Monday, November 12, 2012

Man...I hate plateaus




It takes lot of effort for you to commit to exercising 3-5 times per week. With your hectic schedule and busy personal life, squeezing in that ONE HOUR for fitness is really tough sometimes. But you just do it!
 
You may feel tired and unmotivated, but just getting started is half the battle. Think about it this way, you burn 7 calories per minute on a low intensity work out versus 14 calories per minute on a high intensity work out. You would then assume that working out on a low intensity is better than not working out at all! That alone should be encouraging enough to exercise. But look at it another way, if we make that commitment to start (which is already half the battle), why wouldn't we push ourselves further onto a high intensity work out and maximize that time spent? Let's be realistic...TIME is MONEY.  Your boss doesn't pay us to just show up to work, we need to earn that money and push beyond what is required! The same thing goes with the desire to have a rock hard sexy body and/or just to live a healthy lifestyle. We need to earn it! 
 
Now, let's say that you are past that step and are exercising on a regular basis. You are set on your goals and have been training really hard...then the dreaded plateau hits. You are bored of your training routines and are not motivated. You labor through your workouts and aren't really present while your doing them. That's alright! We all go through it. What you need to do is constantly change it up. Keep shocking your muscles by adding different variations to your workout. This, in turn, will give you more motivation and energy, while improving your body's muscle and growth.
 
For example, I made a 6 week program for myself. I work out 5 days a week, Days 1, 3 & 5 are strength training days. Heavier weights with less reps. Days 2 & 4 are circuit training days, which includes lifting lighter weights with more reps. Day 2 I focus on my upper body, while on Day 4 the focus is moved to my lower body. In addition to my strength training, I also train my abs every other day. This ensures that I build strength but don't lose any definition.
 
Working out needs to be regimented, but only to a certain extent. You can have a couple of exercise regimens on the go simultaneouly....change it up and keep it fun!

The training program I am currently on:

* Credit to mensfitness.com for the strength building program on days 1, 3, & 5. Here is the link to the program titled "6 Weeks to a Big Number Deadlift": http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/6-weeks-to-a-big-number-deadlift

WORKOUT: Day 1

1. Barbell Deadlift

Sets: 5 Reps: 3
Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Bend down by pushing your hips back and keeping your chest up. Your shins should be perpendicular to the floor and close to the bar. Grab the bar with an alternating grip. Pull yourself tall by putting tension on the bar and pulling your back tall. Take a deep breath in and keep your core tight as you squeeze the bar off the ground and push your hips underneath you to stand up tall.

2A. Barbell Good Mornings

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Load a barbell on your shoulders, pulling your shoulder blades back to form a rack similar to a back squat. Keep your core tight and your knees slightly bent. Push your hips back as you hinge at the hip

2B. Pull-ups

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your core tight and drive your shoulder blades down as you pull your chin over the bar. Slowly lower.

3A. Dumbbell Overhead Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
From a standing position, brace your core and press the weights from shoulder level to overhead.

3B. T-Bar Row

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
With your chest pressed against the pad, grab the handles with an overhead grip and row the weight back squeezing your shoulders together.

4A. Pallof Press

Sets: 3 Time: 30-45 seconds
Stand perpendicular to a cable attachment. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Keep your shoulders back and your core tight. Grab the handle and extend it out in front of you. Avoid allowing it to rotate you back towards the machine.

4B. Farmer’s Walks

Sets: 3 Distance: 75-100ft
Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk for the specified distance.

WORKOUT: Day 2

Circuit training - upper body
One exercise after another since we are using less weight and need less time to rest.  I only indicated the muscle group that I emphasize with each work out since I change the type of work out that I do every time I perform circuit training. 

Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Chest and biceps 
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Chest and biceps 
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Shoulders and triceps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Shoulders and triceps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Back and traps
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Back and traps



WORKOUT: Day 3

1. Front Squat

Sets: 5 Reps: 3
Grab the barbell with a clean grip keeping your upper arm parallel to the ground. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Push your hips back and sit back down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.

2A. Rack Pull

Sets: 4 Reps: 3
Set the safety bars at knee height. With the bar resting on the safety bars, grab it with an alternating grip. Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you lift the bar off the rack to a standing position.

2B. Reverse Lunges

Sets: 4 Reps: 8 (each side)
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip. Take a large step back and lower down so that your front knee gets to 90-degrees. Your front knee should be behind your toe. Drive off your front heel to return to a standing position.

