Get in the best shape of your life.

The ultimate goal of any athlete is to increase athletic performance. For many this means increasing both your overall and specific strength while simultaneously increasing your speed. While this seems like an achievable task, logic would dictate that you cannot achieve your full potential in both categories simultaneously. The bigger you become the slower you become, naturally. What is meant by this is that the bigger your body becomes the more your potential for top end speed drops. This is an unavoidable fact of life, or is it?

Before you hit the weight room you must discern what goals you desire to reach. You will hear a lot of weight room talk about “do so many reps for bulk” and “do so many reps for tone.” These are important things to consider, but they are, by no means, the only questions you need to ask yourself. “Do I want to put on size? Do I want to increase my speed and acceleration? Do I want to lose body fat?” These are all important things to consider, but I’m only going to focus on training for speed and training for size.

When training for size, what most people tell you in the gym tends to be true. If you do 8-12 reps of all of your lifts then you gain strength and bulk. If you pyramid your weights (increasing your resistance every set) you will get pretty big. These are both true. When you are training for size, and that is your only concern, then hitting the weight room, isolating your muscle groups rather than doing more than one muscle at a time, and throwing in some isometric (without movement) workouts will allow you to work your muscles to their full potential each and every session.

When training for speed your regimen is dramatically different. Instead of doing the typical weight room resistance training you will find yourself doing more endurance training with light weights. When training for speed all of your movements are fast and with little focus on form. Speed is the name of the game (go figure). The purpose of training with speed is to engage the quick twitch muscle fibers that control muscle acceleration and how fast you move. These are your reflexes in other words. The more built your quick twitch muscle fiber the faster you will be. And again, speed is achieved by training fast. If you train fast, you’ll be fast!

Now, there are ways to increase both your size and your speed simultaneously, however the logic that you cannot increase both to their full potential still applies. The secret technique that you will not hear from very many people in the gym is that you should train as if you are attempting to put on size with one slight modification. You want to explode through all of your lifts. I insist that you continue doing slow negatives through all of your lifts, but when contracting your muscles, explode through the lift (contract your muscles as quickly as you can).

This one adjustment to your lifts will usher in a new level of athleticism and will allow you to achieve both size and speed. If I had to choose between training for speed or training for size, I would choose size. Nothing personal to all of you people who train for speed, but I very much like being a big guy! Size wins this debate!

[ Photo : Myspace ]

The week passed by so quickly that I almost forgot to jot down any notes after my workouts (I jot down notes on how the workout made me feel so that you lovely folks get accurate information). With Mardi Gras, the beginning of Lent, and promotions I’ve been entirely too busy. However, where there is a will there is a way.

The workout as a whole went without much of a hitch. I did have one scary moment when I tripped and fell during Tuesday’s Plyometrics workout. I paused my workout and sat still staring at my ankle praying that I didn’t injure it again. Lucky for me, everything is 100% and I was even able to go for a fairly comfortable run after my workout. I wouldn’t suggest doing this after doing Plyometrics. The heart and the cardiovascular system were willing, but the legs just kept giving out. Also, I’ve noticed the flexibility in my legs is tremendous to where it was before I started the P90X program. It’s a wonderful thing!

Anything having to do with my upper body is usually a cake walk. I have noticed that my biceps are developing nicely. All of that extra concentration and attention has been paying off. I have found, however, that my back, more specifically my lats, have not been developing since the first weeks. It hadn’t occurred to me until this past week that my back may, in fact, be a weak point that needs to be addressed. The two largest muscles in the body are in the back and for some reason I never noticed that mine were lacking. I’ve recently resolved to spend more of my spare time doing pull-ups which should help increase my overall athleticism as well as helping me develop that “v-shape” that everyone desires.

I also wanted to point out that this past week was unnaturally busy for myself. I ran on little sleep, worked myself too much, and had very little time to even breathe, yet, I still found time for my all of my workouts. An inspiration of mine is Arnold Schwarzenegger. In his book “Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” he discusses how, while in the Austrian army, he would wake up earlier than everyone else just so he could lift weights. He makes a point that if he can be that busy and still find time then you should never have an excuse for not working out. This was how my week felt and I simply wanted to pass that bit of inspiration and knowledge on to you. If you are serious about your fitness and workout regimen then you will find the time and I encourage you to do just that. Find the time regardless of your circumstances.

