Damn I’m Hungry

    Working out has many benefits; raising hormones, a high level of endorphins, increased metabolism and other things but one thing is for sure (from my experience and others I've been around) is the hunger you get afterwards. Food is meant to fuel us and with training, you'll need to satisfy that hunger. This doesn't mean you go grab a McDonalds or a Pizza from Dominos or anything of that sort. Eating good food is essential for how you recover, how you handle your intake and feeling like you have conquered something. There are people however that don't realize what they're doing to themselves when they finish a workout; I've literally seen people finish a workout then go out and smoke a cigarette right after and it makes me want to slap those people or someone finished a brutal routine and then went out and got drunk or had extremely unhealthy food like at a carnival or something. If you want the best out of your body, you'll need to find what works best for you and for your budget because some foods like really good whole foods can be very expensive so choose wisely how you'll satisfy your hunger.

 

    Fueling the body is part of the process of not just getting in shape and not everyone is going to look like a Mr. Olympia so it's important to understand what foods work for you and how they help you with your body's needs. Me personally I eat what works for me and I've been eating rather healthy by having certain foods when I need to like organic meats and raw milk. I also make smoothies with my Nutri-Bullet and every now and then I take supplements from Superman Herbs to get that extra boost without all the crap that's in your typical supplement store. However I do like my share of Burgers & Fries, Chinese Food, Pizza and good old Mexican with healthy chicken tacos and plenty of veggies and sour cream. Back in June I was over 260 lbs. and i'm 5'10, I didn't feel that heavy and I was still in pretty good shape for my size but I felt that's way too big for me so I changed things up a bit to really fuel my body and train a little differently. I still ate my favorite foods but cut back on a couple things and my weight started to drop. I'm now down to the upper 240's and I didn't do any specific routines and didn't time my meals or anything. I trained hard when I felt like it and ate when I felt hungry. Every now and then like once a week I would fast to let my body repair itself. People have this notion that you need to eat this at a certain time or train at this point during the day and how many things should be on their plate and what others try to tell you what real healthy food is when in fact some of that can be harming you. The real food is eating good fruits & veggies, organic meats, non-pasturized milk & dairy and drinking plenty of water. Keep it simple.

 

    If you really want to get the best out of your body stay away from sugary stuff and breads (grains) as much as possible. These days I rarely ever eat candy and I like to make sandwiches with bread every now and then. It's not bad to have those things every now and then because there at times where you just need to cut loose. I do drink soda every once in a while as well like Coke but I don't drink like a whole liter in one shot, I use to do that when I was younger but now that I'm older it's not that fun. I have a bottle or can maybe less than a few times a week and I'm getting better drinking it less and less. So do your best to drink more water everyday and far less soda or cut it out completely and see how your body feels. I'm a sucker for Subway sandwiches, getting those footlong clubs or a chicken breast with bacon and I only get one at a time and that's usually after a major workout like a deck of cards doing push-ups and squats or an animal workout that goes for 15 min. or more. I haven't had one in a while. Eat whole foods as much as possible and since we all can't eat the same amount, experiment and find the amount you need that works for you and there ways to research for foods if you're on a budget. It's not easy to eat good food if you're traveling on the road because more often than not there are more unhealthy food places than there are good ones, be smart and work a system that suits you.

 

    Lastly, don't be afraid to eat. If you need to drop weight, find a way to work with that but know you can still eat your favorite foods and simply cut back on a few things and eat far less crap. Train in a way that will help you and you can still build muscle while losing weight. Another thing there is a major difference between fat loss and weight loss, many people get that confused. You can still look incredible from dropping fat but because you may lose weight you may not always be satisfied with what comes out of it. I'm over 240 lbs. but I'm not obese or have tons of fat all over me, I've got enough muscle that works to my liking and I can move very well beyond most people that weight plus I exercise every single day, however if I didn't work out and ate good food frequently and I was the same exact weight I would look obese and wouldn't move athletically like I want to and I'd be fatigued all the time. See the difference? Don't be scared to eat what you like, just be smart about it and learn your body's needs and means for what food works best for you and how it helps with the goals you want to achieve. Don't ever starve yourself or eat less than 500 calories a day, that's unhealthy and that does more harm to your body than you realize. Eat when you're hungry, stay away from sugary foods as much as possible, drink plenty of water, eat good whole fresh meats (unless you're vegetarian) and eat plenty of fruits and veggies. If you want to cut loose once in a while do so but don't ever starve yourself, it's just plain stupid.

