I did swimming and skiing since I could walk, got my first personal trainer in weights when I was 13, played water polo through high school and did MMA, boxing, and bodybuilding through college.
I have experience adapting to new techniques, overcoming "plateaus", studying everything from Bruce Lee's training journals to Arnold Schwarzenegger's bicept curl techniques (supinate past 90 degrees!). I like to integrate advice from my personal encounters with trainers and physical therapists that i've spoke with over the years, who passed on their knowledge to us.
On the other hand I have been injured and sick. I've accumulated concussions from skiing and sports (I kept my old helmet, on the ski team we kept them as trophies; at the end of the year every big dent on it we would jokingly call a "kill", or "big tree"). Water polo is fun, but swimming head up all day and throwing balls as fast as you can at odd angles is a death sentence for rotator cuffs. I know what it's like to come back out of shape and aching; To show up at 7am and leave at 5, and the pain to head straight to a gym while starving.
On the other hand I have been injured and sick. I've accumulated concussions from skiing and sports (I kept my old helmet, on the ski team we kept them as trophies; at the end of the year every big dent on it we would jokingly call a "kill", or "big tree"). Water polo is fun, but swimming head up all day and throwing balls as fast as you can at odd angles is a death sentence for rotator cuffs. I know what it's like to come back out of shape and aching; To show up at 7am and leave at 5, and the pain to head straight to a gym while starving.
We get a ton of bad advice, incompetent trainers, and bad role models who speak as a "guru" on a particular subject.
Below, I compiled some of my favorite additions to basic weight lifting to incorporate and excite your routine. These will help stimulate your fast twitch muscle fibers, strengthen tendons and bones, and ideally keep your endocrine system in check.
Some Key Advice:
1. Volume + Intensity determine the efficacy of the workout. If you want to hit chest, it's best to chose 3-5 major exercises for the chest, and do 10 reps back to back to back (superset) on all 3-5 of those exercises. You will be winded, exhausted, likely need to lower the weight in order to achieve around that 10 rep mark (you want to feel like you hardly can do another when you hit 8-9, but you need to at least do 8 with perfect form otherwise the weight is too heavy.) Rest 3-5 minutes, then repeat. And then repeat again. Start off with lighter sets for the first 3 rounds, this will take around 15 minutes. Now start gradually adding weight, after about 5-7 sets, start taking off weights. 10 sets is about your goal. Keep the intensity UP if you plan on inducing hypertrophy in your type II muscle fibers and want to get great results after 8 weeks, and transform by 12.
2.Diet: You need to consume the correct amount of carbs, fats, and proteins. Don't worry about supplements, just eat clean as you are willing to. More colors the better, and whatever you do stay away from hydrogenated oils or trans fats. Your body doesn't have the enzyme to break them down and they are stored as fat/cellulite. If you want to splurge, get a hamburger (less cheese less sauce the better), and if you have a sweet tooth like me, greek yogurt mixed with chocolate protein powder topped with blueberries is a great snack. Or dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa content. Drink a big glass of water with your dessert, it will satiate you better.
3.Alcohol: You cannot look good and be a big drinker on weekends, you have to sacrifice somewhere to make the calories work and keep your metabolism rate high.
1. Swim (build lean muscle)
2. Kettlebell Training
Recent studies found kettle bell training to be as effective as squats, and that means this activates your quads effectively enough to cause full body muscle growth (release of HGH), full body, lot of core doing these makes ab exercises like crunches obsolete. Work full body and you don't need to isolate your abs. These get you cut but build strong dense muscle, for women it simple gets you cut and lean.
3. TRX
4. Resistance Band Training
5. Versa-Climber
Screw elliptical machines and treadmills, spend ten minutes on this thing and tell me tomorrow you aren't sore. |