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: Sunday Style

Down to Disneyland for the weekend, I hit the hotel gym to get in a nice Sunday morning session. We'd already walked 15,000 steps the day before but I felt like hitting upper and lower body since I generally take Monday's off. I've been pushing hard and regularly for a few months now so may take a few days off soon as I wasn't getting a great pump and felt a little listless. But seeing Spartacus clips with Be Here Now along with guest Jai Courtney's rolled up sleeves and muscle popping posture plus the 3 course meal I had the night before provided motivation.

Goblet Squat/Leg Curl/Leg Extension x 4
Shoulder Press/Hammer Curl/Triceps Pushdown x 4
Sissy Squat/Larry Scott Side Raises/Concentration Curl/Lying DB Extension x 4
Calf Raises, Forearms
2.5 Kilometers on Elliptical Machine with 4 minutes of intervals

After stretching I took 8 flights of stairs just cause. If you've been training hard for weeks or months on end, it's never a bad idea to take a break, let the body and mind rest then figure out your next priorities. Guys like Arnold and Vince Gironda used to change up routines every 3 weeks with Gironda suggesting taking a full 7 days off to recuperate physically and mentally as planning, executing and tracking your workouts relieves stress but also is a form of it.

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: For the Faint

People usually gain weight over the holidays because there's an abundance of rich food around, lots of socializing and little exercising. In my case I seemed to up by eggnog consumption along with Strong Balls aka Strongbow Cider and Fireball whiskey while eating randomly and sporadically. McDonalds' new mozzarella sticks hit the market so you can be Damme sure I tried those...twice. I have been keeping up the working out though, for example on this past Wednesday when I met Jean-Claude Van Damme I pulled a double.

In the morning it was fasted cardio where I alternated the treadmill and elliptical. To spice things up I incorporated walking backwards, side shuffling and lunge steps on the mill while over on the elliptical it was all about intervals while pedaling forwards then backwards. After meeting JCVD and before dinner out, I hit the apartment gym for a quick but spasm inducing Back and Triceps work out:

Chins/Bench Dip/EZ Bar Row/Lying DB Extensions/Chin Row on Treadmill/Cable Kickbacks and repeated for 4 rounds before throwing in some delt moves to pump up my shoulders.

You know I'm all about the empty stomach workouts in the AM. But fasted training is an experimental beast. Dolph Lundgren suggests going for a long walk upon rising since your blood sugar is low and the body will resort to fat for energy. It also gets you outside and clears your mind. JCVD has been known to pedal on the bike for 40 minutes after tea and before food while for Charles Bronson it was coffee then a 2 mile run. Arnold gets in a morning bike ride and slams weights in the evening. The Rock does 35 minutes of fasted cardio on the elliptical before breakfast and then hits the weights. For me it's better to just get up and go after a few glubs of water. Sitting around too long I'll start to get hungry and lose the zeal. But the gym didn't open until 7:00 AM on Saturday and I woke up at 5:30. So it might not have been my best idea to wait it out then get in an intense session.

Kettlebell Swing/Chin/Incline Push Up/Step Up/Handstand Push Up/Battling Ropes/Dips/Rope Climb Machine/Back Extensions/Rowing Machine

As you can see, that's 11 exercises and I was going for 3 rounds. I felt good and pumped but made the fatal flaw of taking a sip of water between my 1st and 2nd rounds. That plus my intense aspiration of perspiration lead to feeling like I was going to pass out or vomit by the end of my 3rd round. I can chalk it up to low blood sugar and maybe pushing a little too hard but after 5 minutes of lying on the floor in a cold sweat, I felt great and went on about my day.

Workout of the Day: Rocky Edition

Amped up from seeing Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, Mr. T. and Dolph Lundgren being so 80's yoked, of course I had to hit the gym and break a good sweat. Over the weekend I went all over the map with one work out utilizing body weight exercises and cardio, a straight weight session then a morning swim. I figure if I'm going out to eat and drank a three or four nights a week, I have to keep up the workouts. That and I recently had some blood work done for work and while my blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides and whatnot were all good to excellent, my blood pressure was a touch high. Probably from my Got Damme Ohio-Vietnamese Passion Temper.

On Saturday it was a morning session of:
- Chin Ups or Face Pulls or Rows on a Smith Machine
- Incline Push Ups or Dips or Bench Dips
- Jump Rope for 300 skips
- Battling Ropes for 30 seconds
- Versa Climber for 90 seconds

Doing two sets each of body weight upper body, I repeated the circuit 6 times and called it a day after some leg raises, ab wheel rollouts and trunk twists.

