The burpee is the most versatile and complete exercise that I know of. It can be done anywhere where there is at least one meter wide and one's height+1/2meter long of floor space for the body to accommodate.
It can be done in Spartacus mode(1 minute of workout followed by 15 minutes of rest, for 3 rounds), or in maximum-repetitions mode, in which one exerts the maximum number of repetitions for a given exercise, varying from one type to the other, with or without small pauses in between, as many rounds possible.
What's nice about burpees is that no equipment is necessary(although adding kettle/bar/dumb bell weights causes more challenge), the space required is minimum, the amount of time is also reduced(if only 1 round is exerted, it will last only 12 minutes), the type of exercise is versatile, ranging from cardiovascular exertion, to endurance to weight lifting(if weights are added to the formula).
It really is the most versatile exercise I know of. There is a caveat though. It is gruesome. It really is going to activate one's heart rate rise, the majority of muscles will feel sore after a while, and a sweat pool at the spot is almost assured. That's why it is worth it. Because it is worth it. It will build muscle, will power and burn a lot of fat. It is one of those exercise sessions that not only sculpts the body but also cleanses thy soul. It makes one a better person.
Saturday 23 November 2013
Never quitting.
Part of the intention of exercising everyday is to exert discipline, and enhance the mind and muscle endurance.
It is very easy to quit, nonetheless the consequences of quitting are to never be recovered, because consciousness would make one feel remorse, there is no turning back time to redo it the right way. The best way to avoid remorse is always exercising(everyday), beating excuses and bestowing all will power to the session of workout. Without falling into obsession of course. 1 hour a day is a reasonable amount.
Most people find the most absurd excuses: Today it is raining(It is not raining indoors, e.g. the gym), I am tired today(and so you were yesterday, and the day before, and the day before... even more so), too many activities for today(Is there such a thing? How about resting when you are sleeping), I'll do 15 repetitions less than usual because today is a less intensive workout day(why not do 15 more to punish our temerity?) My forearms and hamstrings are sore(How about some stretching?)
It is very easy to quit, nonetheless the consequences of quitting are to never be recovered, because consciousness would make one feel remorse, there is no turning back time to redo it the right way. The best way to avoid remorse is always exercising(everyday), beating excuses and bestowing all will power to the session of workout. Without falling into obsession of course. 1 hour a day is a reasonable amount.
Most people find the most absurd excuses: Today it is raining(It is not raining indoors, e.g. the gym), I am tired today(and so you were yesterday, and the day before, and the day before... even more so), too many activities for today(Is there such a thing? How about resting when you are sleeping), I'll do 15 repetitions less than usual because today is a less intensive workout day(why not do 15 more to punish our temerity?) My forearms and hamstrings are sore(How about some stretching?)
Wednesday 13 November 2013
It is about mental weariness.
More than physical muscular fatigue, the most weary aspect of physical training is the mental fatigue. It is built into us, the hypothalamus indicates when it has been too much exertion and dissuades us from more exercise. However, if we push further, we can achieve even more and augment the threshold of fatigue.
The biological reason of why this happens, is because our ancestors as hunter gatherers had to go through much effort for hunting and gathering food, if that energy wasn't spent wisely the community might have ended up without meal for the day, that reason is why we are lazy and only through will power we can really go on with the physical activity. Our reptilian brain sections have not adapted fast enough to entertain the idea that we are not going through famine and that resources are abundant enough to risk injury and extra physical exertion.
The biological reason of why this happens, is because our ancestors as hunter gatherers had to go through much effort for hunting and gathering food, if that energy wasn't spent wisely the community might have ended up without meal for the day, that reason is why we are lazy and only through will power we can really go on with the physical activity. Our reptilian brain sections have not adapted fast enough to entertain the idea that we are not going through famine and that resources are abundant enough to risk injury and extra physical exertion.
Saturday 9 November 2013
Deferring entropy.
Inevitably, at some point in time, we start to age, and our skin starts to shrivel, our muscles deteriorate, our will for energetic activities wanes and our lives become more passive. It is part of the biological order.
