I Don't Do Cardio

Friday, August 28, 2009

Lessons

Reggie Bush must do CFFB. That’s got to be the reason he’s the NFL Running Back with an actual Six Pack. Since jumping on board (and temporarily off Mike’s Gym) I’ve gotten my abs back. It certainly isn’t the quality of food (I’ve been downing Muscle Milks to make up for the lack of protein) so it must be the quality of the work done in the gym which is all because of the quality of the programming. I’m happy with the results that I’ve been getting. It’s been a struggle and an adjustment to actually doing real conditioning but I can’t argue that I haven’t been getting more powerful, especially in the upper body where I was proportionally weak during the Oly-lifts year.

Another reason for my resurgence is that the quality of my warm up has increased ten-fold. I’ve been alternating between a warm up taught to me by Neal from CFBoston that I learned at the Glassman Q&A and also Dutch’s warm up which is posted below. Getting my muscles loose has been a great help in that I can hit the WOD’s hard immediately rather than get warmed up during the first round. Also, working up to 315# singles of back squats during the warm up regardless of SWOD or DWOD really gets all the large muscle groups in my body fired up.

So, the lessons learned: actually warming up is good and conditioning gives me my abs back. Good to know.

Monday, August 24, 2009

How About Some 100% Effort for the 100th Post

Since I started this bodily experiment there seems to be one common denominator. Whether your goal is increased strength, speed, GPP or just bigger biceps and wicked abs, you know, for the ladies, the common denominator seems to be just plain, old fashioned hard work. It’s all about busting your ass in the gym and in the kitchen. All success starts with an internal “how much do I want this” conversation. If you answered anything that sounds like “a lot” you’re on the right track, congratulations. You then have to ask yourself, how hard am I willing to work for it. You know damn well that the answer better be “One-hundred-and-fucking-ten-percent effort baby!” That’s how this fitness game works. Like everything else that you should do in life put your balls on the line, get out there and take care of your shit. When you’re in the gym, focus, not on the uber-hott doing lunges or the scroate flexing his abs in the mirror (“yeah, work it”) but on that next set, that next lift or that next lap around the track. Effort people.

The best part about this approach is that it applies to other parts of your life as well, or at least it should. Do you find yourself in financial trouble? Manage your portfolio, work extra hours if you can, handle your business with credit card/college debt, start putting more away in savings but do all of these things with intent, purpose and the same 100% effort that I hope you do in the gym.

I encourage you to find parts of your life that are lacking. It could be your love life, your work, your education and really give all that you can. It’s absolutely the only way that you’ll be pleased with the results because a half assed effort is weak-sauce and I don’t tolerate weak-sauce.

Where Should You Put Your Money?

Old School Gymin'