Blog Archives
Beginner’s HIIT Workout
Whether you’ve never done a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout before, or you are a pro, here is a workout I put together for DualFit that is designed for beginners – but can be adjusted in intensity by simply adjusting the intervals.
OTHER INTERVALS TO TRY:
- 30/30: 30 Seconds of Exercise & 30 Seconds of Rest
- 30/30/30: 30 Seconds of the 1st Exercise ( no rest), 30 Seconds of the 2nd Exercise and 30 Seconds rest
- 45/15: 45 Seconds of Exercise & 15 Seconds of Rest
- 50/10: 50 Seconds of Exercise & 10 Seconds of Rest
CLICK HERE to get the written workout, and get more great info at DualFit.com!
Hard Core Abs Workouts
Here is one of the workouts we did this week! I thought you might like to give it a try.
Click on the links below to see video instruction:
- Medicine Ball Slam (We use a soft med ball)
- Decline Roll Up (or Reverse Crunch)
- Toes to Bar
Combine this workout with another ab workout and really blast those abs! Or combine
Spring into Spring Workout
I just dug up this old workout – totally killer. totally hard. totally awesome. Tone up, shed fat and burn calories in this plyometric workout!
1ST COUPLET
25 Plyo Jumps on Box
25 Surfers on Box
(3 Times)
2ND COUPLET
25 Double Unders
25 Skaters
(3 Times)
3RD COUPLET
25 Knee Ups
25 Plyo Alligator Push Ups
(3 Times)
My new favorite shoe for this type of training:
Reebok’s CrossFit Nanos
I just got these shoes this month. I customized mine, complete with “BCX TRAINER” on the back heel – and they are awesome. These shoes are great for plyos, quick sprints & heavy lifts. The shoe is light and the sole grips the ground great. You definitely don’t have to do CrossFit to enjoy the CrossFit line of shoes. They are totally versatile – and great for anyone. The only thing they are not really made for is long distance runs.
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So You Want to Compete? Encouragement for the Future Competitor
Have you ever been interested in body building or physique contests? Have you ever wondered what its like on stage, back stage, or even in the crowd on the night of the event?
Preparing the Body
I know how I felt when I first thought of getting on stage and seeing what this whole competition things was all about. I was terrified. I didnt know anything about diet, tanning, posing, how to pump up, what suit to buy, what to eat the night before, and on and on and on. I realized I probably wasn’t alone, and that this “abyss”of the unknown may be keeping many from trying one of the toughest sports in the world when it comes to training and nutrition.
Competitors don’t risk falling off of a balance beam after years of preparation, or getting knocked out by one rogue lucky punch but, instead, the competition is soley in the preparation. The day of the show is merely an unvailing of a sculpture (or science project) that took months, and even years, to perfect – or at least improve.
Preparing the body for a show takes a lot of planning (and, as you can see in these pictures below shot at the hotel competition day, a lot of packing, cooking, supplementing and planning ahead).
Preparing the Mind
This type of discipline is grueling – and takes a lot of mental fortitude and drive to keep going till the day of competition. This is when, as a coach, a little encouragement can go a long way. I have close to 20 people that are going to compete with me in an upcomming physique event, and the following is a letter I wrote them to encourage them to persever till the end. I wrote this letter to encourage them to say the course no matter what their brain or body is telling them. I wrote this letter to push them to keep faith that in 5 weeks their bodies will be the most amazing aesthtically that they have been in years, if not ever.
Dear Competitor,
Letter to my clients and future competitors out there where ever you are:
First, I want to applaud you all for your commitment, drive, discipline and self-denial – and your courage and your desire to step out into this scary world of physique competitions.
Secretly I am hoping you find it very fulfilling, beyond the seemingly narcissistic focus it may have at first glance. I promise you, this level of commitment, self denial and discipline has perfect carry over into our daily lives. It teaches us to be better parents, boss’s, moms, dads, husbands and on and on…
Here we are guys… 5 weeks to go. Some of you are still on the fence, and that is ok. But next week we are either crossing the line of committing to April 6th, or we are going to gracefully bow out for another show. I am asking you to humbly allow me to help you with that decision. Lets decide together if your physique will be show ready or not.
Please don’t let fear into your heart, or head, when it comes to this decision of competing. It is only a question of being ready or not physically. Emotionally and mentally you will be wondering “what if” all the way up to and even the day of the show. So get that out of your head.
You guys have already overcome so much. We have only been training as a team for 5 weeks so far, and every single one of you has amazed me with your level of commitment. We still have 5 weeks to go. I’ve never had a team with so many firsts, so personally I am overwhelmed with excitement.
