Update

It has been some time since I have updated this blog. This does not mean that I have stopped training, it just means that I got bored of blogging because no one was visiting my blog. Now that I have some readers, I'm ready to get back in this shit.

My blog is still going to include informative blog posts, but now it will also include my daily workouts, experiences that I am learning along my weightlifting journey, and a whole host of other things.

Great Summer Day, Great Outdoor Workout

I am not a morning person but since the it looked beautiful outdoors, I decided to head out earlier than usual and prepare myself for an outdoor workout at the park. I took no equipment (mainly because i forgot my jump rope), I didn't even take my car (not like I have one), so I ended up jogging (warm up).

When I arrived at the park, I went straight to work. My workout included:

Jump Squat- 10 reps
Push ups- 10 reps
Sprint- 30 yards
Plyo push up- 8 reps
Alt. Jump lunge- 5 each side
Pull ups- 6 reps

I went through this 3 times, and I was exhausted by the end. I encourage all of you to get in an outdoor workout, their just plain out fun and intense. All of you that lack fitness equipment, no excuses just head outdoors especially since the weather is nice.

Motivation From London/The Olympics.

Photo by the*roving*sheep

The Olympics are here. Everyone is fired up and rooting for their team (Go USA!), but still no one is really taking advantage of the movement. The Olympics should encourage and motivate you to get up and train your ass off.

 

Each and every time I see a greatest athlete compete, I get fired up and it shows in my workouts. I have increased the intensity of my workouts these last couple of days (ever since the Olympics started), and I feel great. All of you should do the same, just look at number of hours some athlete put in:

 

• Gymnastics: 6 hours/day
• Volleyball players: 6 hours/day
• Swimmers: 5 hours/day
• Distance Runners: 3 hours/day
• Archers: 3 hours/day

 

That's crazy! They train like this for 4 years (or sometimes even more), and they do it to represent their country (and to win a gold medal of course). They don't worry about anything but winning gold and they dedicate their lives to it --that's why it is so common to see tears in their eyes after winning or losing their event.

  

Now, you don't have to go crazy and spend hours in the gym (unless you would like to compete one day) but, you could take advantage of the moment. The Olympics should motivate you to increase the intensity and/or to stop half-assing your workouts.

A Cardio Exercise Worth Doing. Jump Rope

Photo by andrewmalone

If your looking to build nice lower legs, get a kick ass workout then don't look further then your jump rope. It is an amazing piece of equipment that really gets your heart rate moving in a matter of minutes. It used around the world in many sports to condition athletes and to help them improve their coordination, agility, quickness, footwork and endurance.

This piece of equipment is also great for fat loss. It can help you burn a ton a calories in a matter of minutes. It is so small that you could pack it in your bag before you head out to work, and during your lunch break you could bust it out and perform a twenty minute workout.

 

Getting Started

A jump rope is a fun, challenging and rewarding piece of equipment, that takes practice in order to master it. Many people give up on the jump rope because the get frustrated, but if you keep on practicing, you'll eventually have no problem skipping rope.

In order to start jump roping, you are gonna are gonna have to buy a good quality jump rope (I prefer a light weight plastic speed rope, as opposed to a leather or weighted rope). After you have got your rope, you are gonna have to locate a soft surface location --hard surfaces will cause shin problems--that isn't so populated so you have enough room to jump rope without hitting someone.

Journey Begins.

After all that's in check, you can begin to jump rope. When jumping rope, it's best that you stick to the basics -basic and alternating jump- until you have mastered them before moving on to harder variations.

Basic jump rope techniques:

Basic jump - Start with the jump rope in each hand. Jump off the ground and start swinging the jump rope under your feet. That's one rep. Continue jumping up and down as you bring the jump rope under your feet.

Alternating jump - Start with the jump rope in each hand. Jump off the ground and start swinging the jump rope under your feet. Continue jumping up and down alternating your feet touching the ground as you bring the jump rope under your feet. That's one rep


Week 1: Practice the basic jump till you reach 200 jumps (could be broken down into sets).
Week 2: Practice the alternating jump till you reach 200 jumps (could be broken down into sets).
Week 3 & 4: Practice both techniques in one session, switching between the two, till you reach 500 repetitions (could be broken down into sets).

Introducing New Moves

After these four weeks, you could either decide to stick to the basics for a bit longer or learn new exercises such as:

Full twister - Start with the jump rope in each hand. Jump off the ground and start swinging the jump rope under your feet. Continue jumping up and down as you bring the jump rope under your feet. Rotate hips to left side while you are jumping and then rotate back to the right.

