I just grew some new shoulder meat...

I had a great second workout today so I wanted to share it with everyone. If you are looking to hit every fiber of muscle in your shoulders this is bound to get it done! I ran through four giant sets (a giant set is three or more exercises in a row) doing three sets of each. When doing this, jeep the initial weight moderate and take minimal rest between sets. When switching from one giant set to the next only take long enough to set up your next three exercises and then get it going again! If you are ready to do work, here you go:

Giant Set 1:
    -Hammer Strength Iso Lateral Rear Shoulder Press 15, 12, 10 (increase weight)
    -Bent Over Rear Delt Fly 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)
    -Incline Rear Delt Raise (arms to front in "Y" shape) 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)

Giant Set 2:
    -Dumbbell Shoulder Press (bench at 90 degrees), 12, 12, 10 (increase weight)
    -Dumbbell Lateral Raise 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)
    -Wide Grip Cable Upright Row 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase), pause at the top

Giant Set 3:
    -Hammer Strength Shoulder Press 15, 12, 10 (increase weight)
    -Underhanded Cable Front Raise (cable between the legs) 10, 10, 10 (maintain or increase)
    -Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise 10, 10, 8 (maintain or increase)

Giant Set 4:
    - Dumbbell Shrugs 10, 10, 10
    - Barbell Shrugs (overhand grip) 10, 10, 10
    - Cable Shrugs (face away from the cable, shrug to your rear) 10, 10, 10

I did hit a few supersets for the calves afterwards but this alone was a blast! I think I could see every vein and every muscle in my shoulders when I was done! Please try this at home and let us know what you think! Enjoy the weekend and find yourself some time to ENJOY some training as well! Every time you make YOU better it should be a great time!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Dumbbell Cardio! DO WORK!

I am gonna double it up this Friday! In addition to my afternoon weight training session I did a bodyweight/dumbbell circuit this morning. I used a 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off split and 10 exercises. I ran through the entire circuit twice, got my heart rate up and it felt great!

Now I know what some of you are thinking: Cardio with dumbbells? It is a common misconception that cardio has to consist of running, biking or many other forms of exercise that many of us consider tedious. That is not true! Cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up! When done correctly, weight training can get your heart rate up and burn more calories than other forms of training! 

Here is the workout I just finished doing. What do you need? Some floor space, a couple of sets of dumbbells, and a mat if you feel so inclined. THAT'S IT! Give this one a try and let me know what you think. 

1) 1-Arm Dumbbell Snatch Left Arm

2) 1-Arm Dumbbell Snatch Right Arm

3) Dumbbell or Bodyweight Squats

4) Push-up Variation

5) 1-Arm Dumbbell Row, Left Arm

6) 1-Arm Dumbbell Row, Right Arm

7) Dumbbell Swings

8) Dumbbell "Shoulder T" (Front Raise then take the dumbbells to the side, lower, side raise, bring to front, lower, repeat)

9) Dumbbell Split Squat, Left Leg Forward

10) Dumbbell Split Squat, Right Leg Forward

11) Stiff-legged Dumbbell Deadlfts

12) Crunch Variation of Choice

13) Reverse Crunch Variation of Choice

14) Side Crunch Left Side

15) Side Crunch Right Side

16) Dumbbell Russian Twist

17) Prone Cobras

18) Plank Variation of Choice

19) Side Plank Left

20) Side Plank Right

Try to do the same number of repetitions with each side on the unilateral exercises even if it means stopping a second early or going a second late on the second side. As far as weight to use, it depends on your strength, conditioning and overall purpose. I try to keep it light when I do these workouts as I know I have a heavy training session this evening. If you want to use this as a part of your strength training work you can very heavy on some of the movements. Typically, I keep the dumbbells under 50lbs. 

There you have it. I hope you enjoy. Can you get two training sessions in today? Here is one you can do in 20 minutes! 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

What does it mean to DO YOU?

Someone once told me the truth of the matter is this: 99.99% of us will never be a world champion, we will never break a world record, hell, we may never win a competitive game of anything. 

I challenge that "truth."

I have always had need to excel, to be the best. I thrive on getting better, working harder, doing more than last time. The real truth of the matter is that I am a world champion, a record setter, the best there ever was, because, when it comes to making me better, I am the only competition. Every time I look in the mirror I feel sorry for the guy looking back at me because, today my friend, you will loose. I will get better, I will achieve more, I will push myself to reach my goals. So tomorrow, you will be distant memory. Another challenger who lost in the quest to see who can make a better me. The best part? There is always a new challenger staring right back at me, trying to take my title. BRING IT. I will win. If not today, I will get you tomorrow.....

I will DO ME.  

All that is left is for you to ask yourself do you want to be a champion? A record breaker? The best that ever was? Will you DO YOU today or loose to the only one who can beat you....YOU? Only you know the answer.....

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Today's quick supplement information: Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a powerful herb traditionally used in flavoring ethnic dishes. Mostly it can be found in Indian, Persian, Eritrean, and Ethiopian cuisine. Recently it has received much attention for its medicinal properties as well. Most of the medicinal benefits seem to be due to the herb's rich levels of alkaloids as well as its ability to balance blood sugar and restore healthy cholesterol levels. 