What If’s…
Guys (and girls), I know the inbody is messing with your head, I know the scale is your best friend in the morning and then your nemesis by noon. You feel so weak trying to finish the most menial tasks around the house, never mind making it into Max to train. When you finally do have time to train you may feel like you’re letting something else go, or putting other priorities on the back burner. You are paying the price, you are paying your dues. You will all have different levels of sacrifice depending on your support structure at home. Some friends and family are supporting your every move, keeping you accountable, reminding you of how amazing your commitment is – and others… not so much.
Your spouse may feel left out. You may have guilt about picking your kids up at school only to drop them off again so you can train. Your best friend may miss her drinking buddy, or even be jealous that she doesn’t have the guts to commit to this epic training. Get all of this out of your head, because when your friends and family see you on the stage, all will be forgiven.
I have seen my clients go to a show with a skeptic husband, and I watch his face as his bride walks out on stage and his jaw drops. He stands to his feet and screams, number 17, number 17… Or the look on the faces of your kids shouting from the crowd, mom… mom… As a coach, this all plays a part of why I drive you guys, and beg for more when you have nothing left to give. If you are struggling with this, stay true to training, stay true to yourself. The one thing they can’t argue the day of the show is that you deserve the applause they are hearing for you right now.
I would like to encourage you, however, to arrange your schedule to train early or later or in the middle of the day as to not affect your friends and family as much. The less impact our training and diet has on disrupting our social lives, the more supportive our loved ones will be. It is a sacrifice to get up early, to get that extra cardio before your spouse or kids wake. It is a sacrifice to make PB&J sandwiches for the rest of the family when you’re dying to lick the spoon. It is a sacrifice to go out for drinks with friends and sip on un-sweet ice tea in a martini glass – but you didn’t think that all this sacrifice was just in the gym, did ya?
So here we are… 5 weeks out. We feel too fat, too flabby, too skinny, too hungry. By now, I think I have had a chance to talk to each of you about dialing it in for the show. If not, lets talk Saturday so we can straighten out these questions. But in the mean time, stick to the program. Regardless if the scale doesn’t move, stick to the program. If you feel skinny, it doesn’t necessarily mean eat more, and if you’re having a fat day it doesn’t mean you need to starve yourself.
You must “stay the course”. I know you are hungry, tired, emotional, scared, insecure… because I feel these things too – but guys, I can tell you what its like the day after… the accomplishment, the pride, the feeling as though you worked so hard and you deserve the compliments that people give you. It is worth it in the end.
Lets all commit to taking our training and diet up another notch. Don’t put your family and friends second, don’t let fatigue and hunger slow you down, don’t let your eyes tell you your not going to be ready, and never, never, never give up.
StevO’
Think It’s Too Late?
Dr. Josefina Monasterio STARTED competing for the first time when she was 60. She is one of our Team Max members who will compete in the upcoming Southeast Classic in Hollywood April 6th, even after hip surgery. So, NO it’s not too late. Read Dr. Josefina’s story…
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #respectyourself
Sculpting Better Legs: Simple Leg Workout to Improve Your “Sweep”
If you have been following this mess I call a blog at all for the last 5 months you may have heard me whine and whine about my knee. If not, you’re in luck because here I go again. 5 months ago I was getting ready for my first ever MMA tournament. I know,… shut it! But anywho, I was gonna try. Here’s a shocker: my 42-year-old butt got tore up by a 19-year-old monster. I tore my medial meniscus and sustained a 90% tear to my MCL. I was devastated, but now I’m back and I want to not only return to competing, I want my quads bigger and stronger than ever. The area I want to focus on for this workout is the Vastus Lateralis, the largest and most outer portion of the thigh.
How to Improve Your Sweep
How do we isolate out the vastus lateralis muscle, or as we call it in the physique world, “the sweep”? Vastus externus or vastus lateralis, depending on your A&P professor, is the largest of all the quadricep muscles. The action of this muscle is to extend the tibia or shin bone at the knee, but I’m here to help you learn how to perform knee extension to isolate out the other muscles that synergistically aid in this action. In sculpting, it is very important that we learn isolation. Whether we are a bodybuilder, a bikini competitor or a stay-at-home mom that wants to scult their body, we can all use these principles to learn to sculpt nicer legs.
Target Training
Fat burn or spot reducing fat can not be limited to specific areas of the body, no matter what ”bogus science” and pills tell you. However, sculpting most assuredly can be reduced to a single area, action, and in some cases, specific fibers of a specific muscle – all based on how we execute the exercise. You don’t need a degree in kinesiology to learn these principals, just a little common sense is all.
So, how do we excite and fatigue the fibers of our outer quad to hypertrophy our SWEEP?
