Unintentional Wiener

          Okay, so stick with me on this one because I am going parable for the first time. The Wellness Center that I workout has two dressing rooms that have a mirrored layout. They are essentially L-shaped with the longest L being the section for bathroom stalls, a shower, and two sinks. If you are taking a shower, you are blocked from the view if someone enters the locker room from the short part of the L. But the lockers are clearly in view every time the doors open.

          A few weeks ago, they went and put a retractable curtain so in theory you can stand in front of the lockers dripping wet and naked and if the curtain is pulled, you cannot be seen. The facility is relatively new but I have been attending the gym for well over a year now and a few weeks ago, they finally put the curtain in. My immediate question that came to mind was: “How much unintentional wiener had to be seen before someone finally said, ‘We really need to put a curtain in there’?”

          By the way, Unintentional Weiner is totally going to be my band name if I ever get a band or musical talent or the ability to sing or play an instrument. I am calling it right now. So I have dibs. I think the “dibs” argument totally holds up in a court of law. I can imagine it now. “Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Unintentional Weiner!”

          But I digress. Sometimes, something comes along that is literally a “smack your forehead” moment where you proclaim genius and wonder why this hasn’t been done like this all along. It’s like the Christopher Nolan version of Batman or combining sea salt with caramel. You see it and you say, “Why hasn’t this been a thing from the beginning?”

          So, I rant and rave about Single Arm Linear Jammers as a wonderful way to work the front head of your shoulders. I am reading an article yesterday and this guy is performing the same maneuver but he is doing it two handed. I get excited and say, “Two handed linear jammer? Why have I not realized this is even an exercise?” It makes total sense. I often harp about how anything that can be done with a barbell can be done with dumbbells. Anything that can be done two-handed can be done single-handed. The theories are essentially the same but the results are very different. So now I am penciling in notes to attempt this exercise on my next Shoulder & Lat days.

          I used to do Upright Dumbbell Rows to work my trapezius muscles with dumbbells but I would do lifts with both hands at the same time. Now I do them one side at a time so I can really focus on pulling with that single side. Reiterating my point from yesterday, this is where you need to be constantly looking at research for ways to improve your technique, find new exercises, or see what the pros are doing because you never know what is going to spark that catalyst for improvement.

          Then once those new articles are implemented, you will wonder why you haven’t been doing it that way all along. It is not to say that the things you are doing are wrong but you want to keep dialing in your exercises and your routine to perfect your program.

          And by all means, whenever possible, avoid that unintentional wiener…

Change or Die

           I have developed many reiterations of my Furyan sets over the course of its development and I can pretty much guarantee you that I will not be performing this exact routine between the time of writing this post and the time it gets published. As I have mentioned, the human body is remarkably adaptive. You begin by “teaching” your body what you want it to do. Once it understands the basic dynamics of an Arnold Shoulder Press and you have perfected your form, this is when you will start to see dramatic gains in the amount of weight that you can lift.

           Because of this adaptability and the previously referenced Law of Diminishing Returns, you have to keep finding new and different things to work into the rotation. Even now, as I am writing this I am experimenting with Shotgun Rows to attack my lat muscles and a variation of the squat called a Landmine Squat for my quads. You have to always be on the lookout for new exercises to try.  

           Some exercises, like the One-Armed Linear Jammer, look freaking intimidating on paper but once you execute them, you realize they are really fun and explosive to do. Now, it is the first thing I do in my Shoulder & Lat day but when I started, it wasn’t even in my arsenal.

           You might look at a Hanging Leg Raise and scoff. Trust me, you will get there eventually. So you have to keep looking for new and exciting things to do. My splits and my antagonistic sets are probably never going to change because I feel it is a very solid philosophy. But don’t let the list that I have provided be your sole set of exercises.

           Be constantly expanding in your quest of fitness health. Find exercises that you really like and then build a program around them. Maybe you have health issues or medical problems that are going to limit what exercises you can perform. That is absolutely fine. Adapt. And this is where it is very nice to have access to a personal trainer that can help you design a program around such medical limitations.

           There is also nothing wrong with doing some research and experimenting. Give something a try. You never know what may fire your imagination. Let me stress this as well. Have FUN! The more fun you have, the more likely you are to keep this up.

           When I first was getting started, squats were murder and deadlifts literally made me want to puke afterwards. As a result I dreaded leg day. This is where you have to experiment with weight and reps. Before I understood hypertrophy, I was doing squats at a lower weight for 12 reps. And I thought that was the way to go with deadlifts as well.

