Weight Increases

          “Ryan, I am bench-pressing 100 lbs. and I want to bench 175. How long will it take for me to get there?”

          No earthly idea but let’s focus on a better goal instead. Frank is coming into the gym and he has been working on his bench press. As of right now, he can lift 100 pounds for 10 reps in all three of his sets. He is ready to advance to the next level. So he adds the least amount of weight possible to the bar which is a 2.5 lb. weight on both sides. He now has 105 pounds on the bar.

          His rep goal remains unchanged. You want to get 10 clean reps on all 3 sets but you also don’t want to stop just because you reach 10. Your goal is to achieve muscle failure. Now, if Frank can slide 5 more pounds on and already do 10 reps for 3 sets, it means he was being a candy ass and not lifting to his full potential the week before.

          Once you can achieve 12 reps of any given weight, then it is time to increase again. Typically this is done with the smallest increase possible which is usually 5 pounds. Then it just becomes a “rinse and repeat” scenario. There are going to be times where it may take a series of weeks to get up those 10 reps clean and that is absolutely fine. I told you from the beginning that this was going to be a slow and arduous climb.

          This is why tracking your workouts is so important. In six months, you will look back at where you were and you won’t believe the gains and the increases that you will make.

          Just remember, it is better to remain at a lower weight that allows you to focus on form and squeezing at the apexes of your lifts. It is not a defeat to remain at a lesser weight to achieve surgical lifts. You will find that as you start packing on the weight it becomes more about doing everything you can just to complete the lift, even if that means sacrificing form.

          It is better to lift lighter and slower than it is to have to explode through motions to get that weight lifted. Remember, you are a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter. There is nothing wrong with leaving one last rep in the tank every now and again. 

          This is not to say that you cannot change things up. You may choose a week where you increase the weight by 25% and go for 5 reps. You can even decrease the weight and attempt 12 to 15 reps. These weight and rep changes will shock your muscles and encourage growth. But then go back to the 10 rep goal. (Are you starting to see why charting is so important now?)

Motivation Monday

Realistic Expectations

          We have heard countless stories of body issues in America. Women develop self-esteem and body issues when they see all those cover models like Kate Upton and Charlotte McKinney. And there is the endless parade of beauties like Sofia Vergara, Katy Perry, and Scarlett Johannson. This is where things like Photoshop, professional lighting and talented photographers all manage to distort reality. Truth be told, all those magazine companies know (and use) all the tricks to make any average woman look like Playboy centerfolds. Women fall for it hook, line, and sinker. But this is not a problem that is exclusive to females.

          Even as a heterosexual man, I look at male physiques and I do tend to idolize men. I think to myself, “I wished I looked like them.” For me, the ultimate is Schwarzenegger. There are so many professional wrestlers and action heroes out there that I aspire to look like. The Rock, Hugh Jackman, John Cena, Chris Evans… I do lurk quite a bit on bodybuilding websites, looking for helpful articles, strategies, and exercises to try. And low and behold, those fitness magazines and website pepper their articles with professional bodybuilders.

          And much the same way that Playboy uses professional lighting, perfectly tailored clothes, and artistic makeup to “enhance” their models, I am quite certain that the bodybuilders did not just wander into the studio right out of bed and after a 12-stack pancake breakfast. I am not saying that these guys are not cut and jacked but I would bet dollars to donuts that they only shoot those photos at the tail end of a massive workout session and they have professional lighting, makeup, and spritzing water bottles to simulate sweat for those photos.

          When you are working out, you might be trying to compare yourself to these professionals and you are wondering why the veins on your arms don’t look like a highway road map. That is how discouragement sets in…. So consider this. 

          Hugh Jackman’s regiment for him to become Wolverine had him eating boiled chicken and brown rice every four hours. And they had a technique where you overload your body with water for 7 days and then don’t drink anything for 24 hours. This helps get you that “shredded” look.

          Even Chris Pratt, Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy, said that the massive training he did was to get to that one sequence where he knew he was going to be filmed with his shirt off. It is like those orchids that take months to cultivate and then bloom and die in a matter of seconds.

          Go lift up Gerard Butler’s shirt right now and I guarantee you he is not in King Leonidas shape from 300.