Still trying to decide what the next set of trials is going to be. If you have any suggestions please let us know in the comment section!

The P90X cycle is winding down and I’ve been finding it easier to get motivated for the daily routines knowing that it’s almost over. Not that I’m looking forward to the end of the training, but knowing that I’ve almost completed it is the driving motivation. I plan on keeping some of these workouts for my personal use in the future, but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to stepping foot in the gym/weight room on a daily basis again.

Week 10 went by as smoothly as can be expected. I was doing the second rotation of the workout schedule and it felt like I breezed through it without much thought. Tuesday (Plyos) is still kicking my butt, however, I think I’m getting over my fear of injuring my ankle again. I found that I can go for longer without having to take a moment to make sure my ankle was doing fine. I did notice that if you start missing certain days, like I had to during my recovery, it seems like it sets you back quite a ways where Plyos are concerned. My legs have always been a weak point and I believe that the Plyos workout is simply making me realize what potential exists there and that I need to start weak-point training immediately to bring them up to speed with my upper body.

My upper body felt great as usual. I’ve never been a big fan of doing all of your pushing muscles on one day and your pulling muscles on another day, however it hasn’t slowed the momentum of my strength and muscular endurance growth. I suppose Tony Horton would know better than I would about muscle confusion, but I’m just not a fan. I have found that I also need to keep weak-point training my biceps. I have large triceps, shoulders, and chest with tiny biceps. This is a result of training for sports and being told that the biceps had no function in “real” sports. So, I have years of neglect to make up for, however I am showing some nice results with the P90X Back/Bicep day because it allows me to focus and burn out my biceps. Perhaps I should start listening to Mr. Horton more often…

Now, on a side note, the trials are coming to an end and that will leave me open for some new ideas. So, I need you FMF readers out there to suggest some new routines for me. Perhaps I could go Vegan for 1 month and report weekly how that affects my health? Perhaps I get the new Insanity workout and update you weekly? Regardless of how silly your ideas may seem, I want to hear them. So, go ahead and comment below with your suggestions and I’ll be sure to let you know which I’ll be trying for the next trial run. Hope everyone had a good Valentine’s day/Chinese New Year/Oregon’s birthday on Sunday.

For centuries mankind has been training using a plethora of  methods for various tasks and competitions. The Greeks would test their mettle by going into the wilderness alone and hunting dangerous beasts. During the dark ages knights would practice by donning battle armor and using no lethal blows during sparring sessions. Nearing the end of the 1900’s weight training became popular among the masses and quickly replaced (not completely) “practical” practice methods. As our knowledge of our bodies develops so, too, does our understanding of how we can train them to be optimally efficient. Every day we are learning new techniques to further our individualized goals of fitness and health. Even better, we are passing these techniques onto the next generation so that they too may benefit from our knowledge while discovering techniques of their own. Today, I pass on to you the “90 Degree Portal.”

When most people walk into the gym they are overwhelmed by all of the sights and sounds. There are so many different techniques for every possible lift, how is anyone to know which technique is right for them? It’s all based around what you believe in your weight room philosophy, however, all gym goers understand that the goal is to maximize results while minimizing injuries. This is where the 90 Degree Portal steps in.

For many people, the bench press is a very basic technique: Touch the bar to your chest and push the bar up. Easy as pie. However, the correct form you would like to train your body to adapt is to lower the bar until your forearms and upper arms form a 90 degree angle. At first you will notice this is a bit harder than going all the way down to your chest simply because this nullifies all momentum. You must stop and change directions without bouncing the bar which causes you to use your muscles completely as well as your “helper” muscles. Now, the reason this is the correct form you’ll want to have is because that last inch from 90 degrees to your chest does almost nothing for your results, but it can severely injure the tendons in your shoulders and elbows. Anyone who has had a shoulder injury will understand why the 90 Degree method applies here.

The 90 Degree Portal doesn’t apply to all lifts, however, there are many out there that it does apply to. For instance, when you are doing squats, it is a HORRIBLE idea to go as low as you can go (see picture above). You can easily blow out your knees and have irreparable damage done. During a squat motion you will want to go down until your hamstrings (not your quads) are parallel with the floor (this will form a 90 degree angle between your shins and your hamstrings). Another applicable lift would be tricep pulldowns (also applies to tricep extensions, kickbacks, etc). After you fully extend your triceps you will begin your negative and you’ll want to stop at a 90 degree angle (formed between your forearms and uppers arms). Continuing a full negative until your hands are almost at your shoulders will allow you to use momentum during your lift as well as damage the tendons around your elbows (do you see a pattern forming here?).