 

Happy Monday everybody and be awesome today. Have fun and eat well and also train great too.

Bringing A Sense Of Humor To Your Training

    In some parts of gyms, or just training in general some people are so uptight, so rigid within themselves and have no humor whatsoever why so serious? I understand it's good to get some of that stress out and you're going after your goals. It's awesome to focus on what you want to do but come on people, lighten up a little. I'm not saying you should be laughing in the middle of a set or make funny grunting faces but also the best things in life are what makes us human beings. Training is a real stress reliever if you know how to use it well and just like laughter it releases endorphins that gives you a high that is just incredible to have. Having a sense of humor in practically everything you do is what brings joy to your life and being stressed just sucks.

 

    There are people out there who have a wicked sense of humor, myself included and when it comes to imagination it can be rather twisted but hey it's not hurting anyone and we do our best to not offend anyone (at least not intentionally or directly). If you want to get the best out of life you've got to have a pretty good imagination, thinking of things outside the box, seeing a bigger picture than anyone else and bringing it out in your own unique way. Sometimes bringing it out can be quite funny and although most won't get it, you will because that's who you are. There are great people who've had great success but have no imagination and no sense of humor so the balance is off and you won't always be real unless there's a balance. Some of the training I do looks quite ridiculous to those who don't understand it; I mean who the hell wants to be crawling, jumping, moving like a chimp and pounding his chest like a gorilla as he works out (apparently some people) and you know what, I'm getting something out of it and they're not because I'm not the weird guy, they are the uptight people who don't know how to loosen up. You see some people just don't have that fire to be imaginative and intuitive take for example; one day me and a family member were driving up to Lake Tahoe and had to stop for gas, we pull over and as he gets the nozzle going, I'm out and stretching next to the car doing some sumo squats and working my hamstrings a little because let's face it sitting in a car too long just makes you stiff as a board at times and he tells me flat out to not stretch and stop what I'm doing because apparently people will stare and make fun of me. I think it was his way of saying "don't embarrass me and what you're doing is funny looking and weird." See no humor at all and seriously, I needed to stretch otherwise I wouldn't be able to move too well when we got there and help carry other people's shit in.

 

    When you train, there's got to some laughs thrown in every now and then, not to poke fun at anybody but just bring some light into things at times and if you have friends to train with, that just makes it even better. When things are lit up around you and you're having a great time not just training but having that positive and fiery energy surrounding you, everything just seems right and you're getting more out of it than you ever expected. I've trained with some of the funniest guys around but also have trained with people who have a stick up their ass, have that depressed energy about them and just plain dull. If I had to pick the top 4 guys I've trained with that just light up the training like a florescent light bulb would be Logan Christopher, Tyler Bramlett, Bud Jeffries and Garin Bader. The latter I only got to train with once but even one time it was an experience I can never let go of even if I wanted to because it was bizarre at times but in a good way. Having some laughs is part of the process and knowing that the best things in life are when you're with incredible people.

 

    A smile is more than just a face, it's a powerful entity that many never experience especially when you're training. To smile even in the toughest workout sessions is a sight to behold. You get so caught up in your training at times you forget to just smile and realize that no matter how things are in your life, it's these moments that give you the greatest impacts. Sure you can be sore, worn out, tired and even a little slow after a while but in the end, when you smile and do so with enthusiasm and not faking it, you just made one of those rare things happen. Get in the habit of smiling before, during and after your workouts and you'll see where things go for you.

 

Have a great weekend everyone. Be awesome and laugh it up.

