Motivation Monday

Be Your Own Renaissance Man

           In the movie Renaissance Man, Danny DeVito is discussing Leon Battista Alberti who was an Italian humorist, author, artist, poet, linguist, philosopher, and cryptographer amongst other things. According to the dialogue of the movie, “They said that he could stand, with his feet together like this, and spring straight over a man's head.” To which DeVito’s character says, “If Leon Battista Alberti couldn't have done that, I wouldn't have remembered a thing about him.”

            This made him an oxymoron. It made him a smart jock. Now, what have I said since the beginning? Furyan Strength is about developing your body, mind, and spirit. Keeping your body sharp will also help keep your mind sharp and I think it works the other way too. Before I started this journey I had no clue what whey protein did for my body. Or BCAAs. Or why I should take Vitamin E. Or the importance of muscle balance and symmetry. I think most people associate all bodybuilders as dumb jocks who just lift heavy weights. But listen to any of the testimony of Dr. Jim Stoppani and I don’t think anyone can deny that lifting weights is a science. But then I saw an image on the internet that really made me think.

Tough but Truthful Talk

          I hear women talk all the time how they want to have the butt of this pop star or the shape of this movie star. Just diet and genetics are not going to do it for you. If you want a big butt (or strangely if you also want to get rid of your big butt), you HAVE to squat and deadlift. That is going to build those butt muscles more than hours on the treadmill.
          We are told all the time how men like women with curves. No one wants to cuddle with a stick at night. And “boys like a little more booty to hold at night.” Speaking for myself as a representative of Man Nation, I can tell you that this is true.
          In February 2015, it was national news when Ashley Graham – a “plus size” model made it into the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. (For the record, she didn’t make it in the issue. She was the spokesmodel for an ad for Swimsuits For All which ran in the issue.) In an article I was reading, she was labeled as a “size-16 beauty.” She was quoted as saying: “Jennifer Lawrence is the media's poster girl for curves — she's tiny.  There needs to be more education in schools, because that's where eating disorders start. It's not just about being healthy; it's also about loving who you are."
          And Ms. Graham is right. Earlier that year, Jennifer Lawrence was labeled as “curvy” and did a picture shoot with a boa constrictor. I think it is the new socially acceptable way of calling a girl “fat” much the same way that “thug” has now replaced describing someone without using the N-word. But if you think Jennifer Lawrence is fat, you have a seriously skewed view.

          And then lo and behold, last week, guess who is featured on the cover of the 2016 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Yep, Ashley Graham. And you better believe she looks amazing!
          Yes, I will go on record that Ashley Graham is an amazingly beautiful woman. She is billed as a size 16 but she can wear a bikini and make it look good. To paraphrase Walder Frey, I bet when she takes that dress off everything stays right where it is.
          So let’s be real honest here. Curves are sexy. Fat is not. Cellulite is not attractive. When things begin to fold and hang over other things, it is not attractive. I am sorry, ladies. It is the truth. But I am talking for both men and women here. This is why you see more pictures of Channing Tatum without his shirt than Jonah Hill.
          I think that people just get too darn caught up in the numbers. I am 5’11” and (as of this writing) I weigh 249 pounds. Conversely, WWE wrestler John Cena is billed as 6’1” and weighs 249 pounds. I have a very distinct feeling that his 249 and my 249 are way, way different.
          But what if told you that it swings the other way too? Just because you can fit into a size 4 dress does not mean you are going to immediately be more attractive than someone who is a size 10. That woman wearing a size 10 might have a rear end that looks like an upside-down heart that country music guys write songs about. If it is big and shapely and swallows up a g-string, yes, most men are going to find that more attractive than a stick figure. 

