Matt
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Workout of the day - Wednesday 11th August, 2010
Some weak point training today!
Today, we will simply be alternating between 3 position hold Pushups, and Bulgarian Split Squat Holds.
I will warn you - this will hurt, but it will show us some areas needed for imrovement.
What you'll need: a sturdy chair and some space.
Warmup: Keeping with our KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle, warm up with basic sets of Pushups and Bulgarian Split Squats, performing only half of the number of each that you can usually do, and alternating between the 2 for at least 3 sets.
Workout: You'll probably only manage maybe 3-5 circuits of this workout today, and that's fine. More, and your a stud; less, you have some work to do.
We will just alternate between the exercises, resting about 45-60 seconds in between, until you can go no more.
For our first move, it is the basic Pushup with a twist - you will hold 3 positions throughout the Pushup for 2 seconds. Why? Holding the positions will show us where in the movement we are strongest/weakest, and helps us identify that area of the movement we need to work on. The 3 positions held in the Pushup will be mid way between the start and bottom of the Pushup; at the bottom of the Pushup; and a little higher up then our first hold, between the mid-point and the end of the movement. Of course you can do thsi move on your knees if you are not strong enough!
Take a look:
Aim for at least 5, up to 10-15, of these per set. If you can do 15, girls can try the move as per normal (on toes and not on knees) and guys can elevate their feet onto the chair and try that.....
Our second move, we've done before, but all you'll do is get into the bottom, fully stretched position of the Bulgarian Split Squat, and simply hold it for as long as you can!
What this will show us is the difference in time held between legs (you may be able to hold this position with your right foot in front longer than you can with your left foot in front) indicating muscular endurance deficiences, and possible hip flexor flexibility/mobility weak points. It can also indicate poor uni-lateral leg strength and power.
After alternating between those 2 movements, finish with stretching for your glutes, quads, hamstrings, chest, shoulders and triceps (I've outlined these stretches before in previous posts).
And that's it for today. Bit of weak point therapy for you.
Yours in training,
Matt
Today, we will simply be alternating between 3 position hold Pushups, and Bulgarian Split Squat Holds.
I will warn you - this will hurt, but it will show us some areas needed for imrovement.
Warmup: Keeping with our KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle, warm up with basic sets of Pushups and Bulgarian Split Squats, performing only half of the number of each that you can usually do, and alternating between the 2 for at least 3 sets.
Keep things slow and controlled to concentrate on getting warm
We will just alternate between the exercises, resting about 45-60 seconds in between, until you can go no more.
For our first move, it is the basic Pushup with a twist - you will hold 3 positions throughout the Pushup for 2 seconds. Why? Holding the positions will show us where in the movement we are strongest/weakest, and helps us identify that area of the movement we need to work on. The 3 positions held in the Pushup will be mid way between the start and bottom of the Pushup; at the bottom of the Pushup; and a little higher up then our first hold, between the mid-point and the end of the movement. Of course you can do thsi move on your knees if you are not strong enough!
Take a look:
Hold each one of those middle 3 positions (guys) and the 3 positions shown on knees (girls)
Our second move, we've done before, but all you'll do is get into the bottom, fully stretched position of the Bulgarian Split Squat, and simply hold it for as long as you can!
Now hold.....
I would say she also does plenty of single leg squats.....
After alternating between those 2 movements, finish with stretching for your glutes, quads, hamstrings, chest, shoulders and triceps (I've outlined these stretches before in previous posts).
And that's it for today. Bit of weak point therapy for you.
Yours in training,
Matt
Daily FIT One!
Today, we have the very popular WWE star John Cena. At 6'1" and 240lbs (109kg), the guy is huge:
You can't see me??
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Daily FIT one!
Well, for some motivation (and other reasons....), I've decided to post a daily FIT babe or guy (mainly babes, but I will look after my female readers, promise), for helping you go for an extra set or rep on your daily workout. Look at them and be inspired to want to shape a body like that!
I would just like to give a shout out to the great one for helping me find these awesome FIT individuals - Google, I and many others, love you.
Enjoy:
Yours in training,
Matt
I would just like to give a shout out to the great one for helping me find these awesome FIT individuals - Google, I and many others, love you.
Enjoy:
Matt
Workout of the day - Tuesday 10th August, 2010
Easy one today. After resting on Monday, and possibly one of the days over the weekend if you chose the 2 x per day option, we are going back to our very first workout of the day in my blog, and going for a personal best.
See here for details: http://mattsthoughtsonfitness.blogspot.com/2010/08/workout-of-day-thursday-4th-august-2010.html
After warming up, I want you to beat whatever total you managed on Thursday in the Squat Jumps.
If you managed 8 sets of 6 jumps, go for 10 sets of 6 jumps. If you did 10 sets of 10 jumps, gor for 12-15 sets. Just really smash it today as you won't be doing Squat Jumps again for a fortnight or so.
Remember, keep your rest periods short (about 30 seconds). If you haven't broke out into at least a light sweat by the time you have finished, it means you have rested too long between sets.
Hit it hard.
Yours in training,
Matt
See here for details: http://mattsthoughtsonfitness.blogspot.com/2010/08/workout-of-day-thursday-4th-august-2010.html
After warming up, I want you to beat whatever total you managed on Thursday in the Squat Jumps.
If you managed 8 sets of 6 jumps, go for 10 sets of 6 jumps. If you did 10 sets of 10 jumps, gor for 12-15 sets. Just really smash it today as you won't be doing Squat Jumps again for a fortnight or so.
Remember, keep your rest periods short (about 30 seconds). If you haven't broke out into at least a light sweat by the time you have finished, it means you have rested too long between sets.
This is impressive for a Squat Jump!
Hit it hard.
Yours in training,
Matt
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Double Whammy!! 2 x Workout of the day - Saturday 7th August and Sunday 8th August 2010
With the weekend upon us, I thought I'd include both daily workouts in the one post, in case I wasn't able to post over the weekend. Monday 9th August will be a rest day, so no workout of the day will be given.
I'm also offering 2 x options with the workouts - you can do them as per usual, one workout per day, or you can do both workouts on the one day, performing the first workout in the morning (say 10am) and the second workout in the late afternoon (say 4pm). Notice I've left about 6 hours in between workouts - this is very important for optimal training considerations as your body will not recover enough to perform to it's maximum abilities in the second workout. More than 6 hours in between workouts is best, but 6 is the mininum.
If you do decide to do both workouts on Saturday (or Sunday, up to you), then Saturday/Sunday becomes an extra rest day.
Now for the workouts!
Our first workout is dedicated to our rear ends - the ass!
Now fella's, before you jump to assumptions that this workout is for the ladies only, it is far from the truth! Strong, powerful glutes, quads and hamstrings will help you power through in any sporting endeavour, enabling you to run faster, jump higher, move more weight around in squatting/deadlifting based movements, and give you extra thrusting power for the between-the-sheets dance. That sounds alright doe's it not?
4 exercises will headline our first workout - the Bulgarian Split Squat, Single Leg Hip Thrust, Step-up, and Quadruped Hip Extension.
Our second workout will be some good old jump rope! Jumping rope is a fantastic bone density builder, as 10 minutes of jumping rope is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging, it creates a tremendous fat burning effect, and will help enhance athletic abilities through quicker feet, muscular endurance, and possible improvements in speed and jumping ability.
Let's get to work....
Workout 1 (Saturday, or Saturday/Sunday morning):
What you'll need - a sturdy chair and some space, preferably on carpet since we need to get on the floor a bit.
Warmup: I like keeping my warmups simple and SPECIFIC. What I mean by this, is warming up in a way that mimics our workout. On Thursday, I got you to do Squats before Squat Jumps, yesterday was Pushups before, well, Pushups. Today, we'll be doing Box Squats (in this case, Chair Squats).
Aim to do 10-20 repetitions of the following, for at least 3 sets until you feel pretty warm:
You actually want to get your backside on the chair, then stand up, but the trick is, to sit down without shifting your entire bodyweight into the chair. A simple way to help you do this warmup exercise is to think about sitting 'lightly', then standing up, as if you were just barely touching the chair and standing up. Touch and go is the key here.
Workout: As I mentioned, 4 exercises today. I'll start with a photo description for each before I outline the workout:
We will be performing these 4 movements as a circuit, resting as little as needed in between each exercise, until you finish the Quadruped Hip Extensions, then you may rest for 2-3 minutes.
It is entirely up to you as to how many repetitions you do for each leg on each exercise. I'd like to see you all doing 10-20 repetitions each leg, each exercise as a goal, but obviously you will not be able to do this for some time if you've never tried these moves before.
Try to hold the peak squeeze in each movement for a second or so, really focusing on smashing your glutes, and perform all movements at a controllable speed, focusing more on technique and the quality of your repetitions rather than how many you can do.
Aim to do at least 3 circuits of this today, and a goal would be twice this much, being 6 circuits. Anywhere in between 3-6 circuits is a terrific effort! If you can manage 20 reps of each exercise, and 6 total circuits with 30 seconds rest in between circuits, then I bet people notice what your packing back there as it would certainly show.
After your last circuit, repeat the quad, hamstring and glute stretches I outlined in Wednesday's workout: http://mattsthoughtsonfitness.blogspot.com/2010/08/workout-of-day-thursday-4th-august-2010.html
Workout 2 (Sunday, or Saturday/Sunday afternoon).
What you'll need - a jump rope, and some space like soft grass, concrete as a last resort (the harder the surface, the more impact on your joints, which isn't a good thing)
Warmup: Again keeping with our SPECIFIC based warmups, simply jump rope at an easy, very casual effort for 2-3 minutes, sticking with basic two leg jumps. 1 jump per rope revolution too, so no little double jumps in between the rope turns.
Workout: A fantastic fat burning, athletic enhancing tool that we will be using here is the Tabata protcol. This means, alternating between 20 seconds of work, and 10 seconds of rest, for 4 total minutes. If you have a fancy stop watch, then use it here, but for the rest of us, simply perform 20-40 jumps (you should be able to build to doing a rate of 2 jumps per second, hence the 40 reps being equivalent to the 20 seconds) as fast as you are capable of, then rest for a count of 10, and repeat 8 times, which takes us to our 4 minutes. At this stage, you'll rest for 2-3 minutes, then go again!
2 times through is the goal, but if you can do another tabata, and another, then certainly go for it! 4 times through will give you the daily awesomeness tag.
If your feeling frisky, or your advanced, you can try this - for the first tabata, perform them jumping only on your left leg, then the second tabata, try them only on your right leg....
Cool-down by stretching the calves HARD. Yes, if you haven't jumped rope in quit some time, your calves are going to hurt for the coming day or so, so take the time to stretch them out now.
And that's it! Remember, Monday is a rest day, so no workout will be given.
2 great workouts to help you in many ways, whether it be athletic performance, dropping some body fat, muscular endurance, or just wanting to have some perkier assets.....
.......we get the job done.
Enjoy.
Yours in training,
Matt
I'm also offering 2 x options with the workouts - you can do them as per usual, one workout per day, or you can do both workouts on the one day, performing the first workout in the morning (say 10am) and the second workout in the late afternoon (say 4pm). Notice I've left about 6 hours in between workouts - this is very important for optimal training considerations as your body will not recover enough to perform to it's maximum abilities in the second workout. More than 6 hours in between workouts is best, but 6 is the mininum.
If you do decide to do both workouts on Saturday (or Sunday, up to you), then Saturday/Sunday becomes an extra rest day.
Now for the workouts!
Our first workout is dedicated to our rear ends - the ass!
Major distraction - please keep reading...
Now fella's, before you jump to assumptions that this workout is for the ladies only, it is far from the truth! Strong, powerful glutes, quads and hamstrings will help you power through in any sporting endeavour, enabling you to run faster, jump higher, move more weight around in squatting/deadlifting based movements, and give you extra thrusting power for the between-the-sheets dance. That sounds alright doe's it not?
4 exercises will headline our first workout - the Bulgarian Split Squat, Single Leg Hip Thrust, Step-up, and Quadruped Hip Extension.
Extremely powerful 'assets'
Our second workout will be some good old jump rope! Jumping rope is a fantastic bone density builder, as 10 minutes of jumping rope is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging, it creates a tremendous fat burning effect, and will help enhance athletic abilities through quicker feet, muscular endurance, and possible improvements in speed and jumping ability.
I have grave concerns for our friend in the back....
Let's get to work....
Workout 1 (Saturday, or Saturday/Sunday morning):
What you'll need - a sturdy chair and some space, preferably on carpet since we need to get on the floor a bit.
Warmup: I like keeping my warmups simple and SPECIFIC. What I mean by this, is warming up in a way that mimics our workout. On Thursday, I got you to do Squats before Squat Jumps, yesterday was Pushups before, well, Pushups. Today, we'll be doing Box Squats (in this case, Chair Squats).
