Isometrics, Cables, Step Ups & Dopa Training

 Some days I get in one workouts, other days more than a couple like 3 or 4 but every now and then, sometimes a couple workouts where one huge one just hits the spot and your energy is just there. On Saturday, it was one of those days.

In the morning I got some Isometrics in and felt really good. Later on in the day sometime after having a kick ass shake, I went through another one that I made up on the spot and just went with whatever was going to push me. First part of the workout was doing the TNT Cables with 180 lbs Resistance and Step Ups. Do a set with the cables and either rest or go after the Step Ups doing 50 (25 per leg), 5 sets of 10 Curls and 100 Step Ups. Next was Pulldowns and doing sets of 40, 20, 20 and another 20 with 100 Step Ups (25 per leg in between sets or so) and last was Rows doing 5 sets of 20 and another 100 Step Ups. So all together was 250 Reps of Cable Work and 300 Step Ups.

The Dopa Workout was more of a finisher than anything and just an add on to what I just did to make it one big workout. Merely did three exercises for 100 Reps each. First was doing Hooks with a pull like movement doing a couple sets of 50 (25 each arm), next was Chest Presses for 4 sets of 25 and finished off with a combo exercise of a squat and alternating row where you squat and then pull one arm at a time for 4 sets of 25. Sweating like a waterfall would be an understatement and just feeling you're on top of the world.

When you have that energy and you use it productively whether training or working, it makes some pretty interesting results and getting stuff done. Fitness is more than just developing a physique, losing/gaining weight and getting rid of unwanted fat; it's finding out what gives you the most benefit with nothing to lose in the long run. Doing the same shit that rarely ever works won't do jack shit for you but learning and adapting to exercises that are useful to your goals and changing things up to keep things fresh often brings another entity of excitement and interest to your training.

You can do micro workouts throughout the day, do circuits that last for 20 minutes to an hour or go with whatever you're feeling that day, do what works for you. Some days when I don't have a ton of energy, I work on more mobility training and little workouts doing flows or do a couple hundred step ups. It depends on what you're willing to do within the time you can use. No matter what, get some form of training in daily, even if it's going out for a walk or playing a sport. Make the time that is important even if it's for a few minutes. I've always believed in conditioning and maintaining levels of strength and endurance but at times, it's best to just train so you can feel good and go on about your day. It doesn't have to be hardcore all the time or so easy it doesn't do anything but do something that gives you that accomplished feeling like a daily chore for yourself that keeps you on your toes and playing with it.

Workouts like the one posted here isn't for beginners but once you're in the type of shape to do those things, it becomes an adventure. Hell, you can spread out the damn thing for all I care, that might be better for you, it's about experimenting with what you know and what you can adjust to. This wasn't even planned, I made it up as I went and used my knowledge for when to go hard and when to rest a bit to let things sink in. As time goes on, yeah mostly I like to keep going as much as possible without taking a breather but I also have no problems walking it off to get my bearings and then go again; it's instinct and understanding of what you want to do in that time. When you've done workouts every single day without failure since you were barely old enough to drink, it doesn't just become a habit, it becomes like second nature. Very few people can do that. 

Take small steps, gain knowledge, learn the value of daily training and have it take on a life of its own as you keep going day after day. Stay amazingly awesome. 

Making Little Things Count

Have you ever crammed for a test before whether it was in high school, college or studying for a high degree? We all one way or another have done this, you study a little and lay off for a while but just before test day, you have to get everything sorted together all at one time just to even make it there. A lot of people in the fitness world or even going to the gym have done this and where does it really lead them? They have to rush to the gym, change, get their cardio and weights in and that’ll be their workout before they really feel exhausted and out of it when they get home and have no energy. This is not the positive and productive way to exercise.

 No matter what you do throughout the day, you can get a little exercise in here and there using small effective exercises that leave you with energy instead of draining you. Think about it, when you get up in the morning, you can do a few stretches to get your day started, you can even do Isometrics when you’re in the shower getting ready, hell you can work on your grip strength while brushing your teeth. These are things to think about that you don’t need to rush to a gym and get in your workout. Spread your exercises out even at your office, even sitting at this chair at this moment, I’m pressing one arm into the chair and typing with the other; see you can exercise while working without anyone knowing it. You don’t ever have to complicate or compromise your workouts because you feel you have to go to the gym.

 We all get tired at some point during the day, what if we used that little energy we have to do a few exercises and just start bursting with energy instantly? You can even do exercises while sitting at a red light in your car, don’t believe me, test it. You’re at a red light and it’s going take a bit of time and traffic is all over the place, or it’ll take less than a minute for the light to change, grab your steering wheel at the top, bottom or sides and push or pull for a few seconds and switch positions, or squeeze it for no more than seven seconds, you just did an exercise or two that will keep your blood flowing and energy stays up.

 There are no excuses in exercising, if you can grab a cup of coffee at a Starbux, you can do a couple exercises while waiting in line. Learn to make time, your body will thank you for it, if you have a few seconds in the office, use it, if you’re sitting in a restaurant waiting for your food, use that time to do a few seconds of an exercise. There are people who say they’ll make time but never do because of their schedules, hate to break it to you but you can do it, just be willing to use when you can.

 Nobody has time for everything, that’s a fact and it’s understandable, you don’t have time for a half hour of cardio and an hour of weights, besides, unless you’re a gym rat, you won’t want to use that time because you have things on your plate you need to do  especially if you have kids. Spreading out exercises throughout the day can be beneficial to you no matter what kind of schedule you have; you don’t even need to do a ton of reps when you have the time, just do a few. Your body is a machine that needs fuel to keep you strong, like a very beautiful Ferrari, it needs water, gas and oil to keep it running right and all those little parts to keep it from breaking down, your body is the same thing, use that spare time to do something and your body will keep on running until you are ready to sleep. It’s all about looking outside the box and learning certain things that can be of use to YOU!!! Make it count, it’s the little things that make a big impact.

Never Feel Small

Have you ever walked into a certain place or been around a group of people and all of a sudden you feel small (mentally) and felt like being towered over? I have a number of times in my life, in the gym, school mates and others. Feeling short in a negative way debunks your ability to overcome your obstacles, say for instance you were told you can’t be a good parent or you were told that it’s impossible to bend a bar because you aren’t strong enough or even that “there’s no way in hell you’re going to be successful” crap. Being towered over sucks and it’s about time you stepped up to the plate.

 There are those that you tower over physically but for some reason at some point you’re going to look smaller than they are because they got into your head. Being tall or short physically shouldn’t ever be a stressful thing for you, if you understood how to mentally defend yourself against those that take away your energy like a vampire that sucks blood; you will see what it’s like to be a strong individual inside and out.

 Now lets let go of height for a second and look at other parts of the body that are small from the outside and let’s be adults here no below the waist jokes. I’ll admit for a big guy I have relatively small hands and an average size wrist, from the looks of it I shouldn’t even waste my time developing hand strength because come on where are small hands going to get me? Here’s the kicker, I mentally picture myself as if these small hands of mine are not small at all, they’re enormous and can crush anything in their path, because of this one simple little thought of mind, it’s helped me bend steel, rip phonebooks, grab a hold of a heavy weight and lift it off the ground. With a simple thought you can change how your body is moved and how big do you want to feel. Dennis Rogers is another example, for his size he shouldn’t be anywhere near above average strength let alone have superhuman abilities but yet for the world’s strongest man he takes objects and destroys them with ease and how does he do it, by picturing himself being strong and block out that governor within us that tells us to stop before we get hurt.

 In order to mentally tower over your obstacle you have to think as if you were something beyond who you are in a human type form, maybe that’s stretching it a bit but the idea is to put a thought that says “I’m taller, bigger, and stronger and nothing will stand in my way.” You can apply this to just about anything. This method in one way is used by Garin Bader which he calls it “The Power of Zeus” which enables from a strength training standpoint to strengthen your mental powers to generate super strength in a matter of seconds. You breathe with it, you feel it as if it consumes you with power, vigor and vitality. This doesn’t just apply to strength, it can be applied how you talk, how you find that powerful presence that people automatically take notice of and have an aura of vigorous energy. The emotional side can be used as well as how you present yourself with your voice, body language and your emotional content of that power.

 It doesn’t matter if you’re 7’ or 4’  you have the power to channel your thoughts and make yourself feel bigger, larger and more powerful and you can apply it anyway you want but use it as a purpose and not to personally bully somebody, that’s just not cool. Funny thing, I have what I call a second mother who’s one of the most awesome women on the planet and she’s no more than 5’3 so the majority of people (except children she takes care of) towers over pretty easily including her own kids and I tower over her with ease but yet she just has this presence and it’s scary sometimes how within a split second make you feel smaller than a pea. In the end she’s one of the sweetest and inspiring people I’ve ever known but damn she’s good at getting people to her level, it was a wake up call when I was a kid and still true to this day.

 The way you present yourself can make you or break you in any situation you’re in. You put too much or too little of a good or bad thing it’s going to bite you in the ass. Finding that balance is a practice that takes time but the rewards are endless. Your imagination is where it’s at and your body language combined with imagination and action will make the difference between feeling small and feeling larger than life.