           Then I changed my thinking. Why keep muscle under tension for such a tremendous amount of time, when it was an exercise that I hated? Instead, I thought, Let’s just pack the weight on and get in and out as fast as possible. I started doing sets of 5. I started to see real legitimate gains and suddenly getting to 8 reps was not nearly as torturous. Now, I can do sets of 10 and not feel like vomiting.

           You have to be constantly adapting and changing because your body is going to adapt and you will start seeing diminishing returns. Just remember, if you want to increase your bench press, you don’t just do bench press. You do a variety of chest muscles that will stimulate growth and strength. So, keep things changing to see more improvement. 

The Gear You Need: The Weight Belt

           A weight belt is something that you are going to want to have. If you are smart, you won’t be lifting massively heavy weights to begin but you are going to want that belt sooner than later. The old myth is that belts help prevent hernias and prolapsing your rectum, which is pretty darn scary sounding but I cannot validate that claim. I am not a doctor. I just play one on TV and in this blog. Basically, a belt keeps your body synched in, giving your abs something to press against and it stabilizes your back muscles while under heavy loads. If you are squatting the bar, I doubt a belt is necessary. When you start squatting 200+ pounds, you are going to want one.

           I only wear a belt when engaging my core under heavy weight, which for my regiment is squatting and deadlift. I think a good rule of thumb is that if you have to holding your breath to lift the weight, strap that belt on, buddy. Obviously, exercise like the bench press and military press do not engage your abs and core, so wearing a belt during those exercises is pretty pointless.

           They are not expensive. Some gyms have several available or you can pick one up in the sporting goods section of Walmart. I view a belt much in the same way as I view a condom. It is better to wear it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. You may not be deadlifting enough weight to need it but why take that chance? If strapping it on keeps you safe, why not wear one? 

           And here is a pretty comprehensive article if you need to read one over at bodybuilding.com.

 

          Bonus Entry: The Gear You Need

          Time for another great song to put in your MP3 player. I love listening to original music scores from movies when I write because there are no distracting lyrics. Yet, these tracks of raw emotion can be equally beneficial towards getting you pumped in the gym.

           I have been pretty vocal about my love for MAD MAX: FURY ROAD. I am calling it the best movie of 2015 that I have seen thus far and a major contributor to that is the film’s original music score by Tom Holkenborg (also known as Junkie XL). The score for FURY ROAD is very industrial, angry, filled with epic percussion, and has a heroic theme that is one for the ages. This is one that I don’t just “not fast forward” through. It is going to get rewound probably at least once.

          There are the original recordings, which are excellent but there is also a massive 9:00 extended version that will keep you going through at least a couple of circuits if you are limiting your rests. "WITNESS ME!!!"

 

 

1-Rep Max Calculations

           I work out alone. This is partly because of a personal choice and partly because I don’t have any friends and I just want desperately for people to love me. Hence, this blog.

           Okay, seriously, having a training partner would be awesome but finding someone that you can rely on, match schedules with, and is within your lifting range is pretty darn hard to find. When I train, I always have my headphones on so I am pretty solitary. I don’t engage in a lot of idle chitchat. I am not antisocial but I am there to work. Plus, I’ve got dinner to prepare, laundry to do, and I want to watch a Netflix episode with my son. Time is limited. This solo workout style is not conducive for maximum lifts because what if you are on the bench press lifting free weights and you cannot get that last lift? Are you just going to roll to the side and dump the bar? How embarrassing is that?

           The gym can be effing intimidating and most people are afraid to stand out by making a mistake or a blunder. I know one guy that just loves to post all these “gym fail” videos on his Facebook page and these things piss me off because a good guy would offer words of encouragement to someone struggling. But that might be a segment for another time. Chances are if you are new to the whole lifting regiment, the last thing you want to do is struggle publically and, if you are working out alone, working out with very heavy weight can be pretty dangerous.

           You want to be working hard to achieve your lifts. On average, you want to be lifting 75% of your 1 Rep Max (the most you can lift with a single rep). “But Ryan, you train alone. How do you determine your 1 Rep Max?” Excellent question and I am glad you are paying attention. This is where we are going to approach the problem a bit “bass ackward.” 

           Bodybuilding.com does feature a pretty neat tool called their 1 Rep Max Calculator. You can find it here. It is pretty scientifically accurate where you punch in how many reps you performed at a certain weight and it calculates your 1 Rep Max. Obviously, there is going to be a little play there in the accuracy per person but the trick is to take your body to failure.

