A Simplistic Approach For New Resolutioners

 Day 4 of the New Year and most likely the New Year Resolutioners are still out in droves just itching to go over the top to only fail after burning out quicker than a Camp Fire. It's the overwhelming expectations we have on ourselves or others expected of us to do better and to create habits in a forceful and unrealistic manner. This is especially true for those who want to get fit and become stronger. Getting fit and stronger is about the journey, not trying to reach the end like fast forwarding a movie, it doesn't work that way and many never seem to get the memo. 

What if there was a simpler approach to things that not only help you stay consistent but actually give you realistic goals to reach and have a new found sense of purpose to be fitter and stronger using progressions that dig into the very soul of training. One of these methods is using the old school style of weight training used by the men and women that pioneered the industry before steroids and PEDs. I'm talking about working with simple exercises and progression systems based on the writings of Brooks Kubik whom by far is one of the greatest writers and physical culturists of the modern era. He takes what made bodybuilders and strongman of the past the fittest than many even fit folks today. His style of what's called Dinosaur Training has paved the way for achieving real strength that actually has real world applications, not just in the gym. Learn the treasured secrets and training programs of the all time greats from Arthur Saxon to John Grimek. 

If your approach is more bodyweight based, no problem. Bodyweight Training is a great approach to fitness that not only is more versatile but can be done anywhere and anytime. A great style of Bodyweight Training is through circuit training where you go through a series of exercises in a single set, rest and repeat for as many sets a circuit requires. The very best place to learn about circuit training is Darebee where you can find all kinds of workouts that range from beginner to advanced levels and be able to work around these workouts to your own fitness levels. Best of all, it's completely free so you can save thousands upon thousands of dollars in fees. They have themed based workouts that cater to those who have a knack for things in nerd culture and fun things based on Yoga, Mythology, TV Shows, Films and even Video Games. You can always substitute certain exercises so you can progress to ones you're capable of achieving to do the full workouts. There are even places to find research on nutrition, meditation, if you've had previous injuries and where you can start. 

If you're still into Bodyweight but want a different approach like working with minimal equipment like Suspension Training, that's a great option as well and the best courses out there today on the subject is from the Red Delta Project with books and youtube videos showing a simplistic approach to strength training and muscle building using your own bodyweight. I would say this type of method with what RDP brings to the table is the bodyweight equivalent to Dinosaur Training. 

These are just ideas you can use and not get overwhelmed with all the craziness that most fitness trainers today try to force upon you. These methods aren't easy but they teach you things that make you feel a bit more at ease with formats that aren't complicated or have confusing aspects to what you should or shouldn't do. They get down to the nitty gritty with exercises that are very easy to learn but make you earn the results you want. These programs aren't watered down and BS entities that others try to push you away from, these are real, time tested methods that show you what real strength and fitness can be. You don't have to spend hours on end to do them either, they teach you how to realistically apply them to the degree where you'll perform exercises that dig into the very muscles you want to work and often use your whole body as a unit. You don't have to do a bunch of exercises either with tons of sets of reps, just a few of them with sets and reps schemes that get the job done and can have you be done within 45 minutes or less so you can go about the rest of your day doing what you need to do. 

I want you to have the best year yet and be in the best shape without the hassle and stress that many put on today. Do simple things to get the best results possible. Be amazingly awesome.  

Free Workouts For Everyone

There's the old lyric "The best things in life are free" which has a lot of meaning especially when it pertains to life but in this case, we're going the fitness route. Believe it or not, you can find some of the very best workouts on the planet without spending a single penny and it's from one of the best resources on the internet. Sure there are great courses out there you can snatch up (not one where an 86 page book costs you $150 to learn how to jump rope) and these courses are the pinnacle like the Grind Style Calisthenics Series, Movement 20XX and others. 

Saving money is always a good thing whenever you can do it but sometimes you don't always know where to look to find that area in fitness where you can find a shit ton of workouts and exercise programs to suit your goals. This is where Darebee comes in. I've written about this site before and it bares repeating, it truly is at the top of the list of the best free resources for training. It's a series of mainly Circuit workouts ranging from complete beginner to elite athlete level and it just keeps growing. Consists of about 95% bodyweight style training and the rest has you using equipment like light kettlebells, sandbags, jump ropes and a pull-up bar depending on where you find them. 

Most of the exercises are about as basic as you can get but each workout you find can either be the easiest one ever or the hardest you've ever been put through. They can be tough as hell but you have options to modify the workouts or make them the best ones for you. I've done workouts that lasted a few minutes to nearly an hour long without a break and I'm telling you, they'll kick your ass. The site however goes beyond the workouts which already has over 2000 to choose from; there are specific collections that target certain groups of people that are themed such as Superheroes, Military, MMA, Anime, Video Games, Street Workouts, Jumping Rope and many more. There are sections that are based on scientific analaysis on breathing, running, water intake, recovery, when to go hard and a bunch more. There's even stuff on diet you can use and research on.

Darebee is a great starting point for those who want to get into fitness or haven't done it in a while. You can spend the rest of your life doing these workouts but they can also be a great add on to courses you can afford to grab. I would at times use small circuits from this place with my Suspension Training or Isometric Training. I would do them on off days as part of recovery and other times I'll go hard and time myself to see how I do without resting (or use the rest period to mark off a set and jump into the next one). I'll even make up a circuit of my own as inspiration like this one below...

10 Rounds Of The Following

5 Hindu Squats

20 Punches (In A Horse Stance)

5 Hindu Squats

5 Push-ups

20 Step-Ups

5 Push-ups

50 Standing Punches

Finished this in 23:33 totaling 100 Hindu Squats, 200 Punches In Horse Stance, 100 Push-ups, 200 Step-Ups & 500 Standing Punches. Great for conditioning. 

