How To Build Your Own Workout (With a Little Help From Men’s Fitness…)

30 05 2012

The #1 question I’ve been asked by beginning is “How do I start a workout routine?”  Luckily, it’s really not any sort of rocket science.  You don’t need phenomenal genetics or a high-tech gym to be in shape!

A great place to build your own workout is with this article from “Men’s Fitness.”  Basically, the idea is to create a routine that:

  1. Is goal-oriented
  2. Doesn’t stick you in a gym for more time than necessary (efficiency is key)
  3. Is built around a main lift, with secondary lifts to complement

I went into a little bit of detail about the “Big Three” earlier today with the deadlifts.  That would be considered a main lift.  If you’re working back and biceps (an all-pulling exercise day), you’d start with the deadlift, then go into your secondary lifts (i.e. lat pulldowns, bicep curls) that complement it.

A push press is a “main lift,” since it involves more than just your shoulders.

With your goal in mind (weight loss, muscle building), you basically determine how many repetitions and sets you’re going to do for each lift (and how much weight you’re going to use).  If your goal is fat loss, you’re going to go high repetition (12-15 range) at a lighter weight.  If it’s muscle building, you’re going to go low repetition (4-6 range) and higher weight.  Remember, though: no matter what your goal is, you aren’t going to get anywhere with poor form!

Now, we all don’t have hours to spend at the gym like professional athletes or fitness models.  I personally have only an hour, hour and a half tops, to get my work in daily.  That means no jerking around!  There’s no reason to do ten different exercises for your chest.  At a certain point, the muscles will be fatigued and won’t be able to take the beating and recovery will be brutal.  Keep it to three or four exercises per muscle group.

Another great resource that I’ve recommended to GymGeeks is Bodybuilding.com, where they have a “Find A Plan” option that makes it simple for you.  They have a great database of exercises (all with video instructions), so you can go into the gym more informed next time!

(Also remember, GymGeeks.  A healthy lifestyle is 20% gym, 80% nutrition.  You can bench press a Hyundai, but if you’re eating like it’s your last meal EVERY meal, you’re not going to see results.)

Now get your butt back in the gym! No excuses, no surrender!


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Categories : Healthy Choices, Routines

Core Stabilizing (Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Deadlifts)

30 05 2012

I figured an homage to a classic movie in the title will soften the blow…

As I mentioned last week when talking about how to boost your vertical jump, there are three exercises I consider the “Big Three” (very much like a certain NBA franchise in South Beach).  The first one, the squat, is great for building lower body strength since it incorporates pretty much every muscle fiber in your legs.

Today we’re going to talk about my LEAST favorite exercise of all time: the deadlift.  This is the brussel sprouts of a workout routine.  The reason I call it that is because while I hate doing it, it’s arguably one of the greatest exercises to help stabilize your core muscles (such as your abs…see how the primer set you up for this?)

Here is a video demonstrating how to properly perform a deadlift (courtesy of HanleyStrength.com)


Yeah this is a lot of information to process, so I’ll summarize it as best as I can for beginners:

  • The idea is to utilize the muscles in your lower back.  Think of your arms and grip as hooks, as opposed to part of lifting the weight.
  • In terms of positioning, the best comparison I can make is to a catcher’s stance before a pitch is thrown.  This means that your shoulders are parallel your knees (not in front), your back is straight and you’re looking directly ahead (or even a little higher, if it helps you to keep everything aligned).  The idea is to not arch your back.
  • Do NOT lock in your knees at the end of the lift.  The idea is to have constant tension throughout the movement.  Just like the way you can hurt joints in your elbows locking out a bench press rep too hard, the same can happen to knee caps if you’re using enough weight on the barbell.  Notice the slight bend in the example photo below:

Perfect Form. Notice no arch in the back!

