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.

Boulder Shoulder Workout and ETC

I have a challenge for all of you. See if you can survive me. See if you can keep up with me. See if you can beat me at my own game. All you have to do is the following: Two workouts a day, every day, eat zero cheat meals (I like to cycle my carbs and calories, it works, trust me), and repeat this for a consistent period of time. If you can remain consistent with my style, then it’s all good, because you just scored a new lifestyle. What? You say you don’t have time for a two-a-day. Then get up forty-five minutes earlier, it’s all you’ll probably need. Forty-five minutes is usually all I need to get in a killer workout. Then you may ask, “why don’t you just go an hour and a half to two hours in one session” My answer to that question is just that I don’t see two straight hours doing one workout feasible for anyone. Why would I wear myself down the first hour only to struggle through the second hour

All I need is forty-five minutes to an hour, and that’s it. My philosophy is to get in, get it in, and get out, get on with your day. Two hours in one workout is going to lead to a two and a half to three hour gym session. Why? Most people like to talk to their buddies when they workout. I usually workout with one workout partner, or alone. Lately, I’ve been going at it alone because it’s tough to mesh a schedule together.  And since 2014 has been my greatest year ever, only my main workout partner can workout with me. If I’m working out alone, I guess God becomes my workout partner, or perhaps my workout leader. But here’s the score, my workout buddy and I rarely talk during the workout, because we both have lives and we both have things to do. Want a list? Here:

Other things to do:

Keep house clean or get kicked out

School work (we’re both in school)

Work….don’t give me that we both work as trainers nonsense. Spend a day in my shoes and see how fun it is to train clients from 5:00am to 8:00pm with a few gaps during the day, but it’s no one way straight eight hour shift. You cater to your clients.

Pay numerous bills: school, phone, car, car insurance, rent (yeah, I get charged to live at home, thank God my dad’s tough on me)

Maintain my social networking, such as this wordpress, facebook, and instagram. I gain new followers everyday and I’m no longer a fledgling in this fitness community.

Practice my poses for both shows and shoots, I have both coming up in just over a month……Happy October.

Okay, so we both have lives way outside the fitness realm of things. So what if I don’t have a brat or two to spend my hard earned money on? I’m twenty-three and I’m fortunate to have never made THAT mistake in my life. Man, I hope I didn’t jinx myself!

Anyway, onto phase two of this lovely article. I like to work hard, work fast, and get it in. Currently, I’m experiencing some chronic knee issues, so my philosophy on cardio is getting reinforced through this too. “Lift weights really fast,” as one notable gym member puts it. That’s my philosophy, just go, fast, with each and every lift. From arm workouts to shoulder workouts to chest workouts. I like to literally fly through my workout, taking few breaks, under thirty seconds for the majority of the time, unless I need to take a water break, but I usually have some right beside me. 

Today I’m sharing my boulder shoulder workout from today. I went through roughly 36 sets of fast moving, fast paced shoulder exercises. This isn’t counting my cardio starter, which was a sledge hammer and tractor tire until I was completely winded, and a plank style ab workout, which rocked.

Four sets of every single movement shown here. For reps, just go heavy and go until you can’t get another rep, go to complete failure. What I mean by this is to go until you cannot move that weight another inch!

Tri-set: Arnold Press/Standing Barbell Press/Standing Dumbbell Clean into Press

Super-set: Lateral Raise/Front Barbell Raise

Super-set: Rope Face Pull/Seated Machine Rear Delt Fly

Super-set: Battle Ropes (50 reps as fast as possible)/Front Plate Steering Wheel Twist

 

Boulder Shoulder Workout and ETC

I have a challenge for all of you. See if you can survive me. See if you can keep up with me. See if you can beat me at my own game. All you have to do is the following: Two workouts a day, every day, eat zero cheat meals (I like to cycle my carbs and calories, it works, trust me), and repeat this for a consistent period of time. If you can remain consistent with my style, then it’s all good, because you just scored a new lifestyle. What? You say you don’t have time for a two-a-day. Then get up forty-five minutes earlier, it’s all you’ll probably need. Forty-five minutes is usually all I need to get in a killer workout. Then you may ask, “why don’t you just go an hour and a half to two hours in one session” My answer to that question is just that I don’t see two straight hours doing one workout feasible for anyone. Why would I wear myself down the first hour only to struggle through the second hour

All I need is forty-five minutes to an hour, and that’s it. My philosophy is to get in, get it in, and get out, get on with your day. Two hours in one workout is going to lead to a two and a half to three hour gym session. Why? Most people like to talk to their buddies when they workout. I usually workout with one workout partner, or alone. Lately, I’ve been going at it alone because it’s tough to mesh a schedule together.  And since 2014 has been my greatest year ever, only my main workout partner can workout with me. If I’m working out alone, I guess God becomes my workout partner, or perhaps my workout leader. But here’s the score, my workout buddy and I rarely talk during the workout, because we both have lives and we both have things to do. Want a list? Here:

Other things to do:

Keep house clean or get kicked out

School work (we’re both in school)

Work….don’t give me that we both work as trainers nonsense. Spend a day in my shoes and see how fun it is to train clients from 5:00am to 8:00pm with a few gaps during the day, but it’s no one way straight eight hour shift. You cater to your clients.

