Train LIke a Man!

Our country is facing a health crisis, and I'm not talking about obesity. It's time for men to start training like men.

Train Like a Man! by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Eat Like It's Your Job

I want to get big. Plain and simple. Right now I'm at about 228 and I want to get up to 240. Why? I don't really know why, I just know that I want to be there. I feel like at that weight I will have a more massive physique and I will be stronger. Will I be able to move better? Depends if my power output and relative strength are able to keep up with the mass increase. Will I be healthier? Eh, maybe, maybe not. Depends what I have to do to get to 240 and how well my frame can become acclimated to carrying around a roughly 5% increase in weight.

I don't know much about what life will be like once I get there, but I know that to get there I will have to eat disgusting amounts of food to the point of being regularly uncomfortable. Is it worth it? Right now it seems that way.

If you are trying to put on mass I'm not going to ask what you are doing in the weight room. I want to know what your nutrition is like. I want to know that you are eating like it's your job. For high school kids whose football scholarship aspirations fall on their ability to gain weight, they literally have to treat eating like another workout. That's just the way it is for a hard-gainer. Granted, eating correctly for your metabolic type will certainly help, but I hope you like calories because a ton of them will be heading your way.

So that's my advice. Want to get big? Eat like it's your job.

Get big or die tryin'.

Why You Need More Power

Tired of moving at a snail's pace? Maybe you should stop training at one.

Why You Need More Power by Kasey Esser

Get big or die tryin'.

This Past Week (3/20-3/26)

This past week was my deload week for SMS^2.3. This week was much-needed as I could tell I was getting fatigued on a daily basis from a combination of sickness, work, and an intense training phase. Sunday I squatted, Monday I benched, Wednesday I deadlifted, and Friday I had my circuits. I did my deload week plyos on Tuesday and took Thursday completely off from training. Saturday I started the final weekend of my MAT Jumpstart classes.

Overall it was a very good week. Things at worked have been picking up as of late, so the more relaxed training schedule was a welcomed change. I definitely felt recovered by the end of the week as well. My RHR had dropped down significantly, down to the high-40's. Even though that is still higher than normal for me, I was up as high as the mid-60's at one point during this phase.

Next week The Source is coming out and with it will be workouts of the week. If you haven't done so already, make sure to sign up to be on my mailing list so you can receive both my newsletter and new workouts every week!

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 7

Cratos 3

3 Circuits of 3 exercises, 3 minutes in length. Rest one minute in between, like boxing. Repeat each circuit 3 times before moving on to the next.

A1) Plate/Sled Pushes

A2) Farmer Walks

A3) Med Ball Squat Press & Sprint

B1) Plate/Sled Drags

B2) Kettle Bell Swings

B3) Boxing

C1) Jump Rope

C2) Sledgehammer Slams

C3) Tire Flips

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 6

Step Off of the Treadmill

The only treadmills that will be allowed in Self Made will be used for sprint work or recovery work. I am so sick of seeing people tell me that they are going to get their cardio in by staying on the treadmill for 30 minutes while they zone out for an entire TV program. If you are that bored with your cardio routine that you have to watch the news or re-runs to pass the time, you are in serious need of a cardio overhaul. Stimulate your mind and your metabolism with these alternative forms of conditioning:

• Plate pushes
• Battling ropes
• TRX circuits
• Body weight circuits
• Kettle bells
  
• Jump rope
  

All of these should be done in a high-intensity fashion, going for a 1:1 to 1:2 work:rest ratio. That means if you jump rope all-out for 30 seconds each set, rest 30-60 seconds between sets. As your stamina and recovery time improves you can use a 2:1 work:rest ratio. If done at the correct intensity, you could easily burn three times the calories in half the time using these methods. That's a training session that's six times more effective. Boom.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 5

This Past Week (3/13-3/19)

This past week was my heavy fours week for SMS^2.3. Time-wise, it was a much better week than the week before. I also finally figured out the circuit I wanted to use for Day 4, just in time to deload haha. Monday I squatted, Tuesday I benched, Thursday I deadlifted, and Friday I had circuits. I also did plyos on Wednesday this week. I didn't have any SMF after my lifts because I was still feeling pretty crappy from my cold.

