Building Strength

I haven't done a Trendy Tuesday in a while. This is a trend that I am actually following but modified it a little bit to better suit me. The original program is called StrongLifts 5x5. This takes 5 exercises with the barbell, and divides them into 2 routines. You only do 3 exercises per routine. Below is an example of it:

While this workout gets results, I wanted to add more each workout. I do all 5 exercises in one day and do 5 sets of 5 reps for each one, yes even Deadlift. I also throw in a day of isolation exercises for muscles like biceps, triceps, and other smaller muscles. I have done this for a few weeks and can already tell a huge difference in my strength. Here is what my schedule looks like.

Monday - 5 x 5 x 5 (Squats, Bench Press, Overhead Press, Deadlifts, Barbell Rows)
Wednesday - Isolation
Friday - 5 x 5 x 5 (Squats, Deadlifts, Barbell Rows, Overhead Press, Bench Press)

If you have never done lifts before, start your first week off by doing very light weight so that you can practice proper form and avoid injury.

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Full Body Workout Routine

I have been waiting to share this workout with you for a while now. I started it a few weeks ago and have had amazing success in fat loss and muscle gain. The last few months I have been doing the Push/Pull/Leg method and there is nothing wrong with it. I lost a lot of weight, got stronger, and became more lean. So why did I change it up? It's good to confuse your muscles and introduce new exercises to them every now and then. Doing this regimen also causes you to workout your muscles 3 times a week instead of only once. Let's take a look at my new workout.

Full Body Workout - Day 1 - Monday

1. Dumbbell Bench Press (Chest)
2. Lat Pull Down (Back)
3. Shoulder Press (Shoulders)
4. Standing Bicep Curls (Biceps)
5. Tricep Dips (Triceps)
6. Barbell Squats (Quads, Hamstrings, Butt)
7. Standing Calf Raises (Calves)
8. Vertical Leg Hip Raise (Abs)

Full Body Workout - Day 2 - Wednesday

1. Leg Press (Quads, Butt)
2. Standing Calf Raises (Calves)
3. Ab Twist Machine (Abs)
4. Seated Incline Bicep Curls (Biceps)
5. Tricep Extensions Laying Down (Triceps)
6. Upright Row Barbell (Shoulders)
7. Seated Row (Back)
8. Standing Fly with Cable (Chest)

Full Body Workout - Day 3 - Friday

1. Close Grip Bench Press (Triceps)
2. Barbell Squats (Quads, Hamstrings, Butt)
3. Vertical Leg Hip Raise (Abs)
4. Incline Bench Press (Chest)
5. Standing Calf Raises (Calves)
6. Dumbbell Shrugs (Shoulders)
7. Lat Pulldown (Back)
8. Bicep Curls with Cable (Biceps)

Each exercise I do 4 sets of 10 reps. I also only allow 30 seconds between rest times. This seems pretty hardcore but it will make you see results almost twice as fast. The first day I did this, I worked so hard I puked. Not saying I encourage that but it just shows you how much harder it is than the previous regimen I was doing. Also, the reason I switch up the exercises is so that all muscles get a time to be your first exercise (when we are at our strongest). You don't want to do squats last every day because you will deprive them of heavier weight. On your days off it's a good idea to do some cardio or just stay as active as you can. During the weekends are my days off from the gym so this workout works perfectly.

In conclusion, I love this regimen because it is fresh, difficult, and has shown me results in only 2 weeks. I feel stronger, more in shape, and am cutting fat much faster than before. Try it out next week and let me know what you think.

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Flat Belly Workout

We have all seen the pictures online. Workout routines that promise to shape you up in one area. Legs, abs, and arms. While these may seem silly and useless, they are actually pretty helpful and I know people that have seen results in a quick time from doing them. Today I am going to share the Flat Belly Workout. Try this once a day for a week and I bet you will notice a difference.

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Weight Training Burns More Fat Than Cardio

This post is all about what the title says, weight training burns more fat than cardio. Now I could just stop there and hope you believe me, but let me tell you why and what exactly it means. Cardio is by no means bad or a waste of time, but when it comes to getting lean and losing fat, weight training is your best option for better and faster results.