           If you go until you cannot lift anymore, those accurate reps should be a pretty close approximation of how much you can actually lift in a 1 Rep Max scenario. This is easier to record on something like a Dumbbell Hammer Curl because you can literally curl until you cannot go anymore and when your arms are done, they are done. On something that is a little more difficult (like a Trap Bar Deadlift or a Barbell Squat), you might have one more rep in you without realizing it because you have psyched yourself out mentally, believing that you are done without really going to failure.

           So, how do I know I am training at 75% of my 1 Rep Max? It goes back to my theory of 8 reps clean (with a goal of 10). If I can get 12 reps, then on my next set, I increase the weight by 5 pounds. Trust me, if you are doing this right and really giving it all you have, that 5 lb. increase should chop your reps from 12 to 10 or maybe even 8.

           This is where tracking your workout becomes so important because you don’t want to backslide and pick up a 35 lb. dumbbell just because you are tired when you picked up a 40 lb. dumbbell for the same exercise last week. There is nothing wrong with regression to really focus on your form but you want to work as hard as you can too.

Motivation Monday

Giving Voice to the Demon

           So I noticed something odd the other day and Friday seems like as good a day to comment on it as any. I cannot recall specifically but it was a story detailed in either Schwarzenegger’s book THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BODYBUILDING or his autobiography TOTAL RECALL. In the story he was talking about how a reporter commented how Arnold was always smiling when he was in the gym. He was always exuberant and happy. Arnold explained this joy came from the knowledge that all the hard work he was putting in was transforming him into something better.

           Now, when I am in the gym, I am wearing my headphones 99% of the time. I listen to music that pumps me up and it brings a certain focus and intensity to my countenance, I am sure. There is also a bursting levels of testosterone that comes with heavy lifting and I do find myself making certain “angry faces” when lifting heavy. This is not to say that I am mad. It is just the natural physiological response that comes from your body firing on all cylinders and this flood on natural chemicals would put a woman’s pelvic bones as risk if approached immediately after said workouts.

           When my workout is done and the headphones come off, I consider myself to be a happy person. I joke with the employees (who now know me by name). I give thumbs up to others working hard. And I will smile and laugh with the best of them. And when my routines are done, I do spend a few moments flexing in the mirror. I feel a person should admire the results of this hard work. That is where the smiles come in earnest.

           So, with all that being said, I think it is safe to assume that I enjoy my time lifting weights. I really do. It has become my routine now. I enjoy seeing gains. I like seeing the separation between the muscles in my arms and legs and seeing muscles emerge that were not there before. I still have a long way to go but my limbs don’t just look like tubes of hanging sausage anymore.  I take great pride and satisfaction in that. I do believe that is the attitude of a champion.

           Now, let’s look at the flip side of the coin. We all know that person. They are working hard. They are putting in the effort. For that they should be applauded. But they are complainers. They whine about how much an exercise hurts. They are vocal about the exercises that they dislike. They comment how much they hate this exercise or that exercise. They are too focused on the immediate pain and not the rewards that they are striving to attain for “bikini season” or whatever event.

           There is probably a moment in every coach’s career where they ask their athletes if they are having fun and if they are not having fun then they should quit. This is typically after your eighth wind sprint and you feel like your lungs are about to explode. Here is a hint. In that moment, everyone wants to quit. But you push on because you know all those wind sprints will give you victory in the fourth quarter when your opponent is out of gas. You don’t mind the pain now because you know it will give you an advantage later on.

           Like the great ones say – and this is true – no pain, no gain. You have to find a way to enjoy all that hard work knowing what is waiting for you on the other side. Everyone is miserable in the moments of lifting all those heavy weights but the rush of endorphins that you get from getting one more pull up than the week before or setting a personal record on the Bench Press is what you push through that pain to achieve.

           So what good does it do to complain in the moment? You are miserable doing burpees? Everyone is miserable doing squats. Being vocal about it gives a voice to that demon. Now, maybe the complainers are just naturally negative. That could be the case. Those people are out there. But I think you have to enjoy what you are doing. If not, where do you draw your motivation to continue?

           If I am placing a wager on which person will turn fitness or bodybuilding into a lifestyle, I am betting on the guy who is smiling as he is walking out of the gym over the person that is vocally whining about how much they hate Exercise X or Exercise Y.

           Is it going to be painful? If it is not painful, you aren’t going hard enough. But can you embrace the pain? Can you maintain your morale knowing that the pain is molding into something better? Can you stay focused on what you are going to become? Can you focus on why you are doing this in the first place? If you can answer yes to those question, congratulations. You just made it to the next level.

