Workout of the Day: On the Road Again

Over the last two weeks I spent a few days in hotels, one was your typical hotel gym set up with a rack of weights and a few pieces of cardio equipment. I've changed up my routine recently, doing more total or upper body circuits where I'd work alternate muscle groups versus the more traditional bodybuilding style where I was hitting one muscle group in a row with several exercises. With nary a chin up bar in sight, I improvised by using the front side of a treadmill where I'd grasp the back of the top display and with my body in an L, put my feet on the sides of the tread. You can also slide down and grab the handle to do some impromptu rows. To up the cardio, I bought a Gold's Gym branded speed rope from the local Wal-Mart. But at 9' it was a bit long as usually you want the handles to reach your armpits when you stand in the middle. The rope at the handles wasn't meant to be shortened so I just tied a knot on each side to shore up a few inches of slack, works perfectly.

- Dumbbell Swing/Treadmill Chin/Incline Push Up/Goblet Squat/Incline DB Curl/Lying DB Extensions/Shoulder Raises x 3 along with some standing DB calf raises

The next hotel gym had one room for cardio and another for weights. Unfortunately the weight room was missing all of it's dumbbells from 5-25 which meant I stuck to exercises I could handle the poundage right away. The spot also had a Bodywedge 21, a foam triangle you could lay or step on to perform 21 different exercises. My first thought that this was a rebranded sex pillow so the manufacturer could cash in twice. It worked alright though.

- 1 Leg DB Deadlift/DB Squat/Leg Curl/Leg Extension/Goblet Sissy Squat followed by seated calf raises with DB's on my knees

Whether you're on the road for personal or professional reasons, I think it's a good idea to pack some gym clothes so you can break a sweat and fight all the trials of travel like water retention, convenient versus healthy food options, sleeping in a different time zone and generally not being able to fulfill your own routine. But getting a pump is getting a pump anywhere you go.

Workout of the Day: WonderCon '17

While the Double Tree is a great place to stay in Anaheim, one thing it lacks in is it's gym. You've got a few pieces of cardio equipment, some stability balls then a cable station with a chin up bar that's too close to the ceiling so you're warned not to use it. But making the best of what was available, I still got in a workout before each day of the show. Sure I'd be walking thousands of steps a day but let's face it, eating on the road and especially at a convention isn't always easy to keep clean. And believe me, it was Carl's Jr. for breakfast everyday, Munchie Mix and Cool Ranch Dorritos in the room along with a Costco sized bottle of Tullamore D.E.W. whiskey with Crabbie's ginger beer then nights out at California Adventure Park's Italian themed Wine Trattoria (hello, lasagna!) and local favorite Lazy Dog Cafe. So I working out needed to be part of my weekend, otherwise I'd just fall asleep on the couch all day! Friday was Chest & Biceps, Legs Saturday and Shoulders & Arms Sunday with supersets like:

Push Ups w/ Cable Flys
Push Ups on Medicine Balls w/ Cable Pullovers
Chins w/ Cable Curls
Face Pulls w/ Cable Preacher Curls
Deadlift w/ Front Squat
Goblet Cable Squat w/ Hip Thrusters
Standing Calf Raise w/ Lunges
Front Press w/ Rear Cable Raises

Some abs or planks and cardio followed each and I felt a lot better about the not great eating choices I'd have to make the rest of the day. And like Jean-Claude Van Damme believes, the only bad workout is the one you don't do, so keep pumping!

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: 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.

WonderCon! Workout

Even though I'm technically on a convention vacation or con-cation? Con-a-cation? And would be walking miles upon miles a day, you still have to keep up with the working out to fight off deliciously poor choices like Jameson and Ginger Beer at noon, a croissant and Belgian Waffle for breakfast, nachos, chicken strips, a club sammich and clam chowda for lunch, on and on. The J.W. Marriott Downtown at L.A. Live has you covered though with a spacious pool and fitness center. On Friday morning I went for a nice 7:00 AM swam doing laps back and forth alternating with high knees, backwards running and a little water karate for resistance. It's extremely peaceful in the morning as the sun rose and the later for pool party scene played tranquil techno tunes.

