Great Upper Body workout.. Less than 20 min

OK, so as a Personal Trainer, i get the fun job of, at times, just making up workouts for the people I train. usually they work well, occasionally they suck and i switch it up before they realize I just made it up, and then there are times like this morning, when i say... WOW, now that was good!

This Mornings upper body workout I gave my clients to do was so good in fact that i actually went right to the all new 24hr fitness at 5:30am to do it myself. and yes, It was that good.

Let me start by saying that my clients have asked that I give them 1 lower body workout, 1 upper body workout, and 1 core strength workout each week. I have 3 sessions, and it's at times difficult to get a full upper body workout in 30 minutes. Sometimes I need to get creative. Well this morning started out in my mind as a cold wet morning that i needed to keep them inside, and we would just do a few circuit workouts with machines etc. When i left the house at 4:45am... it was surprisingly warm for November. ( my truck said 68 degrees) so I thought. well, maybe we can go outside and do what I had planned with weights. on my 3 minute drive to the Fit Stop I concocted the following plan.

After their warm up I had them do the following:
20 reps of each of the following 3 exercises:
- Push up x20
- Chair dip x 20
- Overhead press (60lbs) x 20 - i had them pressing a 60lb bag of sand i did it with 30lb dumbbells in each hand at the gym

15 reps of the Same
- Push up x15
- Chair dip x 15
- Overhead press (60lbs) x 15

Then a 10 Set to end it
- Push up x10
- Chair dip x 10
- Overhead press (60lbs) x 10

I then had them grab 25 lb weights (I did mine with 30's find one that is comfortable and not too heavy)
- Alternating curls x15
- Single arm rows x 15
- Standing dumbbell flys x 15

Then a 12 rep Set of the Same weight and exercises
-Alternating curls x12
- Single arm rows x 12
- Standing dumbbell flys x 12

and finished with a 10 rep set.
- Alternating curls x10
- Single arm rows x 10
- Standing dumbbell flys x 10

That workout alone was enough to fire up the forearms, biceps, Triceps, Chest, and shoulders. with a small spark to the back from the light rows. and can be done quickly. i felt my arms pumping and swollen after i finished the workout.

At the end of this set, I still had some time to kill so I took them inside for some Seated Cable rows, machine curls (2 sets each one for 45 sec the other for 30 sec) and then Finished them off with a triceps blaster I learned from my cousin Fred about 15 yrs ago.

Grab a 30lb weight or more, lie flat on your back with your head at the end of a bench. grab the weight by the plate, and lower your Straight arms back behind you past your head and past parallel and back up. do 15 Reps of that, then 15 reps side to side with the weight bringing it down almost to your armpit and extend up almost to lockout but not quite (taking it to each side left and right counts as one) 15 reps there, and then simply press it off your chest straight up in the air until your arms give out.

It was nice to see them grabbing their forearms, triceps and shoulders after the workout.

ENJOY!

My Fave 5!

I thought I'd share with the world my personal 5 Favorite Exercises. These 5 exercises I typically do first in any workout, or they are the staple exercises I start with whenever i feel I need to get back to it. They each work different muscle groups, but are my favorite for different reasons. (I am not including any Cardio in this list)

#1: DIPS. I love Dips. Dips Dips Dips Dips... I love Dips. Shoulders, triceps, chest, core... This Love for dips probably started as a youth in gymnastics where we would do dips up and down the parrellel bars. Then continued into Junior High and High School where I would do them with a wife beater on and dangling weights. I remember watching the Spider Web forming in my chest while I did the dips... They work almost all of your upperbody as well as your core, to keep the correct Dipping position. - Yes. Dips are my #1 Favorite Exercise.

#2: Reverse Push Up, or Inverted Rows (using bench Bar on Squat rack Lie underneath and Pull yourself up to the bar at a 45 degree angle). this one is Very Difficult to do alot of... That's why i like it. you can do 3 sets of 12-15 and be SHOT! your chest, back, Arms... yes all of your arms, are completely spent. It's best if you have your legs completely out and keep your Core and body straight and in line. form is the key here. It hurts, is efficient in short #'s and works. and that's why I like it.

