The Workout the World Forgot

It's called Natural Movement -- or "MovNat" in its French abbreviation.

I admit that before last night I had never heard of what has been called "humankind's oldest, trickiest, and most indispensable physical disciplines." Writing for Men's Health magazine, Christopher McDougall has a terrific article on this beautifully primal training method.

Describing its beginnings, McDougall writes:

In 1902, Georges Hebert was a 27-year-old French naval officer stationed on the Caribbean island of Martinique. On May 8 of that year, he was aboard a ship off the coast when an ominous plume began rising from Mont Pelee, the volcano looming over Saint-Pierre, Martinique's largest city. Sometime around 8 a.m., Pelee erupted, raining hot ash and sizzling rocks on the horrified population. Molten lava gushed down the slope and spread through the streets in fiery streams, igniting everything in its path. Swarms of pit vipers poured off the mountain to flee the searing heat, tangling in the feet of fleeing people and biting at their legs. In minutes, the Paris of the Caribbean had turned into an absolute hell.

Into this inferno plunged Hebert. Leading his troops ashore, he scouted out viable escape routes and waded into the panicky crowds, trying to shepherd them to safety. By the time the eruptions ceased, fewer than 700 people had survived, many thanks to Hebert's improvised rescue operation.

While touted as a hero, Hebert couldn't help but focus on those lives lost in the incident.

The modern world, Hebert believed, was producing hollow men who focused on appearance and forgot about function. At the same time, they stopped exercising with the wildness of kids and instead insulated themselves from risk. The cost, he felt, was far more destructive than they might think.

Motivated to do what he could to realign our fitness philosophy, Hebert convinced the French navy to put him in charge of conditioning for a class of its recruits. Using the recruits as guinea pigs, he incubated a system he called Methode Naturelle -- the Natural Method. Hebert preached a simple philosophy -- "Be strong to be useful" -- and focused on 10 essential skills: walking, running, jumping, walking on all fours, climbing, balancing, throwing, lifting, defending, and swimming.

Next, Hebert set to work on an outdoor training facility. He designed it to look like a giant playground, equipping it with climbing towers, vaulting horses, sandpits, and ponds. Scattered about were rocks and logs and long poles to be used for throwing, or balancing, or passing hand-to-hand while running, or anything else an athlete dreamed up at the moment. Hebert had only one firm rule: No competing. When you try to beat the other guy, he believed, you test the other man's weaknesses and not your own.

Within a few years, Hebert's "Be Useful" system was adopted by the entire French navy. In 1913, speaking before the French Physical Education Congress, he astounded them with the results of tests he'd performed on 350 navy recruits. On a rating system that scored performance according to strength, speed, agility, and endurance, French sailors ranked with world-class decathletes.

The time had come to take Methode Naturelle to the world. Hebert handpicked an elite team of trainers and prepared them to spread the word throughout Europe, Asia, and America. But before they scattered, the First World War erupted. Because of their superb physical conditioning and dedication to service, the men of Methode Naturelle were deployed in frontline positions against German troops armed with machine guns and poison gas. By the end of the war, the trainers were all dead or maimed. Hebert was heartbroken, but not surprised. Methode Naturelle was never about trying to live forever -- it was about trying to make a difference before you died. (all emphasis mine)

And if that's not enough to get you motivated, read the entire article and/or check out this promo video.


(Feed readers click through for video)
McDougall continues:

A smart body, he explains, knows how to convert force and speed into an almost endless menu of practical movements. Hoisting yourself onto a pole may seem as trivial as a circus stunt, but if you're ever caught in a flood or fleeing an attacking dog, elevating your body 5 feet off the ground could mean the difference between safety and sorrow.

And with that one word -- "practical" -- Le Corre exposes a key weakness in modern exercise: Our workouts are domesticated, while the world out there is still plenty wild. In a pinch, can a man put gym-generated biceps and tank-tread abs to any real use? Could it be that our treadmill-running, elliptical-gliding, well-oiled Cybex world has turned us into show dogs who can't hold our own in the hunt?