Today I hit the shared with the Ritz Carlton Fitness Center where there's ample weights, machines and cardio equipment to get the ol' morning pump on. And after seeing Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck in Batman V Superman, you had to keep up the superhero requirement of slamming weights. Tackling the whole body I completed:

1) Dumbbell Swing 2) Chins 3) Dips 4) Leg Press 5) Incline Push Up 6) Incline DB Curl 7) DB Lying Triceps Extension 8) Seated Leg Curl 9) DB Lateral Raise

9 exercises for 3 rounds had me pumped and I finished off with 30 reps of Rope Pushdowns then Rope Hammer Curls, Forearms, 5 sets of Calf Raises on the Leg Press Machine and neck. After that it was a mile on the Elliptical done in intervals and some stretching. I've always been a chins advocate and not saying I started a trend but 3 dudes who were already lifting and not doing any chins started to after I was into my circuit. Just saying... I briefly chatted with another con-goer about my Big Trouble In Little China tee and his Wolverine tattoo, gotta love con folk. Feeling good, now it's time to find a Downtown joint for breakfast before heading to the show and Hollywood for Silent Rage!

GRIP & RIP WEEKEND: Working Out

You can't Grip & Rip without forearm strength so of course I hit the gym on Friday and Saturday morning between movies, meals and multiple episodes of Fuller House. I've been feeling a little dumpy this week, think it's time to clean up my eating habits again and stay consistent as physical training will only take you so far. Friday at 5:00 AM was Chest and Biceps:

Incline Push Ups/Preacher Curls
Decline Flys/Spider Curls
Incline Dumbbell Press/Reverse Curl
DB Pullover/Zottman Curl

Each superset was repeated 3 times and I lightened my weights to go for higher reps, shooting for 15/12/10 before tackling forearms, neck and a mile on the Rowing Machine.

Saturday at 7:00 AM it was cardio centric:
5 3 minute rounds of Bas Rutten Thai Boxing
5 2 minute rounds of hitting the bag followed by 300 rope skips, 200 meters of rowing and 100 feet of Versa Climbing or Jacob's Ladder
Abs and trunk twists

Workout of the Day: Disney (Dolph) Daze

On Saturday morning I woke up at 6:00 AM after a full night's sleep and hit the hotel's gym. It's a solid facility, better than the Grand Californians I'd say. Pretty standard hotel gym with dumbbells, a cable machine, yoga mats and balls along with plenty of cardiovascular machines. Apparently everybody else in the resort was on vacation mode as I had the place to myself. There's permanent music you can listen to or put something on the TV's. I opted for tunes and a Shoulders and Arms session:

Arnold Press/Face Pull/Incline Close Grip Push Up
Rear Delt Raise/Incline Zane Curls/Rope Pushdown
Side Raise/Concentration Curl/1-Arm Extension

9 exercises done as one giant circuit repeated 3 times. I threw in 4 sets of standing calf raises along with some front delt work and forearms before hitting the Elliptical for a mile and another on the stationary bike.

Later in the weekend I would come across a new Dolph Lundgren video where he shows you his superset based workout routine along with juice and protein centric diet. Dude is still doing the Damme thing in his 50's so you have no excuse not to get up. The big Swede talks dealing with an abusive father, therapy, Arnold waking him up at night and much more.

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!

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: Holiday Special

Alright let's take a break from movie and Star Wars talk and focus on ourselves. The holidays mean potlucks, happy hours, eggnog, cookies, dinners and in my case, three days straight of caterer tastings at work. Our apartment gym was redone, removing the Universal Machine in favor of a cable station along with some dumbbells. It's like a hotel gym so can't complain too much although I'll miss the versatility of the Universal as I could do leg press, military, etc. I'm reading Arnold's awesome autobiography and while I have no desire to train twice a day for four hours, you can only be inspired to slam around more weight after reading.

A few workouts from the last couple of weeks:

On the road at Disneyland in the hotel gym I knocked out some Shoulders and Arms with:

Machine Press/Concentration Curls/Triceps Cable Extension
Side DB Laterals/Cable Curls/Lying DB Extensions
I was feeling lazy so only did 4 sets of each tri-set compounded with 15 miles of walking over the weekend at the park and on our tour.

In the new apartment gym with Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland's Love and Bullets playing:

DB Swing/Chin/Incline Push Up/Step Up/DB Curls/Dip/Side Raises x 4
When you don't have a full gym, get creative and do calf raises by standing on the edge of a bench or treadmill holding a dumbbell. Or use a nearly discarded metal walker as a dip bar.

Fasted cardio at 5:00 AM helps me get warmed up for these last cold days:

30 minutes of Treadmill/Elliptical/Jump Rope/Shadow Boxing
You could go Zane ab-aerobics style and do a minute at each or progress into some intervals like 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off or 20 work/10 rest, whatever you can do.

Whether you're on the road or enjoying some "me" time this holiday season; breaking a sweat, getting a pump and ridding yourself of stress always comes in handy so keep lifting!

