Without a doubt, my most popular article on the blog ever has been the Trainer Tells All post, with I can’t even tell you how many times it has been viewed (a ridiculously big number!).  People have asked for a “follow up”, which I always responded “Well I already told ‘all’, so what is left for me to say?” (in a joking tone).

My first “tell all” post came to me as I was out for a long mountain bike one day, and the random thoughts just started coming to me while being out in nature (mostly when I was stopped and just enjoying being outside, not while trying to dodge trees).

In keeping with the same inspiration source, I’ve been keeping notes over the last few weeks as things just “come to me” during the quiet moments of the day.

So in no particular order, here are some more thoughts…as the trainer tells “more”. Hope you enjoy as much as my first article from long ago!

• Here’s the secret to lasting weight loss…find an enjoyable way to eat less (without feeling deprived and giving up) and move more. Done. Send your check to…..
• Anyone who tells you that their/some way is the “only” way, is already wrong.
• Most out there really suffer from “paralysis by analysis”.
• There are 100s of forums filled with millions of people who are mostly just debating weight loss and muscle gaining, while there are people who don’t even have a computer getting real results.
• I’m happier now living a more flexible/enjoyable lifestyle at a leaner 185lbs than I was trying to maintain my 215lbs in college.
• There is more to life than going to the gym and tanning.
• If you want better food choices at restaurants and the supermarket, stop supporting crappy ones. Vote with your fork (and wallet). Companies will give people what they want if the masses demand it (as that is their business model).
• P90x workouts are probably fun and motivating…although most people I know don’t want to spend an hour doing a workout 5x/wk…so they just let their DVDs collect dust.
• Many people I know with fantastic physiques also have low self-esteem and depression issues (as they are too tied to what they look like for happiness, and nothing is ever good enough).
• I like to keep life simple, and try to eat “real food” most of the time….and not worry about being perfect.
• If you are not happy with yourself right now, getting more muscle or a leaner body will not solve it (although nothing wrong with wanting to look good, just don’t obsess over it as see the previous bullet point above).
• I still get a chuckle when exercise companies send me 150+ page catalogs filled with the latest and greatest training tools (why do we need all this?).
• If you think you need to be HUUUGE to act tough, remember Bruce Lee at 145lbs could whoop most anyone’s butt over 200lbs.
• Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, don’t allow your happiness to be based on the judgment of your own cover
• Science and research seems to prove 2 things on a consistent basis, what my grandma already knew is true and we really don’t know much about how the body works.
• Why is spanking a child considered abuse, but letting them become overweight and sick is not?
• When did kids get to eat what they wanted all the time? When I was a kid I was not crazy about eating pork chops and veggies, but the other option of going to bed hungry was not a good choice either!
• The fact that kids need “planned activities” to get out of the house is sad, as back in the day we just rode our bikes around the neighborhood until the street lights came on.
• Kids and grown ups don’t want to “work out”, but they both want to go out and “play”.
• Getting very close to 40, I only really am concerned about being able to lift things and move my own body without injury….not going to worry about exercises to isolate my calf muscles.
• There is no profit in getting people healthy and keeping them that way without prescription medications or diet books/pills.
• All so-called “public service messages” based on fear marketing of something from drug companies (you may have xyz disease!) are just fancy sales pitches for you getting treated with their meds…and it is working.
• It is amazing when you decide to take care of yourself and not depend on anyone else, how easy and rewarding it is.
• The real calorie difference between walking and jogging a mile, is about 30-40 calories/mile. If you run 5 miles a day but eat 10 miles worth after, what good is that?
• So many people want to make dieting and fitness an “all or nothing” full time focus, no wonder so many people burn out.
• If I can train at home and get results with only using bodyweight and resistance bands, you don’t have an excuse.
• I canceled my gym membership again, because I’d rather go play outside.
• I canceled my gym membership again, because I needed the personal reminder that eating is where most of my results come from.
• I canceled my gym membership again, because exercise can happen anywhere.
• I canceled my gym membership again, because walking on a treadmill watching TVs on all different 24hr news channels was not relaxing at all…and more stressful.
• Do pushups (and/or pullups) during every commercial break watching TV, Hershel Walker did growing up.
• Less is more, hence why I have deleted most of my internet explorer bookmarks and RSS subscriptions.
• Knowledge without action is useless.
• I’ll never buy another running shoe ever, and will never need an ITB or knee brace either.
• I’ve read about as much as I care to about exercise and fitness, I get it. Time to explore other passions in life.
• I knew a trainer friend who was 225lbs ripped walking around daily. Then had gallbladder/liver issues. After 4 weeks he was shrunken down to about 180lbs and wasn’t eating much. Once he felt better, he was back up to 225lbs again in another 4 weeks. Just saying, appearances don’t tell everything.
• I suggest getting Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules” simple little book as a fun daily reminder of what to eat.
• I don’t like labels on how I eat (low-carb, Paleo, etc), as I change it daily depending on how I feel and recovery needs. I am in full control of my choices daily….and never tied to just any one way.
• People who exercise can enjoy their vices.
• People who flex in the mirror at the gym in my opinion probably really just need a hug.
• If you still need to count calories, you are probably not eating the right foods in the first place.
• Yes I could train someone on a “Bowflex” to get results with the right eating and workout, it is not that hard.
• Because I can’t say it enough without people saying how wrong I am…eating more meals during a day does NOT speed up your metabolism. Sorry, just relaying the facts as I see them.
• Exercise (especially glycolitic/resistance training based) is key to “lasting” weight loss success, and doesn’t have to be excessive either.
• I’ll give you my strategy in life….sleep, eat light, workout, eat what I want, sleep, fast, eat less than the day before, sleep and repeat. Mix in some fun lifestyle activities and not stressing about stuff and you have a pretty good plan in my book.
• I bet if we burned all the diet books out there, people may be able to start to really think for themselves and get results.
• Learning how to eat is a lifestyle endeavor, as our bodies and needs change as we go…and so we must know how to adapt.
• I’m going to make myself a dip/inverted row stand for commercial breaks (not that I watch much TV, but will keep it around the house for fun)
• Losing weight and building muscle is not that hard, just look at some of the people who do it (not rocket science).
• Unless someone has kept the weight off for a couple years, no one should be listening to anyone bragging about “quick” weight loss (aka Hollywood and other celebs). Most gain it all right back.
• If your mentality is “I need to lose 30lbs, how do I do it?”, then you are already setting yourself up for failure.
• If your mentality is “How do I lose a couple lbs a week?”, then you are setting yourself up for a life of success. (apply same strategy to putting on muscle if that is your goal)
• Thinking you can just magically put on 30lbs of “lean” muscle (not to be confused with just “weight”) in a couple months, is a slap in the face to all the people before you who did it the slow and steady way.
• If your muscle disappears if you take a couple weeks off the gym, it wasn’t really muscle in the first place.
• I get it that training to run a marathon is motivating for people to get back into shape, but people need to also understand that excess exercise does damage to your body and can waste muscle (when it is the only training you do). My advice to a person getting back into shape? Train for and run a 5-10k instead, and don’t forget resistance training to keep those muscles around.
• I stopped taking fish oil, once I stopped eating fatty grain fed meat all the time…and added in more sardines and herring. I feel much better.
• Autophagy (recycling at the cell level) may be the key to lasting health/longevity over 40+, and the only way to turn it up is with a “low food” stress on occasion.
• Being “fit” is too many people’s obsession, and no one really knows what it means in the first place.
• Most guys want their body to look like Arnold in “Conan”, most women want a guy’s body to look like Brad Pitt in “Fight Club”.
• The top bodybuilders are still pretty damn strong…which means they are not always doing sets of 20 reps with light weights.
• Walking around in sandals and barefoot (in house) is the easiest way for anyone to get the muscles in their feet strong again (and even help correct posture issues).
• If I were to start another training studio (which I am not) it would still be like the one I had long ago…a small room with only resistance bands, bodyweight straps and dumbbells.
• If I can’t remember the workout in my head during training, it is too complicated for me.
• My motto nowadays in regards to training can be summed up in 3 quotes: “Go hard”, “Don’t do stupid sh*t” and “Don’t get injured”….usually #2 and #3 go hand in hand.
• I eat ice cream, pizza and burgers on occasion. I make no apologies for it, and neither should you.
• It never made sense to me when trainers telling their overweight clients to eat 2500+ calories a day (for women, 3500+ for men) and workout 4-5x a week. Why not eat less and workout smarter?
• During tougher times throughout my fitness trainer career I have survived for weeks on rice, corn, beans, milk and eggs….and it wasn’t that bad.
• I don’t want to be called an “expert” anymore, as that term has dropped in quality over the years since the explosion of the internet.
• Cultures of people who live long and healthy have varied diets, but usually 2 things in common….they eat real food, and they eat much less than most everyone else.
• I don’t do fancy marketing or sales tricks (even though I know most of them all), I just try and be someone that I would want to listen to…as I hate being sold to all the time.
• Most people probably have to spend alot of money on supplements, diet books and/or exercise programs before they “really get it” and know how simple it all is. I know I did.
• I use the 80/20 rule when it comes to all things health and fitness…I will focus on the 20% that gives 80% of the results and not get obsessed over the other 80%. Then I have plenty of free time to go live life before it passes me by.
• The more times I watch “Fight Club”…the more I appreciate the deeper message, and it is not about fighting.
• If I can’t enjoy a beer with friends after doing something fun and active, I probably don’t want any part of it.
• Sometimes people wonder how the heck I can eat the amount I do and still stay lean…give you a hint, I focus on maintaining muscle with simple resistance training….and I take days off with intermittent fasting.
• Knowing my own tendencies and body type is important. I like to workout hard/explosive, run/skate fast in spurts and eat big meals when I am hungry. Once I tailored my lifestyle around that (including knowing when to plan in recovery), I have never been happier and still get the body composition I am after.
• Workout days I like to put in more carbs (esp after a workout). Other days are more protein. I don’t do well trying to do high carb/protein together.
• If you want to look like a professional athlete, do what they do for 8 hours a day…if you want to look good and still keep your day job, workout and eat smart.
• Most Hollywood stars take 4-8+ months to get ready for a role and look good on camera. So why do most people think they can get it done in 2-4 weeks?
• I enjoy eating, and enjoy it even more after a hard workout. I don’t snack, as that is just torture for me (I get really hungry from it).
• You can get lean and fit eating fast food burgers and snickers bars when the total daily calories are low enough, but I can’t give you any guarantees on your overall state of health as skinny people get cancer and heart disease too.
• Doctors who are not telling their patients to get off their butt and eat less/move more to improve their health are just being cowards. Time to stop worrying about people’s feelings and tell it like it is!
• Don’t blame the fast food industry for obesity, as I drive past 20 fast food chains a day and don’t stop in each one. It is still a personal choice on what to eat, no one is holding a gun to anyone’s head.
• The best way to be healthy is to understand what you are eating and it’s impact on your body. Ignore that and all bets are off.
• The best way to win the long term “war” on obesity and disease, is to get people to “wake up” and become aware of their own choices. We need to embrace the positive solutions of eating and exercise for health and prevention. If we don’t save ourselves, no one else will do it for us!
• “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.” (Fight Club)…lets get living!