As a general rule of thumb I tell my clients that if it is a pushing muscle (chest, legs, triceps, shoulders, calves, etc) that you should always be concerned and focused that you do not let your negative go beyond the 90 Degree angle so that you can maximize your results and minimize your injuries. That is, after all, what we are trying to accomplish in the gym, is it not?

[ Photo : No Excuses ]

We have finally reached the home stretch of the P90X trials! 4 weeks of hard workouts and 1 week of recovery and I will have reached the mountain top. I will peak below at the vast landscape that I have traversed and it will be good!

I had to give myself a bit of a motivational speech. I find that as the weeks wear on and my body wears down that I need to find sources of inspiration wherever I can. Even if that means an inspirational rant on the blog!

Week 9 went off without a hitch. This week consisted of the first rotation of the workout cycle where next week will contain the second cycle. All of the upper body workouts, including the ab workout, have become very standard and almost too easy. I felt as if I was just going through the motions. My upper body has always been strong, so it’s no surprise that I’ve reached this point. I feel that I must find some way to increase the intensity of my workouts or I will become bored. I’m still pushing myself but find that rather than the burning sensation that comes from tiring your muscles I’ve reached the point where my muscles feel fine until I reach the repetition where they just give out completely. It’s an odd feeling, but I’ve dealt with it before. It’s like reaching a plateau: You simply must find a way to mix it up a bit in order to continue muscle growth.

My lower body during Week 9 is a very different story. I barely made it through the Plyometrics workout on Tuesday. I have never been so happy to see a Wednesday in my life. Friday was no picnic either. I found my legs uncontrollably shaky during a routine that, before my ankle injury, I could have done without much trouble.  While I don’t attribute this lack of development directly to my ankle I do attribute it to the fact that I had to discontinue lower body routines for 4 weeks. The lower body has never been my strongest attribute, however I am no slouch. In order to make great gains in your legs you must push yourself as hard as you can and I intend to do just that. I will get back to form within the next week.

With all things said and done this week was a success. I can feel myself regaining strength and trust in my ankle which is a relief although there are still some remnants of pain when pushing myself TOO hard. I decided not to stretch on Sunday because it was the Superbowl and instead decided to partake in the American ritual of overeating and drinking! I’ve been quite good about my diet and decided that 1 day of debauchery couldn’t hurt! This is Kyle signing off. Who dat say dem Saints can’t win a Superbowl!?!

I would first like to begin by thanking the P90X gods for giving me this recovery week. After having 4 weeks of mild and limited exercising followed up by throwing myself back into the groove, I’m thankful that the second recovery week has fallen where it has.

After Week 7 (Week 1 Part 2) I found my legs and flexibility quite taxed amongst other things. I found the Recovery week challenging in a different way, but one where I could sustain myself without feeling completely drained. I can’t give enough praise to Tony Horton for coming up with the Core Synergistics workout. It’s fascinating, challenging, and quickly paced for something that is only used during the Recovery weeks. This single workout makes me look forward to the recovery weeks based on two solid principles: You can work yourself as hard as you want during this workout and you engage so many different muscles at the same time.

For those who know much about my fitness they understand that I adhere to the philosophy of intense training while isolating muscle groups. I love a good weight room. Core Synergistics is not a workout that “thinks” like me. It actually adheres to a multi-function and core philosophy for overall fitness. It’s as if we are putting together the same puzzle, attempting to get to the same end, but using two different ways to get there. I look at one piece at a time while Core Synergistics “looks” at the puzzle as a whole. Neither is a bad way to look at the puzzle and neither is a “better” way of fitness, but it may be better for different people. Remember, neither is an incorrect way of reaching their goal, but it’s what speaks to you on a personal and spiritual level.

As for the rest of the Recovery Week, it was like a good stretch, good, easy, and only a slight discomfort. Yoga, I believe, will continue to push my fitness level for years to come. I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to or dreading the day when yoga gets easy for me. I’m afraid that when yoga becomes so routine and easy for me that hell may certainly freeze over while pigs fly overhead. I just keep telling myself that yoga is kinetic meditation and I find myself actively and subconsciously paying a deeper attention to the strains on my body. Perhaps Zen is not so far off?

