BHM- Between Holiday Mindset

For those of you rocking through your workouts and in your best shape yet then ignore this post but for everyone else who needs that spark...LISTEN UP!

Thanksgiving has come and gone and odds are as you look at yourself in the mirror you notice a couple extra pounds on that body of yours and realize your not liking it. Thanksgiving is not the easiest of holidays on the body......carbs and more carbs and deserts galore get stuffed into your face like a vacuum. The good news is you now have some time to prep yourself before the next set of holidays near. You have exactly four weeks until Christmas to ramp up your routine and eating plan to get yourself in the best holiday shape yet. Use this time constrain as your motivation and to help you keep focused. Remind yourself to go hardcore for 4 weeks and you can reap the rewards! The eventual goal is that once you get rolling for 4 weeks that it will be a whole hell of alot easier to start the New Years Resolutions than if you were starting from scratch.....think less pain and time.

Lets first focus on your eating for the next four weeks. The holidays are a time of special treats, cookies, pies and breads.........so make it special and don't eat them until Christmas or Christmas Eve days! For the time being focus on limiting carbs to the mornings and post workout only. Lean proteins are a must at every meal. If you can think of doing one thing during the next four weeks I would say try to make a small change each day and that is it! Don't try and change everything and do an overhaul just think of ONE SMALL CHANGE......you would be amazed what a difference that would make.

Now lets change the focus to the workouts. First, I want you to drop whatever program you are on and toss it! You heard me! Stop another day of whatever you were doing! I don't care how amazing it is or even if you have made insane gains with it......STOP IT! It was once said " that the best workout for you is the one you are not one." Now that you have done this go ahead and grab a scrap book or piece of paper. I want you to list exercises you don't like to do or ones you have not do in a long time. When your done, look at everything you have down on that paper and there you go.... before you is everything that will be included in your workout for the next 4 weeks. Below is an example:

If you wrote down the following-

THINGS I NEVER DO

Legs....like squats and deadlifts

• Triceps


• Anything cardio


• Circuits


• Pullups, inverted row

NEW WORKOUT

• All circuits


• Involve leg work 2-3x week


• Start doing assisted pullups and inverted rows


• Add interval training to your routines.......read my post from a couple of days ago

I want you to seriously give this a try and let me know your results. Go Dominate.

Muscle building foods

1) Milk- Is a old school bodybuilding staple. You get a nice amount of calories and a great blend of both whey and casein proteins. Milk also contains calcium ( duh ) magnesium, potassium, Vitamin A and D. Whole milk provides the most calories although a higher fat content.

2) Potatoes-Both dense and filling. Filled with Vitamin C, B6, iron and potassium and some other nutrients.

3) Wild rice-1 cup of cooked wild rice has 3 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein!

4) Whole chicken- Cheap and can be kept for great leftovers!

5) Turkey-Good in many ways and contains selenium ( helps fight cancer ) and numerous nutrients and is high in protein.

6) Whole eggs- Get the benefit of the yolk!

One of the most brutal chest routines yet!

I recently used this routine for my chest workout last week and let me tell you it hurt like hell! I have done my fair share of crazy hardcore chest routines but this has to rank top 2 if not number 1. This routine takes your chest through many different techniques. I highly advise you have a spotter for this routine.....as a matter of fact you must have a spotter for this routine end of story. It is very important you pick the proper weight for each set in order for this like any routine to be effective. You can make adjustments to the weight after each round if needed.

This routine is a tri-set in which you will not take a rest until finishing all 3 exercises

A1)Dumbbell chest press negatives-6 reps with a 8 second negative

** Count a slow 8 seconds and when you get to the bottom your spotter can help you push the weight back up. Remember when doing negatives you can generally handle more weight so make sure you pick something challenging.

A2) Dumbbell chest press-10 reps with a regular tempo

** I would recommend using anywhere from 20-30lbs less than you did on the negatives

A3) Dumbbell speed chest presses-10 reps with a 3 second negative on the way down and then exploding up as fast as possible.

**Speed is key here! Be Powerful and explosive! Use light weights....anywhere from 35-17.5lbs depending on your strength.

Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat this 2 more times. Your chest will feel ripped to shreds the next day trust me!

Below is the weights I used-

A1)110lbs

A2) 80lbs-70lbs

A3) 35lbs-20lbs

Russian squat routine

The Russians have been a known player in the world of strength and conditioning for a long time and this legendary routine is a classic. The goal of this routine is to break you out of a rut and increase your 1RM by 5%. within 6 weeks of training. Remember if you have any back issues a back squat program is not for you.

There are many different versions of the Russian squat routine but below is the routine which Charles Staley posted and it lasts 6 weeks and has you training 3 non-consecutive days a week.

** The % is based off your 1RM. So if your 1RM is 100 and it calls for 80% then of course you would be using 80lbs of weight for the reps.

Week 1-80% ( 6x2 ) 80% ( 6x3 ) 80% ( 6x2 )

* So Monday would be 6x2, Wednesdays workout would be 6x3 and Fridays would be 6x2

Week 2- 80% ( 6x4 ) 80% ( 6x2) 80% ( 6x5)

Week 3- 80% ( 6x2) 80% ( 6x6) 80% ( 6x2)

Week4- 80% ( 5x5) 80% ( 6x2) 80% ( 4x4 )

Week 5-80% ( 6x2) 95% ( 3x3) 80% ( 6x2 )

Week 6- 100% ( 2x2 ) 80% ( 6x2) 102-105% ( new max!!!! )

Interval Training-Mike Boyle article

Mike Boyle is a very very very smart individual...did I mention he is a very smart man in the world of strength and conditioning. The article below is authored by him and covers the subject of interval training. Read and enjoy!

http://www.strengthcoach.com/public/1766.cfm?sd=51

Getting your goals- The HARD is what makes it great!!

Watch this clip and pay attention to the last 20 seconds or so and listen to Tom Hanks words of wisdom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndL7y0MIRE4&feature=player_embedded

I hear too often that working out is HARD. I want to get toned and lose weight but it is just sooo soo HARD....I mean I really want to but why does it have to be so HARD. Yes, working is HARD and yes it wont be easy but that's what makes it great! If it wasn't hard to drop weight, gain muscle, get stronger than everyone walking this earth would be. The fact is it will be HARD but that at the end of the day that's what makes it worth every ounce of blood, sweat and tears! At the end of your journey you can look yourself in the mirror and say yeah it was damn HARD.....but I did it and it was freaking great! Make it happen!

Mass building routine for big arms!-Chin-up ladders

Read this workout on http://www.dieselcrew.com/ and loved it. Try it out!

** This routine uses breaths as the rest interval

Do 8 reps, take 8 breaths rest ( So rest only the amount of time it takes to take 8 slow breaths)

Do 7 reps, take 7 breaths

Do 6 reps, take 6 breaths

Do 5 reps, take 5 breaths

Do 4 reps, take 4 breaths

Do 3 reps, take 3 breaths

Do 2 reps, take 2 breaths

Do 1 rep, take 1 breath

Do 2 reps, take 2 breaths

Do 3 reps, take 3 breaths

and so on.........

Your end goal should be to start at 8 reps, go down to 1 rep and then back up to 8 reps. First time trying this just see how far you can get.

** If you need more resistance than use a dip weighted belt. If you cannot complete this because you are not strong enough then try starting at a lower number like 5 or 6 and going down.

Tricep tri-set

Diamond push-ups ( hands form the shape of a diamond on the ground and keep your elbows tight to your sides throughout the movement)- 12 reps

SUPER SET

Dips-12 reps

SUPER SET

Standing reverse pushdowns-12 reps

**Repeat this without rest but do 10 reps instead of 12 on the second time around.

Rest 2 minutes.

**Start back from the beginning on this tri-set and do 10 reps for each exercise and then without rest do another round this time doing 8 reps.

Done.

Staying motivated!

1.Get re-motivated everyday- Most of the time motivation doesn't last, it comes and goes and sometimes totally disappears. Motivation must be renewed every day if you want long term success! Get up and get yourself READY!

2. Have a vision or plan- The root word of motivation is " motiv." The definition of motive is " A reason to act." This is your vision. Your vision of what you want and what you want to get out of your workouts should be big enough to motivate you to act on!

3. Act on passion- So much of motivation comes from emotion. Use whatever emotions you need to draw from to get yourself motivated. It might be seeing someone close to you have health issues hence driving you to start to exercise or maybe being overweight all your life finally emotional drives you to become the " fit" guy.

4. Get results- If you work hard and get results it makes things waaay waaay easier to stay focused and motivated. When you start having success at anything you will be encouraged to keep going no matter how hard the goal is.

5. Ride the momentum- You will always get to that point when you are hitting on all strides....you will be getting great workouts, eating amazing, and taking care of your body like never before. When this happens dont let up! Use the momentum and keep riding the wave!

Big back Wednesday workout

This workout is about volume. Bring it!

A)Cable pulley machine seated row- 4 sets of 10, F, F

Rest 2 minutes between sets.

** This is a double drop set. So do set #1 for 10 reps. Immediately drop the weight by 10-15lbs and do another set to failure. Finally, end by dropping the weight again by 10-15lbs and doing reps to failure. This equals 1 set.

B)Lat Pulldown ( wide grip)- 5 sets of 10

Rest 1 minute between sets

** Pause at the bottom of the movement for 2 seconds on each rep.

C) Decline straight bar pull downs- 5 sets of 10

Rest 1 minute between sets

** Set up a cable pulley at just below hip height. Place a decline bench in front of the cable pulley so your head is closest to the bar. Keeping your arms extended and locked out, pull the bar towards the thighs. Focus on your lats and keep the arms locked and straight!

Go Dominate.

Top 5 reasons resistance training is beneficial

Resistance training should be a staple in everybodys workout routine no matter what your goals are. Resistance training offers the following benefits to the body:

1. Builds bone density ( this important especially in females as they age )

2. Enhances endocrine and immune function

3. Maintains and improves muscle mass

4. Maintains and improves power and strength

5. Boosts your metabolism and helps you burn calories at rest!