"I meet men all the time who can bench 400 pounds but can't climb up through a window to pull someone from a burning building," Le Corre says. "I know guys who can run marathons but can't sprint to anyone's rescue unless they put their shoes on first. Lots of swimmers do laps every day but can't dive deep enough to save a friend, or know how to carry him over rocks and out of the surf."

...

"Being fit isn't about being able to lift a steel bar or finish an Ironman," Le Corre says... "It's about rediscovering our biological nature and releasing the wild human animal inside."

I don't know about you, but I feel like climbing a tree. Where do I sign up?

Who Can Argue with Health Care for Children?

Not to get too political, but I found this post from the Men's Health Office quite interesting.

Last month President Obama signed a bill that adds nearly $33 billion to the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The program will insure 11 million children in lower-income families. Health care for children - who can argue with that? It makes sense, and is obviously the right thing to do. But as with so many good ideas out of Washington that turn sour, the devil will be in the details. My worry, based on past experience, is just how this may actually back-fire and end up hurting children. "But how can that happen?' you ask. Let's look at past government attempts at caring for children.

In Hawaii they came up with what sounded like a good idea - provide health care to all children in the state. Seems like a no-brainer. But it failed and failed miserably.

Continue reading...

What are your thoughts on the subject? Are you skeptical of increased government intervention in the health care system in this country? Optimistic?

Are Vitamin Pills a False Hope?

A buddy of mine at work forwarded me this very interesting article on the effectiveness of vitamin supplements.

Ever since the Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Linus Pauling first promoted “megadoses” of essential nutrients 40 years ago, Americans have been devoted to their vitamins. Today about half of all adults use some form of dietary supplement, at a cost of $23 billion a year.

But are vitamins worth it? In the past few years, several high-quality studies have failed to show that extra vitamins, at least in pill form, help prevent chronic disease or prolong life.

Continue reading...

I'm very curious to hear your thoughts on this.

On Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

A buddy of mine on Facebook recently asked about muscle soreness after a workout:

I've heard some mixed feelings about muscle soreness equating to a good workout. Most trainers I've worked with say, "if you're not sore, you did it wrong", others say there's no relation other than your muscles not being used to that workout, and doesn't mean you didn't get a good one just because you're not sore.

This is a great line of questioning, and I thought I'd expound on the answer a bit.

The term used for this phenomenon is Delayed onset muscle soreness -- or DOMS. DOMS is basically muscle pain, soreness, or stiffness felt between 12 and 48 hours after a workout. Typically, DOMS is most noticeably experienced at the beginning of a new an workout routine, after a change in physical activities, or after a significant increase in the duration and/or intensity of activity.

Daunting as "Delayed onset muscle soreness" may sound to some, it's actually quite normal after an unusual exertion of muscle energy. Not to mention, DOMS is one component of an adaptation process your body goes through in a natural progression toward achieving greater strength and stamina. More simply, soreness is part of muscle recovery and a byproduct of hypertrophy.

So what do I think about the two scenarios posed in my friend's question? Well, if you've read my stuff in the past, you know that I have a theory of competing theories which basically states that the truth can probably be found somewhere in the middle.

While I believe you should always be modifying and progressing in your workouts to "surprise" your muscles, thus subjecting yourself to a somewhat constant state of soreness, changes in your routine shouldn't cause a degree of soreness that hinders future exercise.

Does that makes sense?

And while DOMS in and of itself isn't anything to worry about, there are quite a few things you can do to prevent, avoid all together, and/or shorten the duration of muscle soreness:

• Warm up thoroughly before activity and cool down completely afterward.
• Cool Down with gentle stretching after exercise.
• Follow the 10% Rule. When beginning a new activity start gradually and build up your time and intensity no more than ten percent per week.
• Know the 10 Tips for Safe Workouts.
• Follow the Spring Training Fitness Tips.
  
