I don't know what this is but I found these hillarious videos on youtube and whatever this fitness craze is called: "Eurotraining"....this must be the latest fad in nutbag fitness =) :
I guess this is called a signature staple move of Euro Training:
I wish I had this ability to do the bench:
How's about this for intervals and plyometric training....
I guess the silver lining in this comedy fitness snippet is this: find a program that works for you...learn the system, understand the movement, understand the body and incorporate these philosophies in your exercise routines with that concept in mind - always. It's ok to second guess but be a sponge and learn the why's to a certain exercise and not merely just do them as they are written not knowing why we're doing them in the first place. It's ok to aim for the stars (we all should)...but if you get to that disappointment that the workouts are not "you" if you will: find your own little niches and you'll enjoy exercising even moreso.
And keep on learning new things...that's what keeps it going!
I was once almost coaxed into trying this system called P90X. My workout buddy said this was the coolest thing out there. After doing only one session of this workout 2 years ago - I was like: "Uh-uh..this isn't me." So I canned it and eventually started breaking off with my workout buddy with different approaches...he continued to do p90x...for the next few weeks, then did some Muscle and Fitness workouts as I on the other hand slowly but surely absorbed alot of things I found fascinating with Turbulence Training, Rosstraining, Volleyball strength and Conditioning workouts and FitandBusyDad workouts...almost all these workouts are geared towards what I want so I took that path and so glad I didn't fall off either.
We can't do every little exercise program under the sun...but we can always learn something new with some time and patience. That would take years to know every little exercise program there is on this planet!!! Plus, we'd all be personal trainers to boot wouldn't we.
But if we learn to appreciate a few of those great programs that have been tried and tested that really work...and believe in the system that they are in fact legit and really worth every penny and sweat you put in the gym - those are the one's you really have to trust in, listen to and take to heart.
Stick to it and keep it going. If you fall down...don't get discouraged but get your ass back up and never give up on your goals...no matter how long it may take to get there.
Trash what's useless (Eurotraining)...absorb what's useful...and make it your own!
Andy
Sunday, February 8, 2009
On schedule
As I had my measurements taken last Friday, the trainer whom I've become good friends with gave me some really encouraging news...news that I wanted to hear too at 4 weeks in: "Continue what you've been doing the last 4 weeks and what ever results you got to this date, x that by 8 more weeks --- you will get your ripped abs." Having abs is alot different than having a ripped set of abs.
Big difference here.
Vain? Maybe...but who cares? I do! I want to get that rippedness and if I can just continue this for another 8 weeks and stay this course - I know I'll get there. So that means shooting for 90% compliance with nutrition and working my ass out with some great TT programs.
It's going to be hard. It's going to be super damn hard.
Yesterday was an off day...at work a coworker had brought in some surprise cake for guess what? My birthday! Ahem...that was like more than a week ago. Anyway, it was an extremely busy day on top of it being a 12 hour shift as well so on top of the cake we got pizza and buffalo wings as a treat for the "hardwork" we were doing that day...talk about food challenges: this was it.
But here's the deal. I didn't have breakfast yesterday expecting the worse here at work. So when I found out about this little potluck thing going on, I took every single food I liked and put it on a plate. The best thing about it was - I hardly even ate the cake! I definitely took a good amount of the cake and put it aside on a nice small styro bowl, foiled it and took that home to my boys; I then grabbed 8 pieces of buffalo wings and a slice of pizza and litterally was taking bites of that plate the entire day...again all it was was 8 pieces of wings and a slice of pizza with some Coke Zero to wash it down.
In alot ways that would be considered a cheat meal for alot of us (on top of your every 3 small meals right?) but I was like a bird taking little pecks at the plate all day while on the move... Well, ok I did take a few bites off the cake to be honest with you. But nothing extra on top of this but 2 small corn on the cobs for an evening snack when I got home and brought home that delicious cake my family enjoyed.
I laugh at this looking back at it...but that's how I tackled this unexpected nutritional obstacle that is very common in the workplace on some weekends.
On the spot gameplanning...I think I won this one.
Big difference here.
Vain? Maybe...but who cares? I do! I want to get that rippedness and if I can just continue this for another 8 weeks and stay this course - I know I'll get there. So that means shooting for 90% compliance with nutrition and working my ass out with some great TT programs.
It's going to be hard. It's going to be super damn hard.
Yesterday was an off day...at work a coworker had brought in some surprise cake for guess what? My birthday! Ahem...that was like more than a week ago. Anyway, it was an extremely busy day on top of it being a 12 hour shift as well so on top of the cake we got pizza and buffalo wings as a treat for the "hardwork" we were doing that day...talk about food challenges: this was it.
