Workout of the Day: Train with Zane

We all have measures of success, one of mine has long been attending San Diego Comic-Con for a week and attending a Train with Zane Experience. 20 minutes outside Downtown, tucked away in La Mesa is Zane's private residence and gym. A fixture of bodybuilding and fitness, Zane won the sports most prestigious title, Mr. Olympia, three years straight in 1977-1979 and was part of the "Golden Age" of body builders who trained and helped each other like Arnold, Franco Columbu, Dave Draper and many other California based luminaries. Zane has long been an inspiration as first, he was closer to my size at 5'9" and under 200 pounds, his symmetrical and defined physique coupled with a quiet yet confident and educated attitude was just easier to relate to on a personal level.

Zane welcomed me to his densely packed gym that's adorned with photos of his dogs, himself and magazine covers he and wife Christine have graced over the decades. His three Eugene Sandow Mr. Olympia trophies sat unpretentiously on a small shelf. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from my 3-hour Quick Zane Experience besides a rundown of nutrition and exercise advice mixed with Zane's philosophical approach. At first we sat and just talked, about my background, the path to La Mesa for the Zane's, the good old days, current competitive bodybuilding, on and on. In his 70's, Zane was a man more or less at peace with himself, never the show or sales man that Arnold was in their youth, he sure wasn't trying to be now. He's just a man who's gained experience and education through the years and is now passing it on to others if they can use it. It was a bit of a shock after getting to spend time with another idol, the younger and much more erratically energetic Jean-Claude Van Damme just a couple weeks prior. While JCVD was everything you'd hoped to be and more, up, down, over here, over there, hilarious and inspiring, Zane was more level and without even realizing, dropped heavy doses of knowledge that will stick with me for years to come.

When we stepped into the gym, Zane assessed my current physique, asking my routines and eating plans. Shockingly, drinking whiskey and eating happy hour food is not conducive to getting in optimum shape. When asked about my goals and motivations, I honestly came up blank with only short term items like shirts fitting too tight or just feeling a little dumpy. Zane shared that he peaked every September for 23 years and from there just tried to stay injury free and feel energized. I've long been a user of opposing muscle group supersets like Chest to Biceps or Back to Triceps but Zane had me try doing movements for one body part in a row like Incline DB Press to Decline Flys to Dumbbell Pullovers. That way you were keeping blood in the same general area without overly taxing your shoulders and joints. I must say that I felt the difference immediately. Zane had me slow down and really focus on the movement versus just trying to lift the weight. My arms started cramping up after just one tri-set of biceps, guess I should have warmed up...

With the afternoon winding down and needing to get back to town for Preview Night, Zane and I said our goodbyes with me purchasing a Train with Zane DVD to take home. While it was an educational if not all out 90's style adrenaline pumping workout video experience, I walked away with some heady issues to confront that influenced my Comic-Con week for better or worse. Using Zane's training techniques in the weeks and months after, I've noticed solid changes to troublesome body parts and feel slimmer as well. I'd definitely go back next time I'm in San Diego and would surely appreciate it more now that I know what to expect.

Workout of the Day: Weekend Warrior

For anyone who has ever fought for what they believed in or for a cause larger than themselves, Happy Independence Day. I'm fortunate enough to be able to relax for the three day weekend. With only a couple weeks until my Train with Zane session and then San Diego Comic-Con, I'm resolving to get in six workout sessions a week for three weeks straight. So far, so good. But my eating could use a little cleaning up as happy hour, fast food and the like are still prevalent...

For the weekend it's been a mix of weights and cardio to keep the muscles pumped as well as burn some extra calories. On Saturday it was Shoulders and Arms at the complex gym:

1) Dumbbell Press/Cheat Curls/Pullover & Press
2) Rear DB Raise/Reverse Incline DB Curl/Cable Kickback
3) DB Upright Row/Concentration Curl/DB Side Extension
4) Lying Side Raise/Reverse Curl/Cable Pushdown

Each Tri-Set repeated for three sets between 8-12 reps, non-stop. Followed by intervals on the Elliptical machine interspersed with Frog Crunches. On Sunday it was off to the gym for Legs:

1) Parallel Grip Deadlift/Leg Press
2) Leg Extensions/Leg Curls
3) Seated Calf Raise

Each superset I repeated 5 times, increasing weight and decreasing reps each set. Afterwards I rowed 400 meters followed by trunk twists 5 times.

Today I felt like getting in a little more cardio so I popped on Bas Rutten's shadow boxing CD, shadow striking for 2 minutes followed by 100 jump rope skips. After 2 rounds of moving around the room, it was 5 rounds with the 16 oz gloves on the bag. Dripping a sweat, I wrapped up with a few more minutes of jump roping and called it a day.

Workout of the Day: Leg Living

The other day I felt like my legs needed a little bit of a pump but I was too lazy to hit the gym or even the downstairs room. Legs, like any body part, can be trained any time, any where, you just need a little inspiration and motivation. So before ordering dinner, I got in:

Body Squat/Mountain Climbers/Lunges/Knee In Crunch/Step Ups

I repeated the circuit 6 times, keeping squat reps in the 15 range with feet wide or shoulder width, did 50 mountain climbers per set, 20 lunges, 30 crunches and 20 step ups. If lunges hurt your knees, you can try placing your back leg on a sturdy chair and simply lower yourself down. Then you can use that same chair for step ups. Even though you can train any body part without weight, doing calf raises without resistance doesn't do a whole lot in my mind so I had my lady sit on my back for several sets of Donkey Calf Raises. You ever do those? It's kind of like doing a calf raise on a leg press machine I guess and when I trained at Gold's in West Hollywood years ago, they had a Donkey machine where you'd stand on a block with your lower back against a pad. Frank Zane, Arnold and the 70's bunch were always doing Donkey's with giant calves and entertaining photos being the proof. After all that, I went ahead and biked 5 miles to make myself feel better about the meal of tacos and fries in my immediate future.

