Apr

12

Ok! So I Changed My Workout Plan

Posted by : ob81 | On : April 12, 2012

Category: Where I Am Fitness, Workout With O'B

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Life in Afghanistan is horrible when it comes to internet connectivity. I couldn’t update my workouts as much as I would have liked, but that should be cleared up now. I still have kept up with my workouts though, and I have gotten to the point where I am near the point I want to be at as far as appearance. With me, usually my appearance comes first, and then my true gains in strength and endurance come later.

While working out in the gym one day, a guy walks in with a book tucked under his arm and starts doing a dynamic stretching session. When he sits the book down I notice that it is Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade, a very popular exercise routine that concentrates solely on an individual being able to lift their own body weight. I was intrigued. Instead of actually working out that day, I read the book for about an hour and a half. I was hooked. Sure, I can bench press and squat all of the weight in the world, and I am pretty explosive and fast, but ask me to do a one-arm pullup or a one-legged squat. The results are ridiculous. I think I have been working out wrong all along. At no point have I established a base. I should be able to control my body perfectly before I move on to weight training. It just makes sense to me.

I decided to start doing a recommended interval of the Convict Conditioning program immediately. Due to me size though, I did not want to lose significant amounts of muscle or explosiveness while doing the program at the lowest levels. I devised a schedule to where I do the Convict exercise routine first, and then top off the workout with primary muscle exercises. Example being to do 3-4 sets of barbell squats after completing the Convict exercises. This way I can maintain my raw strength and size, while gaining true strength with the body weight exercises.

I will rotate the lifting portion of my workout plan every other day. In between, I will simply do a distance slow jog, topped off with a sprint circuit. That is it. I have never tried this workout plan before, so I have no idea how the results will turn out. Ideally, I should be able to gain true power by doing the body weight workouts, while maintaining my max lifts, while burning fat (jogging) and maintaining explosiveness (sprints).

Goal is to go at it hardcore for 3 months and then take a step back and judge my true gains. I will post the schedule that I will follow for the first month or so.

Jan

23

Extreme Workout Routine – Week 3

Posted by : ob81 | On : January 23, 2012

Category: Where I Am Fitness, Workout With O'B

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In week 2 we stepped our workouts up a little bit. We did a few more reps than normal, and we did a pyramid workout that is similar in style to the type of workouts that we will be doing.

Week three is going to be test week. We are going to do a few routines from the 12-week workout plan to see how we respond. Starting this week, I will post the entire week in a single post. This is to give people some foresight on just what they will be doing for the week.

Week 3 starts off pretty basic, and then gets challenging on the second day.

Day 1:
Flat bench press 3 sets at 60% of max 5-8 reps
Incline bench press 3 sets at 80%. 5-8 reps
Squat (weights) 80% 4reps
Hanging leg raises 4 sets 6-10 reps

Day 2:
2 mile fast paced run
Dumbbell 1 arm snatch 4 sets
Push ups 3min
Sit-ups 3min
Max pull ups 2 sets

Day 3:
2 mile normal pace jog
Sprint exercise 4 sets 1min each (sprint 1min, jog 1min.
Dead lift 3 sets 6-8 reps
Box jumps 4 sets 10 reps

Day 4:
4 mile jog
Max sit-ups 2 sets
Max pushups 2 sets

Day 5:
Barbell bent over row 3 sets 8 to 10 reps
45 degree back raises 4 sets 10 reps
Turkish get ups 3 sets 8 reps
Max pull ups 2 sets
1.5 mile run

Day 6
3 mile run
Leg curls
Hamstring curls

That is it! I know I am late with the post, but part of a good workout plan is sticking to it even when life gets in the way.

Do not stop!

Jan

16

Extreme Workout Routine – Week 2

Posted by : ob81 | On : January 16, 2012

Category: Where I Am Fitness, Workout With O'B

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Week 1 wasn’t so bad! If you didn’t feel sore throughout the week, you did a great job pacing yourself and eating your protein. We will build on last week and prepare ourselves for week 3.

It is time to step our workouts up a bit.
Remember the goal is to gradually work our way into the 12-week program. We won’t see any true gains for another week or so.

Also remember that exercising is a marathon, not a sprint. When you sprint, you are more likely to stop. Pace yourself. We have 3 more weeks to get it right before we kick off the workout.

Here is the break-down for week 2. This week, we will run a little farther, and add a little more weight to what we did last week. We will also add in a few other workouts that we will encounter further into the training plan. When you see a “%” that means do that % of max.

Day 1
-Flat bench- 5 sets 1st set 50% 8-10 reps, 2nd/3rd sets 90% 1-3 reps, 4th set 70% 4-6 reps, 5th
set 50% 8-10 reps.
-Three exercise circuit (one after the other) 5 sets. Weighted pull ups 5 reps, 45 degree back
raises 10 reps, exercise ball sit ups 10 reps.

Day 2 –
Run 4 miles at a comfortable pace
Dumbbell (DB) single arm snatch 4 sets 8 reps (each arm)
DB bent over row 4 sets 8 reps
DB squat press 4 sets 8 reps
Pushups 3 sets 25 reps

As you can see, day 2 will shock our bodies a little bit. A decent distance run with strength immediately after. I call this the police workout: chase someone down, and then stop and act.

I will post the remainder of this week on my Google+ account on the morning of each day.

You should still be following the rules. Remember, we don’t diet!

Jan

10

Extreme Workout Routine – Week 1

Posted by : ob81 | On : January 10, 2012

Category: Where I Am Fitness, Workout With O'B

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I finally settled in on which workout program I will follow while I am on my deployment. I am looking to enhance my fitness level to a level that I have never been. Historically, I have maintained a strict workout routine and an athletic build.
I want to see just how far I can go, plus, I have nothing but time!

