Defining ‘Crossfit’ & Laying The Groundwork

Crossfit’s philosophy is that when it comes to fitness, the generalist is greater than the specialist. Your average weightlifter may be stronger than the average joe, but make them run a 800m dash and their heart will be beating through their chest. That’s not good. Conversely, a Tae-bo allstar may have great aerobic capacities but also might be able to count their vertical with their fingers or pop a lat attempting a pull-up. That’s not good either.

The main goal of Crossfit is to optimize performance across ten different attributes of fitness: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. The first four are seen through physical changes, the last four seen through neurological changes, with power and speed being a combination of both. It’s human nature to do only what you’re good at. Crossfit is all about getting people out of their comfort zones because that’s where all the great results are seen. The most tangible explanation of Crossfit fitness would involve an old lady pulling random fitness objectives out of a rotating bingo thingamajig (Sprint up a hill holding a heavy med ball, row 500m then deadlift 185 lbs 15 times, et cetera & the other infinite combinations) As the speed and number of exercises from the bingo machine that one is able to clobber increases, so does their overall fitness level.

The official straightforward definition of Crossfit is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. Everyone I explain a Crossfit workout to thinks “That sounds like too much for me to handle!” but Crossfit is universally scalable and therefore built for everyone. It’s all about being as intense as possible relative to the abilities of the person performing the workout. For example, the Crossfit Workout “Chelsea” consists of five pullups, ten pushups, and fifteen squats performed every minute, on the minute, for thirty minutes. So where Mr. Muscles would do the workout as it is prescribed, someone not as fit might go for fifteen minutes or knock the reps down to 3-6-9. Grandma Moses could substitute ring or high inverted rows, push-ups on knees or a bench, and step-ups or squats while holding on to something stable. These workouts are built to kick some ass but this is a great thing in a fitness world where currently comfort reigns supreme. I always love hearing someone say “I could go for hours on the elliptical!” and then seeing that same person be completely juiced after slamming a ten pound medicine ball on the ground for twenty seconds. This is where Crossfit comes in. Plus the workouts are available for free at the main site with a 3 days on/1 off rotation.

Crossfit’s World Class Fitness in 100 Words breaks all this info down into something easily digestible (taken from WindyCityCrossfit.com):

* Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and NO sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

* Regularly learn and play new sports!

For those craving a more in depth look at Crossfit’s definition of fitness and fun graphics check out this free article from the Crossfit journal

Learning The Ropes & Super High Quality Trainers

The trainer quality at the certification was amazing. Our lunch break looked like they were about to start filming the sequel to ’300′ along with Jillian Michael’s younger sister on hand. The information they were presenting was light years ahead of traditional fitness ideology. My fitness training for the “Globo gym” I worked at consisted of two fifty-something ex-bodybuilders talking about proper machine technique, fiber intake recommendations, and how to sell a heart rate monitor for over a week. Vomit…

The foundational movements focused on were the squat, deadlift, and overhead press; all of which goes back to the original natural human movement basis. Everyone sits down, stands up (squats), picks up and carries items (deadlift and press) on a daily basis. The group started with a PVC pipe for the movements which was surprisingly effective and taxing after several repetitions and static holds. These were then progressed into two more complex movements for each original one – the front and overhead squat, the sumo deadlift high pull and medicine ball clean, and the push press and jerk. After all these movements were practiced we watched demos of hip extensions, back extensions, and sit-ups on the glute ham developer (GHD). Crossfit is a big fan of the GHD as well as midline stabilization and posterior chain engagement since they know that’s where the fitness magic happens. Later we practiced snatching with the PVC, kipping pull-ups, and the muscle-up – a pullup going into a dip on the gymnastic rings – some serious strength and stabilization needed for those guys…

‘Fun’ Workouts & Eye-Opening Efforts

At the end of day one the first workout we did was a slight tweak on Crossfit’s “Fight Gone Bad”. Fight Gone Bad consists of three rounds of:

Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
Box jump: 20″ box (Reps)
Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
Row: calories (Calories)

Each for one minute, clock doesn’t stop between exercises, and you get a one minute break before restarting the circuit. Add up your reps from all exercises and calories from rowing for your final number score. Unfortunately they were short two rowing machines, which I’m fond of, so burpees were substituted in, which no one is fond of. Incredible workout even though my shoulders were completely shot everytime I got to the wall-ball station since I began at the push press.