Workout of the Day: Break and Push

It's always good to take a break from training, get away from the mental and physical stress, scheduling time or dealing with people. After a week of mostly walking and taking stairs, it was back to the weights, easing in as I prepare for my summer session with the one and only Frank Zane. I've been focusing on more maintenance, getting a pump followed by cardio versus trying to add beef for the sake of beef. Every workout starts with weights followed by aerobics, abs or twists.

Day # 1: Front Press/Chins/Incline Push Ups/Concentration Curls/Dips/Side Raises/Calf Raises x 3
Followed by 90 seconds on the Elliptical machine alternated with crunches or neck for 20 minutes.

Day # 2: Parallel Bar Deadlift/Weighted Sissy Squat/Leg Curl/Seated Calf Raises x 4
Followed by a mile of rowing and 300 trunk twists. This really killed my legs and stairs became my mortal enemy for the next two days.

Day # 3: Incline Dumbbell Press/EZ Bar Curls/Decline Flys/Hammer Curls/DB Pullover/Incline Curl x 3 Followed by forearms, standing calf raises and 20 minutes of ab-aerobics with Frog Crunches.

From here I'll alternate between a total body day, leg day and bodybuilding day like Back/Triceps or Shoulders/Arms. With my tan line reaching an all time contrast, it's time to tighten up for summer!

Workout of the Day: Body Guy

This past week I spent my time in the gym by training my entire body in each session. I've always been a firm believer of circuits and throwing in total body and leg exercises gets the heart and testosterone pumping. It's also an easy way to keep symmetry in mind as like Arnold, Frank Zane, Vince Gironda and Jean-Claude Van Damme, I view weight training as building a sculpture to a degree. We all have body parts that grow fast easily and others that lag so it's up to you to keep the balance. Compound moves like Clean & Press, Chins, Push Ups and Dips work multiple body muscle groups in no time and get you out of the gym in under an hour.

5:00 AM at the gym: Clean & Press/Chin/Incline Push Up/Hack Squat/Preacher Curls/Lying EZ Bar Extensions/DB Side Raise/Leg Curl for 3 circuits followed by calves, neck and forearms

With weights covered, the next day it was cardio: 3x3 minute rounds shadow boxing/4x3 minute rounds heavy bag/5 rounds jump rope/1200 meters rowing

This actually wore me out quite a bit as each exercise is a little more intense than walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike.

Feeling a little sore Friday I went with: Shoulder Machine Press/Machine Rows/Decline DB Flys/1-Arm DB Spider Curl/Lying DB Extension/DB Raises

At the hotel gym before Disneyland: DB Deadlift/Goblet Squat/Step Up/DB Press/Incline DB Curl/Lying DB Side Extension x 4 followed by calves and 1.5 miles on the ol' Elliptical.

Workout of the Day: Keep It Moving

What's up super stars, how we feeling? It's been a busy month already with movies, Q&A's, brunches and planning galore but I'm still finding time to keep it moving. I'm still sticking to two-a-day workouts a couple times a week as it's easy to carve out 30-40 minutes at the start and end of a day. I've been taking it easy in the mornings with morning cardio, biking 5-6 miles on the ol' recumbent or walking on an incline or intervals on an Elliptical. Think I'll throw in some jump roping and shadow boxing this week to up the intensity. I was also seeing Creed on the big screen with Sylvester Stallone attending so I had to do my part in practicing the ways of pumpology. Feeling lazy after a long day, I mustered the energy to do a quick but pumping leg workout at the complex gym:


Deadlift/Feet Close Squat/Hip Thrusters/Goblet Squats/Step Ups/Calf Raises x 4

Inspired by some Frank Zane, Vince Gironda and Larry Scott reading it was off to the gym at 5:30 AM for Chest and Biceps the next morning:

1) Incline Push Up/Barbell Drag Curl
2) DB Pullover/Barbell Spider Curl
3) Zottman Curl/Decline DB Fly
4) Reverse Curl/Incline DB Press

Each superset repeated three times, followed up by some neck and forearm exercises I was out in 35 minutes as I moved from one exercise to another with as little rest as possible. Usually a few breaths or 10 between supersets. Since I didn't have time for cardio after weights, that night I alternated pedaling a mile with an ab and twist superset while watching Colbert six times. Might not be burning a ton of calories but it's an easy way to break a sweat while keeping your stress and tension levels low.

Workout of the Day: New Ratio Man

How's your physical and mental training in 2016 going? I've run into my fair share of would be New Years Resolution Doers at the gym lately, you can always spot newbies since the same people tend to work out at the same times so an influx of new, really intense but out of shape Don'ters is hard to miss. Last week it was a fat guy working out and grunting in a backwards cap doing curls, triceps extensions then crunches. Because crunches will work off your gut, chief. Oh wait..Then you had skinny guy lamenting about forgetting his headphones at home because they really helped him crank it up. Yeah ok buddy, crank up some shape to your noodle looking body. But hey, you want to better yourself, I'm all for it. Today it was tattoo guy with giant headphones doing curls really fast, turning his head to look in the mirror instead of just, you know, facing the mirror. I just know you won't be here in February because you had no plan or purpose to your visits and clogged it up for the rest of us. Two or ten months down the road, they'll be gone and still out of shape while I'm still doing the Damme thing simply because I like to. Working out is easy, making it a habit takes some time, just set realistic expectations like you'll work out 4 times a week, not lose 20 pounds in a month. Do some research, read some books and see what fits your body and schedule. Rome and Jean-Claude Van Damme weren't built in a day and neither will you be.