Narrow-minded
Ok, so here is one exercise you should be narrow-minded about. Narrow is better when we talk about our stance to accentuate or facilitate the contractile tissue of the outer quad. So lets think narrow when doing squats and leg extensions. Whatever exercises you do, stand with a more narrow stance (feet together). You may stop and ask, does that mean if I stand wide, I will work my inner thigh and medial quads? Yeppers! Now you are getting it. (another blog perhaps) Moving on…
Self-Centered
With leg extensions, it’s all about being self-centered – literally. If you point your toes outward, you are working the vastus medialis, the tear drop shaped muscle on the medial side (inside) of the legs close to the knee. Since we want to work the opposite side of the legs, then (yes, you guessed it) we want to point our toes in the opposite direction, pointing toes together. Note: this doesn’t work by just pointing the feet from the ankle down, the whole leg must internally rotate to the center to excite the appropriate muscles.
Here is an example of my own leg workout where I use these same principles to improve my sweep.
Yesterday’s Leg Workout
Warm up: 4 sets / 20 reps
Deep weighted walking lunges (35-50 pound dumbbells) 45 seconds rest btw sets
Couplet: Leg Press & Leg Extension Super Set
(zero rest between super set, 1 minute between sets)
#1 Heavy leg press
5-8 plates each side, narrow stance (4″ apart) and push only on your heels
10 sets / 15 reps
#2 Moderately heavy leg extension
Moderately heavy leg extension (130lbs-160lbs) internally rotate your femur’s in (toes are pigeon-toed), and squeeze your outer quad in terminal extension.
10 sets / 12-15 reps
Repeat Super Set 10 Times
Puke and repeat for 10 rounds(sets) with 1 minute rest between (rounds) sets
Here are some pics from my last show, the Daytona Classic, just 10 days after getting hurt.
It Won’t Be Easy, But It WILL be Worth It! #respectyourself
After I wrote my blog yesterday, Bonnie made this mantra to help us all remember what we are working so hard for.
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Reediculous Shoulder Workout
Everyone who knows I love intense workouts. I believe going through the motions of a standard boring workout routine is a waste of time, so I’m always working hard to develop ways to boost intensity and results. After I put it to the test, I put clients through it – and if it gets the Reediculous Reeaction and Reesult I want, THEN, I share it with YOU! Give it a try and let me know how you like it!
Reediculous Shoulder Workout (repeat 3 x)
10 Reediculous Shoulder Press
10 Reediculous Lateral Raise
10 Reediculous Front Raise
10 2-Pump Rear Delt Fly
Now! It’s time to #getafterit!
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Function or Fashion: Let’s Talk Shoes
Recently, I was part of a national fund raiser for Safe Space, a womens refuge center. The name of the event was called “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes“. It was the most fun, and painful, philanthropic events I’ve ever done. It is all men, walking 1 mile in red high heel shoes. That’s me, 2nd to the left, with my friends (left to right), Dr. Nick Cappola, Tommy Chiarenza and Dr. Clark Beckett.The only thing freakier than the muscular calves of the man walking in front of me, was the guy walking in front of him – that guy was walking just a little TOO good!
After I got home and told Bonnie (my wife) all about the crazy fun, then I had to bow down and give her kudos for wearing such horrific contraptions on her feet. I asked her why she would endure such torcher day after day? Her answer; “high heels just look so good”.
When everything is said and done, are we gonna kill ourselves in the gym to sculpt our physiques, just to put our “nerd” on to go back to the office? If we are going to work so hard to feel and look better, we should want gear that will accentuate our hard work. High heels may hurt, but they look so darn good.
Have My Cake & Eat It Too
What if we could marry the two – function AND fashion? I was in Boston late last week getting a unique behind-the-scenes look at a company that is making that happen. Class after phenomenal class, we had researchers and developers explaining the amazing research and engineering it takes to create functional gear. We then spoke to the merchandisers that research what the consumers are asking for in the form of workout gear. The people leading our discussions were intense about listening. They didn’t come up with a great idea and find a way to sell it. They looked to us, as a fitness professionals and consumers, to tell them what WE need.
Interestingly enough, this company lives and breathes fitness themselves. Their headquarters are built around a stellar state -of-the-art fitness center, and currently has over 1/2 their 1000+ employees at headquarters actively training in an intense training regime known as CrossFit. These guys are truly the creme de la creme of fitness. When it comes to development, they know what questions to ask. The amazing company I am referring to is Reebok. But lets call it Reebok 2.0!
(Here I am getting a workout in at Reebok CrossFit One. Totally awesome experience!)
I already liked Reebok because I loved all their cool colors and styles that have come out recently. But now I understand all the technology that goes into each shoe and how each style of shoe can help me reach my goals.
Reebok isn’t just designing stylish shoes. They are designing stylish functional shoes that can help you reach your goals. For instance, the Reebok Nano was born for function, even though it just looks like a pair of sweet kicks. This great functional trainer not only comes in awesome colors, and is totally customizable online, they have insane features like skid-proof soles that are great for plyo box jumps so you don’t slip and bust your a**, and a totally unique lug pattern (like a tire) on the outside rim of the sole for gripping climbing rope. A tougher sole for heavy abuse, abrasion resistant toe and a tough durable sole makes this shoe more than functional, it makes it successful.