Today I am going to bring you a Bodyweight Strength Training video series focusing on 2 of the top upper body exercises, the dip and the inverted row. Below you will find many videos on how to perform the movements, ways to scale them, home equipment options (no gym needed!) and even how to make your own for less money!

Video note: If you are viewing this through RSS or email and can not see the videos, then click here to visit the article online with the videos included.

Dips and Inverted Rows

Dips are often called the “upper body squat” in how effective it is in building a strong chest, shoulders and arms. Along with the pushup, it delivers a strong workout response (in a sense it is a similar “pushing” motion to the pushup, just vertical rather than horizontal).

The inverted row (or also know as a body row to some) is an excellent “pulling” exercise to help strengthen your back (which often gets neglected with an emphasis on doing too many pushing exercises).

Since it will be easier to show you than explain it all, let’s begin!

The Disclaimer:

Anything you see, make or do from the videos below is do/use at your own risk! We are not responsible if you make something and then fall on your head because it wasn’t sturdy enough! If you have any doubts you can always buy equipment to use.

Video #1

Here is a good intro video from Ultimate Body Press to demonstrate the movements for the dip and inverted rows. Note how it also shows to scale/modify the movements by using “leg assistance” for dips with a foot on the ground and moving the feet closer for the inverted rows. You can modify your movements to best suit your ability and build up your strength from there.

Video #2

Here is another piece of equipment called the Equalizers that you can also use. Similar to the bars above, these are 2 separate ones you can move around. In the video Mark also adds in some more creative ways to use the 2 stands.

Video #3

If you want to spend even less money, well check out this creative solution. Time to hit the garage sales for some walkers! (not sure I would go look for these personally, but just something to keep in mind at the next garage sale)

Video #4

Still want another cheap solution? Well Matt over at the Strength Shop (who is one strong dude!) shows us how to make a dip/inverted row station out of PVC.

Video #5

An even more creative version is using chairs that you can do some deep pushups, dips and a creative way to use a broom stick with the chairs (later on in the video) for the inverted rows. You better have some sturdy chairs. I would also suggest finding a way to secure the broomstick so it doesn’t slide off.

Video #6

You could also just head over to the local playground’s bars and see if you can pull off some of these dips, rows and other moves as demonstrated by the Calisthenics Kingz’s.

Video #7

You can also use some bodyweight straps (also known as a suspension trainer) as well for your dip and inverted rows (note you will have to have something sturdy overhead to attach them to). Gymnastic rings work for this as well. The straps are pretty high in this video, but you can always lower them so you can use “leg resistance” when needed for your ability.

Videos #8 & 9

Lastly if you don’t want to buy a set of straps/rings, you can always make them yourself cheaper from things you can get from Home Depot as demonstrated in the 2 videos below.

and another DIY (do it yourself) suspension trainer video

Wrap Up

So there you have it, as a wrap up here are the finer points:

• Dips and inverted rows are 2 of the top upper-body bodyweight exercises that you can do (along with pushups and pullups)

• Doing simple circuits with these exercises 2-3x/week, will get you stronger and build muscle (which also helps to burn that fat)

• You can buy a pre-made dips stand (which you can also do rows on) and/or bodyweight straps (also known as a suspension trainer)/rings.

• You can make your own dips stand or suspension trainer if you think you are handy/creative enough, or find something to use at the local playground

• Safety first! Make sure what ever you use is secure and sturdy for your weight and movements (aka don’t get injured in the process!)

• To scale the movements to make easier, just use more “leg assistance” as demonstrated above. This is easily done with the dip stands and for suspension trainers you would just have to lower the handles to allow more use of your legs.

• To scale the movements to make harder you can either increase the volume (# of sets and reps) and/or increase the resistance/bodyweight with a weight vest (or a backpack full of something heavy). Remember to make sure your equipment is sturdy enough to handle the additional load.

• Make it a challenge like getting to 100 reps (or 10 sets of 10 reps) of each. Do alternating sets in a circuit (as the benefit is you will rest the “pushing” muscles as you use the “pulling” ones (and visa versa), while still keeping a high overall workout intensity (short rest periods). Similar to what we did with the 100 rep pushup challenge (and you can use the “grease the groove” strategy here as well).

Is your trainer really telling you everything you need to know?

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2008. Part of our “Best of the past” series time to time will include reviewing and updating some of our top old posts for everyone to re-read (or read for the first time in many cases). Enjoy!

Having been a trainer myself for years and years I can tell you that I have met some great smart trainers, and some I’m not even sure how they got certified. Most people seem to trust their trainers 100% when it comes to advice on how to get into shape, yet isn’t the information only as good as the source it comes from?

Some trainers may have a Masters in exercise physiology and others may have no formal background in fitness. While a degree is one thing, the ability to get results is another.

Trainers are also in the business of training, so there is incentive to keeping people around month after month. So here are some things that you may not be getting from your trainer….but I believe you need to know.

• 85%+ of Your Results Comes from What you Eat – I can’t stress how HUGE this is. Whether weight loss or gaining muscle, diet and what you eat is the biggest part of the equation. I don’t care how advanced and special your workouts are, if your nutrition stinks then you will most likely get little results. This is not discounting the importance of working out either, as that is key too to help stimulate muscle growth and keep your metabolism strong in the process. But a simple workout with enough resistance/volume  3x/wk and dialed in nutrition will give phenomenal results. Too many just workout to use that as an excuse not to do the hard stuff, as in eat right the rest of the time.