Anywho, to shake things up, I'm throwing DDP Yoga back into the mix as it's a good workout you can get done in the privacy of your own home in under 30 minutes. Plus, we all need to work on our flexibility as we age. To protect my elbows, I'm sticking to cardio or Yoga one day, weights on another. Knocking out the Diamond Dozen and workouts dubbed Energy, Fat Burner and Red Hot Core are a nice change of pace and pretty relaxing. Back in the weight room, I'm adding in an additional working set to really pump up my muscles and shock them a little bit. Size isn't my goal but I want to keep some mass. This past Sunday I hit the weights:

- Barbell back to front press/Preacher curls/EZ bar triceps extension
- Dumbbell rear delt raise/Zane incline curl/Dive triceps extensions with rope
- DB side swing/Hammer curls/1-Arm triceps extension

Each giant set was performed 4 times with reps starting at 12 and descending to 8. If you're counting, that means I knocked out 36 working sets then threw in a few extra of front delts, forearms, neck and calves just to keep things rounded. But after warming up, training, cooling off and stretching, I was still out of the joint in under an hour. Little to no rest creates the breathless state so it's taxing on your muscles and lungs.

Back at home I was discussing the Grecian ideal and how masters of muscle like Eugen Sandow, Steve Reeves, Vince Gironda, Frank Zane and Arnold Schwarzenegger referred to the body as a sculpture that should be symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing. To that end there are actual Grecian Ideal calculations based on your wrist measurement that suggest how big your chest, waist, biceps, thighs, calves and neck should be. In general, if your neck, arms and calves are the same size, you fit the ideal. In my case, each of these measured out to be 15" in a relaxed state. Now I just need to bring my waist down a few inches to really highlight the V-Taper and bring out my inner statue. Keep learning, keep laughing and keep lifting!

24 Hours: Morning Man Workout

By the time I got to the gym around 8:00 AM, I'd already been up four hours, seen nearly two movies, picked up doughnuts and hadn't eaten since 6:00PM the night before. My hands were a little shaky from low blood sugar but I figured that would be prime fat burning time in the gym. It was a bit crowded already but luckily it was all folks taking classes, not using the free weights. Shoulders and Arms were on the menu as I got in:

- Arnold Press superset with Rear Delt Raises and Dumbbell Upright Row for 3 giant sets
- Preacher Curls w/DB Triceps Extensions
- Gironda style V-Bar Dive Extensions w/Incline DB Curl
- Dip Machine w/DB Hammer Curls

To get a good pump, I tend to do 8-12 reps then add in a few half reps at the end of each set. After 3 supersets of arms I came back to Shoulders and did a few sets of Cable Raises for the medial delts then finished off with Calf Raises, Back Extensions, Abs and Forearms. No cardio today but I'll make up for it tomorrow. I weighed in a few pounds lighter than last week so the Intermittent Fasting seems to be working with no ill effects on my training.

At home cooling off I read up on Vince Gironda's Facebook kept up by former student Robert Torres. He does a great job of posting inspirational and educational stuff about Vince along with pupils and contemporaries like Frank Zane and Larry Scott. There was a great video of actor Clint Walker's home gym from the 60's which has all these great, space saving features that utilizes benches and poles to make for flat and incline as well as dips and a preacher bench. It's interesting to see something like this as the principles from back then still apply today that it's not about being a bodybuilder but simply working out to feel good, fitting it in whenever possible, eating quality food to recover, sleeping enough to recuperate and making sure you get your chins in!

Workout of the Day: Fast Man

The first time I worked out on an empty stomach was in high school. I got nauseous and hurled the glass of water I'd had earlier. As a natural morning person, in college it was hard to force some food down the gullet before training and by my late 20's, I was used to working out on an empty stomach. I believe it was Dolph Lundgren who first introduced me to the notion that as your body sleeps overnight, your blood sugar is constant and low so light or moderate exercise in the morning should theoretically go to body fat stores for energy. Guys like Arnold, Van Damme and The Rock all advocate morning cardio on an empty stomach while recently I've been hearing about Intermittent Fasting from the likes of Terry Crews and Hugh Jackman. Basically you eat within a window of 8-10 hours a day as it's thought that it takes 12 hours for the body to enter the fasted state so you'll burn more fat before your first meal. While former NFL player turned jacked actor Crews says he eats a few meals and a protein shake between 2:00 and 10:00 PM, Hugh Jackman claims he crams in 5,000 calories to bulk up for Wolverine between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. The cast of TV show Black Sails apparently work out at 10:00 AM, have their first meal at 12:00 PM then close up eating shop by 8:00. There's books and blogs about it so after some light reading I figured to give it a try.

Since I'm already working out mornings doing cardio or weights on an empty stomach, I figured I'd just go with it. For pre-6:00 AM cardio I'm doing the usual ab-aerobics suggested by Frank Zane where I just do 60-90 seconds on a piece of cardio equipment like incline treadmill, stairclimber, stationary bike, jump rope and a Gazelle thingy. Only doing each exercise for a minute takes the monotony out of it and before you know it, you're breaking a sweat and 10, 15 or 20 minutes in. I follow that up with some ab exercises and trunk twists, stretch, cool down and call it a workout. For weights in the AM I'm a two bodypart, three superset three times kinda guy. For chest and biceps this Tuesday morning it was Incline Dumbbell Press with Zane Incline Curls (where your chest is against the bench and arms hanging), Dumbbell Fly and Concentration Curls then Gironda style wide dips with Reverse Curls. I finished up with a single superset of Chins and Push Ups just cause. Some calves, neck and forearms and I was done in under 40 minutes.