Aim to do 10-20 repetitions of the following, for at least 3 sets until you feel pretty warm:
Workout: As I mentioned, 4 exercises today. I'll start with a photo description for each before I outline the workout:
Bulgarian Split Squat (put your foot on the chair)
Single Leg Hip Thrust (elevate your foot on the chair)
Step-up (simple stuff - step up, then down, using ONLY the leg on the chair)
Quadruped Hip Extension (Focus on the squeeze, and keep your back flat)
It is entirely up to you as to how many repetitions you do for each leg on each exercise. I'd like to see you all doing 10-20 repetitions each leg, each exercise as a goal, but obviously you will not be able to do this for some time if you've never tried these moves before.
Try to hold the peak squeeze in each movement for a second or so, really focusing on smashing your glutes, and perform all movements at a controllable speed, focusing more on technique and the quality of your repetitions rather than how many you can do.
Aim to do at least 3 circuits of this today, and a goal would be twice this much, being 6 circuits. Anywhere in between 3-6 circuits is a terrific effort! If you can manage 20 reps of each exercise, and 6 total circuits with 30 seconds rest in between circuits, then I bet people notice what your packing back there as it would certainly show.
Jamie can probably do 6 x 20, easy....
....and gets noticed too.
Workout 2 (Sunday, or Saturday/Sunday afternoon).
What you'll need - a jump rope, and some space like soft grass, concrete as a last resort (the harder the surface, the more impact on your joints, which isn't a good thing)
Warmup: Again keeping with our SPECIFIC based warmups, simply jump rope at an easy, very casual effort for 2-3 minutes, sticking with basic two leg jumps. 1 jump per rope revolution too, so no little double jumps in between the rope turns.
Workout: A fantastic fat burning, athletic enhancing tool that we will be using here is the Tabata protcol. This means, alternating between 20 seconds of work, and 10 seconds of rest, for 4 total minutes. If you have a fancy stop watch, then use it here, but for the rest of us, simply perform 20-40 jumps (you should be able to build to doing a rate of 2 jumps per second, hence the 40 reps being equivalent to the 20 seconds) as fast as you are capable of, then rest for a count of 10, and repeat 8 times, which takes us to our 4 minutes. At this stage, you'll rest for 2-3 minutes, then go again!
Tricky son of a gun
If your feeling frisky, or your advanced, you can try this - for the first tabata, perform them jumping only on your left leg, then the second tabata, try them only on your right leg....
Cool-down by stretching the calves HARD. Yes, if you haven't jumped rope in quit some time, your calves are going to hurt for the coming day or so, so take the time to stretch them out now.
2 great workouts to help you in many ways, whether it be athletic performance, dropping some body fat, muscular endurance, or just wanting to have some perkier assets.....
Enjoy.
Yours in training,
Matt
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A great friend and a great read!
A terrific blog from a good friend of mine is now up!
I know this blog will be entertaining, and much enjoyed by all.
Check it out at: http://everythingandyb.blogspot.com/
Yours in training,
Matt
I know this blog will be entertaining, and much enjoyed by all.
Check it out at: http://everythingandyb.blogspot.com/
Yours in training,
Matt
Caffeine, and how it can help you!
Many of us consume vast amounts of coffee, soft drink and tea all day long. However, little do some of you know, how effective it can be when consumed or taken (caffeine in supplement form) prior to working out.
You see, caffeine is a stimulant for our Central Nervous System (CNS). It creates alertness in our CNS, which can awaken and prime our body for working out. I've found a good calculation for consuming caffeine pre-workout is to multiply your body weight (in kilograms) by 3ml, and to ingest this amount to get the adrenaline effect. So this would mean an 80kg male would need 240ml of caffeine to have enough caffeine in the body to boost performance.
Be careful though.
Caffeine can last in our bodies for up to 6 hours - if you workout at night, I strongly suggest you do not consume any at all.
It can also produce a laxative effect on those who do not tolerate caffeine well. Don't think we want that now....
We've also heard about elite athletes overdoing caffeine supplementation, so use caution.
Caffeine is a drug.
It is addictive.
Just ask this cat:
Try it next time for a cheap alternative to a pre-workout supplement.
Yours in training,
Matt
You see, caffeine is a stimulant for our Central Nervous System (CNS). It creates alertness in our CNS, which can awaken and prime our body for working out. I've found a good calculation for consuming caffeine pre-workout is to multiply your body weight (in kilograms) by 3ml, and to ingest this amount to get the adrenaline effect. So this would mean an 80kg male would need 240ml of caffeine to have enough caffeine in the body to boost performance.
Be careful though.
Caffeine can last in our bodies for up to 6 hours - if you workout at night, I strongly suggest you do not consume any at all.
