Make it happen.......NOW!!!!

What are you waiting for you? Why havent you gotten yourself in the best shape of your life yet? Are you scared? Are you waiting for the perfect time? Dont know what first step to take?

Whatever your doing right now stop and think about where you would like to be. Challenge yourself here, how much better could you become? You can control your next step and not make it like any other step, you can bring on a new way of thinking, new way of doing and new way of life! Anyone can talk about doing something tomorrow or a week from now or month from now but not everyone can take action and get things done! Those who take action become successful. Dont be ordinary like everyone else, be better.....dominate!

Let me know what action you take today~

D4R....

Shaking some boredom from todays workout...........

Don't do your normal boring regular old routine today. Instead I want you to scrap whatever workout you were going to do and change things up. We all like to be in a routine in life and it just so happens the same holds true in the gym. Lets face it you start to do what is comfortable and next thing you know you never take that step outside your comfort zone. Maybe you are not even excited for today's workout, maybe you are even dreading it because of the monotony of the whole thing. Below I have given some ideas for you on how to change your workout for today. Who knows maybe a change will do you good.

A) If you usually do splits like back/biceps..or chest/triceps

TRY-Doing back/chest or back/triceps

** Note that doing body part splits is best suited for those looking to gain muscle mass.

B) If you do a certain exercise and or muscle group at the end of the workout


TRY-Doing that at the beginning when fresh and you will see better performance.

C) If you never do supersets or compound sets

TRY-Using both in your workout to amp up the intensity

Superset example- Dumbbell row with squat

Compound set example- Dumbbell chest press with barbell chest press

D) You do nothing but high reps

TRY-Doing nothing but low reps and heavy weight. You will stimulate new muscle and and challenge the body in a new way. Sometimes it feels good to get a heavy day in.

E) You do a low amount of sets.....say 3 sets of 8

TRY-Increasing training volume by doing more sets.....try 6 sets of 8 ( of course you might need to cut down the weight towards the end )

F) You run then lift weights

TRY-Hitting the weights first so you are not maximal strength and then hit your cardio for a brief 10-15 min interval session. This will be more effective and help you potentially burn more fat in your cardio session than carbs.

G) You don't actually workout hard

TRY-Working hard for once and see how much potential you are missing out on!

H) You workout for hours upon hours

TRY-Getting out of the gym within 45min. Cut down on the rest time and pick exercises that hit more muscle fibers and stimulate more growth in less time. Examples are variations of the squat, deadlift, presses and pullups and rows.

Now make it happen and do this today!

Go Dominate

Think down go down

Is a saying I like to tell my clients. Sure it might sound a little corny, but the fact is it is true. Not every workout can be stellar and amazing. It is those days when you feel at your weakest, most tired, lazy and down right exhausted that you will need to be mentally the strongest. The body follows the mind and to begin your workout and or day with a negative mindset will sabotage everything. If you grab that first dumbbell or start that first minute on the bike and instantly think to yourself how bad the workout with suck and how horrible you feel.......well the workout will suck and you will feel horrible....end of story. The mindset must be there from the start in order for you to stay focused. You never want to have a mindless workout. By this I mean do not do things just to do them because this will lead to bad workouts and a lost mindset. Imprint in your brain why you are working out and what purpose it is serving you. It is ok to acknowledge that maybe you don't have your "A" game but that does not entitle you to drag yourself both mentally and physically through your routine. When working out we are looking to get the most return on our investment. Your putting in the work and time and therefore you want to get everything you possibly can. So if you feel yourself starting off your workout with a bad mindset remember that you are in control and you can shift your focus to be more positive. Think up to go up!

Go Dominate.

Excuses dont make champions

A friend of mine who runs a personal training business always says excuses don't make champions and I love that saying so I am stealing it. Below are some common excuses followed by ways to combat that excuse.

EXCUSE #1-NOT ENOUGH TIME- Horrible excuse plain and simple. You make time for things that are important to you in life end of story. If your not making time then it is not important to you. Its time to figure out if exercise is a priority.

SOLUTION-Use your free time to workout and not to watch tv or search the Internet. You don't need a ton of time, give yourself 40-45 minutes and that's it. If you can pick a time that you can consistently have free then it will be easier to get the workouts in. Even if you have just 20-30 minutes that is fine.

EXCUSE #2-I AM NOT VERY MOTIVATED-You can help yourself with this in a couple of ways.

SOLUTION-You must first find out why you are working out before worrying about anything else. What are your goals? Once you know what your purpose is then write it down and make sure you look at that everyday. This simple task will help remind yourself why you are doing what your doing. Another option is to find yourself a training partner. Get a co-worker, friend or even a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend. Usually if you go to the gym around the same time you will see the same group of people and somebody will always be up to train with you. By training with someone you can hold each other accountable and you can help push one another. It is a fact that people do better when around others in any situation. Personal training is another option.

EXCUSE #3-I CANT MAKE IT TO THE GYM-Very common excuse.
SOLUTION-When it comes down to it you don't need anything but your own body and a small amount of space to get a good workout in. Sure it would be nice to have numerous machines, dumbbells, barbells and equipment at your disposal but it isn't necessary. Things like pushups, squats, jackknives ( burpees ) and lunges can all be done at home. If you purchase an exercise ball, band and maybe two pairs of dumbbells you can really do some good things at home. You just need you for a good workout so make it happen!

EXCUSE#4-IT IS HARD- Of course it is! If working out was so easy and quick then everyone would be walking around looking like fitness models.
SOLUTION-Make working out fun and interesting. Take a new class or try a new workout, shake things up a bit. But in the end.......SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH IT! Yes it is hard, so take it as a challenge. The rewards of your hard work will feel that much better when your done.

Go Dominate!

The biggest road block to weight loss success

The one thing keeping you from losing the weight is YOU. Yes....It starts and ends with YOU! Even if you know everything about how and what you should be eating, YOU still need to make that choice and execute. Even if you know how to workout and what you should be doing in the gym, YOU still need to go and get through the workout and execute.

Everyone today likes to blame everyone else for their problems and issues. Nobody likes to take ownership and responsibility. Don't be like everyone else........YOU are responsible and YOU can change things. YOU can make it happen just get your mind right and do it! Once YOU decide to eat well and workout and follow the plan then YOU will see the results YOU want.

Go Dominate

Remembering a fitness legend....

Jack LaLanne died the other day at the age of 96 in his home in California. LaLanne loved fitness and nutrition and is known as the " father of fitness" as he is recognized as the founder of the modern fitness movement. Most young people, including myself know him as the Power Juicer salesman on tv. He was a great man and without him the world of fitness would never be the same! Jack LaLanne was a man who did some incredible physical stunts. Below are some of the things LaLanne did through his years.

• At the age of 40 he swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge underwater with 140 pounds of equipment including two air tanks.
• At age 66 he towed 10 boats in North Miami. The boats carried 77 people and he carried them over a mile in one hour

This guy was a stud! Checkout the video link below to see more classic footage of Mr. LaLanne.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIVfe-crHDs&feature=player_embedded

My rant for the day-Pre-workout supplements

I hear a ton of guys around the gym and people I know talk about their pre-workout supplements they take and the effects it has on them. If you know me or read my blog you know I am not a big supplement guy. Whey protein, fish oil and omega-3's is about all I would ever use or have used. The fact is your average Joe ( no offense to the Joe's out there ) takes pre-workout supplements because they want to get those crazy intense workouts and they want to be able to lift everything and anything they can. They hear a friend or a guy at the gym talk about how he takes NO-Xplode or Hemo-Blast or something like that and how amazing it is and that you must take it to get a REAL workout. Here is the truth, quit looking for synthetic/supplemental energy and start being a badass! Go to the gym, hit the workout weights and MAN UP! Dont look for that surge or extra burst to come from a canister, instead use your own motivation and drive! Most of that stuff you put into your body ends up either going into the toilet or hurting your vital organs/daily functions. There really is no good research on the long term harm most of these products can have and most company's can claim what they want in terms of results. I don't take one supplement before my workouts and I get amazing workouts. Its simple.....eat well and get your mind right and you wont need those things...period! If you do actually want some extra energy the right way then is to get some carbs before your workout or drink a vitamin water type product before and or during your workout. In the end if you become always reliant on the supplements then once you go off them it will seem as if your never the same and this will start a vicious cycle. Go all Man and be pre-workout supplement free! End of story......

Random thoughts.............

• Nothing beats the feeling of dominating your workout-if you don't have the I just conquered the world feeling when you are done odds are you don't workout hard enough. Feel like a badass when you walk out of the gym!




• Egg nog is a good option around the holidays for your post workout shake- Yes it is high in calories, fat and sugar but if you are trying to pack on muscle it is amazing! If your trying to trim up then not so much.




• If you don't own a foam roller then buy one-If you workout often you need one of these to keep your muscle tissue feeling good. http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx_Q_ID_E_5566_A_CategoryID_E_235




• Nothing beats the Victoria Secret Fashion Show- If they all were not so thin I would offer to train them.




• Guys should NEVER...NEVER.....NEVER wear tiny shorts to workout in-I witnessed this a week ago at the gym I work at and it just is not good for anyone.




• Most women don't work out with enough intensity and that's why they cant get a smaller butt or thinner thighs or toned arms-Ladies you need to drop People magazine and start working out with some authority and then maybe you will notice some changes.




• Christmas music is just perfect this time of the year




• The basic Chin-up is great to add some size to your arms




• Kind brand bars taste amazing and are great for you! The basic fruit and nut bar is one of my favorites. http://kindsnacks.com/
  

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.