           And if you can apply that happiness level to aspects outside of the gym… you might just be on your way.

No One Cares

           A while back, I was at the gym doing my thing and a newbie gym goer asked me for advice on how to perform an exercise. (He wanted me to show him how to do a Dumbbell Shoulder Press and then I also showed him the Dumbbell Arnold Press variation as an alternative.) He was a young kid, probably in high school, who was there at the Wellness Center with his mother.

           Now, first of all, the kid was there which means he had taken a greater step than half the people that want to get in shape. Just showing up is half the battle. So he was asking me how to perform a shoulder press and I gave him a brief tutorial. He picked up 25-pound dumbbells and began to attempt a press. His arms were shaky and his form was poor. So I switched him out to 15-pound dumbbells. I was adamant about proper form being the right building block. You perfect your form and then the weight will come. Here were some of the inherent flaws.

           1) Never Lift to Impress. I am starting to get comfortable in my own skin and I like how my arms are developing. I have not (nor will I ever) refer to my arms as a “gun show” but I do feel that they are coming along. Here is a 150-pound kid who probably has minimal lifting experience. He was humble enough to come and ask for help. [If you don’t ask, you will never learn!] But I think he didn’t want to appear as a “girlie man” so he lifted a weight that was far too heavy. You could tell because of the way his arms were shaking and his horrible form. I am telling you people, poor form gets you hurt!

           By dropping the weight, he was better able to control the weight and focus on his form instead of focusing on solely lifting the weight. So when you see that pretty girl in the yoga pants, don’t go lifting weight that you cannot lift thinking you will impress her. It won’t end well.

           2) Worry About You. While there are always going to be lunkheads gym-ratting about, I would say that 90% of the gym goers are not paying attention to how much weight you are lifting. If you are executing to the maximum of your ability and executing flawless form, that is much more impressive than lifting an astonishing amount of weight while blowing a gasket and cheating to get your reps. No one is paying attention to how much iron you are pumping so never feel bad about regressing with weight to achieve better form.

           3) Muscle Memory. Any time that I incorporate a new exercise into my routine, I just anticipate being sore the next day. It is incredibly important to attack your muscles from multiple angles by using different techniques. So if you have never performed an Arnold Press, you first have to teach your body, “Okay, Body, this is the exercise I want to perform.” It may take several sessions for your body to start putting 2 and 2 together. But once it understands what you are attempting, your muscles will “remember” what you are trying to achieve. And once that happens, you can then start progressing with strength gains.

 

           So now if we start putting all three of the elements together, you will start to see a recurring theme. It is not you versus other lifters in the gym. The only person you have to better than is the person you were yesterday. Do not concern yourself with what other people are lifting or how much weight they are doing because serious (or should I say considerate) lifters are not paying attention to what you are doing. They are focused too much on their own program and their own concerns.

           Now, by all means, I am not telling you to use this as an excuse not to push hard. Sometimes we do need a spark to reach the maximum of our potential and break through barriers. But if you are listening to your body and going to the maximum of your ability, everything is going to be fine. Just do you. Just worry about you.

           And if “haters” are gonna hate, just remember what the 21^st century philosopher Childish Gambino once said, “Don’t be mad ‘cause I’m doing me better than you doing you.”

The Gear You Need: Compression Clothing

           It only took me about three sessions in the gym to realize the need for a pair of compression shorts. I picked up a variety of them at Walmart as they seem to have a deal with Starter. Medical studies have shown that compression clothing reduce soreness and speed recovery. By staying close to your body, compression clothing keeps your muscles warm, which helps prevent injury. And in the cold months that we are in right now, limiting exposed skin is not a bad thing. I also like that added barrier that helped prevent chaffing on your legs.

           If you are overweight, you might find yourself feeling subconscious about tight clothing. Believe me, I am right there with you. But I am wearing shorts over these things so it is not like my package is on display for the world to see. So yeah, don’t be that guy. These are not shorts.

           I will warn you that while these things stay tight, they trap in heat but they also trap in moisture despite claims that spandex is supposed to wick away sweat. And the grossest feeling in the world is coming home after your workout, sitting down to tend to some – ahem – biological needs, and then pulling sweat-soaked underwear back on. You have been warned. Plan accordingly.

