Fitness Friday: See Big Gains With This Total Body Workout

By: Jeff

It's Friday, which means it is time for your weekly Fitness Friday article here at the blog. Today I give you a total body workout I actually did this morning which is guaranteed to give you gains you've been missing in the weight room as well as spark some growth. Give it a try!

Incline Dumbell Bench Press: 12, 10, 8 (Increase weight every set)
Decline Push-Ups: 3 x 10
Rope Triceps Extensions: 3 x 10
Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks: 3 x 10

Pull Ups (Weighted for Advanced): 3 x 10
One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 12, 10, 8 (Increase weight every set)
Barbell Biceps Curls: 3 x 10
Dumbbell Concentration Curls: 3 x 10

Leg Press: 12, 10, 8 (Increase weight every set)
Weighted Walking Lunges: 20 steps
Seated Calf Raise: 3 x 10
Standing Calf Raise: 3 x 10

Each set of 4 exercises should be done in a circuit setting. Do a set of incline bench press followed immediately by push ups then rope extensions and kickbacks. All without a break. Try and do all 3 sets without a break, but do as much as you can with as little rest as possible. Once you finish a complete 3-set circuit, move onto the next circuit.

This workout is difficult, but will force you to push yourself to the max, and you will then see the benefits of your hard work and dedication!

Happy Friday and Happy Training!

Fitness Friday: NEW Body Weight workout

By: Jeff

It's Friday, which means it is time for another Fitness Friday article. Today's article is simple, but certainly not easy. Below is a body weight workout which can test the meddle of even the most experienced fitness gurus you know.

Start the weekend off right with this total body workout which requires nothing but your own body weight.

Push Ups - To Failure
Walking Lunges - 20
Burpees - 10
Squat Jumps - 25
Planks - To Failure

Complete all 5 exercises without rest. Once you've done that you have completed 1 round of exercises. See if you can do 3 rounds to start, and as you get more experienced you can try and achieve 5 rounds. This workout is quick, efficient and will provide results.

I do workouts like these on the days I don't go to the gym for a training session and they are great for getting your heart rate up, putting your body into calorie burning mode and a great change of pace to see even more results!

Happy Friday!

5 ways to break out of your Fitness Funk

By Jeff:

There are occasions when even the seasoned veteran, in terms of exercise, goes into a funk. Your weight training gains might come to a halt, your mile time might stall or get worse and your overall energy level might just be lower than normal.

When this happens, what can you do to kick the funk you are in and get back on track? Here are 5 easy steps you can take to ensure you get back on the horse and back into your workout groove.

1. Rest - The majority of people who experience some type of exercise fatigue are the people who often times need to simply take a break. The human body is an amazing machine, but even the most sophisticated machine needs to be shut down from time to time. Try and get at least 8 hours of sleep a night and avoid over-training by giving yourself a day off in between intense training sessions.

2. Mix It Up - Often times when weight lifters see their bench press progress plateau, they get flustered and angry. The solution is typically very simple...stop doing the same thing over and over again. If you are obsessed with the bench press, try changing your grip. Close grip can stimulate different muscles throughout the upper body and could spark new growth and gains. Abandon the bench and try chest flies and push ups rather than the same routine repeatedly. Don't be afraid to take pride out of the equation and research some new training styles and workouts. It could be just the thing to ignite some new progress in your training.

3. Nutritional Back-Up - When a lack of energy is the cause of your struggles in the gym, you can point to your nutrition as the reason why. Be sure you give your body the proper fuel for your metabolic engine before hitting the gym, or the trail. About an hour before exercise you should digest some carbohydrates as well as protein to give your body something tangible to utilize to get you through your workout. Something like a banana and string cheese, or an apple and a hard boiled egg will be just the ticket to giving you the energy you need get through your next training session.

4. Grab a Partner - Working out with someone will always intensify your workouts. Whether it is the competition of who can run faster and lift more, or the reliability of someone being there helping you along the way. Be sure you choose a workout partner wisely. You want someone with similar workout goals in mind, but also someone who is focused on training and not talking. Nothing can be worse for fitness gains than someone who would rather talk than train.

5. Change of Scenery - The human body can be habitual and lazy. It gets accustomed to the same exercises, workouts and even the time of day you train. Throwing your body off is always a good thing to do. If you train every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4:00 p.m., try changing it up a bit. Maybe train Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday but train in the morning for a few weeks. Take it another step further and go out of the gym for some outdoor workouts. Find some steps, do some springs, pull ups in a tree and push ups anywhere can make for a great total body workout that won't cost you a dime, but could kick start your gains.

Happy Training!

Kickstart your morning

By: Jeff

Try this Blueberry Banana protein shake to
start your day off right

Rolling out of bed can be the worst part of your day, especially if a good night's sleep wasn't achieved that particular night. However, there are a couple ways to get your day started on the right foot without having to go to extremes.

First, exercise. Some might cringe at the thought of an early morning workout, but I'm not suggesting going to the gym at some ridiculous hour. Body weight exercises can do amazing things to wake you up and turn your body into a calorie burning machine for the day ahead. Here is a quick, and easy, body weight workout you can do to start your day (Pictures of the exercises are at the bottom of the article):

Push Ups - 3 Sets for as many reps as possible
Squats - 3 Sets of 25 repetitions
Planks - 3 Sets holding the plank for 30 seconds a piece
Jumping Jacks - 3 Sets of 25 repetitions
- Completing all 4 exercises is 1 'round'.

If you are new to exercise, do all exercises once, then take a short water break. Then follow the same procedure after each time through the 4 exercises. As you gain more experience and build up your endurance, stop taking breaks in between 'rounds' and you not only will get an incredible workout, but will also get a jolt of energy that coffee or energy drinks can't provide. Plus, this workout can be done under 15 minutes, not taking up the entire morning and works almost the entire body in just 4 body weight exercises.

The second piece to the puzzle is nutrition. Of course it is nutrition, if you read the site we preach how important what you put in your body is. What you put in, is what you get out. Whether you exercised in the morning or not, try this quick and easy protein shake to start your day off right from a nutritional standpoint.

Blueberry Banana Protein Shake

1/2 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Banana (Frozen if you like a thicker consistency)
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup Kefir (probiotic 'yogurt')
TBSP Peanut Butter
2 scoops Quality Grass Fed whey protein powder (can be chocolate or vanilla...I like chocolate)
Ice till you get the consistency you desire

Blend until dissolved and enjoy!

This simple two-step process will not just kickstart your morning, but will get your out of the door energized with a body ready to take on the day and burn calories in the process. Give it a try and let us know your results!

Push Ups:

Squats:

Planks:

Jumping Jacks: