1. If you’re signed up for my newsletter, you’ll get a copy of the Myth of HIIT in your inbox Friday night. It’s 100% absolutely free. It’s good to be a friend, isn’t it?
2. The standing barbell curl jacks the heart rate more than any seated exercise — pressing included. I’m beginning to think it’s one of the better upper body exercises all around.
3. I opened up a Tumblr account. It’s a pretty cool glimpse inside of my head, and I update it daily. Check it out here.
4. I’m thinking the 6-8 repetition range, for me, is home.
5. On Monday there will be a huge post on Evosport and extreme long duration isometrics.
6. In light of #5, I’m convinced that just about everyone should be doing both the lunge and push-up extreme isometric.
7. If you’re signed up for my newsletter, you’ll get a copy of the The 242 Method in your inbox, 100% absolutely free, next week. It’s good to be a friend, isn’t it?
8. I’m opening up a second blog, specifically for tricksters. It will be called Trick Training. Just finalizing the design.
9. This Sunday I’m making a hamburger topped with pulled pork and macaroni and cheese.
10. For the past few months, I’ve been supersetting chin-ups and power cleans. The upper back has responded well. Very well.
11. For the next few months, I’m going on a targeted upper chest hypertrophy adventure. It’s the only part of my body that still pains me from a psychological standpoint because it affects how t-shirts lay and, subsequently, what I wear. It’s the last mental hurdle to hop. But I have an extensive plan of attack.
12. I don’t care what anyone says. I love Frank Yang.
13. I think I’m a coffee addict. I can’t say I regret this. None after noon though.
14. I don’t regret a lot of things, but I regret trying the warrior diet. My appetite is huge. And I never get full. I’m always thinking about my next meal, and food in general. It’s not a healthy way to live.
15. I got my first article published on LIVESTRONG.com this week. Check it out here.
16. I’ve been logging some glimpses of my training on Fitocracy.
17. I’ve been able to trick without foot pain. In fact, I think this could be the healthiest I’ve ever been in my life.
18. It’s not supposed to be easy.
19. I love the messages RedBull conveys. This commercial brings tears to my eyes. And to top it off, RedBull girls came to one of my games and handed out Total Zero. Srsly?
20. I’m confident in saying I’m caught up with e-mails and messages. So if you sent me something and didn’t get a response (my bad), send it again.
21. Reward yourself for small wins. You probably never do. Neither do I. But we should. It seems that every time we make progress, we’re unsatisfied. We just set the bar higher and keep climbing, forgetting to relax and enjoy the moment where we step from peg to peg. But this pushing and pulling between wanting more and enjoying the moment can kill us. The happier you are on the journey, the more successful you will be. End of story. So even if it’s the tiniest step in the right direction, at least recognize that it’s not in the wrong direction. And that’s something to smile about. (This is a scientific fact.)
Nice music choice in the BG there mate. Didn’t know you were a fellow ‘Mhead™’
Big time.
11.) I have a feeling that a well built upper chest is the key to looking awesome in dress shirts, and particularly in suits. I volunteer as a lab rat, and at any rate, I look forward to seeing what you’ll have learned after a few months.
12.) Frank has an energy to him that’s hard to ignore.
I think I’m going to post my plan of attack, so you can give it a shot, too.
Please do, I want to see it as well. Per your skinny fat articles, I am incline benching twice a week as well as doing chins and loving it.
Sounds like a post in the workings.
Can’t wait!
Hi Anthony!
It IS good to be your friend, I cannot wait for the 242 method. I am really excited about your second blog. i want to start tricking seriously. Thanks for everything.
The “myth of HIIT” sounds better than the “Death of HIIT”. Good job.
Thank Rajat. Tricking blog is exciting news for me. Can’t wait to start it up.
I am unable to play the video. Any suggestions?
Here’s the direct link – http://youtu.be/wm8rop-yBYk
See if that works.
If you’re talking about that one…? Or maybe the RedBull one?
14. I don’t regret a lot of things, but I regret trying the warrior diet. My appetite is huge. And I never get full. I’m always thinking about my next meal, and food in general. It’s not a healthy way to live.
Having the same problem, what did u do, start more of a LG setup?
It’s more like what “am” I doing as it’s an ongoing process. The short answer — suffering. The long answer, I’ve been keeping my two meal scheme (http://anthonymychal.com/2012/05/the-diet-to-end-all-diets-muscle-building-fat-loss-and-easy-living-without-the-calculator-or-scale/) and doing the best I can.
Hey Anthony. Love the idea of a tricking blog. Great idea.
I’m a coffee addict too. Definitely nothing wrong with that. My rule is none after 7pm though and no more than 3 a day. That generally works for me.
Good stuff.
If I had a coffee at 7PM, I wouldn’t sleep.
Anthony, you will go to heaven!
I’d rather just get replies like this, so thanks!
I’m with you completely on #13, Anthony! I’d love to refer to myself as someone who’s for the most part, entirely drug-free. Unfortunately though, Colombia Supremo (whole bean, btw) prepared in a French Press in the morning and at times, in the afternoon as well, is a true addiction for. If I don’t get a cup by say 10:00 or so I’ll be looking for an upcoming headache. That’s okay… I’m more than happy to live it. Caffeinated coffee, real coffee that is; it’s my drug of choice.
Glad to hear your feeling good now, pain free. That’s got to be a major upper and something to provide you with a little extra motivation for that “targeted upper chest hypertrophy adventure” deal… good luck with that!