          Another thing to keep in mind; when Schwarzenegger was competing, his program was 6 days a week, where he basically did 3-day splits, twice a week, working out morning and afternoon. I don’t have that kind of availability. Few of us do. I have a 9 to 5 job and live in a single parent household. I cannot spend four to six hours a day in the gym. Sleep and work has chewed up 16 of my 24 hour day. It is not fiscally possible and it is not financially prudent for me. Unless I just want to give up sleep and double the miles I put on my car every year.

          I remember when I first got started in the gym, getting through 45 minutes (with cardio) was a nightmare. Eventually, I worked my way up to a solid hour. And now my time in the weight room is averaging closer to an hour and a half. You hear tell of guys spending six to eight hours in the gym. I don’t have that kind of physical stamina to begin with.   

          Now, you have to make time to hit the gym but we all have responsibilities we have to tend to. I’ve got bills to pay and mouths to feed. I’ve got my 40-hour a week job, parental duties, boyfriend duties (if I am dating), laundry to do, meals to prepare, a house to clean, a lawn to maintain, and the beat goes on and the beat goes on…

          Four hours in the gym would leave me only 4 hours left to handle all the other things I have to do in my day. I’ve got pages to write. You have to factor in time to shower. Eat. Commute back and forth. If I went this route, my whole life would be career, sleep, and they gym. There would be no time for anything else.

          See, this is the trap that we often fall into because I idolize the bodies of professional wrestlers and action movie stars. But John Cena’s job requires him to look like he does. When he spends 8 hours a day in the gym, it is like me spending 8 hours at the office. The gym is his office. So it is often an unrealistic standard for me to compare myself to Cena, when he is literally doing four times the work in the gym than me. I am not saying that you shouldn’t have goals. You can look like that. But do not let yourself fall into that “why don’t I look like” trap and get discouraged.

The Gear You Need: Superhero Clothing

           Not to sound too hipster but I was into comic books and superheroes before it was cool. Thanks to all the Marvel movies and such, we live in a glorious time where “geek chic” is now cool. Or maybe ironic, I am not certain which. (God, I hope it is not ironically cool.) But now, you can walk into Walmart and see superhero t-shirts lining the racks. My favorite shirts to workout in are these athletic shirts made of polyester with prints of the various superhero symbols on them. In fact, I posted a progression pic series and a friend asked me, “Do you work out in anything but comic book shirts?” And my response was simply, “I don’t understand the question.” Because why would anyone workout in anything BUT superhero shirts?

           I think it is a common mistake to just throw on old, raggedy clothes because you are going to get sweaty and stinky. I find it is the opposite. I am not saying to work out in a tuxedo but when you wear clothes that make you feel good, you just flat out perform better.

           Here is my theory. Remember when we were in elementary and you had that week where everyone had to take the test with the No. 2 pencils and you had to fill in the circles completely? One of my elementary teachers told us as a class on these days to eat a good breakfast and to wear your favorite shirt. Everyone has those favorite clothes that we love. Maybe you have a positive association with it. It could be for any reason.

           For me, it is my Greendale Community College sweatshirt, my Keep Calm & Chive On shirt, and my retro Rat Pack bowling shirt. There is just something magical about wearing clothes that you love. And if you are going to be clanging and banging, you want to feel good.

           Like Steve Martin taught us in MY BLUE HEAVEN, sometimes to change, you have to change on the outside in order to change on the inside. The clothes make the man after all. So five days a week, I don my superhero shirts and go in to lift weights. They make me feel good. I love the material because polyester doesn’t absorb sweat and get weighty like cotton does. And when you are wearing a Superman shirt and a track from MAN OF STEEL comes on your MP3 player, you get another set. In fact, you are legally required to. If you don’t get another set, the Man Union tracks you down, strips you of your shirt, and you have to work out in Strawberry Shortcake gear for three weeks. No one wants that.

           Now, maybe superheroes are not your thing. Maybe you have a favorite sports team (pro or college) or a favorite professional wrestler. Regardless, I highly recommend a shirt that you like and something that makes you happy to workout in. It is a small thing to do but the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little bit extra.