Getting back to how this helps your core…the deadlift is not what one would consider a “glamour exercise.”  What I mean by that is the gains and development aren’t going to be as glamorous looking in a mirror as, say, barbell curls or the bench press.  However, if you’re serious about sculpting that mid-section,  you need to cover both the abs AND your lower back.  The focus should be a stronger core.  The six-pack will come if you perform the deadlift properly.  Think of it like rowing and bench presses: the push/pull evens out your body.  If only work one side, you’re going to be physically imbalanced.

Since I hate this move, I always put it at the beginning of my back workout (while I’m still on auto-pilot at 5:00 in the morning).  In fact, I suggest putting each of the “Big Three” at the top of your routine, since not only do they suck to do, but they also wake up all the other secondary muscles you’ll be working later on in your routine.

Enjoy!


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Categories : Routines

Your “Workout Wednesday” Primer (5/30/12)

30 05 2012

“My name is Jonathan.  My alter ego is Nerdy Gym Rat, with the superpower of visible abs and a hulk-smash expression.” – A text message to a friend of mine yesterday

While this is (mildly) a paraphrase from a conversation I had with a friend of mine, it did lead to the wish, on their part, of wanting the same superpowers (well…at least the abs part…the hulk smash thing would be a little scary).

Frankly, I didn’t think this was necessary for this particular friend, but I digress.  It did get me to thinking this morning during my cardio session, though.  Every person strives for that amazingly ripped/cut look, but more often than not, they go about it the wrong way.  Whether it’s by doing a million crunches five times a week or starving themselves, hoping to see results,  the true formula comes from what you do in the kitchen and a ton of dedication.

Since I’m not one to pull punches about my past, I’ll use myself as an example.  Coming straight out of college, the first few weeks at the gym got me at least a mildly visible “V” (as they say).  This was pretty cool…but let’s keep in mind this was almost four years ago (and there’s an obvious bubba keg in the middle of that V).  It’s taken me that long to get to where I am now and there’s still room for improvement, in my opinion.

Me at 22…a work in progress

My point in today’s primer is this:  there is no such thing as spot-fixing in the journey to a healthier lifestyle.  There’s no magic pill that’s going to burn away pesky fat.  I assure you, if you put in the time and effort (both in the gym and in what you put into your body), the results will come.  Don’t get discouraged just because it’s not happening on your time frame.

With that said,  today’s posts will focus on some important exercises that focus on those core muscles (not just your abs; that’s just one piece of the puzzle).  On Twitter, I’ll be posting some tips that you can do, even just sitting at your desk during your 9-to-5 grind.

Also, thanks to a suggestion by a reader (who I’ll keep anonymous, but REALLY appreciated their input via e-mail),  I’ll curate a workout routine that I have used.  I only have one thing to say about any routine that will be discussed in this forum:  if you don’t find it fun or challenging and you quit on it after only a couple of weeks, it’s obviously not right for you.  Don’t be discouraged!  There is more than one way to skin a cat on this road to a better you.

With that being said…let’s get to work, GymGeeks!


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Categories : Healthy Choices, Routines, Updates

Recipe of The Week: Breakfast On-The-Go

29 05 2012

Ok, here’s a scenario I’m sure we’ve all been through…

You haven’t gone shopping in over a week and you’re down to protein powders, water and maybe some oatmeal or a couple of eggs.  You need a quick breafast before working out.  What do you do?

You improvise!

This is the easiest thing to make.  I’ve done it many times, even if it’s just to eat something before going shopping (or out of town and don’t want to shop for the week):

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of Oatmeal (always choose the tub over the packets!)
  • 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein (I find Dymatize cooks the best)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 egg whites

Directions

  1. Place oatmeal and protein powder into a bowl and mix
  2. Add water to mixture and let sit for a minute to soak in
  3. Place two egg whites into bowl and mix again
  4. Put bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 2 1/2 minutes.
  5. Let cool for a minute and enjoy!

If you like it a little bit sweeter, feel free to throw in some stevia extract or any berries you may have left over in the fridge.  The great part about the egg whites is that you don’t get the savory taste profile, which would conflict with the sweetness of the protein powder.