Let's take a look at cardio. Usually this is done on a treadmill, track, elliptical, bike, or running outside. Big benefits from cardio are it helps your heart, builds your endurance, and can help with weight loss. Although it has some benefits, there are some reasons why it is not the best option for cutting fat. First, it is boring for the most part. Treadmills have to be the most boring piece of equipment and same goes with the elliptical. Beginners and people taking it easy usually use this equipment because it is safe to use and doesn't take a lot of thinking to do it. Although it does work your heart out, it doesn't ever stress the heart to deal with sudden changes, which is something your muscles needs to grow stronger. When you are doing the cardio workout, your body is working, but when you stop, your body stops working quickly after you are done. This means that you don't get the benefit of your body burning extra calories. The last thing that makes cardio undesirable is that you have to do it for hours to get the results of just 30-45 of weight training.

So let's talk about weight training and why it is better for losing fat. When you weight train you are stressing your body more by adding weight to range of motion movements. Doing this causes your metabolism to boost and burn lots of calories. Because you are stressing your body and making your heart work harder, your body continues to burn calories even after your workout is done. The term associated with this is called Exercise Post Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). This alone is why weight training burns fat better than cardio. Weight training also builds your muscle that replaces the fat in your body. Now you are losing fat and gaining muscle, which is something cardio cannot do.

Now I am not saying to stop doing cardio. It still burns calories, some people find it fun, and it can improve your stamina if you are into sports. Personally I don't do cardio on gym days because I would rather weight train my full body. Once a week I will have a cardio day to build stamina and improve my running and swimming. If your only goal is to lose fat though, I would highly consider switching to weight training primarily for best results.

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Fitness Apps

If you are reading this blog, then chances are you are technologically aware enough to have a smart phone. Whether it's Droid of iPhone, they both have apps that you can download from their market. Today I am going to share a few of them that I have used before and liked.

Pumping Weight
iOS App
This is real useful when planning out your workout routines and charting your progress through the weeks. It let's you chart how many reps and sets you do for each exercise and categorizes muscle groups. I started using it this week and it helps me log my workouts easily.

iMuscle
iOS App
This is amazing! It starts with a 3D body and when you chose the area you want to work on, it shows you a list of exercises to do that work that specific muscle. You can also log workouts and track your progress. This is a little more detailed than the one above, but I personally will probably start using this one after a while.

MyFitnessPal
iOS and Droid
This allow you to keep track of what you eat through out the day. The database of foods they have is very current and accurate. I used this when I first started dieting and it really helped me control my eating habits. After a while I didn't need it because my habits were gone.

RunKeeper
iOS and Droid
I'm not much of a runner, but this app makes running a little more fun. This is a GPS enabled app that tracks where you run and logs your time and distance. It allows you to set goals and you can even brag about your improvements on Facebook. It's pretty much like the Nike+ but Nike isn't paying me so I am sharing this one haha.

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Home Workouts

Do you hate the gym? Does the thought of getting ready to go workout in public make you want to go back to bed? Well you aren't alone, many people feel the same way you do. To say someone can't get in the best shape of their lives by working at home, is wrong. My wife has been doing some variations of workouts at home since she is with the baby most of the day and can't go to the gym really. So far she is down about 5 lbs and said she is feeling great so far. So let me show you a nice 30 minute workout to do everyday from your house.

Stretch - 5 minutes - Although you may feel this is stupid and wastes time, you are doing yourself 2 favors. Loosening up your muscles for the quick workout ahead and actually burning some calories.

Jump Rope - 10 minutes - This may not sound hard, but if you go a good 10 minutes without taking more than a 5 second break here and there, you will be tired. I usually do this in my garage but you can do it on the driveway too. If in an apartment, maybe try finding a spot in the parking lot that is vacant.

Pushups - 50 - If you need start by doing pushups on your knees, that's fine.

Squats - 50 - Make sure to use proper form when doing these to maximize the exercise.

