NFL Picks for Week 4 and Fitness News

Week four of the NFL season is upon us! Let’s see what I have in store this week:

Already Played: Washington: 38; New York: 31- As you can see, I failed with this pick right here. Kirk Cousins had a rough outing, which at this point in his career, is a rarity. For Eli, it’s a rarity to see him rush for a touchdown.

Baltimore over Carolina: 24-17- Carolina struggled at home last week. It appears that their lack of talent on offense maybe catching up with them. This one may be even lower scoring here, with two very talented defenses taking the field.

NFL Rivalry of the Week: Chicago over Green Bay: 27-19- The Packers may very well be on their last chance at the division already, barring a complete meltdown by both Chicago and Detroit. If they lose here, then they sit at 0-2 in NFC North play. Not a good hole to be in.

Houston over Buffalo: 20-17- Houston has to take advantage of this situation. Buffalo is not as good as their record but Houston has the edge in talent, and the home crowd.

Indianapolis over Tennessee: 23-14- Just in, Charlie Whitehurst will get the gig in Tennessee. Like Houston, the Colts have to take advantage of this situation against the Titans. If they do that, they stand at 2-0 in the division. The problem? They’re already 0-2 against playoff teams.

Detroit over New York Jets: 21-16- The Lions Matt Stafford should have a field day here. Detroit’s offense hasn’t looked like what it should be, so look for a closer game. The Jets can score at any time but the offense is very inconsistent at times.

NFL Snoozer of the Week: Oakland over Miami: 13-9- Wow. Fans in London may see a touchdown scored in this one. Two teams with very laughable talent on the offensive side.

Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay: 31-10- The Steelers look to take their momentum in an upset win over Carolina over a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. Shouldn’t be too hard.

Lock of the Week: San Diego over Jacksonville: 42-13- Blake Bortles era begins. Can he get a win this week? Not until he has more talent around him. He’s playing in real time now.

Atlanta over Minnesota: 20-19- Teddy Time begins in Minnesota. Can he hold it close? Recent history tells us that the Falcons might just be that very talented team to get upset this week, as their play on the road is meager.

Philadelphia over San Francisco: 34-21- The 49ers are struggling while the Eagles remain hot. Nick Foles and co. may not have much of a problem here.

NFC Game of the Week: Dallas over New Orleans: 34-28- The Cowboys and Saints have a little bit of animosity these days fueled by none other than Rob Ryan. In the end, the Cowboys put up just enough to upset the Saints.

AFC Game of the Week: New England over Kansas City: 21-13- The Patriots offense isn’t that hot this year but the defense is. That’s going to be big in this game.

Byes of the Week:

Seahawks- Still the number one team in the NFL according to most. I disagree (see below)

Bengals- The Bengals may be the only team in the NFL to have zero struggles on either side of the ball. Number one team.

Browns- Brian Hoyer has made it through three weeks as the starter. Don’t blame him for their 1-2 start.

Cardinals- My prediction in the pre-season was taking the NFC West. Through four weeks, they lead it.

Broncos- Still couldn’t beat the Seahawks. Maybe they just played a Super Bowl XLIX preview? Maybe one more shot.

Rams- The defense has to play up to their potential. If they do, they’re back in it.

Fitness news: Workouts

Cardio Sprint Workout:

Sprint workout coming up at six. I’ll call this upcoming workout The Go-To, since it’s becoming my recurring workout:

One Mile Run
10 Hill Sprints (jog back down the hill for rest)
10 20 yard Lunges
10 Ladder Sprints (going at least ten yards further with each set, jog back)
One Mile Run

Shoulder Centuries:

X amount of handstand push-ups (I’m on a wall, okay)
100 shoulder presses per arm
100 front plate raises
100 upright rows
100 shrugs per side (I rarely do these, but I’m in the mood)

Zero Cardio, 800 Reps, Fast As Possible:

100 Push-ups
100 Decline Push-ups
100 Two Point Rows per arm
100 Total Weighted Lunges (Weight on one side, this hits the obliques too)
100 Bicep Curls per arm
100 Suspended Dips
100 Upright Rows
100 Full Sit-ups plus about 20 straight minutes of ab work

By the way, use as little rest as possible, and get this done as fast as possible.

