Category Archives: Benefits of doing “man” exercises
BLEH
Today I woke up and I really didn’t want to go teach spin. I’m just exhausted. SEE! Even I don’t want to workout everyday! So don’t try to use the excuse that you don’t like working out because sometimes I don’t either BUT I still do it! This last week of working out was intense:
Monday
2k rowing
Chest, back and arms lift
Tuesday
30 minute tabata plyometric and weights circuit
20 minutes incline walking
Wednesday
Kettlebell circuit
Burpee-push up pyramid (1-5-1, 2-10-2)
Elliptical 15 minutes
Thursday
Morning Spin/Core class
Lunch Spin class
Leg lift
Friday
Deadly push up/pull up pyramid (1-10-1, 2-20-2) – Perform 1 pull up with 2 push ups going up to 10 and 20 and then back down
500m row
Saturday
NOTHING
Sunday
Spin/Core class
Ok so Wednesday was kind of a goof off day but Thursday and Friday really did me in. And I just am exhausted! There seriously is nothing harder than rowing or doing push ups and pull ups as fast as you can. And two hours of spin on Thursday plus lifting…maybe not the smartest idea. I thought my body was used to teaching two hours of spin but my butt was seriously sore on Friday (and it wasn’t from the saddle either!)!
Try the push up/pull up pyramid and see how long it takes you to finish. I manage to do all the pull ups and push ups (from my toes!) without assistance but it takes me about 25-20 minutes. I’m hoping to get to a point where I don’t have to rest during any of the sets of pull ups!
I lift so I can live
I enjoy working out – most of the time. There are definitely days that I wish I didn’t have to see the inside of a gym, but in general I enjoy working out.
On those days that I just don’t want to workout, I remind myself of how good I’ll feel when I’m done. I remind myself that I not only workout because I love working out in and of itself BUT also because working out helps keeps me healthy so I can live life to the fullest!
Working out keeps you in shape so you can live life without injury. So you can play with your kids; so you can go skiing; so you can shovel snow; so you can move boxes and furniture (not fun but sometimes necessary).
On Saturday, when Ryan and I moved to a new apartment (in the same building but two floors lower), I realized just how lucky we were that both of us were in shape. Moving futons, mattresses, bureaus and huge tv stands isn’t easy – actually I’d say its impossible if you don’t lift heavy things on a regular basis.
A friend of mine actually echoed this thought. He offered to help us move. I turned down his offer because we were so disorganized (we didn’t pack anything up since we were only moving down two floors…really, really stupid…). When I said ‘no thanks’ he gave me a look like ‘really?’. Then he said, “Oh…well Ryan has you and you are probably as strong as he is! If it was just Nicky and me, I would have to move everything!”
Nicky almost never works out and when someone is skinny, you brush off the fact that he/she never works out because he/she maintains a healthy weight. But there are times, like when you move, that you realize just how important working out is! I mean moving is a part of life.
Yes, you can hire movers for big moves, but I’m not even talking about big moves (and that can be way more expensive than moving yourself!). Think about how many times you run into an instant where you have to move a heavy box – like if a big package is dropped off on your doorstep by the mailperson and you have to move it inside.
I actually ran into this problem when the Bowflex dumbbells I ordered for Ryan were dropped off. I had to open the box and move the dumbbells separately up the three flights of stairs. That situation definitely made me wish I was stronger!
The idea that I couldn’t do an activity that occurs in everyday life is enough to motivate me to keep working out. Is it enough to motivate you?
Man Bicep training vs. the training I’m sometimes forced to do…
So when I workout, I do what I think of as Man Bicep training. It combines some Crossfit workouts with some power lifting and some high intensity interval training. I do circuits; I do tabata workouts; I do some slow lifts. But each and every workout, I push something to almost absolute failure. GO BIG OR GO HOME. I’m slightly sadistic…I know…
But I realize that not everyone wants to push themselves to quite that extreme. And I understand that. We each have different tolerance for different things. But sometimes I’m just so disappointed by how little people want to push themselves.
The mind gives up way before the body needs to. But most people can’t push their mind past the initial fatigue of their body. Which can sometimes make being a trainer difficult.
It’s been interesting trying to figure out just how hard to push some clients. Clients all tell you they want someone to push them – they want someone to design a program for them. They all say they want work hard. BUT what they are really saying is “I only want to be put through a workout I wouldn’t usually think of, but I don’t really want to be too sore. BUT I also want to see fast results.” They also usually want just really want someone to be there for them when they work out. They want a “friend” to motivate them to workout.
And while trainers are there to create new and interesting workouts and motivate and create results, they are also there to push you beyond where you think is acceptable. You won’t ever see results or improve your fitness if they don’t (unless you are a natural Man Biceper!). Don’t tell a trainer a weight is too much. They are watching your form and will know if it is too heavy. Don’t tell a trainer an exercise is too hard just because there is a slight burn in your legs. Don’t tell your trainer what your workout should be. YOU HIRED THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE THE EXPERT!!! LISTEN TO THEM!
And trainers, stop giving in to your clients. Yes, you must be flexible and deal with each client in a way that matches their personality, fitness level and work ethic but you don’t have to be play dough. You must remember that you are there to improve their health. That you are there to get results and that you must push them beyond where they think their limit is. Sometimes you have to push super gently, but still YOU HAVE TO PUSH! Show you are the expert! Show that your job is about improving someone’s fitness and not just taking their money and giving them the workout they THINK they want!!!!
And by the way…all you women who are reading this and thinking you would never lift heavy weights…let me refute all of your excuses…READ THIS!
Let’s create a Man Bicep generation!!!
Push Ups, Pull Ups and Weights
Why do all three of these things tend to be lumped together as fitness activities that women don’t want to do?
Almost every man I see at the gym does at least two of these in any given workout, but rarely do I see women ever even doing one of them! AND on the rare occasion a woman is doing weights or pull ups or push ups, it is always MODIFIED!!! Why are women so afraid to grab double-digit weights? Why won’t they attempt push ups from their toes. Why won’t most women even go near an assisted pull up machine?
It honestly baffles me that women won’t do weights, won’t do push ups, won’t do pull ups. Those are seriously three of the best things you could ever do! Below I list a few reasons why each is good.
Push Ups:
- Are a compound movement using almost all of the muscles of your body. They work your chest, shoulders, triceps, back and abs.
- AND There is NO WAY you will get bulky doing push ups
Pull Ups:
- Are a compound movement using almost all of the muscles of your body. They work your biceps, triceps and shoulders. They also work almost all the muscles in your back and your core!
- AND There is NO WAY you will get bulky doing pull ups
Pull ups and push ups compliment each other well. If you do a compound set of push ups and pull ups you will destroy your upper body and get the lean, toned look most women want! If you aren’t doing these two exercises you are missing out on two of the best ways to get the bikini body you want! Next time you are in the gym, try a push up from your toes. If you do, you will work your abs more!!! Next time you in the gym, try a pull up. You’ll be able to feel just how hard your core is working. Do these two exercises and an extra ab workout each week will be a thing of the past!!!
WEIGHTS!:
It should come as no surprise that I think weights are probably the most wonderful weight loss and fitness tool there is out there. I mean simply put, more muscle equals higher metabolic rate equals you can eat more food and I love food! And a higher metabolic rate is also very helpful if you are trying to lose weight!
Most women turn to cardio to lose weight but weight training is just as important if not more so in being able to get the weight off and KEEP it off.
Women turn to cardio because they are afraid of bulking up. But what makes women look “bulky” is actually having a high percentage of body fat . If you have a high percentage of body fat, your muscles will actually look BIGGER! Fat takes up a lot of space in the muscle making it look bigger. When you lose body fat that intramuscular fat will begin to vanish. So even if you add muscle mass — which is very difficult for women to accomplish — your overall muscle size is probably going to be smaller because the weight lifting will help you lose the fat you have stored in your muscles.
Women are much more likely to “tone up” from the process of strength training than bulk up. Research has shown that women can add 30% (or more!) lean muscle mass to their bodies and end up looking much thinner, feeling much stronger and appearing much firmer than they were before. So you could add 30% more lean muscle to your body and look even more beautiful and feminine than before! So why aren’t you lifting weights?Next time you are in the gym, steal the squat rack from the men, load on the weight to that 45lb barbell and bust out 10 deep squats. Just think about the inches you are losing!
Man Bicep 