Day two we got to business early and did a workout called Apollo 13. Simple yet brutally effective requiring only a partner, 35 pound kettlebell, 20 pound med ball, and a roughly 100-yard oval. One person starts swinging the kettlebell all the way up, arms slightly past the ear while the other person runs the circle while carrying the deceivingly heavy med ball with partners trading the bell for the ball everytime around the circle. The catch is every minute, on the minute the group had to shout “Hell Yeah!” then drop down and do five chest to ground pushups otherwise potential future penalties would be enforced. This went on for ten minutes until time was called and the volume of our Hell Yeah’s were deemed satisfactory.

After experiencing my first two legitimate crossfit workouts I realized I needed to crank it up to 11 when Crossfitting on my own. The Neuroendocrinological responses (Hormonal & Nervous System Changes for those who aren’t fans of 21 letter words) that elicit rapid results are correlated with these intense bouts of exercise. I was also convinced of Crossfit’s competitive atmosphere and recording every workout as means to continuous motivation. I vaguely remember running a 6:35 mile in high school and being happy when I did eight reps while working in with a smug rugby player’s squat max in college. Pleasant memories but not very relevant or motivating. Having a hundred and ten pound competitor of the fairer sex with workout scores nipping at your own was also very effective for keeping one’s butt in gear.

The level one weekend was an incredible experience, very exciting and humbling at the same time. When a former navy seal says he had to check his ego at the door and reassess his range of motion chances are there’s a lot of work to be done. I have to thank all the trainers for helping me shrug off just about all the remaining meathead philosophies I had left in my noggin. Swapping these two days for every high school students semester of ‘Health Class’ would make the world a little more pleasant to live in. Try a few of the workouts on your own or better yet find a Crossfit gym and stop in for a freebie workout. & if you didn’t recognize me from my twitter I’m the guy in the group photo with the fashionable scalene sweat triangle, blinking like a champion, smack in the middle.

Matcha |Antioxidants Galore| - A tea that is unique to Japan, one cup of matcha is said to have nearly ten cups worth of the nutrition from regular green tea. Earthy, robust, and old school. This is what the ancient Japanese monks used to drink. They would scoff at today’s fruit infused hybrids. It’s how green tea is meant to be done.

Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid known to relax the mind, and has about half of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. It is also packed with EGCG, a catechin with strong cancer fighting properties – equivalent to the amount in a whopping 137 cups of normal green tea. It is frequently found in powdered form which can be mixed very easily – green tea kefir or ice cream anyone? It is even recommended to add a dash to your toothpaste or shampoo. It is so healthy and versatile you can literally shower in this stuff.

Yerba Mate |Mental Focus| - This tea comes from a small tree grown in the sub-tropical rainforests of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. In several sections of South America it beats out coffee as the national drink of choice. It is enjoyed so intensely some consider it to be the ‘Drink of the Gods’ but it actually translates to ‘cup herb’ since it is shared by a group from a gourd when served in a traditional setting. Yerba Mate has more antioxidants than regular green tea along with potassium and B vitamins. Yerba mate also contains theophylline, theobromine, and a third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. This unique blend is what creates what many mate drinkers describe as a focused energy that puts them in a zone of mental clarity.

Cherry Juice |Recovery Pro| - Enjoyed since prehistoric times, several studies have shown the nutritional benefits of tart cherries. The main source of their nutritive strength comes from anthocyanins. These guys are the reason for their red coloring and also their beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. Studies using rats supplementing with these compounds also showed less increase of body fat on a high fat diet as well as lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Tart cherries also contain natural melatonin so benefits of deeper sleep may occur. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of George Washington’s cherry tree would beat the snot out of blueberries, pomegranates, and even those countless acai berry products that are popping up everywhere. They are little red miracle workers when it comes to the recovery process.

Whey Protein |Superb Supplement| - You can read my full post right here on why I’m infatuated with whey protein. In a nutshell it’s an incredible value & convenience, fast acting & nutritious, and has the highest biological value / usability of any food.