Superman - 5 minutes - If you don't know what this is, it is where you lay down face down, and then raise your arms and legs and pretend you are flying like Superman. Making sure to focus on your core to keep you up. The exercise calls for you to lift up and hold for 5 seconds, then release and repeat. You can sway right to left to if you want to spice it up.

Jumping Jacks - 100 - Just do 100 jumping jacks. Easy.

Pushups - 20 - Last ones for the day.

And there you have a simple workout routine you can do at home with the only equipment needed is a jump rope. If you can't jump rope, substitute it for jumping jacks for 10 minutes. You can also stretch if you want afterwards. You should feel great after doing this. If you are sore the first few days, don't worry, it's normal.

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Sexy Legs Workout

Summertime is here. Well, not officially but it sure feels like it. Now is the time to bring out the shorts and bathing suits. If you are like me and have been working out all winter and spring, you aren't too worried about what your beach body might look like. If you are like most people though, you have some areas that you would like to fix before you get into a bikini or board shorts. Today I am going to share a poster I saw online that shows an incredible leg workout. It is mostly targeted to women but men can easily do this too and see results.

So there you have it. I would say it would be OK to do this every day if you have the drive and want to. Maybe give yourself one day off for rest, like Sunday. If you follow this every day, I would say in a month you will have some awesome looking legs. Don't expect a quick fix and also remember to keep diet in mind while you do this. Here's to looking good this summer!

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Technique is Crucial in Weight Lifting

It's that time again. Training Thursdays is where I give you tips and advice on how to train correctly. This week I want to talk about form. A lot of people go to the gym and have never really been trained by a professional on how to properly weight lift, and it shows. I will cover some of my pet peeves in the gym and tell you why it's so important to keep form in mind.

LAT PULL DOWN

The first is the lat pull down machine. This is a great exercise to do to build up your back and shoulder muscles. This is also the machine that makes me mad at people the most. I see more people using bad form at this machine than any other one. Here are some pics I found on Google that show bad form.

This form is bad because arching your back like this will not get the full benefit of the workout. This is what people usually do when the weight is too heavy and they can't execute it properly. This also leaves your back in a vulnerable position to cause injury. Do not do that.

 

This is the worst one. I see guys do this ALL the time. I don't know why exactly but people think this will work out your back better than doing it correctly. Whatever lies you were told before, forget about them. This is a big no no and you are seriously setting yourself up for neck injuries.

This is the correct form to use. Upper body straight and bring the bar to your chest. There's no other way around it and no room for compromise.


SQUATS

Another exercise that many people don't execute properly is the squat. I will admit I am new to doing squats in my workout. When I first started I was doing it wrong, but I could feel I was doing it wrong so I stopped and asked my brother (ex-professional athlete) and he showed me the correct way. Now I do it with no problems and feel great about it. Here are some no no's for squatting.

This diagram shows you the wrong way to do a squat. Notice how the guy's knees overlap his feet. You never want this to happen. If you are doing this then you are not squatting correctly and probably have too much weight. You also notice that he is putting some pressure on his toes. Never do this. All your weight should be coming off your heels.

This picture shows a woman doing squats incorrectly 3 different ways, and 1 correct way. Notice how in the wrong ones, she is arching her back, lowering her head, and using her toes to pick up. These are all bad things to practice when doing squats. The top left picture is the correct form you should use. The reason it is so important to do squats correctly is because you can mess up your knees and hamstrings real bad if you practice bad form. These are injuries that can be long lasting.

So there are the 2 most frequent exercises that give me high blood pressure when I see people performing them at the gym. Do your homework and make sure that you use good form when you do any exercise. It will not only save you from injury, but will make your workout more efficient and work your muscles better.

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Workout Soundtrack

I hope everyone had a great weekend and a special shout out to all the Mom's that got to celebrate Mother's Day yesterday. This Mental Monday I want to talk about choosing the right soundtrack to go with your workouts. I won't make this too drawn out or boring because this is pretty common sense stuff. So let's get to it.