 

 

           Bonus Entry: The Gear You Need

            What is a Wednesday without a song recommendation? I am digging a little deep into the catalogue for this one but don’t underestimate the clanging and banging appeal of wrestling entrance theme songs as a wonderful motivational tool. Now, first of all I am a mark for Batista and I am equally a fan of the actor Dave Bautista who you might know as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy. So that positive association might bump this track a few notches up the chart for me than it will for you. However, when this song comes on my MP3 player, it never gets fast forwarded through. I am always in the mood for it and I just might hit rewind.

            If you don’t get a few extra reps with this one, you might need to check your pulse.

 

 

Doing the Splits

           “Ryan, I keep hearing people talking about splits. What are these things?”

           Excellent question fictional follower of my blog! And allow me to answer this imaginary question. A “split” is the common term for how you split up your workout. When you first started your fitness journey, I was recommending solely an A & B workout, which by definition would be a two-day split because it takes you two days to work through your entire body. But then as you begin to develop and improve, you will find yourself wanting to improve more and more. Improvement becomes a wonderful drug that it is quite alright to get addicted to.

           Now, as you began to get more accustom to the weight room, you moved beyond the simple A and B Tyro workout that I provided for you in the opening of this blog and then we moved from Warrior Sets to Furyan Sets. This let you spend more and more time working on specific body parts. Unfortunately, we have two big barriers in our way: Lactic Acid and Time. 

           As you work out, your body produces lactic acid which causes your muscles to fatigue so as much as we would like to, we cannot work out endlessly. Plus, I’ve got dinner to cook and laundry to do. I’ve got pages to write. And isn’t tonight the night that ARCHER is on? I cannot spend 4 hours every evening in the gym and fatigue is still very much a real issue. So the trick to this is splitting up your workout to target specific body parts. 

           Ultimately the question becomes, how should I split up my workout? I wish I could tell you that there is an ultimate answer but everyone eventually has to cater their program to their tastes and their availability. How I have split up my workouts works for me and you will have to adapt your program accordingly.

           Through the Furyan Sets there is a day dedicated to chest and back because of the push and pull of antagonistic sets. The next split is shoulders and lats that utilize a push/pull routine. Again, antagonistic sets. The next routine revolves around legs. That day is typically torture so I reward myself the next day with a “fun” routine which is arms; biceps and triceps. By definition, this is a four day split because it takes me four days to cycle through my entire body.

           Now there are other theories that will stagger your days differently than I have arranged them but I feel that this routine is pretty solid. You may hear of people splitting their workout where they have a push day (chest routines and triceps) and a pull day (middle back). I prefer that back and forth routine that gets you that full range of motion so that is my plan. What can I say? It works for me.

           So when you hear me say “splits,” this is what I am talking about.

Motivation Monday -- Dr. King Edition

           In honor of the holiday, I am going to go a slightly different route for this edition of Motivation Monday. Now, I am quite certain that Dr. King never imagined his quotes would be listed on a fitness blog but I want you to keep something else in mind. The tag line of this blog if you will is “Creating a Better You Through Bodybuilding.” This is not just an improvement of the physical. One cannot grow simply within that one area. One should seek to obtain enlightenment in mind, body, and spirit.

           So with that said, let’s look at some quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King on today of all days.

 

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

           This one is difficult to master but if you have faith in your plan, sometimes you just need to put your head down and focus on the task at hand. Don’t look around too much at the big picture because the enormity of your task may be defeating. Just put the work in and climb one step at a time.      

 

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

           Disappointment is always going to be there but you need to nuture the goal to be slightly better than you were yesterday. If you did a mile yesterday, go for 1.05 tomorrow. Get one more rep. Even if you try and fail, know that you can be successful tomorrow.

 

“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.”

           I am amending his quote slightly here in that I am not listing the other two sentences of the quote. However, I found that this is very true. It takes hard work for improvement and all your thought must be bent upon it. As a wise man similarly said, “No pain. No gain.”

Finding Your Why

           To those on the outside looking in working out sounds pretty stupid. Via your gym membership, you are actually paying someone to let you torture yourself. Why would a person willingly take an hour or two out of their day to punish their bodies by lifting heavy weights over and over again?

           What I have found in this world is that you have to “find your why.” You have to choose why you are doing something. And to quote Eric Thomas, “Your why has to be greater than you.” When you are doing something for someone else, you can go one more day at work. You can go one more mile. Because it is not just about you. 

           In June of 2014, I made a decision to improve my life through exercise. The majority of this was for me but there were other motivating factors. I would be lying if I said there weren’t a few dashes of hate sprinkled in there as well. I know that isn’t healthy but it is what it is.