Coconut Oil |Packed With MCTs| - This section comes from fellow fitness buff and blogger Skyler Tanner, very intelligent worker-outer, check out his clever insights at SkylerTanner.com

“So what in the hey are MCTs? MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, though in the scared-of-all-things-cholesterol-related media you’ll sometimes see it put as medium chain fatty acids, which make up an MCT. Great. So why is it special? MCTs are taken into the liver without any modification (long chain and very long chain fatty acids require modifications for digestion and energy use). They don’t require any bile salts to digest. They are burned preferentially in the mitochondria over LCFAs. There is evidence suggesting that fat loss is accelerated in the short term using MCTs because of the increased thermic effect of food.

How I like to go about using MCTs is by using coconut oil for any cooking application. It has a wonderful smell and adds a great flavor to popcorn. Because of the bile salt component I mentioned above, one could use MCTs when starting a lower carbohydrate diet, as I’ve experienced subjectively improved energy and I know I’m not alone in this regard.”

Other potential benefits include boosting the immune system and normalizing thyroid function. A tablespoon of coconut oil in a protein shake or going through the trouble of getting the lime in the coconut would be well worth the health benefits.

Even More Intelligent Beverage Blends -

Club Soda & Casein Protein -Casein protein found in cottage cheese is essentially the opposite of whey as it is slowly released over a period of seven hours. Casein protein powder usually doesn’t taste too pleasant but when I mixed a banana flavor with some orange club soda I created my own little sparkling stale dreamsicle. It was still way better than mixing it with plain water. You could also try mixing other supplements with club soda or try carbonated water to give your hydration levels a fresh boost.

Low Sodium V8 & Instant Coffee - I had to hit the weights posthaste and wanted to sneak a few quick milligrams of caffeine to bolster my workout. I grabbed some old instant coffee, saw the low sodium V8, and then stirred. Not half bad… The veggies covered up most of the flavor, it went down easy, and I had a great workout. Try anytime you’re looking for a no hassle pick-me-up.

Whey Protein with Cherry Juice - Combining two intelligent beverages together? Brilliant! I drink this mix about 30-45 minutes before hitting the weight room and experience an obvious increase in strength and recovery when having this ChocoCherry preworkout shooter.

Yerba Mate with Matcha - The daily benefit of having a matcha mate would be remarkable.

Any more secret fitness concoctions out there? Will Pickle and Prune Juice be the next liquid fitness craze? I’d steer clear of any P & PJ cleanse ads for now.

#1 – 15% of your one rep max is the best weight to use when performing power movements such as squat jumps. Keep it light and explosive.

#2 – The German candy maker Haribo makes their Gummy Bears with dextrose creating an excellent recovery treat for replenishing your glycogen tank.

#3 – Have some salad the meal before you workout. The phytonutrients will boost your workout and promote blood flow.

#4 – Don’t do something that is considered essential if it throws off your workout mojo. If an exercise, supplement, or food timing doesn’t agree with you then forget it. Don’t skip things just because they are tough though.

#5 – Use peppermint to add an all natural boost to your workout. Ideally dab a little peppermint oil under your nostrils or chew some peppermint gum. A quick brushing with peppermint toothpaste would even do the trick.

#6 – Avoid Soy and Tea Tree Oil. Both these can have negative effects on testosterone levels. Soy Protein is supposed to be fine in amounts up to 25 grams per day but why mess with it?

#7 -If you’re going to eat fast food stick with Subway and make it either a 6-inch club or sweet onion chicken teriyaki on wheat. Roughly 350 calories, 25 grams of protein, with healthy amounts of fat and fiber.

#8 – Always keep some form of the squat, deadlift, and chest press in your workout.

#9 – Ditch the physioball. Use it if your trying to carve your core, add some variety, or do a hammy ball curl. As far as strength and muscle activation you are way better off on a sturdy adjustable bench.

#10 – Focus and visualize on the muscles your working during every exercise. Your form will be better and muscle activity will be greater.

#11 – Never do a cardio workout right before lifting weights. Your strength will be diminished and Growth Hormone levels will be sapped. Save cardio for afterwards when your carbs are gone for intense fat burning or on a completely different day.

#12 – Stretch dynamically before workouts – save static stretching for afterwards and before bed.