          This is where I think women need to quit obsessing strictly over their dress sizes. Do you really think Gina Carano or Ronda Rousey are worried about the diameter of their thighs? I seriously doubt it. Because of their work ethic, if they gain an inch diameter on their thighs, it is going to be because they are packing on muscle. No dude ever in the history of dues is going to complain about that.
          So if you are a woman picking up the weight for the first time, I would judge your progress not by your body weight and/or dress size but by the amount of iron you are pushing. Yes, you might gain pounds on the scale but what if you elevate from bench pressing 45 pounds to 75 pounds? To me, those are numbers to be proud of.
          But I think women are afraid to pick up weights because they have a stereotypical image in their mind of a female bodybuilder. We think of those Eastern European “women” who you are convinced might be taking horse steroids. “Eww, I don’t want to get all big and bulky.” To which I want to reply, “I have been doing this for a year trying to get big and bulky and I cannot accomplish it!!!” If you are looking at women in bodybuilding competition photos, these are the 1% that train like machines.
          I guarantee you that every woman in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue does some sort of weight training. I am not saying they are slapping on four of the 45 lb. plates and squatting 225 pounds but they are doing some sort of weight training.
          If you are afraid that you are going to get all veiny and have stuff start bulging out in places… don’t. Again, doing one Google Image Search is going to represent the top 1% of these female bodybuilders. And like all photo shoots, they are getting oiled up and working out beforehand. It is not a representation of real life.
          And if it makes you feel any better, guys have the same kind of “body envy” as women do. Or at least I do. I see guys like John Cena, Chris Evans, and Hugh Jackman and I want to look like them. But Hugh doesn’t look like the Wolverine 24/7. And Chris Pratt likes beer way too much to be in Star Lord shape all the time.
          What I am saying is don’t let your dress size determine your success. I think if you ask 100 men, they would tell you that they prefer a size 10 that is filled out and shapely over a woman that is a size 4, never visits the gym, and is rail thin simply through diet and genetics. 
          So, seriously ladies, don’t be afraid to get clanging and banging.

Furyan Reviews: Six Star Casein Protein

           Today, I am reviewing Six Star Pro Nutrition’s Elite Series Casein Protein Triple Chocolate Dietary Supplement. The stats on the product come from purchasing it at Walmart.

           What Is It & Why Do I Need It? In the nutrition section at Walmart there is Whey Protein, Whey Isolate, and Casein Protein. It is easy to wonder what exactly does what.

           Whey protein is a supplement taken 30 minutes after your workout in order to help you build muscle. It is specifically designed to be absorbed and digested very quickly. If whey protein is the vitamin C that you put under your tongue to be absorbed into your body rapidly, casein protein is a slow release capsule that gives you medicine over hours.

           Casein protein is absorbed and processed very slowly into your system. The purpose of casein is to give you a slow release of protein over the course of eight hours, so you take it just before you go to bed. Your body absorbs the protein as you sleep, so you are building muscle and you also wake up feeling less famished because you have been slowly “eating” over eight hours.

           Benefits and Cost Analysis: Walmart’s standard price is $19.97 or 62.4 cents per ounce. According to the labels, there are approximately 26 scoops per package, so using this five days a week while training is going to get you a month’s worth of product.

           Each scoop offers 20 grams of protein and if you take it with 1 cup of milk (they suggest 10 oz. per scoop), that is 8 more grams of protein for a total of… carry the one… denominator… 28 grams! 28 grams is pretty much a whole other meal, so if you are looking to bump your protein numbers up, this is a pretty solid way to do it. Now, of course the packaging suggests that you take two scoops for optimal results but I sometimes think that they list that just so you are using twice as much product and Six Star can make more money.

           Just the casein protein is 120 calories (with only 1 gram of fat), so this is a pretty clean way to stack protein into your diet, especially if you use skim or 1% milk.

           Ryan’s Review: Compared to Body Fortress’ Whey Powder, Six Star’s blend is very billowy and light. It smells nice when you open the container and, once blended, it actually has a very nice taste to it. I expected it to be rather “mediciny” for a reason I cannot explain. It is a chocolate lover’s dream. There is probably a reason why it is only sold in chocolate. Who is choosing vanilla or strawberry over chocolate? Taliban members, that’s who. 

           I have not had the nerve to try to hand stir this stuff because the last time I tried that with whey powder, the results were not pleasant. The looseness of the powder does make it someone difficult to blend. I often see clumps of unmixed product on the sides of the blender. So put your milk in first, then the powder. I am not certain if the results are psychosomatic or if they are genuine. I can tell you that when I wake up in the morning, I do not feel as hungry.

           Plus, you can almost fake yourself out into believing that this is a very thin milkshake. It is chocolaty (which I love) and knowing that I am going to have that “treat” at 10 p.m. often keeps me from indulging in something sweet after dinner.

           The only real drawback to adding in this supplement is that I am hand washing my blender twice a night now (once for my whey protein after my workout and then once at 10 o’clock at night).

           I want it clear though. This is not a meal supplement. You don’t take this instead of having dinner. You have this in addition to your dinner. I am very pleased with the results so far and while this is one more thing I have to buy every month, I feel it is a solid addition to my nutrition plan and I am going to stick with it.

Morning v. Evening Workouts

           The answer for what time you work out is inevitably going to be up to you to decide depending on your situation and there are pros and cons for both scenarios. For my schedule, evening workouts are just easier for me.