I love doing 10 Round Circuits because that gives a real rounded total. Darebee workouts mostly have you going up to 7 rounds which is still a great level to achieve especially if you're doing some really hard ones, I just prefer 10. Some workouts are more HIIT based which has you doing an exercises for x amount of seconds each until a time limit is reached and you repeat it for as many rounds as the workout calls for. 

I believe although it's a free resource of training, it encourages you to branch out for more to help guide you into another realm of experiences in your fitness journey. Some folks there use these workouts as add ons for when they go to the gym or as off day workouts, they are used as supplement training for athletes in high school and college, they have been used in classes in P.E, Sports Conditioning, rehab and many other ways. The only real pay you make with this site is the option to donate so they can keep it running or buy their workouts in PDF or Book form such as the Darebee Volume Series which each has over 100 Workouts to choose from. You can print out and make a book for yourself or set up folders in your hard drive that consists of all the workouts you want. I use to do that and if your internet is out, they're right there in your laptop, phone or tablet. 

The only investment here is your time and energy, it is a great option if you truly want to save your money for other stuff in your life. Are they the end-all-be-all, of course not, there are other things you should use if you want to advance in your training but that's up to you. You can still have the best workouts of your life using nothing but your bodyweight. Hell during a 6 week sprint training phase a few years ago, I would use some of the workouts in addition to the sprints, in that time frame, I dropped over 15 pounds and lowered my blood pressure by 32 points in both top and bottom numbers. These workouts can be life-saving and can get you fit in record time. Some of the best training I've ever done was because of Darebee Circuits. I've done them in hotel rooms, the park, in my den, out in the garage and at the lake. You can do many of them anywhere at anytime. 

You have options out there that won't cost you anything and these are awesome for when you really need to save money for special trips, paying off bills, when food is more important than a course and needing new clothes or furniture. We all can use a little help from time to time and these are part of that to help out a fellow human being. 

Have fun and keep being amazingly awesome. Share, Comment & Sign Up with this Blog. 

Creating Your Own Darebee Workouts

Circuit Training is a great method for developing a level of conditioning or overall fitness that reaps a lot of benefits. Off and on for years, Darebees workouts have been awesome in testing my endurance and mental strength to push through workouts that may seem simple on paper but once you do it, it becomes a big wake up call. I've written about some of the Superhero Themed Workouts they've put out and have substituted some exercises that suit me and the way I want to get through those workouts.

I'm not a fan of air squats so most of the circuit workouts I do, I substitute them for Hindu Squats or Step Ups. I wrote in a previous post about what was better; 500 Hindu Squats or 500 Step Ups? The truth is, I don't necessarily put those exercises on a pedestal like others have but also doing one particular exercise for hundreds of reps at once does seem boring to me but for some reason, I enjoy them doing a certain amount of reps in sets such as in a circuit. My fastest 500 Hindu Squats was around 12 minutes, fastest 500 Step Ups was around 22 minutes and the funny thing is, I got more out of doing hundreds in a circuit more than doing them all at once. Variety is more my style.

Darebee has more than 1800 workouts to choose from. Some are easy to do, some are very difficult and others are just plain insane but they provide awesome assessments and help you reach a certain level of fitness. Some workouts go for 3 rounds, some 5 and many have you reach for a goal of 7 rounds. My goal in circuit workouts is to reach 10 rounds as fast as possible with little to no rest. That's the real test of one's conditioning and mental fortitude. Some workouts I finished within 15 minutes, others have taken as long as 45 min but when it comes to circuits, I want to test myself to see how far I can go and hit that finish mark with gas left in the tank. 

Yesterday, I made a Darebee Circuit that consisted of mainly leg work, Pushups and Punching. I don't believe it's right up there with elite pro athletes but it was pretty good and it kicked my ass since I'm feeling it today and it's built on testing your cardio and maintaining a pace where the the only rest period is marking off the set and immediately get back on it. Here's the workout....

20 Step Ups (10 each leg)

10 Lunges (5 per leg or alternating)

20 Punches (Alternating for 10 each arm)

10 Pushups

10 Turning Kicks

Finished 10 rounds in 20:58 which comes out to a total of 200 Step Ups, 100 Lunges, 200 Punches, 100 Pushups and 100 Turning Kicks (700 Reps all together)

Sweat like Niagara Falls and listening to some tunes, couldn't get much better than that. These workouts can give you plenty of ideas to come up with your own and not just follow the routine made for you. Doing a workout made for you is awesome but there's a greater opportunity to create your own style and do workouts you choose that challenge you but also making it work for you as well. 

Is it good to train circuits everyday? Maybe not the high level ones which for the most part doesn't need to be more than 2x a week but if you want to do circuits with less intensity and are relatively easy on certain days, moderate on others and push yourself a couple times, that can make a hell of a program. Some of my favorite workouts are the Combat ones where it's like training MMA but also get into the workouts that are more strength and conditioning based like Push-ups, Squats, Step Ups, Sit-Up Punches and others. Sometimes I'll come up with a combo of the two. 

I like doing superset workouts where I can go back and forth without thinking twice about it but circuits every now and then are a real doozer and put you into another state of mind when it comes to conditioning. You get more variety to work different muscles groups. My circuits are always bodyweight based and I can do these workouts anywhere I want. They're free and go beyond just a workout; there's programs, daily goals, diet plans, specific entities of workouts such as Combat, Amazon, Soldier, Playground, Anime Themed or Sports. These will get you in shape and provide you with resources many pay thousands of dollars for. 

Stay strong and be Amazingly Awesome.