Background
As of today, I weigh an incredible 238lbs. I am normally at about 225. Prior to deployment, I let loose and ate what I wanted, when I wanted. I went to Chicago for Christmas and Chicago style pizza, Harold’s Chicken, and Christmas Dinner were on the menu. I didn’t workout that much during December.

I expect to get to about 217-223lbs by the end of this 4-month exercise program.

I wanted to share my workout plans just in case I caught the attention of someone else that wanted to take their body and health to the next level.

I will post a weekly routine update on this blog, with frequent workout updates on my Google+ account. This first week, all routine updates will be posted on google+. You can follow me there.

Overview
This workout plan will consist of a 1 month “prep” and then go into an extreme 12 week workout plan a friend +Adam Ledbetter recommended. This is a workout program that is used by a military group to screen for their team. It is an advanced program, that can easily be started after the first month of preparation that I have tacked on to this workout. This workout is suggested to have a schedule of 6 days of activity, with 1 day of rest on Sundays.

Goals
The goal of this workout is to gain strength and peak muscle endurance, while gaining a solid athletic build. Participants can expect to lose several pounds in relation to their current body fat %, while gaining muscle.

Rules
-Water or Vitamin water only
-2% or skim milk only
-No juice or pop (soda) for the first 2 weeks
-No chips or candy for the first 2 weeks (minimal after that)
-Try to bake when practical
-Normal portion sizes during all meals
-No eating or snacking after 8:00, and try to eat dinner before 6:00 (flip if working nights)
-An increased intake of protein (Great high protein foods site here)

Be strict on the juice/pop and junk food rules for at least the first two weeks. After that, be conscious. Being fit is a lifestyle change. This is not dieting. You should always be conscious of portion and the amount of junk food you eat.

Notes
I currently do not use supplements of any kind. I am not against supplements, though I am against using them prior to reaching your peak performance level without them, unless a specific goal is in sight and the individual is familiar with the way a particular supplement will effect their body or workout routine.

I have actually considered taking some sort of protein at some point during the workout, but I won’t make a decision until I see how my muscle recovery is working and how much my effort is maintained throughout the life of the program.

I will start the program immediately. The 1-month prep is just to get your body ready for the main workout. If you are actively working out at an intermediate level, you can miss this first month and jump right into the 12 week workout when it is started.

If you have any questions about this routine, or health/fitness in general, just ask. I am always available for trading knowledge.

Before
Every good workout plan has a before and after picture. Under the circumstances, this is the best I could manage. This is me today. As you can see, there is no true definition on my abs and shoulders. My chest really isn’t defined as well. Overall, I look like an individual that works out casually. I aim to enhance my physique without getting too bulky and gaining agility and athleticism. It can be done and it will happen.

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Jan

01

Write Down Your New Years Resolutions

Posted by : ob81 | On : January 1, 2012

Category: How I Feel

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Every year everyone takes a moment to think about resolutions and goals that they want to accomplish for the upcoming year. While most of us have some awesome ideas and goals, the hard part is following through with those goals once the new, unplanned challenges from the year present themselves.

I took some advice from a friend last year and wrote out my goals for the year. These goals were written in my home office, and I pretty much was the only person exposed to them. Every time I took a seat in my office, I was reminded of my goals. A few of them were a little bit too easy and I completed them early on in the year. A few mandatory goals were neglected and I never wrote them down. Eventually they were completed though.

One goal that stands out from 2011 that I never completed was to finish up my college degree in Informations Systems Management. I had about 21 credits remaining for the degree at the start of the year, and I typically take 9 credit hours a semester. To speed things up, I set a goal to CLEP Math and English. I completed the English, but the Math has been added to my list of goals for 2012.

I read somewhere (can’t recall where) that suggested that goals and resolutions should be shared with others. This pushes an individual past that invisible hump when the pressure gets on. The article I read stated that people were more likely to complete goals that others were aware of. Sometimes we all need that little mental boost. This year I decided to post my goals and resolutions on my website. Hopefully this can help me obtain 100% completion by the end of the year.

Resolution – This resolution addresses my personality. I am an awesome guy once I get to know someone and once they get to know me. The issue is that it could take months for me to even give a person a chance to get to know me. I am a true     observer of people, and honestly, I tend to assume the worst. A person can change that opinion over time though (one of my best friends in H.S always joked that it would take someone special to love me). My resolution is simply just to relax around   new faces. I have a bright personality and should take advantage of it.

Goal #1 – lose weight! This is a pretty common goal due to the fact that we all want to look and feel great. If anyone reading this had me as a friend on Facebook (old page) you may want to call B.S on this goal. The truth is, starting in July, I have been traveling about 70% of the time and I have been eating absolutely atrocious portion sizes. I have been eating a lot of take out, and I have failed to maintain a steady workout program. I have gained about… *steps on scale* … I have gained approximately 17 pounds since July 12th. It really isn’t the weight that bothers me due to my height. It is simply my physique. I have to get my physique where it was a few months ago. I can literally feel the difference in my weight when I jog. I don’t feel as good post workouts, and I don’t feel as rested after waking up.

Goal #2 – Pay off car loan. I try to pay off all loans a lot earlier than they should be. Using loan calcs, banks get rich off of people who just pay the minimum at a set interval. I am trying to save a little cash and knock those payments out.

Goal #3 – Complete my degree! I have TWO classes left. Two. I WILL be graduating this year.

Those are my four goals and resolutions for 2012. I always add to the list throughout the year. NEVER taking away.

What are your goals for 2012?