It can also produce a laxative effect on those who do not tolerate caffeine well. Don't think we want that now....
We've also heard about elite athletes overdoing caffeine supplementation, so use caution.
Caffeine is a drug.
It is addictive.
Just ask this cat:
Whoa kitty, ease up
Try it next time for a cheap alternative to a pre-workout supplement.
Yours in training,
Matt
Terrific article for the bikers!
I found this gem of an article that can help all our bike riders, whether road racers, mountain bikers, or casual ride to work riders, pack some strength, power and mobility to the parts of body where it is needed most to help you excel on that bike. Check it out:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/top-5-tips-great-summer-mountain-biking-workout.htm
Yours in training,
Matt
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/top-5-tips-great-summer-mountain-biking-workout.htm
Definately needs to read this article!
Matt
Workout of the day - Friday 6th August, 2010
After blasting your legs and fat stores yesterday, today we'll take a different path and help build some upper body strength, muscle tone and power (for our advanced guys).
Today's focus is the almighty Pushup, and a bodyweight movement which many of you have never seen before, but will be cursing my name after you try it, the Reverse Skull-Crusher (all credit to a fantastic coach by the name of Nick Tumminello for this exercise).
There are 2 ways to completing today's workout - it can be hypertrophy based (meaning, we'll be doing lot's of Pushups each set etc....for both muscle toning and fat burning goals) or strength/power based (we'll be doing more advanced variations of the exercises, which means not as many completed reps, and much more effort and focus - the athletes, or the wannabe-athletes, in the crowd should go for this option). Or, we can mix and match, and get the best of both!
What you'll need: Just some open space today, and the more advanced guys may need a chair.
Warmup: Nothing over strenuous here, just do a simple set or so of the basic Pushup. If you can manage 10 Pushups normally, warmup with 5, so essentially, warmup with sets of HALF the amount of Pushups you can normally do. I want the warmup kept to a minimum as you'll fatigue too fast when performing your proper working sets of Pushups. For those following the more advanced version of today's workout, I want at least 2 warmup sets from you before you move onto the workout.
Workout: For our basic workout, we'll be doing Pushups following the pyramid style (up and down), and then burning out with a set of Reverse Skull-Crushers. For our advanced guys, they'll also be following the same format, just with more advanced variations, and for those wanting the best of both worlds, we'll be smashing a few power moves, then performing a shorter version of the pyramid, followed by the burnout as mentioned.
Basic: Start by performing 1 Pushup, then rest for 10 seconds. Next, perform 2 Pushups, then rest for 15 seconds. Continue on this pattern of doing 1 more Pushup each time, and adding 5 seconds of rest, until you hit 2 Pushups short of what you are capable of (if you can do 10 Pushups, keep going to you hit 8 Pushups in a set).
Using our 10 Pushup maximum as our example, you'll go: 1 rep, rest 10 seconds, 2 reps, rest 15 seconds, 3 reps, rest 20 seconds, 4 reps, rest 25 seconds, 5 reps, rest 30 seconds, 6 reps, rest 35 secnds, 7 reps, rest 40 seconds, 8 reps, rest 45 seconds. Then, we go backwards! Next set will be 7 reps, rest 40 seconds, 6 reps, etc.....until you end up back at 1.
For those who struggle with Pushups, you can perform them on your knees, or elevate your hands to alter your body's weight being pushed as shown here:
Our advanced guys will end up doing a ton of work here, as someone with a maximum effort of 20 Pushups may well end up doing 35 sets of Pushups today! So that's why we need a harder variation to challenge you. My top 2 ways of making Pushups harder (without adding external resistance) are:
1. Elevate the feet:
2. Perform Judo Pushups:
Performing either of those 2 variations will make performing endless reps of Pushups much more difficult!!
After we are done with the Pushups, the fun starts - burning out with Reverse Skull-Crushers. What do I mean by 'burning out'? Simple - you'll perform one, all out set till ABSOLUTE FAILURE! I don't want you to be able to barely pick yourself up off the ground by the end of this set, to know that you hit it with all you've got!
A Reverse Skull-Crusher is simple - think of it as a Plank, but trying to push yourself up into a finished Pushup position. Take a look:
The trick is, you are only allowed to use your Triceps to push you up! Feel the burn!
Go crazy on this exercise. I don't want you to sell yourself short here, really smash it!
