Building 'A-Frame' Shoulders
Deltoid. That's what your shoulder is, a deltoid. Three deltoid's to be exact. The middle one inserts itself under your arm muscles and starts under the trapezius or traps, attached to your clavical. Developing your delts can be more important to looking good naked than other muslces depending on your personal tastes and individual body type. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Like I said, there are three deltoids, front, middle and back. I personally see the back deltoid as the most important muscle in my workout. The rear delt is the muscle that doesn't usually get any good miror time and so can be neglected or forgoten. Remember the rear delt is not your back, but a part of your shoulder. One's shoulders needs two qualities, it needs to have 'width' and needs to be 'thick'.
My shoulders slope forward instead of stick-out naturally to the side like many 'broad' guys. Therefore I will work the middle delt to stick out a bit with 'Arnold Presses' to increase the 'width' of my look (I also build my back and slim my waist to plus up that 'A-Frame' look).
There are two types of shoulder exercises (1) presses and (2) Straight arm raises. I do and have done a lot of presses, I mean to say, I've always done presses. Push-ups are presses! Push-ups work your front delts and incline push-ups work your middle delts. (e.g. clean and press, military press, machine press, push presses, standing lateral raise, seated side/front/bent-over raises, cable raises, et cetra).
I probably should have front loaded this, but the point is rear delts are my weak point. Being my weak point I front load rear delt exercises in my workout (the front point is pointing point...what?). I do this to get that 'thick' shoulder look from a side view. I do 'Lying Side Laterals' an exercise that Serge Nubret professed help him get his champion physic. (Lying Side Laterals can be done every day, like push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups).
Three Delts: I would say that shoulders are the most important muscle group to mentally focus on for three reasons.
1. everything else will work itself out - pecks/legs/back/biceps/triceps/blah blah blah-cepts - you got that.
2. shoulders are vital to Look Good Naked, they give shape and display your athleticism
3. shoulders are a literal weak point in people's body, therefore the more stregnth focused there will allow more weight and harder work elsewhere.
The third bullet leads me to my closing, which is a warning of how shoulders are worked. Many times the ol' rotator cup becomes injured and hinders work-outs. Don't become a victim!
-Work out with lower weight to avoid injury, which leads to...
-Do at least 4 sets (starting with less weight and more reps 10-15)
-Concentrate on full extention and muscle tention throughout the exercises
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Nutrition: Food Epidemc!
Food has Got a Fever!
This is not good. An epidemic has struck food all over the world. This murderous fever is killing every kind of food, left and right they are dropping like flies. Populations across the globe continue to suffer.
That's right, a food fever. Nearly everyone has ran a fever before and however uncomfortable it is to run a high temperature it never killed. Besides, fever does not kill anyone, it is a bug or sickness that kills you, fever is just a symptom...right? Well, yes, it's true that most people do not die of fever and a fever is usually a symptom of having a 'bug', if someone runs too high of a fever, they can die from that symptom.
The morbid number 105
One Hundred and Five Degrees Fahrenheit is the magic number. If you have a fever above this magic number or are flirting with it (which happens when one has Red Scarlet Fever for example) please stop reading and rush to the hospital. Because at this temperature your brain may actually be cooked. Yes cooked to death by your own body! Crazy right?
When you heat food to 105 degrees or higher you kill it. Now, of course meat is already dead, but actual food, i.e. fruit, plants, seeds, veggies, you potentially kill it, if not damage it beyond repair, recovery or usefulness. Hence, Raw Food.
So far we have discussed:
-You are what you eat
-Fruit is 65% to 95% water
-Protein = Amino Acids
-Assimilation and Elimination
-Two types of fiber (soluble and insoluble = sponge)
-The word 'Raw' should be thought of as Totally Extreme!
-And now: When you cook food above 105 degrees for too long you kill it!
You dry up any water it had, you change the proteins and chemical make-up of the food, the heat destroys the fiber and now you are eating dead food. Numerous study's show how much more beneficial uncooked food is for your body.
I'm sorry to have been so harsh and scare you with such histrionic titles, however to Look Good Naked one has to be educated, which usually implies one must change their perspective. Here's to your health.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
D-Dub: 13FEB09
We suck and have not worked out this week. I took TOMPAINE to the hospital for a cracked rib yesterday and his pain is holding us back from Looking Good Naked...well, at least feeling good naked. I'm sure we still look pretty good naked because we've kept our diet on track with a lot of dark leafy greens and at least 7 peices of fruit per day.
Please comment on "Nutrition" and "Advices" so we know what our readers are interested in, questions you might have, we will be glad to research and answer. More to come, thanks.
Please comment on "Nutrition" and "Advices" so we know what our readers are interested in, questions you might have, we will be glad to research and answer. More to come, thanks.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Nutrition: Totally EXTREME!!
RAW!
The word 'raw' sounds like some kind of wrestling event or a radical surfing term, in other words, 'raw' implies cool to me. However, when in reference to food I continue to get a different reaction all together from people. When I speak about eating raw food people squint and frown as if 'raw' has transformed into a bad thing opposed to the 'raw knuckles fist fighting, totally extreme'!
Where as I still imagine a hardcore "'RAW DIET'!! Tattoo it on your forehead! AHH"! Countless people I talk to have a conception of an unsustainable diet, a thin layer of food for a starving and weak person eating raw 'rabbit food'. "Why don't you 'man-up' and eat a cooked beef patty"? Why do people turn their back on the extreme word RAW at the most vital moment?
That is more of a rhetorical question, I could make up theories and blame our past generations or the history of cooking to killing germs or I could scold advertisers and marketing or more conspiratorial I could shake my finger at the lobbyists of dairy farmers who whisper to our government and FDA or finally place blame on the fairly ignorant field of nutrition, which compared to space exploration is microscopic in funding. Who knows the true answer, I'm sure it's different per individual.
But consider this: Parsley (probably rabbit food) contains
3x Vitamin C as oranges
2x Iron as spinach
Vitamin A
Calcium
Potassium
And many potent chemicals that freshen breath, help the kidneys clean your blood and is recognized for its cancer-fighting potential
However, once you cook it, you kill a lot of its properties, making easy for any sissy digestive system to digest. Only hard-core systems can digest RAW parsley!
O yea, it contains virtually no fat...Look Good Naked!
The word 'raw' sounds like some kind of wrestling event or a radical surfing term, in other words, 'raw' implies cool to me. However, when in reference to food I continue to get a different reaction all together from people. When I speak about eating raw food people squint and frown as if 'raw' has transformed into a bad thing opposed to the 'raw knuckles fist fighting, totally extreme'!
Where as I still imagine a hardcore "'RAW DIET'!! Tattoo it on your forehead! AHH"! Countless people I talk to have a conception of an unsustainable diet, a thin layer of food for a starving and weak person eating raw 'rabbit food'. "Why don't you 'man-up' and eat a cooked beef patty"? Why do people turn their back on the extreme word RAW at the most vital moment?
That is more of a rhetorical question, I could make up theories and blame our past generations or the history of cooking to killing germs or I could scold advertisers and marketing or more conspiratorial I could shake my finger at the lobbyists of dairy farmers who whisper to our government and FDA or finally place blame on the fairly ignorant field of nutrition, which compared to space exploration is microscopic in funding. Who knows the true answer, I'm sure it's different per individual.
But consider this: Parsley (probably rabbit food) contains
3x Vitamin C as oranges
2x Iron as spinach
Vitamin A
Calcium
Potassium
And many potent chemicals that freshen breath, help the kidneys clean your blood and is recognized for its cancer-fighting potential
However, once you cook it, you kill a lot of its properties, making easy for any sissy digestive system to digest. Only hard-core systems can digest RAW parsley!
O yea, it contains virtually no fat...Look Good Naked!
D-Dub: 09FEB09
Just went to the gym:
50 - Some walking lunges with 30lbs. dumbells above head
25 - Russian twists (ab work out like in Rocky IV)
35 - Pull-Ups (broken up)
Some leg raises
Some dips
3 sets of Arnold Shoulder Presses
Tompaine did four hours of MMA style training
50 - Some walking lunges with 30lbs. dumbells above head
25 - Russian twists (ab work out like in Rocky IV)
35 - Pull-Ups (broken up)
Some leg raises
Some dips
3 sets of Arnold Shoulder Presses
Tompaine did four hours of MMA style training
Sunday, February 8, 2009
D-DUB: 8FEB09
0800-1600 (8 hours)
Ass-kicking nonstop wrestling action while getting Level II Modern Army Combatives certified.
Ass-kicking nonstop wrestling action while getting Level II Modern Army Combatives certified.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
D-DUB: 07FEB2009
Daily Workout (Both of us)
Decline Bench: 3 sets 135# (8-12 reps)
Hamstring Curls: 2 sets 40#, (8-10 reps)
Pullups
TOMPAINE (all alone)
WOD: Fran
3 sets of (21-15-9 reps)
95# thrusters
Pullups
Added:
Incline bench leg raises: 3 sets, 10 reps
Nutrition: Lunch=Pizza, Ten pieces of fruit throughout the day, (Tompaine had an energy drink) and ABC Dashwood had a Green Smoothie after the work out...had too late in the day, 9pm ::shrug::)
Nutrition: Assimilation & Elimination
"The Purpose Driven Digestion"
There are two objectives to digestion; assimilation and elimination. There are many ingenious ways the body accomplishes these two feats and part of the process is dependent upon the food you eat day in and day out. This process is uber-important for your naked body, it helps your skin look healthy, your hair stay a rich natural color and produces and regulates your energy throughout the day and during your workout.
Lets begin with fiber. There are two kinds: soluble and insoluble. Fruit is packed full of soluble fiber, so are beans and oatmeal. Soluble fiber is the kind of fiber most people are familiar with because marketing highlights this type of fiber in oatmeal and cereals. It's strong stringy stuff that compacts and cleans your guts with solid eliminations. This fiber is very important and also helps clean out many of your organs and lowers cholesterol. (Cereal makers are telling the truth when they advertise that their fiber leads to a 'healthy heart'). However a different type of fiber is just as, if not more important.
Explore and educate...Here's to Looking Good Naked
Remember how we said, "You are what you eat"? Well more accurately, "You are what you eat, digest, and assimilate and you aren't what you eliminate".
There are two objectives to digestion; assimilation and elimination. There are many ingenious ways the body accomplishes these two feats and part of the process is dependent upon the food you eat day in and day out. This process is uber-important for your naked body, it helps your skin look healthy, your hair stay a rich natural color and produces and regulates your energy throughout the day and during your workout.
Lets begin with fiber. There are two kinds: soluble and insoluble. Fruit is packed full of soluble fiber, so are beans and oatmeal. Soluble fiber is the kind of fiber most people are familiar with because marketing highlights this type of fiber in oatmeal and cereals. It's strong stringy stuff that compacts and cleans your guts with solid eliminations. This fiber is very important and also helps clean out many of your organs and lowers cholesterol. (Cereal makers are telling the truth when they advertise that their fiber leads to a 'healthy heart'). However a different type of fiber is just as, if not more important.
Insoluble fiber is named for the fact that it does not react with water. This type of fiber has amazing benefits. This fiber acts like a sponge in your kitchen. It absorbs all the 'dirt' in your gut and colon. I must explain something else about your digestive system for you to appreciate how important insoluble fiber is.
Here is where elimination comes in to play. Key point: Elimination is a function that is not limited the food you eat, it also includes any and all toxins and dead cells that your body needs to get rid of.
Your cells are constantly dividing, using the energy (and amino acids/proteins which we talked about earlier) that you feed it to regenerate; keeping your skin fresh, your liver healthy and your heart strong (for example). And other cells get old and die and then are moved to your gut were they biodegrade and if they are not eliminated become extremely toxic, attributing to many illnesses. However, like a super hero - dumdum da dA! - insoluble fiber soaks these toxins up and being pushed out by soluble fiber is eliminated! Saving the day. Insoluble fiber has another name; cellulose. Cellulose has another name; plant leaves. Plant leaves come in salads and have many names: spinach, romaine, kale, parsley, carrot tops to name only a few.
In sum; Dietary fiber is vital to your health and is found only in plant products (i.e. fruits, nuts, legumes, DARK GREEN LEAVES, vegetables and whole grains). More has to be said about this process and it will be discussed later in topics named "Raw" and "The Strongest on Earth"Explore and educate...Here's to Looking Good Naked
Friday, February 6, 2009
Advices: Theory of Muscle Shape
Criss Cross Fit make ya Jump! Jump!...And I hate jumping
My counterpart believes in Cross Fit and though I see benefits my focus leans toward a different direction. When I go to the gym, it is usually during lunch and I don't like to sweat (mostly because I only shower every third to fifth day while deployed). Now, I don't want to be a "beach muscle guy" looking in the mirror for half of my work out, I like cross fit's focus on athleticism and 50 Million Ninjas can't be wrong, but being "in shape" does not translate into looking good naked. I profess two ingredients: (#1) Good diet (=50 to 70 percent raw fruit, green leaves and veggies) and (#2) just doing something! The following advices will focus on the latter aspect.
Everyone has a different body type: broad shoulders, sloped shoulders, thin ribcage, small hips, bubble butt, lanky, stocky, athletic, et cetra; therefore I give you advices that are malleable to your body. You have to look at your overall body understand your shape and then decide which muscles and muscle groups you want to work. (Again, cross fit is good because it works large muscle groups leading to higher calorie burns if you just want to slim down).
So how does one asses 'shape'?
E.G.: My rear delts - your shoulders have front, side and rear delts - my rear delts are not as big as I would like because my shoulders and arms tend to slope forward instead of out toward my side. Now, looking straight on, my front and side shoulders are pronounced enough, I think? Therefore I "frontload" rear delt exercises in order to "broaden" my shoulders when looked at from the side. There are two things to look at:
BULK - lift heavier weight and do less reps
DEFINITION - lift lighter weight doing 12 to 15 reps
E.G: I don't want my shoulders or rotator cup to get injured so I do weight that is around 10 to 12 reps and I concentrate on working and keeping that particular rear delt tight throughout the exercises.
E.G: I lift heavy peck exercises for three reasons. (1)My pecks need a little more bulk, (2)shoulders and triceps are invovled in a bench press, be it decline, flat or incline, and (3)definition is formed from pull-ups, push-ups, cross-fit crap, and most of the shoulder exercises I do that are lighter weight.
DO LESS WEIGHT! Focus on full extention and the tiredness of the particular muscle not the ability to throw heavy weight around. This is so important I give it its own spot, here are a few more pieces of nakedness:
>I never rest more than 90 seconds between anything and I try for 60 sec. rests.
>Four sets will maximize the muscle's workout / never do less than three
>Never "max-out" more than once a week
>Usually try to throw in a light weight altering exercise during rests (e.g. If I'm doing squats between sets I'll go do a few dips or pull-ups, just to wake up those muscles and build a little definition while the blood is pumping; "supersets" is a concept that will later be talked about).
>No gym time is complete without working the abs at least a little! and I really mean, just a little.
Bottom Line:
If you eat right, you barely need to work out at all! and you can focus efforts on your Look Good Naked(TM) muscles.
My counterpart believes in Cross Fit and though I see benefits my focus leans toward a different direction. When I go to the gym, it is usually during lunch and I don't like to sweat (mostly because I only shower every third to fifth day while deployed). Now, I don't want to be a "beach muscle guy" looking in the mirror for half of my work out, I like cross fit's focus on athleticism and 50 Million Ninjas can't be wrong, but being "in shape" does not translate into looking good naked. I profess two ingredients: (#1) Good diet (=50 to 70 percent raw fruit, green leaves and veggies) and (#2) just doing something! The following advices will focus on the latter aspect.
Everyone has a different body type: broad shoulders, sloped shoulders, thin ribcage, small hips, bubble butt, lanky, stocky, athletic, et cetra; therefore I give you advices that are malleable to your body. You have to look at your overall body understand your shape and then decide which muscles and muscle groups you want to work. (Again, cross fit is good because it works large muscle groups leading to higher calorie burns if you just want to slim down).
So how does one asses 'shape'?
E.G.: My rear delts - your shoulders have front, side and rear delts - my rear delts are not as big as I would like because my shoulders and arms tend to slope forward instead of out toward my side. Now, looking straight on, my front and side shoulders are pronounced enough, I think? Therefore I "frontload" rear delt exercises in order to "broaden" my shoulders when looked at from the side. There are two things to look at:
BULK - lift heavier weight and do less reps
DEFINITION - lift lighter weight doing 12 to 15 reps
E.G: I don't want my shoulders or rotator cup to get injured so I do weight that is around 10 to 12 reps and I concentrate on working and keeping that particular rear delt tight throughout the exercises.
E.G: I lift heavy peck exercises for three reasons. (1)My pecks need a little more bulk, (2)shoulders and triceps are invovled in a bench press, be it decline, flat or incline, and (3)definition is formed from pull-ups, push-ups, cross-fit crap, and most of the shoulder exercises I do that are lighter weight.
DO LESS WEIGHT! Focus on full extention and the tiredness of the particular muscle not the ability to throw heavy weight around. This is so important I give it its own spot, here are a few more pieces of nakedness:
>I never rest more than 90 seconds between anything and I try for 60 sec. rests.
>Four sets will maximize the muscle's workout / never do less than three
>Never "max-out" more than once a week
>Usually try to throw in a light weight altering exercise during rests (e.g. If I'm doing squats between sets I'll go do a few dips or pull-ups, just to wake up those muscles and build a little definition while the blood is pumping; "supersets" is a concept that will later be talked about).
>No gym time is complete without working the abs at least a little! and I really mean, just a little.
Bottom Line:
If you eat right, you barely need to work out at all! and you can focus efforts on your Look Good Naked(TM) muscles.
D-DUB:6FEB09
Crossfit WOD
Three rounds for time of:
2 pood (70# dumbbell) Kettlebell swings, 25 reps
25 GHD Sit-ups
25 Back Extensions
5 rounds of Cindy
5 Pull-ups
10 Push ups
15 Squats
Nutrition:
Lunch=Taco Bell, Chicken Quesidilla
Snacks=1 Banana, 1 Apple, 1 Pear, 11 girl scout cookies (between us)
Dinner= 1 Green Smoothie:
Romaine (2 handfulls)
Kale (fist)
Banana
Stawberries, Raspberries, sliced Peaches, Mango chuncks, Blue berries (all Frozen)
and dehydrated Gogi berries
And a bottle of water
Blend until delicious!
Three rounds for time of:
2 pood (70# dumbbell) Kettlebell swings, 25 reps
25 GHD Sit-ups
25 Back Extensions
5 rounds of Cindy
5 Pull-ups
10 Push ups
15 Squats
Nutrition:
Lunch=Taco Bell, Chicken Quesidilla
Snacks=1 Banana, 1 Apple, 1 Pear, 11 girl scout cookies (between us)
Dinner= 1 Green Smoothie:
Romaine (2 handfulls)
Kale (fist)
Banana
Stawberries, Raspberries, sliced Peaches, Mango chuncks, Blue berries (all Frozen)
and dehydrated Gogi berries
And a bottle of water
Blend until delicious!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Advices: Why in the hell would anyone Crossfit?
Crossfit, is not for everyone and requires a certain amount of mental stamina to begin the program. You can read about what it is and all the exercises at their website on the link on the right. I'm going to tell you why I do it.
First of all, I'm a soldier and a warrior. Crossfit has developed hard Workouts that develop a warrior mentality and require mental perseverance to complete. It's a proven fact that Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Chuck Norris, and Ninjas all use Crossfit.
B. I want to get in shape so I look good naked. Crossfit focuses on core strength and coordination, it will hit all the major muscle groups, and keeps your body guessing about what is coming next.
3. I hate running. Crossfit has proven to provide vast improvements in cardiovascular endurance by using anaerobic techniques to condition your body with minimal runs over 800 meters (about 1/2 mile for you American types).
