Fast and Furious Fitness

Dear Reader,

Today I’m going to cover a very important topic, and that is when (and why) one should change one’s workout up.

Changing your routine every once in a while is very important to do, no matter what level of fitness you are currently at. There are some important reasons behind this, but, before I get into those, let me give you an example from my own training.

Most of you would have noticed by now that I’m a strong believer in high repetition squats when it comes to my leg workouts. A 100 Hindu squats, 25-50 Hindu jumper squats, perhaps holding the “chair” position against the wall for X amount of time, etc etc - it goes on. Those are great, but as of late, I’ve begun to notice that the high rep movements are getting “tougher” to complete in a way. Now, the strange thing is my lungs/legs don’t “give up” before the movement. However, I am noticing myself doing them in improper form when I get above a 50 or so - and, I’m starting to get a bit bored while doing these in higher reps.

Initially, I figured this was just a bad phase, so I stuck through it (there’s another lesson: keep at it, even through your bad phases); but, things didn’t improve. So what I did was change my routine up such that I did more exercises, but lower repetitions of the same exercise. In my case, one variation I used was breaking up the 100 squats into 150 (I know, not exactly breaking them up), but doing it thus: 50 Hindus, 25 jumpers, 20 Hindus, 20 jumpers, 20 Hindus, and 25 jumpers. Took me about 5 minutes in total, and then I went on with the rest of my stuff. And, my legs were hammered at the end of it, as were my buttocks!

Now, on to the reasons: -

- Your body gets “tired” of doing the same thing over and over again, be it a set number of pushups daily, or a set number of squats daily, or, for those of you who do other things, swimming X number of laps daily, etc etc. Now, I am NOT saying don’t exercise daily - far from it! But, sometimes, just sometimes, you need to “break out of the rut” by doing something different. In my case, it was doing more reps, but on different exercises. In your case, it could be replacing an intense bodyweight only leg workout with hill sprints, or perhaps swimming. Anything - just change things up, and your body will thank you for it!

- Changing things up forces your body to “adapt”. For instance, I used to concentrate on the thighs and back mostly while doing my neck bridge, but, as of late, I have started to focus more on the buttocks and back. The result? Solid growth in the glutes, and my thighs are better of for it as well, and the workout is far more intense than before.

- Last, but not least, it gives your mind a new challenge to focus upon. Makes things less “boring” (that term is relative, of course), and thats always a good thing.

So, keep these tips in mind the next time you are “stuck in a rut”. Try implementing them into your routine -and let me know how it works!

All for now - work out hard, and remember to change it up every once in a while!

Rahul

PS: Want to simaltaneously blast your back, legs, and core with ONE exercise? Well, you don’t have to look far - the humble pushup will do it! Or more specifically, the “extended arms” pushup will. I’ll cover benefits for these soon in another post - stay tuned!

All,

The muscles at the back of the body are some of the most forgotten, and “undertrained” muscles for most people.

Most trainees go berserk training the muscles at the front i.e. the muscles that “can be seen in the mirror”, but how many people do you hear about that proudly train their lower back? Their hamstrings? Or their glutes? I bet not too many.

Now, don’t get me wrong - it is important to train the front of the body - but what happens is most folks spend too much time/energy training the front of the body, while the back of the body is neglected. The result? Muscle imbalances occur, said muscles get overtrained, and in some cases, injury occurs (how many times have you heard of people perenially sore front deltoids?). . .

So, without further ado, let me explain why the muscles at the back are important to train: -

1. The largest muscle groups in the body (excepting the quads) are all located at the back of the body. Your lats, glutes, hamstrings - all these are large muscles. Training these intensely makes you BREATHE deeply as they involve a lot of focussed effort, and more importantly, they promote growth throughout the entire body.

2. Training these intensely prevent overtraining in the other “opposing” muscles. It also improves performance in those muscles. For instance, I’ve been a bit burnt out on high repetition Hindy squats for the past couple of days, and therefore have been concentrating more on jumping lunges and Sumo squats, both of which target the groin, glutes, and hamstrings. The result? I tried doing a maximum rep of Hindu squats today, and banged out a 100 of them in good time. That sort of speaks for itself!

