A few weeks ago we had fun talking about what we think about when we run. I figured it would be cool to do the same think with lifting. But I’ve got a serious message at the end of this, so be sure to read all the way through.
Unlike jogging, where you are doing the same physical motion for long periods, weight lifting is more staggered. You have the lifts themselves of course. But you have rest periods. You have between-set activities like changing the weights. [Aside - interval training is somewhat similar, especially if you are doing my "inverted Tabata" routine.]
You may also have a lifting partner who influences what you think about.
And then, in commercial gyms, there’s that dreaded background music. I absolutely hate that. Not because I don’t like the particular music (sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t). I hate it because it’s something I can’t control and it distracts me from my lifting.
But what do you think about during your body building workout? (And I’m using “body building” here generically – as two words – meaning that if you are lifting weights, you are building your body in some form.)
If you unplug your ipod, and tune out the commercial gym music, I’m betting you fall into one of these camps…
The 8.5 Thinking Body Builder Types
1. The gabber – You actually aren’t spending much time thinking – you’re talking, chatting about the weather, and talking up the nearest person. Congratulations on your social skills, but you’d do yourself (and other gym (more…)
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Continue reading about What Do You Think About When You Lift? Part 1 of 2
Two days ago my workout called for me to do front squats. However, I wasn’t really focused that morning, and instead, I loaded up the weight I use for BACK squats.
For those of you who do both, you know that most of us can do a lot more weight in back than we can in front.
I did my warm up set, no problem.
I did my first working set, and was struggling, but finished.
I then did my second set and failed miserably. Thankfully I was in my squat rack, because mentally I was thinking I was going to do 6 reps. I ended up doing 1 and failing on the second.
Here’s the funy part – I still didn’t realize my mistake.
I asked myself, “why am I so weak today?” I really wondered if I was getting sick, or what the heck was going on.
I was so freaked out, I did something I haven’t done in months – I actually lowered the weight. (Of course, since I was doing the “wrong” exercise, I forgive myself that lapse.)
But the bigger lesson here is that I wasn’t paying attention.
And if I were in a situation without a rack or without a spotter, I could have really hurt myself.
Other Weight Training Attention Failures
This isn’t the first stupid thing I’ve done. And I’m sure you can relate with your own stupid stories.
One thing I see a lot is guys paying attention to the WRONG stuff.
Take mirrors. Mirrors are great for making sure you are using proper form.
But do you really need to turn your head for every set on every exercise to watch yourself in the mirror? Probably not.
I’ve definitely seen guys paying too much attention to the mirror that they actually lose balance.
And then there’s the guys are are gawking at women in the gym. Not only is that a little disrespectful to the women, it also distracts you from your workout. Lifting heavy stuff and distraction don’t mix. Stay focused.
Mental Focus and Workouts
At the most basic level though, paying attention means focusing your thoughts on your workout. I’ll be sharing some ideas about what to think about while working out on Monday.
In the mean time, are you willing to share your stupid-lack-of-attention stories?
Continue reading about Paying Attention – Weight Lifting Tips
Last week we shared the first 9 of these tips for beginners. Check them out here: Top Tips For Beginning Weight Lifting. This week we finish up with another 10 must-know items before beginning your weight training regimen.
10. Intensity Is Underrated
Whatever your routine is, do it hard. (After you’ve gotten the form down.) When I say hard, I mean hard. Other than your exercise-specific warmup, you should feel like you couldn’t get another rep out of your set. (This is different from “train to failure” which means you go past the last rep you can do – that’s not something I recommend for beginners.) Oh, and if you can do 2 more reps than your plan calls for, then you need to increase your weight.
And heavy weight helps your progress. To get the proper hormonal response from weight training for building muscle, losing fat, and gaining strength you have to really push yourself.
This also means that you don’t skip workouts. I realize that life happens, and you might have to miss a day. But with your 3x per week schedule, you can miss a day and make it up to stick to 3x/week. If you do get to the gym and “don’t feel too motivated”, you need to psyche yourself up. A short intense workout is far better than a long half-effort one.
11. Rest
There are two types or rest: in between sets and in between workouts. For rest in between workouts, that’s taken care of by only going 3x a week (see previous point). Muscle doesn’t grow during the exercise. It grows AFTER the exercise and if (more…)
Continue reading about The 19 Weight Training Must-Dos For Beginners – Part 2 of 2
In many countries around the world, today is a day to celebrate fathers.
Being a proud father myself, I like this holiday!
This will be a short post, with a few notices at the end, so that you all can get back to the day’s celebrations.