Every time I workout at home or go to the gym, I have to have my iPod with me to jam music. This is not because I get bored and need something to keep me going, but because it actually helps my mind work harder and keep a good tempo of working out. There are good songs to play when working out, and there are bad songs to play while working out. Not to say the bad songs are actually bad pieces of work, but they are not beneficial to someone exercising.

You wouldn't want to workout to slow, sad, and emotional music while working out. Why not? Let's take a song everyone might know. "Hurt" by Johny Cash or NIN. While this is a very touching and brilliant song, the tempo of about 60 BPM and the words he speaks, does not motivate anyone to move and push themselves to the limit. Songs like this are meant to listen to while you sit down and ponder your existence, not to pump you up. Can you imagine seeing someone at the gym sitting at a machine for a good 6 minutes looking like they are about to cry? Not cool. Anything that is slow, whether it be depressing or a love song, should not be put on your workout playlist.

So what music should you listen to? Some experts say that songs that are around 120-140 BPM are the best for working out. I personally love listening to The Devil Wears Prada or anything that is very uptempo and heavy. Metal is one of my favorites because not being able to understand the vocals actually helps me concentrate on my workout instead of the meaning of the song. Dance, Pop, Rock, and any other uptempo music is ideal. This tempo is also good because it gives you a good tempo to execute exercises at. Too fast of a tempo will wear you out and too slow will make you drag a long and eventually quit.

In conclusion, pick songs from any genre that get you going and have a good tempo to it. Having the right playlist to workout to can help you push through the hard parts and make working out a little more fun.

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30 Day Squat Challenge

Hello! I apologize for skipping a few days, just been very busy. I am back today though to share something for Trendy Tuesdays. Recently, I saw a bunch of people on Facebook post a picture that was called the "30 Day Squat Challenege". It came with a picture of a woman's booty and instructions on how to do it. Below is a picture I found that is a little more tasteful for my female audience.

I have not personally done this, but I have asked around and gotten some feedback from some people and based my own opinion on it.

PROS

• Everyone that does it says they see results within the first week, and are happy with the results at the end of it.
• No one seems to of given up because it was too hard.
• Because you aren't using weight, the amount of squats you have to do are reasonable.
• Everyone likes a firmer booty

CONS

• Not very popular with men. Tends to be something women try. Although men appreciate the effort by the women.
• After the 30 days is up, you have to figure out a workout to keep your lower body in shape and continue to work out. 
• Doing this every 30 days is not the best idea. You will eventually plateau and get discouraged because your body stopped changing.

So really, it's not bad at all. Just need to keep in mind that this is a temporary exercise that should help your lower body get into shape for the gym or running. Also, make sure to stretch before and after doing this so you don't cramp up, especially on days where you have to do 100+ squats. I encourage women to try this if they have no gym membership but are trying to find a way to get great legs at home.

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Big Weight for Big Results

What is up everybody? Today on Training Thursdays I am going to talk about a routine I added to my weight training at the gym. For the last 4 months I have been using the Push/Pull method and it has worked very well, but I decided to try something different that would give me bigger results. So far, it is working.

A couple weeks ago I read some posts by Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was on Reddit. Some guy was mentioning doing a workout that consisted of mostly bar workouts. Arnold said it was great but to add some isolation exercises on different days. This got me thinking and experimenting. I decided to go with this plan of attack:

Day 1 - Monday - Bar/Heavy Weight Day 
On this day, I focus on going as heavy as I can doing the appropriate amount of reps and sets.

• Bar Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - use about 70% of what your max bench press is
• Lat Pull Down, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - remember to pull down to your chest, not your back.
• Incline Bar Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - I would go 20-30 lbs lighter than what you benched normally.
• Seated Row, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - try for same weight as lat pulldown
• Decline Bar Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - use same weight as incline
• Bar Bicep Curls, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - use half the weight of seated row
• Tricep Dips, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - use either the machine or a bench 

Day 2 - Wednesday - Isolation Day 
On this day, I focus on making my body symmetrical. If I feel like my left arm is getting more of a workout using the bars, then I will add a few more reps to my right arm during isolation day. Eventually your body will learn to distribute power evenly and extra reps won't be necessary.

• Dumbbell Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - try to do same weight as bar bench press
• Dumbbell Bicep Curls, 3 sets of 8-10 reps -you can also opt to do 3 sets of 21's (I described this in an earlier post)
• Tricep Pull Down, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - it doesn't really matter what extension you use, I like to change it up every time.
• Cable Crossover, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - use around the same weight you curl each arm with.
• One Arm Lat Pull Down, 3 sets of 8-10 reps - do one arm at a time to isolate
• One Arm Row - 3 sets of 8-10 reps - same weight as pull down
• One Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension - same weight as curls

On Friday I would do leg day, which I added bar squats to, and days in between I do most of my cardio. So far I have done this for 2 weeks and I can already see a huge difference in my muscle formation in my upper body. Each time Bar/Heavy Weight day comes I try to add 10-15 lbs on each exercise.

I think this works better because I am using heavier weight with the bars then I was when I did a lot of dumbbell and machine work only. Dumbbells are still perfect for isolation day. If you are trying to beef up like I am, go ahead and try this out next week. Let me know if you see an improvement in your strength.

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Zumba Zumba Zumba

Today on Trendy Tuesdays, I am going to talk about a fitness trend that has been growing in popularity with women and I think it is a great idea. Ever heard of Zumba? It is basically an hour long cardio class that combines latin music and dance moves. I have not heard many negative things about it so this post should be short and sweet.

I am going to generalize this post and say that mostly women are fans of Zumba. There is no reason a man can't do it, but I mean, c'mon. So why do women love Zumba so much? What makes it different than the other hundred different types of cardio classes out there? First off, there is music being played the whole time. Not just booty rap or hard rock, but intense and upbeat latin music similar to salsa or something along those lines. This alone will make any workout a lot more fun and give you a solid tempo to work out at. Second, it is comprised mostly of dance moves that mirror excellent cardio workouts and give your body a full workout. This in turn makes you a better dancer while getting in awesome shape. Who doesn't love that? Finally, the classes are an hour long and fairly cheap compared to other classes. This means that you can get in great shape for only an hour a day and not break your bank. Although, I would think you would only want to do classes 3 times a week at most. This is a pretty intense workout to do daily.

So there is nothing wrong with Zumba? Well, there are always the normal things to look out for. A bad instructor can ruin any class. Make sure your teacher knows how to execute the moves correctly without causing injury. I would think that a bad music selection could make the class a lot more difficult also. If you can, see if you can get a sample of some of the music that will be played. No one likes to dance to music they can't feel. This is suppose to be fun. I would also suggest getting a good pair of cross training shoes so you don't beat your feet up too bad. Dancers are known to beat up their feet so be prepared with a good pair of shoes. Other than that, I would say it is a pretty safe thing to do without too much concern for injury.

In conclusion, if you are looking for an uptempo, fun, and rewarding cardio exercise to be a part of, I would recommend Zumba. Finding a class near you should be no problem since the popularity of the classes have grown so much in the last year. Most gyms offer it and even dance studios advertise it. With something as fun as Zumba, there really is no excuse to not get up and get going.

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Extreme Cardio Days

Sup? Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I have been studying for an exam required by my job to move up, so I have been nose deep in studies. Good news is I passed so I'm free for a while. So let's get back to it. Today on Training Thursdays, I am going to talk about my Wednesdays at the gym. Every week I have a day I call Extreme Cardio Day. Why do I call it this? I'll tell you.