Nonetheless, there are steps to be taken in order to postpone the consequences of DNA sequence unlacing, exercises and balanced diet is part of the formula.
Everyday exercise is not only recommended for healthy people, it is sought by narcissists who wish to preserve their looks despite their seniority. Some people are motivated to exert daily because they are more attractive to the opposite sex by doing so, apart from the health benefits. Most people seem to be less interested in maintaining health because they don't know the burden of chronic disease. One doesn't know what one has until one looses it. So until that happens, imprudent people will tend to ignore that motivation altogether.
Contradictory excuses come to mind, like "exercising wears the tired body" and "there should be an easier solution".
Well let me tell you that there is no other solution but exercising. People may tend to prefer surgery or artificial means of maintaining hair, stretched skin and sculpted bodies, but even the best surgeons can't create the natural look of athletes and people following fitness regimens.
Good nutrition, namely abundant intake of fruits and vegetables throughout the day, modest dinners and high fibre based breakfasts, bestows a body and mind that will be more gladly accept exercise, as well as nourishes the body with all the necessities at the molecular level.
Regular massages with fatty acid rich oils like sunflower, castor and olive oil on the skin daily allows the skin to be nourished from the outside while also cleaning the pores of impurities, ergo I recommend such massage before a shower(to avoid a greasy look as well).
Nonetheless, there are steps to be taken in order to postpone the consequences of DNA sequence unlacing, exercises and balanced diet is part of the formula.
Everyday exercise is not only recommended for healthy people, it is sought by narcissists who wish to preserve their looks despite their seniority. Some people are motivated to exert daily because they are more attractive to the opposite sex by doing so, apart from the health benefits. Most people seem to be less interested in maintaining health because they don't know the burden of chronic disease. One doesn't know what one has until one looses it. So until that happens, imprudent people will tend to ignore that motivation altogether.
Contradictory excuses come to mind, like "exercising wears the tired body" and "there should be an easier solution".
Well let me tell you that there is no other solution but exercising. People may tend to prefer surgery or artificial means of maintaining hair, stretched skin and sculpted bodies, but even the best surgeons can't create the natural look of athletes and people following fitness regimens.
Good nutrition, namely abundant intake of fruits and vegetables throughout the day, modest dinners and high fibre based breakfasts, bestows a body and mind that will be more gladly accept exercise, as well as nourishes the body with all the necessities at the molecular level.
Regular massages with fatty acid rich oils like sunflower, castor and olive oil on the skin daily allows the skin to be nourished from the outside while also cleaning the pores of impurities, ergo I recommend such massage before a shower(to avoid a greasy look as well).
Friday 8 November 2013
Left not aligned with right.
I just recently found out that by exerting biceps curls with I manage to do 10 more with my right arm. Then I did a foot curl and found out that the same situation happened.
The way to overcome such symmetrical imbalance in force, is reached by making more weight and/or more repetitions on the weaker side.
Let's always keep in mind when making any kind of dual limb exercise, to exert the same force with both limbs whilst avoiding imbalance of the centre of gravity.
The way to overcome such symmetrical imbalance in force, is reached by making more weight and/or more repetitions on the weaker side.
Let's always keep in mind when making any kind of dual limb exercise, to exert the same force with both limbs whilst avoiding imbalance of the centre of gravity.
Thursday 7 November 2013
How to avoid chicken legs.
Chicken legs are the inevitable result of working out extensively the upper body while ignoring the lower body.
Any gym is filled with these guys that think that in order to achieve the magazine adonis look, they need to just work chest and biceps, and the rest will be covered with shorts or pants.
What they probably ignore is that after a certain point, even with shorts and pants covering the legs, it will be noticeable. Another negative aspect is that it will destabilize the whole body, making it more difficult to engage in full body workouts and general movements, staying in balance becomes harder and injuries because of cramps are more frequent.
I know this will surprise nobody, but the solution for the chicken leg phenomenon is to work the legs out. Squats, lunges and kettle-bell lifting with a resistance band attached to it are excellent exercises for increasing leg strength and definition.
