Posts Tagged ‘workout’
Jump start your metabolism with REAL WORLD conditioning
I bet Conan didn't run on the treadmill or eat a bunch of crap!
How do I get rid of this?
How do I burn off these?
If I do this for 90 minutes a day, 7 days per week will I be ripped?
Do those fat burning pills really work?
I get asked these questions all the time from friends, family, and clients. Believe it or not I know when these questions are coming. I think I’m psychic! It usually begins with “…hey Jamie, let me ask you a question.” Undoubtedly what comes next is one of the questions above or a myriad of other questions pertaining to burning fat or “getting ripped.”
They usually don’t like the answer I give them. “That sounds hard.” “I can’t do that.” “I just love ____ too much.”
Well, you know what I say to that? Man up! If it’s REALLY important to you, you’ll find away.
Stop eating crap. Quit stuffing your face with grains and other empty foods that give you nothing nutritionally. Focus on eating lean meats, fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. Seems pretty simple right? I think so too.
Stop doing cardio and start doing conditioning. Quit pedaling that bike to nowhere. Try a little of this at the end of your workout. I promise, together with sound nutrition and lifting heavy, a few hard conditioning sessions a week will jump start your metabolism and help you burn more fat.
Upper Body Training at Real World Strength and Conditioning
Friday mornings are my time to release the stress from the week.
Since I rotate four training sessions through three days of lifting per week, I’m always hitting something different on Fridays and every lifting day for that matter.
Since going to a three days a week program my body feels great. Rotating sessions has really helped keep things fresh. My strength has gone up. I’ve added a little size, but most importantly I’ve been able to keep the intensity high on a consistent basis.
I’m not saying there’s never a lull in there, everyone has those, but the ability to stay focused and not have the “crap, I have to squat today” feelings have been greatly reduced.
Here a few highlights from last Friday’s upper body session.
If you’re in the Richmond, Virginia area and you like what you and see and are looking for a place to train, not just workout, but train, with intensity,focus, and get real results, check out my Real World Strength Camp page.
Drop a comment or shoot me an email to get hooked up with your FREE trial
Is There a War on Strength?
This post may make a few people uncomfortable or even angry. But hey, I am here to tell it like I see it – not please everyone.
I have seen a couple Planet Fitness commercials over the last few months. Here are a couple of my favorites.
Before I get going, I will say that these two commercials do make me laugh a little bit. However, the undertones really get under my skin.
Planet fitness obviously thinks that anyone who likes to work and train hard in the gym, garage, warehouse, park, etc., is a weight lifting, loin cloth wearing, meathead, incapable of breathing or thinking for himself. I know they specifically use bodybuilders in these commercials and I may be reaching here a little but I think there is a growing war on strength in America!
Bravo, Planet Fitness! I’m glad you think guys like me and my friends, and fellow strength coaches aren’t worthy of your purple clad machine mecca and it’s members because we like to sweat, lift heavy, grunt, push prowlers, flip tires, swing kettlebells, and engage in other badassery when we train. Notice I said “train” not “workout!”
What got me on this rant today was when I posted this video on facebook from Iron Sport Gym in Pennsylvania. It’s their response to the second Planet Fitness commercial above. It’s an instant classic!
A few minutes after posting this a good friend of mine responded with:
“The only girl in that gym looks like she could kick my ass. Why would I wanna workout there?” “Lean is in bro, roids are out!”
It really got me thinking and bud if you’re reading this, this isn’t a knock on you!
People just don’t get it!
Do guys and girls really just go to the gym to check out hot members of the opposite sex and work on their beach muscles?
What happened to training like a gladiator or like Rocky in the mountains of Siberia? Have we let “engineered laziness” infiltrate the fitness world? Why do people need a cardio theater?
Don’t you remember how lean and beastly Rocky looked just before he fought Drago?
What is wrong with lifting heavy things up and putting them down? What’s the problem with being strong?
I know the way you and I train isn’t for everyone. Not everyone wants to deadlift, squat low, climb ropes and drag a sled until your quads explode. I realize this.
I would rather see folks training at Planet Fitness than just sitting around and eating Krispy Kreme but for the love of iron, however you train, please train hard and get stronger.
Places like the purple and gold palace would rather everyone become weaklings and incapable of lifting anything heavier than 50lbs, while becoming a society so scared and intimidated that we have to walk the streets with our heads down.
Don’t give in! Hold your head high. Stick your chest out. Lift heavy, get strong and we will win this war against strength!
Drop me a comment and let me know what you think.
Coming soon…..
Real World Strength and Conditioning has a home!
Get ready for THE place for to TRAIN, not workout, TRAIN, in Richmond, Virginia!
REAL WORLD TRAINING – REAL WORLD RESULTS
Train, Recover, Train
One of the reasons I’ve decided to go back to basics with this new training cycle is that I’ve had a hard time recovering lately.
This is likely due to a myriad of reason; stress, over training, lack of sleep, mobility work, stretching etc.
I will admit my recovery work has been lacking to say the least. It certainly hasn’t been non existent but with the stress of opening my own training facility I need to do more!
I’m big on practicing what you preach so this is my way of staying accountable. I refuse to write about something and not do it myself. I don’t want my readers to do what I say I want you to do as I do!
So, I’m bringing back an old post about my favorite recover methods. Here are three ways to enhance mine and your recovery ability.
Food
We’ve all seen the EAS commercials with NFL quarterback Brady Quinn telling us not to waste our workout! I know he’s hocking EAS products but the message of the commercial is dead on. Your muscles need nutrients to grow and the easiest way to refuel your muscles after a tough training session is to eat within 60 minutes of your workout. Your post workout meal helps to refuel your muscle’s glycogen stores. Not only does this help with muscle recovery but prevents your body from using your muscle as fuel, promoting fat metabolism. The bottom line is your muscles need fuel to grow and recover and if they don’t get enough, you simply won’t grow.
The Warm Up
I’m not a huge fan of stretching before you train. Your muscles are too cold and too tight to start pulling on them. Instead, I prefer movement based dynamic warm up. Movements such as walking toe touches, walking lunges, pushups, squats, and band pull aparts are my favorites. A movement based warm up will get your muscles warm and get your CNS firing. This is especially helpful if you’re still sore from the previous workout. I also like to use this on off days when my muscles are particularly sore. This will force blood into the sore muscles aiding in recovery without further exhausting them.
Soft Tissue Work
This might be the most neglected aspect of recovery. The easiest way to stimulate the soft tissue and to message the muscle is to use a foam roller, tennis or lacrosse ball, or message stick. Foam rolling helps to message the muscle, forcing blood into it, thus aiding in recovery. This is not the most pleasant experience in the world as I have been reduced to high pitched shrieks when using these methods. But trust me, you’ll feel like a million bucks afterward. Get rolling immediately after your workout. This type of soft tissue work will help reduce scar tissue build up, which over time can lead to muscles becoming extremely tight and achy. Foam rollers and message stick are wonderful but if you have a particular knot, my favorite is a lacrosse or tennis ball because you can really hone in on one spot. You can use the balls just like a roller or stick but they’re particularly helpful for those hard to reach areas of the back. Simply place the ball between you and a wall and start moving about. When you get to a tight spot keep the pressure for 15-30 seconds before moving on.
I’m glad I ran across this old post. I will be redoubling my efforts to put in the time to do more foam rolling, dynamic stretching, and mobility.
What are your favorite methods to enhance your ability to recover.
Drop a comment and let me know!
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