           But one major motivating factor was the dream that I wanted to cut a sharp figure in a tuxedo at my daughter’s wedding. As I walk my baby girl down the aisle, I want to do it on my own knees, preferably without wheezing, and without the aid of a rascal scooter. I figure that since she is who she is, the gentlemen callers will be a plenty. By my estimates, I have ten years minimum. And thus, the campaign began.

           As I have mentioned already, I am the product of divorce. It is a sad and horrible thing to go through a divorce and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. But as you go through that baptism of fire, you find that it is a fantastic time to work on yourself both mentally and physically. A broken individual is perfectly timed for the self-improvement that a program like Furyan Strength can bring.

           Look, the guy that my wife left me for, I don’t know who he is in real life. Mentally, I have painted a picture of him in my head and I think about him when I am tired and don’t want to get another set. “Is HE putting in this kind of work? No.” My goal is to be better than him and I am achieving this on all fronts. Granted, he is an imaginary enemy but it is motivation for me. We all have that imaginary dragon that we want to slay and it keeps me focused when I want to quit. (I am aware that this is not healthy emotionally but if it gets the job done…)

           If you were like me when you are starting this journey of self-improvement, there are going to be times where you think it is going to be impossible. It will seem like you are facing a seemingly insurmountable task and that the mountain is too tall to climb. That is when you have to find your why. Because when you find it, you dig deep down and find reserves that you might not have even known were there.

           That will keep you going and that will keep you motivated. So, let’s end this lesson by tasking you with your homework. Take some time and really ask yourself what you want to get out of training. Decide why you are doing it. Maybe you are like me and you were tired of being fat. Tired of not taking selfies or pictures with your kids because you were ashamed. Maybe there is that moment where you don’t know if you can get another rep. That is often when I look at myself in the mirror and think, You know that little red-haired girl didn’t go out with you because you are fat. Suddenly motivation springs eternal. Whatever your reason, you have to find your why. That gives you direction and it gives you purpose.

           Thus endeth the lesson. Now go forth and do likewise. 

The Importance of Goals

          Having both long-term and short-term goals are tremendously beneficial for anything you want to accomplish in life. I know this sounds strange but you have to have the courage to write your goals down. It seems like a very simple thing but many people are afraid to do this. Writing goals down makes it concrete. This can be intimidating because here is a tangible record of what you want to accomplish. The problem with writing down a concrete goal is that now it is something that you can fail at. It is kind of along the theory of Schrödinger's Cat in that if you don’t write a goal down, you can’t experience failure because the goal was never written. (And some people cannot mentally handle failure. They can be discouraged by it.) The problem is that a goal that is not written down can be forgotten or the margins can be fudged to simulate success.

          I have found that writing down goals can also help you stick to a schedule. When I am working on important writing projects, I actually print out a calendar and map out my page count of where I have to be on any certain date in order to hit my deadlines. If I don’t do this, it is easy to let a Saturday slide by without anything getting done. But if I write out a tangible record that says, “You have to have 56 pages done by the 17th,” it helps keep me on task. You will be surprised at how this written record keeps you focused be it at work, doing household chores, or setting up schedules for a new activity. The same is true of your lifting strategy.