The frequency must equal to that of upper body. If the upper body is exerted three times a week, then the lower body should also be worked out three times a week.
That aspect of full body workout that I keep mentioning: all in one, time efficiency; is another way to avoid the lower body lag. When the full body is exercised, the concentrated exercises can be left for another day.
Any gym is filled with these guys that think that in order to achieve the magazine adonis look, they need to just work chest and biceps, and the rest will be covered with shorts or pants.
What they probably ignore is that after a certain point, even with shorts and pants covering the legs, it will be noticeable. Another negative aspect is that it will destabilize the whole body, making it more difficult to engage in full body workouts and general movements, staying in balance becomes harder and injuries because of cramps are more frequent.
I know this will surprise nobody, but the solution for the chicken leg phenomenon is to work the legs out. Squats, lunges and kettle-bell lifting with a resistance band attached to it are excellent exercises for increasing leg strength and definition.
The frequency must equal to that of upper body. If the upper body is exerted three times a week, then the lower body should also be worked out three times a week.
That aspect of full body workout that I keep mentioning: all in one, time efficiency; is another way to avoid the lower body lag. When the full body is exercised, the concentrated exercises can be left for another day.
Tuesday 5 November 2013
Real athletes are not voluminous.
There is a tendency of people to misjudge volume with actual exercise proof. The reality it is just proof of hypertrophy(heavy and concentrated weight lifting with few repetitions.)
The athelte will have a more
slim appearance, in fact nobody will notice he/she is an athlete unless shirtless or wearing shorts. Well shaped limbs and concave waist are part of the body of the athlete.
So to achieve such body and to have muscular definition, the best way that I know of is the Spartacus workout, which is 1 minute of a repeated exercise followed by 15 seconds of rest. 10 times in a row.
Depending on the types of exercises, this varies from difficult to overwhelming.
Push-ups, squats and sit-ups are tough, but the toughest exercise is the burpee. I will create an article just to address that specific exercise and why it is so effective(and devastating, because it works cardio and some variations really work all the main muscles in the body.)
I can assure you, you will hate 50 burpees in a row. It is tough, exhausting, detestable, irritating, humbling and despairing. But that's why it works. Done well, produces no damage to the articulations.
Bare in mind that the most effective exercises are the most exhausting and swelling. At 30 repetitions, My reward system starts to shun me and convince me to give up. It will happen to you as well, but you must continue up to the limit you have set yourself from the beginning, hopefully as much as your cardio resistance allows you to(this is when a pulse meter is handy.)
It is also time efficient because it only takes ~12 minutes, and if you want you can do three rounds with 2 minute rests in between for a total of ~ 45 minutes. All of it without any equipment, just your body and 4 square meters.
The athelte will have a more
So to achieve such body and to have muscular definition, the best way that I know of is the Spartacus workout, which is 1 minute of a repeated exercise followed by 15 seconds of rest. 10 times in a row.
Depending on the types of exercises, this varies from difficult to overwhelming.
Push-ups, squats and sit-ups are tough, but the toughest exercise is the burpee. I will create an article just to address that specific exercise and why it is so effective(and devastating, because it works cardio and some variations really work all the main muscles in the body.)
I can assure you, you will hate 50 burpees in a row. It is tough, exhausting, detestable, irritating, humbling and despairing. But that's why it works. Done well, produces no damage to the articulations.
Bare in mind that the most effective exercises are the most exhausting and swelling. At 30 repetitions, My reward system starts to shun me and convince me to give up. It will happen to you as well, but you must continue up to the limit you have set yourself from the beginning, hopefully as much as your cardio resistance allows you to(this is when a pulse meter is handy.)
It is also time efficient because it only takes ~12 minutes, and if you want you can do three rounds with 2 minute rests in between for a total of ~ 45 minutes. All of it without any equipment, just your body and 4 square meters.
Monday 21 October 2013
Volume or definition?
There is a false dichotomy on the body fitness and sports circles, which divide the exercises in volume enhancers and toning up exercises.
Yes the less repetitions and more weight do create more hypertrophy , but to a certain degree. Fast and explosive movements repeatedly do create a more toned up muscle, but to a certain degree.