I’ve had similar results with pushups - to increase my pushup numbers, I’ll often concentrate on pull ups for a few days. . .

3. Last, but certainly not least, the muscles at the back of the body are very important when it comes to providing a “support structure” for the rest of the body. For instance, a person might be able to bench a tremendous amount of weight, but he will never be “truly” strong unless he develops his back (upper and lower) to the same degree. Similarly, overdeveloped quads and underdeveloped hamstrings are a disaster waiting to happen.

For those who claim they train purely for the “look”, well, think about this: - How ridiculous does a guy with an large chest, but narrow back look? Or, let’s say you have huge thighs, but underdeveloped glutes/hamstrings; your legs will look big from the front, but you will never be able to fill those jeans out completely. Train EVERYTHING though, and you will get that “solid” look to your body that speaks of strength in no uncertain terms!

Long story made short - train the muscles at the back of your body as hard, or harder than you train the muscles at the front. Your body will thank you for it - as will your workout results!

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

That is a question brought up quite frequently, by trainees at all levels, and my answer is, and has always been the same - Yes!

We have been programmed to think that we need “at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise”, or “need to jog outside for so and so period of time”, or “need to lift weights for at least an hour” (and so on and so forth) to get fit. Now, this is not necessarily false - you can get fit by doing the above. But, is it necessary to invest that amount of time? Can you get better results, in a shorter period of time? No, and YES!

Try this workout here that I had mentioned in a previous post. Leave out the pull ups, and this should take no more than 10-15 minutes at most. Do it, and then tell me whether or not it’s harder than “30 minutes of moderate cardio”.

On another note, a lot of you that might be reading this have probably noticed that though I’m usually advocating 10-15 minutes of intense exercise, I myself usually go for longer - my sessions usually last between 30-45 minutes - and they are INTENSE. There are however two things to remember here: -

- I simply go for that long because I WANT to. It is not necessary to do that much daily; but you CAN if you want to.
- I’ve been training this way for a while, and therefore, my body is somewhat used to the stresses of the 15 minute routine; therefore, I take things to “another level” with the 30-45 minute routine. However, for most people (and myself included on a busy day), a quick 10-15 minute burst will work just fine.

This works well for me, so I keep at it. I don’t have hills, or access to a swimming pool where I live currently; if I did, I’d probably modify my daily bodyweight routine to about 15-20 minutes a day, and add in the other things as well.

The bottom line: Do what works for YOU, within certain guidelines. You’ll be all the better for it - and the results will speak for themselves.

All for now.

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

P.S. :- If any of you out there want to leave a comment, have a question, or would just like to say “Hi!”, use the “Comments” Feature. Thats what it’s there for!!

For those who work out daily, it is not uncommon to experience days where the workout just isn’t a “great” one. There are days one just isn’t able to workout at maximum intensity, despite one’s best intentions. . .

The question then begets: Should I skip my workout altogether on those days, or should I “grit it through”?

This really depends. In most cases, I would suggest the latter option. Now, if your really overtrained, and your body’s sending you S.O.S. signals to “take a break” (see earlier post on “When to back off . . .”), then it’s probably best you take a break that day. However, in most cases, it is better to grit it through a less than ideal workout and complete anyway; you’ll be better off having accomplished something rather than quit halfway.

I’ll give you an example from my training today. My session yesterday was GREAT - really got the blood pumping, and the heart going - all in optimum time. Today’s wasn’t nearly as good though - perhaps because I repeated the exact same routine again (tip: keep changing things up - I’ll have more on this in future as well). I felt like quitting halfway through my squats, and slowed down considerably while going through the pushups - but, completed my routine anyway. The result? I’m off to take a shower - and feel great at the end of it!

Moral of the story - if your REALLY overtrained, or need a break, go for it. But, in most cases, it’s simply just a “bad day”, and it’s best to grit one’s teeth and take it in your stride, just as you would anything else that comes along in the day.