• Your Core is Not the Big Problem – It drives me crazy to see trainers in the gym doing all these balancing exercises on wobble boards, bosu balls and other ridiculous pieces of equipment. While you can use them as some secondary piece of equipment to work on something specific, to make it the focus of the workout is useless. Using resistance with weights/cables/bands or doing full compound bodyweight movements is where 99% of people need to stay and focus with. I’ve trained people safely and effectively from all walks of life and ages this way. It is a shame that many trainers are getting suckered into all this additional nonsense because the equipment industry is promoting it as ongoing education (because they want to sell more silly balance things). If you want a strong core, lift something over your head and hold it up there….but looking around the gym it seems people have too big a core anyways and just need to go focus on mastering full body movements and diet.

• Abs are Made in the Kitchen – Again another thing that drives me nuts, seeing trainers doing just an “ab” workout for 30min. Really? Unless you are already ripped and want to improve the definition on your abs, you again don’t need this as a focus of your workout. Do some exercises at the end and that will be enough stimulation, but without proper focus on diet/nutrition you will never see those abs in the first place. We all have a six pack, we just have to get rid of the fat covering it up.

• Don’t Use 90% of the Equipment in the Gym - If a trainer is taking you from machine to machine and spending no time on free weight or compound movements, go find another trainer. The machines are there to entertain the people who don’t know how to exercise without the guidance of a trainer. Machines are a fixed path working on one muscle at a time, not the most ideal way to have a time efficient workout…not too mention how your body does not work in isolation in real life! If you are paying someone to teach you something, it better be with something other than machines IMO.

• If You are Not Getting Results in 30 Days, Hire Another Trainer – Remember that you are paying for RESULTS. Consider a trainer as part of your company named You Inc. If your employee isn’t doing their job, why do you keep them around? Fire your trainer and go find another one if need be. Heck find a new trainer every month and see what each has to offer. All in all you don’t need a trainer month after month (unless you really need that motivation and have that kind of money to spend freely). You can check back in with them to see what kind of progress you are making and to change things up as needed, but you really don’t need them month after month to just count reps do you? I’ve seen some trainers that make a living on the same long term clients while not getting them any results….those are not the trainers you want to stick with. Also I would say to not sign-up/pay up front (like pay for a year in advance) for any long term contracts, go month to month and base your decision to renew on whether or not you are getting results. I’ve seen too many people lose money when studios/gym shut down or trainers just end up leaving.

• You Don’t Need a 1-Hour Training Sessions – If your trainer can’t challenge your muscles or push you enough in 30 min, you may just be paying for their company instead of expertise. While there are some types of workouts involving heavier weights and longer rest periods some may opt to do, for the average personal training client this is not the case. You can warm-up on your own, you can do your post workout cardio on the treadmill on your own…don’t be paying someone to just sit there and talk to you.

• In Many Cases it takes a Spare Weekend and $400+ to Become a “Professional” Trainer - Heck nowadays with the internet it’s probably more like $200 and a day on a computer. Not saying that there are not good trainers who get certified out there, but you should know this fact. Don’t let the certification fool you into thinking they are all experts out there.

• Big Clubs have Big Turnover and Pay their trainers very little - So while you may go to a big chain health club, you may also be getting a trainer that is happy making $15/hr. Just remember that most all of the top trainers I know of are independent, own their own studios or work out of small gyms paying their own rent…not working in the big brand name gyms. I won’t even go into all the horror stories of people also paying up front for a year, only to have their trainers keep quitting over and over again…and them losing out on money (this goes hand in hand with the recommendation on not paying up front for long term contracts)!

• Nowadays it seems Trainers are being Educated more on how to Sell you – Like any good business, a gym wants to make money. So they train their salesmen (in the form of trainers) to get you to buy big 6-12mo contracts up front….and then they (the gym) couldn’t care less if you show up for them. Also there are plenty of fitness marketers out there telling trainers how to sell, how to trick you and how to make a ton of money. Now there is nothing wrong with running a business, making money and providing a valuable product. Just don’t get pressured/suckered into anything long term…..as you are paying for results, so make sure your trainer knows what they are doing before you decide on staying with them for any length of time. Any good trainer will probably even tell you that is the best course of action. Don’t fall for some sales line of “well paying for 6 months up front will keep you motivated”….as that is BS….getting results month after month is the best motivation and good trainers know that.

and now (drum roll please) to finish off, I give you the top 10 warning signs on when you need to fire your personal trainer (and find a new one).

1. Your routines change up so much you never allow for any progression of weight for exercises (or can’t remember what weights you use for any exercises)
2. Your trainer likes to use alot of “toys” that he/she bought as the latest and greatest piece of equipment….and there is a new toy every month (shows where they are getting their education from….catalogs!)
3. Your trainer starts you off with any abdominal exercises before using free weights (nothing like weakening your prime spinal stabilizers before going into compound movements, can you say injury?)
4. You trainer answers their cell phone during your session
5. Your trainer reads fitness magazines as their education (fitness magazines are marketed for people who don’t know how to get real results, if your trainer is one of them….then run away)
6. Your trainer does not give you any direction or resources on how you should be eating (where most all the results come from remember?)
7. Your trainer keeps you on isolation machines (if there is not any focus on compound full body movements, you are not getting the education you need about good exercise)
8. You spend more time talking to him/her than working out (if you have enough time to talk for minutes in between sets and are not going for a max lift, you aren’t working out hard enough…or just killing time to make him/her justify charging you for an hour)
9. You can’t get a good workout done in 30min (too much chatting going on? Or is your trainer just killing time with useless stuff to bill your more?)
10. and lastly….my personal recent favorite sign….your trainer has a bio in the gym saying he has 15 years of “weight training” experience….and he is 25. (seriously true story…..I about fell over when I saw that one personally….wow….or as I said in response “Well I have played with a calculator since I was 5 but you don’t see me saying I’ve been an accountant for 30+ years”)

So to leave on a positive note, just remember this:

• Find a trainer that will explain what you are doing and why, so some day you can do this on your own
• Find a trainer that makes your workout realistic for your lifestyle, such as 3x/week for 30-40min…not 5x/wk for 1 hour (which not many will keep up)
• Get out there and learn about how to eat, as that is where most all your results come from!

photo credit by damonabnormal

The Challenge:

You are to work up to perform 100 pushups (or as many as you can) in 5 minutes. If you do not reach 100 then record how many pushups you can do in 5 min below in the comments. You can use your watch to time it, clock or this online stopwatch here.

Scaling by Ability

Scale to your ability level (such as angled pushups with bodyweight straps or against stairs/bench/low wall/couch) and stop after 5 minutes. Do the best you can and report your time and score below in the comments (to help motivate others out there and also compare progress in the future).

Make it a 50 pushup challenge if that is what is needed for you at this time.

For those that think 100 in 5 min is too easy? (which I am not one of those people) Do a larger range of motion with hands on blocks, using straps, or elevated feet. Still too easy? Well then feel free to strap on a weight vest (or put on a backpack full of books or additional weight).

Below is a quick video of how to use some bodyweight straps to change the horizontal angle of your body.

Challenge Tips:

Break your pushups into sets and do NOT go to failure during any set. For example if you can only do 25 pushups max at once, do not do 25 at first. Leave about 2-3 pushups “in the tank”. So in this case do a set of 20-22 and then stop and rest. Then go again stopping 2-3 short of failure.

Or better yet break it down into somewhat easier sets of 10 (until that gets too hard) with minimal rest between. Going to failure will only fatigue your muscles and require more recovery from it (and that 5 min will be up quicker than you know it!)

How to Getter Better by “Greasing the Groove”

The “evil Russian” Pavel Tsatsouline is the one who introduced people to the concept of “greasing the groove”. Below is an excerpt from his article entitled “Grease the Groove for Strength” originally published 1999 in MILO: A Journal for Serious Strength Athletes.

Your grandmother used to tell you: to get good at something, you must do it often, do it a lot, and do it to the exclusion of other things.