From my perspective and experience, the best exercises are the ones that work everything. Full body exercises with low weights in 1 minute or more intervals, changing exercises for every interval. In other words Spartacus workout. Tabata workout is also fine, but because it is only 20 seconds of exertion, the exercises must be more intense and the rounds prolonged in order to compensate.
They are more intensive, harder and of course scary than the usual gym exercises, however, 2 to 3 times a week is more than enough.
Don't listen to the people at the body building and overdosed gym fanatics. They have altered their normal hormonal balance and their health will sooner or later toll.
All those swelled muscles you see on body building and model(gossip, show business, fashion, etc.)magazines come from hormonal imbalances either due to excessive exercise or steroid injections. I would never recommend playing with your thyroid or pituitary gland.
The athletic body you should expect to build visually are those seen on professional sports athletes.
Yes the less repetitions and more weight do create more hypertrophy , but to a certain degree. Fast and explosive movements repeatedly do create a more toned up muscle, but to a certain degree.
From my perspective and experience, the best exercises are the ones that work everything. Full body exercises with low weights in 1 minute or more intervals, changing exercises for every interval. In other words Spartacus workout. Tabata workout is also fine, but because it is only 20 seconds of exertion, the exercises must be more intense and the rounds prolonged in order to compensate.
They are more intensive, harder and of course scary than the usual gym exercises, however, 2 to 3 times a week is more than enough.
Don't listen to the people at the body building and overdosed gym fanatics. They have altered their normal hormonal balance and their health will sooner or later toll.
All those swelled muscles you see on body building and model(gossip, show business, fashion, etc.)magazines come from hormonal imbalances either due to excessive exercise or steroid injections. I would never recommend playing with your thyroid or pituitary gland.
The athletic body you should expect to build visually are those seen on professional sports athletes.
Monday 8 July 2013
Will power.
Apparently there really isn't much that a person with will power and patience can't achieve. Everything is really a dependent variable of time and effort. People that fail at exercising the mind and body are generally associated with lack of will power.
Admittedly, workout shouldn't disturb or harm the body or the mind, yet exhaustion is a normal process after the exertion of muscle movements, coordination and resistance. If exhaustion is not reached, it is probable that you are not doing your best and your muscles and conditioning will not develop. In fact, development occurs because the body adapts to whatever stress is being tested with. An excess of this stress can lead to negative side-effects though, therefore I do not recommend exercising more than 1 hour a day. 7 days a week is perfectly fine as long as good sleep is accomplished.
Some people arrive at home from work exhausted, however mostly it is a mind fatigue, so the muscular fatigue may challenge the mind even further, but after the workout sleep and relax time will be easier to achieve because the body excretes endorphin.
What makes the 'ripped' looking body is those extra repetitions of an exercise, when the muscles do not respond anymore, and the will power is ultimately tested.
Admittedly, workout shouldn't disturb or harm the body or the mind, yet exhaustion is a normal process after the exertion of muscle movements, coordination and resistance. If exhaustion is not reached, it is probable that you are not doing your best and your muscles and conditioning will not develop. In fact, development occurs because the body adapts to whatever stress is being tested with. An excess of this stress can lead to negative side-effects though, therefore I do not recommend exercising more than 1 hour a day. 7 days a week is perfectly fine as long as good sleep is accomplished.
Some people arrive at home from work exhausted, however mostly it is a mind fatigue, so the muscular fatigue may challenge the mind even further, but after the workout sleep and relax time will be easier to achieve because the body excretes endorphin.
What makes the 'ripped' looking body is those extra repetitions of an exercise, when the muscles do not respond anymore, and the will power is ultimately tested.
Wednesday 15 May 2013
5':10'' lower plank record.
Yesterday I reached the 5'10'' mark while holding the lower plank position. It is a great achievement. I must confess that it was tough, especially given that the shoulders and arms were giving in, the chest was sore, and my hip wanted desperately to touch the floor, but I managed to stay in the lower plank position for 5 minutes and 10 seconds.
Other achievements are more cardiovascular, like running 10 miles fast(did no count time), 80 jumping squats after other workouts, Spartacus, and so on,.
Other achievements are more cardiovascular, like running 10 miles fast(did no count time), 80 jumping squats after other workouts, Spartacus, and so on,.
Thursday 9 May 2013
Low plank position.
The low plank position, also known as the elbow plank position, is
obtained by bending the elbows and placing the arms perpendicular to
the floor, while supporting the opposite side with the tip of the
toes(or metatarsals), maintaining the back and legs straight. It is a
challenge after ~2 minutes if one is fit.
Of
course the biceps triceps and quadriceps are worked, but the core,
especially the transversus abdominis is the most benefited from this
exercise. My record is 4:30 minutes but it keeps increasing as I
continue gathering sessions. One series every other day can help one
improve the sitting posture, let alone the abs and arms workout.
Wednesday 10 April 2013
Towards muscle build up and mind enlightment.
As specified before in this blog, physical exercises not only help the muscles and circulatory system, but also the mind.
According to various recent studies, the brain produces a protein called BDNF when running is performed which allows the brain to develop new cells.
Aerobic exercises tend to increase verbal capacities, while weight training and aerobics increase both spatial and verbal faculties.
So even if you are only interested in developing mental power, physical exercise will help out a lot.
According to various recent studies, the brain produces a protein called BDNF when running is performed which allows the brain to develop new cells.
Aerobic exercises tend to increase verbal capacities, while weight training and aerobics increase both spatial and verbal faculties.
So even if you are only interested in developing mental power, physical exercise will help out a lot.
Thursday 28 March 2013
Balance in life is quintessential and unnegotiable
Life, as in all things existing in this universe, are exposed to corrosive forces that ends inevitably in decadence, as time passes by. In the physics realm it is called entropy.
There are, nevertheless, ways to appease deterioration or prolong the well being and proper flow of vitality with nutrition and workout.
That is what this blog and videos exposed here are all about.
Many scientific studies show how daily physical exercise not only improves cardiovascular and muscle performance, but it also increments immunological and mental capacities.
A sedentary life of office work is no good. Nor it is to workout all day. The key is balance. Just as one would balance legumes with whole grains and fish meat with fruits; workouts aren't negotiable, they must be performed in a regular basis, along with intellectual and affectional activities.
Once arrived at a certain performance level, workouts must be performed no less than that standard in a frequent fashion.
Varied food must be ingested in order to maintain healthy functionality of the body and the mind. It doesn't matter that one ate a cod liver oil one day in a month, it is only when it is taken on a regular basis that the mechanisms by which it operates, are actually effectual.
There are, nevertheless, ways to appease deterioration or prolong the well being and proper flow of vitality with nutrition and workout.
That is what this blog and videos exposed here are all about.
Many scientific studies show how daily physical exercise not only improves cardiovascular and muscle performance, but it also increments immunological and mental capacities.
A sedentary life of office work is no good. Nor it is to workout all day. The key is balance. Just as one would balance legumes with whole grains and fish meat with fruits; workouts aren't negotiable, they must be performed in a regular basis, along with intellectual and affectional activities.
Once arrived at a certain performance level, workouts must be performed no less than that standard in a frequent fashion.
Varied food must be ingested in order to maintain healthy functionality of the body and the mind. It doesn't matter that one ate a cod liver oil one day in a month, it is only when it is taken on a regular basis that the mechanisms by which it operates, are actually effectual.
Tuesday 26 March 2013
Lower abs and full body workout with resistance bands
Resistance bands, also known as elastic bands, are used by many professional trainers to increment the resistance in certain movements when doing gymnastics, bodyweight training, yoga, stretching, sparring and whatnot.
There are many advantages of doing exercises on nearby parks:
The Following video shows 4 types of exercise. All done at maximum capacity(up until exhaustion):
- Outdoor training allows better oxygenation
- It can be a great occasion to meet nature
- Sun bath(if it is a sunny day)
- If it is cold, the sweating is less
- Zero expenditure(other than the elastic bands and cloth wear off)
- Refreshing
The Following video shows 4 types of exercise. All done at maximum capacity(up until exhaustion):
- Supine single leg pull (alternating)
- Supine knees to chest
- Supine opposite hand to foot
- Mountain climbers
Saturday 23 March 2013
Weight lifting VS Bodyweight training.