Pay numerous bills: school, phone, car, car insurance, rent (yeah, I get charged to live at home, thank God my dad’s tough on me)

Maintain my social networking, such as this wordpress, facebook, and instagram. I gain new followers everyday and I’m no longer a fledgling in this fitness community.

Practice my poses for both shows and shoots, I have both coming up in just over a month……Happy October.

Okay, so we both have lives way outside the fitness realm of things. So what if I don’t have a brat or two to spend my hard earned money on? I’m twenty-three and I’m fortunate to have never made THAT mistake in my life. Man, I hope I didn’t jinx myself!

Anyway, onto phase two of this lovely article. I like to work hard, work fast, and get it in. Currently, I’m experiencing some chronic knee issues, so my philosophy on cardio is getting reinforced through this too. “Lift weights really fast,” as one notable gym member puts it. That’s my philosophy, just go, fast, with each and every lift. From arm workouts to shoulder workouts to chest workouts. I like to literally fly through my workout, taking few breaks, under thirty seconds for the majority of the time, unless I need to take a water break, but I usually have some right beside me. 

Today I’m sharing my boulder shoulder workout from today. I went through roughly 36 sets of fast moving, fast paced shoulder exercises. This isn’t counting my cardio starter, which was a sledge hammer and tractor tire until I was completely winded, and a plank style ab workout, which rocked.

Four sets of every single movement shown here. For reps, just go heavy and go until you can’t get another rep, go to complete failure. What I mean by this is to go until you cannot move that weight another inch!

Tri-set: Arnold Press/Standing Barbell Press/Standing Dumbbell Clean into Press

Super-set: Lateral Raise/Front Barbell Raise

Super-set: Rope Face Pull/Seated Machine Rear Delt Fly

Super-set: Battle Ropes (50 reps as fast as possible)/Front Plate Steering Wheel Twist

 

The Most Killer Home Gym Routine Yet

I hope you all have read and liked my recent writings on my dumbbell and kettlebell workouts, designed for the busiest of the busiest. Those with maybe thirty minutes a day to get into a gym (or their basement) to bust out an effective workout want to take a look at these posts, because they are designed especially for the busy population.

Some of us just never get a break. We wake up before the sun, not with it, and we’re at work as the sun is coming up. We may or may not have the greatest opportunities to eat solid meals on a consistent basis (look into meal replacement shakes or the Quest product line). And then the obligations at home take over once the work day is over.

All in all, life can be a roller coaster for many of us and as a trainer I’ve seen many individuals give up on their fitness goals because they claim life gets in the way. They may work twelve hour days, have a family at the house, or have many other obligations on top of all of that. The truth is that by giving thirty minutes of the day directly to a daily workout isn’t as complicated as it looks. Get the workout in first thing in the morning, directly after work, or before going to sleep at night, which is my favorite time to get my main workout in.

But, there are times when my schedule is ultra booked for the day, I got to be here, then there, then across the county for something, then maybe my workout time gets cut a little short because I’m waking up two hours before the sun the next morning. In these hectic situations, I keep my workout, even my main workout, short. Sometimes, I don’t even use the gym and I’ll do this very workout I’m about to write up in my basement.

Workout A:
4 circuits/25 reps each. 30 minute time limit if time is limited.

Push-up with Snap Jump
Plate Curls
Bench Dips
Jump Lunge (25/leg)
Touchdown Squats
Front Plate Raise
Squat Press
Diamond Push-ups
Up-Downs
Mountain Climbers (25/leg)

Workout B: 30 for beginners, 60 for intermediates, 100 for advanced in as many sets as it takes. Cannot do next movement until 100 reps are performed for the first movement. 30 minute time limit if time is limited.
Spiderman Push-up
Band or Dumbbell Curl
Suspended Bench Dips (use a flat bench, coffee table, bathtub, etc and place a chair a couple feet from the bench)
Jump Squats
Tactical Lunge (50/leg, use a dumbbell or kettle bell, do a reverse lunge with weight in one hand, switch to other hand under the legs, like a basketball player does)
Band or Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Leg Raise
Band or Dumbbell Rows
Lateral Mountain Climbers (100/leg)
Snap Jump

Workout of the Week

I had a great workout this past Sunday. Well, let’s make that two great workouts. It was one of those days where my intensity level was through the roof. This was great because I felt downright sick in the morning, so I actually had to wait a while to get a good one in. The first workout was done in my basement, and the second one was in the gym. Both workouts had literally put me down afterwards, though me being somewhat sick may have had something to do with that.