Remember: the idea is to make the best of what you have lying around.

Bon Apetit!


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Categories : Healthy Choices, Nutrition

Your “Tasty Tuesday” Primer (5/29/12)

29 05 2012

Happy “Tasty Tuesday,” GymGeeks!

I don’t know about you guys,  but I’m always on-the-go.  Because of this,  I plan at LEAST three meals ahead of the one that’s coming up.  Perfect example:  knowing I’d be on the road for at least three hours on the way back from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, I had the perfect plan in place for my lunch, my mid-day snack and my dinner (knowing I had zero food in my fridge, so nothing could spoil while I was out of town).

For that reason,  I actually took a long-winded route using the Florida Turnpike, since the choices at the service stations sure beat the hell out of pulling over at a random exit on I-95 and having the choice of McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King or all three at a truck stop.  I was able to run in, grab a turkey wrap from the “healthy choices” kiosk, a bottle of water and get back on the road.  Also, knowing that I’d be going shopping almost the recond I got back into town,  I had one of my homemade protein bars ready so I wouldn’t shop hungry.  This stopped me from taking advantage of the special on a whole turkey sub at the Publix deli and allowed for a more sensible dinner instead of carb loading.

With that in mind,  the posts and tweets today will revolve around how to survive (nutritionally speaking) on-the-go or in a pinch for something to eat.  I have a great recipe (if you want to call it that, since it’s so freakin’ simple) for your mornings, as well as how to survive a vacation.  Having spent the last few days down in South Florida catching a Miami Marlins game, going out to dinner with my parents (not to mention dinner on Friday with my brother & sister), I know I was able to avoid some pitfalls, so I want to share that knowledge with my GymGeeks.

Hope everyone had a great weekend…now let’s get back to work!


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Categories : Healthy Choices, Nutrition

Your “Motivational Monday” Primer (5/28/12)

28 05 2012

Happy Memorial Day, GymGeeks!

Today,  I want to talk about balance.  It’s such a mind-numbingly easy thing to do that we often take it for granted, whether it be at the gym or in our every day lives.

This past weekend, I happened to be in Fort Lauderdale for the third time in six weeks (with four in eight coming soon thanks to a wedding I have to attend in Kentucky via Ft. Lauderdale International Airport).  Because of that, I’m not as readily available to the GymGeek Nation, since I’m not as attached to my laptop as it may appear during the week.

At first, I thought it would hinder my performance and my “street cred” with you guys.  Maybe you’re a weekend warrior looking for something to read and I’m not delivering as often as I should.  In the digital age, where it’s a 24-hour news cycle, it’s tough keeping an audience (if you’d like proof, I’ll show you the stats on the site and my fluctuation of followers on Twitter).  This really freaked me out, since it made me feel like a total hack and made me question whether or not I was really making a difference.

Then a thought occurred to me: I am always going to be the biggest critic of me.  That’s always been the blessing & curse of being me.  It helps push me harder to be great, but also knocks me hard on my ass when I don’t push.  The truth of the matter is I know I’m here for you guys (and those who have e-mailed me know it, since I respond in a timely fashion).  So if I miss a review or a tweet, it happens.  Just have to learn how to work around it and keep going.  The stats may suck on those few days, but I’m not in it for stats.  I’m in it to help and if that’s five people or 500, so be it.

In your lives, you should have the same approach.  Yes, I talk about how living a healthy lifestyle should be the goal, but if you’re beyond hell-bent for too long, you lose sight of it sometimes.  When that happens (and you have the fortunate opportunity of catching yourself), take a step back, breathe, and remember why you’re doing it in the first place.  In my fitness goals, it’s to not be the guy I was eight years ago, physically and mentally (low self-esteem, depressed and just overall angry).  For you, it may be that you come from a family where heart disease is prevalent and you want to fight against genetics.  Find a device that helps you remember that and take a few minutes out of every day to focus on it.  When you do that,  you’re less likely to let your mindset snowball to the point of cracking.