C. I dont want to spend alot of time exercising to look good naked. Because, honestly, exercising makes me tired. The typical WOD takes 20-40 minutes at most and if done correctly it will destroy you. There is nothing better than reaching the end of a WOD, puking your brains out, then collapsing on the floor in a gelatinous pile of goo. It will happen to you at least once. Don't worry, puking and crying are all natural reactions to pain.
If you practice Crossfit semi-religiously and throw your own stuff in every now and again you will improve at everything. I went from doing 5 pull-ups to 20 in matter of a couple of months.
A word of caution though: start off with Crossfit slow. If you cant lift 135# then you can't lift it. Use a lighter weight and continue. If you can't do the whole WOD at first, you can't do it. Just scale the WOD down. Don't feel like because the WOD says to do it you have to. It all depends upon your current condition and also how you feel that day. If you feel like you want to take it easy that day, then scale the WOD back. Not everyone can be Chuck Norris when they first start out.
And if you have multiple days where you don't feel energetic then maybe you need a POWERTHIRST!
First of all, I'm a soldier and a warrior. Crossfit has developed hard Workouts that develop a warrior mentality and require mental perseverance to complete. It's a proven fact that Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Chuck Norris, and Ninjas all use Crossfit.
B. I want to get in shape so I look good naked. Crossfit focuses on core strength and coordination, it will hit all the major muscle groups, and keeps your body guessing about what is coming next.
3. I hate running. Crossfit has proven to provide vast improvements in cardiovascular endurance by using anaerobic techniques to condition your body with minimal runs over 800 meters (about 1/2 mile for you American types).
C. I dont want to spend alot of time exercising to look good naked. Because, honestly, exercising makes me tired. The typical WOD takes 20-40 minutes at most and if done correctly it will destroy you. There is nothing better than reaching the end of a WOD, puking your brains out, then collapsing on the floor in a gelatinous pile of goo. It will happen to you at least once. Don't worry, puking and crying are all natural reactions to pain.
If you practice Crossfit semi-religiously and throw your own stuff in every now and again you will improve at everything. I went from doing 5 pull-ups to 20 in matter of a couple of months.
A word of caution though: start off with Crossfit slow. If you cant lift 135# then you can't lift it. Use a lighter weight and continue. If you can't do the whole WOD at first, you can't do it. Just scale the WOD down. Don't feel like because the WOD says to do it you have to. It all depends upon your current condition and also how you feel that day. If you feel like you want to take it easy that day, then scale the WOD back. Not everyone can be Chuck Norris when they first start out.
And if you have multiple days where you don't feel energetic then maybe you need a POWERTHIRST!
D-Dub*: 04FEB09
Afternoon
ARMS
Inclined bench leg raises 1 set 10 reps
Tricep Press: 3 sets 40# (10-15 reps)
Seated Tricep Pushdown: 3 sets 180# (8-12 reps)
Hammer Curls: 3 sets 35# (10-15 reps)
Tricep Pulldown 3 sets 40-60# (10-15 reps)
Curls: 3 sets 50# (10-15 reps)
Inclined bench leg raises: 1 set 10 reps
Evening
I was a little bored, as you get on deployments, and juiced up on Green Smoothie Power so I decided to go for a row and run.
Concept 2 Rower: 2000 meters @ 8 min
6 mile jog @ about 8.5 to 9 minute mile pace
15 wide grip pull-ups
Not killer pace but a great way to end the day.
* "D-Dub" or D-W is the daily workout. We were going to use WOD but will only use in the event we should happen to do an actual Crossfit WOD.
ARMS
Inclined bench leg raises 1 set 10 reps
Tricep Press: 3 sets 40# (10-15 reps)
Seated Tricep Pushdown: 3 sets 180# (8-12 reps)
Hammer Curls: 3 sets 35# (10-15 reps)
Tricep Pulldown 3 sets 40-60# (10-15 reps)
Curls: 3 sets 50# (10-15 reps)
Inclined bench leg raises: 1 set 10 reps
Evening
I was a little bored, as you get on deployments, and juiced up on Green Smoothie Power so I decided to go for a row and run.
