave (or someone from the staff).

To say that I have not been making progress is a false statement. I have. I see it in my movements. I see it on video. And I see it in the mirror. But all this “seeing” is dangerous. There is something about writing down your time and then comparing it to last weeks time with the same workout: it never lies. When you “see” things you rationalize your way into thinking that you are making progress. Or for some people, you rationalize your way out of making progress.

How do you know you are making progress?

This question was actually posed to me by my bodybuilding friend: “How do you know you are making any progress if you keep doing random workouts?” Good question, and one that I really couldn’t answer. I went to the Crossfit forum to pose the same exact question, and they referred me to their benchmark workouts. Benchmark workouts are simply workouts that are used to measure progress and appear in the Crossfit programming once or twice a week. For example, one of their workouts is Fran. This particular workout may be performed on, say, December 8th, 2006, and will not appear again until February 16, 2007. I’m just throwing out random dates here. But the point is that Fran will appear a few weeks apart, but they will have other Benchmarks within the weeks such as Barbara and Nate.

I have attempted to create benchmark workouts in the past. But honestly, at that moment I was not as familiar with Crossfit’s programming as I am now. I respect Crossfit, but I’m not sure if all their methods are a right fit for me.

I have two options in terms of measuring progress:

  1. Create a training program based on five to six workouts per week, and repeat them for six weeks straight, attempting to make as much progress on them as possible. This progress can be measured by being able to complete the workout at a faster time, the amount of weight used in the workout, increasing reps, or increasing rounds.
  2. Develop a series of benchmark workouts that appear in your programming each week along with a few other random workouts. Use these benchmarks as measures of progress.

Ok, so the second method is Crossfit. The first method I’ve actually seen on a few bodybuilding forums. People will choose one workout and then perform it along with their bodybuilding workouts as a form of cardio or conditioning. They’ll choose a goal, say drop total time by 3 minutes, and keep working on it until they reach their goal.

Hmmm…I think this time around I’m going to side with the bodybuilders.

I’ve decided to create 5 workouts, some of which I’ve done before, and work on them Monday through Friday. Each workout will have a set of measurement, a different one for each workout. For example, the Monday workout may be focused around time. The Tuesday workout may be focused on increasing weight. Etc. you get the point. I will try this for 6 weeks as an experiment, and then show you guys the progress I’ve made on this very website. Stay tuned!

01Oct 2008

Bodyweight Squat Basics


Image by chillintravel
The bodyweight squat has been used for centuries by Indian Wrestlers to improve their strength, flexibility, and lower body power. Perhaps this is why the movement has often been called the Hindu Squat. The actual name of the exercise that indian wrestlers used was the Uthak-Bethak, or simply “sitting and standing.”

  • Just look at those two words for a second: Sitting and Standing. 80% of our daily activities are focused on sitting and standing, and yet the majority of people out there do not practice these two movements in tandem.
  • I even heard of some guy who stopped squatting because he claimed that no one can do it right, so no one should do them.
  • There are other substitutions.

Well, the guy I’m talking about actually stopped squatting with weights. I’m not sure if he’s heard of simply bodyweight squatting, because the movement itself is a great asset to any training program. In fact, out of my two training partners who also go to the gym a few days a week, I have the strongest legs. I developed this powerful lower body by performing 500 bodyweight squats per day.

  • Now, I REALLY advise people against performing 500 bodyweight squats per day. That is not a number you want to go for on a daily basis.
  • I know of a few websites out there that preach such ridiculously high numbers, but I for one am against such an abuse of a particular exercise.


Here is how to perform a bodyweight squat:

  • Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, toes facing slightly out for balance.
  • Make sure to keep your back straight and chest out throughout the entire movement.
  • Bend your knees and follow with your hips as you slowly descend towards the ground.
  • Go as far as you can. Pause, then reverse the movement.
  • Repeat as desired.

Flat Footed or Heels Up?

Flat footed squats are where you keep your heals firmly on the floor while performing the squat. Heels up squats are where you raise your heels when you lower your body. These are the type of squats I was performing when I was doing the 500 rep workouts. Heels up squats put greater stress on your knees, and force your calves to work harder.

  • Currently, I am suffering from some knee pain that I believe is due to the 500 rep workouts. I believe it was the sheer number of squats I was performing, plus a lack of decent recovery that cause the problem.
  • But I’m sure another aspect of the problem was that I was lifting my heels up, placing undue stress on my knees.

What About a Video?

A already have a bodyweight squat video up on YouTube, but I found a better video than mine:

Workouts to Try

Here is a great squatting workout for you to try:

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes of:

Run 400 meters
50 Bodyweight Squats

I was able to perform 4 rounds in 20 minutes, can you beat that?

Now if you’re really serious about changing your body through bodyweight training exercises, then you should check out Workout Without Weights. This eBook will give you the full picture when it comes to bodyweight training. Trust me, you’ll never need another resources ever again!