#13 – Workout between 4pm and 7pm. During this time period hormones necessary for a great workout peak & are also at their best ratios. Plus your muscles are more pliable as the day goes on.

#14 – Indulge in an alternating shower within an hour after your workout. Alternate from 30 to 60 seconds of cold to 60 to 120 seconds of hot for at least 3 cycles. The more cycles the merrier and finish after a cold section.

#15 – Have specific and motivating goals in mind when you get to the gym otherwise you’ll be stuck stumbling around the weight room. Focus on increasing your strength and your new physique will follow.

#16 – Try the rest pause technique to boost your strength. Take a set you were going to perform 5 reps with and only perform two. Rest 15-20 seconds and perform another set. Repeat for a total of six sets.

#17 Drink more water – at least half your weight in ounces.

#18 – Try mixing V8 with a teaspoon of instant coffee for a pre-workout booster.

#19 – Feel pristine with caffeine. It’s a great workout stimulant in moderation. If you feel jittery, lose focus, sleep, or require several milligrams it’s time to scale back.

#20 – Workout with Music that matches your intensity level.

#21 – Drink a Guinness. It is necessary to relax and not be overtly obsessive about an occasional splurge.

#22 – To achieve some of your goals, keep them to yourself.

#23 – Invest in a stopwatch. Guess work with your rest periods is inefficient at best. Have a stopwatch to keep your sets and reps in check.

#24 – Eat like a baby around your workout. Mushy sweet potatoes – pedialyte – chocolate milk. Yum.

#25 Go Unilateral. Taxes your core & adds an extra challenge for your nervous system.

#26 – Add some spice to your food. Turmeric and cayenne help burn fat while others are a calorie free way to liven up your meals.

#27 – Avocados contain mannoheptulose which enhances calcium absorption. Great excuse for gorging on guacamole.

#28 – Your tricep is about 2/3′s of your arm’s mass so pump out some close grip bench presses for size. Chin-ups and hammer curls are essential as well.

#29 – Take a hot pre-workout shower. Energizing, Warms your muscles, less odor on the workout gear afterwards

#30 – Use a kettlebell instead of a dumbbell for real-to-life strength. More awkward in the gym = less awkward out of the gym.

#31 – Pineapples contain bromelain, an enzyme that reduces inflammation, aids digestion, and increases protein synthesis.

#32 – Don’t forget about walking. It is a great low intensity activity that burns off fat at a higher percentage. Sneak it in frequently.

#33 – The snatch grip deadlift is the best single exercise move you should be doing. Check it out here.

#34 – How your clothes fit & how you look in the mirror > Weight on the Scale

#35 – Feeling and Being Healthy > looking good in the mirror

#36 – Give Crossfit a whirl – Check out WindyCityCrossfit.com or this two week program pdf for a jump start.

#37 – Don’t train heavy all the time. After 8 weeks of keeping your reps at 3-5 and lifting balls to the wall your body needs a break. switch your focus for the next few weeks. After 12 weeks of training, take it easy and give your body a full week of recuperation.

#38 – If you’re going to eat crap, eat crap.

#39 – Never do bicep curls in a squat rack.

#40 – Don’t work out when you’re sick. If it’s all above the neck you’re probably clear for a light workout. If there are symptoms below the neck you are kicking your immune system while it’s down and spreading your germs to your fellow of the gym members.

#41 – Eat more almonds for a nice boost in testosterone

#42 You can’t out train a bad diet – Fitness is ~ 80% Nutrition & 20% Grunt Work

What are some of your top secret health and fitness tips?

I’m surprised when people are asked the three things they’d bring to a desert island; a dump truck full of whey protein never comes up. It reminds me of the goop they had in The Matrix. Protein combined with synthetic aminos, vitamins, and minerals. Everything the body needs.

It isn’t a magical muscle building substance by any means. My college buddy had a jug of whey and would down shakes like a fiend but he was only getting fatter and obviously upset. I asked him how often he was going to the gym and he said he wasn’t. He figured eating protein mixed with creatine would work wonders. He also may have been mixing it with McCormick. Ah, the old college try…

Were people able to get in shape before whey protein? Of Course. Are whole food sources tastier and more nutritious. Definitely. But is Whey Protein a smart buy if you want to build strength and lean muscle? You bet. Mixed with resistance training whey can help you arrive at your fitness destination that much faster.