           So get shopping.  

Women's Fitness

           “Ryan, you are a man.” Yes. Technically. I’m not much of one but I am a man. “So, does your program work for women?”

           First of all “Hello” to all the ladies reading this blog. Hi, both of you!

           As far as I am concerned, muscle is muscle. Men are genetically stronger and women have a different center of gravity but building a bicep muscle is identical if you are male or female. As long as you stick with the hypertrophy theories (explained earlier), then you will be absolutely fine.

           I see ladies at the Wellness Center all the time that come in, hop on the cardio machines for an hour, and then head back out. It makes me want to scream. If cardio was all it took to get a perfect body, then everyone would just come in and just do cardio. I am afraid it just doesn’t work that way. Scientific evidence is piling up enough to create a small mountain, all touting the health benefits from lifting weights – for both men and women.

           I have talked to women in the gym, telling them that they need to do more “clanging and banging.” I have even joked that if they will get on the bench rack with me, I will get on the cardio machines with them. The answer I am given is almost always the same. “I don’t want to get all big and ‘muscley’.”



This is not achieved through cardio alone

           My response to this is always the same. “I have been doing this for over a year TRYING to get big and ‘muscley’ and I cannot do it.” You are not going to turn into She-Hulk by doing one set of bench presses or concentration curls. But if you want that butt like [insert pop star name here], you are not going to get it on the treadmill. You are going to get it in the squat rack.

           Now, just to show you why I am right on this one and to prove this is not just my personal opinion, I will throw a medical sounding fact your way as well. There is a thing called your Basal Metabolic Rate which is how many calories you would burn if you just laid in bed all day. The average BMR is 72 calories per hour. Multiplied by 24, that means… carry the one… denominator, you average person burns 1,728 calories in the course of a day. The more muscle you have, the higher your BMR is. So the more muscle you develop means the more fat you burn in the course of a day. And that is 24-hour, ‘round-the-clock burning, not just the amount you burn while working out.

           This reinforces my belief that the more success you get, the more success you want, and the more you develop, the more success you are going to see. So yes, ladies, the answer is get clanging and banging. And as you will see, bodybuilding is not about throwing around 100-pound dumbbells. I always go heavy for my first three circuits that begin my workout but then it begins to shift to more sculpting exercises that actually work with less weight. It goes back to an earlier article where not all bodybuilders want to be ‘roided out gorillas.

            And if you want a booty like that pop star, you gotta get off the Stairmaster and get under a barbell. Many people avoid the weights because they can be intimidating. Don’t let this stop you! Most of my sculpting exercises involve light weight to develop a total physique.

           Those are the key words: Total Physique. It is an all over program and you get that by performing a blend of cardio and resistance train. Lifting weights are basically the anti-Borg. “Resistance is not futile.” Resistance is the key to success.  

Motivation Monday

Feeling Like a Fraud

           I read an interesting piece on the Internet that said, “Making fun of a fat person at the gym is like making fun of a homeless person at a job fair.” I want you to imagine an excessively overweight person coming into a gym. Most people act like they don’t exist or will watch them out of the corner of their eye, silently wondering to themselves, What are they doing here? I know this seems inherently cruel and there is a chance you might have caught yourself doing the same thing. Don’t fret. It is actually basic human nature. The problem is that the overweight person does not look like he or she belongs in a gym therefore they are looked upon as being out of place.

           Unfortunately, these are the people that deserve the most encouragement and need to be made to feel like they belong. They have swallowed enough pride to actually make it to the gym. I think it was Woody Allen who said half of success is just showing up. So here is a person that maybe doesn’t know what they are doing and doesn’t feel comfortable wearing yoga pants. It was hard enough for them just to walk in the door. The last thing they need is a lunkhead making fun of them when they are trying to improve their lives. Everyone has to start somewhere.