But here's the deal. I didn't have breakfast yesterday expecting the worse here at work. So when I found out about this little potluck thing going on, I took every single food I liked and put it on a plate. The best thing about it was - I hardly even ate the cake! I definitely took a good amount of the cake and put it aside on a nice small styro bowl, foiled it and took that home to my boys; I then grabbed 8 pieces of buffalo wings and a slice of pizza and litterally was taking bites of that plate the entire day...again all it was was 8 pieces of wings and a slice of pizza with some Coke Zero to wash it down.
In alot ways that would be considered a cheat meal for alot of us (on top of your every 3 small meals right?) but I was like a bird taking little pecks at the plate all day while on the move... Well, ok I did take a few bites off the cake to be honest with you. But nothing extra on top of this but 2 small corn on the cobs for an evening snack when I got home and brought home that delicious cake my family enjoyed.
I laugh at this looking back at it...but that's how I tackled this unexpected nutritional obstacle that is very common in the workplace on some weekends.
On the spot gameplanning...I think I won this one.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
A Blog I Highly Recommend
I subscribe to a few good blogs around the fitness internet world...but I have one blog I want to share with you.
His name is Erik Ledin...I've been reading up on this man's blog for quite sometime now as I recall a transcript from Craig's site on fat loss strategies and how to be successful at it. And like CB, Ross Enamait, Chris Lopez: this guy truly knows his stuff.
Erik is a Physique Transformation Specialist. He runs a fitness business called Lean Bodies Consulting. I would often learn alot of transformation tips from just his blog alone. I also learned alot of other things fitness related from strength training to diet approaches...the whole nine yards. He's another guy I look up to that definitely knows what he's talking about.
Check out his latest blogpost about the scale and his personal rants on it. and believe me, it's so true. Reading that one post again really gave me a wake up call I needed personally.
Let's not get too paranoid over a scale....
By the way...he hates the Biggest Loser Show. Can you blame him?
Here's his post on the scale and the whole bit:
Erik's Rants About the Scale
Andy
His name is Erik Ledin...I've been reading up on this man's blog for quite sometime now as I recall a transcript from Craig's site on fat loss strategies and how to be successful at it. And like CB, Ross Enamait, Chris Lopez: this guy truly knows his stuff.
Erik is a Physique Transformation Specialist. He runs a fitness business called Lean Bodies Consulting. I would often learn alot of transformation tips from just his blog alone. I also learned alot of other things fitness related from strength training to diet approaches...the whole nine yards. He's another guy I look up to that definitely knows what he's talking about.
Check out his latest blogpost about the scale and his personal rants on it. and believe me, it's so true. Reading that one post again really gave me a wake up call I needed personally.
Let's not get too paranoid over a scale....
By the way...he hates the Biggest Loser Show. Can you blame him?
Here's his post on the scale and the whole bit:
Erik's Rants About the Scale
Andy
Week in Review
Week in review…
- 166 lbs, 1% TRUE BF lost in 2 weeks…I’m taking this. I'm averaging just about 0.5% bf lost per week after monitoring it more closely since checking them routinely since 1/9/09. Before I started religiously tracking this once again...I was at about 175 lbs late last year (kind of ballooned up to 175 after the twitter contest had ended back in September). So that's about 9 lbs weight lost if I think about it to this date.
- Workouts and Off Day routines have been great to this date…I’m taking this.
- 18 wide grips Pull ups…I’m taking this.
- Rest and recovery has been beneficial this week.
- Abs are definitely starting to show again…I’m definitely taking this!
As for all my body fat…you can take that! Any takers? I hope not!!!
Goals for next week:
- 19 or 20 wide grips. I'm taking Smoke's challenge this week.
- Lose .5% more body fat.
- Lose another pound here. 165 here I come…again.
- Continue to maintain sound nutritional strategies, with a little break here and there. Although I don't really have a diet journal here...I've been really standing firm for the most part with some cheats and some "prohibited" eats here and there. Hey, our body needs that and I won't get too paranoid over some lost nutritional battles throughout the week. It seems to be working so I'm sticking to it.
Notes:
Forward progress here...and I'm really, truly excited about these next 8 or so weeks coming. May have to drop the strength training with the deadlifts and squats here for the next 8 weeks. The TT programs have been great so far...more tracking and more honest accountability really does help. Hoping to keep with other extras I like to do on off days when I like to circuit train, do a few weekly challenges and work on pull ups – I’m definitely hoping to keep this up here. Fingers crossed!
