"Fistfull of Steel"

It's been over a year now since my last back injury (if you listen closely, you'll hear the sound of me pounding my fist against the wooden table). So I was really conservative with the weight on some of the lifts . The ones that I'm emotionally attached to anyway.

"Fistfull of Steel"*

Warmup: 5 minute jog, dynamic warmup, 2 set warmup of each exercise listed below. (I'm 34 now, gotta ease into it :)

Workout - 3 sets x 8-12 reps - minimum 2 minute rest between sets. Horizontally loaded. Focus your energy and complete 3 sets of each exercise before moving on.

1. Romanian Deadlift - 205# x 10-10-8

2. Hang Cleans - 135# x 5-5-5 (Emotionally attached but told my ego no for a change, hence the lower reps)

3. Bent Over Barbell Row - 115# x 8-8-8

4. Rockstars - 70# x 8/arm

Cooldown - stretch, stretch, and stretch some more (and maybe some ice :) All front loaded exercises, so lot of low back stretches.

*The workouts on this website are a taste of what I do on a grand scale. You assume full liability, risk, and personal responsibility for any of the posted workouts. There are inherent risks with everything in life, and exercise isn't any different. Know your body and limitations! Train hard, train safe, and adjust the workouts to match your personal fitness level. Oh and most importantly....enjoy!

"Chippy"

Today's workout was brutal...plain and simple. While I lacked my usual post-workout endorphin rush, I still felt a strong sense of accomplishment considering the suffering that was involved. I'm not trying to paint a dark cloud, just wanting you to know a stronger more capable person comes out on the other side.

The willingness to push yourself to the max speaks volumes and demonstrates true commitment to being the best.

It's a great gift to give yourself.


"Chippy" *- Complete 2 rounds for time

1. Barbell Complex - 95# x 8 reps - (Hang clean to press to lunge (1 per leg))
2. 500 meter Row
3. Ring Pushups x 50 reps
4. Box Jumps - 18" x 25 reps
5. Inverted Ring Pullups x 25 reps
6. Tire Flips - 150# (Approx) x 25 reps

Workout Time: 32:20


Modify the workout to your fitness level. If you have questions regarding weight/rep selection, refer to Metabolic Training Guidelines.



*The workouts on this website are a taste of what I do on a grand scale. You assume full liability, risk, and personal responsibility for participation in any of the posted workouts. There are inherent risks with everything in life and exercise isn't any different. Know your body and limitations! Train hard, train safe, and adjust workouts to your personal fitness level. Oh and most importantly...enjoy!

Make Fitness Fun Again!

The traditional approach to getting in shape involves going to the gym, hopping onto a mind-numbing cardio machine and striding, pedaling or walking your way into fitness boredom.

While you may be able to adhere to this approach in the short-term, most of us eventually will give up because of boredom and the lack of results.

What many people fail to realize is that you can get fit outside the gym and it can - dare I say it - be fun. Read entire article.

The Iron - By Henry Rollins

Few stories has resonated more with me than "The Iron" by Henry Rollins. Not only is it motivating, but Mr. Rollins perfectly shows the parallels between lifting and the life's lessons. Want to develop true character, patience, self-respect, and find out what you’re truly capable of?

Develop the Iron Mind!




THE IRON
By Henry Rollins

I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself.

Completely.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn't think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.'s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.

Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say shit to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr. Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.

Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

Metabolic Conditioning Guidelines

INTRODUCTION

Now that we've established the benefits of Metabolic Conditioning, let's talk guidelines.

First and foremost, as stated in my earlier post, this style of training is not for the faint of heart! All metabolic pathways used during exercise are pushed to the limit. A foundation must be in place prior to introducing metabolic conditioning into your regular routine. Proper resistance training form, solid cardiovascular fitness, and muscular adaptation are a must before starting.

While metabolic conditioning is usually geared towards the more advanced exerciser, intensity can be modified based on your experience level since workouts are always self-paced. For the novice however, I recommend at least 12 weeks of aerobic base conditioning, muscular endurance training, and mastering of technique before introducing this method.

TRAINING PARAMETERS

I always emphasize a lower training load because of the repetitive stress, high intensity, and overall fatigue that is experienced during this workout. When the body is in a fatigued state, form is more likely to be compromised with heavier loads, which increases risk of injury. That being said, barbell/dumbbell exercises should be done at 40-60% of your 1 rep max. If you don't know your 1 rep max, you can use a calculator or take 75% of what you use at 10 reps. Barbell/Dumbbell exercises should be kept between 15-25 reps in a metabolic workout.

Generally I use the same 15-25 rep range for exercises that are explosive or focus on power (i.e. MB Slams, Box Jumps). While some of these exercises may only use body weight, the key differences are higher impact and increased training velocities, which translates into more load on the muscles and joints. Usually only medicine ball exercises require the use of external weight. I recommend keeping it conservative, around 5-10% of your body weight is more than plenty.

The only exception I use to the 15-25 rep range is with traditional body weight exercises. In most cases, reps can be increased since there is no external load and impact is low. So reps for pushups, modified pullups, lunges, single leg squats can be as high as 50 per exercise. Your individual fitness level is the best determining factor.

Frequency for metabolic conditioning can vary between 1-3 times/week depending on your goals. Keep in mind that other areas like cardiovascular endurance, strength training, core conditioning, and flexibility still need to be implemented throughout the week for a well-rounded program. In other words, don't over do it!

Between 4-10 exercises performed at 1-3 rounds/workout is a good standard. Make sure to focus on a mix of compound total body movements (i.e. Squatting, pushing, pulling, etc.) Workout time should fall between 20-30 minutes after a 10-15 warm up. Remember intensity is near or at anaerobic threshold for the duration! Anything beyond is overkill and again will increase your risk of injury!

There you have it! While I base most of these guidelines on physiology, common sense and experience play the biggest role. Your body will always give you the best feedback! If you are lifting too heavy or your pace is too high, it should be loud and clear!

Bottom line, check your ego at the door and respect your body...you'll live and lift much longer :)



Sample Format

General Warm up

• 1000 Meter Row or 5 minute jog

Specific Warm up

• Opposite Arm/Leg Reach (Birddog) x 20 reps
• Alternating lunge with rotation x 20 reps
• Overhead squats w/dowel rod x 20 reps
• MB Swings x 20 reps @ 5% Body Weight
• MB Rotations x 20 reps @ 5% Body Weight
• Pushups w/Rotation x 20 Reps
• Modified pull ups x 20 reps

Workout - 3 Rounds for Time

• Barbell lunges @40% 1 rep max x 25-20-15/leg
• MB Slams @ 10% of Body Weight x 25-20-15
• Barbell Squat Press @ 40% 1 rep max x 25-20-15
• Box Jumps x 25-20-15
• Wide Grip Pullups x 25-20-15

Cooldown

• 5 minutes of light cardio followed by 10 minutes of stretching.

"50 Feet From Hell"

Equipment needed: 50' Tug of War Rope, 1 Sandbag between 40-100#, a harness or belt with attachable strap, and willing participants!

Muscle Focus: Total Body, but most challenging for legs and core.

Workout Type: Metabolic Conditioning

50 Feet From Hell* - Complete the following for time

1. Front Crawl to Unilateral Squats x 10: Front crawl 50' with sandbag attached behind you. Then load the sandbag on top of either shoulder and squat for 10 reps. Repeat this sequence a total of 10 reps. Make sure to alternate shoulder load for the squats (i.e. 5 squats with the sandbag on the left shoulder and 5 on the right shoulder).

2. Rope Toe to Unilateral Walk: Attach the sandbag to one end of the rope. Reel the sandbag in by pulling and twisting your torso and alternating arms each pull. Make sure to use your legs with each pull as well. Flip the sandbag onto your shoulder and walk it back to the other end. Repeat for a total of 10 reps.

Trainer's results:

Time: 28:10

80# Sandbag

*The workouts on this website is a taste of what I do on a grand scale. You assume liability, risks, and full personal responsibility for participation in any of the posted workouts on this site. There are inherent risks with everything in life and exercise isn't any different. You know your body and limitations better than anyone on the planet. So train hard, train safe, and adjust your workout accordingly! And most importantly...enjoy!

Metabolic Conditioning Defined

While there isn't a "text book" definition of metabolic conditioning, it still remains one of the most popular training methods used in the fitness industry today. With the insurgence of facilities like Crossfit and Mountain Athlete, more exercisers are beginning to implement this style of training into their regimen. Because of this, there are two questions that should be addressed. What is metabolic conditioning exactly? And why is it so beneficial?

In a nutshell, metabolic conditioning is an intense circuit workout using a combination of strength training exercises and anaerobic conditioning drills. Workouts are usually timed and circuits generally consist of four to ten exercises done in one to three sets/rounds. The goal of a metabolic workout is to complete it as quickly as possible while staying around your anaerobic threshold for maximal challenge and energy expenditure.

As far as program design...the sky is the limit! Olympic lifts like barbell squats, deadlifts, and hang cleans are often used for the strength component due to their compound movement and high energy demand. However, many other styles of multi-joint exercises can be used and are just as effective. Body weight exercises like push ups, pull ups, and burpees are great, as well as kettlebell, dumbbell, and sandbag complexes.

Like the strength component, numerous options are available for the conditioning drills. Bouts usually last between one to three minutes near maximal intensity. Options include, a 400-800 meter sprint, a 500-1000 meters row on a concept II ergometer, 300 yard shuttle, suicides....(sounds like a recipe for fun to me!) In addition, power endurance exercises like box jumps, medicine ball slams, are popular choices too.

The only limit is your imagination!

Even better, the benefits of metabolic conditioning are endless because almost every facet of strength and conditioning is improved. This would include, increases in strength & cardiovascular endurance, power, speed, and metabolism.

A study by The European Applied Journal of Physiology showed metabolism to be in an elevated state for up to 16 hours following intense resistance exercise. A major contributing factor to this elevated state is due to the body's high demand for oxygen post exercise, otherwise known as EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption). After intense exercise, there as an increase in lactic acid, an elevated body temperature, an elevation in breathing and heart rate, resynthesis of phosphocreatine in the muscles and elevated hormone levels. In order to restore equilibrium within the body, higher amounts of oxygen are required. Enough science Jason what does this all mean? Basically not only do you burn a ton of calories during your workout, but post-workout as well.

While this isn't an all inclusive list of the benefits and physiology of metabolic conditioning, it should convince you that it's an effective method of training!

Now that we've laid a foundation of the what and why of metabolic conditioning. Next post will provide guidelines to your metabolic workout. I will forewarn you...it's not for beginners and definitely not for the faint of heart!

Please stay tuned.....

Welcome to Monsterfit!

This site is dedicated to the countless peers, clients, teachers, and friends that were gracious enough to make me a better trainer and were fortunate enough to sweat, cry, and bleed with me....sometimes in the same workout!

I am forever grateful...thank you!

My goal with this blog is to provide information on training methods that I feel yield the best results. Sources will include, actual workouts, exercise clips, nutrition info, articles from my fitness column, and an occasional rant! Topics will include, metabolic conditioning, athletic drills, functional strength training, cardiovascular endurance....or anything fitness related really!

I highly encourage you to visit regularly and e-mail me any questions you have fitness related! Who knows....you might make yourself famous!

So sit back, break a mental sweat, and as I always tell my clients before a set of burpees....

Enjoy!

JW