Forward straddle - Start with the jump rope in each hand. Jump off the ground and start swinging the jump rope under your feet.  Continue jumping up and down as you bring the jump rope under your feet. While you are jumping split the feet so that one foot goes forward and the other foot goes backwards. Keep switching the feet back and forth.

Side to Side - Start with the jump rope in each hand. Jump off the ground and start swinging the jump rope under your feet.  Continue jumping up and down as you bring the jump rope under your feet. When you are jumping and the rope is above your head swing your legs out to the side and return your feet together before the rope swings under your feet again.

And more which are explained here (includes pictures/examples)

Bigger Arms Using Bodyweight Exercises

Photo by Beverly & Pack

I have been training with bodyweight exercises for sometime, and I have noticed that my arms have grow especially my biceps. It's kind of amazing of what bodyweight exercises are capable of. I was not expecting my arms to grow at the rate they are growing. I have been performing simple bodyweight movements that many people neglect because they consider them to be too easy or too old school. But if your looking to put some mass on your arms, they are a must.

Since these (like most) bodyweight are compound lifts, they will be targeting your arms, and the muscles associated with the arms.. So when you perform a pull up, you will also be targeting your lats, rear delts, biceps and so on.

 

Bodyweight Exercises For Your Arms.

They could either be added to your current routine, or you could create a workout involving just these movements.

Exercises For Biceps

Chin Up: Grab a pull up bar, hands facing you, shoulder width apart, and pull yourself up. Lower down slowly. Repeat.
Rows: With either a barbell or a broomstick between two chairs, grab the bar shoulder width apart and pull your chest to the bar. Lower down slowly and repeat.
Horizontal Pull Up: Grab pull up bar, hands facing away from you, raise your legs till there parallel to your body and pull yourself up. Your lower chest should contact the bar before lowering. Repeat.

Exercises For Triceps

Diamond Push Up: Get into push up position, now bring your hands in closer till your index finger and your thumb meet (an upside down diamond).  From there, lower your chest till they make contact with your hands and press up. Repeat.
Dips: Grasp the bars of either a dip station or place two chairs facing opposite opposite of each other, about shoulder width and grab the top of the chairs. From there, "dip" down till your shoulders are about parallel to the ground and push up. Repeat.



 Many people avoid bodyweight exercises all together because they think they are far too easy for them. But training with bodyweight exercises could lead to new growth throughout your whole body.

Bye-bye Door Way Pull Up Bar, Hello Homemade Pull Up Bar

After training with door way pull up bar for so time, I have come to realize that that pull up bar is an amazing piece of equipment to train with. It has really helped me build a great back, but it seems as if the door way pull up bar is really limiting my potential gains in strength.

After reading a couple of books on bodyweight/gymnastic training, I now truly see what a pull up bar is really capable of. It allows you to perform basic moves such as pull up and chin up, but once you have done the basics for so long, and you will like to perform new exercises like muscle ups or leg raises. It just doesn't allow you without limiting your range of motion. I am not hating on the doorway pull up bar, it is just not enough for me anymore.

So that's why I have decide to taking a different approach and start to build my very own free standing pull up bar (keep in mind, that I have little to no carpenter skills, but it seems to be a better approach then buying an expensive one). At the time I don't have the materials (and will have to wait till I obtain enough money to buy them) but in the meantime, I have done a great deal of research, and have laid out a plan, so when it comes time to construct, I'll be ready.

I am planing on building an outdoor pull up bar that looks something like the picture below and I am calculating that it will cost me around $60 (a lot cheaper than the models in the market and a lot sturdier). I think, I may also attach a dip station to it so that I may also do dips, but that may cost another $40.



Short Bodyweight Workout When Your Short On Time.

Lately I have been very busy, with little to no time to train. My training sessions have been reduced in time but, my intensity has stayed sky high. Ladies and gentlemen, being busy is not an excuse to skip a workout.

Today, I will like to share with you all a workout that I have been using these last couple of days. It  will take a total of 15 to twenty minutes of your time and requires just your bodyweight. This is a great workout that can be done anywhere and is very useful , when your time is limited.

Bodyweight Circuit Training.

Warm up sets: perform 2 rounds and proceed to working sets

• Jumping Jacks - 12 reps
• Squats - 10 reps
• Push ups - 8 reps

Working Sets: perform 2-3 rounds with as little rest as possible.

• Forward Lunge - 8 reps each leg
• Plyo Push ups (could be done on knees if necessary) - 6 reps
• Deck Squats - 10 reps
• Handstand Wall Walks - For as long as you can
• Burpees - 15 reps
• Plank - 60 sec.

This short circuit really kicked my a** and left me sore for days (especially in the core). If this workout isn't challenging enough, add in your own exercises or increase the reps.

Related Posts

• Bodyweight Exercise Routine For Fat Loss And Muscle Gains.