That evening after a Happy Hour meal of moonshine, chicken fingers, sliders and fries I got in an 8:00 PM workout for Shoulders and Arms:
- Shoulder Press/Rear Delt Raise/Cable Upright Rows
Done in a giant set with no rest to torch my delts followed by some Vince Gironda style 8x8 so I wouldn't have to change weights between sets:
- EZ bar bent over curl superset with Rope Pushdown
After 8 sets my arms were mildly screaming so I went ahead and did 5x8 of:
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls superset with DB Kickbacks
Now my arms felt good and pumped so I finished off with 5 sets of standing calf raises. 3 miles on the recumbent bike and I felt a little better about the heavy meals the weekend had entailed.

Sunday I was a bit sore so I opted to take a rest day. But I was back at it this morning, arising at 5:00 AM for a nice swim workout at the gym. Like Rocky in III, I'm a pretty not great swammer but managed to get in 10 lengths in their lap pool along with a few trips worth of running down and back through the water. Until next time, keep punching!

Workout of the Day: Sissy Squat

How's your new year lifting and working out going?  I'm still sticking with some Vince Gironda Rut Busting and it's a kicking my ass.  It's been just about a month since I started incorporating many of his methods such as 10,8,6,15 rep scheme, adding cream to my shakes and performing exercises like Wide Bar Dips, Bench Press to the Neck, Zottman Curls and today, Sissy and Frog Hack Squats.  I'd always done Sissy's as you don't need weight or much space to get a burn in your quads.  Today I tried out Gironda's 3 part style and phew, I seized up and started spasming after a couple sets!  To do these you'll need something to place under your heels.  If you've ever seen photos from old school bodybuilders from the 60's and 70's, you might have noticed them standing on wooden blocks.  Since most of us don't have 2x4's sitting around the house, just use a rolled up towel, some weight plates or a phone book to put your heels on.  Stand next to a doorway and so you can use one arm for balance as you master the movement.

With feet slightly less than shoulder width apart, heels elevated, simply drop down keeping your shoulders and hips straight until your butt is touching your ankles then press straight back up.  That's one phase.  Next phase is to lower but instead of straight down, push your hips and knees forward so your upper body leans back.  That's the second phase.  For the third, put it all together, drop down with hips and knees out then at the bottom tuck back in, press up and out then straighten out towards the end.  It's a little awkward so do a few reps of each kind as a set to get the feel.  Vince advocated holding a barbell across the collarbone in a clean position, if you can't do that, just hold a dumbbell and let it hang behind you.  Next was Frog Hack Squats, with these I got into the machine, stood straight up and put my feet under my hips and shoulders.  From there, turn your toes out and have your heels touch.  Now lower with your knees going out instead of straight ahead like a regular Hack.  Wow!  I did no weight for Sissy's and only put on a 25 and 10's for Hacks and my legs were screaming!

After that it was some basic stuff like Leg Curls, Seated Calf Raises, some abs and cardio consisting of the elliptical and the bike.  Gironda figured lifting weights and a solid nutrition plan was enough to keep you trim but I love my fast food and doing 10-15 minutes of interval cardio after a weight session just makes me feel lighter on my feet and tighter in my waist.

Keep lifting!  All the New Year's Resolution Don'ters will be clearing out soon.  Getting in shape isn't hard, it just takes a little knowledge and planning.  Read up on people with physiques you admire, it will lead you to plenty of others in the exercise and nutrition fields.  Van Damme wasn't built in a day and neither will you be so just keep going!

Workout of the Day: Big Legs and Karate

Getting back into the swing of things after being mildly sick for a couple weeks, I've taken a basic approach to training this week.  Weights followed by cardio, DDP Yoga, repeat.  Training legs at home requires a bit of rethinking as most of us don't have a squat rack and enough weight around to perform a traditional gym style workout.  Instead, I aim for getting a good pump and strict form to get the most of my exercises to help keep the shape, strength and flexibility of my lower appendages.

Taking a page from a Marky Mark Triple Threat Superset and an article on the recent 300 flick, I got in a giant set of the following:

1)  Deadlift
2)  Goblet Squat - Hold a weight with both hands in front of your chest, squat low to at least parallel, touching your elbows to your thighs.
3)  One Legged Bridge - Lie on your back, bend your knees and plant your feet, extend one leg out while pushing off the floor with the other.  This works your quads, glutes and hamstrings.