I start early in the morning around 6am at the gym. I do a good variation of stretches for about 10 minutes, because I am about to work the heck out of my legs. After warmup, I hop on the cardio bike and do a moderate resistant level for 20 minutes. After the bike, I quickly hop on the treadmill and go for another 20 minutes. After the treadmill, I get on the elliptical for about 15 minutes or so. After that, I change into my swimsuit and start doing laps in the pool for 30 minutes. After that, I hop in the hot tub and unwind for 10-15 minutes. Tired yet? lol

So let's break this all down. I start with the bike, because it is the easiest machine to do in my opinion. I can do 20 minutes pretty easily without being too tired. When I get on the treadmill, I will usually speed walk with an incline for about 5 minutes, then I run at 6mph for 10 minutes, then go back to speed walking for the remaining 5 minutes. On the elliptical, I just use the standard setting and do this for about 15 minutes. This maxes out my legs and gives them a nice workout. Finally, I jump in the pool and do laps until I can't take it anymore, usually 30 minutes. I do this last because I get wet and I don't want to go back into the gym soaking wet. Also because I jump in the hot tub right afterwards to unwind.

Now I do have goals when I do this. It is part of my training for the triathlons I will be starting in September. My goal is to increase resistance and speed every week, even if is just a few notches on the machine. My biggest weakness is running, so I always try to run longer than I did the previous week. So far, I have been keeping to my goals and getting faster and stronger in my cardio. Another reason I have this day, is because on days I do weights heavily, I don't want to do too much cardio and wear myself out to where I can't max out on weights. I'm a big dude and want to keep the muscles and stay strong. I'm not going for the marathon runner look.

Would I recommend this day to everyone? Absolutely. You don't have to do the same settings I use, but doing these exercises at your own pace will be a killer cardio workout and if you keep it up and strive for goals, you will be amazed at what your body can do. I never in my life thought that I would be able to do days like this because I was never a cardio person. Now I am burning almost 800 calories on Extreme Cardio Days and love every moment of it. Best of luck if you are trying this and remember to always WARMUP! If you don't, you are setting yourself up for injury. Also remember to eat enough food that day because of all the calories you burn. I usually go for 3000 calories those days because 3000 - 800 is 2200, the right amount of calories I should have a day. With that in mind, best of luck! Please be safe, be strong, and stay fit.

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My Wife's Workout

Thursday already? Sweet! This week on Training Thursdays, I am going to share an exercise program I am giving my wife that she will use at the gym. Guys can also do this program, but I made this to meet my wife's goals.

My wife gave birth to our beautiful daughter back in June. She has been dieting fairly well with me, but has not been very active in exercise yet. Since she is more fragile than normal right now, I don't want to push her too hard at the beginning. After a few weeks, she can go back to full workouts. So let's get to it. She will start on a 2 day routine per week. Here's what she needs to do:

Day One

• Stretch for 5 minutes (Important because we will be focusing a lot on her legs)
• 30 minutes on a cardio machine (Elliptical, Treadmill, Bike)
• Stretch for 5 minutes
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Squats (For now, I would recommend machine squats)
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Calf Raises
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Machine Leg Curls
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Back Extensions on Roman Chair
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Captains Chair Leg Raises
• Stretch for 5 minutes

Day Two

• Stretch for 5 minutes (Important because we will be focusing a lot on her legs)
• 30 minutes on a cardio machine (Elliptical, Treadmill, Bike)
• Stretch for 5 minutes
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Machine Bench Press
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Bicep Curls with Dumbbell
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Overhead Press
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Lat Pulldown (Make sure to bring to chest, not behind neck)
• 3 sets of 10 reps : Tricep Dips (Machine or on a bench)
• Stretch for 5 minutes

That's it. This workout will probably take about an hour or so to complete on each day. I would recommend increasing weight on each set, so start off with something comfortable. I know some of you are saying this is pretty light of a workout, but remember this is for anyone who has not worked out in a while and needs to build up some strength before working out to the max.

In conclusion, work out! Make sure not to push yourself too hard if you are getting back into lifting weights. Wait 2 weeks before maxing out and pushing yourself to the limit.

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Insanity is Insanity

What up!? This week on Trendy Tuesdays, I'm going to talk about the workout program called Insanity. I will discuss some good and bad things about.

My wife and I tried this program out a few years ago at our townhouse. We were pretty pumped up about it and really wanted to get in shape fast. We had the schedule they provide and were ready to follow it. The first day we did it, OMG, we were dead tired. It reminds me a lot like basketball drills. Bunch of running and jumping and twisting and shouting going on. I won't lie, it was a great workout and hard enough for even athletes. The one big mistake we did, was not to drink the smoothie they tell you to take after each workout to rebuild muscle and all that fun stuff. It didn't bother us at first, but after a few days of working out like this, we were out of energy. After about 6 days, we decided to throw in the towel.