- 166 lbs, 1% TRUE BF lost in 2 weeks…I’m taking this. I'm averaging just about 0.5% bf lost per week after monitoring it more closely since checking them routinely since 1/9/09. Before I started religiously tracking this once again...I was at about 175 lbs late last year (kind of ballooned up to 175 after the twitter contest had ended back in September). So that's about 9 lbs weight lost if I think about it to this date.
- Workouts and Off Day routines have been great to this date…I’m taking this.
- 18 wide grips Pull ups…I’m taking this.
- Rest and recovery has been beneficial this week.
- Abs are definitely starting to show again…I’m definitely taking this!
As for all my body fat…you can take that! Any takers? I hope not!!!
Goals for next week:
- 19 or 20 wide grips. I'm taking Smoke's challenge this week.
- Lose .5% more body fat.
- Lose another pound here. 165 here I come…again.
- Continue to maintain sound nutritional strategies, with a little break here and there. Although I don't really have a diet journal here...I've been really standing firm for the most part with some cheats and some "prohibited" eats here and there. Hey, our body needs that and I won't get too paranoid over some lost nutritional battles throughout the week. It seems to be working so I'm sticking to it.
Notes:
Forward progress here...and I'm really, truly excited about these next 8 or so weeks coming. May have to drop the strength training with the deadlifts and squats here for the next 8 weeks. The TT programs have been great so far...more tracking and more honest accountability really does help. Hoping to keep with other extras I like to do on off days when I like to circuit train, do a few weekly challenges and work on pull ups – I’m definitely hoping to keep this up here. Fingers crossed!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
A Bruce Lee Snippet...
Be like water...what does that mean to you?
Very philosophical quote there by the Dragon...it's always been something I dwell on from time to time. Be like water...water is clear, water is pure. It takes form of whatever it puts itself into, like he says. So I'm guessing water here is compared to the "effort" and "commitment" we put into some goal we have. If we put our best efforts in into anything in life - again, it doesn't have to be perfect - but just our honest and best attempt at something we strive to be or want - I think that's all that should matter here. It's all a matter of choice and what we choose to do. And like water...it can "flow" or it can "crash". And I agree here. Again, it's all a matter of choice. We get what we put in...but only we can choose whatever direction in life we want to take to get there.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My Personal Weekly Wide Grip Challenge...and a little experimentation!
Did 18 Wide Grip Pull Ups this morning...2 more from last week. That is huge for me!
Off from any formal TT training today (EDIT! - I'm lying. I did do some TT Style Cardio/BW stuff today as well as an Advanced Torso Training routine. ~ Andy)...so I wanted to do an EXPERIMENT - because my curious mind wants to know!
Anyway, this afternoon, I took a video of myself experimenting if there were really any true differences in using lifting hooks in a pull up or chin up. They really helped me alot starting off when trying to improve on my chin up pull up technique but I just really wanted to see if there was in fact any difference at all... fast forwarding to today.
Watch the video and hear my thoughts on it:
Off from any formal TT training today (EDIT! - I'm lying. I did do some TT Style Cardio/BW stuff today as well as an Advanced Torso Training routine. ~ Andy)...so I wanted to do an EXPERIMENT - because my curious mind wants to know!
Anyway, this afternoon, I took a video of myself experimenting if there were really any true differences in using lifting hooks in a pull up or chin up. They really helped me alot starting off when trying to improve on my chin up pull up technique but I just really wanted to see if there was in fact any difference at all... fast forwarding to today.
Watch the video and hear my thoughts on it:
Monday, February 2, 2009
Feeling really good with the workouts..and some volleyball tonight for fun!
The Super Bowl is over (great game)...the splurging is over with...now there should be nothing else to think about until Valentine's Day...ahhahaha!!!
Did a great workout this morning that was really fun and very energy taxing indeed....I like that. Heavier weights...more power lifting moves. These workouts are what really kick me into high gear and full of energy throughout the day. It's great. Just really need to watch the meal intakes because the tendency for me (which is my downfall) is to really eat whatever is out there...nutrition has been subpar these past few days...hope to make it up here and move on though.
Another great volleyball match tonite after work...really feels good to play out there once again.
Off Day tomorrow!
~ Andy
Did a great workout this morning that was really fun and very energy taxing indeed....I like that. Heavier weights...more power lifting moves. These workouts are what really kick me into high gear and full of energy throughout the day. It's great. Just really need to watch the meal intakes because the tendency for me (which is my downfall) is to really eat whatever is out there...nutrition has been subpar these past few days...hope to make it up here and move on though.
Another great volleyball match tonite after work...really feels good to play out there once again.
Off Day tomorrow!
~ Andy
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