          It is important to set short term goals and long term goals. And these are not goals that you set because of someone else. You set them up for you. For what you want.
          For instance, my long term goal is to slim down to 215 pounds. That is 35 pounds that I want to drop. Within the last few months – if you just look at the weight numbers – I have been failing in that goal because my weight loss has stagnated. But my biceps are gaining in size and my strength goals continue to increase. So, I feel like I am gaining muscle. This is a greater victory than just losing pounds simply for pounds sake. Sure, I could ensconce myself in those garbage bag suits and just do cardio if I only wanted to lose weight. But I want to lose fat at a healthy pace while continuing to grow stronger. You have to be able to look at the bigger picture.
          My other long term goal is to join the 1,000 lb. club. Inspired by Hugh Jackman and his video posts of him joining this impressive club, you have to lift a combined weight of 1,000 pounds across 3 exercises – the deadlift, squat, and bench press. You have to perform a minimum of 3 reps with each exercise. I figure if I can deadlift 405, squat 345, and bench 250, I am there. As of right now, I am in the 890 lb. club but my long term goal is 1,000 pounds.
          I remember when I was first getting started, I read Joe Manganiello’s book EVOLUTION. In that, he was talking about how he would squat his body weight to warm up. When I first stepped back into the squat rack, after being gone for over 20 years, and looking at my starting weight, I knew it was going to be physically impossible for me to just squat my weight, much less warm up with it.
          Now, I was trying to listen to Manganiello’s advice and I was performing reps of 15, 12, 10, 5, 10, and 15. I went back and looked at my tracking and in Week 9, I was doing 135 pounds (which is one 45-pound plate on each side) for this insane rep count that he was suggesting. [Again, this is where I was developing my belief that you need an “Average Joe” workout before you can get to that professional level.] I changed up my techniques, I went to a more reasonable rep range and slowly, over time, I have starting seeing the numbers begin to increase and recently I summoned enough gumption to squat 300 pounds for as many reps as possible. (I got 4.) A few weeks later, I tried for 350 and I was able to achieve 1 rep. I mentally now knew that I could do it once. I just need to be able to add three more reps to that lift. This is not to say that I will not go back and revisit Manganiello’s theories but for now, I know I am not nearly at the level I need be to follow his program. And that is okay. I will get there eventually.
          As my strength increased and my weight began to drop, I thought about what Manganiello said.  In April 2015, my rep range was around 8 reps for 225. Well, if my long term goal is to weigh 215 pounds and if I am doing 225 now to work out, then warming up with my body weight at 215 sounds pretty darn reasonable!
          But when you are sitting at 275 lbs., getting to 215 pounds seems like a pretty large mountain to climb. That is where short term goals come in. So instead of focusing solely on the mountaintop, let’s get work our way up a series of plateaus instead. You set short term goals. “Last week I benched 100 pounds for 3 set of 10 reps. Next month, I want to be benching 120 pounds for 3 sets of 10.” That is a good short term goal. Ask yourself what you need to do to accomplish your goals.
          Short term goals give you something to strive for and it gives you a sense of accomplishment that can become more tangible in an immediate timeframe. Again, this is where you have to embrace the concept of building a wall. You are laying things down brick by brick and when you eventually come up for air, you will look back and be amazed at how far you have come over the course of six months.
          Set your goals. Be realistic but also challenge yourself. Again, you want to give it 100% every time. 

The Gear You Need: Gloves

           If you follow Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on any of the countless social media outlets that he dominates, you will often find him complaining about his “damned calloused hands.” The repetitive gripping of textured barbells, dumbbells and v-bars, it is going to develop callouses on your hands pretty darn quick. (I will let you all insert your own self-pleasure jokes here.) So my recommendation is to get you a pair of gloves as quickly as possible.

           I know that Schwarzenegger advises against gloves but the days of working out in dungeons with concrete floors and using chalk for grip has started to go by the wayside. The Pryor Recreation Center specifically has signs up that say “No Chalk.” I don’t want to come across as “unmanly” but I have developed callouses on my hands from lifting weights and I wear gloves 99% of the time.

            I picked up a pair of Gold’s Gym gloves at Walmart for $10 and they worked well to start. I later got a second pair from Amazon.com because I wanted a pair of gloves that had wrap-around straps for wrist support. I’ve since used three different pairs and I really like the set I am using now. (Reviews will be forthcoming in later articles.)

            If this is you and me talking, when you are sitting in the movies with your girlfriend and she is holding your hand, I don’t think she wants to feel those rough callouses. This is one area where it is okay to be metrosexual. Because – and let me state again – I wear gloves and still get callouses. I cannot imagine what it would be like without wearing them. So, yeah, get you a pair.

 

Bonus Entry: The Gear You Need

            I have mentioned on several occasions that I am incredibly motivated by music. There are certain tracks that you can listen to and just get pumped up. I am aware that some tracks are going to have personal significance that put them up higher on my radar than might be on yours. But I hope that some of these tracks are slightly more obscure and might have been missed but need to be in the MP3. This week’s entry is Champion Sound by Ill Factor.

            Many may know this song from the Assassin’s Creed franchise but for me it is the entrance theme for a local professional wrestler named Jon Cross that is very “wrestler entryish.” Lots of industrial slams, big bass, hard rock, and great lyrics. This is an awesome track for the gym.  

   

The Issue of Soreness

          Yeah, let’s go ahead and talk about it. The soreness… My God… The soreness. So first a little bit of medical backlog. When you are working out, you are literally tearing your muscles. Granted these are not massive tears, they are small microtears and the soreness that you are feeling is your muscles stitching themselves back together. So when you are at the point where getting up and out of your midsize sedan seems like pure agony after leg day, believe me, this is totally normal.

          Someone once asked me when the soreness goes away… Truthfully, it doesn’t. And if you are experiencing this, it is a very good thing. Now I will tell you that the soreness lessens but it doesn’t really go away. I will say that first those first few months you are going to be in agony. Keep in mind, soreness is very different from injury. Knowing your body means knowing the difference and that will come with time.