If we would of taken the smoothie like directed, I'm sure we might of lasted a little longer. I do not think we would of lasted to day 60 though. We had not worked out in over half a year and were not in the best shape. When I first started this my friend Larry told me that the failure rate for this program was around 90%. I took this as a challenge and decided I was going to finish this. Boy was I wrong. The constant cardio and burning of calories depletes your energy so fast, that if you are not nurturing your body constantly, then you will burn out fast and quit.

Does this mean that Insanity is a fraud and no one should do it? Absolutely not. I would say if you are in great shape and/or an athlete, this can be a challenging exercise you can do at home instead of hitting the gym as much. It works every muscle in your body, is an intense cardio workout, and is safe if you follow directions. If you have any health problems, definitely consult with your doctor before trying it. This is not for beginners.

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CrossFit

I hope everyone is having a good start to their week. Tuesdays are hard, keep going strong. Today I will start Trendy Tuesdays. This is a little break from my more technical posts. Every Tuesday I will talk about a new trend in fitness or one just in general. This week I will take a look at CrossFit.

CrossFit is a fairly new trend in fitness that is picking up huge popularity in both cities and small towns. The general synopsis is that a bunch of people get together in a warehouse type location and workout using Dead Lifts, Olympic Lifts, Squats, Pull Ups, Headstand Push Ups, and anything that doesn't require a machine like at a gym. They mostly use dumbbells, Kettleballs, medicine balls, and barbells. The objective is to perform a workout system of constantly varied functional movements executed at a high intensity level. Does it sound hard? It is.

Pros of CrossFit are quite rewarding, and a reason why classes sell out and are rather pricey in some parts. The exercises they do are extreme and require multiple reps at fairly heavy weight. With proper form and a good instructor, you can build muscle and agility really quick. CrossFit is also very competitive because you are going against the clock with people in your class. This makes it a lot more fun than working out by yourself. Overall, the workout will get you in better shape in a quick amount of time.

Cons of CrossFit are ones that need careful consideration. Some CrossFit gyms have instructors who earned a certificate after taking a moderately easy exam and that's the extent of their knowledge. This is dangerous if bad advice is given. I am not saying all instructors are like this, many are highly trained and should be your first choice, but others are just doing it for a quick paycheck. Make sure to research your instructor before you choose a gym. With all the power lifting and heavy weights in high reps, it is easy to injure yourself or set yourself up for joint and muscle problems 10 years from now. Proper technique and training needs to be enforced. If you are just starting out exercising after years of not, then start off with easier classes and build yourself up. These courses are intense and not for the weak.

In conclusion, if you have the money and are already in pretty good shape, I would say CrossFit is an amazing workout to do to get in even more shape. It is definitely not for everyone, and you should research everything you can before attempting it. Stay fit.

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Push/Pull/Leg Workout Method

This morning I was thinking of what I can talk about today. I have so many ideas and stories to share, it was hard to decide where to go next. That's when I decided to make every day of the week something unique. Today we start the first installment of Training Thursdays. Every Thursday I will discuss old and new techniques for working out and what I personally do to keep in shape.

The workout routine I follow is one called "Push/Pull/Legs". Below is the schedule I follow every week:

Monday - Push
Tuesday - Pull
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Basketball
Friday - Legs/Abs
Saturday - Off
Sunday - Push
Monday - Pull
Tuesday - Off
etc...

As you can see, I never keep the same schedule every week, because there is an odd number of events that I do. The only one that remains the same is basketball on Thursdays, because this is when me and my friends have decided we can play for a good 3 hours after work. I recommend finding an activity you like to do every week other than working out so you can keep it fun. Now let me explain what I do on each of these days.