Outside of the gym I read a lot and watched DVD's put out by Parisi Speed School and TRX. I also began planning weekly workouts that I will be sending to the members of my mailing list starting in April. To get on my mailing list, sign up at http://selfmadefitness.com/media/newsletter.

I feel like I am forgetting something I wanted to tell you all... Oh well.

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.

TRX Do's and Don't's

I see it everywhere--TRX in the gym, TRX at the park, under the tree, in the office, in your sleep. No, but seriously, I even used the TRX in the library during finals week. So yeah, clearly it can be used in a vast array of locations, but what is it actually good for?? I mean, what does it actually develop?? You see Drew Brees using it as A training tool, but believe me, I've worked with Drew and it is definitely not the only piece of equipment Drew uses. And yet it is proclaimed by some to be the be-all, end-all of training equipment.

After playing around with the TRX for countless hours, training myself and others (including Drew) on it, here is my list of what you DO use the TRX for and what you DON'T use the TRX for. The "Do" list is probably more complete than the "Don't", which could conceivably go on indefinitely.

• DO use the TRX to train your back.
• DO use the TRX to strengthen your rotator cuffs and the surrounding muscles.
• DO use the TRX to train the stabilizing shoulder muscles.
• DO use the TRX to train your rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, spinal erectors, and other lower back and ab muscles, but please, DON'T tell me you are "training core".
• DO use the TRX to psychologically mix up your training.
• DO use the TRX as a pre-hab/re-hab tool.
• DO use the TRX to liven up your warm-up.
• DON'T give me this crap about how the TRX develops lower body power and explosiveness and then show me a lung-hop or a runner's stride on the TRX.

So that's what I have for you. I'm going to stop the "Don't" list now before I lose my mind with all the claims that have been made about this device. The takeaway, though, should be that when it comes to working with competitive or everyday athletes, the TRX is just a piece of the puzzle, not the puzzle itself.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 4

Make Training Your Sport

One thing I have noticed that my life is lacking since finishing basketball my senior year is a competitive aspect, and I think this is the reality for the vast majority of adults. While you go to the gym to train, most people don't have a purpose as to why they are training, so why not give them one?

Instead of doing your traditional 3x8 for your weights and then hit the treadmill for a twenty-minute job, how about you spice up your training and add a competitive edge to it. I'm not talking about seeing if you can go up 5 pounds on each exercise either. I'm thinking you should take every single exercise you would normally do during a workout, say your Friday workouts, and do one set of each in rapid succession. Then go each a second time and possibly a third, fourth, or fifth time as well. Time how long it takes you to get through those circuits and keep your time each week. Your workouts leading up to your Friday workouts will be preparing you for that competition day, and you will find yourself more excited to work out on those days as well. After a month or two, switch up your Friday routine and set a new time goal for yourself. After a few months, go back through an old Friday workout and see if your time has improved. This will be a great way to mark progress throughout the year as well.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 3

This Past Week (3/6-3/12)

This past week was my sixes week for SMS^2.3. Work was pretty hectic and didn't allow for the two-hour block between sessions that works best for my lifts. The most I had most days was 90 minutes, which allowed me to warm up and get my core lift in before having to shower. This happened on Monday, squat day, so I went back in the evening and finished my accessory lifts. Tuesday I was able to get everything in fine, but Thursday was cut short as well as I had to leave out ab work and my SMF for the day. Friday was supposed to be my Day 4 circuits, but after waking up sick on Wednesday and still not feeling better on Friday, I changed this week to an arm day/recovery day. I definitely needed that and felt a lot better on Saturday for an all-day basketball tournament.

I didn't do plyos at all this week because of how poorly I felt. I was supposed to do them Wednesday, but I stopped after ten minutes because I could tell my nervous system was seriously fatigued. My ground contact time (amortization phase) was too long and I was taking a lot longer than normal to recover between sets. Friday I didn't do plyos either.

I sent out the March issue of The Source on Monday. If you want to subscribe to my mailing list to receive my newsletter, you can do so by filling out the form here. On Wednesday I did an interview for Men's Fitness magazine. The interview is scheduled to come out in their June/July double issue, which is released in late May.

Aside from that, not much else went on this past week. I've been getting a lot busier at work, which is awesome, and when I'm not at the gym I'm usually reading in my apartment.