          Now, as you are first getting started, for those first few months, if you are working hard, we are going to label that level of soreness as a 9 or 10 and the recovery time will be extensive. Much like the alcoholics that need a little hair of the dog that bit them, I have found that languishing about in pain is not the route to go. During all my time, I have yet to buy any sort of analgesic muscle rub (which makes you smell like a medicine cabinet) but I have taken a few ibuprofen from time to time. Instead, getting the heart pumping and blood flowing back into those muscles, getting them warm and loose are going to be better for you than any over-the-counter product.

          We have talked about workout splits. If you have just got done with a heavy leg day, I do not recommend going back and squatting heavy again the next day to relieve the soreness. Rest and recovery are just as important as heavy lifting. But getting on that treadmill and getting that soreness worked out is one of the best ways to relieve that pain.

          Remember, when you are just getting started, you are training your body to do what it wants. Hopefully, as your routine develops and you begin to expand your exercises, you are going to find new ways to stimulate those muscles. As you grow comfortable with shoulder routines, say you add Bent Over Dumbbell Raises that you perform while sitting on a bench. If you have never performed this exercise before, the first few sets are going to be teaching your body what you want to accomplish and this should be done with a light weight. As you begin to master the movement, that is when you will start increasing the weight. As this is a new exercise, it will be “tearing” your muscles in a new way. So, when you wake up in the morning – boom – new soreness.

          Let me stress here. Soreness means growth. Soreness means you are doing something RIGHT. I think if you wake up in the morning and you are not feeling at least a little sore in the target area from the day before, either you weren’t going hard enough or your body has adapted to your exercise choice and it is time to start varying up your routine.

          As you get deeper into your routines and the weeks and months begin to roll by, the soreness level begins to lessen. Let’s say before the pain level was at a 9 and it took a week to recover. You will start to find yourself at a soreness level of 5 and recovery only takes a few days. So it does lessen but as you are rotating in new exercises and finding new things to do, expect to be sore the next day. It lessens but it doesn’t go away and the recovery time is faster.

          Now, I will note something strange that I cannot explain. Last week, Thursday was my leg day. I admit that I was doing slightly heavier than normal Deadlifts. I did Romanian Deadlifts (which target the hamstrings). I also decided on some Straight-Legged Deadlifts (which target the lower back). And then I rounded out the exercise with some ancillary exercises. Friday was a little bad in the soreness department but for reasons I cannot explain, on Saturday, my legs hurt worse than on Friday. This “staggered soreness” seems to happen regularly where it is two days after that the soreness really catches up with me.

          Personally, I like that where after I get home. I sit down on the couch and have some dinner and maybe watch a little Netflix and then when it is time for me to get up, I hobble about like a 90-year-old geriatric. I know I must look pathetic during these times but I keep telling myself that I hurt for that one day so that I can walk the other six days of the week without pain.

          Soreness is a badge of honor that you should proudly wear. It does lessen as you progress but those twinges of soreness and that dull ache when you get out of bed is always going to be there. It means you are working hard and for that you should be proud.

Motivation Monday

 

          Well, we are officially into 2016. What I have found that this is the inevitable time where the gym becomes crowded from all the “resolutioners” that are there because of their “New Year, New Me” mantras that last for about three weeks or so. If you are just finding this blog, maybe you are at a time where you are wondering where to move forward with your fitness goals. If so, I hope that this blog can help you.

           I don’t want to sound like I am downing resolutioners. I really am not. If that 01/01 date helps you move forward, then by all means use that as motivation. Working out consistently is something very difficult to do. But you move forward and continue to put in the work, eventually you are going to turn a corner. Then your workouts start to become a habit and suddenly you feel worse for skipping a workout than the pain you experience while working out. If you can turn that corner, you will no longer just be a resolutioner.  

          There are going to be times where you are going to experience setbacks and failures. Don’t let that stop you.  Take note that this weekend, the playoffs began for the NFL. All the teams work hard all year to get to the playoffs. But for all of those team – with the exception of one – are going to lose their last game. That is a huge kick to the gut because it can be one and done. We saw a loss from the Houston Texans. Now, I am a New York Giants fan but I appreciate the work ethic of one Mr. J.J. Watt. He took the loss very personal and a certain motivator that I idolize even more took to Twitter to give Watt his support and remind him losers stay down.

          Getting knocked down is not a loss. Staying down is. Happy Monday!