            I think the problem that a lot of people do not understand about small town life is that the town that I live in has very few amenities. Adair, Oklahoma has a population of about 800 people. Sure, there is the school, some convenience stores, and we just got a Dollar General a few years ago (woo, uptown living!) but my home town is pretty small. So you have to go into “town” to get real services – say grocery shopping at Walmart. So while I live in Adair, I commute to Vinita which is approximately 24 minutes door to door. But I get to go 65 almost the whole way and I never ever have to fight traffic. Getting from one side of Tulsa to the other would probably take as long for most people to commute during rush hour. So I love my small town life.

            Thankfully, the Wellness Center where I work out is less than a mile from my office. So it doesn’t make fiscal sense to run back home after a workout. Now, I have worked out in the morning on days where I know the evening is going to be crunched for time. I do admit that I enjoy them. I can work out on an empty stomach, which means my body is eating fat stores for fuel. But then I cannot eat my standard three eggs and sausage prepared at my house. It means I have to buy breakfast which I hate.

            I can shower at the gym but my body feels like a furnace after a workout so even with a cool shower, I am still sweating into my work clothes. That I do not like. It means I have to pack a long a towel, work clothes, toiletries, and such. That just does not for a fun day make.

           If I want to do a protein shake after, I would have to haul my blender to the office or buy one to keep there. What am I? Rockefeller over here?

           There is always that looming specter waiting with his Grim Reaper-style scythe. Of course, I am talking about the clock.     Whenever I work out in the mornings, I always feel like I am looking at the clock saying, “Okay, if I stop now, I still have time to shower and can make it to work on time.” I just don’t like that feeling.

            Now, I will say this. Some days are rougher than others. That phone won’t stop ringing. The stresses of the job can wear you down. And by the time 5:00 rolls around, you just want to go home. By working out in the morning, you don’t give opportunity for excuses to derail a workout. And if you are worried about being tired and sore after a workout, I find it is the exact opposite. I feel like working out before work gives me more energy throughout the day. 

            Eventually, I would love to get to the point where I am doing both morning and afternoon workouts but, point blank, I like sleep too much. I know The Rock is up at 4:30 in the morning for his cardio… and that is probably one of the reasons I don’t look like him.

            So you have to weigh the advantages for yourself. Me personally? I am sticking with afternoons after I get off work. You have to inevitably decide what is best for you. 

Motivation Monday

Lifts v. "Little Kicks"

           I know. I know. Once you start reading this, you are going to assume that I am serving up an ice cold bottle of Haterade and to an extent I am but bear with me. So, it was a few months into my workouts and as I will espouse often in this blog, people are creatures of habit. Eventually, your schedules are going to start synching up with other gym-goers and you will inevitably start seeing the same people in the gym. So for around six weeks, I came to be in the gym as the same time as an individual that I will call “Little Kicks.” I didn’t know his real name. It is not like we wear name tags. I always wear headphones in the gym and that limits my interactions and conversational engagements. I am not anti-social or a jerk. I often make eye contact, give thumbs up of encouragement to the elderly ladies on the cardio machines, and I am happy to talk after my workouts when my headphones are off. But during “game time,” I am there to work.

           Now, the Wellness Center that I work out at is pretty darn small. It is essentially a one room facility. So for about six weeks, I found myself working out alongside “Little Kicks.” Now, I will be the first to tell you, I don’t know what he was training for. Maybe he was looking to build stamina. Maybe he was doing the cardio to train for a marathon or cycling. He was in a lot better shape than me and his body fat percentage had to be pretty darn low. And most of the time he had a girl working out with him that had a killer body. She had that “onion booty” – a butt so good it brings tears to your eyes.

           So next to the free weight squat rack is a television and this duo would come in and perform some routine by following along with a DVD. I don’t remember what it is called. I know there are dozens of these programs out there. Billy Blanks has Tae-Bo. There is Insanity, P90X, and whatever the flavor of the month of those routines is. (I honestly cannot remember which one they were doing. Something called T-25, maybe?)

           Now, the goal of any exercise routine is to get that heartbeat elevated. That is burning calories and that means burning fat and losing weight. Seriously, if you looked at that guy and you looked at me, you are taking advice from that guy over me any day of the week. So, whatever he was doing, it was working for him. I guess.