Hit The Deck

    Most would look at this and think they need to duck for something or move to get out of dodge but not for today my friends. I have written about Card Training before but it's a favorite of mine so I'll write it again. The irony is with full on hardcore card training you might want to hit the deck for dear life because this type of training will not be welcoming with open arms. It takes mental toughness to another realm and for the most part it can lead to superhuman levels of conditioning and growth hormone jumps. This type of training alone can jumpstart your cardio, High Intensity Training and you can not only get stronger and have more endurance but you can also lose unwanted fat, build muscle and lose weight at the same time.

 

    If you're the type of person who doesn't want to sweat during a workout this isn't for you. You will sweat, you'll be breathing hard and you'll need plenty of water because as you go through the cards, it gets tougher one at a time (or easier if you're some sadistic conditioning freak). People in sports have used this type of training for their chosen athletic endeavor and for good reason, it works. You don't need to do this type of training every day and you won't be doing a full deck the first time out unless you're in serious shape. I have done workouts with the cards that lasted from 20 min. to a little over an hour and always feel hungry and thirsty towards the end. It takes a lot out of you but also it gives you that endorphin rush that very few workouts can. I sweated like crazy last night going through the deck hitting my 15 lb. thor hammer on the tire going through one card after the other with very little rest (rest was changing the card and moving the tire from to time) and my total reps came out to 1252. My deck has 3 jokers instead of the normal two and would do 100 reps each joker.

 

The type of Deck I use is fairly simple added in 3 jokers this is how I make the reps….When I do the Thor Hammer Training on the tire I do the reps of each hand switch of the left and right hand on top of the handle so for example:

 

2-10 (4 to 20)

Kings/Jacks/Queens-15 (30)

Aces-20 (40)

Jokers- 50(100)

So after hitting the amount using left over right, I switch to right over left for the same amount so it's doubled.

 

    There many ways you can work the deck and this is where you have the freedom to be creative. You can do one exercise or a series of them to your liking. Sometimes I'd like to test out hindu push-ups and hindu squats and this takes me a little longer but it's interesting. You can do a series of 4 exercises and pick whatever ones you want like pull-ups, burpees, push-ups, squats, cable work, hammers, animal exercises, weights, lifting heavy objects you get the picture. The big thing is that you must do with this type of training is to have fun even though it does get tough at times and as one friend would tell me, it never gets easier but I say it gets more interesting because it's never the same workout twice so you not only get variety but you can change things up if you want to, rest when needed and as you get better take less rest periods. This takes cardio to a whole other level and it will jack up your heart rate quicker than almost anything else. It's a challenge that has taken down even the most elite athletes. As you progress depending the exercises you do, you can double or triple the numbers on the cards. One unique way is to not do reps at all but do Isometric postures of your favorite exercises and if you're crazy enough don't count the seconds, count the breaths and you'll hold longer, if you want to see stars in an awesome way this is it.

 

    Many athletes have used this type of training particularly those in Combat sports like Football, Wrestling and MMA. Karl Gotch was one of the elite conditioned athletes in the world and he used to test this type of training not just on himself but fellow students of his just to torture them. This guy always had gas in the tank and part of it was because of this type of training. Ray Lewis a former Linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens and Super Bowl champ did this type of training as a kid doing push-ups and sit-ups. 16-time world champion Ric Flair was nicknamed the 60-minute man because of his grueling 1 hour nightly matches that he did on a frequent basis at the height of his career and one of the reasons for having that level of conditioning was doing this type of training. You may not always get to a gym when you'd like if you're traveling on the road or you're just not into the gym scene but want a hell of a workout in the process. It's not time consuming, you can do it in the morning before you head out for the day or do it in the evening before dinner and trust me from my experience, you'll want something because you need to fuel your body. You don't even need an equipment and it's a perfect traveling companion. Think outside the box, work up a sweat and have fun doing it. It's not easy and it isn't for the typical couch potato but if you want to get into some serious shape that will give you an athletic look and have the strength and stamina to go along with it, this will work well for you.

 

Happy Thor's Day everyone, be awesome and show some love for one another, encourage each other and set your goals.