There is doubt in most people starting a workout regimen, what to do, whether to concentrate on the gym or on a park doing bodyweight exercises.
The following is a list I have compiled for you to evaluate which one is more convenient depending on your needs:
My preference is of course bodyweight workout because I spend 0 money and I can decide when to do it, rather than to be limited to when the gym is open.
Bodyweight workout is also a great resistance/endurance mind tester, because repetitions are much more than when using weights. I recommend using music, and if it is high intensity interval training to use especially timed songs to train in a more fun way.
The following is a list I have compiled for you to evaluate which one is more convenient depending on your needs:
| Weight lifting | Bodyweight training |
|---|---|
| Muscle hypertrophy(muscle cell size increase) | Muscle endurance and definition |
| Mild cardiovascular enhancement | Excellent cardiovascular and respiratory enhancement |
| High expenses due to equipment rental/acquisition | No expense at all, one only needs the body |
| Gymnasiums generally have instructors | Unless hiring a personal trainer, the exercises are done alone |
| Travelling needed to where the equipment is | Most exercises can be done anywhere |
| Designed for specific muscle or muscle group | Best exercises are full body workout |
Sunday 3 March 2013
Setting one's priorities
There are many aspects in one's life that may deter people from engaging in the most healty activities.
For example, work at the office is frequently given priority over spending time with family and friends out in the park. Both activities are healthy, but staying in the office, sitting in a chair, watching a computer screen for 8 hours and hurrying to finish tasks produces prolonged and unhealthy stress.
Ideally, people should stare at computer screens for no longer than an hour. Eye exercises must be done in order to avoid eye strain:
Dispose a glare at null.
Followed by a constant extreme movement of the eye ball to opposite directions. The following diagram shows the final positions from left to right to up to down. You can change the order as long as the one that follows is the opposite:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doing such set of exercises 15 to 20 times for every break should help maintain eye health. Half a carrot per day is an excellent eye maintainer as well.
How often should people workout their full body depends on various circumstances:
If you can work less, even if that means a sacrifice in income or secondary resources, will allow exercise sessions to be executed every day.
If there is no space because the storeroom is full and a bunch of books you will never read are taking the living room space for stretching your whole body, it is time to throw the useless books into the paper recycle bin and place the kept books and souvenirs in the storeroom.
Results will only be obtained if a constant perseverance and execution of the exercises is maintained. Fad diets and occasional exercise routines do not work. Exercising and eating effectively entails a lifestyle reform, not a whim indulgence.
For example, work at the office is frequently given priority over spending time with family and friends out in the park. Both activities are healthy, but staying in the office, sitting in a chair, watching a computer screen for 8 hours and hurrying to finish tasks produces prolonged and unhealthy stress.
Ideally, people should stare at computer screens for no longer than an hour. Eye exercises must be done in order to avoid eye strain:
Dispose a glare at null.
Followed by a constant extreme movement of the eye ball to opposite directions. The following diagram shows the final positions from left to right to up to down. You can change the order as long as the one that follows is the opposite:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doing such set of exercises 15 to 20 times for every break should help maintain eye health. Half a carrot per day is an excellent eye maintainer as well.
How often should people workout their full body depends on various circumstances:
- Amount of time available
- Space available
- Desired results
- Nutrition
If you can work less, even if that means a sacrifice in income or secondary resources, will allow exercise sessions to be executed every day.
If there is no space because the storeroom is full and a bunch of books you will never read are taking the living room space for stretching your whole body, it is time to throw the useless books into the paper recycle bin and place the kept books and souvenirs in the storeroom.
Results will only be obtained if a constant perseverance and execution of the exercises is maintained. Fad diets and occasional exercise routines do not work. Exercising and eating effectively entails a lifestyle reform, not a whim indulgence.
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