The Top Benefits of Supplementing Fenugreek Include:

- Strong antioxidant to fight free radicals and boost the immune system 

- Great for digestion: reduces gastric inflammation, acid reflux and heartburn

- Shown to decrease appetite and maintain a healthy metabolism

- Promotes healthy hormone levels in both men and women

- Helpful in treating diabetes and lowering blood sugar levels 

- Helps restore healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels 

- Lessens the side effects of menopause in women

So if you are looking for a new supplement to add to your kit bag this may be the one! For the fellas, need one more reason to guve it a whirl? A June 2011 study at the Australian Centre for Integrative Clinical and Molecular Medicine found that men aged 25 to 52 who took a fenugreek extract twice daily for six weeks scored 25% higher on tests gauging libido levels than those who took a placebo!
DO YOU
-SideMeat

A SideMeat Saturday!

Man this is a Super SideMeat Saturday. I got up this morning and did the following 10 minute calisthenic workout:

Perform each exercise for 20 seconds, rest 10 and move to the next one. Repeat Twice:

1) Burpees

2) Bird Dog Left Knee to Right Elbow

3) Bird Dog Right Knee to Left Elbow

4) Split Squat Right Leg Forward

5) Spiderman Push-ups

6) Squat Jumps

7) Side Plank Right

8) Side Plank Left

9) Plank

10) Supine Bridge

I know the is no back or pulling motions but I just wanted a quick blast without any equipment. Then I got a wild hair and decided to hit a shoulder workout before my training session with my high school wrestlers. Wanna get a burn? Try this one:

1) Lying Side Lateral Raise: 5 x 8 each arm no stopping

2) Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 15, 12, 10, 8 up 10lbs per set as heavy as you can go!

3) Giant Set (Seated, 10 of each x 3):

- Dumbbell Front Raise

- Dumbbell Lateral Raise

- Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise

4) Superset x 3

- Behind the back Cable Laterals (12 each arm)

- Cable High Pulls 12, 10, 8

5) Reverse Hammer Shoulder Press 3 x 10

**To perform this sit on the hammer should press backwards so you push forwards and up. This is great on the front delts! 

6) Machine Shrugs 4 x 12 - 15

After that I waled some of my wresters and a few who wrestled for me last year who are leaving through their off season work out program. I an't give that one away but it is going to make them boys strong!

Now for the rest of my day I get to enjoy sports! The Euro Cup is going on right now and, after the World Cup, it is the greatest soccer event on the planet! Germany plays against Portugal who boasts the best player in the world, Christiano Ronaldo, at 845pm Germany time and I am going to go watch that at an outdoor viewing. 

Tonight Pacman takes on  Timothy Bradley in what I think will be a great fight. Hard to bet against the Pacman though. I expect a great 12 rounder but I have been wrong before. 

Before that though, Game 7, Miami and Boston! After LeBron put a masterpiece last game one has to wonder can he do it again? Does he even need to if Wade and Bosh come to play? Does this generation's original Big 3 have anything left in the tank? Will Rondo take over? Who knows! All I can say is I will be up at 230am my time to watch!

All that being said, how was your Saturday? Make sure you do what you enjoy and try to get a little fitness in as well!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

A Well Vested Training Option

So, I was looking for a way to incorporate a second leg workout in for the week. Since my current workout plan already consists of 4 weight training sessions and 3 separate cardio and abdominal sessions, finding time to get in an eighth workout is pressing. The solution? A weight vest! My friday cardio session is now a weight vest run with some leg exercises at the end. Now, you have to be careful when selecting your vest as you need one that fits your body and we all have different builds. Preferably, try to buy one from a store so you can return it if it doesn't fit you well. You may have to try a couple but it is totally worth it! I personally use the Altus 40lb adjustable weight vest. I may need to get another one soon to increase the weight but this one has been great for me for a few years as I use it on and off.

Here is my current Friday morning workout:

40 minute run, moderate pace, 5 minutes of 30 second sprint/jog intervals. 

Leg training Circuit: 4 - 5 times, no rest between exercise, minimal rest between sets, 1 - 2 minutes

- 20 Squats, Squat Jumps. or combination of the two

- 25 Stiff-leg Deadlifts

- 10 Reverse Lungs per leg

- 10 Lateral Lunges per leg

- 50 Calf Raises

Abdominals: rest the same amount of time you exercise plus 30% and decrease as necessary

      - 4 Planks, 45 - 60 seconds (can be dynamic or static)

- 2 Side Planks, 20 - 30 seconds per side

- 3 x 25 Froggers

- 3 Supine Bridges 20 -30 seconds

Now this is just a sample of what you can do for cardio, lower body, and a little core training. Weight vests can be used for upper body training as well! There will definitely be a future boot camp class using these! When I was in charge of the Battalion level remedial physical training program for my unit in the Army we would often have the participants use there Individual Body Armor. Females would use one protective plate, 10 lbs, and males would use two. 

Now, as with any weight training program, there are risks and concerns, If you have joint problems, especially in your knees and ankles, be very carful about running with added weight as it can really put a pounding on the joints. Also, progress slowly. I would recommend starting with about 10 to 15% of your body body weight and adding slowly as your body adjusts. You can also increase intensity by increasing speed on the run and reducing or even eliminating rest periods during exercise. 

This is just another way to vary your cardio and weight training routine! If you have any questions on how you can use weight vests for full-body training give us a shout! 

DO YOU

-SideMeat