And that is it! However, for our guys wanting to get the best of both, we simply add 2-3 sets of Plyometric Pushups before we start our pyramid of Pushups (after the warmup), and then for our pyramid work, we will skip the odd number of reps, and only do the even numbered sets. So you'll do a set of 2, rest, then a set of 4, rest, etc....until you reach your target, then back down you go. Still finish with the crazy burnout set!
A Plyometric Pushup looks like this:
Whoa, what a smash up for your upper body today!
Don't forget to finish with some light stretching, focusing on your chest, lats, shoulders and triceps, as follows:
And that will do us for today!
The Pushup and its variations are terrific exercises, so get good at them and watch your upper body development take off!
Till tomorrow.
Yours in training,
Matt
Today's focus is the almighty Pushup, and a bodyweight movement which many of you have never seen before, but will be cursing my name after you try it, the Reverse Skull-Crusher (all credit to a fantastic coach by the name of Nick Tumminello for this exercise).
There are 2 ways to completing today's workout - it can be hypertrophy based (meaning, we'll be doing lot's of Pushups each set etc....for both muscle toning and fat burning goals) or strength/power based (we'll be doing more advanced variations of the exercises, which means not as many completed reps, and much more effort and focus - the athletes, or the wannabe-athletes, in the crowd should go for this option). Or, we can mix and match, and get the best of both!
Spidey is wasting his time with this exercise
What you'll need: Just some open space today, and the more advanced guys may need a chair.
Warmup: Nothing over strenuous here, just do a simple set or so of the basic Pushup. If you can manage 10 Pushups normally, warmup with 5, so essentially, warmup with sets of HALF the amount of Pushups you can normally do. I want the warmup kept to a minimum as you'll fatigue too fast when performing your proper working sets of Pushups. For those following the more advanced version of today's workout, I want at least 2 warmup sets from you before you move onto the workout.
Touch your chest to the ground each time to ensure proper depth and form
Basic: Start by performing 1 Pushup, then rest for 10 seconds. Next, perform 2 Pushups, then rest for 15 seconds. Continue on this pattern of doing 1 more Pushup each time, and adding 5 seconds of rest, until you hit 2 Pushups short of what you are capable of (if you can do 10 Pushups, keep going to you hit 8 Pushups in a set).
Using our 10 Pushup maximum as our example, you'll go: 1 rep, rest 10 seconds, 2 reps, rest 15 seconds, 3 reps, rest 20 seconds, 4 reps, rest 25 seconds, 5 reps, rest 30 seconds, 6 reps, rest 35 secnds, 7 reps, rest 40 seconds, 8 reps, rest 45 seconds. Then, we go backwards! Next set will be 7 reps, rest 40 seconds, 6 reps, etc.....until you end up back at 1.
For those who struggle with Pushups, you can perform them on your knees, or elevate your hands to alter your body's weight being pushed as shown here:
1. Elevate the feet:
(Ignore the weight plate on his back)
Performing either of those 2 variations will make performing endless reps of Pushups much more difficult!!
After we are done with the Pushups, the fun starts - burning out with Reverse Skull-Crushers. What do I mean by 'burning out'? Simple - you'll perform one, all out set till ABSOLUTE FAILURE! I don't want you to be able to barely pick yourself up off the ground by the end of this set, to know that you hit it with all you've got!
A Reverse Skull-Crusher is simple - think of it as a Plank, but trying to push yourself up into a finished Pushup position. Take a look:
Go crazy on this exercise. I don't want you to sell yourself short here, really smash it!
And that is it! However, for our guys wanting to get the best of both, we simply add 2-3 sets of Plyometric Pushups before we start our pyramid of Pushups (after the warmup), and then for our pyramid work, we will skip the odd number of reps, and only do the even numbered sets. So you'll do a set of 2, rest, then a set of 4, rest, etc....until you reach your target, then back down you go. Still finish with the crazy burnout set!
A Plyometric Pushup looks like this:
Don't forget to finish with some light stretching, focusing on your chest, lats, shoulders and triceps, as follows:
The Pushup and its variations are terrific exercises, so get good at them and watch your upper body development take off!
All things Pushup related are GOOD.
Yours in training,
Matt
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The best in home workout equipment!
I will be posting in the coming days what I feel is essential equipment for your home to get the most out of working out, and how you can use everyday items to get a terrific workout without ever stepping foot in a gym.
These items are:
1. Skipping Rope
2. Sturdy Chair
3. Empty Milk Bottles (1L, 2L or 3L) plus some sand
4. Exercise Ball
And that's it. Look out for this post soon.