Workout A: So, my first workout was a total body, accelerated cardio routine. It took roughly forty five minutes to complete. Keep in mind that I was moving very fast and taking little to no rest in between. Here is what the workout looked like:

 

Three sets of everything, max amount of reps per movement, then one minute of cardio movements in between sets.

Walk-over push-up/Bodyweight Squats

Close-grip push-up/Jump rope

Lateral Raise with Plates/High knee

Hammer Curl with Plates/Run in place

*Ab routine for ten to fifteen minutes prior to this workout, hitting my main ab movements, crunch, heel touch, oblique crunch, leg raise, cocoon, plank, russian twist, and bicycle for three sets, nonstop.

 

Workout B: This workout was a leg workout. It was a fast one, but it was very, very intense:

Squats: 5 sets/5 reps, going heavier each time

Leg Extensions: 4 sets/20 reps, also going heavier

Leg Curl/Goblet Squats: 3 sets/10 reps, go slow

Giant set, 30 seconds each, no rest in between:

Box jump, high knee, jump rope, jump squat, touchdown squat

 

40 Minute House Blast

Okay, so you don’t want to get into the gym on a great day like today here in the Ohio Valley? That’s right, it’s about seventy five degrees out with no chance of rain up here in the Tri-State. In fact, there are hardly any clouds in the sky. If you happen to live in this part of the country, you will be perfectly aware that we face one of two extremes: extreme hot and extreme cold. This winter was so cold that there was a viral meme spread by one of my social networking friends that threatened to throat punch the first person to complain about the heat. Hey, I like it hot, so the hotter the better. If one happens to be over the age of seventy, you may want to watch out for my maniacal friend, because I highly doubt he’s joking. Needless to say, people love taking advantage of the great weather, which is why I’m writing this instead of training clients right now. 

If one utterly despises someone who loves to train in January and February then disappears for the rest of the year, then this area isn’t for them. If one despises the cold then don’t travel up here until late April……end of May if one’s thinking the Cleveland area, about two hours north. Trust me, I’ve lived in Ohio for twenty-three years, and I’m currently twenty-three so I know what I’m talking about. So it’s safe to assume that I’m one who despises cold weather, but I’m currently living in mom and dad’s basement, so I’m stuck at the moment. Big things later on, big things are coming. 

Which brings me to the point that no one in the Ohio Valley has any excuse at all to say that it’s too nice to work out. The way I was brought up was that if it’s really nice outside, then you should be outside. The way I brought myself up (I raised myself since I became obsessed with this lifestyle to the point that I don’t attend any family functions) was that if it’s nice out then why do I not have a six pack? See the difference? It’s simple logic: I want to be shredded at Christmas time and I want to be ultra shredded in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. This means workout twice a day and eat right (see my previous posts), but this also means that one can get some crazy workouts at home with little to no equipment. Also, many of these workouts can be done outside. 

1,200 Rep After-burn

3 sets/50 reps of the following movements

Crunches, Push-ups, Weighted Plate Curl, Dip, Touchdown Squats, Single Leg Squat (25 per side), Leg Lifts, Front Plate Raise

Then do these ab exercises in a circuit: Heel Touch, Russian Twist, Oblique Crunch, Bicycle, Cocoons. Do three circuits.

Have light dumbbells? Have a pull-up bar? Have a couple of weighted plates? There are endless workouts to do. Take them outside, do a garage workout with the door open. Do something! Just because it’s hot and sunny out doesn’t give anyone the excuse to start slacking on their routines! It’s time to take action and look better than you ever have before. There are no excuses. There’s only one person stopping one: themselves. Keep that New Year’s Resolution going!

1,200 Rep Back/Battle Rope Workout

Here is a workout that will challenge. One hundred reps per movement, in as many sets as it takes!

 

100 Pull Ups

100 Cable Rows

100 Kneeling Rope Pulldowns

100 Dumbbell Rows (50 per side)

100 Rows on TRX

100 London Bridges (tie a rope to the top of a Smith, climb up, and back down. Each climb is one rep)

100 Face Rows (standing, pulling rope on cable towards face and back again)

100 Close Grip Pull Ups

100 Kettle Bell Two Point Rows

300 Battling Ropes, any movement

    

Instinctive Training

Instinctive training, it’s something you never really see, hear of, or read about. These days, you never see any bodybuilder, fitness model, or workout fanatic mention the word instinct. Instinctive training is old school. Old school as in “Golden Era of Bodybuilding” type of training. Instinct is not for the faint hearted, but it’s very beneficial and it defies “new science.” 

I recently wrote a post that outlined my training schedule for the next few months. Something that I actually added was instinctive training. Everything else is the same, the double cardio four days per week, the muscle groups that I planned on training during certain days are still set in stone. For a quick review, here is my training split:

Sunday: Legs, Cardio (cardio being after-burn, steady state, or H.I.I.T, no more than an hour a day).

Monday: Arms, Cardio

Tuesday: Chest, Instinctive Training

Wednesday: Legs, Cardio

Thursday: Shoulders, Instinctive Training

Friday: Back, Instinctive Training

Saturday: Instinctive Training, Cardio

*Abs trained every day, alternating between heavy and light.

*Morning workouts listed first

*Sometimes I’ll add in more after-burn cardio if anyone is wishing me to put them through a workout in the gym.

Instinctive training, in essence, means that one trains muscle groups by instinct. This means that I can do shoulders on Thursday, and then hit them on Friday in the afternoon or evening. Sometimes, if I feel I can take them even further, I’ll hit them again on Saturday. I’ll train muscle groups three to five times per week if I feel they are up to it. It goes against all of this “new science” and “practical research,” but here are benefits of instinctive training:

1) It helps muscles recover faster by helping remove lactic acids and toxins from the training area.

2) It can help bring up lagging bodyparts by adding more attention to these body parts. For instance, instead of hitting triceps for ten to fifteen sets per week, one to two times per week, you could double them if they lag and hit them three to four times per week, doubling the amount of work. 

3) Especially when it comes to leg training, training the legs more than twice per week does wonders for growth hormone and testosterone production, two essentials when one seeks results from hard training. 

Instinctive training was brought to the forefront by a man named Leon Brown, who to this day will still train some muscle groups up to five straight days per week if he feels the muscle could take it. Brown was a disciple of the great Arnold, and Brown competed for a long, long time, defeating guys young enough to be his sons. Brown knew what worked, especially for him, and he used this strategy to the best. Many, many other old school competitors trained each muscle group up to three times per week, with about half the dose of drugs that a typical IFBB female bodybuilder uses! That’s something, there. Maybe they were onto something. 

Here’s what I know: I competed two and a half weeks ago at the Natural Ohio, taking a top ten in a class of fifteen (8th place), and I was lean. Here I am, two and a half weeks later, leaner than I have ever been in my life. I didn’t change my diet approach, I didn’t increase cardio. All I did was increase weight training by nearly one-third, if not more. If you don’t believe me then try it. Learn more about me and my crazy ways by visiting my blog after reading this post!

Garage Shoulder Workout

Boom! It’s that time of year again. We all hate being cooped up in a gym if you live anywhere north of the thirty-six, thirty line. Especially after that last winter, where we had at least ten weeks in the negatives, or so it seemed. It’s always weird how much we love the cold weather and snow from Thanksgiving until New Years Day, and how much we just despise it until April, or in some cases, May! Or wait, in extreme cases, spring confines itself to the first week of June, then it’s summertime, then it gets cold out again, and the cycle repeats itself. Thank God my uncle (mom’s brother) just moved to Fort Myers, Florida. Now that I have relatives down there, a high demand for training, a ton of rich people who would pay $5,000 a year for training and another $1,000 in Christmas gifts, and 74 degree January’s, maybe it’s time to use the term “null and void” to describe my future in Ohio…..sorry, Browns fans, I didn’t want to rain on your parade, but “null and void” is your ultimate catchphrase for the last two decades. 

So, today, I’m opening up the garage, fishing out a pair of old dumbbells that I have had since 2003, and I’m going to do an old fashioned garage workout while reliving the glory days of my past. Todd, what glory days are you talking about, you’re 23! It’s been ten years since I’ve picked up a weight, so it’s a long time coming! What does my garage shoulder workout look like? Look no further:

Tri-Set: Lateral Raise, Frontal Raise, Rear Delt Flye- 4 sets/15-20 reps

Quad-Set: Standing Dumbbell Press, Double Upright Row, Plate Arm Rolls, Plate Front Raise- 4 sets/10-15 reps

Tri-Set: Handstand Pushups (on a wall), Seated Rear Delt Raise, Kneeling Plate Presses- 4 sets/15-20 reps

Two mile run, Jump-rope (cardio should last between thirty to forty minutes). 

Only three different exercises (I count each set of movements as one exercise), four sets each (working sets), twelve total working sets. Not going to take all day, just give me one hour of my time and I got one killer shoulder workout. More garage workouts to come!