Concept 2 Rower: 2000 meters @ 8 min
6 mile jog @ about 8.5 to 9 minute mile pace
15 wide grip pull-ups
Not killer pace but a great way to end the day.
* "D-Dub" or D-W is the daily workout. We were going to use WOD but will only use in the event we should happen to do an actual Crossfit WOD.
Advices: Start Taking Your Shirt Off NOW!
Two Simple Exercises
When you take your shirt off in the process of getting naked, two things are going to be instantly recognized 1) the size of your respective glands and 2) the size of your arms. There's nothing you can do about the genetics your parents blessed you with down there or up here, but there is something you can do about those dangly ropes hanging by your sides.
HEY! Do you want to have shapely shoulders, busting bi's and poppin' pecks?! To achieve this we have a suggestion of two exercises that you don't even have put clothes on for! Push-ups and Pull-ups.
Sounds simple eh? Duh! it is. Push-ups should be done in a variety of ways and a man's mark is 15 pull-ups and woman's mark is 9 pull-ups. If you can't do 15 you probably weigh too much or you're too weak, which means you probably don't look good naked (this is not a scientific claim at all, so don't feel too bad).
Anyway, quit your crying sissy, this too easy! Do push-ups before you hop in the shower. Crank out some pull-ups when you are tired of sitting in front of the computer screen for five hours. Push some out when you come home from work and are changing clothes. Try to pull-up that body weight a few times a day, just to get your blood pumping and your muscles used to trying to reach 15 or 9 respectively.
Push-Ups:
(1) Straight Arms (hands just outside shoulder width, elbows bend out to the sides)
(2) Wide Arm push-up (hands outside shoulder width)
(3) Close-hand push-up (hands thumbs almost touching)
(4) Triceps push-up (hands chest width, just below pecks, elbows bend back tight against body)
(5) Do any of these Incline, feet elevated (focuses on shoulder strength should be more difficult)
(6) Do any of these Decline, hands elevated (focuses on lower peck, should be easier)
Start with 10-15 straight arms and then do 5-10 of thee other kinds. Drop to your knees - or start on your knees - but finish at least FOURTY, even if you need a sissy break, do 40!
(YOU have to decide which is best for your body, listen to your body, which muscles haven't been worked? For example; Do decline push-ups if your shoulders are tired but your pecks aren't).
Pull-Ups:
Palms face away, for now just focus on making the count of 9 or 15. If you can't pull yourself up do a negative pull-up. Jump up and hold your self up as long as possible and slowly lower yourself and repeat.
(Or: One arm palms away and one are facing - if you do this remember to swith hands otherwise you'll have one bicep larger than the other).
These two exercises alone, done throughout the day, will make anyone take their shirt off with confidence!
When you take your shirt off in the process of getting naked, two things are going to be instantly recognized 1) the size of your respective glands and 2) the size of your arms. There's nothing you can do about the genetics your parents blessed you with down there or up here, but there is something you can do about those dangly ropes hanging by your sides.
HEY! Do you want to have shapely shoulders, busting bi's and poppin' pecks?! To achieve this we have a suggestion of two exercises that you don't even have put clothes on for! Push-ups and Pull-ups.
Sounds simple eh? Duh! it is. Push-ups should be done in a variety of ways and a man's mark is 15 pull-ups and woman's mark is 9 pull-ups. If you can't do 15 you probably weigh too much or you're too weak, which means you probably don't look good naked (this is not a scientific claim at all, so don't feel too bad).
Anyway, quit your crying sissy, this too easy! Do push-ups before you hop in the shower. Crank out some pull-ups when you are tired of sitting in front of the computer screen for five hours. Push some out when you come home from work and are changing clothes. Try to pull-up that body weight a few times a day, just to get your blood pumping and your muscles used to trying to reach 15 or 9 respectively.