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!

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!

CONSISTENCY- You must have it!

Are you stuck in a rut that you cant get out of? Are you seeing limited results in your workout program? Are you not hitting your goals like you thought you could? If the answer to these questions is yes than you are most likely lacking consistency in your program. In my mind consistency is the key to getting results.

First, lets take a look at your workouts. Are you consistently going to the gym day in and day out or do you go for three days and then miss the next two? You will never get what you want if you follow that type of pattern. That's great if Monday you just kill it in your workout and dominate it like no other, but if Tuesday through Thursday you don't get back into the gym then I don't care about your monster Monday workout.......you wont get results! Be consistent in the gym and you will get consistent results...period! No matter what your goals you must be consistent to gain the strength, strip the fat, or gain the muscle.

Second, lets look at your eating habits. How many days would you say you actually eat stellar in a week? If the answer is only a few than you aren't consistent. Your eating should go hand in hand with your workouts. If you eat super clean for two days you better not be spending the next day at the buffet and Dairy Queen. Eat consistent throughout the whole week and the results will follow.

Take away message- Take the idea of consistency and use it in play everyday. If you want to be like everyone else and not get results than that's fine.......but if you do want to get ahead of the game and take your body where you want to go than be CONSISTENT! It starts today! Get excited that you had a great day both eating and in the gym but remember that is day one of seven....don't slide, but stay the course!

Go Dominate people............

Old school training philosophies

If you look back at some of the old school training tips from back in the 1920's you will see that most of the same things can be held true today. Here are some things the famous Charles Atlas said back in the day:

1. Set a concrete goal-Figure out your end goal and work backwards from it.

2. Never miss a single training session- Remember the whole consistency thing...this is what he was talking about! Always remind yourself why you are working out and stay on track.

3. Treat your body like its a new car- You would not junk up and dirty a new car would you? The answer is no, and you should feel the same way about your body. Take care of yourself by eating good and getting your rest and results will follow.

4. Totally concentrate on the task at hand- There will always be tons of noise and chatter at the gym, so make sure you focus on you and your responsibility to get the best workout in you can. Also, don't worry about what you will be doing later in the workout or even later than day, simply focus on what is right in front of you.

5. Keep stress to a minimum ( or none if possible )- It has been show that stress and anxiety can inhibit muscle growth. The best stress reliever is exercise so make it happen!

6. Drink your water- duh...obvious of course but rarely ever followed well enough.

Some of my favorite workout songs

1. Green Day-Brain stew



2. Bill Conti-Gonna fly now ( theme from Rocky )



3. Roy Jones-Cant be touched



4. Limp Bizkit- Rollin



5. Fort Minor-Remember the name



6. Manafest-Impossible



7. Jorge Quintero-300 violin orchestra



8. DMX-Party up in here



9. DMX-Intro



10. Overseer-Slayed



11. Papa Roach-Last resort



12. Earshot-Wait

Get motivated! Some of my favorite inspirational/motivational videos

I always talk to my clients about attitude and their mindset. Its about giving it your best....your absolute best......nothing less...don't quit......give it you best and keep going! Its that extra that will take you over the top, its doing what you would do and THEN SOME! It is the THEN SOME that will separate you from others. Check out some of my favorite videos below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSM1mvMypWU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPnudujlBZI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tjYoKCBYag

TRY

One thing I tend to hear a ton from people is the word TRY. "I am going to TRY and make it to the gym".............." I will TRY and eat better".........................."I am going to TRY and reach my goals" are some of the most used. Don't TRY and do anything......do it!!!! To me TRY stands for

T alking about

R eaching

Y our goals

or

T hinking about

R eaching

Y our goals

I want action from you! Don't Try and eat better.....do it! TRY is what people say to make it seem like they are going to put max effort into doing something but without the obligation of saying " I am" or " I will ". Trying is like putting 50% of your effort into accomplishing a goal. Next time don't TRY and workout......... but simply workout! YOU will eat better, YOU will workout harder and YOU will get your sleep. Its about making things happen and taking action to reach what you want. Go dominate.

From anger to iron

Everyone is going to have one of those "bad" days..........but don't let that drag your workout down too. The best thing to do when your pissed off or upset is to workout. Channel your anger and all of that energy you have into your workout and you would be amazed how great of a workout you will have and how good you will feel afterwards! I sometimes feel you almost need to have a little bit of an edge to get a great workout. So quit stressing and hit the gym!

Breakfast is served!

You wake up, still tired despite sleeping longer than you should have so you rush to make it out the door on time grabbing nothing but your cup of coffee. This scenario is what takes place for most people out there. Coffee is not a breakfast item....period! Breakfast is THE most important meal of the day......yes we have all heard this but its true! No matter if your trying to gain muscle or lose weight breakfast is going to play a very important role in your nutrition. You must make eating breakfast part of your daily life.