Father’s Day And Fitness
Father’s Day reminds me of part of the reason I take fitness so seriously:
- to be around longer for my kids and (future) grandkids
- to have the energy to play with my kids, even after a long day
- to model great behavior so that they grow up to be healthy and strong (it’s kind of hard to preach eating right and exercising if I sit on the couch eating chips and drinking beer all the time)
- to keep up with them! My older kids are fast and in an all-out race I can barely win!
- for my daughters, to model the fact they they should choose a partner who also takes his health seriously
You probably have similar reasons. But it’s hard sometimes to help kids understand why I don’t eat the deserts they do. Or why I get up early and work out to build muscle. Or why I’d rather go for a run than watch a movie.
While I’m sure they “get” the big picture, I also have to understand that they can’t see the world exactly through my eyes. So sometimes they think I’m a bit extreme!
But not today! Today will be a carbolicious day!
Now some of you might not have ideal fatherly role models yourself. Maybe your dad is/was fat. Maybe he never taught you how to eat right. Maybe you have to work twice as hard as the rest of us because you have to un-learn bad habits from your youth. Or maybe your dad simply wasn’t around.
None of that matters now.
You are in control of your beliefs and actions.
The very fact that you are reading this says that you are taking responsibility for bettering your health and fitness.
Congratulations!
Tired of your current physique? Looking to build some muscle? Burn fat? Gain Strength?
Done properly, weight lifting is the best exercise for all three goals. Wanna lose fat while you sleep? The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns at rest. Wanna look good in a t-shirt and shorts? Build some curves by adding muscle. Looking for extra power in your favorite sport? Strength training with weights helps almost every sport.
But if you’re just starting out (or if you’ve been just toying around at the gym and need to get your butt into a serious routine), you need to remember these 19 things.
1. Don’t Read The Muscle Mags
Ok. You’re fired up like a George Forman Grill, and ready to become Arnold Junior. So where do most guys like you turn for advice? The muscle mags. But 50% of the muscle mags are pure ads. And another 30% are ads disguised as articles. And another 15% is either flat out bad advice or advice inappropriate for beginners. That leaves 5% of goodness. And the sad truth: as a beginner, you won’t know the difference. Skip the magazines and go for a serious book (see below).
2. Only Full Body, Compound Exercises For Your First 3 Months (No Curls!)
I know you want to do curls. It’s ok to admit it. Guys think big biceps are the sign of a real man. Stop. If you can’t do 15 chin-ups, you have no business doing curls. What you want to do – exclusively – for the first 3 months are compound movements. Compound movements are those that involve more than one joint (and thus, recruit more than one muscle group). Why? You’ll burn more (more…)
Continue reading about The 19 Weight Training Must-Dos For Beginners – Part 1 of 2
Everyone seems to really like Tom’s posts so today I’m going to send you a link to a new article he wrote on his site.
Ever wonder what a champion bodybuilder – with an amazing physique – eats to promote both muscle growth and fat loss?
I bet a few of these things will surprise you.
http://budurl.com/burnthefatfoods
Even if you don’t think of yourself as a “bodybuilder”, you should check out his lists of top 10 foods.
What do you think? How closely do your eating habits match his? Come back and make a comment after you check it out.
Oh – and anyone who orders Tom’s book in the next 3 days will get a free copy of my new ebook Train Better To Gain More & Lose More ! Just email me your receipt and I’ll get you my ebook!
I’m coming to the realization that most of you are probably “settling” when it comes to your gym. If you belong to a commercial gym (like 24 Hour Fitness), then you have most equipment you need, but not everything.
Every hear of Bally’s? I had heard of it, but never worked out there until last week.
Most commercial gyms pretty much suck. Despite the high # of equipment, it’s often the wrong mix. Of course, they are better than hotel gyms.
But the environment of the commercial gym also stinks. The people surrounding you are doing the wrong thing, with the wrong attitude. And I’m a firm believer that to raise your level of performance in any activity (from parenting to training to career), you need to surround yourself with positive influences.
What to hear me rant? Read on. But most of you probably have better things to do than listen to me complain, so I’ll understand if you want to skip this one…
Oh, and did you hear about Solid Performance yet? It’s only $37 and includes Train Better To Gain More And Lose More for free! Just go to http://www.worldfitnessnetwork.com/more/solidperformance.html to (more…)
Continue reading about What Are The 3 Things You Wish Your Gym Had?
Here’s another exceptional article from Tom Venuto. You see, Tom understands that cardio plays a major role in having a fit, muscular physique as well as for your overall health. I sometimes sound like a broken record in saying that the guys who dismiss (more…)
Continue reading about 2 Cardio Mistakes You’re Still Making
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