I did a pyramid rep scheme, completing sets of 5-10-15-15-10-5 before tackling calves with some standing raises holding a dumbbell.  After that, it was 5 sets of plyometric jumps up my staircase, 1 step, 2 steps, 3 steps, to help build explosive power and to keep my heart rate blasting.

Now show me one of your special kicks:

Workout of the Day: Down with the Sickness

Being sick sucks.  I'm not even that sick but just being a little off your game sucks for men.  Because men are babies.  They say if it's just a cold (neck and up) and not the flu (neck and down) then you're fine to keep working out.  They say a good sweat can be good for it even.  I took that advice and did a short body weight workout today to keep moving but not push so hard that it wouldn't be able to fight the infection. 


Taking a page from the Dolph Lundgren book of home workouts, I completed:

Extreme!

1)  Body Squat
2)  Chin Up
3)  Incline Push Up
4)  Lunges
5)  Chin-Row
6)  Handstand Push Up
7)  Sissy Squat - Stand next to a door frame for balance and let your knees sink forward and down as you lean back then push back up to standing
8)  Face Pull - Lift yourself up like a chin up then pull your face to the bar and push back out, kind of like you're curling your body instead of the bar
9)  Dips
10)  Calf Raises - On a stair, 15 reps with toes forward, out and in

I started to get a little tired so I cut it short after doing 2 rounds instead of my usual 3.

Earlier in the week I did a little cardio with a DDP Yoga video which opened up my throat and followed it up with quick bouts of jump rope, cycling, abs and jumping up my staircase, plyometric style. 

Now let's work the chest:

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Ripspirational: Pain and Gain

2013 has brought us new movies from Stallone, Arnold, Statham, Van Damme and Iron Man but you know what just might be my favorite movie of the year so far?  Pain and Gain.

Why?  Because it's a movie about DOING.  Sure, their version of the American Dream is bigger and more fucked up than yours but damn is it entertaining to watch.  Michael Bay's mini budget opus still looks as flashy and hyper real as his astronomically expensive projects but doesn't quite bludgeon you into a coma with car chases, explosions and fighting robots.

It's becoming common knowledge that Mark Wahlberg gained 40 some pounds of muscle for his role as Daniel Lugo, personal trainer turned kidnapper and extortionist.  The former Marky Mark is a father of four now so training starts early, like 4:30/5:00AM early.  Wahlberg had gotten lean for Broken City but bounced back for P&G by hitting the gym hard, eating 10 meals a day, waking up in the middle of the night to eat and working with GNC on his own supplement line.  In the flick, Wahlberg is all neck, traps and arms.  He's so swole you're not sure he can put his arms down.   Check out an old school workout of his here and a new one here.

The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson plays a newly released convict with a kind heart and evil demons who falls in with Wahlberg's crew after meeting them at the local gym.  If you follow the big man's Twitter you know he went through a rigorous eating and training program to be in top condition for his big year of GI Joe, Pain and Gain and Fast and Furious 6.  A former college football player and professional wrestler, The Rock has always been in great shape.  Lately he's really been going for it, 4:00AM cardio, heavy weights, plyometrics and old school bodybuilding compound exercises.  Rock's eating plan had him consuming 7 clean meals a day and by the end of it, gorging on pizza, brownies and giant pancakes.

Anywho, back to me and the flick.  Growing up idolizing Arnold, Frank Zane and Jean-Claude Van Damme meant I was reading Flex Magazine and not knowing bodybuilding professionals do it for a living and are on some kind of supplementation (legal and illegal).  So watching this time capsule of a movie complete with hip packs, cut off jean shorts, white high top sneakers, Otomix workout shoes, Zumba pants, striped leotards and cut off flannels made me crack up regularly.

On a deeper level, it struck a chord because the characters GO FOR IT.  No half assing, no second guessing, they grip it and they rip it.   I know they're all vile human beings for it but you can't help but laugh at them, especially Lugo's attempt to assimilate into suburbia.  You can relate to his character's constant optimism, positive energy and can do spirit that is twisted by his desire to be more than the guy who is liked but to be the guy who is admired (and rich).

Not sure if further (and ho hum looking) adventures of Superman, Wolverine or The Wolf Pack are going to top this one.

Take a look at Wahlberg and Johnson's eating routine, you'll get full just reading it.

Ripped + Inspirational = Ripspirational

Today's Ripspiration comes from Jean-Claude Van Damme

For more information on getting ripped and inspirational, 

see your local gymnasium and do your best to save the world.