• Hire a personal trainer if you aren't sure how to start a workout program that is safe and effective.
• Start a new weight lifting routine with light weights and high reps (10-12) and gradually increase the amount you lift over several weeks.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the type of exercise you do.
• Avoid making sudden major changes in the amount of time that you exercise.
  

Those should help you prevent soreness. But what about the aftermath? What should you do when you are indeed sore after working out?

Nothing that I have found has been proven effective in reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness. However, there are plenty of tips and tricks some folks recommend to get you through the following days.

• Wait. Soreness will go away in 3 to 7 days with no special treatment.
• Try an Ice Bath or Contrast Water Bath. Although no clear evidence proves they are effective, many pro athletes use them and claim they work to reduce soreness.
• Use active recovery techniques. This strategy does have some support in the research. Perform some easy low-impact aerobic exercise to increase blood flow. This may help diminish muscle soreness.
• Use the RICE method of treating injuries.
• Although research doesn't find gentle stretching reduces soreness, some people find it simply feels good.
• Gently massage the affected muscles. Some research has found that massage was effective in alleviating DOMS by approximately 30% and reducing swelling, but it had no effects on muscle function.
• Try using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (aspirin or ibuprofen) to reduce the soreness temporarily, though they won't actually speed healing.
• There is some evidence that performing Yoga may reduce DOMS.
• Avoid any vigorous activity that increases pain.
• Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before performing any vigorous exercise.
• Don't forget to warm up completely before your next exercise session. There is some research that supports that a warm-up performed immediately prior to unaccustomed eccentric exercise produces small reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness (but cool-down performed after exercise does not).
• ** If your pain persists longer than about 7 days or increases despite these measures, consult your physician.
• Learn something from the experience! Use prevention first.

So in conclusion, if you're not sore after a lifting weights, yeah, you probably need to push yourself a little harder. However, what's the point of being really sore if you're not able to workout for a few days as a result?

I'm Less Than One Week Away...

From instructing my first (5-week) fitness boot camp. I'm formulating my plan and aggregating the best exercises from a plethora of sources.

But I also want to hear from any of you who have participated in fitness boot camps. What were some of the most beneficial exercises you experienced?

How Does Creatine Work?

That question was posed to me this morning at work this morning, and I thought the short answer would make a good post here at The Men's Health Blog -- especially since I haven't posted in awhile.

The whole process comes down to ATP.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a multifunctional nucleotide, and the initial fuel for muscle contractions. For short-duration explosive sports, such as sprinting, weight lifting and other anaerobic exercises, ATP is the energy system used. Creatine increases energy of muscles by increasing the amount of ATP.

More specifically, ATP provides energy by releasing a phospate molecule, at which point it becomes ADP (adenosine diphosphate). The energy produced during this process lasts only seconds. Once the energy is used, more ATP must be produced. This is where creatine phosphate, or also called phosphocreatine (the form that creatine is stored in the body), comes into play. It gives its phosphate to the ADP making another ATP. This ATP again, is used as energy for a few seconds and then the process repeats. This process is called ATP regeneration.

Stay with me now.

ATP regeneration keeps your body from relying on glycolysis, which is a process where lactic acid is built up during your workout. Reduced lactic acid allows you to workout longer and harder, thus maximizing every muscle’s workout, and allows you to gain more muscle, strength and size. Your ability to generate ATP depends on your supply of creatine.

So basically, the more creatine you have, the more ATP you'll be able to produce. You will eventually lose energy molecules, however, so no matter how much creatine you have in your body it won't do any good without the presence of the energy molecules. And the production of these energy molecules depends heavily on ribose.

Ribose is another post in and of itself.

Whether or not creatine is right for you, is up to you. No studies that I know have shown creatine to have any serious adverse side effects. As expected, however, some studies have shown creatine to cause gas, bloating, and diarreah when used in excess.

If done properly, creatine can provide more energy, endurance, strength, and weight gain.

But do your homework.

The 0, 1, 2, 3 Alcohol Consumption Plan

As we learned in my Alcohol and Weight Training post earlier this month, there's no getting around the fact that alcohol and bodybuilding do not mix. It retards muscle growth, dehydrates your muscle cells, blocks the absorption of many important nutrients, and actually lowers testosterone.

I'm realist, however, and know that not many guys -- if any -- are going to stop drinking alcohol for the sake of muscle development. Subsequently, quite a few of you have written me in response to my post and asked for a responsible plan for consuming alcohol.

Here's what I suggest: 0, 1, 2, 3.

The 0, 1, 2, 3 Alcohol Consumption Plan, as I call it, is an easy way to remember how to drink responsibly.

Here's how it works:

0 - You can always choose to not drink at all. Be the DD and your buddies will owe you one. Be the mysteriously sexy guy at the bar sipping ice water, maintaining your composure with the ladies while your buddies play drunken grab@$$ in the corner. We're not teenagers any more, gents. There's nothing wrong with enjoying the evening with a clear mind.

1 - Drink no more than one alcoholic beverage per hour. This allows your liver to more efficiently process the alcohol.

2 - Drink no more than two nights a week.

3 - Drink no more than three alcoholic beverages in a given evening.

Prime example? Last night I went out to dinner at STK in West Hollywood with my corporate cohorts. Upon arrival, I partook in a bottle of Stella Artois with my office workout partner, and with my fillet I enjoyed a half glass of Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon. Two drinks in four hours.

A few of my associates were surprised to see the 'health guru' drinking alcohol -- considering my self-imposed health standards. But I see nothing wrong with a drink here and there. Like most things related to health (as you have seen from my theory of competing theories), I find the truth is somewhere in the middle. Excessive drinking is dumb, but one would also be remiss to believe that having a drink now and again can't be beneficial.

If you think the 0, 1, 2, 3 plan this is too strict, consider that most credible research I've seen shows us that the benefits of alcohol end after one drink.

If you're looking to get smashed, I can't help you. Be on your way.

But if you're looking to partake in a responsible social drinking regimen (so as to not hinder your exercise regimen), I highly recommend the 0, 1, 2, 3 plan.

Try it out for a few weekends. Let me know what you think.

The 300 Workout (Video Added)

I love the movie 300. Absolutely love it. It's a brilliantly different kind of movie experience, and intense beyond belief.

Truly a man's movie.

If you haven't seen it (WTF?), I highly recommend you do so. In fact, at the time of this post, 300 is probably my third favorite movie of all time -- behind Gladiator and The Departed (also movies you MUST see).

Any way, I found this great article on the now famous 300 workout that really peaked my curiosity. One of these months I'll dedicate some time to building up to and taking the 300 test.

The workout gets its name from the total number of repetitions. But those 300 reps weren't done daily, as some media accounts report, Twight says. Rather, the 300 workout was the finale of months of training, a kind of graduation test, after actors had weight lifted and trained with tools such as medicine balls and Kettlebells (cast iron weights with handles).

It's daunting, and includes these weight-training moves:

* 25 pull-ups
* 50 deadlifts at 135 pounds
* 50 push-ups
* 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
* 50 "floor wipers" (a core and shoulders exercise at 135 pounds)
* 50 "clean and press" at 36 pounds (a weight-lifting exercise)
* 25 more pull-ups -- for a total of 300 reps

There's no rest between movements and the score is based on total time, Twight says.

Behind-the-Scenes Work
But before that graduation test, Twight says, there were months of work, transforming the actors and stuntmen not just physically but mentally, he notes. "Zack [Snyder, the director,] wanted the Spartans to appear as though they had been fighting together since they were children," he says.

Continue reading...

That's motivating.

Anyone out there done the 300 Workout?

Oh, and no post about the movie 300 would be complete without a shot of the queen herself, Lena Headey.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Cheers.

UPDATE 12/17/2008: A buddy of mine at work sent me this video. Dude's almost 40 years old and did the 300 Workout in 24:50.



Just makes me want to do it more.