Here are just a few reasons why I love my jugs of whey.

Incredible Value – For forty dollars you can get five pounds of whey delivered to your doorstep. This works out to 77 scoops at 24 grams of protein each for a total of 1848 grams of protein. To equal that same amount of protein it would take -

26 dozen eggs (6 grams per egg)
15 gallons of milk (8 grams per cup)
46 cans of tuna (40 grams per can)
16 pounds of flank steak (22 grams per 3 oz.)

These guys are all high value protein sources as well.

Incredible Convenience – Imagine having 26 dozen eggs or 15 gallons of milk in your fridge at the same time. Tough to compete with a canister that’s a cubic foot. Preparation is about 10-15 seconds from jug to belly. Scoop n’ stir. No cooking, highly portable, super long shelf life. My co-workers would make fun of me for bringing freezer bags filled with whey to drink between training clients. However one of them called me the ‘MacGyver of Protein Shakes’ which made it all worthwhile.

Incredibly Nutritious – High quality protein with several amino acids and very low carb. Most have artificial sweeteners, usually sucralose, but there are plenty of unflavored and au naturale’ brands if that is your dietary style.

The Highest Biological Value – Foods with a high a biological value allow a greater amount of the protein to actually be utilized by the body. It doesn’t get any higher than whey.

Feeling of Satiety – I don’t use it for this reason but there have been a few times when I slammed a shake post workout right before heading out to a restaurant. I could barely finish my meals those times I felt so full. Whey can help stomp out any unhealthy eating habits or late night cravings that may pop up from time to time.

Fast Acting – Whey protein peaks in about and hour and a half compared to other foods such as chicken (2 1/2 hours), eggs (4 1/2 hours), & cottage cheese (7 1/2 hours). It is a great choice to add at breakfast time and as an easy to digest snack pre-workout and post workout to both fuel your efforts and aid recovery.

Bonus Fun Facts: Here is an excellent video detailing the history of whey protein by the makers of my favorite protein powder. It is considerably more convenient than going to your local cheese factory.

Fitness tends to have an upward spiral effect. Your workout requires you to eat better and causes you to sleep better which in turn gives you more energy for your next workout. You continue to have better workouts, better eats, and better sleep. Smart supplementing can help support that spiral and whey protein along with fish oils and a multivitamin are all intelligent choices.

and eventually cause you to plateau. By occasionally interchanging these techniques into your workout you’ll definitely blast through any plateaus and keep your body growing strong.

#1- Drop Sets – Do a regular set of the exercise then drop the weight about 20%. Perform five more reps and drop the weight again. Do four total drops for a total of five different weight ranges. It’s a great way to flush your muscles with blood to help recovery.

#2 – Forced Reps – Need a lifting partner for this one. Perform your regular set and when your muscles are toast have your partner help you just enough with the weight to get an extra 2-3 reps. Should be a doozie if you’re doing it right but it will help boost your growth hormone levels.

#3 – Negatives – These involve going really slow in the eccentric or downward portion of the lift. Take five to ten seconds to slowly and steadily go through the motion as the resistance moves downward such as in the dip or pull-up. Try to explode in the concentric or upward portion of the lift if you’re feeling real sadistic. Fantastic method to bust through any plateau in your strength gains.

#4 – Partial Reps – Exactly how it sounds – perform a partial rep. You can do them for the entire set such as seated bicep curls with a barbell or as additional reps at the end of a regular set such as only going halfway down on the bench press. Just don’t be the guy who half squats or cheat barbell curls every single workout.

#5 – Rest Pause – My favorite technique – The most gains I’ve seen in a single week. Essentially it’s a bunch of mini sets that add up for much greater volume and gains. For example in a 5×5 strength training program use the same weight you would for the five repetitions but only perform two reps. Wait 15-20 seconds then do two more reps. Repeat for a total of six working sets then rest two minutes. Works best when supplementing with creatine since it helps your energy fire back in that short rest period.