#3: Weighted Squat Explosion. It's more than just a squat or a jump.... you grab 10-25 lbs weights and hold them on your shoulder. Squat down with the weights still on the shoulder and then Explode upward and then when you get on your tippie toes, Jump and throw the weights as high and as fast as you can into the air (keep your grip on them of course) and then on the way back down... right back into the squat. It's an Explosive movement that works the front and backl of your legs, calves, butt, and then also the shoulders with the press. do them FAST with no rest in between for 12-15 reps. if you can do that easily with the weight.. add more weight.

#4: Bar Squat! Oldie and goodie. one of the best and most basic muscle builders there is. Even without too much weight, it's effectivness in toning the butt, and legs is unparellelled. Add on the weight and you have the sinlge best muscle building exercise out there. Plus there are many variations of the squat that are all effective in toning, shaping, and building. My personal favorite variotion is doing 10 regular squats then 10 qucik 12/ squats (bouncing really) fromthe down position, you never quite come all the way up, just let the thighs burn to a 10-15 count. try it.. you may not like it, but you'll definately feel it. The Squat is just a Classic old Fashioned kick your butt exercise.

#5: The Rocky Ab Blaster. This one was tough, is tough and kind of tough to explain. Watch Rocky 4 as Sly is getting ready for Drago! this scene happens during the pump up music and it's just amazing... he is lying on a picnin bench with his Hands behind him and gripping the bench. You can do this on the ground but you need to have something or someone heavier than you holding your hands down (I've found a nice couch or a door with your fingers under works as well) you lift your Legs all the way up to a vertical position and while arching your back a bit, you lower yourlegs to try and touch your toes (not your butt) to the floor, then back up. If you can do this you have a Rock solid core! It's not easy, but it's fun to try. As a way to increase the probability of accomplishing this exercise, I reccomend plank holds, and Hanging leg Raises to trenghten the core first.

What's your Favorite exercise????? let me know!

Help with Motivation

I've got a few websites that may help you find the race, or event that is right for you.

The first one i believe is the best site currently out there for finding races and events. they have all the info on the event, the links to the event Sites, and on 90% of them you can sign up right online.

http://www.active.com/

Whatever you are into... Flag football leagues, Running, Swimming, Triathlons, biking, soccer, team or individual sports, there is something for everyone.

They will display all the event in your area, and you can filter down by event type, date, etc.

Tip: If you Do want to sign up... Do it Early. and Set a reminder about the event. you'll save 4 on the initial sign up the earlier you sign up, and it will be a constant motivator to do something about it.

There are many other sites for workouts etc. I also suggest getting the daily newsletter from Mens Health Magazine. it's called the Mens Health daily Dose, and has all kinds of fun workouts and health tips... you do get quite a few "offers" but all in all i think it's worth it.

Here's another offer for you. It's 24hr fitness 30 Day Trial.. none of this 2 week pass Crap.
http://www.24hourfitness.com/PromoOfferHome.do?promoCode=ACTIVE

Now if you enjoy the facility and DO want to sign up... Do it at Costco.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11295243&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US&s=1

No initiation fee, no hidden costs, just $289 for a 2 Yr Membership. that's $12 a month! not too shabby! - Kids can be added for babysitting for $10 1st child, $5 each addtl.

I am not a salesperson for any of these, just giving you the best most cost efficient options if you do want to do something.

Motivation

What motivates you?

Motivation can mean so many different things to so many people. for intstance, My motivation for writing this post, came from someone asking me why I haven't updated this blog in a few days. (thank you... you know who you are)

It got my butt moving into my chair and my fingers on the keyboard, but what was the motivation behind getting me to act? was it "wow, there are people who actually look at this blog", or was it simply a reminder to me of what I was already planning to do? Or was it deeper than that, something that can't quite be explained, but it tugged at me in such a way that it made me act?

Well here i am... discussing motivation, so whatever it is... worked.

I'd like to invite anyone to share with me their own personal stories of motivation. what motivated you to do something about your health?