Fitness Boot Camp

Late last week I accepted an offer to instruct a fitness boot camp at the local university. The university, a private Christian institution, offers active fitness classes such as pilates, martial arts, dance, etc., free of charge to students (well, nothing is free, I'm sure they're paying for it with tuition dollars).

Next semester, they want to add a fitness boot camp. I wish that sort of thing existed when I was in college.

Any way, a friend of mine instructs the pilates class there, and recommended me to the program coordinator. He contacted me last Thursday, and I accepted without hesitation.

Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked.

While I have yet to take a fitness boot camp class personally, I suppose going through actual Marine Corps boot camp and knowing a little something about personal fitness are all the credentials I need to instruct one.

My university course will be 5-weeks in length, from February 2 through March 6, taking place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 7-8AM. Ideally, I prefer the class to begin at 6AM. However, I have to remember that we're dealing with college students here. Heck, I'll be amazed if they just show up on a consistent basis.

I'll be spending a good chunk of time in January researching other programs, and building a 5-week course of my own. Of course a lot will depend on the students (i.e. fitness level, motivation, etc.), but I need to at least lay out the basics. I want to really challenge participants, as well as make it fun enough that they crave the next session. The premise of my course will be the same as others -- to keep students moving the entire time. But I'll try to lace the course with flare from my own background, without getting too militant, of course.

If you've ever taken a boot camp course, I'd be more than interested to hear about your experience -- specifically your most and least favorite exercises. Do you have any online resources I should take into consideration?

Even if you haven't taken a boot camp course, what exercises do you think I should incorporate?

Help me build a killer course!

Evaluating the Efficacy of Alternative Medicine

Just came across this interesting article in Newsweek by Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert: The Truth About Alternative Medicine.

Is natural better? Apparently, a lot of women think so. A survey released today by the National Institutes of Health found that 42.8 percent of American women use some form of complementary or alternative medicine, compared to 33.5 percent of men. That's similar to the gender difference in use of conventional medicine, says Richard Nahin, of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The most popular alternative remedies were nonvitamin and nonmineral products such as fish oil, omega-3 and glucosamine. Use of mind-body therapies such as deep breathing, meditation and yoga has also climbed since the last such poll in 2002. The report, which uses data from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, also provides even more specific clues about the most likely consumers of these treatments: 50-somethings who have graduate degrees, are relatively well off financially, live in the West and have quit smoking.

That's a pretty desirable demographic, and marketing for natural products and supplements often aims squarely at the common ailments and anxieties of women in that target group, especially hot flashes, memory problems and arthritis. But by the time they reach a certain age, women should have learned a few things—like being wary of claims for miracle cures.

Continue reading...

Much like the Dr. Sheldon Marks article on which I posted last week, I like these kinds of articles that sift through misconceptions and take a look at the data.

What Time of Day is Best to Workout?

Admittedly, this question is more complex than it may first appear. The answer isn't as simple as morning, noon, or night.

Personally, I have experience with an exercise routine at each of these times. I've done the 6am gym sessions before work. I've done the lunch hour power sessions half way through my work day. I've done the after work grind as the day is coming to a close.

And as cliche as it may sound, my general rule of thumb is that the best time of day to exercise is the time that works the best for you.

Morning
I think it's safe to say that a majority of people who exercise consistently do so early in the day, as it is easier to form the exercise habit through morning exercise. Aside from this, morning workouts raise your heart rate and metabolism, which in turn allows your body to burn more calories earlier in the day.

However, body temperature is at its lowest 1-3 hours before awakening, making morning a time of naturally lower energy and blood flow. And what good does that do Mr. Construction if he has to be at the job site -- which is 30 minutes from his house -- at 6AM?

Noon
A mid-day routine can be a great way to utilize your lunch hour, as it helps regulate hunger, and helps you avoid break-time snacking. Plus, your body temperature and hormone levels are higher than first thing in the morning.

But what good does that do Mrs. Corporate if she's always getting roped into unexpected mid-day meetings, doesn't have a gym nearby, and wouldn't have time to stretch and warm-up even if she did?