           For the longest time, when I would get out of my car and made that walk from the parking space into the gym, I felt like a fraud. I could see my shadow as I walked up and I just wanted to hang my head in shame and tiptoe inside. It was nothing that anyone did to me directly. I just knew I didn’t belong. That sensation washed over me three fold whenever I was making purchases at Walmart during the initial weeks of my training. Whenever I was just getting started and I went shopping for my gloves, my weight belt, my protein powders, or other miscellaneous equipment, I had this crippling fear that the lady running the check stand would look at my purchases, look at me, look back at my purchases, look back at me, and then place the items in the checkout bag while thinking sarcastically to herself, Yeah, that gym belt is going to see a lot of use. There were even times where I would try to intentionally hit the self-checkout stands just to avoid that situation.

           I am very much aware that this fear is unfounded. I know most checkers rarely pay attention to the thousands of individual items that run through the checkout stands on a daily basis. When I was working in a grocery store, I never paid attention to such things. Truth be told, most good checkers want you checked out as quickly as possible. They are not analyzing your purchases. They are just cranking your items across that scanner to get you out as fast as possible. Still it was my fear. Welcome to the labyrinth of psychoses that is my mind.

           But then months began to pass by and the trips to the gym began to uptick from three days a week to five days a week. I would even squeeze in a sixth workout on the weekend from time to time. Pounds began to shed. Clothes got looser around my waist and I started to drop a size. Suddenly, I began to feel less and less like a fraud. I began to grow more comfortable in my own skin. And instead of slinking into the gym, far too conscientious of my waistline, I began to walk in with a certain level of pride. The trainers started welcoming me by name. And it was here that I belonged.  

           When I am in the gym, I am there to work. I keep my headphones in. I don’t laze around. I grunt. I grimace. I get stuff done. But this doesn’t mean I am overly antisocial. I am quick to give silent “thumbs up” of encouragement and nods of acknowledgement to others that are there. Remember, be the change you want to see in the world.

           You never know how just a simple nod of encouragement can help someone… especially when they are feeling like a fraud. Silently, many people feel this way even when they are scared to admit it. Be nice. Be helpful. Be encouraging. Because the world needs more people like that.

           If I have to boil this down into a bumper sticker: Less lunk, more pump.

Tracking Weight and Ditching Scales

           When I started on Week 1 of my journey, I was too afraid and ashamed to step on the scales. I had an estimate of how much I weighed but stepping on that digital medical quality scale would have made that number concrete. It would have made it real and I would have been certain how much trouble I was in. Truth be told, it had to be over 280 lbs.

            When I finally stepped on the scales a few months in, I was at 275. So I started to go to work. My inevitable goal is 215 lbs. As of today, I am somewhere around 240. But I can tell you that my body has changed dramatically and I think just focusing on a random number on a scale is a mistake.

           I remember going through this strange phase where my pants were getting looser but I was gaining weight. Even now (as of the time of this writing), my weight has remained consistent for the last few months but I have shrank in clothing sizes. I am officially now in a size Large pants and a XL shirt (down from a XL and XXL respectively).

           This one girl that I was dating was obsessed about just getting down to a target weight as if she could just hit this magic number then her body would be perfect. I tried to use a velvet hammer to pound into her psyche that men do not care about how much you weigh. We care more about form and shape. Remember when Batman asked Vicki Vale how much she weighed? “Umm, about 108.” Like that was some magic number that he – as a man – would find appealing. Just for future reference, the only time a guy cares about how much you weight is if he is wearing a cowl and he is mathematically calculating if his retractable grappling line has the torque to lift both you and him to safety. That is the only time he cares.

           

Do think she is concerned with thigh size?

I am aware that the fashion industry marginalizes women based on their size. They don’t make sexy lingerie in Size 16. Mostly that size is catered to by way of a flannel onesie with some sort of cartoon character on it. But if you think you cannot be sexy as a Size 12 you are sorely mistaken. And what is even worse is if you think is a Size 2 is sexier than a Size 10 simply because they are a smaller number. This is just flat out the wrong mentality to have.

           There are times where it is easy to lose focus and get discouraged if you are solely looking at the scale as measuring your progress. Scales rarely share with you the “whole picture.” It is just a number spit out.

           Do not get too obsessed over your weight numbers. Instead, focus on how much weight you are gaining… on the bar. Instead of focusing on how much weight you are losing on the scales, focus instead on how much strength you are gaining in your bench press, the squat, and all your other exercises.