The rest of the week consisted of stretching and the cardio workouts which, even in my time off, have become too easy to really write about (except for the fact that they are easy). Week 9 is bringing back the very first week from the workout. The next 4 weeks are actually alternating between Weeks 1-3 and Weeks 5-7 every other week. Should be a ton of fun with all the muscle confusion going on here. Last rotation and we bring this P90X experience to an end…or do we?

It’s a great feeling to know that I’m back on track with the P90X regimen after spending so much time sidelined with an injury.

I’m back, though! I’m not quite fully back into the swing of things, but that will come in time. The easiest parts of the week were, of course, anything having to do with the upper body. I could fully train my upper body while I was limited with leg exercises, so this was to be expected. Yoga has once again resumed kicking my butt (who didn’t see that one coming?), however the flexibility in my upper body has begun to astound me.

Years of not stretching has led to a severe decrease in my range of motion and flexibility and I am just now starting to see the signs of it all returning. This leads me to believe that two things are happening simultaneously: My muscles are gaining flexibility and my muscles are actually losing mass. Neither of these are unexpected or viewed as negative from where I stand. I’ve always been a big weight lifter and always had a lot of upper body mass. I’ve also realized that, for me, my passion is no longer to see how big I can get, but to live a healthy, active, and fit lifestyle, which, I decided 8 months ago, would mean a loss in muscle mass. The P90X program is simply keeping my muscles strong and creating a toner, slimmer, and (dare I say it?) sexier me. So, I realize I may be the only one, but I’m glad to see smaller muscles.

Now, my biceps have increased in size and my shoulders and triceps have reduced their size but maintained their strength. My chest has gotten a little smaller but I still maintain a high bench press max (315lbs) so, I’ll sacrifice that little strength dip for overall fitness, flexibility, and agility.

My legs for this week are a completely different story. My ankle stayed strong and seems to be well on it’s way to being back to it’s old ways, however, my legs have taken some time off since their last full training session. Plyometrics didn’t kill me aerobically as I thought it would, but my legs felt like they were going to give out at any moment. I’m actually quite thankful this coming week is a Recovery Week. It will give me time to get my legs back in training shape. Also, I have lost quite a bit of flexibility in my hamstrings from a lack of full on stretching due to my ankle injury.

Aside from those updates is seems that everything is in full swing to wrap this bad boy up, provided there are no more freak injuries. I do find my mental state about my ankle more daunting than the physical state of my ankle. I’m very afraid of pushing my ankle although I know my ankle can handle more. It’s just a mental block that I’ll update you more on in the next post. Bring on the Recovery Week!

If you are like me, you find warming up to be a pointless and useless practice. Who needs to warm up before working out? Working out IS a warm up. Warming up is nothing but a time waster for those who can’t just jump right into their workout, right?

None of this is true. Warming up and, consequently, cooling down could be the most important part of your workouts. Raising the body temperature so that your muscles are warm and the blood is circulating, dynamic/ballistic stretching to reduce muscle soreness, static stretching to help prevent injury, and specific preparation drills are all key components to a healthy workout session.

For years this concept of warming up alluded me. Although I did warm ups for both track and football, I only did it because I was required to. The purpose of warming up never quite stuck in my brain housing group. I’ve been told numerous times that stretching prevents injury. I’ve never been injured for a lack of warming up. “You’ll make bigger weight gains,” they said. I bench press 315 pounds and squat close to 450. I’m big enough. What could warming up possibly do for me? Then as my training progressed into all around and holistic fitness, instead of just hitting the weight room, I noticed my musculature change. With the bigger muscles came more restricted movement and eventually limited range of motion. Things that I could do in my sleep soon became the most difficult things I’ve ever attempted in my fitness career. If only I had warmed up and stretched…

Now, for me this is the most important reason to warm up. Regaining my flexibility, range of motion, and elongating my muscles. The true importance behind warming up is exactly what everyone tells you. You do 5-10 of cardio to elevate your temperature and get the blood flowing in order to maximize your stretching capacity. You do both ballistic and static stretches in order to prevent injury, elongate you muscles, maintain flexibility (you never realize how important flexibility is until you don’t have it anymore), and to insure an efficient workout session. You do you specific preparation drills in order to fully warm up your incorporated muscles.