Specificity + frequent practice = success. It is so obvious, most people don’t get it. Once I came across a question posted on a popular powerlifting website by a young Marine: how should he train to be able to do more chin-ups? I was amused when I read the arcane and non-specific advice the trooper had received: straight-arm pull-downs, reverse curls, avoiding the negative part of the chin-up every third workout… I had a radical thought: if you want to get good at chin-ups, why not try to do… a lot of chin-ups? Just a couple of months earlier I had put my father-in-law Roger Antonson, incidentally an ex-Marine, on a program which required him to do an easy five chins every time he went down to his basement. Each day he would total between twenty-five and a hundred chin-ups hardly breaking a sweat. Every month or so Roger would take a few days off and then test himself. Before you knew it, the old leatherneck could knock off twenty consecutive chins, more than he could do forty years ago during his service with the few good men!

A few months later Roger sold his house and moved to an apartment. A paranoid Stalinist that I am, I suspected that he plotted to work around the ‘chin every time you go to the basement’ clause. By the degree of the Politbureau Comrade Antonson was issued one of those ‘Door Gym’ pull-up bars. Roger wisely conceded to the will of the Party and carried on with his ‘grease the chin-up groove’ program. Roger Ivanovich’s next objective is a one-arm chin. He just does not know it yet.

My father, a Soviet Army officer, had me follow an identical routine in my early testosterone years. My parents’ apartment had a built in storage space above the kitchen door (it is a Russian design, you wouldn’t understand). Every time I left the kitchen I would hang on to the ledge and crank out as many fingertip pull-ups as I could without struggle. Consequently, high school pull-up tests were a breeze.

Both Roger and I got stronger through the process of synaptic facilitation. Neurogeeks never got around to telling iron heads that repetitive and reasonably intense stimulation of a motoneuron increases the strength of its synaptic connections and may even form new synapses. Translated in English it means that multiple repetitions of a bench press will ‘grease up’ this powerlift’s groove. More ‘juice’ will reach the muscle when you are benching your max. The muscle will contract harder and you will have a new PR to brag about.

you can also read the entire article here (PDF)

So if you want to get better at doing a certain movement (more reps in this case), then more frequent practice will help you actually achieve that goal, provided you follow some simple rules:

• This challenge is a test, which will bring you to failure at some point (for most all). Doing a test to failure often will not help as you need more time to recover from it. Just use it once in a while to gauge your progress (like once every couple weeks).
• You never want to go to failure during any “grease the groove” set, and should do sets of about 50% your max reps (so if you can only do 40 pushups to failure, then your sets are around 20).
  
• Daily practice should be broken up into multiple sessions and spread through out the day (such as doing 20 pushups every couple hours)
• If you are feeling progress slow down, then do less reps/sets during the day.
• Have fun with it, make it a habit like the example above (do 20 pushups everytime you open the fridge for example…or walk into a certain room)

Give it a shot with any exercise that you are looking to improve reps on. You can also modify this for strength work by increasing the resistance (80%+ RMax).

Report below in the comments how many pushups you got, and your time if you completed all 100 in under 5 min. Good luck!

Here in the US you can look around and probably find a gym in every town, and sometimes multiple ones within miles of each other. Rows and rows of machines/treadmills, body pump classes all day and enough free weights to go around. But is it working? Are all these gyms helping or hurting? Do you really need the gym or does it need you? I’ll share with you my own journey with gyms and you can see if you can relate to it.

I worked long hours in them

Before I was ever a personal trainer, I belonged to gyms consistently since I was 16 (I remember my first gym, the Jack LaLanne club). I would go 3-5x/wk to workout in some fashion using weights/machines. I also had a set of barbell weights in my basement at home that I used off and on as a teenager, but nothing overly consistent.

Later on in life when I was working as a full time trainer at the gym, that meant pretty much living there almost every day. Early AM clients, clients at noon, more clients at night. Back and forth all day long. It was my main home, with time to go home to get some food or go to sleep and repeat the next day.

But I hit a Wall

I had all the energy in the world when I first quit the corporate world and went full time as a trainer. I was following my passion of helping people after all. But after working many years of training I started to hit my own burnout wall.

I was seeing a gym so much that the last thing I wanted to do on my off time was workout in it (I wanted to get out of there!). This is when I started to explore more outside activities like mountain biking, running trails and even doing sprints at the local HS track. I needed something else in my life to keep me active as the gym was draining the life out of me. It was no longer motivating or fun to be there.

and Back in the Gym

I had to take a mental break (some time off) from full time training to explore other avenues of what else I wanted to pursue, as I was just not loving it anymore. I had to follow my own rule of “if you don’t love what you do…do something else”. From there I began to explore more online fitness consulting, writing (blogging) and coaching, as well as some other projects that stirred my creativity and passion once again.

A funny thing happened after that. I joined a whole new gym where no one knew me (so people would not ask for tips or want to chat with me all the time) and started to enjoy going to the gym again. I was focused and in and out enjoying my own workout.

Why a Gym may be Necessary

One can make the case of why a gym may be necessary, and I can attest to it. If you like going, then it’s going to keep you motivated. The days I could easily talk myself out of a workout, I still drive my butt to the gym and walk through the doors and then get a workout in. Once I am there, I put in the effort.

There was a while (during my gym burnout years) where I tried to keep a consistent workout routine at home with a barbell set and bodyweight exercises. They were good workouts, but the problem became that the consistency was not there for me. Seeing how I also work from home quite a bit as well (off a computer/phone), I was not getting a break from it (much like days of working in the gym).

I really needed to have that separate place for me mentally to keep my workouts going. I needed a place like a gym that got me out of the house, as the weights sitting around at home didn’t give me the motivation (as I could put it off for another hour, or two, or day…etc).

But Why I Do Not Need a Gym

Although I still do alot of bodyweight training with weights at the gym (squats, lunges, pushups, dips, pullups), in a sense I could also do this workout from home, the park or anywhere. I also keep a set of strong resistance bands at home to use on occasion as well (as you can work the whole body with a good set of bands…see the video below).

I enjoyed running group outdoor bootcamps for clients in the past with only bands and bodyweight. You don’t need all that expensive equipment to be healthy, lean and fit. For now, I still do enjoy going to the gym but I really use it for more of the movements (heavier squats/deadlifts) that I can not get with bands/bodyweight training. However, a gym is not a necessity if one can find the motivation to keep a solid workout program going outside of it.

Here’s a great video below from Mike over at Mode Athletics on how to use minimal equipment (bands), while enjoying the scenery outside as well (that amazing background is from Vancouver!). Who wouldn’t want to do that?

My Goals Have Changed Over the Years

Back when I was a teenager, I wanted to get a big bench (I mean, because you had to always answer the question “Whadda Ya Bench?” in high school).

When I went to college I did more bodybuilding workouts and loved working on the “guns” (go ahead, have a good laugh!).

Once I got into the corporate world I worked out pretty regularly with the same type of program, although more traveling made it inconsistent and not that motivating on the road.

As I worked as a trainer I would implement all sorts of new programming on myself just to see how it worked (so I could know what to do for clients). This was a phase of more training using bodyweight/cables and also bands (I rarely trained clients on machines).

Now as I get closer to 40, I look at my training for more sustainability of movement, performance and injury prevention. This means more bodyweight ROM, multi-planar full body movements, explosiveness and most of all keeping it fun and motivating.

Mark Sisson recently shared one of his training philosophies about just wanting to “play”…and I couldn’t agree more!

I spent a fair amount of my life training for grueling endurance contests (marathons, Ironman triathlons, 24-hour relay running events). Only just recently did it occur to me that I NEVER really had fun while I was competing or while I was training. Admittedly, I could sometimes get into “the zone,” but that’s really only a temporary zone of less pain. I did appreciate the valiance of my efforts and certainly felt pride in my accomplishments, but from the time the gun went off until I crossed the finish line, I never once could truthfully say, “Isn’t this fun?”  In contrast, today I plan most of my (minimal) training around being able to participate in fun activities later.

So What is the End Result?

When dealing with clients and recommending workouts, I look at 3 main things…their goals, their lifestyle (how busy, what they do) and what is going to be the most “realistic” plan of attack.

It makes no sense for me to make complicated or gym based programming for people who may not even make time to go to the gym. While there may be others who may need that focus on going to the gym (as they wouldn’t do the workout consistently at home either).

But it is also very important for people to realize that workouts don’t have to be at the gym, because you can always do pushups at home or go for a walk around the neighborhood at any time. It is sad to see people who are out of shape, but they have a gym membership paying monthly and they never go (gyms love that by the way…in fact, they run a whole business assuming most will never show up).

Make Your Fitness Lifestyle Fit You!

So you have to focus on making whatever fitness lifestyle works for you. Figure out what will really keep you motivated, what you really will make time for and it doesn’t even have to be overly complicated.

• If you like going to the gym and workout hard there, then do it! Nothing wrong with that as long as you are seeing the results you want.

• If you have a gym membership but never go, time for a reality check. Start adding in more fitness at home when you have time (do 5 minutes of pushups….we all have time for that!). Think of the world as your gym, go out and play! You don’t need to start buying $1000 of home equipment (like everyone does around New Years), instead get a simple workout plan going with simple equipment like bands and your bodyweight. Build up from there first! (You can also read up on our past article on how to setup a simple home gym for equipment ideas/options.)

• Find more things you will enjoy doing such as individual or group based activities. It could be playing tennis with friends, walking your dog, taking hikes on the weekends or even maybe some dancing or martial arts classes. Find what you want to do and get out there and do it! Have an “active lifestyle” mindset, as I know plenty of people who drive to the gym to use a treadmill but won’t walk around their neighborhood!

• Get motivated in what you do through a support group around you (such as forming your own little neighborhood workout club) or measuring progress in what you do somehow (heavier weights at the gym, more rounds of a bodyweight circuit workout). Find a plan and use that as your motivational tool, don’t just “wing it” walking into the gym. Know what you need to do and get it done!

There are many ways to be fit, healthy and lose weight. Many different workout programs, many different types of equipment. But what you need is a plan that will keep you motivated and consistent. If it is not realistic or doesn’t fit your lifestyle (and you will burn out on it), then it is not of value for you. Most of all, have fun!!

What is your fitness lifestyle all about nowadays? What have you learned on your journey?

A few weeks ago in my overview post on sprint training, I promised an overview of some training periodization theory. There seemed to be a good deal of interest in the topic, so here we go. Lucky for those of you that couldn’t give a hoot about sprinting, the same theories apply to any other real sport.

Training Periodization

So what is periodization? Basically, it’s just setting up a progressive cycle to improve specific skills and hit peak performance at the right time. Every athlete knows that you can’t be at your best every day.

Contrary to what some people and fitness programs would have you believe, you cannot set new PRs every workout or competition. Perhaps initially, when you’re still not very good at what you’re doing, but eventually you’re going to hit a point where you can’t peak on a daily basis. To try will lead to inevitable overtraining and burnout.

So you have to break the year down into segments and pick a few events each year that you want to be at your best.

Structuring The Year (Macrocycle)

The macrocycle is typically a one-year cycle. It’s the high-level plan. Basically, you pick one or two specific events that you want to peak for and work backwards from them to develop your goals. I have one specific goal each year: the final meet of the year. For the past couple years, that’s been the Bluegrass State Games in July. This year, it’s Master’s Nationals in Sacramento in July. For a college track coach, it’s probably indoor nationals and outdoor nationals. Whatever the sport is, there are one or two competitions that are the most important.

Progression Through The Year

So knowing my season goals and the specific dates that I need to be ready to hit them, I can work backwards to figure out what I should be working on at any specific time. Without going too in-depth, I’ve put the year together as such, starting with July 2009 after the last Bluegrass State Games and running until July 2010 at the Master’s Nationals.

After a complete rest in August (a few light workouts, mostly just complete recovery), I moved to 3-month dedicated strength cycle (5/3/1) with only a few days of running. The goal was to build strength (which 5/3/1 does…+60 on DL, +30 on Squat in 3 months), which I later work to turn into sprinting power. I’ve continued with the strength work since, but it’s now taking a backseat as plyometrics and max speed work take precedence.

So you can see that I’ve spent the last 7 months working to improve my overall strength and power output. The idea is that the faster you are, the easier it is to be fast over distance (a concept known as “speed reserve”). And in the upcoming months, the focus will become speed-endurance, first short speed-endurance, then long speed-endurance.

Basically, I get faster, then I train to maintain a high percentage of that faster top speed for longer. Similar concepts apply in all sports…strength and power improvements are harder and take longer than endurance improvements.

Structuring The Training Cycle (Mesocycles and Microcycles)

Okay, so I know my high-level yearly plan, but I can’t plan the details at that level. So I setup 4 week cycles to approach those events, basically using each month as a mesocycle, each with a specific focus. And these 4-week cycles are further broken down into 1-week microcycles. You can setup 10-day microcycles (or any other number of days), but a week is an easy unit to plan in.

Each of these microcycles leads into the next and each mesocycle leads into the next. The goal is basically what the picture to the right is illustrating: supercompensation.

Tax the body, let it recover to a level above where it was, then tax it again at the right time to build off of the previous supercompensation, continuing this through to the end of the season. Don’t recover enough and you’ll end up decreasing your performance. Recover too long and you’ll lose some of the compensation effect.

Structuring The Training Session

What about each individual session? They all have a specific goal as well. It’s a “speed day” or a “short speed endurance” day. I don’t go mixing up different energy systems in the same workout. I don’t work block starts, then go into long speed-endurance, then throw in some top speed work for good measure. Once I know what the goals of a particular week and month are, I can plan down to the individual day.

I usually plan out about a month with a general idea of what the next month will cover, though with leeway for altering the plan based on my recovery, weather, travel, etc.

Do I Really Have To Plan?

No. You don’t have to. You can just run around in circles with no real direction and no concrete performance metrics, but you’re not very likely to end up where you want to (or at least not where you could have ended up). You’re also more likely to injure yourself as you try to cram in everything all at once.

So you only have to plan if you want to actually get better and move towards your goals.

The Hard Part: Ignoring Early Events

I won’t lie to you…for anyone that is competitive, it’s very hard to seemingly blow off the early events in the year and not worry about your performance. For instance, in my 3 meets thus far this year, I’m running about 1.5 seconds off my 200m PR and over 4 seconds off my 400m PR, both from the final meet last July. But I know that these early season indoor meets are little more than a training day with some camaraderie/competition to push me along. They’re simply “where am I now?” tests.

Recall how I structured my training year…I haven’t even started working much on speed-endurance, so of course I’m not powering through the end of the 200m and 400m. It’s to be expected. The good news though is that I’m 6.5 seconds faster in the 400m right now than I was at the same time last year.

What If I Don’t Have Any Competitions?

What if you’re not really training for anything in particular? Make up some competitions. First, pick some performance goals, then train for them with an eye for testing them a couple times per year. It’s that simple. Or join one of the many sports organizations out there. Don’t just run around in circles with no eye on progression. Don’t confuse being tired with getting somewhere.

Don’t get lost in the details here…this isn’t just about sprinting. This is about all sports. I don’t care if it’s college basketball (you know those teams that are a bit rocky at the season-opener, but are playing perfectly come March, when it matters?), Track and Field, swimming, Olympic weightlifting, or Debate Club. You have to have a plan to be at the top of your game at the right time.

What additional thoughts do you have about structuring your training program? Do you do things similarly or differently? Agreements or disagreements?

