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Monday Madness: Push Yourself Harder

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push yourself harder

Push yourself harder. I am sure you've been told that at some point. I am here today to be blunt and direct about this topic. If you leave having learned something then my mission will be accomplished. I am not going to worry about your feelings. This is not going to be a politically correct article. This is going to be a “getting real” article. Yes, shit just got real!

Go Beyond and Push Yourself Harder

I will start by saying there is pain and then there is soreness and discomfort. Pain is something you should pay attention to. It is a signal from your body to stop whatever you are doing. Soreness and discomfort are another story entirely. They come with the territory. How many of you have stopped doing a bicep curl because the pump was too intense? If I did that each time the pump was too intense I would never make changes to my body. Go beyond the discomfort. Don't allow yourself to be held back. It is a self-limiting factor that many people have and need to lose.

Push Yourself Harder by Taking it to Failure

Can you even take a set to failure? Have you actually experienced what it is like to not be able to do even one more repetition? I know so many of you are saying you can and have, but I am calling bullshit. You have generally stopped short on every exercise. I see it all the time in the gym. A guy has the weight too low and is repping out. Suddenly he stops. Why? Did the weights say he was done? I don't think so. When you have more left in you, push yourself harder. It isn't a difficult concept to understand but apparently it is difficult to execute on.

Push Yourself Harder and Stop Whining

I am so tired of watching people phone in their workouts. They are whiney and shouldn't bother lifting weights. Go to the group exercise room if you want to whine. The weight room floor isn't the place for whiney people. This is where the serious people get the job done. Push yourself harder than you ever thought was possible. You will feel amazing afterwards and you will begin to see some amazing results. Check the whining at the door. Give it a shot and see what happens.

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Saturday Sharing: My Opinion on HIT Training

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ss-hit-training

HIT training (High Intensity Training) is a weight training principle that gets very little respect in the bodybuilding community, but was used by some big names to achieve a tremendous physique. Those of you reading this site for any amount of time know that I believe in the Experiment of One. I have personally used HIT to get some incredible results. I always seem to go back to it.

What is HIT Training?

High Intensity Training (HIT training) is a form of strength training popularized in the 1970s by Arthur Jones, the founder of Nautilus. The training focuses on performing quality weight training repetitions to the point of momentary muscular failure. The cadence of the repetitions is generally 3/3 and that cadence can be one of the variables you change in order to increase the intensity.

HIT training focuses on progressive resistance. This is characterized by a high level of effort along with relatively brief and infrequent workouts.

Why I Like Hit Training

When using HIT training you are forced to train harder. One of the fundamental principles of weight training is overload. In order to stimulate increases in muscular strength and size you absolutely must impose a demand on the muscles that is greater than they accustomed to. The harder, or more intense an exercise is, the greater the degree of overload and the more effective the exercise.

While training harder is a principle of HIT training, training more briefly is also one of the tenets. There is a direct inverse relationship between the intensity and the volume of exercise a person is able to perform. The more effort put into a workout, the shorter the workout must be to avoid overstressing the body. This is a very real danger. HIT training workouts typically require around 30  to 45 minutes, and some “consolidation routines” may take fewer than 10 minutes to complete.

Almost all high intensity training methods involve only performing one, all-out work set per exercise.  Although the majority of research shows no significant difference in effectiveness between single and multiple sets for improving either muscular strength or size for the majority of people, a few high intensity training methods prescribe two or three sets for some exercises. I have found that it works either way.

HIT training methods also vary in the total number of exercises performed per workout, from as few as two or three to as high as twenty when neck and grip exercises are included. The appropriate volume of exercise varies significantly between individuals based on genetics, age, and lifestyle factors such as quality and amount of nutrition and rest, as well as the specific training goals. Any athletes or trainees with physically demanding jobs or lifestyles must also balance their training volume against the amount of other physically demanding activities they perform to avoid overtraining.

While some trainers claim high intensity training routines are only appropriate or effective for beginners due to the low volume, and that an increase in volume is required as a trainee becomes more advanced, empirical evidence shows as trainees become more advanced and capable of training with greater intensity a reduction in training volume becomes necessary to avoid overtraining.