Workout Without Weights

  • Workout Without Weights is a manual which teaches you how to use your bodyweight to improve your health and fitness. The eBook features not only exercise descriptions, but also teaches you how to develop your own effective training programs
  • If you purchase the Combo Pack, you can also get another eBook which Author Coach Eddie Lomax sells separately: “Ultimate Gymless Workout.” In addition, you will receive the Combo Calisthenic Audio Workout bonus, which is currently not for sale on the market.
  • The Basic version sells for just $19.95. The value of the Combo Pack is $73.95 but coach is giving it to you for just $47.00.


Click here for more information.

25Sep 2008

Sprint Workouts: Increase Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity

Click here to Learn how to Train at a High Intensity Level in the Comfort of your Own Home

The following is guest post from Josh Levine of FortisMag. Traditionally we think that in order to increase aerobic capacity (the ability to take in oxygen and use it efficiently) that we need to run, bike, or swim at long distances at a moderate intensity. We also tend to think that in order to increase anaerobic capacity (the ability to work without oxygen) we need to sprint or do short highly intense workouts. While that traditional view is not wrong, it is becoming more and more outdated. The problem with the traditional view is that an athlete is only able to work on aerobic or anaerobic at one time.

So, what’s the solution?

High intensity work with short rest intervals between work sets:

  • By doing this the athlete trains the body to work without oxygen during the high intensity work period and then subsequently trains the body to take in oxygen and use it efficiently during the short rest intervals.

Below are some sample sprint workouts with rest times that you may want to try.
Short Sprint Workout Program Day 1
60meters 4reps 45sec rest
40meters 6reps 30sec rest
20meteres 10reps 20sec rest

Short Sprint Workout Program Day 2
80meters 4reps 45sec rest
60meters 6reps 40sec rest
40meters 8reps 30sec rest
20meters 10reps 30sec rest

Short Sprint Workout Program Day 3
80meters 4reps 40sec rest
60meters 6reps 35sec rest
40meters 8reps 30sec rest
20meters 10reps 25sec rest

You can modify this program to suite your needs. Simply decrease rest or increase the length of the sprint to make the program harder.

Make sure that you stretch out very well before doing these workouts. Also, you should do light sprints before doing this workout. Ideally, you should do a few light sprint workouts a few days before you start this program.

For more high intensity workouts, check out the Gladiator Body Workout:


Gladiator Body Workout

  • Gladiator Body Workout is an Athletic Fitness system which combines Dumbbell and Bodyweight exercises along with interval training to help you Drop Fat, Build Lean Muscle Mass, Get Stronger, and Improve Athletic Performance.
  • If you purchase the Combo Pack, you can also get two other eBooks which Author Coach Eddie Lomax sells separately: “Ultimate Gymless Workout” and “Extreme Dumbbell Fitness.” When you include all the workouts in all three systems, you’ll get literally months worth of fitness programming.
  • The Basic version sells for just $27. Each separate eBook in the Combo Pack sell for $27 but coach is giving them to you for just $49.00.


Click here for more information.

Train Hard. Eat Well. Live.
Fortismag.com

24Sep 2008

What Exactly is Dom’s Training?

Earlier today we talked about four facts, or lessons, that we can learn from Dom’s training. Well, what exactly is Dom’s training?Dom’s training is actually very simple, and reminds of a post I wrote about fat loss: “Three Simple Principles for Easy Fat Loss.”

Principle One: Strength Train

Dominic’s strength training routine changes from week to week. He follows a simple split routine consisting of Chest, Legs, and Back. He’s actually lightened up on the leg workouts, but still trains chest and back heavy. Notice he doesn’t really do much direct arm work. Dom gets most of his arm work from chest and back. And if you ask me, he has a pretty impressive set of arms. Dom doesn’t exactly want to be some freaky bodybuilder here.

Principle Two: Metabolic Conditioning

All of Dom’s workouts are full body circuits designed to push his body to the max. But honestly, we do not use light weights. This isn’t some sort of 15lb dumbbell jazzercise workout. This is hardcore work designed to help you get stronger, faster, and leaner. We use movements that work multiple muscle groups at once, such as the Kettlebell Swing and Hindu Pushup, and combine them with cardiovascular activities such as Sprinting or Jump roping to develop intense, creative circuit workouts.

Principle Three: Eat More

Dom’s eating has improved dramatically over the past few months. His caloric needs are extremely high and all he needs to do to continue losing fat is to eat enough to recover, but not enough to put on weight.

The Decision to Train more Clients

I’m very proud of what Dom has been able to do in these few short months. One of the most important things I can ask for in a client is respect. When I first decided to train people, I had a whole bunch of people come to train with me for free. But no one came back, and I felt like I had wasted my time. Just before I made the decision to quite trying to train people, Dom was on my doorstep ready to workout. At first, he was just a training partner, but as time went on, we developed a strong trainer-client relationship. He respected what I had to offer, and took my advice for facts. We can all see the results he’s achieved.

I have two guys that train with me right now. Training both of them has made me realize how immature I was when I first decided to become a trainer. I’m a new person now, with greater knowledge, better workouts, and improved body composition. I’m now ready to take on the world of fat loss, one client at a time.

Stay tuned for more info.