• Pushups are the best upper body workout designed….no machine can replace that…you don’t need any equipment and you can do them anywhere.
• It’s easy to become a certified trainer (as I have seen overweight people become certified)….it’s not easy to work as one full time (hence a high turnover rate in many clubs)
• Diet is 85% of where results come from…..for muscle and fat loss. Many don’t focus here enough.
• Working out too much doesn’t lead to good results….hence most people are still struggling after years of hard effort and little return.
• Most people do not lift heavy enough to make stronger muscles.
• It’s never too late to build muscle….and is more important as we grow older.
• The only real cure is prevention….don’t get sick in the first place otherwise you may be in for a long road back to health
• If you eat whole foods that have been around for 1000s of years, you probably don’t have to worry about counting calories
• Sugar is not our friend
• High Fructose Corn Syrup is making people fat and sick
• The biggest 2 threats to our health are inflammation (silent and chronic) and insulin resistance
• Our dependence on gyms to workout may be keeping people fat….as walking down a street and pushups in your home are free everyday…but people are not seeing it that way.
• If I had to pick one sport for a child to start with it would be gymnastics, the strength/speed/balance/body control they will learn can be applied to any sport down the road.
• I hate to jog….I love to run
• Never listen to any advertising telling you what is healthy….as they are just trying to sell you something
• There is no such thing as spot reduction…but there is a great business in selling that concept (Ab-reclining chair anyone?)
• The fittest people I know keep active daily doing what they enjoy
• Fitness and Muscle magazines never got me any real results
• Supplements were are waste of a lot of money for me
• The best performance enhancing thing I know of….is a cup of coffee 30min before a workout/playing sports.
• To build muscle, throw away your Whey protein and eat more steak and eggs
• More people are taking muscle building hormones than will ever admit to you
• The best way to lose weight for most is lower carbohydrate eating/cycling
• I was skipping breakfast long before I ever found out about intermittent fasting (IF)
• It’s a lot easier to stay fit and strong….once you get there
• Meat and Fat are my friends
• Muscle size does not tell a person’s real strength
• Muscle size is mostly glycogen and water
• Whole foods can never be replaced by a multi-vitamin
• Most people need some Fish Oil to control inflammation
• Many brain functions may be vastly improved with a diet of no sugar/higher fats (esp DHA from fish/fish oil)
• Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day
• Eating 6x a day provides no metabolic advantage for losing weight than 2-3x a day…it’s still about calories and blood sugar/insulin control
• Mainstream media is 5 years behind research studies….research studies are 10 years behind what people are already doing for health and results
• The eat low-fat advice was the biggest health disaster in the last 30 years
• The greatest learning experience was helping people with autoimmune/arthritis to get healthier…..I never got more appreciation for my own health and how important prevention really is.
• The saddest thing to see is someone crippled by a potentially preventable disease while they are young which keeps them from doing simple daily activities and on multiple medications
• I was 215 lbs in college and thought I was big and had muscles….now at a much leaner and defined 185lbs I know I was more fat than muscles back then
• I can still keep up with the 21 yr old hockey players…..I just am a little more sore the next day now….
• Mountain biking is fun….snapping off my derailer and making it a single speed is even more fun
• The smartest trainer I know does not have a website or best selling ebook….as he is too busy training real clients
• Apple Cider Vinegar is the only medicine I take if I feel sick
• I can go up and down up to 10lbs in a week depending on glycogen and water balance
• The first big amount of lbs you lose in the first week dieting is mostly water
• If you want to get better at running….you run…..at biking…you bike…….at a sport…you play that sport
• I know a professional athlete making millions and a star on his team…yet he can’t do a pullup…but he doesn’t need to
• There is no one right way for anything…..as 20 different ways can get you results…
• 80/20 rule is so true…..80% of your results come from just 20% of the exercises, 20% of the food in supermarkets, and spending 20% of your time working out.
• Results are just the simple yet important things done on a consistent basis
• Losing more than 2lbs a week is probably not all fat
• Gaining more than 2lbs a week is probably not all muscle
• All diets fail over the long run….but lifestyle changes last
• All diets books are saying the same thing in general…they just make a new way to present it
• Bill Phillips was a marketing genius
• There is nothing new in health and fitness…..just ideas that resurface that are long forgotten
• Fads are created to sell more specialized equipment/gear, lifting/throwing something heavy and running fast has been around for 100s of years and still works
• Want a strong “core”? Lift something heavy over your head and walk around trying to stabilize it…the motivation to not drop it on your head will work wonders
• There should be a law against selling any dumbbells less than 5lbs….or ones in neon colors
• If your trainer can not get you to lose weight, fire him/her. You are not paying for his/her company or excuses….go find someone who can deliver or knows how to get results
• Squatting to parallel will only give you weak hamstrings and lead to more knee issues….you should be able to go down like you were going to pick something off the ground….as that is the reason our bodies were designed to squat
• The best thing anyone can do for their health/results is to just try new things…see how their body adapts and responds…and learn how to take total control no matter life may throw at them in the future
• Blogging is more effort than I would ever imagine….but I enjoy sharing what I know
• If you like what I write…the best thing you can do is help spread the word…so others can start improving their health and fitness too

Well we recently sent out a call to fitness blogger community (are you a blogger and not part of it yet? Just join here for free) to tell us a bit about how they do their “cardio”. We used an intentionally broad term to allow everyone to define it their own way. We received some really awesome responses. So here you go, in alphabetical order (with Mike and I chiming in at the end):

Anna Dornier of Path To Fat Loss writes:
For me, the best form of cardio is with kettlebell or barbell complexes, especially if you are short on time. You can knock out strength and cardio in one workout with complexes.

I actually created a video on YouTube to show how people can do kettlebell complexes that you can view here.

Jay Cohen writes:
Anything with the the word Sled or Prowler in the workout. End of story.

50 M drive forward with hands on low bar
50 M pull (backwards) with straps or rings
1 minute rest

Say a set of 5 w somewhat light weight so you can have rapid leg turnover, fast speed with sled.

JC of JCD Fitness writes:

I am a keep-it-simple kind of guy. If I have a client who walks a lot at their job or at school, I count that as their steady state cardio training and call it a day.

When I have someone that isn’t quite as active, I still encourage steady state cardio for the most part, but suggest it be in the form of something enjoyable. Some examples are walking the dogs, hiking on a scenic trail, biking through the city or the woods. You could go to a park and participate in team sports such as soccer, basketball, ultimate Frisbee, etc.

I particularly don’t care too much for cardio in the traditional sense; therefore when I recommend it to someone, I suggest it be an activity one enjoys. This way, we get to have fun and reach our goals at the same time.

Karl Schnell of Longevity Personal Training writes:
A cardio routine I have been giving to my clients lately is a combination of speed intervals on the treadmill with alternating front lunges. So it goes like this. I will set the treadmill at a speed that is a little higher than what they can run a 1/4 mile in. Usually this is at 8.0mph. I’ll have my client run at this pace for 1 minute. After 1 minute they then come off of the treadmill and do a set of 15 reps of alternating front lunges. After the lunges they then get back on the treadmill and run for another minute at 8.0mph. They will follow this pattern for 3 – 5 sets. The only difference with each set is that I add weight to the lunges after the 1st set. The weights progress.

An example would be:
Set 1 – 0#
Set 2 – 12#
Set 3 – 15#
Set 4 – 20#
Set 5 – 25#

Mark Sisson of Mark’s Daily Apple writes:

My big problem with cardio is that it’s almost universally viewed as work, as something to be dreaded. When we think of our cardio as a chore, actually doing it becomes a negative experience: tedious, dull, and mind-numbing. Plus, the activities that we usually associate with “cardio” are pretty horrible, except for the select few endurance junkies who get off on running/cycling/swimming at high intensities for long distances. If you’re running ten miles a day because you love it, more power to you, but you’re a rare one. Most people feel like cardio has to be hard and it has to be grueling, or nothing’s getting done.

I say we should get out of that mindset. Stop thinking of “cardio” as some monolithic tool or a goal in and of itself, and start thinking of movement for pleasure’s sake instead. Moving is the real issue; we don’t do enough of it, and forcing oneself to move your body long distances at a fast pace until your joints hurt and you can’t control your heart rate isn’t a good, sustainable option. Make it fun. The human mind is a formidable opponent at times, but it can be tricked into working hard while having fun. When you’re having fun, you’re more likely to go hard without thinking about the pain involved with exertion. If you enjoy your “cardio,” you’re more likely to come back for more.

Play 18 holes of golf, but leave the cart and caddy back at the club. Lug your own bag across 18 holes and tell me you didn’t get a “cardio” workout.

Go for a hike. If you don’t have access to ample wilderness, go for an urban hike – walk from the Battery in NYC to Harlem, for example. Pause for occasional pull-ups on street lights and step-ups on park benches for a little extra oomph.

Take up a new sport or rediscover an old one. Gather some friends for a game of football (tackle, if you can manage it) or hit the park to scrounge up a pickup game of basketball.

Try walking to the store instead of driving. Or, if the store is a bit too far for that, ride your bike (and don’t avoid the hills!).

Take up paddle boarding. I’m biased, because this is a personal favorite of mine, but you can’t tell me that cruising the waves among frolicking dolphins doesn’t sound like a good way to get a cardio workout.

Sprint, don’t jog. If you still crave the thrill of exertion, and you want aerobic and anaerobic performance gains, sprinting will get you there in a fraction of the time.

I spent a good portion of my life running to excess and simultaneously hating/loving every minute/mile of it. All in all, I’m much happier, healthier, and (yes) fitter with a more easygoing approach to cardio.