All for now!

Rahul

P.S. : - I will have a post out shortly on how changing your routine up every once in a while can really shake things up - stay tuned!

P.S #2 : - Have a great workout today!!

All,

An exercise combination which I love to do is mixing in squats (various variations) along with pull ups (in it’s various forms).

I’ve already spoken at length about squats, so I’ll speak a bit about the pull-ups today.

Pull ups are an excellent strength exercise, bar none. Done correctly, these work the entire upper body - especially the back and forearms which get “direct” work by virtue of pulling/gripping; but also the shoulders and core, and chest to a lesser degree. Done correctly, there isn’t a fiber in the upper body this exercise doesn’t hit.

And they go especially well with squats. Squats, and other leg exercises I’ve mentioned hit the back as well, thereby “warming” it up for the intense pull ups to come. And the pull ups stretch the spine/back out, thereby reducing the “tight” feeling which sometimes occurs while doing leg exercises. The two complement each other perfectly well, and a complete body workout can be achieved in 10-12 minutes. Of course you can go longer than that; I do a lot of times, but if done correctly, 10-12 is more than plenty for the average person!

Here is a short, but intense workout that’ll really get the blood pumping: -

- 50 - 100 Hindu squats
- Pull ups (10, break up into sets if required).
- Jumping Lunges (10 on each leg)
- Sumo squats
- Pull ups (10, break up into sets if required).
- Jumper squats (25 - 50, break up into sets if required)
- Pull ups (10, break up into sets if required)
- Back bridge (front and back) to finish things off.

That routine should take roughly 25 minutes to complete, depending upon how many reps you do for the pull ups. After these, find the nearest chair - you’ll need it! I’m used to working out in this style, but even so, this routine really gets things going; and I do need a break after it.

As with any other exercise, correct form is paramount as with the breathing. It is better to execute 5 perfect pull ups rather than 20 sloppily performed pull ups.

Pull ups are incredibly demanding, so you might not want to do them daily. Or, you might want to vary the numbers you do daily (i.e. do 10 one day, go for a “25″ max the other, etc etc). However you choose to do them though, they are something you definitely want to include in your training regimen.

So - squat, pull, squat, and pull some more. End things off with a stretch or two - and there you have it - an entire body workout that’ll hammer you into tomorrow.

Try it, and let me know how it works for you.

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

All,

A question which I hear brought up quite often is how long of a break should one allow between a meal, and starting one’s workout. Good question, and I’ll attempt to address it here today.

There is no set answer to this one - no “one size fits all” answer here. I generally advocate eating a while before an intense workout, and there are some general “rules” on this one which should work for most: -

- Fuel yourself adequately, no matter what. For instance, if you work out daily on intense routines such as the ones I advocated daily, then it does not make sense to skip breakfast entirely, and do a huge “brunch” after the workout. You can only push youself so far without fueling yourself - trust me on that one.

- Allow a “reasonable” amount of time between eating and the workout routine. This allows the food to get digested (”go down”); and provides your body with energy as well. This time will no doubt vary from person to person, however, I’ve found that giving a gap of about one and a half hours after eating breakfast works best for me. Again, that might change from person to person.

- Eat well, but don’t stuff yourself to the point of puking. This one is self-explanatory. . . Don’t gorge yourself on potato chips and nachos every morning, and expect to feel like a billion bucks later while exercising. It just aint gonna happen.

Now bear in mind that none of this is “wrirtten in stone”. For instance, some people workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and THEN eat. If this works for you, then nothing wrong with it at all. Key thing is to note is how you feel after the workout - and, if your making progress. If the answer is YES to both of those, then by all means go ahead and fuel yourself later.

I personally workout in the late mornings/early afternoons, and my schedule is pretty much to eat breakfast, then get some work accomplished for the next couple of hours, and then get my workout in. Works great for me - my breakfast is usually composed of fruits and milk. I do some deep breathing exercises as well in a bit after eating - this seems to aid the digestion process for me.