I'll share with you 3 different instances in my life that "motivated" me to make a change for the better.

Story #1: In my full time job, when i'm not obssesing about fitness, I am in Advertising. We do TV/Radio commercials and print ads, as well as media buying etc. (Full service Ad agency). I had a client who wanted "talent" or people in his commercial, but didn't want to pay a talent fee. That gets you "In house" talent. It was my client and the deadline was too close to get someone else, so I stepped up and was the "Talent" for the commercial. About 2 months later, I received a phone call from my mother. she said she had just gotten a call from my aunt Babe, who
I hadn't heard from in years. The phone call went something like this. "You tell that son of yours Jackson, that I saw him on TV and he's gotten really Fat!" Well the instant motivation was to go Eat and drink my weight in burritos and Taco Bell Sauce. But overall, it motivated me to get busy, hit the streets, weights, and lay off the boston creams, and lose some weight. Which I did, and was eager to film another commercial very soon after, in the hopes that my Aunt babe would see it, and retract her prior outburst. - I lost 20 lbs in 8 weeks with Chicken, Rice, excercise, and a little thing called Xenedrine. - Waht was the ultimate motivation? Was it really my Aunt Babe who no offense, I really didn't care how I looked to her, or was it deeper, and the an underlying feeling, that "does everyone think I've gotten fat?" If she noticed... why hasn't anyone lese said something about it? The momtivation came from the reality, that I ghad indeed porked up.

This photo wqas taken about the same time as that TV shoot.

Story #2: For me... one of the greatest motivators in my life is competition. So when my family decided to do our own version of "The Biggest Loser" I was in, and new I had a shot at winning. Even though i was already down about 20lbs from my heaviest point, I knew I had more to lose, and could really get into this. The Motivation was to me in it's purest form. Competition. In 12 weeks with Weekly weight ins (which helped with the motivation to stick with it. aka, accountability). We formed teams, had weekly prizes for weight loss, and 12 Weeks later, I was down 40 lbs, and looking good. It was a weight i hadn't seen since High School. My Family did another competition not one year later... i was no longer motivated by the competition, primarily becasue I knew i wouldn't win. I had kept off Most of the weight from the 1st biggest loser, and my motivation was severely hampered, by the fact, that I would lose. a Shot at winning brought motivation, the Exact same competition, without the ability to win, brought out no such feelings. Was the key, Losing weight, getting in shape, or was it beating my sibling and cousins, aka... Winning?

The 3rd story is an easy one for me to determine where the motivation came from. one of my good Friends Cory Driggs, invited me to sign up and train for my first ever Triathlon. this was back in January '03. So i did. i thought why not, I need an "excuse" to workout. So I paid the $120 fee for the triathlon, and got to it. We had 4 months to train for an Olympic Distance Triathlon, and we were both starting and basically zero. My first run took me less than a 1/2 mile before My lungs felt like exploding. Weel, after only 2 months in, my wife had our 2nd Child and that did not make things easier, but i more or less stuck with the program, becasue i had already spent the $120 on the registration, another $80 or so outfitting my Mountain bike with road tires, and otehr equipment, plus some decent triathlon clothing and good running shoes, I was in this first Triathlon at least $400-$500. That alon was enough motivation for me to continue training so i could finish. In this case the majority of the motivation came from $. Cash money honey, it makes the world go round, and can be highly mnotivating. That's why people who go to a personal trainier work out 3-4 times a week... They have already paid for the training. now simple Gym memberships i don't think fall into the same category. It's not a sginificant amount of money to make one feel bad if they miss and don't go. In fact the clubs are counting on you NOT using your membership.

My advice... sign up for something, Pay the Fee, a Race, a Tri, a Trainer, a boot camp, something that is out of the ordinary. Or invent your own time in creating things to use at your home. (more to follow on this topic soon)

It's sad that for even some of the more motivated out there, it takes an outside force of mitivation to get most of us off our butt and onto the track, or into the gym. but reality is most of us need it. so find a partner, be needed somewhere, or pay the fees up front to make sure you'll go.

motivation comes in all types, what we really want is to get to the point where the real motivationcomes from within...

Some times we need to create our own motivation first, to see the results and what can happen when we stick to something "Fake it to make it".

It gets easier to motivate yourself, when the results have already made an impact in your life.

Story #3:

Great Overall Fitness Advice

Jack Lalane is one of the Greatest Fitness minds of the 20th Century.

My all time favorite fitness advice he gave was when he compared Fitness to being a Kingdom.

He said, as I paraphrase: If Fitness were a Kingdom, Nutrition would be King, Core Strength his Queen and Endurance and Cardio would make up the Princes and Princesses.

Nutrition is definitely the Building block of total Overall Fitness. You can work out and be in Shape, but not eat right, and it hinders your results. (Hence the whole "Fat But Fit" Title of this blog.) This is my greatest weakness. There are times when I work SO hard at my physical goals, but my nutrition and my workouts are working against one another. It's only when I am putting the right types, and portions of food into my body combined with the workouts, that I achieve my best results. It is a constant Battle. I tend to eat better throughout the day, on the days I work out, but tend to splurge, on either off days, or days when I did not make the time to exercise.

I've thought of a few key components to help with nutritional goals. It a simple plan that if followed even moderately, will lead to increased health, and overall better nutrition.

#1: Eat More Vegetables. (Specifically Dark Greens, Broccoli, spinach, asparagus, etc)

#2: Eat More Protein. (Not just more Red meat, but more overall Protein, Soy, Whey, Fish, tuna, Chicken, Nuts, shakes etc.)

#3: Drink More Water - It's natures perfect Flushing Liquid for our bodies.

Before I get to the final Step... let me just say that by eating MORE of these things... it leaves less room for the other crap we feed ourselves. It can work on two fronts... better overall Nutrition, and less Caloric intake.

#4: Limit or Substitute things that are white. White flour, breads, potatoes, rice, Sugar etc. (Milk does not apply here) Not saying you need to cut it out completely, but just limiting what you are bringing in, but even substituting for a better choice. (Brown rice, Sweet potatoes, wheat etc. ) there are always healthy tasty substitutes.

CORE Strength requires Core body workouts, Focusing on the Abdominals, Olbliques, Lower Back, Hipsa dn legs. most of the power we generate from our bdy in typical sporting events is generated by our CORE beginning in the Hips.butt, and then throughout the Body. the CORE is the foundation and the SUPPORT group of your Body.

Cardio and Endurance, like princess and prinncesses help sustain the Body in the future. You can be strong without endurance, but I'd like to see you apply that strength in real life situations, wtihout the endurance. you will fall behind, and fall short of those who may be physically less strong, but can sustain those muscles for a longer period of time. Think of it as having to Move a HUGE pile of Rock from one site to another. sure the Stronger man may be able to move larger boulders initially, but will soon tire ad be overcome with exhaution. While the one with Endurance may be initally moving less weight, but the pile wuickly erodes with constant effort.

I've been on both sides of this example, and have lived both examples... believe me when i say, I'd highly prefer being the 2nd guy...

I like to Add one thing to Mr Jack Lalanes analogy to the Kingdom.. .and that is What makes a Kingdom function and Great? It is the WORK done by the peasants and subject, the taxes they pay etc.

Create Goals and FOCUS.

Remember it's Consistency and Intensity of which you attack your goals that determines if and how soon you achieve them.

Again... Consistency and Intensity.

More on Goals and Intensity later.

Different stages of my Fitness Life

Early Years of Marriage were not kind to me. Balooned from 185 on wedding day to over 210 in just 2 yrs. January 2000



















'03 Christmas Picture. My 2nd worst photo I've ever taken Up around the 225lb range.

















Guffy's Mission Farewell '03 just started losing weight (low 220's)... (I'm the full faced one on the right)















After 2 Yrs of Triathlons, in 2004 at Newport Beach i was still not quite where I wanted to be. Around 215.

