           I never try to paint myself as better than anyone else. But there was a moment where I could see him out of the corner of my eye. Here I am loading up heavy plates on the squat rack. I am pushing iron. I am clanging and banging. And here he is doing his exercise routine that involves all these hops and jumps and little kicks (hence the nickname).  And despite my 20% body fat, I just felt like that if the Most Interesting Man in the World walked in the gym, he would see me racking the weight, sweat dripping off of me, and all huffing and puffing. I think I would get his nod of approval. Whereas I feel like Little Kicks should have his Man Card removed from his wallet.

           I guess at the end of the day, you can JUST do cardio. I see gym goers all the time that come in, hit the treadmills or the elliptical machines, walk their miles and then go home. I was speaking with one older lady in the gym who tells me she walks four miles. I will not lie to you. At a brisk pace, I do not think I could walk four miles straight. Being on the treadmill for an hour has zero interest to me.

           But the counter to this cardio argument is that if the goal is to elevate that heartrate, I would rather do it through steady lifting. The cardio person is burning calories and fat and getting their endurance up. I get all that but to me you are not building anything. I would rather get that double dose of success by burning calories through lifting weights. No one ever jumps off the treadmill, stands in front of the mirror and flexes their legs. It makes me much happier to complete a chest routine or an arm routine and then stand in front of the mirror and perform a Front Double Biceps or the Most Muscular pose.

           I often hear ladies commenting on how they want to look like So-and-So from Hollywood. They want this girl’s booty or that girl’s butt. But I never see them on the squat rack or doing deadlifts or one-legged cable kickbacks. I want that one two punch of exercise where I am lifting weights and getting cardio via lifting. If just cardio is your thing, then by all means, get after it. But I still feel if you want to see real improvement, you have to pump iron. And that is not just me saying that. That is medical science that is pushing heavily towards resistance training for weight loss.

           So, clanging and banging. Or little kicks. Choice is up to you.

Posture & Power

           There is a belief that the body follows the mind. George Patton has a quote where he talks about the body is always tired but if the mind is not tired the body will not be. Strangely enough, scientists have discovered that it works the other way too.

           Remember when you had to take standardized tests as a kid? One of my teachers encouraged us to wear our favorite shirt on that day. Because when you wear your favorite shirt, you get happy. Happy performs better. Think about going out on a date. Are you going to wear that pair of jeans that makes your butt look good or are you going to wear sweatpants? Happiness breeds confidence and confidence breed success.

           A friend once asked if I only workout in super hero shirts. I honestly didn’t understand the question. Why would you work out in anything but super hero shirts? For me, comic book characters are our modern mythology. The Flash is our version of Hermes. Wolverine is our Achilles. And Superman is likened to Apollo. How many of us as kids tied a towel around our necks and struck the “Superman pose”? Why do we do that? Because kids already inherently know the power of that stance.

           Think about your posture. When you sit, do you sit small? Do you try to occupy as little space as possible? Do you place your hand on your neck? These are all defensive and submissive positions. Now, look at the animal kingdom, species seeking dominance strike big poses. Silverback gorillas, cobras, blowfish, raptor birds, they all strike big poses.

           Athletes across all cultures instinctively raise their hands and spread their arms in moments of victory. And yes, I do this in the gym before preparing for big lifts. I do this to psyche myself up and I look at myself in the mirror wearing Superman’s emblem on my chest. I am representing Big Blue when I wear that shirt. Combine that with music from MAN OF STEEL by Hans Zimmer and I am unstoppable. This is why you won’t see me working out wearing Strawberry Shortcake clothes. (If super heroes aren’t your thing it might be your favorite sports team – college or pro – or maybe your favorite professional wrestler.)

           So what if I told you scientists discovered that the mind can follow the body? Striking those power poses (be it Superman’s posture, the Wonder Woman stance, or any victory pose) triggers testosterone in your system. They had test subjects spit in a vial, had them assume power poses for two minutes, and spit in a second vial. After two minutes of power posing, the testosterone levels in their saliva spiked.

           When your power is up, your confidence is up. Confidence gets you hired. Confidence gets you that date with the pretty girl. Confidence gets you elected. Confidence allows you to achieve your goals. So today, if you have something important to do, take two minutes before and strike your power pose. Take two minutes to flood your body and prepare you for the fight ahead.

           Now, you might be thinking (as you stand there with clenched fists on your hips), I am an imposter. I am fraud. Some would argue, “Fake it until you make it.” No, fake it until you become it. Because as you put in the work, confidence will breed success. Think I am crazy? Ignore all this and go about your day. But give me two minutes and this just might change your life.

           Fortune favors the bold. And he who dares wins. Now, go forth and do likewise. And the next time you need some inspiration, ask yourself, "What are you going to do when you are not saving the world?"

 

 

Furyan Reviews: Body Fortress Whey Protein Powder

           Protein, protein, protein… It is an essential building block for muscle. And every gram that you can add to your diet is a benefit. So, what is a great way to help recover from your workout? And what are all these powders that they sell in the “Nutrition” section at Walmart? Well, let’s do a breakdown. And for that today, I am reviewing Body Fortress’s Super Advanced Whey Protein Powder.  

           What Is It & Why Do I Need It? Whey Protein provides your body with protein which helps you build muscle. Because of the chemical makeup of the product, it is absorbed very quickly by your body. They are saying it is roughly 15-minute absorption to get into your blood stream. Body Fortress’ formula also gives you amino acids which helps support lean muscle and recovery from your exercise.  The trick with this stuff is that you have a window of between 15 minutes and 45 minutes to drink it while your body is screaming for recovery from your workout. The BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) aid in that recovery.

           Benefits and Cost Analysis: You can see on the packaging that they are touting 60 gram of premium protein and 9 grams of BCAAs. However, it should be noted that a recent study from the University of Texas (Boomer Sooner!) found that consuming 90 grams of protein at one meal provides the same benefit as eating 30 grams. Study author Douglas Paddon-Jones, Ph.D. likened it to a gas tank: "There's only so much you can put in to maximize performance; the rest is spillover."

           So while the labels will tell you that using two or even three scoops is the optimum choice (to get their recommended dosage of BCAAs), my theory is that you are just really need one. Because the benefits of getting 9 grams of BCAAs don’t seem to outweigh the negative effect of chugging down 100+ grams of protein.

           If you only use one scoop, you can make one tub of this stuff last a month. My evening commute home from the gym is about 20 minutes. I get home drink a shake, strip out of my gear, and then I am ready for dinner, where I am going to have more protein. So even though the packaging labels out for 1 and 2 scoops, you can just get away with one scoop, which is going to get you 20 grams of protein just on its own, plus the protein from the milk (8 to 16 grams). 36 grams of protein is basically a fourth meal in one drink. And according to the medical study, anything much beyond that is not going to be optimized.   

           Ryan’s Review: I choose the Body Fortress brand because that is as close as you can get to generic. It is always the cheapest on the shelves at Walmart. As of the time of this writing, it is $17.98 for a 2-pound tub (which equals out to 56.2-cents per ounce). Schwarzenegger has a brand that he has developed with MusclePharm but it is more expensive and with less product. It is a little leaner in calories and a little more in protein but is more expensive. (It was around $22.00 for 1.5 pounds.) At the end of the day, it was more expensive for less product. There are other brands that are also expensive (Muscle Milk, EAS, Six Star, etc.). But I am more than happy with Body Fortress.

           My personal recommendation is the chocolate. The chocolate peanut butter cup was okay but it was just inferior in taste. And I am not a big vanilla fan. Maybe one of these days I will try it. However, when I am presented with an option I always choose chocolate over vanilla. But get a blender. Hand stirred is gross. And I have not been brave enough to try it in water. I just do one scoop per shake and if I do 5 shakes a week, one bottle can last a month. From this one shake, I get 20 grams of protein plus the protein from the milk, so that is almost the protein totals for a whole other meal in one shake.

           It is not a bad tasty. It is chocolaty as you would expect. The more you drink of it, the more you like it. It is an excellent addition to add to your regiment that is not insanely expensive. Hopefully, by reading this review, you understand how and why to use it. Now, drink up!

Muscle Targeting

           When we were first getting started, the main thing that we were developing is form and getting a new lifter comfortable with the gym. Then as Furyan Strength progressed, you saw the workouts becoming more specific as far as muscle targeting to a point where we started having individual days for certain muscle groups. Now, my goal when it comes to lifting weights is to develop a more classic physique. I do not want to be one of these no-neck bodybuilders. For me it is not about “cultivating mass” and being the biggest guy with these impossibly large arms and such.

           As I have said before, I want to look good naked and, quite frankly, it seems like most women find those types of men intimidating. But ask them how they feel about Channing Tatum and just watch the ladies swoon. So this means your body needs to have a physical aesthetic. And that means a total body workout.

           I had one person ask me how to get rid of “teacher arm” – you know that waddle that hangs down from the triceps. I think she just wanted to get in the gym and work her arms out to eliminate that effect. But you have to work everything. You cannot spot reduce and training too much in one area and not enough in another can lead to muscle imbalance, which can lead to injury.

           So there are times where you need to make sure you are doing specific targeting. For those coming in late, here is a quick recap. Let’s take for instance the shoulders. The shoulders have three heads: a front, a middle, and a rear head. If you are performing an overhead press where your elbows are in front of you, you are targeting the front head. If you are performing an exercise where your elbows are extended out to your sides, you are targeting the middle head. And any shoulder exercise where you are bent over is targeting the rear head. Most people neglect that rear head because it is not one that is readily seen when posing in the mirror. So you need to do different exercises to make sure you are hitting all three heads.

           The chest also has three heads; upper, middle, and lower. This is why we perform bench presses at incline, flat, and decline angles. This makes sure that all the heads are getting active work. The same principle works with Push-Ups, you just have your chest facing the floor instead of the ceiling. So an Incline Push-Up is targeting the lower part of your chest and a Decline Push-Up is going to target the top of your chest. 

           With all this in mind, it seems the human body works off a bit of a reverse principle. For instance, take Barbell Curls. A close the grip on the barbell works the outside of the biceps. Conversely, a wide grip works the inside of the biceps. This is why I try to alternate slightly between my circuits the width of my grip, even if it is only an adjustment of a finger width. This makes sure the muscles are getting attacked from different angles.

           This also applies to legs. If you are performing Barbell Squats, a wide stance is going to work the inside of your legs. But, maintaining a very narrow stance will work the outside of your legs. By switching up things like your stance and your grip, it is going to give you a more well-rounded physique. If you feel that the outer wall of your bicep needs more size, grip that barbell a little closer. Same thing with your legs. Rock a narrow stance to put more emphasis on those outer walls.   

           You will find that alternating your foot placement is going to minimize the amount you would do at your standard shoulder-width foot placement. Therefore, I always recommend that specific targeting after your perform at least three circuits of the standard exercise. Do three rounds of standard Barbell Squats and then use the Narrow Stance Barbell Squats after.

           Remember, this is all about improving your “Gym IQ.” I want you to understand why I do things and then you can modify your program accordingly.  

Motivation Monday

Motivation Monday

Food for thought...

Fat-Shaming or Motivation?

          I saw an article on Thursday that really got me thinking and I figured my Friday entry was as good a place as any. I try to keep Friday more humorous than most but as I have explained, Furyan Strength is about creating a better you through bodybuilding. This is not just limited to the physical. This should include mental and spiritual improvement as well. So a prominent celebrity on Facebook posted an article debating whether something is motivating or fat shaming. The article revolved around a 33-year-old single mother from the UK who wrote in an Instagram post, “I have a six pack, a kid and no excuse.” The picture when viral and people are divided. Some are saying she should be proud of what she has. Others are saying that she is fat shaming.

           I am oddly conflicted by posts such as this. My message has long been one that comfort is the bane of self-improvement. As much as I love Meghan Trainor, I do not believe in her message that every inch of me is perfect from the be bottom to the top. While I am proud of the work that I am doing, I still inevitably feel that I have a long way to go. I still hate my gut. I want more defined muscles. But I am infinitely better than where I started. I like the current size of my muscles but now I am trying to strip away that layer of fat that is concealing them. 

          I am really not trying to blow my own horn here but I think there is a difference between putting out something like Furyan Strength that reveals HOW I did something as opposed to just a woman posting pictures saying, “Look at how sexy I am! Yes, I have a kid but look I am in shape. How come you aren’t?” Now, I could be way off base here. I do not follow this particular person on Instagram where her message went viral but if she is not posting HOW she achieved her body, well, then she is just flaunting. That is something that I have a problem with. 

          One picture doesn’t paint the whole picture. Is she up at 4:30 in the morning doing cardio? What is her diet regiment? I seriously doubt she is just doing a set of planks and calling it a day. Is she a personal trainer, yoga instructor, or Pilates instructor and so it is her job to workout six hours a day? If that is the case, then I feel she has a leg up on a woman who sits behind a desk in a cubical or stands behind a teaching lectern all day.

          There are times where I do look at myself in the mirror and wish I could look like John Cena or Hugh Jackman. But then I remind myself. Hugh Jackman is a millionaire. The film studios grant him access to personal trainers. He can hire personal chefs and strength and conditioning coaches. I can’t even afford a housekeeper.

          And this is where the problem lies, people. We spend too much time comparing ourselves to other people. We say, “Oh, I wish I looked like [insert celebrity name here].” But these are often unrealistic goals. The only person you need to be better than in the person you were yesterday. That is the demon worth defeating.

          Of course, just because a person has a six-pack or can bench press more doesn’t make them better than someone who doesn’t. Whenever I post a “selfie” of all the hard work I am doing, I always accompany it with a message of how I am not special because truthfully, I am not. I post these things to motivate with the mentality of “if I can do it, you can do it.” But people at the Wellness Center also recognize that I am in there five days a week, going hard, sweating up a storm. I have heard people say, “I am tired just watching him.” But to a professional lifter, I am sure I still look like I am amateur.

          Don’t kid yourself though. When this British mom is posting a selfie, she is not rolling out of bed looking like that. No one takes a bodybuilding selfie before their workout. It is always after. And there is a reason for that. It is because we want to look good!

          If you are posting a picture saying “What is your excuse?”, that just infers you are better than others and I consider you an attention whore. If she just would have posted, “If I can do it, you can do it. And this is how I did it…” that person then becomes my new hero.

Active Recovery

           Today we are talking about Active Recovery which I believe is going to help alleviate that soreness that you are encountering in your workouts and is going to help give you overall improvements. As I mentioned in an earlier blog article, soreness is the result of micro-tearing of the muscles and the soreness you feel are the muscles knitting themselves back together. Remember, soreness is a good thing. It means that you are working hard and your muscles are growing.

            Now, my workout patterns are divided into four different muscle groupings with both an A and B workout. So, let’s take for instance the Chest & Back workout which is the focus of this particular pretend week of training. We are performing Chest & Back A on Monday, we will run through the other three workouts and then shift to Chest & Back B on Friday. The goal of these workouts is hypertrophy which means we are sticking with the plan of 10 reps (8 reps with surgical form and slight cheating to get those ninth and tenth reps).

           What I am suggesting is that two days after Workout A, you perform a number of “active recovery” reps to help alleviate the soreness that you are feeling. I want you to imagine the hypertrophy workout as heavy lifting with a goal of 100 reps for a muscle group. If this seems like a lot, keep in mind that by performing 3 set of 10 reps through flat bench, incline, and decline, you just achieved 90 reps. Add on flyes and some ancillary exercises and you are actually doing more than 100 reps. So, you have performed your Monday workout and you are satisfied with the results.

           Now allowing the muscles to rest is very important for growth but if we do a little active recovery, you are getting blood flowing back into those muscles and, like the alcoholics, you are getting a little hair of the dog that bit you. Reference back to your tracking that you did on Monday (see, tracking is important!), I want you to target muscle exercises at 60-70% of the weight you performed on Monday with a total goal of around 45 reps.

           If you did a Flat Bench Press of 100 pounds for 10 reps, now let’s get 70 pounds for 8 reps. You want enough weight to stimulate the muscles and get blood flowing back into them but you don’t want to over-train. If this seems like a lot of work to add into an already packed workout, consider this. If you only do 1 set of 8 reps in a flat, incline, and decline position, that gets you to 36 reps. Toss in some flyes or a few ancillary exercises and you are done. You are not racking weights and setting up for three sets at each position. It is one set, switch position, another set, and so on.  

           Now, on Monday, after resting up for the weekend, Active Recovery might not be as essential as the Active Recovery performed on Wednesday or Thursday. But a little more active stimulation of the muscles fibers on Monday (when energy levels should be highest) is never a bad thing.

           If you worked chest and back on Monday, include some active recovery reps on Wednesday. You could even do this as part of your warmup reps before you really get started. If you do Shoulders and Lats on Tuesday, do some active recovery on Thursday. Legs on Wednesday get active recovery on Friday. And so on and so forth down the line. By doing this, you will feel a lot better about conquering that soreness issue. 

The Gear You Need: Bandanas

           Really, Ryan? Bandanas as a piece of essential gym gear? Hear me out…

            Consider the following philosophy: “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.” –Sum Dewd Inew

            If you are working hard, if you are busting your butt, you are going to sweat. Now this is not the ‘80s so I am not going to recommend you wearing a sweatband on your head. Let’s face it, fellas. It is not a good look. Now, I shave my head so I don’t have to hair to soak up all that sweat. So, the prime alternative is the bandana folded in half and tied behind your head Hulk Hogan style. That’s right, brother. Whatchagonnado?

            The bandana soaks up the sweat. It keeps said sweat out of your eyes. Depending on how you wear it, it makes you look cooler. And if you purchase a gross of them in multiple colors, you can coordinate them to round out your gym ensemble. Remember, if you don’t look good, we don’t look good. Or something like that.

           But the best thing about wearing a sweat-soaked bandana is after you have staggered back into the locker room after your workout, you peel that bad boy off your dome, and you toss it on the sink counter or on the bench in front of your locker.

           That wet “splat” is oddly satisfying. It is a resonating tone that signifies a job well done. It is a wonderful reminder of the job that you have performed and it is something that you should be proud of.

           My biggest mistake is wrapping my bandanas up in a paper towel, tossing them in my gym bag, and then forgetting about them overnight.

 

Ryan's Wicked Awesometacular Guide to Arms

           As you delve into my Furyan Strength regiment, you will see that I have a day completely dedicated to training my arms. I list it as “Biceps & Triceps” to make it sound more scientific as opposed to just “Arms.” I consider Biceps and Triceps to be one of the “fun” days when it comes to my workout. My method is slightly different than most in that I have isolated my exercises where I do not do a traditional “Back & Biceps” day and a “Chest & Triceps” day. You are already working your triceps when you are doing a bench press so in a sense I am working them twice here. I just like giving my arms a unique training day all to themselves. Now, this new configuration was not refined and dialed in until approximately Week 64 of my training which just goes to show that no matter how long we have done something, there is always something new to learn and you have to be constantly evaluating and dialing in the perfect program for your wants and needs. So this is what I do and this is why I do it.

           I find that there are three key things when it comes to training the biceps and the triceps: 1) Variation of Exercise, 2) Elbow Position, and 3) Grip Style. Stick with me here as we walk through this.

           “Biceps” by its very definition means “two-head.” Yes, that means “triceps” translates to “three-head.” What I have attempted to do in the circuits of my exercises is stagger the individual lifts so that the biceps are being attacked from multiple angles but not in back to back exercises. I have attempted to do the same with the triceps.

           So first, let’s talk biceps. Biceps has a short head and a long head and we need to exercises that stimulate both of these muscles. I have tried to stagger the exercises so that neither head is front loaded with exercises so that you burn out quickly. By staggering the exercises this way, I think you can get more out of a single session because fatigue is lessened.

           Now let’s really define what we are talking about.

           Step 1: Elbows – “Let’s go, people! I want to see @$$holes and elbows!”

           For the record, I was quoting Sgt. Apone from Aliens in the header. Please don’t take that as an invitation to send me pictures of your balloon knot. Okay, so Step 1, take your elbows and put them in front of you like you. If you are sitting at a computer reading this, place your elbows on the wrist pad in front of your computer. Imagine you are sitting at a preacher curl station and perform a few curl reps Now, place your elbows at your side and perform a few reps. Lastly (and this is the position often ignored), angle your elbows behind you and perform your curls. Feel the dramatic difference?

            When your elbows are behind you, the long head of the biceps gets a much stronger contraction. Conversely, when you are sitting at a preacher curl and your elbows are in front of you, the short head gets the bulk of the contraction. Keeping with this theory in mind, I have constructed the circuits so that you alternate between a neutral elbow position, a forward elbow position, and a rear elbow position. By performing these exercises the way they are staggered, you are not hitting that forward position three times in a row and then getting overly burned out with fatigue, compromising the rest of your exercises.

           Step 2: Grip Width – “Insert a Funny Headline”

           Much the same way that elbow position is important, the width of your grip affects how the muscles contract. A good general rule of thumb is that you want to do the majority of your exercises with a grip width that is even with your shoulders. Barbell curls with your hands at shoulder width is the best way to go and you never want to neglect that basic lift. But if you have that lift down, then it helps to attack the muscles with some variation. The layman explanation is the wider the grip is the more the inside of the arms get worked and the closer together the hands are will work the outside of the arms more.

           Step 3: Grip Style – Don’t Google the “Western Grip” technique

           How you position your hands is also critical when it comes to how the muscles are worked. If you are looking at the back of your hands, that is the “Pronated” grip.  If your palms are facing in, that is a “Neutral” grip. And if you are looking at the palms of hands, that is the “Supinated” grip. I am willing to bet that somewhere in this blog I typed “supinated” when I meant “pronated.” Or you can tell yourself, underhand, overhand, and neutral. Just a quick round of experimentation in the gym with some dumbbells and you are going to feel the difference. 

Motivation Monday

It might not be readily apparent (yet) but I am a huge comic book geek. The more you get connected with Chris Pratt (aka Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy), the more motivation you can gain from him. The persona he projects is simply fantastic and his advice that he Instagramed last week went viral. And understandably so. This motivation has less to do with fitness and more to do with life. Although one could argue that Pratt’s transformation from Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation to Peter Quill for GotG and his role in Jurassic World is equally amazing.