Night
Some research suggests that 6pm is actually the best time of day to workout -- as it relates to hormone levels, body temperature, lung function, etc. Specifically, body temperature and hormone levels generally peak at 6pm, and we know exercising 3 hours before or after that peak will probably give you your best workout -- as it relates to endurance and muscle-building.

But what good does that do Mr. Entrepreneur who runs a side business at night -- complete with its own set of distractions -- after spending 8 hours at the office for his full-time job?

So again, I conclude that the best time is really the time that best works for you. Don't stress about it too much.

If working out in early in the morning allows you the time you need to get a solid workout and stick to a routine free from distraction, so be it.

If you can depend on a consistent lunch hour at work and have a gym nearby, why not?

If exercising at night fits your schedule, go for it.

The important thing is that you're making time for exercise on a consistent basis. The rest is just details.

If I had to send Santa my ideal Christmas wish list...

In no particular order, it would look a little something like this:

1. Gucci by Gucci
2. Nose Devil by Cooperfish (preferably the 10'1'' GC1335)
3. Modern Eagle II by Paul Reed Smith Guitars (Charcoal)
4. Men's Health and GQ Magazine lifetime subscriptions
5. 6.4MP High-Definition Digital Camcorder by Samsung
6. Supermodel X Snowboard by Burton
7. XD Sub-compact by Springfield Armory (.40)
8. All-expenses-paid scuba diving vacation to the Galapagos Islands
9. 2009 V-Rod Muscle by Harley Davidson
10. Megan Fox

And yours would be... ?

The Daniel Craig 007 Workout: Day 5

Today I finished the weekday portion of the Daniel Craig Workout.

Power Circuit
Reps: 10 of each exercise
Sets: 3

- Clean and Press
- Weighted Knee Raise
- Weighted Stepups
- Pull-up
- Triceps Dips
- Incline Pushup

And what a way to finish. My workout buddy ended up pulling out of the circuit right before the incline pushups -- to puke. Now that's the sign of a good circuit.

We pushed hard through the exercises, and even I was feeling quite gassed -- yet somehow energized -- at the end. It's all about finishing strong, gents.

This weekend... just a little light cardio both Saturday and Sunday. And that about does it for the Daniel Craig Workout.

You'll be pulling Bond girls in no time.

The Daniel Craig 007 Workout: Day 4

Yesterday was day four of the Daniel Craig 007 Workout.

Shoulders and Arms
Reps: 10 of each exercise
Sets: 4

- Incline Biceps Curls
- Triceps Dips
- Lateral Raises
- Shoulder Press

Pretty simple day, if you're anything like me and work your arms and shoulders frequently. My legs, however, are definitely paying me back for day three.

I'll be honest, my legs are sore as hell. And doing my second pilates class that same night only exacerbated my painful recovery.

But it's all good. That's why I throw these random celebrity-type workouts into my routine. It's good to force yourself out of your zone every once and awhile. I'm more than reminded of how neglected my legs have been.

As for today... power circuit.

The Cologne Evolution

Men should smell good. And I don't mean just good.

Men should smell reeeally good.

Aside from gym sessions, I think we should always strive to elicit double-takes from women solely based on our scent.

Work? Yup.

At home? Yup.

Weekends? Yup.

Out with friends? Of course.

Personally, I can think of two colognes that I have owned in the last ten or some odd years that have truly stood out among the rest in terms of double-takes and a bombardment of "excuse me, what cologne are you wearing?" encounters with the lady folk.

In college, it was Aqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani. Since joining the professional world, it has been Polo Black by Ralph Lauren.

If you've ever smelled those two colognes, I think it's quite easy to realize my style. A bit sweeter and sportier -- as I've never been a rigid, or musty sort of guy.

But now my stock is running low, so I'm in search of the next great female-head-turning fragrance for dudes... and I think I just found it.

I was thumbing through the latest issue of Men's Health Magazine when I came across the advertisment for Gucci by Gucci.