#6 – Supersets, Tri-sets, Giant Sets, & Extended Sets – Consists of doing 2, 3, 4, or 5+ exercises in a row without rest. Works well with opposing muscle groups such as biceps and triceps or back and chest. You could also do the same muscle group such as incline bench press followed by incline flies, dips, and cable crossovers for your chest. Excellent for working out in short amounts of time.

#7 – Static Holds – A form of isometrics. Bruce Lee had a chain attached to the ground with a bar for working his biceps. Perform this by keeping one arm parallel to the ground holding a dumbbell while you are curling with the other for a whole set. You could also keep one arm extended on the dumbbell bench press while the other is lowering and switch the static arm between reps. Helps work all your tiny stabilizer muscles.

Bonus – Twenty One’s - I didn’t count this since it’s technically a combination of partial sets as a superset but it’s still fun to use in the gym, Do seven reps in the bottom portion of the range of motion, seven reps in the top portion, then finally seven final reps using full range of motion. Using the bicep curl as an example it would be seven half curls up to your elbow, seven half curls from your elbow to your shoulder, then seven with the full range of motion. It’s a deep burn.

Don’t forget to keep your workout intelligent by getting creative with these and combing them for some insane new workouts. Try a static hold with one arm while doing twenty ones with the other or perform a negative for the last rep in each of your drop sets. Try a 3 x 3 rep layout for rest pause or do partial forced reps after your original forced reps. Discover which techniques work best for you – your possibilities in the gym are infinite.

#1 – Giving In By Adema

This video is perfect. I know I would not want to look like former Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman but I can definitely feed off his dedication, intensity, and relentlessness in the weight room. Giving In is the all around perfect workout song. I have done entire workouts with this guy by just hitting the back button on my shuffle eleven times. Best Used For Any Type of Intense Lifting.

Update: Those Corporate Fat Cats made Youtube take down the Ron Coleman Video. Here is the music video instead – Still Excellent.

#2 – Just Like You Imagined by Nine Inch Nails.

I found this song in the trailer for 300 and was wondering where it had been all my life. It starts at the 51 second mark. On the actual track when it hits 2:26 it is 45 seconds of incredible intensity. You completely lose yourself in the music. Your brain flips to a much more instinctual and animalistic setting. Best used for Rowing Invervals like a Madman or Intense Deadlifting.

#3 – Love Dump by Static – X

I don’t listen to this song too often in the gym. When I do use it for heavy squats they always end up being the most intense sets I’ve ever done. This video doesn’t do it as much justice as when it’s pumping through your ears. Put it on your iPod for your next leg training day. Best Used for Breathing Squats. Very NSFW…

What’s a breathing squat? You take a weight that you are only able to squat ten times but you eventually end up squatting it twenty times. The trick is you can take a few breathes between reps while you’re standing with the weight on your back for the 11-20 repetitions. Once you finish ten reps take two or three breathes, squat for number 11, take two or three breathes, squat for number 12, and continue all the way to twenty. You can take as many or as few breathes as you need. Sometimes I find I need four or five breathes while other times I get euphoric and pump out the last two or three reps in a row. If I’m feeling really sadistic I’ll even go up to 21. The most intense lift you can do in the gym. It nukes just about everything. Several people swear by it for putting mass on your physique. More intensity techniques coming this week.

Check out more tunes for training with Numbers Four, Five, and Six & The Final Four Best Workout Songs Of All Time.

Are there any great songs I missed in the playlists? What are your top 3 fitness songs for training on all cylinders?

The Bear is an excellent move that taxes just about every muscle in your body. You can use a light weight as a warm-up or as a great way to punish yourself at the end of your workout. You can even use it as your entire workout if you’re strapped for time or if you just want to mix things up and have your body saying “What was That?”. It is a complex lift that starts with a power clean into a push press, followed by lowering the bar behind your head for a squat, then an explosive squat into a shoulder press and back to the beginning. That’s one rep. The following video is an excellent example of the move as well as a great crossfit workout if you’re up to the challenge.

If you do fall in love then Men’s Health has a simple week long program consisting strictly of the bears right here.

What are you waiting for? Go bust out of your fitness recession with Da Bears.

Two Things Are Infinite: The Universe And Human Stupidity; And I’m Not Sure About The Universe. – Einstein

Albert was on to something. My first seven fitness blunders were pretty good but here’s six more ways I was able to flub things up in the gym…

No Goals – I always wanted to ‘Get Big’ in high school but my senior year rolled by and I wasn’t where I wanted to be with my muscle size. I loved lifting weights but I never had any specific strength targets or size measurements. The funny thing is when I finally listed my goals I realized I never actually cared to have huge muscles I just wanted to be lean and strong. Once I saw the exact things I was aiming for I was able to tailor my program and watch my progress finally take off.

Sticking with the Same Stuff - After 3-4 weeks of the same stuff our bodies become adapted and need different stimuli and higher intensities. I see some people in the gym doing the same exercises, same weight, and same intensity month in, month out. My big fitness breakthrough came after I read the book Core Performance. I was a bit skeptical since it required using high reps with a physioball and silly one legged movements. But they turned out not to be silly at all. By the end of the program I felt incredible and my strength and agility had increased exponentially. By doing the things we avoid or that our bodies aren’t expecting we end up spurring the greatest gains.

Always Lifting Hardcore – In the football off-season it was always Balls to the Wall | going to muscle failure type lifting. My partner would end up helping me with the last half of the set for bench presses. Luckily I was as a teenager so my body easily bounced back fairly easily from the punishment. It’s great to be focused and keep the intensity high but definitely not by going to failure on every set. Some days it’s better to go with your mood if your body is dragging and craving a slower lighter workout. You’ll feel refreshed and smart for listening instead of being burnt out and upset you couldn’t put up heavier weights.

No Cardiovascular / Metabolic Activity – I’m not a fan of the word ‘Cardio’. It reminds me of zombies on treadmills. But it is important to get your heart rate beating in the high ranges. This came naturally for me by playing sports in high school but I started to fall off the wagon when college came around. I had a Metabolism Theory that I could focus solely on gaining muscle since every pound gained burns an extra 30 calories a day. So eventually after gaining fifteen pounds of muscle I would be burning an extra pound of fat a week. It’s nice in theory but there are a lot more variables and I was probably just trying to rationalize my way out of running. You don’t have a be a gerbil on a wheel but it’s still necessary to get that heart beat going whether it be by sprinting, rowing, step milling or even hard n’ fast weight training with little rest.

No Workout Music – A quiet atmosphere doesn’t really promote the best energy levels. I’m also sure that listening to Miley Cyrus on the gym speakers can’t be helpful when you’re trying to pickup the heavy stuff. Unless your goal is to date Miley Cyrus. Once I press play on my iPod shuffle I get a laser like focus and signal my brain to get ready for some intense weight lifting. It helps to create a positive association with my routine and I know I am able to pump out two or three extra reps with my workout tunes. A forty dollar iPod Shuffle is an incredible investment if it’s adding 10-20% to your fitness progress.

Not Properly Rehabbing Injuries – I tried rugby for two weeks which was fun until a guy from the jerk store ran into my shoulder as hard as he could while I was sitting on the ground. I didn’t move backwards but my shoulder did and then my arm went numb. I told myself it was probably just a stinger and to not to be such a weiner about it. About a week later I realized I couldn’t even curl ten pounds. I still waited another week to get it checked out and when I finally got on a rehab program I was so upset about the whole situation I didn’t care to do the exercises. It took forever to get back to my original strength. I also rolled my ankle outward while running and tweaked my ulnar nerve while lifting. When I tried returning too soon to physical activity I got re-injured real quickly.

I learned that illness and injury are signs that you might be doing it wrong or even going down an entirely misguided fitness path for yourself. When smaller setbacks occur take the week to focus on your diet or other important fitness aspects. When the really nasty injuries occur you have to accept it happened and start fixing it pronto. Getting frustrated or having self pity both end up going nowhere slow. You need to take responsibility for whatever happens and be proactive, not reactive, about the situation especially when it comes to your health and fitness.

minutes of light cardio will make your muscles more pliable. A couple of lighter sets before your working sets will help prepare your central nervous system for the workout ahead. Much smarter than hoisting the heavy stuff right off the bat.