What is important is to find out what works best for YOU. Results speak for themselves as well - so experiment, and figure out what works for you. Keep in mind the general rules I’ve laid out, and you can’t go wrong.

All for now!!

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

All,

If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you probably know by now that I’m the type of guy who trains daily. I make it a point not to miss a workout, even to the point of exhaustion - my workout’s gotta get done, no matter what. Don’t take any prisoners, intense workouts - you get the drift.

And that has worked really well for me - I feel great. However, there are times when there can be too much of a good thing. For the past week or so, I’ve been having slight nausea, and the feeling of being “worn down” just doesn’t seem to go away. Now, this is different from the “sluggard” feeling that comes from sitting on one’s rump in front of the computer or T.V. all day - I don’t feel sluggish, but on the other hand, I haven’t been getting the instant jolt of energy that I generally do after my workouts.

Being that I’m dedicated to the point of being silly (sometimes), I continued on with my workouts. Had a great one yesterday itself, but the nausea didn’t go away, and I developed a slight cold to go with it. And this morning when I woke up, all these symptoms hit me square in the nads - much like the cold breeze outside, and woke me up to the fact that I just might be doing a little bit too much. . .

So, I’m backing off today. Giving the workouts a break, and resting up - so the body can recover fully, and so I can hit a great one tomorrow. It’s the sensible thing to do - and I’ve found that one out the hard way more often than once.

Now, am I saying don’t push yourself during your workout? No! Am I saying don’t train daily - No. But, you should “listen to your body” as well; sometimes, there can be too much of a good thing. Be honest with yourself on that one, and you’ll know when to hit it hard, and when to back off.

All for now - I know I’ll be back tomorrow itching to hit the exercises!

Rahul

I was speaking to a couple last night (both good friends of ours) that had just returned from a short jaunt in the hills of Northern India. It was a much needed break from the daily grind for them, but more importantly, a chance to get away from the ever present smog and pollution of the cities. Most importantly though, it gave them a chance to get some solid exercise in - which neither one of them seem to be able to do in the city.

This got me thinking about a few years ago, when I used to live in an area which was hilly in parts. There was a hill right next to my house (about 10 minutes walking distance), and I used to climb this hill daily, without fail - I have many fond memories of the excellent workouts a rigorous daily walk up the hill provided!

And that brings me to the point of this post - Hill climbs to build superior levels of fitness. Hill climbs can be used to build super health and fitness for just about every level of athelete, from beginner to advanced. They are an excellent overall body conditioner, and done daily, build great strength in the legs and back, thereby strengthening the entire body.

Here’s evidence from my own training: A few years back, I had put on some extra weight around the middle, due to less than optimum eating habits, and a lack of proper exercise (though it was more due to the latter than the former). I then started working out with the type of routines I advocate here, and the results were great. In addition, I added a hill climb to my daily routine as well - and within a few months of starting, I literally went down several waist sizes from what I used to be prior to starting, while increasing strength throughout my entire body.

The hill, where I used to live had several tracks - some with steps, and one without. I used to climb this hill at a brisk pace - took me about 15-20 minutes to get up it and another 20 minutes to get down. I usually used the route with stairs while going up, and use the trail without stairs while coming down - that seemed to give me a better workout. The walk lasted about an hour, and put me in a great mood for the rest of my workout as well. OK, that isn’t “quick”, but walks rarely ever are - especially the tough and strenous ones. What makes hill climbs different is that you are exerting maximal effort for most of the time, which makes the investment in time worthwhile.

Of course, hills lend themselves to “quick” fitness as well. I’ll put together a routine soon which consists of just ONE exercise, and the overall routine will last for 10 minutes at most. That’s right, just ONE exercise, and for 10 minutes - and this will work your entire body like it’s never been worked before. This is an advanced routine though, so I wouldn’t recommend it for all, not until a certain level of fitness has already been achieved.