"Push" days train all of the upper body muscles that are involved in pushing exercises. This primarily includes chest, shoulders and triceps. Example of workouts I do are:

• Bench Press or Dumbbell Press - I recommend dumbbell press if you are working out alone, because the bar press can be dangerous when you get heavier weight involved.
• Decline and Incline Press - I do these to workout all parts of your chest. This is important if you want a well defined chest.
• Shoulder Press - This is great for working out your shoulders.
• Cables Crossovers - This is a workout that doesn't receive enough attention. Doing these is a great way to make your triceps stronger.
• Pulley Pushdowns - This is a great workout to target your triceps. I use the rope, but you can also use the iron bar if you want. I feel that the rope isolates the triceps better and is a little harder.

Those are the exercises I generally do on "Push" days. Sometimes I will add a tricep dip or another way of doing shoulder press if I am feeling pumped. This is a good start though for those trying out this method.

"Pull" days train all of the upper body muscles that are involved in pulling exercises. This primarily includes back and biceps. Example of workouts I do are:

• Wide Grip Pulldown - This is a key exercise in working out your back and biceps. I sometimes see guys pull the bar behind their back, this is a big NO NO! Besides injuring yourself, you are not getting the full potential of the workout. Bringing the bar to your chest is the correct way to do this. I cannot stress that enough.
•  Machine Row - This is a great exercise for your back. You can either use the machine row or get on a rowing machine at the gym.
• 21's - Not many people have heard of this one. My friend Jon Robert taught me this one time in high school when we were at 24 Hour Fitness. It's called 21's because you do 3 sets of 21 reps for each arm. I would recommend using a light weight because it can wear you out. I use 15 lbs on this exercise. You setup like you are doing bicep curls, and then you curl halfway up 7 times, then full curl 7 times, then halfway down 7 times. This is a beast workout for your biceps and you will see results almost immediately. Thanks Jon!

These are the main workouts I do on "Pull" day. I will usually add a few bar curls, isolated rowing machines, and maybe some machine bicep curls. If you do the 21's it is almost enough of a workout on your biceps to only do that along with the back workouts.

 "Legs/Abs" day train the entire lower body. This primarily includes quads, hamstrings, calves, and abs. Example of workouts I do are:

• Squats or Leg Press - This is a key workout to get your quads in beast mode. This is like the equivalent of bench press for your chest.
• Calf Raises - I do this on two machines actually, and is a great way to isolate your calves.
• Leg Curls - This is a great exercise to work both your quads and your hamstrings. You can do this in a forward motion and also laying down. The laying down way focuses more on your hamstrings.
• Captain's Chair - You may have seen this but didn't know it was called this. It is the piece of equipment where you hold on above the ground, and raise your legs up. This is a monster workout for your lower ab section.
• Back Extensions - This is where you lay face front on a little piece of equipment and raise your upper body up and down. This is great for your lower back. The reason I do this on abs day is because it goes well with the other exercises I do for abs.
• Crunches- You know what these are! I do enough until my abs are burning.

These are the main workouts I do on "Legs/Abs" day. Like the other days, I will sometimes add variations of these workouts if I feel I haven't pushed myself to the limit.

So there you have it, my workout routine. For all exercises, I will do 3 sets of 10 reps unless stated otherwise above. If you are trying to build muscle, I would increase weight after every set by a minimal amount. If you are just trying to tone up, keep the weight at the same but make sure it's not too light. The reason I like this method of working out is because it targets a group of muscle per day. This decreases your chance of injury due to muscle fatigue and actually helps build muscle faster because you are targeting specific muscles each day and giving them the attention they deserve. I also will do 30 minutes on the elliptical every day I workout as a warm up and extra workout for my legs.

In conclusion, you want to work out at least 3 times a week and give yourself at least 2 or 3 days rest per week so that your muscles can heal and build. The routine I just showed you is not for everyone, especially those who don't visit the gym as much as I do. If you are good about keeping your routine and want to get in shape faster, I definitely recommend trying this out in the future.

*If you have questions about any of the exercises I listed, please feel free to comment below and I will explain in more detail or find a picture to demonstrate it.

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