My fasting approach so far is more or less aiming to eat between 9:00 or 10:00 AM to 5:00 or 6:00 PM. That way I'm fasting for my first workout and if I do a second session, I can have a meal afterwards. Of course like all eating plans it works better if you stick to whole foods, lean meats, vegetables and fruits. Super foods include avocado, coconut oil, green vegetables, nuts, free range chicken, whole butter and whey protein while the usual bads like pasta, bread, potatoes and deep fried goodness should be inhaled moderately. One style of fasting is to have any kind of calorie free drink, though coffee is allowed, so it's water, tea, even diet pop during your 14-16 hour fast. My energy or focus levels haven't been too effected and I've felt lighter and tighter since starting the process. They say it takes three weeks to get into a habit but so far so good!

Workout of the Day: The Power of Carl Compels You

After a month of my take on the Daniel Craig circuit routine, it was time to change things up. While it's good to lift weights to keep your bones strong and body working, as you get older, cardio and flexibility become a bigger part of the equation. So does what you eat but you know, I like to eat. It's no secret that guys like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Arnold Schwarzenegger start their day with empty stomach cardio. For Van Damme it's the stationary bike with some kicking and stretching, for Johnson it's the elliptical machine and for The Oak it's the bike as well. But riding a bike or elliptical for 35-45 minutes just sounds frigging horrible to me. Instead, I opt for either an empty morning weight session or Frank Zane style ab-aerobics.

For weights if I'm not doing circuits it's supersets for Chest/Biceps, Back/Triceps, Legs and Shoulders/Arms. To change things up, I'm throwing in sessions with more functional for the whole body exercises like Weight Sled Push, Battling Ropes, Step Ups and body weight favorites Chins and Push Ups. I push to get my weight sessions done in 35-45 minutes so the tempo stays high and since you're on an empty stomach, energy and focus can start to fade.

For cardio and to keep things interesting I employ Zane's method of doing any particular exercise for 1-2 minutes then moving onto an ab exercise, repeat. At home that's looking like Treadmill on an incline, Stationary Bike, Stair Climber, Jump Rope and Shadow Boxing. That way you're not getting bored and you can push it with some intervals. If you don't have access to a gym you can always get a jump rope for under $10 bucks and run sprints, do jumping jacks and mountain climbers and shadow box. A few rounds of this and before you know it, 25-30 minutes has passed. It feels good to break a nice sweat but just remember to cool off by taking a few minutes to do some focused breathing and thinking about your goals. That way you're not still frazzled and sweaty trying to get ready for the day. A few sips of ice water supposedly tells your body to stop sweating and I find sitting down in front of a fan for a few minutes while I read e-mails releases any lingering tension.

It's almost Anime Expo, San Diego Comic-Con and D23 time so keep pushing!

Workout of the Day: Gravity Guy

After a few days off upon returning from Oklahoma City and Austin, I'm back on the training trail and just hit my 20 workouts for the month goal. Changing it up a bit I went ahead and kept a few things from Vince Gironda's training methods I liked and mixed it with some Frank Zane while putting my own personal spin on it. When possible, I'll get in two sessions in a day, quick ones under 35 minutes working generally the same muscles and then taking the following day off. That way if I do this say 3 days a week, I've gotten in 6 workouts. And they say multiple sessions of faster, shorter and more intense work is better for the body than a marathon 90 minute visit. Try it yourself and see how you feel. You could take a nice empty stomach walk in the morning then do some weights at night or do some body weight exercises upon rising then weights at night or just hit the weights twice but you'll probably need to back off the poundage for the second workout as you'll be fatigued from the morning session.

Right now I'm focused on performing 3 exercises per body part doing 4 sets of 8 reps with slow negatives to fight gravity. The added resistance will challenge your muscles in a new way as most people don't think about the negative phase.

Shoulders and Arms:
Press Machine/Bent Over EZ Bar Curls/EZ Bar Pullover and Press
Dumbbell Side Laterals/Lying DB Curls/1-Arm Side Extensions
Straight Bar Cable Front Raise/Cable Curl Preacher, 21's/Rope Extension

As you can see, I designed this workout to start heavy with basic moves to get everything pumped up then moved into Dumbbells for form, range of motion and definition then finished with cables to keep constant tension on the muscles.

While following Gironda's training methods, I stopped doing cardio after weights and felt kind of blubbery so I'm back to 10 minutes or so of bike, jump rope or ab aerobics and feeling good.

For Legs I'm employing Squats, Front Squats, Sissy Squats, Hack Slides Froggy Style, Leg Curls and Calves seated, standing or on a leg press machine:

Squat/Leg Curl/Hack Slide/Calf Raises on Smith Machine

Same thing here doing 4 sets of 8 reps to build a nice foundation except calves, you gotta go 15-20 to make them respond. Legs are arguably the most overlooked body part so you have to try and keep them strong yet proportioned to your upper body. Once upon a time, having the same size biceps and calves was the ultimate goal. Doing legs releases more testosterone and growth hormone so theoretically your other muscles would actually get bigger if you trained your lower body more often.

It's convention and wedding season so keep it up!