Well, that’s my rant & rave for this gorgeous day.  I’ll be on the road back to Orlando to get my shopping done and get my pieces designed for the Winter Park Health Fair this upcoming Saturday.  I hope everyone enjoys the end of their long weekend…school’s back in session tomorrow!


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Categories : Updates

Gym Pet Peeves (5/25/12)

25 05 2012

Sorry for the delay, GymGeeks!  Yesterday was total insanity at the day job and didn’t have time to write this bad boy up.  Better late than never!

The Re-Racking Renegade

This is how it SHOULD look in a gym…

This one is a headscratcher to me.  It’s a simple concept: you take weights off of the rack, you use them, and you put them back where you found them.  This is something we learned as kids with toys; you play with them and put them back! 

Now there are two types of people who fall under this title:

  1. The ones who leave plates on barbells and
  2. The ones who get “creative” with their placement

The first “renegade” can sometimes be helpful.  I have, from time to time, been quite appreciative of not having to put on stacks of weight before a bench press, especially when the person before me was using the same amount of weight.  However, the later of the two is what is more of a pet peeve to me.  You get the sense that they were the kid in Kindergarten who couldn’t put the square block in the square hole and got accidentally named “gifted” because they were a “free spirit.”

On what planet does placing a 5 lbs. weight where a 45 lbs. plate should be make sense?? Most gyms label where to put the weights based on their size, to avoid this type of confusion, so I can only assume it’s pure stupidity that is the root of this issue.  Until my sterilization gun gets the proper patents, all I can do is pull off the 45 pounders to get to that five pounder…and then throw it at the moron…

As always, Gym Pet Peeves are always welcome over at Twitter.  Just use the hashtag #GymPetPeeves and I’ll definitely get it!


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Categories : Gym Pet Peeves

My Interview With Natania Goldberg

25 05 2012

Here is the first of hopefully many interviews to come! 

Natania Goldberg is a personal trainer based out of Santa Monica, California.  She has been training trainers for almost 15 years, originally getting her certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine in New York City.  Her commitment and dedication to the field was clearly evident from the second I started chatting with her, mentioning her work with local media as well as her executive roles at many major fitness companies all over the country.

What I found most interesting about her story is how diverse her athletic prowess is.  For example, not only has she competed in triathlons, 5k’s and other long-distance races…but also kickboxing matches!  She’s one of the few trainers I’ve had the pleasure to talk to that get that it’s more than lifting heavy weights and putting them down.

So without further ado…

Nerdy Gym Rat (NGR): What sparked your interest in fitness?  What made you want to turn it into a career?

Natania Goldberg (NG):  I started in the fitness industry at age 18 and never looked back!  Movement, exercise and the enjoyment of it was always something that was a part of me. I decided to turn it into a career from the day my first client said “thank you” you have changed my life! Making a career in making a difference …gotta love it! 

NGR: That’s what it’s all about to me: Paying It Forward!  What is one of the biggest misconceptions your clients have when they first start working with you?

NG:  That exercise is work, boring and will hurt! It can be if you like that kind of stuff :) I believe in finding things clients enjoy doing and meshing that in to their programs so they enjoy it and stick with it, forever! As they say, take the “work” out of workout! 

NGR:  Yeah nothing is more of a turnoff for most people starting than it being boring as hell.  I tell most of my readers that nutrition (I hate saying diet) is 80% of a healthy lifestyle.   How much do you emphasize nutrition with your clients?

NG:  I do emphasize it with all of my clients. It is at times the determining factor in reaching or not reaching your goals. However, I do collaborate with my clients to not make drastic changes in foods, avoid deprivation and use coaching to establish change needed in eating habits to last life long. 

NGR:  What is the most gratifying feeling about training a client?

NG:  Seeing that turn around in them when they have reached a goal, feel better about themselves and in turn have changed their life for the better as well and the loved ones around them. Fitness, starting to exercise is usually one of the first action steps someone takes as part of a bigger plan :)  

NGR:  Ok, one final question, and I saved the toughest for last…What is the #1, all-time best piece of advice you would give to somebody who is just starting to work out and make that change in their life?