3A. Barbell Bench Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Hold the bar with an overhand, outside shoulder- width grip. Your shoulder blades should be squeezed together with your entire back arched. Take the bar out of the rack. Lower it to just below your sternum, then push your feet hard into the floor to help you press the weight up.

3B. Seated Row

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Sit on a seated row machine with your chest up and shoulders pulled back. With a neutral grip, drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together.

4A. Ab Wheel Roll-outs

Sets: 3 Reps: 8
Hold the axle of an ab wheel and kneel on the floor. Roll forward just until you can no longer maintain a neutral spine. Roll it back until it’s under your shoulders.

4B. Plank

Sets: 3 Time: 30-45 seconds
Plant your elbows and toes on the ground. Raise your hips and keep your back flat as you squeeze your core throughout the entire move.

WORKOUT: Day 4

Circuit training - lower body
One exercise after another since we are using less weight and need less time to rest.  I only indicated the muscle group that I emphasize with each work out since I change the type of work out that I do every time I perform circuit training. 


Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Quads and hamstrings 
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Quads and hamstrings
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Quads and hamstrings
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Glutes and calves
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Glutes and calves
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12 Lower back and calves


WORKOUT: Day 5

1. Sumo Deadlifts

Sets: 5 Reps: 3
Start with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and slightly pointed out. Bend down by pushing your hips back and keeping your chest up. Grab the bar with an alternating grip. Pull yourself tall by putting tension on the bar and pulling your back tall. Take a deep breath in and keep your core tight as you squeeze the bar off the ground and push your hips underneath you to stand up tall.

2A. Glute Ham Raise

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Lock your feet in the glute ham raise machine and rest your thighs on the rollers. Extend your knees as you bend forward. Pull from your hamstrings as you bend your knees and drive yourself back up.

2B. Chin-ups

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your core tight and drive your shoulder blades down as you pull your chin over the bar. Slowly lower.

3A. Incline Dumbbell Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Lie on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand and your feet pressed firmly into the ground. Press the weight out in front as you squeeze your chest.

3B. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row

Sets: 4 Reps: 8
Grab two dumbbells with a neutral grip (palm facing in). While keeping your knees soft, hinge at the hips until your spine forms a 90-degree angle with the ground. Drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.

4. Turkish Get-up

Sets: 4 Reps: 3
Lie on the floor with a dumbbell in one hand extended in front of you. Keep your arm straight and your core tight as you bring yourself to a standing position.

    

“Obsessed” is just a word that the lazy use to describe the dedicated



Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley


Pushing my body to the brink of exhaustion is a feeling that I relish. The results I get afterwards are rewarding for all the hard work that I put into my physical training. Not only do I want to look good, but I want to feel good. Physical activity is one way I take control of the stress in my life. Being active not only boosts my feel-good endorphins and distracts me from daily worries, but it is also a meditation in motion!

I have been doing various types of physical training for 9 years now and have gone through many transformations both externally as well as internally.

When I was in my early 20's, I did power lifting and went for a more “bulkier” look. I used to weigh 235 lbs (6'3 tall), I benched 315 lbs, curled 60 lbs dumb bells, squatted about 350 lbs, etc. In 2009, I pinched a nerve in my lower back and was in severe pain for many months. I had to wear a back brace, take medication for the pain, and attend physiotherapy. My physiotherapist noticed something that helped me change the way I physically trained for the rest of my life. He said that I was in great shape but didn't have a strong enough core for my frame. He noticed that I had abs but warned me of the dangers of only training abs. He stated that it could lead to a tight hip flexor, back pain, and lack of results. He explained to me that by training my entire core improves muscle tone, balance, stability, and posture. It reduces risk of injury, increases functional strength, and increases the activation of stabilizing muscles.

Since then, I mainly train with a core emphasis. I do a lot of cardio, plyometrics, power, resistance, and balance training. If I do use weights, they are much lighter than I used to use in my early twenties. I am more lean now and usually range in weight between 190-200 lbs. At age 30, I feel that I am stronger & quicker than I have ever been! I have not suffered another injury since I radically changed my work out routines and I feel great!

As you can tell from reading my post, I am passionate about fitness. I started this blog to share my past experiences and the on-going education that I receive from fitness. I would be more than happy to share fitness and nutrition tips, as well as my own experiences. So stay tuned…