Of course, to make the most of working out at home, you do need to spend some money on what I consider absolute gems for home gym equipment, but the good news is it is far more affordable than a gym membership, and you only need to pay for the item/s once that will last a lifetime.
Are they necessary? Most certainly not. I just feel these pieces of equipment can help 'round out' a terrific pool of tools you have available to workout with.
These 2 'tools' I am referring to are the TRX, and a Door Pullup Bar.
Adding these 2 terrific tools can elevate your home workouts to the highest level. You will never step foot in a gym again!
I will be writing up a further post on both the TRX and the Door Pullup Bar, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you would like to check out the TRX, take a look:
TRX: http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&AFFIL=9z05AW7U
Be on the look-out.
Yours in training,
Matt
These items are:
1. Skipping Rope
2. Sturdy Chair
3. Empty Milk Bottles (1L, 2L or 3L) plus some sand
4. Exercise Ball
And that's it. Look out for this post soon.
No need for this crap!
Of course, to make the most of working out at home, you do need to spend some money on what I consider absolute gems for home gym equipment, but the good news is it is far more affordable than a gym membership, and you only need to pay for the item/s once that will last a lifetime.
Are they necessary? Most certainly not. I just feel these pieces of equipment can help 'round out' a terrific pool of tools you have available to workout with.
These 2 'tools' I am referring to are the TRX, and a Door Pullup Bar.
I will be writing up a further post on both the TRX and the Door Pullup Bar, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you would like to check out the TRX, take a look:
TRX: http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&AFFIL=9z05AW7U
Be on the look-out.
Yours in training,
Matt
Workout of the day - Thursday 4th August, 2010
As I said in my welcome blog, I will be posting a daily workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home to help you look fab.
I'll post the workout the day before so that you are prepared for it, and can ask any questions before you give it a try.
So here we go!
What you'll need - some space, and possibly a timer if your not good with estimating rest periods.
Warmup: Try for 10 times/repetitions of the Bodyweight Squat (also known as the Prisoner Squat) for several sets, let's say at least 3 sets, and no more than 5 sets. Rest about 15-20 seconds in between each set of 10. Remember, this is to get you warm, and huffing/sweating, so don't go resting for several minutes in between sets, as it defeats the purpose of warming up your body! Each set, you should feel yourself getting deeper into the Squat, and by your final warmup set, you should be achieving (or work on achieving) the depth the picture outlines:
Workout: Let the pain begin! Ha, just kidding. Squat Jumps are our only exercise for today, so learn to do them, and do them well! They are fantastic for putting our body into a fat burning state, and work wonders for not just our legs, but our whole body!
Now, I want you to aim for at least 5 jumps a set, 10 being the goal. At first, we'll go for 10 sets (whoa), resting about 30 seconds in between. If you can do more than this, then go for it! Try for 15 sets if you can! Eventually, we'll make this workout for time - you'll try to perform as many sets of 10 as you can in say 10 minutes, and build this to 15 minutes....
Now, take a look at the pictures for how I want you to do your Squat Jumps:
Pause briefly (maybe 1 second) in between jumps, but unlike the picture, either KEEP YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD or PUT THEM ON THE GROUND BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, like this:
Never sacrifice form for how many jumps you can do. If you feel your form getting sloppy after 4 jumps, then stop the set! Make it a goal for yourself to build how many jumps you can do each set.
After your finished with Squat Jumps, take a break, and have a quick stretch if you need it, focusing on your Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes.
Yours in training,
Matt
I'll post the workout the day before so that you are prepared for it, and can ask any questions before you give it a try.
So here we go!
What you'll need - some space, and possibly a timer if your not good with estimating rest periods.
Warmup: Try for 10 times/repetitions of the Bodyweight Squat (also known as the Prisoner Squat) for several sets, let's say at least 3 sets, and no more than 5 sets. Rest about 15-20 seconds in between each set of 10. Remember, this is to get you warm, and huffing/sweating, so don't go resting for several minutes in between sets, as it defeats the purpose of warming up your body! Each set, you should feel yourself getting deeper into the Squat, and by your final warmup set, you should be achieving (or work on achieving) the depth the picture outlines:
Workout: Let the pain begin! Ha, just kidding. Squat Jumps are our only exercise for today, so learn to do them, and do them well! They are fantastic for putting our body into a fat burning state, and work wonders for not just our legs, but our whole body!
