Over 100 Done So Far

 The journey continues as I keep grinding with my Hill Sprint Training. Thought I'd share my results so far. There isn't a huge difference but I'll take what I can get and keep getting better and better. I've now reached over 100 Sprints since I started a little over a month ago. Had to reduce the amount of sprints after the first three workouts since I was doing too much just to begin with. I was doing 10 sprints a session and reduced it to 5 each for the next three weeks, I'm now in my second week of 6 sprints a session for 12-15 seconds each. 

Results don't come easy for me and I've actually changed my eating habits around since I started this up again. I've cut back on a number of things and focused more on Steak, Rice, Eggs, Homemade Shakes with Milk & Raw Eggs, Chicken Salads from time to time and some other good stuff. On my days off from sprints, I'll do mainly Isometrics but I also go on walks, play basketball, work with hammers, do circuits and even one workout where I managed 105 slams in 5 minutes with my 20 lb slam ball. I thought I was going to die from that one and that felt more intense than the sprints LOL. 

Isometrics help a lot with the recovery and some days I'll do the intense 7-12 second contractions but other days I'll do 30 seconds or longer doing various positions. Overall like I said there isn't a massive difference in my physique and I still have quite a road ahead of me but I'm loving it and I feel different. I feel lighter even at around 255, my legs feel springy, the definition in the legs is awesome too and haven't felt I lost any strength. Stamina keeps getting better little by little and the endorphin highs are just flat out incredible. 

Not planning to look like Zach Efron from Baywatch but the idea is to slim down more, eat better, drink more water, harden the muscles up a bit and just be in better shape. This is my last year in my 30's and I want to be in the best shape I can be in when 40 hits. Getting a head start isn't a bad thing now is it? I don't want to feel like an old man and still want the ability to keep up. Too many people I know let themselves go after they approach 40 and many younger than me are already starting to wear down from injuries and even dying because of certain lifestyle choices. Although looking like you're in shape and actually feeling and doing things that keep you in shape are different things, I just want to get better little by little and feel like I'm not wearing out and can't keep up. Conditioning and Flexibility becomes more crucial as we age and staying strong is part of that puzzle. 

Sprints are more than just running hard for a few seconds, it's about fighting yourself and discovering where your true strength and will lies. Keep at it and keep being amazingly awesome everyone. 

Mar 20th

Today Apr 24th

 

Everyone Started Somewhere

             When you see a great looking athlete or a powerful lifter, most automatically assume he’s been that way all his life when in reality he looked completely different and didn't always seem to have the strength or genetics to be that great looking. We all started at someplace in our lives when we began training. Some started at a young age; others began when they’re much older. I for one was never the muscle guy or someone that believed one day could rip phonebooks and bend tough steel, I was once very skinny as a preteen and also the fat kid when I was a teenager and didn't have much muscle to show for.

            To most who have rarely if ever trained, it feels discouraging sometimes seeing people who can do things rather easily and yet you can’t even fathom being able to do them. The thing to do is to create building blocks. Learn to find an exercise or fitness program that you can do that gets you on the path to becoming fit and healthy/strong. It doesn't take a genius to realize that if you’re at the starting gate, you need to build yourself up and keep it consistent, challenge yourself every so often to keep things interesting and fresh. Starting out isn't always fun but that shouldn't stop you from becoming one mighty human being.

            One of the first things I learned after I learned how to walk again when I began my own rehab was start little. There was no way in hell I could do 100 Push-ups or 100 Squats and hold a bridge to save my life at first. I had to build up and work brick by brick. It’s like building a house, you start with little things that lay the foundation and you progress to heavier things and put them in certain places that keep the house up an held; same thing with exercise, you do little things that turn into big gains later on.

            People in the fitness world tell you, you should be able to do this or that exercise by this time and if you haven’t then you’re not doing it right. Go at your own pace, your body isn't meant for someone else’s pace and the timing you do is what incorporates your body and mind to do. Progression is another look at starting with the little things and work up to the bigger ones later. I would've never thought I’d be able to do Handstand Push-ups at my size (I was 230 lbs. when I started) so to build up I had to learn how to hold a Handstand, then dip down a bit for an isometric hold, then do quarter reps, then half reps, be fore I knew it I was doing more 20 reps touching my head to the floor and back up with locked arms. It took me nearly 5 weeks to do that, but I went at my own pace. This is just an example of what you can do in other exercises and/or programs. Build up and have fun with it, we all started somewhere but it’s up to us how far we want to go.

Time For A Fresh Start

            Hope everyone had a great Christmas and had tons of fun, food and love from relatives and friends. To me this was one of the best holidays yet; got to spend time with the people I love and spend time with the most kick ass friends. The holidays is not always about finding gifts for the kids or getting something you've been wanting all year, it’s about connecting and giving back to the people in your life that gives a beautiful meaning. Now that it’s over and the New Year is just a couple days away, it’s time to reflect and build new chapters, learn different things.

            A common thread of the New Year is what people call Resolutions or better yet, change or create something huge that will only last you less than 2 weeks. To me, Resolutions is complete bullshit. In the fitness world, most really put it out there and believe just because they can jump into something it’s going to stick with them like going to Crossfit when you haven’t even done any technique yet nor do Insanity/P90X workouts instead of building up and progressing. I like to look at it as New Years Goals. Start small, if you’re new to exercise for example, do little things here and there. Start at 1 min. of exercise and build up to it, find exercises you’re interested in and have fun with them. Too many people want to jump in and try to lose 20 pounds like it was that easy.

            It’s about progressing and building a mindset where it’s not a punishment, it’s an adventure and exciting with knowing how to set your limits and challenges. When people jump into advanced type training, it’s exciting that they get to do all these cool things but when they actually do them, it will hit them like a strike of lightning and they’ll realize how crazy it is and that it can cause pain or even worse an injury. Think of it this way, in math would you jump from arithmetic to calculus just like that? No, you need to go through certain steps, like climbing a ladder; you don’t just climb 4-5 steps at once, its one thing at a time. It’s the little things that create the biggest gains. Sure it’s fun to be hardcore but you got to earn it and experience a small struggle to get to where you want to go.

            For some, exercise may not always be a priority, you might want to add something to your business as a goal, make little changes in your household and find what you can improve on as a family. I have a few goals but it’s important for me to not jinx them, I’ll tell you this though; A goal of mine is to save money and buy an Epic Sledgehammer because as an athlete and a Physical Culturist, I’m always looking for ways to improve my body by conditioning it in different ways using something heavy or light or even just my own bodyweight. I find things that interest me and create new ways to have fun with those interests, it keeps my mind sharp and it helps me focus on what I want. Another would be to increase my intuitive powers through meditation and being aware of what’s around me by feel and more.

            You may not get any of my goals and nor will I mostly get yours but one thing is for certain and that we strive to be better at certain things in our lives and it could mean anything. Make this New Year your bitch, take it one day at a time and before you know, you will have accomplished something you've never one before. Find things that interest you, experiment, have fun and don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. 

Super Size Your Fitness

            Now you might be thinking “Why the hell would you make a McDonalds reference in a fitness article?” Well because I can and more than that I’d like to look at things from another perspective. Super sizing a workout doesn't always mean move a bunch of heavy stuff around or add sets and reps an all that junk, I want you to look at Super Sizing as a point to amp up your game a bit, do something a little bit heavier than your last workout, change the tempo a bit or change exercises and hit them hard.

            Jump starting your metabolism is a great way to help burn off fat, build lean muscle, getting your organs in fantastic condition that can wear off diseases and help you from getting sick easily. For some it’s not always that simple. For most in our 20’s we can jump start into overdrive rather quickly and get great muscle but for older folks it’s not that easy. Unless you've been training your whole life and know the ins and outs but the majority haven’t or stopped for a period of years. Super sizing your training doesn't mean you jump into some advanced program where you’ll end up more injured than getting results, it’s about progressing and starting small and going a little higher each time until you’re at that Super Size level.

            Here comes my McDonalds reference that should shed some light on how training works. When you order a Big Mac and a Super Size meal, most people get that because they’re hungry but what they don’t realize is how to use small chunks that makes the meal more realistic to eat, some will just scarf it down, start sweating a little too soon and they’ll feel tired and a little sick afterwards. Exercising is practically the same thing, you do too much right off the bat and your body can’t always take right away and you’re feeling groggy and in pain. When you take small chunks of your workout and mold them into something a little more each time you’re actually getting more out of it. Train within your limits and challenge yourself every once in a while. This is not saying to go to McDonalds and challenging how many burgers and fries you can stuff that just makes you an idiot.

            The most important thing to remember when you Super Size your workouts is know when to back off. I get it that it gives you an adrenaline rush at times and you can do it often but there has to be some form of control and discipline otherwise you’re setting yourself up for an injury and that can ruin your chances of getting the results you want. Learn how to step back, recover, do little things here and there and then get back up to it. Super Size your mind and body by controlling and learning your limits and use your recovery time to reflect on what you can do better next time or pick up the pace a bit more. Remember, small chunks can make all the difference instead of just going straight to the moon, you have to get into space first but before that, you need the rocket to launch.