NG:  Just be you and take it one day at a time!

For more information (and for you West Coast GymGeeks looking for a trainer), she can be found on Twitter (@NataniaGoldberg), as well as her website and Facebook.  She’s always happy to talk to people and be as communicative as possible, so drop her a line and give her a follow!  She is officially part of the GymGeek Nation, as far as I’m concerned!

(If you are a fitness professional and you’d like to be interviewed for NerdyGymRat.com, drop us a line at thenerdygymrat@yahoo.com)


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Categories : Interviews

Your “Fun Sh*t Friday” Primer

25 05 2012

We made it, GymGeeks!

Sorry, but a 41/10/3 stat line gets you a Friday shoutout!

It’s finally the end of a long-ass work week.  Hopefully your workouts got you primed for a long Memorial Day weekend.  I know I’m looking forward to some downtime in Fort Lauderdale this weekend with the family.  I’ll be catching the Marlins/Giants game on Sunday at the new Marlins Park, so if any of my South Florida GymGeeks are going to be there, come by and say hi!

Today, we finally have the moment I’ve at least been waiting for…and interview with a fitness professional!  I’ll be posting my talk with Natania Goldberg (@NataniaGoldberg on Twitter) later today.  She was a blast to talk to and is as enthusiastic about the battle against the bulge as I am!

Also, I’ll finally get to putting up my “Gym Pet Peeve” for this week.  This one will have a bit of geek flair to it (and not too many pieces of flair…first person to tell me where that reference comes from gets a special “Follow Friday” on Twitter).

Other than that, I hope everyone finishes their week out strong.  I know I did, with yet ANOTHER new high on squats thanks to the “Shortcut to Size” program (11 reps of 265 lbs.).  Not bad for a guy just short of 160 lbs. and 5% body fat, huh? :)   I’ll leave you with a quote from one of the finest movie trilogies of all time…

“Do or do not…there is no try!” – Yoda


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Categories : Updates

Your “Friday Eve Fit Tips” Primer (5/24/12)

24 05 2012

I have to start this week’s primer with a bit of a mea culpa…

As you may or may not know, last week’s “Gym Pet Peeve” was one that I had encountered while in the gym working through my Shoulders/Traps/Calves day in the Jim Stoppani “Shortcut To Size” program.  The mayor of the machines, as I came to call him, was back in form this morning.  At first, my initial thought was “FML” (want to keep it safe for the younger crowd reading) and that I’d be stuck waiting or modifying my routine AGAIN.

You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry…

Instead, I was on such a rush from a new high in leg press machine calf raises (20 reps at 630 lbs.) that I just simply went over and asked the guy how many sets he had left.  Truth be told…he was actually a really nice guy!  He asked if he could knock out one more set at the seated calf raises before I jumped in, mentioning that he noticed I was “killing it” and didn’t want to “mess with my groove.”

I was in total shock and awe.  We even ended up chatting after our workouts about how much leg presses suck and how we both believe in stretching prior to lifting (he’s a couple years older than me…I’d say mid-30s).  It just goes to show you to never judge a book by it’s cover, GymGeeks.  While it’s still a total pet peeve of mine, don’t be afraid to ask or talk to someone if what they’re doing is really in the way of your routine.  You might even make a new friend.

And that’s only the FIRST of your Friday Eve Fit Tips!  Expect to see more posted all over Twitter and Facebook (and even Google+, as I start getting that profile running).  If you have any you want to share, don’t hesitate to use the hashtag (#FridayEveFitTips).  I’ll get a notification in my e-mail and you’ll be re-tweeted to all my followers.  As I always bash over your head, it’s a group effort to get everyone into a healthy lifestyle.  I refuse to let us get to that 40% obesity rate by 2030!

Have a great morning, GymGeeks!

Jonathan


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Categories : Healthy Choices, Updates

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