Fast and Furious Fitness

I’ve been toying with a new way of making the jumper squats a bit more taxing for a while now, and it looks like I’ve found the right way.

First off, allow me to preface by saying the jumper squat is an advanced exercise, and beginners should not just jump into this exercise (no pun intended there). Get good at the regular squats, then the regular jumps, and THEN look for ways to make it harder.

Since I don’t have an information page on how to do jumper squats as yet, I’ll explain briefly: Start off in the regular Hindu Squat position - but, in the down position, while going up, don’t just power “up” - power a few inches back - and then return to the starting position - all in the same movement. This little twist makes the exercise all the more difficult, and really hits the calves and buttocks in a big way.

I usually do these in sets of 25 - 35 after my regular squats (or after the Sumos); make no mistake about it, they are tough, and will get you in GREAT shape - FAST.

Yet, there is ALWAYS a way to make the same exercise more productive. And that is - while doing the squats, and jumping “back” a few inches - jump UP a bit more WHILE jumping back. Imagine a kangaroo - jumping high and far - only backwards.

The “extra” jump in the movement really hits the buttocks in a big way - you’ll also feel your thighs “loosen up” as the extra jumping necessitates straightening of the entire leg, and stretches the entifre thigh muscle out, more so than perhaps while simply jumping up a little and back.

Try this one out, and see how it feels. I tried it today - and was sweating within a minute or so of doing these!

All for now.

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

All,

Control, and form. These two words have entirely different meanings, but are yet analogous when it comes to exercise. One depends upon the other, and the other cannot be utilized to its full potential without one. Symbiotic would be a good way to put it, or perhaps “inter-connected. Semantics aside though, it’s important to concentrate on both equally hard.

Form is of paramount importance, as I have mentioned many times before, but “controlling” that form is equally important, and is part of form when you think about it. While doing the Hindu squat, you maintain good form - but you also maintain CONTROL during the movement. The descent, the ascent, the swinging of the arms, all this occurs in a CONTROLLED, rythmic pattern - and in good form.

And obviously, control without form is no good. Think of doing an exercise the wrong way, but controlling that wrong form. No use there either.

It is important to take some time out both during, after your exercise routine to concentrate on this. Sure, you don’t need to be dilly dallying during your workout - but, make sure your doing things correctly and in control.

It can get hard to maintain right form and control during some of the tougher exercises, and to do so one can use “visuals” to help during the exercise. For instance, I imagine that I am trying to knock someone out with a sideways kick while in the “up portion” of the Sumo squat - so there is an imaginary chin that I need to target rather than my outstretched palm (and for more information on how to do the Sumo Squats, do a search). I know I need to control my movement, so I don’t injure my groin - I also know I need to move fast, and keep moving fast. And that’s one example. You can use a more non-violent visualization if you wish - think of dislodging a brick stuck at a high level, maybe.

So, as you can see, form and control and analogous. One depends on the other, the other leads to the first, and vice versa.

Make sure to concentrate on both and strike a good balance between the two - and you’ll do just fine.

All for now!!

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

All,

Let’s face it, your workout is something you need to enjoy. I mean if its something you should be doing daily, and have to do daily, then it’s going to get real hard to keep up (no matter how disciplined you are), if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing to an extent.

Of course, thats not to say that the workout should be a lark, and “easy”, or any of those things. Your workout SHOULD be tough (and that should be something you enjoy), rigourous - all that. But, sometimes, you just need to “relax” into the workout, and enjoy what your doing, without worrying too much about sets, reps, benefits, etc etc.

This is what I did today. I was feeling like doing something different, so I started my routine - and kept going - but, I did so slowly. I concentrated on perfecting EACH rep, and enjoying the work the muscle was getting (yes, I know this sounds cryptic but those of you that have been training a while will get it), instead of focusing too much on time, and other factors. Added in some more exercises, did some more reps on some of the usual ones. And I ended up completing my workout in about an hour instead of the usual 40-45 minute blast. Fair enough - I enjoyed every minute!!

I don’t advocate doing this daily, obviously - your workout should generally be short and sweet. Fast and furious, short and sweet, whatever tickles your fancy. . .But, remember it’s not always about setting personal records, or beating the clock. Sometimes, just sometimes, you need to relax into the workout, and just enjoy how things are going.

And you may find that despite not trying to, you’ll hit personal bests (or close to it) on many exercises. I know I did so on extended arm pushups today!

And bottom line is, if you’ve been training a while, then this type of routine will actually help you “recover” both mentally, and physcially - and give you a great workout while doing so.

Try it - and let me know how it goes!

Enjoy,

Rahul

All,

I spoke yesterday about the benefits of deep breathing, and why you should be incorporating it into your workouts as well (or make it a gentle workout in itself). Today I’ll give you a quick example from my own workout which illustrates just how useful deep breathing can be (in addition to what I’ve already said before).