           You will gain so much more satisfaction knowing that you went up 10 pounds on the bench or the squat than if you went down 10 pounds on the scale. Because that weight loss is eventually going to stall. But if that those strength totals are starting to increase, that means you are packing on the muscle.

           Do you really think John Cena cares that he is 249 pounds?

           Don’t let those weight numbers discourage you because there is going to come a point where you will gain weight from the amount of density you are gaining. Just keep clanging and banging and things will eventually fall into place.
***Nerd Alert: Yes, I did just reference 1989's BATMAN as a way to motivate you.***  

The Gear You Need: MP3 Player

                 As Wednesdays are dedicated to ways to improve your gym experience, I could have led off with a dozen different things that you need – the right shoes, the right clothes, etc. But most of that is going to be common sense. (And they will probably also be articles later on. I gotta find some way to bring you back week after week!) But if there is one item that dramatically improves my performance, it is my MP3 Player.

                 As of this writing, I am on my third one. My original was an older, oversized model from Opal that served me great for years. I put it inside one of those plastic sports sleeves that you can Velcro to your arm and eventually the screen crapped out. My second choice was a cheap Walmart “fit player” that was very small and clipped onto your sleeve. The thing had plenty of space but the battery never lasted more than a week and it was just poor quality.

                I am currently using a SanDisk model which is small enough to clip to my sleeve. I tuck the cord up into my sleeve and out the top collar of my shirt to manage the headphone cord. The battery lasts a long time and it has a boatload of storage space so it is more than enough for my current needs. SanDisk seems to make pretty quality stuff so I would use that in your search parameters when you go shopping if you need to pick one up.

                Good music gets me pumped. Unfortunately, the ladies at the Wellness Center in Vinita like to listen to The Twister, which is the local country music station. I am going to lose some followers here but country music is just not my thing. I cannot help but think of Howard Stern’s line in Private Parts where he comments about how people love it but he’s never driven a pickup truck or slept with his sister so he quits the station. I know country music is not all that. It’s not that KKK country but it is just not for me. And if I am clanging and banging, I don’t want to hear songs about tractors and lost loves and beer.

                Now, I will admit to you that if you looked at the playlist on my MP3 player, you would think you have found the electronic storage of a schizophrenic. My play can go from Breaking Benjamin to Eminem to Volbeat to Katy Perry to music from Man of Steel to Linkin Park to Rachel Platten. Seriously, my tastes are all over the board. This is where that “shuffle” setting comes in fantastically.

                Now, I will admit that I know very little about the whole iTunes and Pandora and Spotify but it feels like all that has to be online in order to be accessed. Referencing yesterday’s article, I do not track my reps with a smart phone. I do not even keep a phone with me when I work out. So to me, if you can have a stand-alone offline tech device that will allow you to listen to music uninterrupted, that is really the way to go.

                I will be using Wednesdays to list my music that gets me pumped. My suggestion is – as always – to achieve these through standard means. Back in my day, if I couldn’t afford an album, I used to use tape decks to record songs off the radio. I have heard tale of certain sites that allow you to record Anything 2 MP3. Wait, I misspelled that. It is anything to an MP3. I cannot confirm nor deny that this service allows you to record the audio from places like YouTube or Soundcloud which I guess you could drag and drop into your MP3 player and take it with you. If one were so inclined.

                In a completely unrelated subject, holy cow. Otherwise. Coming for the Throne. Great song. Great for a few more reps. Great lyrics. If this isn’t good for another rep, I don’t know what is.

Write This Down

                 You are going to read on here a lot about how you have to have a plan going in if you want to have success. Every day, I walk into the gym with a computer printout of the workout I intend to achieve that has exercises, weight estimates, rep counts, etc. I always have a plan of attack. I know which exercises I plan on doing with a set amount of target reps. Once you start to get fairly deep into this process, you will be able to estimate fairly accurately how much weight you are going to lift based on previous experience. While I have a column for the planned reps and weight, I have an empty column where I can record my actual count. You do have to be able to improvise. A plan may have to fluctuate based upon the availability of machines and such but I never want to go into a session just planning on doing “what I feel like.” I think that makes you quit too soon and you just don’t work as hard.