I sit two weeks out from the NPC Natural Pennsylvania. Time to take the carbs down just a little for these last two weeks, just a little. Still have a lot to do to get ready these days. Time to crush these final weeks.

My Next Event: Halloween Havoc! Nope, it’s not a show, it’s just Todd wanting to look good at Halloween. I’m dressing up as a Virant Knight, so I’ll def be posting some pics of that. Ordered yesterday, can’t wait to wear it.

Shoot Time: Hoping to get that last shoot of the year confirmed. If so, it’ll be around contest time too. Another event I can’t wait to get going with.

Hunt For October: In addition to the NFL and fitness, I love MLB. Prediction time, although my Rays (yes, the Rays) are missing out for the first time in a while:

Wildcard NL: Pittsburgh over San Francisco- Is anyone peaking at the right time more than the Pirates?

Wildcard AL: Kansas City over Oakland- The Royals? Yep, with the A’s faltering down the stretch, giving way to the Angels, it’s the Royals who get in.

ALCS: Los Angeles Angels over Baltimore Orioles- Hate to say it, but the O’s get eliminated here. LA is a big market but I’m a small market type. The Angels are just too good here. Hottest team in the AL.

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers over St. Louis Cardinals- The City of Angels reps the entire MLB in 2014. 2014 belongs to Los Angeles.

World Series: Angels over Dodgers. The Angels are just way too hot to be stopped. If one team can keep it up for one more month, one team that wants it, it’s the Los Angeles Angels. For the first time since 2002, Los Angeles gets a World Series, and it’s the “other” Los Angeles team that takes it.

Week 3 NFL Picks and Nifty Workouts

Brought to you by the King of Shredz:

First things first, guys, I have to take care of business. Week Three in the NFL is upon us, being played by great players who have yet to be tried or convicted for child abuse, murder, bounties, domestic violence, substance abuse, or just merely violating personal conduct. Remember the movie ‘Playmakers?’ It was a television show televised by ESPN about a decade ago that basically went over all of the problems that went on in the NFL, in a fictional league of course. There’s a reason why the show was pulled after about one season, and I’ll leave it at that.

The good news is that there are some very classy and talented NFL players who actually appreciate their opportunities. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the week:

Already Played: Atlanta over Tampa Bay: 35-7. This game was a snoozer. It was actually 56-0, Atlanta’s favor before T.J. Yates entered the game. That pretty much tells you that Tampa’s defense is overrated and Josh McCown is a backup.

AFC Game of the Week: San Diego over Buffalo: 27-24- Two weeks ago I would never have guessed that the Buffalo Bills would be in the conversation for anything except due to the fact that they gave Cleveland their first round pick. Now, they are being given a shot at 3-0. I’m still not sold on them yet.

Cincinnati over Tennessee: 28-10- If Jake Locker can be the Jake Locker of Week One and not the one we saw last week, then the Titans may just have a chance here. Why will this not happen? Because the Bengals have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. They’re just too good.

Cleveland over Baltimore: 16-9- I honestly thought Brian Hoyer would be on the bench by now, but he’s done a good enough job to keep Cleveland In contention for the AFC North. As for the Ravens, they’re on the road. The Ravens don’t play well on the road.

Green Bay over Detroit: 31-28- Here’s a shootout…..potentially. The Lions have to score more than a touchdown to beat Green Bay. They just aren’t good enough……..they’re playing the same old Packers and they’re the same old Lions.

Indianapolis over Jacksonville: 20-15- The 0-2 Colts vs. the 0-2 Jaguars. It sounds like a snoozer, but the Colts played against two of the top three teams in the NFL, and lost by a combined total of ten points. Just a tough schedule. Now, it’s smooth sailing. Why isn’t this higher than 20 points? The Colts like to play to the level of their competition.

Lock of the Week: New England over Oakland: 38-6- The Patriots are one of the best in the league at virtually everything. The Raiders are one of the worst at virtually everything. Not a good combo.

New Orleans over Minnesota: 34-17- Maybe the Saints can finally win a game without blowing it. If they can’t beat Minnesota in the Super Dome, then they aren’t beating anyone. That being said, Rob Ryan has to go if this happens. He’s the worst defensive coordinator of all time.

Houston over New York Giants: 28-17- Houston is the luckiest team in the NFL. No offensive talent, or old talent, and they still put up a lot of points, and allow very few. Why? Look at what they’ve played so far. Now they play the Giants and a washed up Eli Manning.