Now, I want you to aim for at least 5 jumps a set, 10 being the goal. At first, we'll go for 10 sets (whoa), resting about 30 seconds in between. If you can do more than this, then go for it! Try for 15 sets if you can! Eventually, we'll make this workout for time - you'll try to perform as many sets of 10 as you can in say 10 minutes, and build this to 15 minutes....
Now, take a look at the pictures for how I want you to do your Squat Jumps:
Pause briefly (maybe 1 second) in between jumps, but unlike the picture, either KEEP YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD or PUT THEM ON THE GROUND BETWEEN YOUR LEGS, like this:
OR
Never sacrifice form for how many jumps you can do. If you feel your form getting sloppy after 4 jumps, then stop the set! Make it a goal for yourself to build how many jumps you can do each set.
After your finished with Squat Jumps, take a break, and have a quick stretch if you need it, focusing on your Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes.
(Even Spiderman knows the importance of a cool-down stretch)
Post in the comments how you went if you feel like it! Have fun!
Yours in training,
Matt
A body like the Celebs?
We've all wanted to have a body of a celeb, or just literally wanted a celeb, and it's no suprise when they look as good as Hugh Jackman, Jessica Biel, Daniel Craig, or some of these guys:
And further to this, while the movie isn't released yet, THOR star Chris Hemsworth will have female mouths watering when they see his transformation:
So how can you build a bod just like these guys? Realise this: each one of the actors/actresses had anywhere from 6-12 months to prepare for the movie roles that made our mouths gape wide open. They were paid to train and eat well all day long. All you need to do is Google what some of them did to get in shape for their movie role, and you'll see just how much effort they went to look like they do. Oh, and some CGI touching up for promotional reasons may have helped.....
Have a look at each one of the mentioned stars now, and whilst they still remain lean and mean, none of them look like they did in the movie, and that's simply due to not being able to carry on such intense training and nutrition beyond the finishing of making the movie.
Back to our point - achieving the body of a celeb. Can it be done?? It most certainly can, but remember that our timeframe to achieve such a body may be well out of proportion to what these guys achieved it in. What I want you to take awy from this blog post is this:
All of these celebs achieved their body through hard work, but most importantly, they were CONSISTENT.
Consistency is the key, and unfortunately, it is the downfall of many of us. You will never get close to looking like these guys unless you consistently make the effort.
We all get that sudden urge to 'make a change', and that may see us go the gym 5 days straight one week, and follow a diet plan that in our mind can only be described as pure awesomeness for what it will supposedly help us achieve.
But the next week, we go to the gym once, and our diet gets blown away on the weekend. And so there comes the end of that so called diet plan. We overdid things, and the key, consistency, is no longer.
I will be blogging further on ways we can stay consistent, as I believe it's importance to us all achieving our dream body is priority number one.
Enjoy your day!
Yours in training,
Matt
Ryan Reynolds
Scarlett Johansson
And further to this, while the movie isn't released yet, THOR star Chris Hemsworth will have female mouths watering when they see his transformation:
So how can you build a bod just like these guys? Realise this: each one of the actors/actresses had anywhere from 6-12 months to prepare for the movie roles that made our mouths gape wide open. They were paid to train and eat well all day long. All you need to do is Google what some of them did to get in shape for their movie role, and you'll see just how much effort they went to look like they do. Oh, and some CGI touching up for promotional reasons may have helped.....
Have a look at each one of the mentioned stars now, and whilst they still remain lean and mean, none of them look like they did in the movie, and that's simply due to not being able to carry on such intense training and nutrition beyond the finishing of making the movie.
Back to our point - achieving the body of a celeb. Can it be done?? It most certainly can, but remember that our timeframe to achieve such a body may be well out of proportion to what these guys achieved it in. What I want you to take awy from this blog post is this:
All of these celebs achieved their body through hard work, but most importantly, they were CONSISTENT.
Consistency is the key, and unfortunately, it is the downfall of many of us. You will never get close to looking like these guys unless you consistently make the effort.
We all get that sudden urge to 'make a change', and that may see us go the gym 5 days straight one week, and follow a diet plan that in our mind can only be described as pure awesomeness for what it will supposedly help us achieve.
But the next week, we go to the gym once, and our diet gets blown away on the weekend. And so there comes the end of that so called diet plan. We overdid things, and the key, consistency, is no longer.
I will be blogging further on ways we can stay consistent, as I believe it's importance to us all achieving our dream body is priority number one.
Enjoy your day!
Yours in training,
Matt
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