                When asked about the pitfalls of people beginning an exercise program, professional cycling coach Ainslie MacEachran said:

“When members walk through our doors the first thing I ask (after saying hello) is what's your plan. Typically their response is ‘I don't know, I'll figure it out as I go.’ Most people don't have a plan, [but] every workout should have a plan. Your workouts will be more effective and time efficient if you have a purpose when you come in.”

 

                I keep the records of all my workouts in a folder that I keep in my gym bag. This is useful in tracking your progress and it is a very nice thing to be able to look at a year from now. I think you will be amazed at the gains that you can perform over the course of 52 weeks. Use that time recovering between circuits. Multitask and record your progress. I guarantee you will not regret doing this. However, writing down your numbers while in the moment is very important. Don’t rely on memory later on that evening or – even worse – days later.

                I try to track everything: workout times, mood, exercises, reps, weight, cardio time and I did this to monitor and analyze my performance. For over a year, I use to plug my numbers into the Workout Tracker option on Bodybuilding.com. (I used to write everything down in a physical record and then plug them in digitally a day or two later.) I do love their site. It gives me an opportunity to track my progress and will even do analysis for me (size gains, strength gains, pounds lifted, etc.). But as I have been dialing in my program, tinkering and fine tuning, I find myself tracking the workouts less and less and just using my Furyan printouts.

                So keep a record of your work.

 

                "Ryan, do you track your reps on a smart phone?"

                Absolutely not. One, I don’t own a smart phone. Two, all electronic devices are left in my locker or in my car. My workout time is my time. Nothing in my life is so important that I cannot unplug from the grid for an hour and half. I have seen the way things operate on my iPad.

                “So-and-so has commented on your status.”

                “Your plants are ready for harvesting.”

                “WarsNerd1138 has attacked your castle.”

                These are all distractions that you don’t need when you are really working hard. Distractions cause you to lose focus and losing focus gets you hurt. Unplug for an hour and make this time yours.

 

Motivation Monday

Happy Monday!

           Happy Monday, everyone! I am very pleased to say that I think that I am finally starting to find my groove here with the blog. If you are new (as most of you will be since this is a week old), I highly recommend reading through the pages that are available via the hyperlinks located below the main header. Think of those as the first chapters of a book and once you assimilate that information, the weekly entries are going to make a lot more sense.

           I think that was one of the things holding me back from presenting the whole Furyan Strength concept was how I was going to present this in a sort of chronological order but I feel I have achieved that via the “pages.” Now, I can shift to a more episodic nature for the blog without having you backtrack through all sorts of pages and articles.

           Also, I am going to go rather heavy with labeling these posts (as seems to be a popular technique) so you can read articles by related topics. I hope you have a great week and are enjoying the pages.

A Seat at the Table

           It took me a long time to come to grips with why I enjoy bodybuilding so much until one day it all crystalized for me. I’ve played competitive sports. And while many times we are told that these are just “games” or “friendly competitions amongst friends.” To this, Lieutenant Worf (son of Mogh) once said, “If winning is not important then, Commander, why keep score?” While I am not one of these people that believe all kids deserve participation trophies, I found myself drawn to games like World of Warcraft because it was five or ten friends against a computer as opposed to battling amongst other players. (I rarely participated in PVP battles.) And while I enjoy the look of STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT, at the end of the day, it is me against other players and as such I do not enjoy it as much. What does all this have to do with bodybuilding?

           At the end of the day, the only person I am competing with is me. My goal is always the same: Be a little better than I was yesterday. Five more pounds, one more rep, more precise in my form,   these are all ways that I can improve. While there are many bodybuilding competitions that are out there, I have said repeatedly that I do not feel this is my goal. I don’t want to be that guy with the seven-foot shoulders tapering down to a pair of four-inch jockey shorts. I just want to look good naked; to be physically pleasing to the eye.

           In your quest to achieve this goal, you can create an odd camaraderie at your local gym. It has been my experience that people are tremendously helping and encouraging of one another. Maybe I am lucky in my journey thus far. I am certain there are always going to be lunkheads that will chastise those of lesser skill. Or there are going to be those jealous girlies who see the hot chick and whisper to each other how she is a slut or a whore. I think it was the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle who once said, “Haters are going to hate.” I might be paraphrasing him. But I feel these are the far ends of the spectrum and do not represent that vast majority in the middle.