How I Have Used HIT Training

My experience with HIT training has been extremely positive. I utilize full body workouts 3 times a week. I have even gotten to a point where I could not recover and had to back down to 2 times a week, all while still getting some amazing results. I would generally use between 10 and 15 exercises and I would only perform one set per exercise, taking that set to complete and total failure. Once I hit the top of the repetition range on an exercise I increase the weight, continuing to do so as I move forward in the program. With HIT training there are no jerky motions. Everything is done smoothly and under control.

In training this way I managed to improve my strength as well as my size. You should try HIT training if you haven't already. Even if you have, it is something you should keep in your tool belt for the gym.

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Cardio Techniques: Hill Climbs

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cardio techniques hill climbs

Using various cardio techniques can help keep you going on your cardio routine. Nobody I know enjoys cardio, but when they vary their routine it is much easier to complete. I have been working through a series of cardio techniques the past month and today's session is about hill climbs. I use them on a treadmill in a unique way. You can even do hill climbs outside if you'd like.

Cardio Techniques – How Hill Climbs Help

Depending upon your speed and the incline of the hill, these hill climbs can help take the fat off quickly. Walking uphill for just one hour will burn an average of 354 calories in a 130-pound person, 422 calories in a 155-pound person and 518 calories in a 190-pound person, according to a list researched and compiled by Wisconsin’s Department of Health and Family Services. You will lose 1 pound when you burn 3,500 calories. The average 155-pound person who does hill climbs four hours a week will lose a little more than 2 pounds in a month. Trainees who exert more effort and walk faster burn even more calories. A faster heart rate means you are putting in a greater effort. Your fitness improves when your heart rate is 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate — 220 heartbeats per minute minus your age.

Walking up steep hills burns more far more calories than walking up slight inclines because it requires your heart and muscles to work much harder. Walking up a very “slight” incline, a hill with a 6-percent angle, burns 16 percent more calories than walking 3.5 mph on a flat surface. Walking up a “steep” incline, a hill with a 20-percent angle, burns 70 percent more calories. It is estimated that 155-pound people walking for one hour burn 320 calories walking 3.5 mph on a flat surface, 371 calories walking up a slight incline and 544 calories walking up a steep hill.

Cardio Techniques – The Outdoor Hill Climb

Warm up first. Climbing hills can really stress your muscles so you want to be warm and limber before you start. If you are doing short hill climbs in your local area just bring water. If you are at a national park doing longer hill climbs bring a first aid kit just in case. Set your pace and stick to it. You will be able to enjoy the scenery and take in the sights as you walk.

Cardio Techniques – Fitness Expose Treadmill Hill Climbs

As stated earlier, I try to keep my cardio as interesting and engaging as possible. This is why I invented the Fitness Expose Treadmill Hill Climbs. Always trying to vary my cardio techniques, even within one particular one like hill climbs. I execute it quite simply as follows.

Start out at 3.5 mph and an incline of 2.0. Warm up for 2 minutes. What you do next will depend upon the machine you are using. Some newer treadmills have a group of percentage buttons and you will use those. However, for the sake of this discussion we are going to assume that there are no percentage buttons. After 2 minutes warming up change the speed to 4.5 mph and change the incline to 3.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 6.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 9.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 12.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 15.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 18.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 21.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now up the incline to 24.0. Do this for 1 minute. Now reverse the process until you are back at 2.0 and 3.5 mph. Cool down for 2 minutes and you are done. The chart for this is as follows:

Duration Incline Speed
2 minutes 2.0 3.5
1 minute 3.0 4.5
1 minute 6.0 4.5
1 minute 9.0 4.5
1 minute 12.0 4.5
1 minute 15.0 4.5
1 minute 18.0 4.5
1 minute 21.0 4.5
1 minute 24.0 4.5
1 minute 21.0 4.5
1 minute 18.0 4.5
1 minute 15.0 4.5
1 minute 12.0 4.5
1 minute 9.0 4.5
1 minute 6.0 4.5
1 minute 3.0 4.5
2 minutes 2.0 3.5

This will give you a total of 19 minutes so feel free to add another minute to the cool down portion. As you get better at this you can also increase the speed a little at a time.

Always remember that if you are having trouble doing your cardio consistently varying your cardio techniques will help with that. There are an abundance of cardio techniques, both those I have discussed recently and many others that are available via a short Google search. Just keep varying your cardio techniques and keep your body guessing and you will see great success.