What I did today was do a deep breathing exercise after each leg exercise today. So I did my Hindu squats, then a set of deep breathing exercises. Then jumpers, then deep breathing, and so forth. And I achieved personal bests in the following exercises: jumper squats, and jumping lunges - while doing all my other exercises in a more “rythmic” pattern, if that makes sense. Well, there’s obviously something to it then!

My own theory is that mixing in deep breathing with the regular workout has two advantages : a) giving your “regular” muscles a bit of a break and thus allowing them to come back stronger for the next exercise and b) “active recovery” i.e. the deep breathing flushes out the toxins which build up in the muscles during a workout.

It also has the effect of leaving me less drained after my workout - which is a good thing. You should feel “buzzed” and ready to go after a tough workout - rather than ready to flop down on the couch and snooze. And, I’ve found deep breathing aids a LOT to this end. Not to mention that it keeps the blood flowing effectively throughout the entire workout, and thats always a good thing.

So - try and devote a bit more time to deep breathing exercises, or just deep breathing alone in the right fashion - and let me know your findings!

And, I know I haven’t covered what exact breathing exercises I use, amongst a host of other stuff I want to cover. So much to cover, so little time. . .

All for now though -back tomorrow hopefully.

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

All,

So there I was, huffing and puffing away during my Sumo squats. Up, to the side, down, and back again on the other leg, and so forth. And while doing this, I realized two things: - a) I’ve not been paying enough attention to deep breathing - and breathing CORRECTLY during my workouts myself, and b) I haven’t been writing about this most important topic for a while now (I did write about it earlier, but not as of late).

a) happens. I’m human, and like the rest of you, I need a reminder from time to time as well. No biggie. . .

And I’ll address b) here - without further ado then, let’s delve into the topic!

First, it’s important to know HOW to breathe. Breathing is not akin to panting (hufffing and puffing, being out of breath, however you put it). You breathe in deeply through your nose, in CONTROL, and the breath should be deep and “fill your entire body”. Breathe from the pit of your stomach (bottom up), and “feel” the air filling your whole body, and saturating it with energy. And keep this up even when your out of breath - you’ll find it helps you get your strength/energy back a lot faster than puffing like a locomotive.

And deep breathing has many benefits, which I’ll attempt to cover here. First off, deep breathing when done right contributes to expansion of the chest from the “inside out”. You strengthen the diaphgram, and internal muscles surrounding it when you breathe deeply in a regular, rythmic pattern, and this naturally increases the overall size of your chest. In turn allowing for better development throughout the upper body.

Second, and most importantly perhaps, deep breathing revs the internal engine up, and KEEPS IT GOING. Think of it as a race car between races, or a fire througout the cold night. Would you want that engine “idling” and “purring”, or completely dead between races? Would you rather the fire be “stoked” regularly rather than not at all? I’d imagine yes in both cases - and this applies to your body as well. Deep breathing keeps things going, the blood pumping, and gives you a better workout overall.

Any time you slow down during your exercises, breathe in deeply, and do a tough exercise - and then see how you feel. You’ll know what I’m referring to!!

And last, there are breathing exercises in particular which can be used to give you a super “boost” during your workout - and can be used as a pretty good warmup by themselves. I’m going to cover these, and some other important exercises which I haven’t covered as of yet in a later post.

Out of time for now - so thats it for today! Do write in and let me know your thoughts.

Rahul

Today was one of those days I was feeling like a break, but I also knew that I didn’t “really” need one.

Sure, I was tired, sure, I was sore - and all of that. But deep down inside, I knew I really wasn’t supposed to be taking a break. Sure, I could (and did as a matter of fact) go lighter on some of the stuff I do, but bottom line was, I don’t need a break today.

So rather than pontificate and waste time trying to convince myself, I just dropped into a set of squats. I figured I’d do that, and THEN see how I felt, and take it from there. I did about 60 Hindu squats, then proceeded with some other exercises. . .And here I am, about 50 minutes or so later, dripping with sweat, and after a pretty damn good workout.

Sure, I didn’t break any world records. I went a bit slow on some of the exercises, and changed things up a bit. But despite all that - I got it done. No excuses, just me and the workout.

That’s a good one to remember, by the way. “Just you and your workout”. I’ll go more into that in a later post on focus. . .

Anyway, if your “undecided” about whether or not to go ahead with your routine, and deep down inside you know you need to be, then a good way to get started is to do something. I don’t care what it is - do a set of squats perhaps. Or, maybe some pushups. Just something - anything to get the blood flowing and the wheel in motion, so to speak. And you’ll see that your body automatically gets into the groove, and you’ll get a great workout.