Melissa “Melicious” Joulwan of The Clothes Make The Girl writes:

Since I became a CrossFit devotee, the idea of “cardio,” i.e., vanilla-flavored, long-form aerobic activity, has lost some of its previous charm. I still enjoy leisurely walks around the lake or a 5k run to clear my head, but when I’m ready to WORK, I’ve got a different definition of “cardio.”

A cardio workout needs to pass several criteria if it’s going to make it onto my training schedule:

It’s got to be functional. No treadmill running or walking; it’s got to be real work, on real terrain, done in real circumstances like fresh air or headwinds or glorious sunshine or maybe even some drizzle or flurries.

It’s got to include intervals. The intensity built into interval training delivers the best results, physically and mentally.

It’s got to be inspiring. Nothing is more satisfying than conquering a workout that seemed daunting at its start. Workouts should end with a feeling of accomplishment, rather than comfort.

<strong>It’s got to be fun. Working out should be among the best parts of your day.

It’s got to be simple. The fewer potential excuses for skipping it, the better.

It’s got to be scalable. Everyone needs to be able to work at their appropriate fitness level. If you’re doing your best — whatever “best” means for that day — you’re doing a good job.

Based on that definition, I like to put together met-con workouts (metabolic conditioning, a.k.a. cardio) that incorporate running/sprinting and body weight movements so no equipment is needed and the workout can be adapted for just about anyone.

Here’s an example of a workout designed for two people to do together — which takes care of that “fun” criteria. Because the runner is “timing” the workout, you don’t even need a stopwatch.

Partner Workout
Round 1 – Partner 1: 400m run / Partner 2: squats
Round 2 – Partner 1: squats / Partner 2: 400m run
Round 3 – Partner 1: 400m run / Partner 2: situps
Round 4 – Partner 1: situps / Partner 2: 400m run
Round 5 – Partner 1: 400m run / Partner 2: box jumps
Round 6 – Partner 1: box jumps / Partner 2: 400m run

When I did this workout recently, I jumped on a big rock in the park instead of a plyo box. It was awesome for working balance and confidence while I also got cardiovascular benefits and focused on my core and legs.

To add variety, swap out the body weight exercises with other options. Good ones include walking lunges, broad jumps, burpees, squat jumps, and pushups. Pullups are great, too, but there’s that pesky need for equipment again.

To scale the workout, the running intervals can get shorter or longer. Changing the 400m run to a 100m sprint really changes the intensity of the workout.

To make the workout longer, do an additional round with another body weight exercise.

Don’t want to run? Swap swimming for the running and do the body weight exercises poolside. Or exchange the running for two minutes of jump rope — just don’t use “forgetting the jump rope” as an excuse to skip training.

Methuselah of Train Now, Live Later writes:

Biggest bang for the buck: rowing machine tabatas (20 secs of hard work, 10 seconds rest and repeat interval style). 5 minutes, in and out, total physical destruction!

I have always regarded correct Tabatas as each and every 20 second interval being done at 100% effort. There should be no ‘budgeting’ for later intervals; but there have been times I have chickened out of really applying this literally, and found myself not genuinely giving the first few intervals my all.

A Tabata row, and other than Tabata sprints, which I dare not do at all, it’s the most demanding thing I do. Perhaps it’s the very fact that my objective is to truly give 100% to each interval that makes it so scary. The pain is the objective so there seems to be no escaping it, however fit I am.

Nicole Gauvin of Trainer Confidential writes:

I teach a twice-weekly Boot Camp in which I intersperse cardio drills with strength training. I’ve found this technique extremely useful for increasing the calorie burn and intensity of the classes in a way that doesn’t really feel like a “cardio” workout.

These drills can be anything from 1- or 2-minute jump rope and step jumps to shuffle drills across the room. Of course, this being a “boot camp” and all, participants must drop down for push-ups each time they shuffle to one side of the room!

My classes also include a lot of plyometric work (squat jumps, lunge jumps, plyo push-ups, etc). Cardio drills, for me, are a great way to “sneak” cardio into a group class format.

Rusty Moore of Fitness Black Book writes:
First of all, I do believe in cardio year round. I know that cardio has fallen out of favor to other methods of getting lean. It was much bigger in the 70′s and 80′s, but I works well in helping people get lean…provided their diet is in order.

My favorite uses of cardio:

* 15 Minute HIIT Intervals: Year round after lifting for HGH increase and EPOC.
* 15-20 Minutes of Steady State Cardio: After HIIT during a fat loss phase.
* Moderate Intensity Steady State Cardio 30-60 Minutes: On Mondays to burn off weekend calories and carb deplete a bit during a fat loss phase.
* Body Weight Intervals 3-4 months each year as a break from the gym. Serves as both resistance training and cardio during this time.
* Summer Time Cardio: As many activities as possible outdoors that don’t involve the gym.

Note: I like the precision of “old school” cardio machines. The nice thing about a cardio machine is that you can tweak the intensity up or down ever so slightly to get the exact desired effect. For instance, if you have been doing HIIT on level 11 for the sprint portion and it becomes too easy, you can push it to 11.2 the following workout.

I think it is the precision of cardio machines that allows you to develop an exact blueprint that you can duplicate each year to stay lean (once you find one that works). One more thing is that cardio machines don’t interfere as much with recovery to other muscle groups in the body compared to various circuits. So you can do the lifting routine you like for building or maintaining muscle and then just add a strategic cardio machine workout right after lifting.

Vic Magary of  GymJunkies.com writes:

1. The 30-30 Drill. The 30-30 drill is simply 30 seconds of maximum effort followed by 30 seconds of rest. The drill is best done with one exercise. The cycle is repeated 10 – 20 times, depending on the movement selected and the fitness level of the participant. Some of my personal favorite exercises to use with the 30-30 drill include rowing, sledge hammer work, burpees, kettlebell swings, and ball slams.

2. The Century Club. Select an exercise and do 100 repetitions as fast as you can. Rest as needed but no more than absolutely necessary, as you race the clock to 100 reps. Try to complete the drill faster with each subsequent session. Burpees and box jumps are my favorite exercises for this drill.

Scott Kustes of Fitness Spotlight writes:

My perspective is tainted by my competition in Master’s Track and Field. Since I run the sprints, short (60m, 100m, 200m) and long (400m), I need what’s known as “speed-endurance,” rather than the ability to run a bunch of miles at a rather slow pace. I get my “cardio” from high-intensity intervals known as “tempo”. This allows me to go out and get in several miles of work at a higher speed than I could go run continuous miles. It blurs the line between “anaerobic” and “aerobic,” letting me build endurance across a range of speeds and actually has carryover to longer efforts, up to about 5k.

The key to this kind of work is that it’s built on maintaining a set percentage of your max effort. For example, my 400m PR is 52.5. So let’s do a workout of 75% intensity for eight 400m repeats with a 3 minute rest. Divide 52.5 by .75 to get 70 seconds. So I go out and aim to run a 70-second 400m, then rest 3 minutes. The first couple are easy (note that the goal is to hit +/- a couple seconds of the goal time, not destroy it), but the lactate builds quickly and the short rest is insufficient to completely recover. By the last 3, you’ll find out how hard you can push yourself and learn just how short 3 minutes is.

For someone not used to doing something like this, I’d start with 4 intervals at 70% of your best 400m. As that becomes easy, add a couple intervals, then when that’s easy, increase your intensity to 75%.

Mike O’Donnell of Fitness Spotlight writes:

Cardio is such a broad term for people nowadays. Is it riding a bike in spin class? Doing step aerobics? Running sprints at the track? Or just going for a walk?

To me I would rather tell someone to be active in a lifestyle capacity, aka go out and play! But there is also nothing wrong with doing some steady state or interval based cardio in a gym IF you have your eating down right. I do not like it when people go to do hours of something, worry about how many calories they burn and only to just turn around and eat whatever they feel like. That is not the goal. Smarter, not longer when it comes to exercise planning.

So for me I would rather see people do more intense type of workouts 3x/week such as lifting weights, intervals and even bodyweight circuits (with little rest between sets). Then if you want to follow it up with some slow and steady enjoyable activity like walking, have at it. When people try and do too much (such as intense cardio 7x/week) they will only set themselves up for a high stress environment, increase inflammatory issues and lower immune function.

This also helps to put the focus where it needs to be, eating right! Excessive eating to just “fuel” more and more workouts will not get people the results they are after (and it usually will lead to eventual burnout and rebound weight gain down the road).

When dealing with clients I always go by their own level of intensity. The more intense they can make their workout in one short session (20-45min max), the more benefit they will get from it. But also doing more “lifestyle cardio” at an enjoyable pace leads to a good activity level without the excessive calorie recovery demand and stress load on the body. Walking is such a great stress relief as well, especially when you can do it outside and clear your mind (and if you want to get rid of that stubborn fat, you have to control your stress going on inside of you!).

So is there just one perfect cardio workout routine in my mind? Not really. Some love the interval style of training especially with weights and full body movements. Others do more slower strength work with some slow-go cardio after. Bodybuilders go low carb/cal and walk on treadmills to get rid of the last bit of fat before a show. I’d sum it up with short intense exercise several times per week with an enjoyable pace “lifestyle cardio” mindset (and eating responsibly of course) will get you far!

Today, let’s look at something near and dear to me: sprinting training. As you probably know, I run in the 30-35 year old division of Master’s Track and Field. So today is basically a high-level of the principles of training for actual Track and Field competition.

You can, of course, adapt the principles to your sport of choice, be that football, basketball, baseball, etc, but I’m not going to go into that. This is going to be pretty high-level, just covering the basics of sprinting to get you thinking about “speed” and how to create it.

The Basics Of Speed

If you read my article in The Performance Menu, this will be a rehashing. If not, here is a brief synopsis of what makes someone fast. How quickly you cover ground comes down to:

Stride Length x Stride Frequency

And stride length comes down to your mass-specific force (force relative to your bodyweight) and how quickly you can generate maximum force. As a comparison, think about a dump truck vs. a small sports car, like perhaps a Lotus Elise. The average dump truck generates more than double the power of the little Lotus. But due to the vast difference in the weight of the two vehicles (along with transmission gearing, etc), the Lotus leaves the dump truck sitting at the line. Basically, you need a powerful motor (that is as small as possible) and good gearing in your transmission to go fast.

Improve Your Stride Length

Stride frequency, while important, isn’t the variable to focus on here. The legs will get in the proper positions at the right time if you’re sprinting properly, so you want to focus on having a longer stride. To do that, you need to be stronger and more powerful.

Key Point: Do not (!!!!!!!) try to increase your stride length by reaching your foot further out. That is defeating the purpose. By placing your foot further in front of your center of mass, you are generating more braking forces than when your foot lands nearly under your center of mass. Obviously you don’t want to be putting the brakes on with every step when you’re trying to go faster. Besides that, you risk pulling a hamstring, which is an injury that will make you far slower than you are currently.

The Importance Of Strength

The primary movers in a sprint are the glutes and hamstrings – the posterior chain. The more force you can generate, the more potential you have to go fast. I say “potential” because you still have to convert that force quickly…remember, “force x rate of force production = stride length.” Do you need to squat 3 times your bodyweight for reps like Ben Johnson? It wouldn’t hurt, but no.

As with most any other sport though, you do need a good base level of strength before you really start thinking about adding much complexity. So get stronger. I recommend a starting point of 1.5x bodyweight deadlift and squat. If you can’t do that, get to lifting until you can.

I’m partial to the deadlift as the primary strength developer, especially when I have much in the way of actual sprinting or plyometric work in the cycle. I’ll touch more on this later when I talk about periodization, but suffice to say that I find max squats leave me too sore and tired to get an effective sprinting workout, while deadlifts don’t.

Which Strength Program?

Which program should you do? There are any number of them that work. Rippetoe and Kilgore’s Starting Strength. Bill Starr’s old school 5×5 program. And recently, I’ve become a HUGE fan of Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 program. In 3 months on 5/3/1, I added 55lbs to my deadlift (leapfrogging from 425, past my PR of 455 to 480), 30lbs to my squat (345 to 375), and got my overhead press back up to an almost respectable level (155). Pick one, do it right, get stronger. I can already tell a difference in how fast I feel, even this early in the season when I’ve done very little actual sprinting (cause it’s hard to sprint when it’s 20 degrees outside).

The Three Phases Of A Sprint

There are three primary phases of the sprint races: the Drive (or Acceleration), Maximum Velocity, and Maintenance. Each phase should be distinct and blend smoothly into the next.

Some people divide the race into 5 or even 7 phases, but these 3 are enough to illustrate what we’re looking for. Let’s look at each in a little more detail.

The Drive Phase

The drive phase is the beginning of the sprint when you go from a dead-stop to top speed. I’m not going to go into all of the mechanics of block work because it’s too much for a small post. Maybe one day we’ll get into that.

If you look at the photo to the right of Tom Green (the sprinter, not the goofball from Road Trip), you’ll notice that he is driving out at about a 45-degree angle to the ground. That’s not simply a result of coming out of blocks. Whether starting from blocks, a 3-point stance, or a 2-point stance, a good drive is at about a 45-degree angle to allow for maximal power production.

During the drive, stride rate is slower and stride length is shorter and choppier than in the maximum velocity phase. You’re basically trying to peel the ground back like a sardine can. The length of your drive will depend on your top speed and most people don’t have to think about when to raise to the nearly upright running position. As you reach top speed, your body will naturally raise for maximum velocity.

Maximum Velocity

This is the upright portion of the race that occurs right after the drive. Every race has a maximum velocity phase, even the 400m, where you’re not actually reaching your physical maximum speed. You are getting to a proper maximum velocity for the race and maintaining it as long as possible.

This is basically the mental image you get in your head when someone says “sprinting”. It’s like Tyson up there in the top picture, running tall, nearly upright, foot strike almost under the center of mass. It can be anywhere from 10-30m, as in the 100m race, to a couple hundred meters in the 400m.

Maintenance

Otherwise known as “speed-endurance,” this is the phase of the race when you’re inevitably slowing down. Pretty much any race beyond the indoor 55m/60m races has an endurance component. Even in the last 20-30m of the 100m race, sprinters are decelerating. The goal is to decelerate at a slower rate than the guy in the next lane.

Click on the table there and you’ll see what I mean. That shows the 6 official world records prior to Bolt’s most recent 9.58, along with Ben Johnson’s time from Seoul 1988. Notice that all of them have their best splits in the 50-80m range and all splits after that are slower than the previous ones. Obviously Bolt’s last 10m of that 9.69 is tainted by his celebration, but even there, you can see he had hit top speed and was starting to slow.

You might also notice a trend towards later development of maximum velocity. That’s partly a result of a higher top speed taking longer to reach and partly a result of intentional lengthening of the drive phase to reduce the length of the maintenance phase at the end.

Building A Sprinting Program

That’s enough for today, just a brief high-level on the phases of the race which have lots of importance in actually training for a race. Even if you aren’t a Track athlete, I highly recommend getting out to a meet and racing once or twice. It’s a great experience and you might find that you really enjoy it, like I rediscovered a couple years ago.

You might notice that I didn’t really touch on “rate of force production.” There are quite a few ways to work on that, but I’ll devote a significant portion of a future post to that rather than stringing this one out to a full-on novel.

I am also going to devote a post to planning and periodization. Contrary to what some fitness programs want you to believe, you cannot peak every single day. You can’t set a new personal record every time you step in the gym or on the track. To try to do so is to make sure you hit burnout.

What questions do you have about sprinting? What topics are most important to you for me to cover in upcoming posts on this topic?

How Fat is Stored

Thanks to Marks Daily Apple for pointing this one out (video from the movie Fat Head)

Barefoot vs Shoe Running Video

Thanks to Physical Living for pointing this one out.

The “Commercial Break” Ab Workout

I call this the “commercial break” because you can do it while you are watching TV and during commercials! No excuses!!

Video from Steve Maxwell.

The Big Fat Lies

Here’s a short video that shows how we got to the whole “fat is evil” belief in the first place. Also take note in the beginning how it talks about how short we have had grains (and vegetable oils) in our evolutionary timeframe. Try and ditch the grains as much as possible, you will be better off if you do it.

Thanks to Zen to Fitness for pointing this out (which is also from the same movie Fat Head from the 1st clip above)

Homemade Suspension Trainer

For those who are handy (and can tie sturdy knots), here is a way to make your own suspension trainer to use. If you are not that handy, we do recommend the Jungle Gym from Lifeline as the most inexpensive+sturdy product out there.

and Ross shows us how to put them to use (heavy metal music free of charge)

Thanks to Ross Training for showing this (and FS reader Kujo for pointing it out to us in the comments)