At the end of my climb I used to be soaked in sweat. Especially on those days when it was hot and humid (and it was that way a lot of times) - and I loved it!! The feeling I experienced when I was at the top of the hill, and my heart was pounding, and I KNEW I’d done the best I could - is undescribable - but, those of you that workout regularly will understand!

I generally don’t post too many pictures, but I’m feeling nostalgic at the moment, so I’ll post a couple of pictures showing what the view looked like, from the top of the mountain!

In the meantime, if you don’t have hills where your at, then use other alternatives. Stair sprints, jumping rope, and high repetition Hindu Squats all do the trick. (I currently live in the plains as well, so I know how that goes).

The world is your oyster when it comes to fitness - if you choose to use it!

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

PS: In the future, I am going to write about another superb overall body exercise, swimming - which also happens to be of my favorite exercises. Stay tuned!

PS#1: No hills, where your at? No problem. Click here for some routines that will get you into super shape anyways.

All,

I’m a bit pressed for time today, so this is gonna be a short one. However, just thought I should throw in a brief note about how training regularly (short, intense workouts) can actually give you functional strength, far more than what can be accomplished with traditional “slow and drawn out” cardio/weight workouts.

My verandah door got jammed today - it’s one of those old, wooden, “sliding” doors that are heavy as you know what, and tough as hell to budge once the wood expands and once it gets stuck on the slider. So there my wife was, pounding away at the door, trying to get it to “slide shut”, but it wouldn’t. So in I come into the picture, albeit with a warning to “take things easy” and not pound on things as I normally do - I’m a bit messy when it comes to “delicate” stuff, but we’ll get into that later.

So I try all the delicate stuff, and of course it doesn’t work. Finally, I figured it was time to go back to basics, and I gave it the good ole’ Grizzly paw. Raised both my arms above my head, and took a few “annoyed” swipes at the door. I musta pounded about 5 times, for a total of about 4 seconds or so, and the whole mess came unstuck in no time, and there we were, happily sliding the door right back in.

Now, keep in mind I do no specific training for my forearms or wrists for that matter. I train bodyweight exercises (entire body) for a short period of time, and that type of “short but intense” training builds incredible strength throughout the entire body. Anyway, we got the door unstuck without having to call a carpenter and use tools, so I’m a happy camper.

Moral of the story? Train hard, and train regularly. It’ll help you in more ways than you think!

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

All,

A very good morning, afternoon, or evening (as the case might be) to all of you. I’m writing this shortly after waking up, it’s winter here - cold, and that brings me to one of the things I’d like to share with you.

This morning, I woke up feeling a bit groggy, not really ready to “jump-start” the day, so to speak. I got my morning tea, sat down to respond to my emails, and all that, but, the feeling persisted. So what I did was close the laptop, and walk outside for some deep breathing routines, and boy did they work!

What I did was walk outside, and simply BREATHE deeply. That’s right, thats all I did - take deep, huge inhales. That cold air hitting the lungs felt good, and within a couple of minutes, it was like someone had “switched on a button”, and I was all wired, and ready to plunge into the day.

And that was without doing any exercises which require deep breathing such as the ones here. Imagine the hit if I had actually worked out in the cold for a while - bong! OK, the “bong” part was a joke, but you get my drift.

Point of this post? In these modern times, we sometimes get “out of tune” with nature. Sometimes, it’s best go back to basics. Cold and snowy where your at? No problem - bundle up, BREATHE in deeply, and get a quick and dirty workout in outside instead of indoors; and, then, see how you feel for the rest of the day! I’ll bet you feel turbo-charged, and ready to roar, as it were.

Even if it isn’t cold where your at, the effects of deep breathing are manifold, and apply regardless of what type of weather it is. When you breathe deeply, you draw in energy into every cell of your body, and feel like a zillion bucks. I’ll get into how the correct breathing techniques can really help you at a later date, but for now - step outside, and take a deep breath, or five. Notice how you feel, and get back to me then.

And of course, the icing on the cake would be to get a great workout in while your at it. Click here for some routines that get you in shape - FAST!

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul