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Keep It Simple, Stupid
We seem to love to make dieting and exercising something super complicated.
But it’s not. And you’ll get the best results if you simply keep it simple!
If you follow the three most basic Man Bicep principles, I guarantee you will be lean, healthy and fit!
- Lift weights.
- Eat whole, natural foods when you’re hungry.
- Don’t waste your time!
Lift Weights:
Let’s just first clear the air…YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY IF YOU LIFT HEAVY WEIGHTS!
That being said you will reap these benefits if you can move past that fear:
- Build strength.
- Gain lean muscle mass.
- Lose more fat.
- Maintain a lean physique.
- Increase your bone density and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
- Reduce your risk of injury.
- Improve your mood.
Eat Whole, Natural Foods:
Keep it simple! You don’t need to complicate your diet by counting calories or watching your micro-nutrient intake. You don’t need to take a bazillion supplements or eat any special bars. You don’t need to freak out about eating 5-6 small meals a day.
Your metabolism won’t shut off if you skip a meal and the more ingredients something has, no matter if it is low-fat or supposed to “zap fat in 1 week!”, the worse it is for you…period.
Don’t get fooled by stupid diet gimmicks that tell you that you can eat candy and lose weight. It doesn’t work.
Don’t make dieting something complicated! Just eat whole, natural foods like fresh fruit and vegetables and naturally raised, organic animal products. Eat when you are hungry…Heck you can even skip meals if you want and fast. Fasting even has proven health benefits!
If you need some help getting started with a clean eating program, check out these healthy lifestyle tips!
Don’t Waste Your Time:
What do I mean by this? Don’t waste your time half-assing a diet or fitness program. Don’t spend 1 hour in the gym when you could accomplish more in 20 minutes. Don’t work with a trainer to try to lose weight if you aren’t going to eat well outside of the gym.
Don’t waste your time or anyone else’s. Try circuit training. Starting eating a diet of whole, natural foods so that your hard work in the gym pays off.
If you want to live a healthy lifestyle….then DO IT!
Don’t whine. Don’t complain. Don’t half-ass it.
Don’t waste your time! DO IT!
Let’s Make a Bet – 20 minutes vs. 1 hour
What do you want to bet that a 20 minute workout can be better than an hour workout?
I’d bet just about anything.
Circuit training - killing two birds with one stone....Candy also made a good point - this is what we look like when we are working out.
It kills me to see people in the gym who think they need to slave away for hours to get results. It kills me to hear people say that they don’t have enough time to workout.
It kills me that people WASTE THEIR TIME doing long, drawn out workouts when they could get better results in 20 minutes.
And I’m not saying you should never workout for an hour…I’m just saying that you don’t need to!
Why spend 30 minutes on the treadmill and then 30 minutes doing some slow isolated muscle group weight workout when you could accomplish the same thing (and more!) in only 20 minutes?
Don’t waste your time! Try circuit training! It will help you get great results in less time.
When I say circuit training, most people think of quick circuits and light weight…barbie weights actually. But that isn’t what a true circuit is.
A true circuit is one in which you use challenging weights while taking minimal breaks between exercises. A great circuit also alternates the body parts worked so that you can keep moving from exercise to exercise without having to take any rest.
And the other benefits of circuit training besides saving you time:
- You improve your cardiorespiratory system WHILE you build muscle. With traditional weight training workouts, you take super long rests between sets, which allows your heart rate to recover. But with circuit training and less rest, your heart rate remains elevated throughout the entire workout, helping you reap cardiovascular benefits without going on the treadmill for 30 minutes after your weight training circuit.
- You burn more calories AND fat in less time! Now who wouldn’t want to do that!?! More work is performed in less time equaling a greater calorie expenditure. A 185-lb. exerciser performing a 30-minute weight training routine expends 133 calories. To compare to circuit training, the same 185-lb. person performing a 30-minute circuit training session burns 355 calories. These statistics show that circuit training burns more than double the amount of calories than a standard weight training workout.
- You also burn more calories for longer! Circuit training triggers a response in your body that accelerates metabolism for up to 48 hours. You burn more calories after your workout because of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which is affected by exercise intensity. Since circuit training is more intense compared than the typical weight lifting workout, circuit training will help you burn more fat after you workout!
- You build muscle! Most people think that circuit training equals light weights which equal no strength gains. But the lack of rest actually increases the amount of testosterone released, which helps build muscle. Also, because circuit training workouts are shorter you avoid cortisol releasing, which it does typically during lengthy cardio sessions. Cortisol can actually start to breakdown muscle tissues!
Hopefully, now you are thinking to yourself…Why don’t I do any circuit training? If you are looking for a great circuit, try one of the workouts of the week!
Jillian Michaels – I hate running too
So I found out last week that Jillian Michaels hates running and I 100% agree with that sentiment. I run as little as possible and if I have to run, I prefer to do sprints. I just get too freaking bored running long distances.
BUT running is good for you. So I force myself to do it. I usually force myself to run by including it in a workout – like in crossfit workouts like the Murph (1 mile, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats, 1 mile) or the Small (3 rounds of 1,000m rowing, 50 burpees, 50 box jumps and 800m running). But sometimes I do manage to just do a cardio day like yesterday.
Yesterday I actually did what are probably my two least favorite things – running and rowing. I’ve already mentioned I hate running, but rowing is also up there among the things I hate most. BUT unlike running, I force myself to row at least a few times a week. Boredom isn’t a factor when I row – surviving is. Rowing is probably one of the hardest activities for me, which is why I force myself to do it. I’m determined to get better at it.
Anyway, yesterday I did a workout that included both running and rowing and was purely cardio aside from the tough ab circuit before. I’ve included both the abs and the cardio workout below. Even Man Bicepers need to do cardio even if we do like lifting weights more! 🙂
Abs: (Repeat circuit 3 times)
15 Knees to Elbows (Hanging from a pull up bar bring your knees up to your elbows.)
10 each side Cable Cross Rotation with Press (Put the cable as low as it can go. Using the rope attachment pull from low on your right , pull across your body and up toward your shoulder rotating your body so that you can press the cable up and out on the left side.)
15 TRX Knees to Chest (Holding a push up position with your feet in the TRX band, bring your knees in toward you chest without raising your butt up.)
10 each side Russian Twists (Use weight!)
Cardio:
Walk 2 minutes
Run 7 minutes
Row 250m
Repeat twice
On the third round:
Walk 2 minutes
Run 7 minutes
Row 500m
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!!!
Man Bicep 