Archives for 2009

First, if we have not connected on Facebook, I’d love to do so.  Head over to http://facebook.com/michaelmahony and add me as a friend.

Blog Import

Facebook has the ability to import blog entries.  I use this feature to import every article written on this blog.  This makes the article appear in my newsfeed that every one of my Facebook friends sees.  By doing this, I am increasing the exposure of my blog, which increases my accountability as I get more and more readers.

Link Posting

Each time I create a video or write an article that is published on the web, I post a link to it on my Facebook profile. Once again, this goes inot the newsfeed and every one of my Facebook friends sees the link.  This increases the exposure I get on those links.

Viral Accountability

Facebook is set up to be viral by nature.  You see something on someone’s newsfeed that interests you, so you hook up to that resource.  Your friends then see that you hooked up with that resource and if it interests them, they also hook up with that resource.  This keeps spiraling on and on in a viral fashion. There is no better way to create massive accountability than this viral manner.

For those of you who do not know, Carlos is the inventor of the Quad Blaster and he is a world champion natural bodybuilder.  More so than that, Carlos was undefeated in drug tested competitions.  That is a feat that nobody will ever meet or exceed.

In his blog, Carlos writes about topics that are near and dear to him.  He has been writing alot about unfinished business since starting the blog.  Carlos has links on his blog to interviews he has done, articles he has written and products he has available for sale. 

Mental Preparation

Your mental attitude adjustments need to start before you get into the gym.  Prepare yourself by setting some goals for the workout.  Log them in your workout log and then tell yourself that you are going to achieve them.  Always go into your workouts with the attitude that you are going to succeed.  If you are tired, do not dwell on that.  Do what it takes to energize yourself.  Be ready to work the moment you enter the gym.

Workout Preparation

Make sure that you have planned your workout prior to entering the gym.  I personally write down every exercise in the order I am going to do them and I add the weight I am going to attempt in the area where I am recording my first set.  This helps me to focus on the workout when I’m at the gym.  If you go in without a planned workout you are bound to completely lose mental focus while you determine what is the next exercise you should do.  In addition, by having it all written out beforehand, you have the ability to figure out how good the workout is before you start it.

Popularized by Arthur Jones

In the 1970s, the inventor of the Nautilus line of equipment, Arthur Jones, began training his pupils with a system known as High Intensity Training.  Arthur Jones was responsible for making this type of training popular.  This type of training focuses on quality repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure.

High Intensity Principles

When using High Intensity Training (H.I.T.) you should focus on exercise that is brief, infrequent and intense.  You will perform your exercises with the maximum level of effort you can muster up.  By using the most weight you can use and pushing yourself to the maximum level of effort, you will stimulate the body to increase muscle size and strength.  Because of the extreme intensity level of the workouts, H.I.T. sessions are kept very brief.

A Typical H.I.T. Routine

A popular method for putting to together a H.I.T. routine is to use the push-pull principle, where you alternate between pushing and pulling movements.  A typical H.I.T. routine will require just one set of each exercise, hitting the entire body in one session.

A typical H.I.T. routine would be as follows:

Leg Extension
Lying Leg Curl
Calf Raise
Squat
Hammer pullover
Bench Press
Lat pull down
Overhead press
Cable row
Bench dips
Bicep curl
French curl
Upright row
Deadlift
Shrug
Forearm curl

This is quite an effective routine when done with maximum intensity.