Workout of the Day: Rut Buster

Going to the gym in January and February is always frustrating because you have so many Don'ters taking up space with resolutions to lose half their body weight but only giving themselves a couple weeks to negate years of inactivity and shitty eating.  Don't get me wrong, if you want to change yourself, to better yourself, I'm all for it.  But do a little research, read some magazines, maybe even a book and talk to professionals before you go all or nothing into your new year workout routine.  I always say you either have it or you don't when it comes to lifting weights.  There has to be some kind of instigating incident or insecurity to propel you into spending countless hours alone putting your body under duress.  Whether it's being too fat or skinny, needing to get stronger for sports, everyone who lifts weights has a reason why they're putting on "body armor".  Arnold wanted to get stronger for soccer, Van Damme wanted to gain weight and power for karate, I was a chubby kid, etc.  When you go in guns blazing with no plan of attack, enthusiasm quickly wanes and the gym is back to being empty.  Fitness is a lifestyle and it doesn't even half to be that strict.  I eat fast food several times a week and at my last physical was told I was in excellent health.  Could I be in better shape if I cleaned up my act?  Of course!  But I don't make a living at having my shirt off so there's no need to beat myself up mentally and emotionally over some unattainable standard.

For me, December was pretty good, I worked out 23 times which is excellent because I always find myself to be in the best shape when I hit 20 workouts in a month.  That can be 5 days a week, that can be twice a day a couple days a week, a day of walking, outside activity or cleaning, whatever.  If you make time for it and or you break a decent sweat, I consider it a training session.  Having lots of time over the holidays to relax, I dug into some Frank Zane and Vince Gironda reading.  Zane of course was a master of symmetry and had a statuesque physique at under 6' tall and 200 pounds.  Always mindful of the mind and muscle connection, physical harmony, rest and nutrition, Zane was truly a guru of the sport.  But Gironda was known as The Iron Guru due to his unpredictable temper, strong opinions and unusual but effective training techniques.  Reading through some of his literature, it's crazy how guys used to eat and train back in the day.  For Gironda, he figured you should stick mostly to whole, close to raw foods including fertile hen eggs and certified raw cream.  A breakfast might consist of cream mixed with raw eggs, lunch was a salad and hamburger patty while dinner could be steak and cottage cheese.  In between meals, liver tablets and amino acid tablets in the dozens.  With no complex or starchy carbs in the mix, Gironda figured the body would derive energy from the fat and use the protein to rebuild muscle.

Training wise, Zane seemed to always be doing some form of cardio, usually bicycling around town or rowing after a weight session.  Gironda placed such a heavy emphasis on nutrition, stating that it was 85% what you ate VS 15% how you trained, that no cardio was involved since there was little rest been sets.  If you wanted to lose weight, you simply ate less and worked out more.  For me, I always feel at least 10 minutes of cardio after weights helps me feel leaner and less bloated.  Zane would usually work 3-4 exercises per body part with 3-4 sets in the 8-12 range.  Gironda believed that you had to find your perfect range by working out until you felt a pump that couldn't get any better and as soon as you started to lose it, you'd found your ideal rep/set range.  At Vince's Gym, he generally preached 3 exercises and 4 sets for each in under 45 minutes as the perfect workout.

Gironda's Rut Buster workout has been kicking my ass this month with it's 10/8/6/15 rep range but I'm feeling strong and pumped.  An example of my version of Shoulders and Arms at the gym:

1) Dumbbell Press w/ Rear Deltoid Lateral 2) Spider Curl w/Tricep Pullover and Press 3) Behind the head Rope Extensions 4) Incline Dumbbell Curl 4) Cable Upright Row w/ Side DB Laterals 5) 1-Arm Preacher Curl w/ 1-Arm DB Extension 6) Forearm Curls

As you can see, wherever I could do Super Sets, I did.  But if I would have to walk across the floor to get weights, I would just do straight sets.  The descending then ascending rep range is frigging hard but the pump I got was out of this world.  My muscles felt huge, shaped and striated at the same time.  My arms were so sore I could barely type on my laptop that day.

Zane's Ab-Aerobics are a great way to get in some cardio and midsection work.  You'll see lots of people plodding away on a bike or treadmill for what seems like hours and still looking dumpy as shit.  With Ab-Aerobics you simply pick a cardio exercise to do for one minute then hit some abs, lower back or twists then go back to cardio.  In my complex gym I opted for:

Treadmill - 3, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5 MPH at a 10 incline with Stepper and Jump Roping 200-300 reps in about 2 minutes.  For abs I stuck to simple stuff like frog crunches (instead of knees pointing up, butterfly them out to the sides), toe touches and Swiss ball crunches.  Then I'd do trunk twists or Good Mornings as well.  So 1-2 minutes of cardio, ab/back/twist exercise, repeat for 20-30 minutes.  Boredom doesn't have a chance because you're constantly moving from one exercise to the next. 

And there you have it, new year, new pump, same old drive.  Now get out there and remember that what's cool is being cool with yourself!

Workout of the Day: Mind, Body, Spirit w/ Frank Zane

Was hitting a bit of a slump with working out lately so went back to the book case for some inspiration.  Among the Frank Zane collection is probably his most unique work, an assemblage of workouts spanning his entire life and career as well as dozens of poems written by the man himself.  You see, Zane is one of those guys who defies the "meat head" label of bodybuilders.  Always a loner and self sufficient, young Zane grew up spending much of his time alone, exploring nature, taking up archery, lifting weights and working his way up to the level of Eagle Scout.  After a stint in Florida, Zane landed in California and was part of the emerging Muscle Beach era with luminaries of the sport like Dave Draper, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robby Robinson, Franco Columbu, Ken Waller and more.  At 5'9" and under 200 pounds, Zane was always told to get bigger but instead he went for detail, shape, definition and symmetry.  Zane would win bodybuilding's top honor, The Mr. Olympia, 3 years straight from 1977-1979.  After making a living as a math and chemistry teacher, Zane would go on to achieve a master's degree in psychology as well.  His poems and writing cover workouts, diets, dreams, life, death, memories of his family and the power of positive speech in order to visualize success.

Modern day transistor mystic

practice right speech.

Problem today is

talk is cheap

but eventually

you will pay

for what you say.

It's always that way.

While I don't prescribe to Zane's methods of training Chest, Delts and Triceps together because it hurts my shoulders, I did decide to go old school basics with my workouts this past weekend.  That way I'd be sure to get a nice pump, keep up the breathless state with little rest in between exercises and focusing on my reps, making sure to control the movement.  For Chest and Biceps:

1) Incline DB Press/Face Down Incline DB Curl
2) Incline Fly/1-Arm Preacher Curl
3) DB Pullover/Concentration Curl
4) Dip/Cable Curls w/Rope
5) Incline Push Up/Reverse EZ Bar Curl

Only doing 2 sets of each Super Set let me give the muscles a nice variety while keeping me moving around the gym.  As you can see, each Super Set is designed to use the same equipment so you're not wasting time between movements.  Finished up with some rowing, 1000 meters in 5 minutes, abs, trunk twists and then 3 miles on the stationary bike.  I felt great afterwards and was excited to work Legs the next day.

Workout of the Day: Leg Man

Too many times people neglect their legs when lifting weights.  It's much easier to focus on the beach and Hollywood muscles like chest, abs and biceps.  Basically, whatever you can see in the mirror.  But training your legs strengthens your entire body, boosts testosterone, releases growth hormone and keeps you from looking like a hard boiled egg on toothpicks.  Squats were a regular part of my high school and college routine but as you get older, the ol' internal shock absorbers start to wear out so you have to train smarter, not harder.  Vince Gironda didn't allow regular squats at his gym as he thought they just gave you a big ass.  Instead he was a proponent of Front and Sissy Squats where you couldn't hulk as much weight but kept tension in your quads to make them shaped and ripped.  Frank Zane invented the Leg Blaster to relieve stress on the knees and lower back after years of heavy squats wreaked havoc on his body.

With all that in mind, I got in an early morning session of:

Front Squat - With a barbell in the rack, a little awkward with the bar in your neck but a great move
Leg Curls - To work those hamstrings and glutes (your butt)
Squat Press - On a Free Motion machine where I could load on some weight and work outer thigh
Standing Calf Raises - On Smith Machine instead of those pads digging into your shoulders on a machine

After that I followed up with 3 circuits of Weight Sled, Jump Rope, Rowing and Battling Ropes to give myself a quick upper body and cardio pump.


I felt extremely refreshed afterwards and went on to have a fantastically productive day.  Thanks, legs!

Workout of the Day: Gobble Gobble

It was Thanksgiving AND Bruce Lee's birthday?!  If eater's remorse wasn't enough to get you off your duff, paying homage to one of the great icons of martial arts, fitness and cinema should have been.  The Bruce had a pretty open minded approach to the arts and working out.  Feeling traditional, total adherence to one style was dumb, Lee openly sought out to learn from different disciplines like boxing, wrestling, grappling and the like.  When it came to fitness, The Bruce was known for lifting weights, isometrics, running, jump roping, hitting the heavy bag and sparring to keep light on his feet but able to deliver powerful punches and kicks.

So to stave off the Turkey Day drag, I got in the following workouts:

Deadlift/Goblet Squat/100 Jump Rope Skips x 8
Ab crunches/Trunk Twists/100 Skips x 4

This was a home routine done on an empty stomach, I've been waking up around 5:00AM all week so this simple, 3 exercise routine wouldn't challenge me too much mentally.  This was to work my lower back and keep it strong then the Goblet Squats (holding DB on one end in front of chest) let you get a deeper range of motion.  Keeping my reps in the 10-12 area, 8 sets was a bit much for my lower back but my quads felt good.  Adding 100 skips of the rope is an easy way to get in some cardio and takes under a minute.  According to Bruce, 1 minute of rope is equal to 3 of jogging and with all the treats coming up, the more cardio, the better.  I followed the weights up with some ab exercises, I don't know about you but my stomach always feels tighter when I do some reps every other day.  Just simple crunches of various kinds in the 30 rep range super setted with trunk twists followed by more rope.  Usually I'll do sets of 50 then change to a different foot fall pattern.

On Thanksgiving Day, I hit the empty streets and nearly barren gym for:

1) Standing Barbell Press/Preacher Curl/J-Press
- For mass and I could use one pre-set barbell for each exercise to save on time.
2) Rear DB Raises/Frank Zane Curl (leaning into an incline bench)/Hammer Extensions
- Changing to DB's works the muscles and limbs independently then gives a little more shape from the wrists not being locked in place.
3) Side Cable Raise/Rope Hammer Curl/Rope Extensions
- Going from barbells, to dumbbells to cable puts stress on the muscle differently.  In this case the constant tension is good for definition.
4) Front DB Raise/Concentration Curl/DB Extension
- While I did 3 sets of the previous giant sets, this fourth and final tri-set was more or less to burn out.

Followed by some calf raises, forearms, neck and 4 miles on the bike I was ready to go and try to eat my age in platefuls of food.  Just kidding, I only do that with slices of pie...

Workout of the Day: Return of the Pump

Being busy with social engagements and whatnot, I had a week of half workouts.  Re-energized, I approached this week with a little more gusto.  Watching some Stallone clips on YouTube to get me motivated, I hit the complex gym for an upper body circuit on the ol' Paramount Machine and with my free weights.  While I'll never be able to train for months on end multiple times a day to get Stallone yoked, I felt nice and pumped after this little routine for my Shoulders, Biceps and Triceps:


1) Shoulder Press/Close Grip Pulldown/Bench Dip
2) Side Lateral Raise/Bent Over Curl/J-Press
3) Rear Delt Raises/Concentration Curls/Lying DB Extensions
4) Front Cable Raise/Cable Hammer Curls/Rope Pushdowns

Each Tri-Set was repeated 3 times which means I pumped out 36 sets when I usually do 27, I just felt like I needed to do a little extra for slacking off last week.  I received a fresh reminder to pay attention while training as I misjudged the arc of the cable curl section on my front raises and ended up slamming into the top and letting go of the handle which promptly smacked my shins and smashed my toe.  Gym vigilance and safety is paramount as is being in the moment in the movement.  Frank Zane recalls many a time when he wasn't paying attention during a workout and brought a pulldown bar straight onto his head or dropped a plate on his foot, etc.  It just takes that one moment of day dreaming to cost you time out of the gym due to carelessness.  So be safe and get swole!

Workout of the Day: Back to (Circuit) Basics

It's been just under 2 months since I rejoined a gym and I'm starting to see the results.  At first I was going my old school routine of 2 body parts a day, Super Set style with a split looking like Chest/Biceps, Legs, Back/Triceps and Shoulders/Arms, repeat.  But of course you start to get bored, life picks up, blah blah blah.  I incorporated some Vince Gironda style volume training last week but it was just a lot on my joints.  Needing to be reinvigorated, I found new-old inspiration from one Mirko Cro Cop.  The Croatian Sensation just won his latest MMA match via a doctor stoppage after an elbow from the bottom opened up Judo specialist and Olympic gold medalist Satoshi Ishii's hairline scalp like a faucet of blood.  His preparation videos show him doing a circuit of general compound moves like kettle bell swings, chin ups, push ups, dips and the like.  Of course circuit training has always been one of my favorite ways to train as you can pump up your entire body in quick succession and the fast pace helps burn extra calories.  Over the last 18 years of training and gleaning over the methods of various bodybuilders, athletes and actors, I always come back to the basic principles set forth by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Frank Zane then more recently Daniel Craig and Mirko Cro Cop.  Basically, it's a mix of fast paced, concentrated efforts with opposing muscle groups with a focus on form rather than weight utilizing basic exercises that activate multiple muscle groups versus isolation or too many cable movements.

For today's circuit, I was after an upper body pump:

1) Clean and Press, to get the whole body involved and the testosterone flowing
2) Incline Push Up, changing hand position with each set
3) Close Grip Chins, to work the forearms and biceps more than the lats
4) Low Incline Dumbbell Curl, to take the front delts out of the movement
5) Dumbbell Hammer Extensions, still on the low incline with elbows near my head to keep pressure off the joints
6) Gironda Cable Rows, with arms outstretched and head down starting position, pulling back and up to the chest to work a different angle
7) Dips, elbows in tight with a nice stretch for the pecs and triceps
8) Preacher Curls, elbows in tight on the bench, lowering all the way down and flexing at the top
9) Cable Pressdown, elbows in tight, standing close to the pulley to ensure it was only triceps

3 sets of that and it was time for some back extensions, neck and forearms followed by a few miles on the bike done in intervals to keep my heart rate up and also to keep my attention since cardio is frigging boring.  Then I wandered into a studio and hit the bag for a few minutes followed by stretching and breathing exercises to get my mind and body to slow down.  Feeling great after a busy week and only a couple of workouts, I'm looking forward to Legs tomorrow.

Getting that summer pump:

Workout of the Day: Vince Gironda

One classic bodybuilder I always admired but never really knew much about is Vince Gironda, the Iron Guru and owner/operator of Vince's Gym in North Hollywood.  A fitness competitor and professional back in the 1950's, Gironda employed various unorthodox exercises such as bench press to the neck, the drag curl, V-Bar dip and a huge dislike for squats.  Gironda also preached the importance of nutrition, claiming that training was 85% eating and suggested consuming up to 3 dozen fertile hen eggs a day, raw cream or milk and liver tablets on a high protein, low carb diet.  Mr. Olympia Larry Scott was a disciple and fellow bodybuilding luminaries like Frank Zane, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno put in time at Vince's Gym.  Movie stars Clint Eastwood, Carl Weathers, James Garner and Denzel Washington all trained at his famed gym before its doors were closed in 1995.  Gironda would pass away 2 years later.

Gironda believed in high volume training but did exercises in straight sets and employed an 8x8 set and rep scheme with lighter weight and little rest time.  After reading up on Gironda's method, I employed some of them this past week in an upper body routine.  I couldn't quite get to 8 straight sets my first time out but hit 6 with many of the following:

1) Incline Dumbell Bench - This gave me a nice pump but also made my shoulder sore
2) Drag Curl - 6 sets with a 45 lb barbell had my arms screaming
3) Tricep Extension - On a machine and my horseshoe started to spasm
4) Cable Row - Done leaning far forward and head down to start then pulling back and up had my lats cramping up
5) Wide Dips - Elbows wide to work chest versus tight for triceps, again a little hard on my shoulders
6) Lateral Shoulder Raises - Bent forward a bit to take the trapezius out with pinkies up like pouring a pitcher of water
7) Reverse Preacher Curl - Elbows in tight with hands wide
8) Seated Calf - Gironda believed in higher reps for calves so I pumped out 15-20

It was an interesting experiment but I don't think my shoulders would be able to take all of the straight sets.  Super Sets that work opposing muscle groups let the delicate joints and hinges rest between exertion which just seems to suit me better.  But I'll definitely keep reading up on Gironda's method and will have to look up some liver tablets...

Workout of the Day: Expendables Week

Last night was the Los Angeles premiere of The Expendables III following international debuts in the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany last week.  Before it's official release this Friday, EX III has already faced a tumultuous journey to the big screen when weeks ago during Comic-Con, a DVD quality screener was stolen and uploaded to the internets.  Over 2 million downloads later, studio Lionsgate sued 6 different sites offering the film online.  Dammage done, we'll see how it effects box office this crowded weekend against comedy Let's Be Cops and latest YA style novel adaptation, The Giver.  Me?  I'll be seeing all 3 flicks in a marathon this Thursday.

So to keep the momentum going, I started Monday off with a leg and cardio circuit.  My new apartment has a small gym on site that includes an old school Universal Machine!  You know, those big honking contraptions from Harold Zinkin that let you train your entire body without risk of dropping weights on yourself?  We had one of these bad boys in our high school weight room and I always enjoyed the versatility as you can do Leg Press, Chins, Dips, Pulldowns, Shoulder Presses, Cable Curls, etc all in a 5'x5' space and add or subtract weight with the pull and push of a pin.  My apartment's isn't quite as all encompassing as it's missing the chin and dip bar of my high school's.  Still, it's in terrific shape with it's awesome padded golden leather upholstery and works smoothly.

Since I joined a gym, I donated my weight set to the apartment and it looks like people have been using the EZ bar and Dumbbells.  To pump up my legs I got in 5 sets of:

1) Machine Leg Press - It's a narrow position so it works more of the outer thigh.
2) Standing Leg Curls - There's a Leg Extension apparatus on the machine but I just stand in front of it and use it for leg curls instead to work the hamstrings.
3)  Dumbbell Squat - Gripping 40lbs in each hand
4)  Deadlift - Using the EZ bar for quick reps to keep my lower back strong

I hadn't gotten in much cardio over the last few days so I opted for some Ab-Aerobics, Frank Zane style where I'd do 2 minutes of a particular exercise followed by something for abs and twists:

1) Seated Bike 2) Stair Climber 3) Treadmill

For added sweat equity I had my cell phone in hand and timed intervals in the 20-30 second range followed by 15-30 seconds rest.  I completed 3 rounds of each and was dripping.  You know you're getting in a good workout when your shoulders and forearms sweat.

Workout of the Day: Posterior Deltoid Fire

Unfortunately my Comic-Con schedule isn't going to allow me to get in a session with Mr. Olympia and bodybuilding legend Frank Zane this year so I'm not pushing as hard at the gym this week.  Still enjoying being back in the weight room as there's plenty of equipment and exercises to be done I couldn't perform at home.  It's been generally quiet and not very crowded but it is a bit of a steeper establishment than your usual LA Fitness or 24 Hour Fitness.  I figured that would keep out some of the clown shoe antics but I guess if you can afford to train there you're probably not all that into lifting.  So I get the usual non-stop chatty Cathy's who aren't actually saying much, the guy resting his towel on equipment he's not using, his buddy grunting and dropping 40's like they're heavy and their friend who sets weights on a bench that already has a tear forming from other dipshits resting loaded bars there instead of being strong enough to pick them up off the floor or rack.

Anyways, I've been hitting a 4 Day Split Routine where I'll do Chest/Biceps, Legs, Back/Triceps, rest a day or do cardio then do Shoulders and Arms before starting over again.  More importantly I've been doing much more cardiovascular work after my sessions in the forms of rowing, biking and Versa Climbing.  Since I'm lifting before or during the work day, I tend to aim for 3 miles of cardio to keep me focused.  1600 meters on a rowing machine only takes about 7 minutes if I push it then 2 miles on a bike can be accomplished in about 7.  Throw in a few hundred feet of Versa Climbing and I've gotten my cardio done in around 15 minutes after weights.

After short fusing all week, I got in a nice Back and Triceps session that help put me in a better mood.  As always I incorporated Super Sets so an exercise for Back followed immediately by Triceps.

1)  Deadlift/Bench Dips - Using pre-set barbells to cut down on time, I'm not looking to set a power lifting record, just work my lower back, forearms and legs.  While once upon a time I could Dead 415, these days I settle for high reps of 100 pounds and up.  Bench Dips I add resistance with weight plates on my lap.  Again, back in my prime with the help of partners I stacked 180 pounds on my lap but today I'm topping out at 45 for safety's sake.
2)  Chin/EZ Bar Extension - Wide and parallel grip then the last set I pulled to each hand.  For EZ's I did them Frank Zane style so instead of just lowering the bar to my forehead like a skull crusher, I went down and behind my head to give a nice stretch and extra pump.  It's also a little easier on the elbows because we all know that Tennis Elbow suuuuucks!
3)  1-Arm Cable Kickback/Close Grip Cable Row - To help define that horseshoe, I bend at the waist and grab a cable with a palms up grip, lock my elbow to the side of my body and kickback.  Then Close Grip Cable Rows really get my forearms, biceps, rear delts and back pumped up.

Followed by some Forearms, Calves, rowing, biking, Versa Climbing and stretching, it was time to call it a day.  Later that evening and the next day my rear delts were SCREAMING from all the chins, rowing and cardio rowing.  Remember, if you're sore the next day it's a good thing.  2nd day soreness? Not so much.

Have you checked out the lateral deltoid lately?