If you are shoe shopping, you probably wouldn’t know all of the coolest features just by looking at it. It just looks like Reebok got fashionable. If you are in the market for a new shoe, you need to do your homework and check out some of the awesome info videos on Reebok’s website or youtube.
Here’s a Quick Review for the Nano from Austin, one of the guys we trained with this weekend in Boston.
PfiestYourThoughtsOnThis
Do you realize how successful you and I would be if we engineered our workouts and diets with the same philosophy as Reebok. What if we looked at our end goals first and developed our training around that. Think of the purpose you would have every time you showed up to the gym, knowing your plan of attack was completely designed to get you exactly the results you desired. For example; Dont eat a pizza and then figure out how it fits into your diet. Instead, develop you diet around your needs, tastes and desires.
Making a plan when you already know what the desired outcome is saves time, pain, and the potential of quitting. It is a sure proof way of surpassing your goals.
Get after it… stay after it!!!!
FitFluential LLC compensated me for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Weekend Warrior: Stay Consistent, Persistent, Resilient
“A month of consistency, trumps one day of power”
I always say, “I’ll never be the strongest guy or the biggest guy”. I don’t have to be a champion or a winner to succeed. I just have to beat one person – me. I do that by never giving up. Always trying. Always persevering.
Over the weekend, I am always tempted to skip my workouts. Instead, I go in anyway, even if it’s a light workout, because I know a month of consistency trumps one day of strength. Here was my shoulder workout from this weekend. Remember, it’s not just about having one good workout, it’s about doing it over and over and over again.
My Weekend Shoulder Workout
Standing Military Press
10 sets of 10
Lateral Raises
5 sets of 15
Reverse Cable Cross Over
5 sets of 15
Arnold Presses
5 sets of 15, 12, 10, 10, 10 (heavier each set)
Exercise of the Day:
Kneeling Lateral Raise on a Balance Ball
Try this exercise to challenge balance, core strength and shoulders.
Subscribe to my blog to follow my workouts and get new ideas to keep your head and body in the game.
In Fitness, You Deserve What You Get
I’ve heard it said that nothing in life is easy. Have you ever tried failing, quitting, stopping, or even just not caring? That is about the only easy stuff in life, and those things, my friends, are a dead-end road to complete misery. So indeed it does seem like everything in life that is worth having is totally worth fighting for, the same as the things in life that seem to come easily are less appreciated and sometimes are taken for granted.
Our physiques and health is no different. When being healthy is a fight, a real fight, the fight makes you appreciate your health to a degree that would confuse other people. When you have to go to war in your cerebellum to get your body off the couch and out the door for a run, or you have to dig deeper than you think you should to convince yourself to go to the gym, don’t you know that in and of itself is sweet victory.
When is the last time you had an amazing workout, only to the leave the gym thinking, “that was a waste of time” ??? NEVER!!!! But how often are we getting ready for bed, kicking ourselves for not making time for the gym? I’ve even said out loud, “Darn it’, I should have gone to the gym when I was thinking about it”!
If you’re not willing to fight for what you want… You deserve what you get.
TODAY’S WORKOUT
Click on the Links to see video instruction for exercises from FitStudio
6:45am Shoulder Couplet Workout & Cardio
#1 SUPERSET – No rest between A & B. 30 seconds rest between sets.
A: 15 reps Seated Hammer Strength Shoulder Press
B: 15 reps Reverse Pec Deck (Alternative workout with bands: Reverse standing fly)
5 Sets
#2 SUPERSET – No rest between A & B. 30 seconds rest between sets.
A: 15 reps Lateral Raises
B: 15 reps Seated Dumbbell Arnold Press
5 Sets
#3 SUPERSET
A: 15 reps Front Raise
B: 10 reps Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press (Alternating left & right arms, we call them Ladders)
CARDIO: 500 Calories of Elliptical (32 minutes)
5:45 Arms
#1 SUPER SET - Complete both A & B back and forth with little rest PRN
A: 10 reps Standing Straight Bar Curls
B: 10 reps Standing Pulley Tricep Extension (with Rope Attachment instead of handles)
#2 SUPER SET - Complete 2 sets of A then 2 sets of B, repeating 5 times with little to no rest.
A Right: 10 reps Seated Concentration Curl
A Left: 10 reps Seated Concentration Curl
Repeat x 2
B Right: 10 reps Tricep Kickbacks
B Left: 10 reps Tricep Kickbacks
Repeat x 2
REPEAT ENTIRE SUPERSET 5 TIMES
