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 “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

How To Dunk A Basketball*

23 05 2012

(*or at least boost your vertical)

Since we’re in the midst of the NBA Playoffs, I think it’d be fun talking about basketball-specific workout suggestions.  The most common thing the average guy wants to do is dunk.  And why shouldn’t they?  Guys like LeBron, Kobe and Michael Jordan make it look fun as hell!

Sadly, you may not have been blessed with the same athletic talents that LeBron took to South Beach.  That being said, there is hope for you to boost your vertical jump!

Dynamic Stretching

This is a little bit different that your standard (static) stretching.  While it’s good to do static stretching to stay limber, dynamic stretching has been known to focus more on range of motion.  That’s why you see swimmers like Michael Phelps swing their arms around before a meet.  You can also focus on the entire leg doing dynamic stretching, as opposed to having to do five or six different stretches to cover all of your bases.

Squats

This is one of the “Big Three” I talked about earlier today, in terms of lifts.  Not only does it work almost every muscle in your legs, it also forces you to tighten your core muscles, which help keep a solid center of gravity.  To get the most out of your squats, you must go past parallel, meaning dropping down below a right angle.  If it helps, set up a bench behind you at a power rack and drop down low enough to touch the bench.

Another tip for squats; you’re going for a burst of power as opposed to overall strength.  With that in mind, you’re better off going with speed, meaning that you use lighter weight and higher reps.  This will help with the burst, as well as build up muscular endurance.

Calf Raises

Tip: Use an aerobic step to put focus on the front sole!

This is another great exercise to build strength in your lower body.  In fact, you can do this at the same power rack you would do a squat at!  Again, you’re going to be going for short bursts, so light weight/high rep is the way to go.

Now, some people will tell you that training shoes will be helpful, but I tend to shy away from them for the same reason that Sketchers is currently getting sued for their shoes that “tone.”  There’s no real evidence to support it.  All those shoes do is put emphasis on the front sole, which is something you can do by simply putting an aerobic step in front of you when doing calf raises.  There’s no need for extra shoes here!

Hopefully this gives you an idea of what it takes to be able to jump as high as an NBA player…even if it’s only the vertical leaping ability of Tyler Hansbrough (sorry, still bitter that he took out Dwyane Wade last night).


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Categories : Routines

Your “Workout Wednesday” Briefing

23 05 2012

Happy Hump Day, GymGeeks!

Hopefully everyone is super energize and ready for the downward slope into a long Memorial Day weekend.  I just wanted to share something this morning that’s not necessarily a Gym Pet Peeve, but more of an observation I’ve made over the past month that I’ve spent at my new gym.

Now,  I’m all about having a routine.  For me, it’s up at 4:00 AM, at the gym by 5, at the office from 7:30 until 4:30, lather, rinse and repeat.  On an even more micro level, my gym routine is stretch, light cardio, lift and then a cool down stretch.  I leave some ambiguity by saying lift because I let that be dictated by what my goal is.  Right now, it’s strength, so my lifts revolve around the “Big 3″: bench press, squats, and deadlifts.  We’ll get into why those are the most important lifts for size and strength a little bit later today.

The reason I bring up goals is because I always see people doing the same thing every day.  For example,  there’s a couple who always do ab routines and light cardio.  I’m not one to ever dog or be a jerk about someone working out (in fact, I respect every single person who shows up for wanting to get into better shape).  The only conclusion I can come to is that they don’t have a specific goal in mind.

If it’s weight loss, sure cardio will help, but doing crunches every day is not going to help.  In fact, it’ll be counterproductive since your body will adjust much quicker and get you to that plateau effect in no time.  At that point,  all you’ll be doing is mimicking a hamster on a wheel.

I guess the bit of advice I’m trying to get at today is have a specific goal in mind when you want to make a change to your lifestyle.  Today’s posts are going to be for those who want sports-specific exercises in their routine (mainly because I’m in the mood after a Miami Heat bashing of the Pacers last night).  For some, that’s a goal that they want to attain.  I remember a time where I wanted to be built like Ben Roethlisberger, until I realized I’m not 6’4″ and 245 lbs.  and probably never would be, but I could at least focus on the agility and burst of speed elements of an NFL player.

Boy am I glad he plays for the Heat…

With that being said, what goals do you set for yourself in the gym?  Do you want to be able to dunk like LeBron?  Do you want to look like Ryan Reynolds (or Jessical Biel, for my female GymGeeks) in “Blade Trinity?” Hell, do you want to just look good for the opposite gender?  These are all things that are worth striving for.  The key is to have a goal, research the hell out of it and follow through!

Now let’s go kick some ass today!

Jonathan


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Categories : Healthy Choices, Updates

Gym Pet Peeves: 5/17/12

17 05 2012

Before we get into my Gym Pet Peeve for this week, let me just say that some of these suggestions you guys are giving me via e-mail, Twitter, etc. are awesome!  I think I have enough material for the next year, so keep them coming!

I actually had one ready to go!  I was going to write it up last night, look over it this morning and post.  It’s a good thing I didn’t though, since I ran into one of my BIGGEST pet peeves this morning while doing my 5:00 AM workout…

The Mayor of The Machines

“One down, four more machines to go!”

You can spot this guy from miles away!  There is absolutely nothing more annoying than the jerk who takes over five or six different stations at once, ESPECIALLY when one of those is what is standing between you and getting ready for work.

Now, I’m all about circuit training.  In fact, that’s part of how I was able to lose weight in the first place.  Conceptually,  the combination of strength training with the cardio benefits of the exercises being in succession is fantastic.  What makes THIS guy so freakin’ special is that:

  • He has his “territory” spread out all over the gym floor like it’s a game of “Monopoly”
  • Take ages to get through the circuit because he…
  • Puts enough weight on each station where “working in” isn’t an option, and most importantly…
  • At the end of the circuit, he takes time to chat with other people instead of taking the minute or two rest and starting over again.

Aside from simply calling this meathead out (which, at 5 in the morning, is a totally reasonable thing to do), all you can do is adapt your workout.  Today, for example, the last part of my routine was four sets of seated calf raises.  Since this week in Jim Stoppani’s “Shortcut To Size” prescribed high rep/low weight sets (and this idiot had every 45 lbs. wheel in the joint on the machine),  I wasn’t about to ask the guy to work in.  Instead, I was forced to do a variation using some cables, steps and creativity.

If you’re “that guy,” I do have some suggestions to make you look less like a douche and blend in with your surrounding gym patrons:

  1. If you’re going to superset or do circuits,  try to make sure the exercises are all in the same general area (i.e. keep it to the power rack for squats, calf raises, shoulder press).
  2. More power to you if you can lift a ton of weight.  I can’t fault you for that, so go read rule #1 again.
  3. The idea of the superset is to be efficient with your time.  Talking to someone about whether or not FSU is going to the Big 12 is not efficient.  Neither is watching the same Sportscenter that’s been on since 3:00 in the morning.

I hope this has been as educational for you as it has been calming for me.  Keep the suggestions coming, GymGeeks!  Hopefully next week, I won’t have a last second moment of inspiration at the gym…


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Categories : Healthy Choices

How To Re-Energize Your Routine

7 05 2012

I believe somewhere along the line, I was supposed to get the memo that Monday is “National Bench Press Day.”  I learned this in college when I’d walk into the UCF Rec Center and see LINES of people waiting to “work in” at each of the seven standard bench press stations on a Monday night.  Granted, we’re talking about a college with over 50,000 undergrads, but that’s just ridiculous on so many different levels.

Where in the unwritten workout bible does it say a barbell bench press is the only way to build your chest?  There are COUNTLESS other exercises that not only can develop the basic muscle, but also the minor ones associated with the main muscle area, thus creating a more defined look.

Here are just a few switches you can make to your routines that I’ve done before (note: I will NEVER recommend or write about something I haven’t done before myself):

Chest:
Usual Exercise:  Barbell Bench Press
Switcheroo:  Dumbbells, dummy!

This is a bit of an oldie, but a goodie.  With a barbell, you can only get to your chest and push back up.  With dumb bells, you can a larger range of motion, which means you incorporate more muscle fibers while pushing the weight back up.  This switch can also allow you to toy around with different hand positions instead of the standard shoulder width apart.  For fun, try doing a set with your palms facing one another.  Your chest and triceps will thank you for it.

Triceps:
Usual Exercise:  Tricep Pushdowns
Switcheroo:  Bring out the rope!

 By now, you’ve probably done the tricep pushdown on your arm days since you first began working out.  In fact, some of you reading this may be able to push down the entire stack of weights on the cable machine!  Of course, your range of motion is quite limited if you’re doing them the old fashioned way with a metal bar attachment.

Using a rope attachment will definitely kick your ass if you try to push down that same amount of weight.  The grip alone will activate new muscle fibers.  Not only that; at the end of the movement, when you pull the two ends of the rope apart (trying to straighten out your arms, shoulder width apart), you have a fuller range of motion, which, as we said with the dumb bell press, means more muscles to tear apart (translation; more muscle to repair, which will lead to more growth).

Quads:
Usual Exercise:  Leg Extension Machine
Switcheroo:  Hack away!

Arguably the most boring exercise to work what is ultimately your largest muscle in the leg is the leg extension.  Even when done properly, when the hell do you actually do a movement of sitting down and lifting heavy weight in an upward fashion?  There is zero functionality to this exercise.

Aside from the barbell squat (something that should be in EVERYONE’S repertoire), the hack squat (or front squat) is a much more functional movement that activates your quads.  It also puts less pressure on your knees and back, when done properly.  With so many different variations on this move (dumb bells, barbell, machine), you can toy around and see what works for you.  With your legs being your main source of power, you’re better off doing a power lift that’s both functional and safe.

These are just a few different things you can incorporate into your routine.  By making a simple switch like the ones I’m talking about will create muscle confusion, a concept that has made Tony Horton and the people at P90X a ton of money.  With changes, it’ll hurt like hell at first, but your body will see gains because it’s not familiar with the new moves!  You’re basically removing the “plateau effect” you’ve read about constantly in magazine and on web sites (why do you think “Men’s Fitness” has two or three workout routines per issue?).

Anyways, thought I’d share this little tidbit with my readers.  I’d love to hear about some of the changes YOU’VE made in your routines.  Maybe I’ll try them out sometime :)

J


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Categories : Routines

Playlist of The Day (5/4/2012)

4 05 2012

So a bit of a mea culpa before I show you guys the playlist…

I’ve been totally going about the postings the wrong way.  Looking at the stats, it seems as though the home page is where you guys spend most of your time.  I didn’t realize how much of a pain in the arse it is for me to post links to other pages.  Not only does it mess with functionality, it also effs up the SEO of the whole freakin’ thing!  From now on, all new articles/posts/reviews will be on the home page and then archived under the tabs for future reading so you don’t have to scroll down!  Sorry about that.

Yup, pretty much how I felt after realizing my stupidity…

Now, today’s leg & abs day was amazing!  As part of Jim Stoppani’s “12 Week Shortcut to Size,” Week 3 calls for 6 to 8 reps on each move (I modified the abs so I’d hit each part until failure with resistance), which allowed me to lift a lot heavier than last week.  I will say this: there is nothing more swagger-inducing than watching the bar bend over your delts while you do squats at 5:00 in the morning, ESPECIALLY with this list.

Enjoy!


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Categories : Playlist of The Day, Updates


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