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 2

Negative Work for Positive Mass Gains

If you are trying to put on muscle mass, one thing that needs to be considered for each exercise is the tempo at which you are performing it. I know NASM and many other certifying agencies and textbooks want you to believe that 1 to 5 reps builds power, 3 to 7 reps build strength, 8 to 15 reps is for hypertrophy, and more than 15 reps in one set is for muscle endurance, but this is just not true. What these sources are actually trying to provide is a recommended "time under tension" for each training goal. However, because most people don't carry a stopwatch to gauge how long they have been lifting during a particular set, a rep count is used instead.

With this in mind, you can see why popping out a quick set of 12 reps isn't letting you pack on the pounds you are desiring. Next time you lift, instead of repping out sets as fast as you can with as much weight as possible, try adhering to a 3-second eccentric contraction (or negative) and then move the weight up (or down) as fast as possible during the concentric contraction. You will have to use less weight, probably anywhere from 20 to 40% less than you would normally use, but you will experience just as much fatigue as you would with greater weight and your muscles will have a greater time under tension, which will lead to greater growth.

Be warned, the eccentric contraction is what causes the most damage to a muscle fiber, so even though you are using less weight, with an emphasized eccentric like this you could experience significantly more muscle soreness a day or two post-workout than you normally would.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Bench? Part 1

Easy Ways to Increase Grip Strength

One thing I have noticed since I started working with the general public is that most people's grip strength is horrendous. Not even terrible. It's absolutely, positively awful. So, if you are suffering from this condition, consider making these simple changes in your training routine:

Get rid of the wrist straps

I explain why in this video



Do more pulling exercises
People do too many pressing exercises as is, but in addition to the benefits of strengthening your back and improving your posture, adding in additional pulling exercises is a great way to build grip strength, especially if you are using thicker handles or bars.

No more ab straps
Instead of using ab straps and hanging from your elbows to do hanging knee raises or other suspended ab exercises, get rid of the ab straps and hold on to the bar with your hands. For an additional challenge, wrap a towel around the bar and hang on to the towel.

Pause before you rack
Before you rack the weight after a set of rows or lat pull-downs, hold on to the bar for an additional twenty to thirty seconds.

Throw some kettlebells into your training
High-quality kettlebells have a thick handle and, if your are performing the exercises properly, you should be squeezing that hard enough so the bell doesn't swing and the horn doesn't rotate in your hand. This will set your forearms on fire if performed correctly.

There are some very simple modifications you can make to what you are already doing in your daily training in order to increase your grip strength.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates
Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He is a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM and has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

So You Think You Can Squat? Part 4

This Past Week (2/27-3/5)

This past week was the start of SMS^2.3. Sunday I had box squat, Monday I benched, Wednesday I had conventional deadlifts, and Friday I had my circuits. Tuesday and Thursday I did plyos, with SMF on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday as well.

I made the decision to drop all of my working maxes to 90% of what they were during SMS^2.2. My reason was that I had hit a plateau and had been on there for a while now. While my assistance lifts were getting heavier, I didn't feel that my core lifts were getting any stronger. I also didn't like that I was using near-maximal weight every time I was in the gym. This was more mentally exhausting than physically, because I knew that everything about each rep had to be perfect otherwise I could mess myself up pretty bad. So I dropped my working maxes by 10%. I am by no means playing around with these weights, but I don't feel like I will severely injure my spine or shoulders three days a week.

Aside from that, not much else happened this past week. The weight gain has been going well thanks to my raw milk and grass-fed beef. I have put on about 8 pounds since the start of 2011, which I am really happy about. I want to try to put on another seven over the next two to two-and-a-half months.

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.

So You Think You Can Squat? Part 3

Breaking Plateaus

Have you hit a plateau in your strength training? Regardless of how "plateau-proof" a program may seem, eventually a plateau is inevitable. One thing that I have found to really help me break through these moments is to drop my working max for all of my core lifts, or at least the ones I feel like I am stagnant in, by 10%. Doing this allows me to work with weights that are well within my strength capabilities while still feeling taxed during the training session. Using this number as my working max, I bump my working maxes up by 5 to ten pounds after I finish each phase, allowing me to slowly work back to where I was when I plateaued. While this may seem like I taking steps backwards, the mental and physical relief of not having to work with maximum weights every day allows me to start making progress again and come back to my original working maxes stronger than before.

Get big or die tryin'.