           Why is this level of camaraderie so evident in a gym?

           The reason is surprisingly simple. Your success does not exclude someone else from achieving what they want to achieve for themselves. It is not like there are a limited number of seats at the table. There is more than enough room for everyone and I am willing to bet that those already seated will be more than happy to reach back and offer you a seat beside them. Most are incredibly encouraging.

           What is more, most people are more than happy to share with you a formula that works. Once I started posting entries (and a few selfies) on my Facebook page about my progress, people would come to me wondering what I was doing. The approach was always the same. They wanted to know what I was doing but said that they understood if I didn’t want to share my secrets – like it was a top secret formula that I was keeping hidden all to myself. I can understand why people are reluctant to give up that information, like they found a fountain of youth and they didn’t want to share the location.  

           But here is the thing, I DON’T WANT IT TO BE A SECRET! This is why I am putting this out on the internet in the form of this blog. I want you to succeed. There is a very real chance that you will start working through the Furyan sets and discover something that maybe I am overlooking. Some simple advice from you – from the outside looking in – could help me elevate my game by giving me a different perspective.

           I think the only reservation that serious gym-goers will have is someone wasting their time. The washout rate in the gym is sickening. Want proof? Go to any gym on January 1^st and count the number of people and then come back a month later. So maybe a serious lifter doesn’t want his workout interrupted knowing there is a 75% chance his advice will not be put to good use. But once you establish yourself as a “regular,” I think you will be amazed at how included you will become within the family.

           Me? I will certainly give you that “thumbs up” and a nod of encouragement. Just don’t interrupt the middle of a Breaking Benjamin song or an intense lift.

Theory Thursdays

           As I mentioned earlier in this blog, Americans don’t want to be told to do something. They want to be told why to do something. By doing this, it gives someone a greater general understanding of the principles behind the practice. This helps you digest the theories and then adhere to them later down the road. So I felt that on Thursdays, I would spend time talking about why we do things.

           I know it is easy to confuse this with Technical Tuesdays and even as I write this I am aware that the two entries may end up blending together. But think of Tuesdays as articles like “How to Bench Press” where Thursday articles will be more along the lines of “Why to Bench Press.”

           I think that by explaining my theories of why I do what I do, it will help inspire you to tweak your own program and make it your own. So on Thursdays prepare for more of intellectual approach to these articles, ways to generally improve, and maybe more than a few anecdotes that will hopefully be informative but also entertaining.  

           This is what Thursdays are going to be about. And while that leaves today’s article a little shallow, here is some inspiration for you. I truly wish more women would take up this attitude. We need to quit celebrating Do-Nothing Bitches and take pride in those that are truly talented and making their own way in the world.

           I want to infuse my daughter with this kind of confidence.

 

Worker Wednesdays

           While many of my blog entries are going to focus on certain exercises and theories, there are certain intangibles that go into improving your overall attitude towards working out. There are things that you are not going to find in your average book.

           Wednesdays are going to be dedicated to things like workout gear, the need for an MP3 player, song lists, podcasts to listen to during your cardio, recipes (wait until you try Furyan Chicken!), product reviews, and other such things to make your workouts generally more enjoyable.

           I also want it noted that as of this writing, Furyan Strength has no official sponsors. I am not shilling for any company. These are just my honest to goodness reviews of products that I have used on a regular basis.

           So my goal is to vary these up from week to week to give you something a little different. I certainly don’t want things to become monotonous here. So be on the lookout on Wednesdays for things to help you improve your general overall workout.

Technical Tuesdays

           Like so many projects out there, Furyan Strength was not just cobbled together overnight. I didn’t just scream my ideas into a tape recorder over a weekend and have a secretary transcribe what I was shouting. I shared this program with several of my IRL friends before putting this out there on the web and most were amazed at the complexity of everything and how much there was to it.

           If you ask the average man on the street what bodybuilding is most are going to tell you it is just picking up heavy weights and setting them back down. If you have looked through any of my program, I think that it is safe to say that is the furthest from the truth. There is real science to this.