After our Families 1st biggest Loser contest (June '06) I lost 41lbs in 12 weeks - Down to a Post Mission low of 181lbs. I was fast, but not very strong... Lost too much weight to fast to keep muscle.












Nov. '06 Pros vs Joes Seasonn 2 1st Show Taping.. put on about 10 lbs of muscle to 190lbs. Where I feel Most confortbale, Strongest, Fasted and overall peak Fitness.























Feeling Good (looking pretty good I might Ad, especially next to my hot Wife in Nov of '07. Still under the 200lb mark, and ready for American Gladiators

























My 31st B-Day... April '08. (My oldest and I share that day) Had some Knee problems and cut way back on Cardio.. and No Tri's this year. Back to 205lbs. Need to get back under 200lbs. I'm working on that!

200lb Standing Back Tuck

A quick video of the standing Back Tuck...
Taken at Pros vs Joes Season 2 Taping
5'10-200lbs

BASIC IN HOME WORKOUT-NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED

BEGINNER 100: Do 1-2 Sets 2-3 x per week.
- 15 Prisoner Squats (hands behind head)

- 15 Pushups- 10 Jumps (Squat – Then Explode and bring the knees up)

- 5 Chin-ups/Pull-ups. (Or handstand pushups)

- 20 Forward Lunges (10 Each Leg)

- 15 Close-Grip Pushups
- 20 Sit Ups/Crunches

INTERMEDIATE 200: Do 1 Set 2-3 x per week
- 25 Prisoner Squats (Hand behind the head)

- 25 Pushups

- 20 Squat Jumps

- 20 Step-Ups (10 each leg)

- 10 Pull-ups or handstand pushups

- 30 Forward Lunges (15 each leg)

- 20 Close-Grip Pushups

- 25 Squats
- 25 Sit Ups/Crunches

ADVANCED 350: Do 1 Set 2 x per week
- 40 Prisoner Squats

- 40 Pushups

- 20 Jumps

- 25 Sit Ups/Crunches

- 40 Step-Ups (20 each leg)

- 10 Pull-ups Or hand Stand pushups

- 40 Forward Lunges (20 each leg)

- 40 Close-Grip Pushups

- 20 Inverted Rows (using bench Bar on Squat rack Lie underneath and Pull yourself up to the bar at a 45 degree angle)

- 40 Squats

- 10 Chin-ups Or hand Stand pushups
- 25 Sit Ups/Crunches

HARD CORE 500: Do one set… 30 min or less 2 x per week.
- 50 Prisoner Squats

- 50 Pushups

- 25 Jumps

- 25 Sit Ups/Crunches
- 20 Jackknifes (Lay on back or bench with hands behind head, bring legs and elbows together in a crunch motion)

- 50 Step-Ups (25 per leg)

- 15 Pull-ups Or hand Stand pushups

- 50 Forward Lunges (25 Per Leg)

- 50 Close-Grip Pushups

- 50 Inverted Rows

- 50 Squats

- 15 Pull-ups Or hand Stand pushups
- 50 Sit Ups/Crunches

Weight is not the only guage of Physical Fitness

Check out the Dude in the Background.. he thought it was So Funny.

Over the years I have definitely struggled with weight. from being a chubby kid until I found wrestling in Jr high School, to ballooning to over 235lbs after marriage, kids and inactivity. one thing I've always tried to maintain is some type of overall fitness.

If that meant playing weekly softball games, or "Weekend warrior" type tournaments or activities, to just getting fed up and going for it all in an Olympic triathlon, I decided early on to lot let my genetic make-up hinder my own fun, fitness, and goals.

The pictures are of the finish line of one of the first Triathlons I competed in back in 2003. I was doing great after the swim and bike, but because of the extra weight I carry, the run has always slowed me down a bit. Well, when i saw this skinny, fit, speedo wearing kid come up from behind me to "beat the fat guy" i wanted no part of it. i was not going to let him lose. We sprinted for about 70 yards down the finish line... The crowd erupted at the race, and cheered us both on. And the "Fat but Fit" one out on this race. I had the speed, and strength but never the endurance. So who is more "Fit"? not so easy to come up the answer is it?