So, thats today’s tip - hope it helps!!

All for now,

Rahul

That’s the principle I used this morning while training. This is an advanced variation, therefore, it may be unsuitable for those that are just starting out. But for those of you that are advanced trainees, read on. . . Hopefully this tip will help you in your training!

The method is basically what the name says - one hard, long, set. I concentrate more on the tougher exercises while applying this principle, which makes it even harder. What I generally do in my routine is two sets of each exercise, but here I combine both into ONE long set. I may take a breather (a very short one) in the middle, but it’s essentially one long, hard, ardous set which really gets the heart rate up, and the breathing going overtime.

For instance, here’s what I did with my sumos, jumpers and jumping lunges (note these are all tough exercises): -

20 reps of Sumo Squats on each leg
15 reps of Jumping Lunges
41 Jumper squats

and all this, done in a long set for each exercise. Sure, I took maybe a couple of seconds breather DURING each set, but that doesn’t make it any easier to be honest.

This technique may seem similar to “supersetting”, but there is one difference - the breather allows you to perform at about 75%-80% of your maximal capacity during the rest of the set. While supersetting you generally don’t take a breather at all, but that allows you to only perform at maybe 50% or less during the superset.

So, thats another different way to train. Amazing how many variations one can come up - which WORK if you just train.

And thats really all there is to it. TRAIN - and the rest will take care of itself.

All for now.

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul

Yes, folks, you read that right. Long and slow workout, instead of the fast and furious routine I advocate. Yes, I said those words - long, and slow. But before you start wondering whether or not I’ve gone completely off my rocker, let me explain.

I’ve been having to train in less than optimal circumstances over the past couple of days. There has been stuff going on around here, both in my personal and work life, and let’s just suffice to say that the heat’s the least of my concerns right now.

Today, I was training in a room hotter than usual, and that, combined with the other stresses and the rising temperature, made it far tougher than usual. I started my workout with the right intentions, but as soon as I made it up from my first squat, I knew I wouldn’t be doing a quick ‘un today. I would either get it done slowly and right, or, I wouldn’t be doing it at all.

So instead of stress over the fact I was going slowly, I decided to try and actually enjoy the slow movements. I changed my routine up as well - a squatting exercise, then a back exercise, then legs, then back and so forth - as opposed to legs first, and back later, and then pushups. However the speed of my workout was such that it allowed me to recuperate between exercises, and thus I was able to hit all body parts with the same intensity that I do normally. I just rolled with the heat though, and went a bit slower than usual.

This didn’t make it easier. After each leg exercise, the heat really “sank in”, and I was feeling like I was breathing fire in. But, I didn’t give in, and finished eventually. Did the best I could do, and I’m proud of myself for having done so.

And now, I’m sitting here completely exhausted from the events of the past few days, and my workout. And the only thing I feel is a sense of deep satisfaction at having battled through the odds, and “getting it done no matter what”. OK, other things as well, but that is the overwhelming feeling that is sweeping me right now.

This is hard to explain if you haven’t actually been there, and done it, so I am not going to attempt to. But some of you out there that are reading those know what I am talking about. Brothers (and sisters) in battle we are, and shall remain.

Speaking of which, it’s back to the battle of life for now.

Until next time - TRAIN, PERSEVERE and get her done!

Rahul

All,

I’ve written extensively about training in the heat before, as well as my favorite “two set” max routine. I am a bit pressed for time today, therefore, I am not posting the links here but do a search via the tool on the upper right hand side of the page, and you’ll find said topics.

Anyway, it’s tough as hell to train in the heat, and as I’ve mentioned before (in prior posts), there are other factors which make training, and concentrating in the heat and basically “getting it done” even tougher. That is not to say I condone not training during these circumstances, rather, I am applauding those of you that stick through it and have the gumption to get it done in demanding circumstances.

Something I haven’t mentioned before in detail is that when one’s training in the heat, it’s important to focus on the tougher exercises first. Think about it - you only have so much energy, and it makes sense to prioritize i.e. train what’s toughest (and therefore the most important) first. Train in descending order of toughness, so to speak.

So, what I do is train my lower body first. That means legs, hips, thighs, calves, buttocks - you get the photo. I have written about the importance of intense training for these parts before, but it becomes doubly important to keep this in mind when training in hot, humid conditions, as you simply won’t have the energy left to get the tough ones done at the end of your workout.

The goal is obviously to train the entire body as intensely as possible in the shortest period of time, but don’t be disheartened if the 10 minutes sometimes stretch out into 15. Remember, it’s tough to focus in extreme heat (I know - the room in which I train is like a cauldron in the mornings these days - and thats in the A.M.!); therefore, it’s OK if you spend a couple of more minutes recuperating between sets or whatever - the important thing is to finish your workout, and do so while executing reps in correct form.

And my favorite two set max routine works great to this end. Two sets of leg exercises, two sets of pull ups (though I sometimes go for four, if the numbers are lower in the first two sets), and then two sets of pushups (varying styles) to finish things off, along with a back/front bridge (two sets of bridges in essence). Tough, demanding, but gets the job done in the quickest possible time, and I’m hammered at the end of it.

Why two sets, and not ten? Or one? Well, mainly because this works well for me. Some of you may find THREE sets or maybe even ONE good set works best for you. We are all different -key thing is to find out what works for you in that regard, without spending all day training, as beyond a point you will simply be too tired for optimum results to show up.

Well, I hope that little bit helped those of you who are training today. Make it a GREAT one - and write in and tell me how it went!

Rahul

All,

I’ve addressed the media craze over “ripped to the bone” bodies, and “eight packs” (along with whatever other new terms they’ve come up with) before in prior posts. If you missed my initial post on it, go here. If you’ve already read that post, read on. . .

In an nutshell, and as you can see from my previous post on it, the “eight packs” and “twelve packs” (ok I made thatone up) maniacs running around there are doing far more harm to themselves than anyone else by trying to acheive that unhealthy, unnaturally “ripped” look. I mean nature just didn’t intend for us to look that way. Take a look at the strongest animals around - bears, elephants, and maybe even marine mammals - the shark, crocs (saltwater) etc. Do they look strong? Yes. Natural? Hell, yes. Ripped? Uh, probably NOT!

Anyway, that being got out of the way, another media favorite is to have us believe that to be truly fit, one just has to be x% amount of body fat (the lower the better), a “flat and ripped” abdomen, muscles that “stand out in bold relief”, and all of that nonsense. Otherwise they’d have you believe you aren’t fit - actually, the general populace is as guilty on this one as the media is, mostly because people have been brainwashed into believing that nonsense.

So, since I consider myself a fairly fit (and strong) person, I figued I’d do a self-analysis by looking in the mirror. After doing it, I concluded that I’d probably fail on just about every count if I were to hold myself up to the “media litmus test” on whether or not one is fit: -

1. First, I surveyed myself from all angles and positions. In no particular angle did I have the “lean look”, or the “chiseled - not a muscle out of place” look. Mostly an overall solid look whichever way one cuts it, but hardly what the media expects.

2. Let’s begin with the legs and buttocks. I have pretty solid legs and buttocks, and good hip/lower back strength, but nowhere does one see the “striated thighs” that are so much talked about. Or for that matter, I can’t see each muscle clearly outlined in my buttocks. Solid yes, “ripped”? Not at all, not by a long shot.

Yet, I can bang out dozens of repetitions of leg exercises which would have some of the so called “ripped” “fit” people flat out on their butts gasping for breath within maybe a couple of minutes. I can climb hills for a good period of time, and am more flexible in my lower body than a lot of people (Try doing the Sumo Squat correctly. It’s not easy).

3. My back is wide, and has a strong “deep and chunky” look to it, but nowhere do I see each muscle outlined in it’s entirety. I don’t see “spinal erectors as strong as cords” running up and down my spine, but I can hold a back/neck bridge for 3 minutes without breaking much of a sweat. I don’t see “flying squirrel like lats”, but I can pull ups in good form, for reps. My traps look strong and well built, but they don’t have veins running over them like some of the bodybuilders one sees. But, I can perform extended arm pushups, table maker pushups, reverse pushups etc in numbers that most people cannot.

4. My chest is not a “big bulging chest”, and neither does it have “slabs of rock hard muscle” all over it. Hell, this one area is probably where I’d “score” the lowest. I have a wide, deep chest, but again, nothing like what the media likes to potray. Yet, I bang out 100 odd pushups on a regular basis every morning, and do so within 8-10 minutes, in perfect form. Hmm, how do I do that?

5. My upper arms are big, but (gasp) I have (gasp again) NO DEFINITION! In fact I can barely distuinguish between my triceps, biceps, and shoulders to be honest unless I pump and flex, and even then it;s more of a solidly built arm than anything else. I do pushups daily, but hey, those are just “pushups” right? After all, how can I say I have strong arms unless I see those “peaks on my biceps”?

So, there’s the honest self -appraisal. I could go on and on with this, but you get the picture. . .Make of it what you will, and feel free to draw your own conclusions on the “eight pack” craze.

On other fronts, today’s my break day from working out - tomorrow’s going to be another GREAT one!!

All for now. Don’t worry about the eight pack - worry about getting your “fast and furious fitness” exercises done within 8-10 minutes. You’ll be doing far better for yourself that way.

Get fit - FAST!

Rahul