Portable Workout - Do it at home, in the office, wherever!

I wrote an article for the school paper, on a quick way to implement a workout short of time; this can be done virtually anywhere. Go for as much time as you have, or feel comfortable with, do ten reps for each, 45 seconds on the plank, go until your time allotted is up.

Pushups- Place hands shoulder width apart and low your chest to the floor and push off using your chest and triceps.

Body weight squats- Keep your back strait, look slightly up, and lower your hips and “squat” down and explosively use your quadriceps and hamstrings to push yourself up.

Chair Dips- Place your hands on the end of the seat part of the chair and walk your legs out, lower your arms keeping your shoulders still, use the triceps to push your body up and down, use your shoulder to stabilize your body.

Lunges-Keeping your hands on your head, step out with one foot bringing your back knee to about three inches from the ground, return to a standing position and alternate legs, do 5 repetitions on each foot. Use your core and quads to stabilize your body.

Forty five second plank-  Get into a pushup position and place your elbows on the ground and keep your body angle as straight as possible, brace your abs and hold the position for forty five seconds.

Benefits of doing this routine:
1) Breaks up your day, gets your endorphins and blood flowing
2) Easy way to stay toned when you are short of time

3) It helps stretch your body after long periods of sitting- (work, school)

4) Its fun! Make a competition with yourself, see how many rounds you can do in 10 minutes and try to improve the following time.

4) Do it enough times and will you look like this.........

Ok maybe not, but you will feel better about yourself!

Give it a try

A-Lev

Running circles around the Solution

Dialogue-

My friend- Hey man you want to run a 5-k with me in a couple of weeks?

My face- (same type of face you make when you shart, (try to fart, but well figure it out)...

Jogging is something I do not like doing, I find it tedious, and brings back bad memories of my 9th grade gym class always being the last kid to run the mile.....However, as I thought about it i realized that maybe doing a 5-k wouldn’t be such a bad idea.....

Reasons i decided to commit to run the 5-k
1) Support my friend
2) Its a good cause- supporting charity
3) It challenges me, its my biggest weakness as far as fitness
4) I think to be considered fit you should be able to do an array of athletic skills and competitions at least on an average level
4) It challenges mental toughness- doing something you don’t necessarily like or nor particularly skilled at

Reasons why distance running sucks....
1) The human body adapts to a movement after a while, after a while your calorie expenditure will decrease and your body will eat away at anything it can for fuel- muscle...not good.
2) Not the best method of fat loss- Besides the numerous studies and research, ( i got to under 6% percent body fat, never doing more than 20 minutes of direct "cardio")
3) Not the best method to train your heart, or improve athletic ability- Its proven intervals work your heart at a much greater capacity and improve recovery time.
4) Jogging is extremely hard on your knees after 30 or 40 minutes of jogging, your body produces stress hormones that will increase muscle loss and harvest fat....again not good.

Solution
1) Intervel training - mess with your heart rate! No really...do something like sprinting, jump rope, body weight exercises as hard as you can get your heart rate to about 80-95 percent max for a short duration 10-40 seconds and allow it to cool down and repeat. Training like this is not only more beneficial for fat loss and heart health, but it also saves you a ton of time! A session of intervals if done correctly and at full intensity should last anywhere from 10-25 minutes max.
2) Eat better......fat loss comes from diet not cardio....Trust me
3) Strength train- Just one or two strength straining sessions a week will improve your metabolic rate, and keep you lean...even body weight exercises will have positive effects on body fat composition.

The entire post in a picture- can you tell the sprinter vs the jogger?
Ok a bit exaggerated but you get the point...





This is not all about bashing running, I know plenty of super healthy and fit people who run marathons the benefits of smart and properly programmed running programs are its a great way to measure endurance, mental toughness, and heart health....It can also reduce stress.
If your goal is fat loss and muscle preservation- Take a good long look at your training program and make sure your working to achieve those goals and not "running in circles".

So for the next couple weeks, I’ll be hitting the pavement and doing some running, don’t worry i'll still be lifting and training to improve and get stronger, just throwing in a challenge along the way. I challenge you to pick an obstacle, or something you’re not great at doing, and begin to chip away and improve......


How have you made yourself better today?

A-Lev

Push it to the limit

On the eve of the NFL playoffs I cant help but root for the ravens. I have no affiliation to any team, and no preference of who wins, since the "superstar" dolphins had their chances of any playoff appearance stripped from them by week five. Im rooting for the Ravens because they have a chip on their shoulder, their players, namely  Ray Lewis is linked to working hard and "pushing it to the limit" every single day on the field and off....let me explain.

Ray Lewis trains with a purpose, he trains with the intensity and focus that is required to be an NFL superstar, he outworks, out- trains, and gives 100 % percent,

 how can you not root for a guy like that? .....

This post how ever is not about how great Ray Lewis or the Baltimore Ravens are, its about using intensity drive and sheer determination to break plateaus and reach your goals.

In the last post I said that I would give you some insight into some of my goals and what "category" of exercise they fell into. I have 3 main goals, (Not to get to specific on you)....
1) Constantly get stronger- Power lifter mentality
2) Maintain a lean body weight - Body builder Mentality
3) Improve athletic condition - Cross fit/ athletic mentality

Let me explain how I incorporate my training routine to meet these goals, Monday- Friday I pick one main lift such as Bench press, dead-lift, military press, and squat, and work on a rep/ weight scheme that works off percentages ( 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler). I then implement some assistance work that coordinates with the major lift, and then i finnish with high intensity short duration cardio, such as sprints, treadmill pushes, or swings.

Work out break down:
Warmup- Body weight exercises   ( Pull-ups, lunges, pushups, squats, jumps)
Main lift- Heavy on either the bench press, Dead-lift, Military press, Squat
Assistance lifts- 3-4 exercises moderate weight/ varying rep schemes
Conditioning- High intensity - 10-20 minutes....( Sprints, pushes, body-weight circuits)

This type of training has allowed me to get stronger, stay lean, and have fun doing conditioning exercises. As you can see, this doesn't fit any one type of workout style ........it fits my style! ( Thats all that matters)
Keys to a great workout:
1) Keep the rest periods to "as needed",( keep you pace up)
2) Have a plan before you walk in, write it down and follow it....( keeps you from hopscotching around the gym looking lost!)
3) Implement a proper warmup, and keep your sessions relatively short and intense- ( total-under 90 minutes)
4) Leave feeling better than when you walked in, train to stimulate the muscles and make improvements, it should be fun, something you look forward to doing.

Home work for the week- Set 3 training goals for yourself, and implement three strategies in your training the will help you reach them.......

Go Ravens!

A-Lev

Choose a Path...Or Make your own?...

So what do you do?

Corssfit?

Bodybuilding?

Powerlifting?

It’s one of the first questions you get asked when the topic of training routines come up, the need to categorize your workout into a particular breed of athlete or competitor. First lets go through and allow me to give you some pros and cons on each.

Crossfit:

The hottest new trend to hit the fitness world, mainly used and endorsed  UFC, and mixed martial artist, this combines aspects of lifting, running, swimming, biking, sprinting, powerlifting, pretty much you name it, probably was on some crosfit agenda somewhere. It’s a combination of all different types of endurance, and can be extremely effective in creating a more athletic and conditioned person.

Pros- Great for conditioning, applies to functional daily activities ( it will carry over into your daily life), super popular, and has a growing fan base.

Cons- Many times a cross fit workout has no set goal, its simply a laundry list of excersises and conditioning circuits without proper alignment of exercises to ensure you don’t get injured, or over train. ( This is a major con). Crossfit is basically saying get ready for anything, however if you dont specifically set a routine up and consistently train it, how can you make or measure long term progress?

Bodybuilding-

Classic bodybuilders such as Lou Ferigno, Arnold, and Frank Zane, have been synonymous with "bodybuilding". Its simply the "art" of being aesthetically pleasing. Training the body to create a perfect portrayal of the human body. Very common type of style of training with younger college aged men and women. Requisites for bodybuilding require big biceps, shredded abs, and small waist. The true measure of success in this type of training is appearance and physique, bringing the body to new levels of muscularity and leanness.

Pros- Bodybuilders are extremely dedicated and meticulous, it teaches discipline, and hard work. Most bodybuilders have a sound diet, and train very specifically to reach an eventual goal.
Cons- You must be willing to make sacrifices, each piece of food put into your mouth must be weighed and examined to ensure that its in your "macros" for the day. You must be willing to do long (in my opinion "painfully" slow steady state cardio") to reach the level of leanness required to be a body builder, typically below 7%.


Powerlifting

This is pretty strait forward; it’s the basic act of lifting, pushing, or squatting weight for competition. Power lifting meets usually require you to enter a weight class, and you compete with other people to assess the strength of each competitor.

Pros- A clear goal is set, you are constantly trying to break through training plateaus and increase your strength. You must train with a purpose to ensure that you are on track and progress with proper care and timing.

Cons- Depending on your weight class, you may have to eat...a lot....and this could add a few inches to the waist line. The big difference in bodybuilding and powerlifting is that strength competitions are not worried about how their abs look from this angle, or under that lighting, they are reaching for one thing, breaking PR's.

All this information, what to choose.....the best part...YOU DONT HAVE TO!
Don’t get caught up in a specific breed of training, incorporate all different aspects of fitness into your routine.
(if you get nothing else out of this article...get this)
The main factor in a successful training program is not if you can define it as a specific type, its if you are improving and have set goals that you are reaching.

A-lev
(Next post i will go into more detail on how I incorporate aspects of these training types into my routine and how they help reach my fitness goals)

MASS SEASON- Get big, stay Lean

How many times have you heard overweight men saying "its mass season"? In other words a period of time where you increase your calories, minimize your intensely vigorous movement and stick to basic heavy lifts. Now when defined that sounds fine for someone who wants to put on quality muscle and size, how ever, the confusion of "putting on mass" starts creeping in when you get the dude thats forty pounds overweight and is using this slogan as an excuse to not exercise and eat pretty much what ever he wants.

 Isn't the point of weight training to increase strength and muscular size? Sure their can be times of increases calories and decreased cardiac conditioning, but not to use as an excuse to get fat, unconditioned, and flat out sloppy. So how can we put on size/muscle with out all the blubber that comes with it?

Well first lesson, something that was and still is hard for me to swallow, if you truly aspire to get stronger and add size you must eat more, and yes you will put on weight! Let me repeat that if your goal is to get stronger and bigger, do not freak out when the scale says you put five pounds on.( Something  that can scare the crap out of a former chubby kid) .....me.

Second lesson- realize like almost everything if done correctly, in the fitness field it takes time, the way to stay lean and athletic is by maintaining a sound cardio routine, and slowly increasing your calories over a period of time.  Staying lean while adding significant muscle is definitely challenging but not impossible, staying committed to eating more of the right foods and hitting your target numbers consistently will ensure consistent progress.

Lesson three- Biggest mistake people make when training for an  increase in strength and size, they turn the gym session into a two hour annihilation of their body. Remember in the gym while training we are breaking down the muscle, the growth happens outside of the gym, while in rest. Keep your sessions short and and intense. Stick to one major lift a session, like a bench press, squat, dead-lift, and add in some assistance work after.


Cheat sheet to get big and strong-  ( for those of you who scroll all the way down with out reading)

1) Eating a surplus of quality calories (mainly protein, slow digesting carbs, healthy fats)
2) Training to stimulate not annihilate- keep your lifting sessions to about an hour
3) Slow progress like anything in the fitness world, is the safest and most effective way!

A-Lev

New Weight Loss Supplement!

The greatest supplement on the market to lose weight-

Is it a fat burner? No

is it Weight watchers ? No

Is it expensive? No

Where can i purchase it?.......................ready for the best part?

We all already have it! it’s called self-discipline. One of the most frequently asked questions i receive is what supplement can i get to lose weight?  The equation is simple, trust me I’m terrible at math but even i understand this one, to lose weight you must create a deficit- in other words go to bed having burned more calories than gained. Now let me be clear that does not mean eat less, it means eat smarter! Try implementing more fruits and vegetables into your daily eating routine. by using that new product we talked about earlier , "Self Discipline", try swapping out the side of chips for steamed veggies, or instead of having a bagel swap it out for a banana or apple. (Sure at first it will seem CRAZY, but trust me, give it a chance you will feel just as satisfied!)

So for the question, what supplement should i get to help me lose weight? 
Look no further! Start incorporating more fruits, vegetables and proteins in your diet. Start with baby steps one meal a day swap out a side for a vegetable, once that becomes manageable do that to a second meal. You will feel healthier you will naturally become leaner ....and you can save the money on the supplements! (send me the money if you want) lol

Remember slow and steady wins the race.
(Post coming soon on the second most frequent question- how to gain weight/muscle) Stay tuned!

A-lev

Goal!!!!!!

One trait that all successful seem to have, persistence. A quality that I try to implement in my daily life and training routine. In my opinion persistence is the most important factor in reaching your goals.

The first step is clearly identifying what you want 

examples 

1) lose 15 pounds by june

2) Gain 6 pounds of muscle in the next year 

3) Do 10 pull-ups by April 

Once you have a specific goal tailor your nutrition and workouts to reaching it. Many people start working towards a goal but go about getting there the wrong way or don't have the persistence to stick with a program. Instead of going to the gym and "going through the motions", work for a purpose and constantly test yourself to ensure your moving in the right direction. 

My advice, find someone that has accomplished your goal, and figure out how they achieved it. In other words if you want to be stronger, hang out with stronger people, if you want more money hang out with richer people. I promise with a solid plan and consistency all your training goals can be reached. 

Change your mentality to instead of "can i do this", to  "am i willing to put in the effort to do this". 

A winning mentality is the crucial in determining the success of your health and fitness endeavors. 

Remember the word of the day is persistence, the key that will unlock any obstacle in your way. 

Step 1- Set a goal

Step 2- Work your ass off to get it

Step 3- Don't stop till you get it

As Charley sheen would day "Uh winning".... 

Now the only question is, what are your goals? 

Excuses... just don't have time to make them....

As a busy college student, balancing  classes, work, fraternity and friends I understand it seems like the day seems to be getting shorter and shorter and time for taking care of your health, and doing something "fun" seems to take the brunt of a hectic schedule. Continuing on the same theme from my first post- (Making the most of your new year resolution) lets sit down and realize what really matters:


1) Am i healthy?
2) Are my family and friends supporting me and my goals? 
3) Have i taken care of my primary responsibilities?  work, family, personal time.

Lets  list some easy ways to ensure your getting the "important" parts of your day filled:

1) Start everyday ensuring that you have properly fueled yourself, get a quality breakfast - fruit, eggs, oatmeal, Protein shake, even a breakfast bar.(If you at least get a good breakfast, you will be better equipped, more energized and fueled to take on your day)...You wouldn't drive to the mall with no gas, so don't start your day on empty!

2) Without support from family and friends you will realize your days will quickly lose purpose, Staying connected is key in keeping your relationships healthy and powerful. Ways to stay connected- make a point when your walking to class, driving to work, or ( sitting on the toilet,  cough, cough ) lol ..Make phone calls text your loved ones and fill them in! See how they are doing and inform them on how you are, with the support of your core people you will be more motivated and feel empowered to do better and constantly improve in your endeavors.

3) The last tip to scratch off the "big 3" is make a to do list! You would be surprised how much you get done when instead of saying what you have to do write it down, and cross it off as you complete each task. (something i learned from my mother) writing down  your responsibilities for work or school will ensure you don't forget deadlines and due dates, and crossing shit off a list feels great!

Spark notes version of post- 
Priorities what really matters and enjoy your day
 keep yourself in good health eat right, run, lift, (get your heart rate up)
Stay connected with the people that matter.

Follow these principles and your need for excuses to find time will diminish, start 2012 asking yourself this question

What matters to me?

A-Lev

Getting Started! National Join a Gym Month

The three main factors why people begin training/ Eating nutritiously-  

1) Lose weight 

2) Gain muscle

3) Improve athletic performance/ mobility 

 Now being that its everyone join a gym month (January), people have set their goals and have went full force into workout, and eat right mode. The fact is that after about 3 weeks on a plan people go back to the normal routine of oreos, laying around and not doing much to help themselves out.  The gyms will clear out to the normal level of occupancy, and the vegetable section in the grocery store will be back to being stocked up to max capacity. 

The three main ways to stick to a plan and achieve your new years fitness goals-

1) Start small, begin with a simple routine every morning when you wake up, im talking simple, set a timer for 5 minutes and do 10 squats, 10 pushups, and 10 leg raises, do this until the 5 minute timer runs out. By doing something managable it will be much easier to stick to a plan and make it part of your daily routine. As your strength builds add time to the routine, until you can eventually transition to the gym. 

2) Notice how in the beginning of the post i didn't say "diet" i simply said eating nutritiously. The word diet is always thought of as a temporary transition, not a lifestyle change. Instead of going on a "diet" simply eat real whole foods, like meat, vegetables, beans and nuts. Start slow and implement more wholesome foods into your regiment and you would be shocked at the rate your body fat decreases and if combined with weight training your  muscle tone increases.

3) The greatest way to achieve your fitness goals and staying committed to a plan is by realizing this resolution is not a quick fix but a change that is now becoming part of you lifestyle and routine.  The journey to your goal is not a sprint but a long marathon.

Stay committed, motivated and persistent, and your resolutions of tomorrow will become accomplishments of today. 

A-Lev