Take it from a guy who, for years, would walk into a weight room and just start lifting cold. Don’t. You may be able to bench press more than a minivan, but you won’t be able to lift your arms up to put on your shirt (never had that problem, but who knows how bad it could have gotten). So, get out there, warm up, stretch, and have a safe and productive workout!

[Photo : FitnessNYC]

I am firmly confident when I say that this was the last week I will be stalling for time before continuing on in the battle that is P90X. I feel as if I have fallen so far from my regular routine that it may be difficult to start back into it again, however I will forge ahead. Week 7 will be starting today!

The Week 6.4 update is about as bland as it can get. Rather than doing the typical workouts I’ve adapted so that my ankle can heal, I took the entire week off. I figured rather than lifting weights and continuing to put stress on my ankle I would simply give it a week of just being stress free (aside from walking around, etc). I spent the week stretching and continuing my abdominal development while focusing on my meditation technique and refining it. This has allowed me to recharge my battery and to refocus my energies for the upcoming week that, I think, may be quite difficult.

Now, taking the week off was probably the most heart-wrenching and painful thing I’ve done recently. I’ve only missed 1 of each different type of workout, but it feels like an eternity since I’ve worked out. If you ever have the opportunity to take a week off from all forms of fitness, don’t. Simply reduce your weekly workout to a bare minimum, but don’t stop all things for an entire week. If you are in a body cast with one arm free, do some curls. I kid, of course, but I feel that the sentiment is all the same. Regardless of what you are doing, you are at least doing something! And that is more than nothing at all.

So, if you are relaxing this week, go out for a brisk walk. Go enjoy some time goofing off in the pool. Do some push-ups. This is a lifestyle, not a passing fad. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!

One of the biggest problems I’ve discovered when helping people reach their fitness goals is that those goals are either superficial, too broad, or unknown. One of the first things I tell anyone who is looking to change their lifestyle to a more fit one is to sit down and write out their fitness goals. I realize this may seem very rudimentary, but you would be surprised how many people don’t fully understand what it is they are trying to achieve. This simple step can keep you motivated through your workout regimen and can be the difference in burning out after 6 weeks or maintaining good health for a lifetime.

First and foremost, I don’t want to promote maintaining your goals and then slacking off or stopping once they are achieved. I wish to promote a lifestyle change while knowing what it is you wish to achieve. Like most things in life, if you have an end goal in mind you are more likely to achieve it. Also, like life, once you reach your “Point B” in fitness, it’s time to make another goal. The first thing you have to decide is what level of fitness you wish to achieve  (also note that you should take genetics into account. I wish to be 6′4″, but that’s not going to happen in this lifetime). Do you wish to add size to your frame? Do you desire tone? Do you want to be more explosive athletically? Do you simply want to be able to brush your teeth without your belly shaking like a bowl full of jelly? These are all legitimate starting goals. Go on. Write yours down. I’ll be waiting right here.

Now, the second thing you must do is clearly define the steps to these goals. When I was in sports I wished to put on size and be more explosive athletically. I clearly defined month by month and week by week how I would go about achieving these goals. I wrote down what I needed to consume on a monthly basis in order to put on size (rule of thumb is that you can’t put on what you don’t put in), the workouts I needed to maintain in order to put on size and be explosive (there is a simple technique that can allow you achieve both during the same workout that I will discuss another time), and how much I needed to stretch to avoid injury. These “mini goals” should be written down on a week by week, if not a day by day, basis.

Finally, you should make sure that your fitness goals are quantifiable in some way. You can’t simply say, “I wish to be more explosive athletically.” What does that mean? How do you know you’ve achieved that? The answer is to make sure you have quantifiable data to help support your goals. If your vertical leap increased by 7 inches, it’s safe to say you are moving in the right direction.  If you wanted to put on size then give yourself weight room goals and measurement goals (measuring parts of your body, of course). Once you have quantifiable data to help support your achievements, motivation is simply an after thought.

Now, remember, write down your goals, clearly define the steps to achieve those goals, and make sure you can assess your development in a quantifiable manner. Once you achieve your goals, it’s time to start a new list. And this is how you develop a healthy and fit lifestyle!

Note: Keep these list somewhere that you can see them daily. It will help remind you what you wish to achieve!

[ Photo : Artslink ]