Workout of the Day: Gobbling Man

With a long weekend filled with much eating, working out was essential. On Thanksgiving Day I hit the empty gym (it's always kinda empty at 5:30 AM) for a total body session to offset the impending feasts of bread, cheese, turkey, sides, pies and booze:

Kettlebell Swing/Chins/Incline Push Ups/Steps Ups/Rowing Machine - 400 Meters/Handstand Push Ups/Battling Ropes - 30 Seconds/Dips/Versa Climber - 125 Feet

4 circuits took under 45 minutes and I was spent! Mixing up the functional exercises with cardio helped keep my heart rate up and focus sharp. Moving from station to station keeps the mind occupied while going from upper body to lower to cardio keeps the body guessing.

On Friday morning I was a bit sore from the day before so taking a page from Creed, opted for a boxing themed workout in the complex gym:

Shoulder Circuit - 30 seconds each of various shoulder moves like side/front/rear laterals, "climbing" a ladder, etc. You can do these without weights or some light dumbbells to get warmed up. Then it was 3 rounds of jump rope, you can do this for time (2-3 minutes) or skips, say 300. After that it was 3 minutes of burpees where you aim for reps, 10-20, then rest for the remaining seconds. 3 rounds of shadow boxing then 3 rounds of Thai boxing with some knees and finished off with 3 more rounds of jump roping and abs.

It's easy to stuff your face then figure you can take the long weekend or holidays off, but just get back to it the next day. Lying on the couch watching movies and reading was terrific but I still managed to get off my duff 3 of the 4 days so don't use the holidays as a crutch, workouts only take an hour!

Workout of the Day: Goodbye Universal

When we toured the apartment complex that would become our home, the manager showed us the small gym and "The Arnold", a chrome, multi-station gym popular in the 80's. It matched the decor of the building as it was built in I believe 1983 and hasn't changed much. The metallic contraption reminded me of high school when I worked out on a Universal machine in the weight room. It was pretty all encompassing with weighted stacks for Leg Press, Bench Press, Pull Downs, Shoulder Press, Cable Curls along with a Chin and Dip bar. Multiple participants could work out simultaneously and get in a good pump by simply moving around the stations. Universal Gym Equipment was founded by Harold Zinkin in 1957 after Zinkin spent decades lifting weights at Muscle Beach and was the first Mr. California bodybuilding champion in 1941. Wanting to expand the work out business and make strength training safe for novices, he developed weight machines where stacks of iron rode steel guideposts so you couldn't drop it on yourself. Instead of changing plates or dumbbells, you just popped a pin into the stack and kept pumping. The standard Universal Gym had 8 to 10 exercises attached to it's large frame. But rival Nautilus came a calling in the 80's (even though their one exercise machines were kinda lame) and by 1998, Zinkin was retired and Universal was acquired by Flexible Flyer and then Nautilus in 2006.

After working out on the Universal Machine in high school, I don't think I ever saw one in a gym again. One day driving I saw one in front of a garage and in workout videos featuring the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone and Bill Wallace. While the machine in our complex is actually an old and dusty Paramount, it still works just fine but is missing the Chin and Dip bars sadly. I like the fact that it's a bit of a relic because it alienates young Thundercats who don't have a f*cking clue how to use it and choose to plod along on the treadmill instead while still being fat and out of shape. Sadly, the times are a changing and the Paramount is going away. The property manager is redoing the gym with new equipment in their first phase of fixing up the joint so they can charge us more rent. I'll be sad to see the Paramount go away because it really is a great piece of equipment. I wonder how much and how long it will take to haul away because you're talking about thousands of pounds of weights and room filling metal frame to dismantle. It's time like these I wish I had a house and could put it in the driveway. Thanks for the muscle memories, Universal!

Here's kickboxing champion Bill "Superfoot" Wallace using a Universal. Personally I wouldn't do straight sets as you can see how much time is wasted just in resting. You could easily turn this into a circuit by simply moving from station to station, alternating muscle groups and exercises.

Workout of the Day: Traveling Man

After that late night and awesome meal from Wendy's, of course I took advantage of the hotel gym in the morning. It was actually a pretty well equipped space with dumbbells, a cable/chin station, several benches and multiple cardio options. I went basic for Chest and Biceps with:

- Chins and Push Ups
- Incline DB Press and Zane Incline Curls
- DB Flys and Concentration Curls
- DB Pullover and Hammer Curls

In general went for 12/10/8 for reps to get a nice pump. Finished off with some forearms and Standing Calf Raises, using the foot of the bench and holding a Dumbbell in my hand before a few minutes on the Elliptical.

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!