           But for someone out there, today is there first day in the gym. They need that guidance. They need to be told why to use a weight belt and why not to round their back when performing squats. Don’t get me wrong. I know my commentary is downright hysterical and should be performed as a one man show on Broadway. But I am willing to bet that if you are here, you are looking for advice on how to improve. And that is what this blog is all about.

           Knowing what I know now, there are times where I keep asking myself, “Do I really need to point this out?” There are many times where I do have to remind myself that someone is starting at Square 1. To me, a concept like Antagonistic Sets and performing circuits is fundamental. It just seems blatantly obvious.

           I think you have something special to communicate if after you tell someone something their comment is “I cannot believe I didn’t know that but, now that I do, it totally makes sense.” I am sure someone in England way back when went to the government officials and said, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t keep corpses in our drinking water.” Lo and behold, after the fact, that nasty bout of cholera almost seemed to fix itself! It is right up there with not jamming forks in electrical sockets and how doing it underwater means she cannot get pregnant.*

           But there are times where you need someone to come along and tell you that performing a pronated arm curl works the muscles from your thumb to your elbow. So, there are going to be times where I am going to be pointing out things that to me are blatantly obvious. To an experienced lifter, they may read these articles and say, “Duh, everyone knows that doing it underwater means she cannot get pregnant.” But there are novices out there who need that advice. And that is the reason why this blog exists in the first place.

           No one instantly sits down and knows how to bench press. Even if you mentally understand the concept, you still have to train your muscles to make them do what you want. My hope is that you have discovered this blog and you can put my theories into practice. If you are doing that, congratulations because you have made it farther than those people that just talk about getting in shape. 

           So, on Tuesdays, I want to focus more on along the lines of why we do certain things and technical aspects of certain exercises. My hope is that the Tuesday articles will help you gain a better understanding of why we do what we do. The more you understand that, the more you can begin to customize your routine to best suit your needs.     

           *Umm, yeah. Full disclaimer. She can get pregnant underwater. Don’t be silly. Wrap your willy.

 

Rise & Shine...

          Rise and shine.

          6 a.m. and your hand can't make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it's too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of bed. Aching muscles lie still in rebellion, pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move. A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to Dreamland. But you didn't ask their opinion. The voice you've chosen to listen to is one of defiance. A voice that's says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor, and don't look back because we've got work to do.

          Welcome to The Grind.

          For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way. 10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you, each one promising the path of least resistance. Thing is you're headed upstream. And when you make that choice, when you decide to turn your back on what's comfortable and what's safe and what some would call "common sense," well that's Day 1. From there it only gets tougher.

          So just make sure this is something you want. Because the easy way out will always be there, ready to wash you away. All you have to do is pick up your feet. But you aren't going to are you? With each step comes the decision to take another. You're on your way now. But this is no time to dwell on how far you've come. You're in a fight against an opponent you can't see but, oh, you can feel him on your heels can't you? Feel him breathing down your neck. You know what that is? That's you... Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky.

          But don't lose heart. While they aren't easily defeated, they are far from invincible. Remember this is The Grind; the Battle Royale between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who's telling you that this is just a game. This is just a waste of time. Your opponents are stronger than you.

          Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat. Burn away your self-doubt with the fire lit beneath you. Remember what you're fighting for and never forget that Momentum is a cruel mistress. She can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake. She is ever searching for that weak place in your armor, that one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for. So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains. Is that all you got? Are you sure?

          And when the answer is yes, that you've done all you can to prepare yourself for battle THEN it's time to go forth and boldly face your enemy, the enemy within. Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory. You're a lion in a field of lions all hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says VICTORY is the only thing that can keep you alive.

          So believe that voice that says, "You CAN run a little faster," and that "You CAN throw a little harder," and that, for you, the laws of physics are merely a suggestion. Luck is the last dying wish of those who want to believe that winning can happen by accident. Sweat, on the other hand, is for those who know it's a choice. So decide now because destiny waits for no man. And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you you're not ready for it, listen instead for that lone voice in dissent, the one that says you are ready. You are prepared. It's all up to you now.

          So rise and shine.