NFC Game of the Week: Philadelphia over Washington: 44-38- Like offense? Here’s one for all of us. Two 2012 draft picks going head to head. Kirk Cousins……yes, Kirk Cousins, vs. Nick Foles. Two high powered offenses, one shootout. If the Redskins put thirty plus points up again, they may as well trade RG3 to the Rams……that’s ironic.

Snoozer of the Week: Dallas over St. Louis: 21-16- I’m not one to bash America’s Team but I also am a fair person and the Cowboys still aren’t on my watch yet as a contender. But, Tony Romo is still way better than Austin Davis. Heck, half of Dallas’s fanbase probably has never even heard of Austin Davis. Who is Austin Davis?

Upset of the Week: Arizona over San Francisco: 23-21- No matter who plays quarterback, the Cardinals are not only the second best team in the conference, they have the second best coach in the NFL in Bruce Arians. He can make something out of nothing.

Miami over Kansas City: 17-16- Close game, but the Chiefs are 2-8 since their 9-0 start last season. Different coach, different quarterback, same sorry-ass Chiefs. But, you have to mention the Dolphins in the same breath. End of the day, the Chiefs always, always, always wear down.

Revenge of the Week: Denver over Seattle: 30-13- Call me crazy? Have you ever seen a vengeful Peyton Manning play in an NFL game? The results speak for themselves.

Carolina over Pittsburgh: 20-13- The Steelers are in danger of falling to 1-2. Remember when the Steelers were one of the NFL’s elite? Remember when the Panthers were a laughingstock? I only hope no Pittsburgh fan will wake up from a four year coma, because they’re in for a rude awakening……..literally.

Chicago over New York Jets: 31-24- Jay Cutler looked like an all-pro last week. Geno Smith is still in his second season and is still mistake prone. Not a good combo.

Nifty Workouts: So, I had a few good ones this week. Let me begin with my One Hundred Rep Nightmare:

100 reps of everything, as many sets as it takes. Rest time is how many reps you have remaining in seconds.

Decline Push-ups

Dumbbell Rows

Lunges

Crunches

Upright Rows

Suspended Dips

Plate Curls

Try it.

Also, before isolating any muscle group, try these before you workout:

Chest: 100 dumbbell fly

Back: 100 pull-ups

Triceps: 100 suspended dips

Biceps: 100 dumbbell curl

Legs: 100 lunges

Shoulders: 100 lateral raise

Abs: 100 full crunches

Before you workout the target muscle group, shock those muscles early.

Give me a weekly shoulder, ab, and cardio attack:

1,000 jump ropes for warm-up
10 minute non-stop ab work

4 sets of each and every movement, 8-12 reps unless specified.
Dumbbell Clean to Press
super-set: Inverted Barbell Presses

Dumbbell Lateral Raise
tri-set: Dumbbell Front Raise
tri-set: Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

Battling Ropes for 50 reps
tri-set: Rope Face Pull
tri-set: Machine Rear Delt Fly

I’m out! Todd ‘King of Shredz’ Matthews.

Weekly Workouts and Other Updates

Here’s some awesome weekly workouts that I posted to my fitness page on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toddmatthewsphysique?ref=hl. First, I urge all of you to follow this link and like the page for workouts, lifestyle tips, motivational tips, nutritional advice, and photos. There’s much more to come on the page as I am currently in contest prep for the NPC Natural Pennsylvania, taking place in Greensburg, PA on October 12th, 2014. I’ll be sure to post updates as soon as possible.

Contest News: Earlier in the month, I took 5th place at the NGA Steel Valley Classic in a class of 12 competitors. I did want more out of the show, but I’ll take the top five this time. Hopefully I can only build off of that success in October. 

Fitness Shoot Front: I am currently working to get at least one fitness shoot lined up in addition to my October 12th show. I’m hoping I can get the two in as close to one another as possible. I look for this shoot to be Pittsburgh based or Canton based. Hopefully big things coming. 

Lifestyle News: I’m currently back in school on an online basis working towards my Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management with a Wellness and Fitness background. I plan on doing big things with this degree, but with the track I’m currently on, big things are rightly on the way. 

Weekly Workouts: 

10 straight minutes ab work
Tabata workout: Push-ups, rest 10 seconds, super-set with Battle Ropes (cardio portion of workout)

4 sets/8-15 reps
Pec Deck Fly/Incline Dumbbell Press
Cable Iron Crosses/Close Grip Incline Press/Svend Press
Wide Grip Bodyweight Dips/Incline Dumbbell Fly
3 burnout sets of Incline Hammer Strength Press

 

45 set shoulder blast:
Start with 10 minute abs: 5 minute plank work and 5 minute crunch, twist, and raise work.

5 sets/10-15 reps; 30 for ropes
Lateral Raise
Face Rows
Battle Ropes

4 sets/10-15 reps
Alternate Shoulder Press
Rear Delt Fly on Pec Deck Machine
Kettle Bell Front Raise

4 sets/10-15 reps
Cuban Press
Landmine Twist
Cable Front Pullover (this works some lats too)

3 sets/X amount of reps
Dumbbell Lateral Raise to a Dumbbell Front Raise
TRX Rear Delt Fly to Rear Delt Vertical Fly

For Cardio Purposes:

2 minutes straight of jump ropes, 2 minutes straight treadmill for a fast run, 2 minutes straight of jacobs ladder, 2 minutes straight of stairmaster, 2 minutes straight of non-stop ab work, rest one minute

 

Photo Updates: Some cell phone selfies and contest photos since the last update:

 August, 2014, Steel Valley Classic

 

Now from the front at the same show.

 

Abs close-up

 

From my journey to Anytime Fitness Robinson

 

2014: Year of Record Breaking

First off, I hope that you all liked the first edition of my five part series on my fitness life entitled “The Program.” If you haven’t already viewed it yet, here is a link to the article:

https://matthews42791.wordpress.com/2014/05/22/the-program-edition-one/ .

The first edition covers the entire overview of my fitness program and lifestyle, as well as a preview on what’s coming up in the later editions.

Today, as the second edition of ‘The Program’ is in the works, I want to discuss my record breaking year and what is in store for me later on in 2014. Never in life have I been present for two shows and two photo shoots and have done a great job in both avenues. Looking back to 2012, I can honestly tell just how far I have come in the past two years, and what lays ahead for me in the future. There is definitely a lot to look forward to as the second half of this wild year approaches.

Before I begin talking about this past week and the latter half of 2014, let me summarize the events that have led up to this post. It was contest prep since the first of the year for me, as the NPC Natural Ohio was coming up fast. I did the show and took a respectable eighth place, so it was middle of the pack in late March. I”ll take that score for a first show of the year, especially a large show like the Ohio in an organization like the NPC, which every fitness competitor wants to be, and usually are, a part of.

Then came a five week intermission between the Natural Ohio and the ever prestigious NPC Pittsburgh. This is a show that draws many competitors to the stage and many to the seats to not only see or do the show, but to see the endless list of pro competitors who tend to make the trip to the Steel City. Guys like Mr. Olympia Phil Heath, among others will guest pose at this event, which is also accompanied by a pro show called the IFBB Pittsburgh Pro, featuring some of the best physique, bikini, and figure athletes in the IFBB today.

So, I did the NPC Pittsburgh, and again landed a top ten, but not a top five spot like I wanted to see. This time I was in a class of twenty three competitors, so I was up against a stacked class. Still, I expected more, much more out of myself at the Pittsburgh and I landed short of my goal of finishing in the top five. However, I did prove to myself that I could hang with the best at the largest of regional shows that the Natural Ohio and NPC Pittsburgh are. That’s a testament within itself, given that I’m only twenty three years old and have never taken a PED or anything as much as a prescription diuretic ever in my life.

But the coolest thing was that I was able to do a fitness and fashion shoot two days before the NPC Pittsburgh. I do like to compete and I do want to do very, very well in the shows, but sometimes fitness isn’t always about making the top five in any show. Sometimes, one thinks outside the box, and this is why I decided to shoot two days before the NPC Pittsburgh took place. I know what competition can do, but I also know what marketability can do, and that’s where the photo shoots come in. The more marketable one can look, the better a chance they have at succeeding not only in fitness, but in anything for that matter!

Head shot from my shoot back on May 1st, 2014

 

A week and a half ago I receive a text from the same photographer and I’m invited to come down to do yet another shoot. Of course I’m going to say yes in that regard, so this past Tuesday I loaded up a few different wardrobe sets in my car and headed off to Morgantown, West Virginia, where it was all happening, bringing a friend with me in the process.

This was a special shoot, because I was truly able to realize how far I had come since first competing in the NPC all the way back in 2011, when I didn’t even know how to properly tan myself in the days prior to the show. So, we took pictures near the overlook at Cooper’s Rock, drove about ten minutes to a lake, shot there, and then drove an additional fifteen minutes to a bridge and shot under it, near a stream.

After each set of pictures, I was able to go through them all on the camera, and I couldn’t believe it was me in the picture! That’s always a great thing to feel, because right then, I knew that 2014 is my breakout year. It’s my breakout year because I have already done so much already work wise, show wise, and photo wise. 2014 is that year that I have been waiting for literally since my sophomore year of high school all the way back in 2007. And not just that, this year isn’t even halfway over yet! There is still a lot of things I have yet to accomplish, to go out and get, and to bring it to the table.

Here is an overview of my plans for the not so distant future:

*Attend more than a few casting calls and send these fitness pictures out everywhere

*Compete again in August, this time in the NGA, at the NGA Steel Valley Classic

*Compete in the NPC Natural Northern USA’s in October

*Qualify for the 2015 NPC Team Universe (I’ll need a top five at the Northern’s)

All in all, the talk is over, and the walk has just begun. The doing has just begun, and I don’t need to talk anymore except show a brief outline of my plans in the very near future. This is what it’s all about, ultimately. It’s all about doing it, not just talking about it. One can only talk for so long but when they actually do what they want to do, that’s what makes all the difference in the eyes of everyone.

 

Shooting with bbpics.com in 2012 at age 21

 

From June, 2013. Age 22, also with bbpics.com

 

 

2014 fitness shoot

 

For more fitness and scenery pictures, ways to get in contact, as well as weekly workout blogs please visit my site at: http://toddmatthewsfit.net/

Arm Day to Remember

It only took one hour. One hour of my time to just totally blast my arms out of the water. If there is one thing I love about training each muscle group only once a week (legs twice) during the summer months, it is the crazy, insane, unbelievable pump I can get off of some of my workouts. The intensity was high, the volume was even higher, and the sets were something in the fifty to sixty set range. Yeah, you read that right. Fifty to sixty sets. This was one of those workouts that one needs to see to believe, so without further ado:

8 sets/30 reps 

Suspended Dips came with eight solid sets for thirty reps apiece. I inserted dips (my personal favorite triceps exercise) in a super-set, and in a quad set. This exercise was rocking my triceps big!

 

Incline Curl, slow reps for a five count. As many reps as possible per set.

Both the exercise itself and the style rocked! Try a five count up and a three count back to the starting point and then take in the pump that it brought to the biceps. This was part of my quad set and it consisted of five sets for as many reps as I could go for.

 

Band Pressdowns. Five sets of thirty reps

Five sets and thirty reps of band pressdowns. The key here is once I couldn’t get a full extension, I would revert to a half rep method and go until I hit thirty reps. Talk about an exhausting, underrated movement. This was also part of the quad set!

 

Wide Grip Curl. 5 sets of 28 reps.

This was done in a half way up, halfway down, fourteen full variety, called the twenty eight method. It added a skin splitting pump to the biceps like none other! Also a part of my infamous quad set!

 

Three sets/Fifteen reps

The seated barbell curl may be the least common biceps exercise out there, but it works. I went for three sets and a total of fifteen reps per set. What I like about the seated barbell curl is the tension it keeps on the biceps throughout the entire movement. This was part of the seated biceps curls/suspended dips super-set. It’s a keeper in my book!

 

Eight sets/Variety of reps, between four and ten

Eight sets, four to ten reps, all until near or complete failure to add some shock into this arm workout. Super set with standing barbell curl.

 

Eight sets/four to ten reps

Part of the super-set with the push downs, the barbell curl rocked my arms like none other. Go heavy, heavy, heavy on this exercise and the push downs.

 

I also did a finisher of three sets and twenty reps each of the rope pressdown and machine curl. This ended my arms workout. By the time the workout was over, I felt like I had just done a leg workout. I fully recommend this complete workout as a way to shock the arms into oblivion. I’ll feel this one tomorrow.

 

 

 

Courtesy of John Mitchell at bbpics.com