Gentlemen, start your engines.

Gucci's latest spray-on sex appeal seems to be the natural progression in my cologne evolution. Still on the sweeter side, but even more refined than my trusty Polo Black.

The ad describes the cologne as such:

Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme combines classic masculine appeal with cool, contemporary elegance, and is inspired by the warmth and sensuality of incense.

I'm wondering... have you tried Gucci? If so, is it worth the cash?

Which colognes have you found to work the best?

What has been your cologne evolution?

Purpose and Limitations: What you Need to Know Before Giving Advice at the Gym

As a general rule of thumb, I have a strict rule about offering advice at the gym. Before offering any type of training tips, there are two questions you need to ask the person before imparting your divine wisdom:

1. What are you training for? (i.e. appearance, rehab, lose weight, gain weight, specific activity, hobby, competition, etc.)

2. What are your limitations? (i.e. medical, physical, mental, scheduling, etc.)

Allow me to elaborate on each of these with two short anecdotes.

The Airborne Sit-up
I'm a United States Marine -- and proud of it. But in order to become a parachutist, I had to attend the U.S. Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. And needless to say, Marines and soldiers do things a bit differently.

In order to pass the airborne physical fitness test, I had to train to do sit-ups like the Army does sit-ups. Makes sense, right?

As Marines, we do crunches. But the Army does old school, hand-behind-your-head sit-ups. They may not be the best kind of sit-up, but if that's what I have to do, so be it.

It doesn't make much sense to critique my ugly Army sit-ups without knowing exactly what I'm training for, does it? How does giving advice on the superiority of crunches over full-blown, neck-wrenching, back-bending sit-ups help me without knowing why I'm doing them?

Answer: it doesn't.

The Shoulder Injury
I grew up in the Midwest and wrestled for a high school in Minnesota -- home to one of the nation's greatest collegiate wrestling teams, the Minnesota Gophers.

During a varsity tournament match my junior year, my opponent (seeded 1st in the tournament, I was seeded 2nd) obtained an illegal hold of my head and snapped my neck to the side -- inflicting paralysis and nerve root damage in my left shoulder (C5).

Long story short, my season was over, but I learned to compensate and found a way to wrestle my senior year (with personal coaching from Jim Mastro, recipient of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Medal of Courage).

It took years for my shoulder to fully recover, but in the interim, I was able to perform a modified shoulder press and some other strange looking shoulder exercises.

It wouldn't have made much sense to give me shoulder exercise advice without knowing the extent of my limitations, would it?

Now, I'm not trying to be a complete jerk on the subject. It could very well be that you see a gym newbie doing sit-ups or shoulder presses all wrong, and wish to be a gentleman (or lady) and offer a little innocent advice. It could very well be that someone is simply doing an exercise wrong and needs to be corrected.

I'm not saying don't give advice.

My point is that you should at least discover the purpose behind that person's training, and any limitations they may have. Even when folks come to me with a specific question, I respond first with those two questions.

1. What are you training for?
2. What are your limitations?

After obtaining the answers, I fully believe much more proper advice can be given.

Agreed?

The Daniel Craig 007 Workout: Day 3

Alright. So today was the legs portion of the Daniel Craig 007 Workout.

Reps: 10 of each exercise
Sets: 4

- Squat
- Straight-Leg Deadlift
- Hamstring Curl
- Weighted Lunge

As I mentioned on Day 1, I've been neglecting my legs and focusing on my chest, back, and arms for some time now. With that in mind, I was definitely at a lower weight than usual, but I really focused on full range of motion and squeezing out perfect, controlled form.

I'm going through this routine with a cohort of mine, who I have been training for a few weeks now. He struggled with the deadlifts, mainly because he had so much trouble with his form (i.e. keeping his back straight). But hey, the guy had never lifted before, and now has a gym membership and works out 5 days a week with me during our lunch hour. We worked through it. That sort of stuff motivates me.

You know that shakey feeling you get when you work a neglected muscle group thoroughly? Yeah. I got that.