Only Lifting Certain Muscles – I was usually pretty good about hitting all my muscle groups but I would put an emphasis on the muscles you can see in the mirror. Selecting style over substance in the weight room = big mistake. I love the guys at the gym with huge upper bodies whose knees would start to buckle if they tried squatting 135 pounds a few times. Keeping squats, deadlifts, and pressing motions in your routine is paramount for balance and strength. By doing a few sets of the things you usually avoid you will be getting incredible value from them.

Improper Form – Occasionally using intensity techniques like partial reps or cheating can speed growth but using them every workout is just asking for muscle imbalances & injury. When I first starting lifting arms I’d do a few reps of hammer curls with seventy pound dumbbells. I was probably getting a much better leg workout than anything else. Having proper form and a natural range of motion is one of the most important things for staying proportional and injury free.

Horrible Diet – In High School I’d slam two Hansen’s energy drinks for breakfast then eat a huge lunch about four hours later. A pack of pop tarts from the vending machine would fuel my track workouts. Then came some choco milk and cottage cheese followed by a random dinner and computer snacking before bed. I don’t know how my brain and body were functioning – perhaps they weren’t. The Smores Pop Tarts were tasty but belonged far away from any stomach. You have to fuel your efforts with healthy lean proteins and complex carbs otherwise you’re begging your body to burn muscle and gain fat. That’s just bassackwards.

No Supplements – Mainly not having any whey protein. There are four times during the day when a protein shake is better than a whole food meal so avoiding the shake was my mistake. Switching these for those energy drinks would have done magical things for my physique and energy levels. Obviously healthy meals are more important than three shakes but supplements like whey protein, vitamins, and fish oils are all smart health choices.

Reliance On Supplements I tried a fat burner a few years ago and it worked great. I lost a few pounds and my energy levels got a pleasant boost. But the moment I stopped taking them the few pounds came right back and my extra energy left right away. Now the supplements had me dependent on their pills for energy. Bastards. They definitely are a wonderful servant but a horrible master. Supplements for recovery and a better workout can be fantastic but steer clear of anything you might ‘mistake’ as a substitute for actual exercise. It doesn’t come in a pill.

Being A Perfectionist – Being obsessive about the little things and forgetting the big picture. I remember I would fret if I didn’t time my pre-workout meal of chicken tenderloins perfectly or if I got to the gym and the power rack was taken. If I got sick during the eleventh week of a three month program I’d end up feeling sabotaged or feel like I didn’t accomplish much overall. I’d let these little nuisances pretend that they were devastating. Yeah Right. Sometimes it may be better for your health and fitness to have that bowl of gelato or pint of Guinness with your buddies. I know its cliché’ but the journey is truly more important than the end or the start. Having twenty pounds of muscle smacked on your frame or gaining one hundred pounds in your lifts wouldn’t really matter without the grunt work. It’s the great mood after each individual workout, the growth from habitual healthy eating, and the confidence from your self discipline with exercise that really counts.

Followed By: More Silly Fitness Mistakes I’ve Made Over The Years

good they shouldn’t even be considered supplements.

#1 – Whey Protein - It is the fastest acting protein available which is great to have when you wake up, before workouts, after workouts, before meals to reduce hunger, or at in between meal snacks for a healthy boost of lean protein. It’s incredible. It is also loaded with Branched Chain Amino Acids to also help recovery, maintain muscle mass when dieting, or pack on muscle when you’re lifting heavy weights. Replacing calorie laden foods with the goodness of lean protein should be a part in everyone’s diet and is at the apex of supplementation.

#2 – Multivitamin - The good old fashioned multivitamin. These help regulate your biological systems and provide valuable micronutrients. Without having full reserves of all these essential vitamins and minerals your body will be too distracted to help you reach your fitness goals. If you’re lacking any vitamins you won’t be at your highest fat burning or muscle building capabilities. Buyers beware the brand name or generic bunch. Most of these are chelated, which means they are coated with the same stuff that’s on your driver license and will probably trek straight through you.

#3 – Fish Oils - These support heart and joint health as well as healthy brain function by giving a boost to your neurotransmitters. Fish oil contains DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which are omega-3 fatty acids used for their anti-inflammatory properties. They are similar to the healthy fats found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados that are essential but not produced by your body. Look for softgels that are enteric coated so the fishy taste and smell stays in your belly and not on your breath.