When you ask most people if they ate breakfast these are the responses

• I don't like breakfast

**SOLUTION-Find something you like that is healthy and start eating it.

• I don't have time

**SOLUTION-You are not making a gourmet buffet here, you can spare 2-5 minutes for breakfast some how.....just make it happen!

• Eating in the morning makes me sick

**SOLUTION-This is most likely because you are used to not eating. Take it slow and gradually introduce eating a solid meal to your body.

• I had a cup of coffee and doughnut

** SOLUTION-Don't eat the doughnut! Coffee I will be ok with...just have it with an actual breakfast item.

All of these are just lame excuses! Eat your breakfast.....make it happen!

So why eat breakfast?

For those who want to lose weight- People think by skipping breakfast they will be saving calories but in fact you will just make those up by snacking and eating later in the day. By eating breakfast you jump start your metabolism early on and you will eat fewer calories throughout the rest of day.

For those looking to gain muscle- Breakfast is the first chance to get some calories and lean protein into your system. Skipping breakfast means losing out on muscle building nutrition.

Breakfast ideas

• Eggs and whole wheat toast
• Oatmeal
• High fiber cereal- 3 to 5 grams of fiber a serving will be just fine
• Peanut butter on a whole grain English muffin
• Yogurt
• Smoothies- use fresh fruit, yogurt, skim milk or juice and your favorite protein supplement
• McDonalds Egg McMuffin with canadian bacon- if you must go this route least you will get protein and solid quality bacon. This is one of McDonalds few menu items I would ever recommend.

Remember- If you are going to eat carbs the morning is ideal because you will start off with energy and you will give yourself the whole day to burn it off.

Gaining muscle- Techniques to get it done!

Damaging muscles are the key to building them. To build new muscle you must stress the existing muscle in a new way. When muscles are stressed then become damaged and then must be rebuilt. With adequate diet and rest your body will rebuild the muscle with an increase in size!

Try some of these techniques to shock your muscles into new growth:

1) Super-sets- Nothing has been around longer than this! You can really up the intensity on the muscle with this technique. Some examples include:

• Lat pulldown/Row


• Bench press/Fly


• Deadlift/Lunge


• Close grip press/ Dips

2) Negatives- If you like submitting yourself to pain than please try these! Negatives focus on the eccentric phase of the lift which has been shown to cause more damage to the muscle and lead to more growth. This is tough...and is best to do with a partner. You can do negatives two different ways. One way is to have a spotter help you with the weight on the way up and the other way is to lift the weight yourself. I like to do the negative and then have my spotter help lift the weight up. You can use more weight on negatives but just limit the negative to under 10 seconds.....any more you should increase the weight because it is too light.

3) Off set rep scheme- This is a personal favorite that I have come up with and use often myself. First pick two exercises for one muscle group. Then what you will do is do heavier weight on one exericse for low reps and then medium to lighter weight on the other exercise for higher reps. For example:

Standing barbell bicep curls- 6 reps

SUPER SET WITH

Seated dumbbell hammer curls-12 reps

Control it!- Tips for managing those food cravings

Lets face it we all have food cravings at some point in our day or week no matter who we are. Your sitting at work or running errands and it hits you like a freight train.....mmmmm those chips, cookies, or those french fries and it is hard to fight and control. Believe it or not women tend to have more cravings due to their flux of hormonal changes throughout the day.

Here are some reasons people have cravings:

• Stress


• Emotional triggers


• Low blood sugar


• Hormonal changes etc

The way to beat the cravings is to accept them and not give in every time. Below are some ways that you can help you fight the crave.

1) Eat on a consistent basis- If you eat more often you will control your blood sugar and appetite. Some good choices are:

• Jerky


• Fruit


• Protein bar/shake


• Yogurt ( Greek style is best )

2 ) Drink water- It will fill you up and kill cravings

3) Try putting it off- When the craving hits try to wait it out and have it at a later time. Maybe give yourself a goal then if you hit the goal you will treat yourself and then give in. By waiting you might also kick the craving all together which is even better!

4) Moderation- If you do treat yourself then make sure it is in moderation. Go ahead and have the slice of pizza but don't have 5 slices. A great tip is to take whatever you are eating and put it in a small bowl, cup or plastic bag while you are eating. This technique will help you eat in control and let you eat some crackers instead of the whole box.

5) Find better versions- If you crave chocolate then try to eat dark chocolate. If you want crackers and dip make it whole grain crackers and a good dip like hummus. Swap ice cream for frozen yogurt.

6) Log your food- This way you can see if there is certain time or reason that you tend to crave something and you can find a way to change this.

7) Be strong! Fight it with mental toughness. Think of the hard work you put in the gym and realize that you will be throwing that all away with that one craving. Don't let the craving control you.....you be the one in control!