Tomorrow... shoulders and arms.

Alcohol and Weight Training

A Facebook buddy of mine asked me about the negative effects of drinking on working out. So I thought I'd address the issue with a post.

Prepare yourself.

The short answer is this: alcohol does effect bodybuilding negatively.

Here's the deal. We all know by now that alcohol is very fattening. But what you may not know is that (and how) alcohol retards muscle growth. This occurs not only as a result of hangovers lowering your workout intensity, but alcohol actually lowers protein synthesis by something like 20%.

There are a couple reasons for this. First, alcohol dehydrates your muscle cells. Plain and simple. As most of us know, hydrated and even over-hydrated muscles (i.e. during a creatine regimen) allows for a much higher anabolic environment. When you drink alcohol, your cells won't be able to hold as much water -- thus making it much harder to build muscle.

Next, we see that it can severely hurt muscle growth because alcohol blocks the absorption of many important nutrients that are key to muscle contraction, relaxation and growth. These nutrients include, but are not limited to: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium. We all agree those are important to muscle growth, yes?

Lastly, alcohol actually lowers testosterone and increases estrogen. Yes, estrogen. In one study conducted, male testosterone levels were measured before and after the consumption of alcohol. At the most intoxicated state, testosterone levels had dropped to an average of 25% lower.

Try to remember that the next time you're throwing back to get down with the ladies.

Boilerplate answer? Alcohol and bodybuilding do not mix. Over an extended period of time, drinking alcohol will cause you to gain fat and lose muscle.

Not exactly what we're going for, is it? So while I don't recommend anyone stop drinking all together (because I'm certainly not going to), I do recommend people limit drinking and try their best to keep it in moderation. You have to decide what the means for yourself.

Oh, quick side note. If you're on Facebook, feel free to request me as a friend and let me know you found me by way of this blog.

Don't worry, I'll approve ya.

The Daniel Craig 007 Workout: Day 2

Today was chest and back.

Reps: 10 of each exercise
Sets: 4

- Incline Bench Press
- Pullup
- Incline Pushup
- Incline Pec Flys

If you struggled with 3 sets of 10 pull-ups yesterday, I'm sure you loved 4 sets of 10 pull-ups today. I almost failed after pull-up #8 on the last set.

I said almost. This quick workout is about gritting your teeth and grinding it out.

The only thing I switched from the original workout was the incline pushups. Instead of putting my feet on a bench (which were all taken), I used a ball and turned up the heat a bit on my core. Of course, my core was already fatigued from last night's pilates session -- so that felt great.

The rest of the routine was pretty standard. Again, make sure you keep up the pace to facilitate a cardio component.

Tomorrow... legs.

Pilates is for Men

Why? Because I said so. And because pilates kicked my @$$ last night.

Allow me to explain...

After work, myself and two of my best buds decided to take a friend up on her offer to participate in her pilates class at the local university.

For those who don't know, pilates is a fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates in Germany. Joe originally referred to his method as Contrology, because he believed his method utilized the mind to control muscles.

The program focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

In short -- pilates rips your core.

It was only shortly after our warm-up exercises that I knew I was in for a world of hurt. I've got a strong core -- or so I thought -- but this was on a whole different level. And I'm stoked on it.

My core was thrashed. Internal and external abdominal obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis -- you name it. My lower back was pumped up. My thighs were burning. Heck, even my triceps. Who knew that isometric girl push-ups could hurt so bad?

On the downside, my flexibility -- or lack thereof -- definitely hindered some of the exercises. However, after an hour, I could already feel increased flexibility in my hamstrings as an additional benefit of the workout.

If you're one of those guys who is antsy about checking out a pilates class, I get it. Pilates was always a girl workout in my mind too. But those days are over and done with. There's nothing girlie about a wicked core workout (especially since you might get a chance to meet some ladies).

So get over it.

You want ripped summer abs? START NOW.

Check out a class and let me know your experience. I know I've got quite a few pilates sessions in my immediate future.