Push-Ups:
(1) Straight Arms (hands just outside shoulder width, elbows bend out to the sides)
(2) Wide Arm push-up (hands outside shoulder width)
(3) Close-hand push-up (hands thumbs almost touching)
(4) Triceps push-up (hands chest width, just below pecks, elbows bend back tight against body)
(5) Do any of these Incline, feet elevated (focuses on shoulder strength should be more difficult)
(6) Do any of these Decline, hands elevated (focuses on lower peck, should be easier)
Start with 10-15 straight arms and then do 5-10 of thee other kinds. Drop to your knees - or start on your knees - but finish at least FOURTY, even if you need a sissy break, do 40!
(YOU have to decide which is best for your body, listen to your body, which muscles haven't been worked? For example; Do decline push-ups if your shoulders are tired but your pecks aren't).
Pull-Ups:
Palms face away, for now just focus on making the count of 9 or 15. If you can't pull yourself up do a negative pull-up. Jump up and hold your self up as long as possible and slowly lower yourself and repeat.
(Or: One arm palms away and one are facing - if you do this remember to swith hands otherwise you'll have one bicep larger than the other).
These two exercises alone, done throughout the day, will make anyone take their shirt off with confidence!
Nutrition: How Food Works
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT:
The first thing to understand about nutrition is to understand your body. The abused saying "you are what you eat" is such a truism that it is often overlooked. I am going to draw out the relationship between your body and the food you eat. This is a vital perspective for one who wants to Look Good Naked(TM).
You probably know that your body is nearly all water. I have learned different percentages for this statistic, so let's say, 65 to 90 percent water (fruit is 65 to 95 percent water also...as if it's made for us ;). Because of this stat being repeated to us we begin to imagine a gooy body of liquid. For example, how do you imagine your blood? ...A red liquid that is thicker than water, juicy and stains white shirts? I can't deny this view of blood, it acts just like any liquid, however blood cells are very different than water.
Everyone knows what protein is, at least they see the word 'protein' splattered across a lot of different food and health advertisments. Proteins are long stands of amino acids. There are twenty amino acids which build countless proteins. Nine amino acids are NOT produced by your body, therefore you must injest these nine amino acids. (Now I could delve into protein and what it means and does and how it helps your body, but that is for a later blog, this one is to change your perception of foods function). SO, what are amino acids?
Amino acids are molecules that are the building blocks of life. Lets digest that sentence (haha). 'Building blocks of life' is more than a play on words. At the macro scale where you experience blood it is a liquid. But at the microscopic size of the blood cell, these amino acid molecules are not liquid but literally blocks. After you digest and assimilate your food the remaining molecules move into your blood stream where individual blood cell absorbs the 'food' it needs.
Here is where a break in normal perception is needed. Most people seem to hold the image of a blood cell absorbing this molecular 'food' with a type of osmosis. The amino acid spills into the cell or is drank into the cell. This fluid image is probably a result of the macro-liquid-blood that we encounter. However, when your cells (not just blood cells) take these amino acids it is more accurate to imagine a Kinex-like solid structure that is grabbed hold of and moved mechanically into the cell.
This is a more accurate image of what happens, because if you think about it, at this micro-scale an amino acid is a very strong and fairly large structure when compared to individual cells. (Perhaps: imagine grabbing hold of a piece of wood and placing it on a conveyor belt). Therefore, the amino acid is very much like a building block (or lincoln log) for you cells and of course these cells ARE you.
So ask yourself what type of building blocks you are feeding your trillions of cells (your body) next time you eat. Do you think that the building blocks of the food are the same building blocks that your cells need? How hard does your body have to work to produce the right kinds of building blocks? Are you comfortable knowing that you are what you eat?
Please do not fret if you are not happy with the answers to these questions. Your body is the most amazing machine known to man, but if you want to take immediate action you can; eat five to ten pieces of fruit everyday (and I don't mean one banana or one apple I mean three apples and two oranges throughout the day). Here's to Looking Good Naked(TM)
Listen... the bottom line...
...Of any fitness program is to look good naked. And that's the goal of my buddy and I when we go to the gym. This is a chronicle of those adventures and our nutrition along the way to that goal as we round the turn for the last 100 days of our 15 month deployment.
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