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5 More Things You Should Remember at the Gym

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Gym Etiquette

Gym etiquette is a topic near and dear to my heart. I cannot stand when people misuse the gym. I recently wrote 5 Things You Should Remember at the Gym and these are 5 more things to add to that list.

  1. The squat rack and power rack are for squatting, overhead presses and other compound barbell exercises, not bicep curls. It irritates me when I see someone using the squat or power rack for barbell curls. Seriously? I have never seen anyone who could curl enough that they needed the rack in order to accomplish it. This is just silly. Stop it!
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for a spot. Nobody wants to see someone get hurt. When you are doing a heavy bench press there is no shame in asking someone you don't know to spot you.
  3. Don't completely tie up 2 pieces of equipment at once. I have no problem with doing supersets on two pieces of equipment, but allow others to work in with you. It is the right thing to do.
  4. Don't be afraid to ask questions. When you don't know how to do something, speak up! Asking for help is a sign of strength to me.
  5. Always be courteous to other members. Don't sit on your phone or interrupt others mid-set. Especially don't get in the middle of another person's workout. I recently had a person interrupt my workout. I was doing stiff leg deadlifts and the Fitness 19 didn't have the right platform for it, so I put a step next to a bench press station and used the bench to hold the bar. Another member complained to me that I would break the padding on the bench by doing what I was doing. I asked him if he thought the bench could support 400 lbs. He said it for sure could. I then said “then this 225 I have sitting on the bench isn't going to hurt a thing.” I proceeded to ignore him from that point forward.

Pay attention to gym etiquette when you train. Keep that in the front of your mind and you will not be accused of poor gym etiquette.

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Monday Madness: Chest Training to Blow Up Your Pecs

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chest training to blow up your pecs

Chest training is like a religion in most gyms. Monday's are dubbed “Bench Press Mondays” because that's when most people do their chest training.My good friend and mentor, Ken Turchek, taught me some amazing tricks for building my pecs. While it is a slow process (what in bodybuilding isn't), it works. I see changes all the time as I look in the mirror. In today's Monday Madness I am going to share my favourite chest training techniques with you and even give you a sample chest training workout at the end.

Chest Training is All About the Squeeze

This is something that is often overlooked when doing chest training. People tend to not use the complete range of motion while doing chest training. They also move a little too quickly. They tend to not squeeze the chest muscles at all. Chest training is all about the squeeze. This technique has resulted in the largest change in my body ever.

The next time you do a flat barbell bench press concentrate on feeling your chest muscles. Bring the bar down very slowly and then explode to the top. When you hit the top squeeze the muscle. Act as though you want to push your hands together, but don't actually move your hands. This will result in a large contraction of the pectoral muscles. Do thisreligiously on every single repetition. The first thing you will notice is the amazing pump you get. The other thing you will notice is that you can't lift for as many repetitions. This is because you are now working your pectoral muscles with much more intensity.

One of my favourite exercises is the Hammer Strength Incline machine. I do it one arm at a time. I squeeze hard at the top of the movement. I find that the contractions I get really hit the muscle hard.

Chest Training Should Happen From Many Angles

Chest training offers you the ability to work from various angles. Most people will tell you to do flat bench presses as well as incline bench presses, but they ignore the decline presses. Not only do I believe that you should include the decline presses, I think you should start your chest training with that angle. It really works to tire out your chest.

Incline presses are a great way to build your upper pectorals. Try changing the severity of the angle. You will feel the muscle differently depending upon the angle itself. A small difference in the angle will really change how the exercise feels.

Don't Ignore Flyes With Chest Training

Pec Dec flyes and Dumbbell flyes should definitely be part of your chest training routine. As mentioned above, make sure to squeeze your pecs hard during these flyes. One variation to try with Pec Dec flyes is to have a partner cause resistance on the negative portion of the movement. This will help you by working your pecs in both directions.

Try This Intense Workout

In the chest training workout that follows take the final set to complete muscular failure. If it takes 10 reps to fail on the Flat DB Bench Press so be it. Just make sure you take that final set to failure.

Exercise Sets/Repetitions
Decline Bench Press 3 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions
Flat DB Bench Press 4 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions
Incline BB Bench Press 3 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions
Pec Dec Flyes 4 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions
Cable Crossovers 4 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions

Push hard on every set, but remember to take that final set to failure. Get that squeeze on every single repetition. Take 1 minute rest between sets. By doing this you are going to have one very intense chest training session.

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