Thanks. Should be an interesting one for sure.
I’m very excited about #5! Can’t wait! And I’m also excited for the new tricking blog. Hopefully it won’t tax you too much updating two blogs and everything else! Sounds daunting, but you’ve done great so far.
I for one also admire #11. You’re willing to address something that’s been bothering you instead of burying it in your mind. It’s something that’s troubled me too. My back is huge from the weighted chin-ups, though. I saw it in a picture where I bent down with straight legs and I was like, “Holy jeez! Where’d that come from?!” Not really a mirror muscle but I’m making it one now for sure!
Hopefully we’ll all be able to wear v-necks and look masculine in addition to looking good in dress shirts and suits!
It’s redundant at this point, but I’d also like to see your plan of attack.
I produce content like woahs. I’ll be fine.
Ha! Yes, back muscles are where it’s at for sure. But only because I have them.
I think there will be interest in the routine, so I’ll post it.
I feel your pain about the upper chest, anything i do just seems to hit more the lower chest, i would really like to see your atack plan. Next week i’ll try the smith machine incline press, i’ve been told it can really isolate the upper pecs, even more than with a barbell or dumbells, what do you think? Good luck with your new blog
Eh, I’m not sure about that. It might simply because you can focus on the muscle more. I’ll post my routine in the coming weeks.
frank yang is a beast, I first found out about him when he was vertical jump training. Anthony I’m curious what does your max squat and vertical jump numbers look like? I ask because I think we have exactly the same body type and oddly enough the same interests ex. Dragon ball z , Zelda, and tricking.. I’m also 6’3 but with a long torso, when I tried the warrior diet I dropped down from 210 to 190 and I was already lean at 210 so I lost quite a bit of muscle and strentgh but mainly upper body. So I’m working on getting that back. I’m kindve asking for comparison purposes bc I don’t have a big max squat. Maybe 300 full squat? But my VJ is okay my highest touch was 11’6 with a reach of around 8’3 this was when I was really hype of course after playing basketball.. Thanks for your awesome articles. Be blessed
My vertical hovers anywhere from 35-40″. I’ve only front squatted recently, and I’m probably about a 315 max. The reasons why I dropped back squats are numerous, but it has nothing to do with me thinking they aren’t a useful exercise.
The most I’ve ever back squatted was 405. And I did that twice. Both times, I hurt my back. I begun to think that, at my body weight and height, I wasn’t meant to squat above that haha.
Awesome!
The Myth of HIIT looks real good and I can’t wait to see the improved version of the 242 Method.
Good luck with your second blog. The banner looks pretty dam cool. Did you make it yourself?
I had the same problem with the Warrior Diet. It might work for some people but for me, not so well. Now I eat 2-3 times a day to be satisfied. You live and learn.
#21 is so true. Finding that balance is extremely important and what makes the difference.
Looks like the next few months are going to be great. I wish you the best!
Thanks, as always, Danavir. As far as graphics, I made everything myself. It’s just a font and some adobe illustrator outline work, hah.
The next few months should be exciting for sure.
Anthony -
Thanks for putting out like you do. Also, pursuant to your (11) don’t you find that the dumbbell unilateral floor press hits the upper pecs pretty hard ? Does mine.
Yes it does. In fact, back when I did them last year as my “only” pressing exercise, I was the “best off” I’ve been. But I’ve since dove into other things. Time to get back to my roots.
Wow, thanks for the HIIT Report. Amazingly well done. High intensity steady state is much harder and the results could not be better. Resting heart rate of 43 and 7 bodyfat. Thanks.
Thanks for the reply, Steven. Glad you enjoyed it. That’s quite the resting HR there. Some good vagal tone, hah.
Funny you mentioned the isometrics, wanting to kick my own ass yesterday, I did some split squat isometrics. Good for having visions of shiva.
Also, man you are a crazy athlete to have a vert like that. I’m 6’4″ and at my best I probably had a 33 or so. Those were the days of no step grab ball at feet, straight up from under the hoop two handed flushes. I need to get back there.
Speaking of frank yang, this is a great vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qSeVKCtprs
Didn’t get the link to the video?
And thanks for the compliments. My vertical can creep as high as 40″ if I specifically train for it.
The Myth of HITT is a great synopsis. I used to race bicycles and did intervals, basically HITT, several times a year for short periods, but the bulk of training was spent doing aerobic work. HITT is tough on the body, so it is puzzling for me to see it advocated frequently and at the end of a heavy weight session, often with hyperbolic phrases like “no excuses”, “hardcore” or “intense”.
Appreciate the insight, Park. Yeah, I’m not sure how people pop it like candy.
I hope you were being serious with the standing BB curl raising your heart rate. Because it does this for me. Sometimes I think, “how bad of shape am I in?” after doing some BB Curls. But it keeps happening (out of breath) every time I do them.
Also, I just finished a chest specialization program with emphasis on the upper chest. Good luck to you in getting some BIG upper boobies! Hope it goes well.
Danny
I was absolutely serious.
How did your chest experiment go?
I think it went well. I did two 4 week blocks. The first block I did 3 “chest” days with a couple of the other body parts sprinkled in at each session. And I just finished block 2. Here, I did more of a body part routine with two chest days, a leg, day, and the 4th day was more of an “arm” day.
I’m now onto full body training so I can up the frequency of the body parts that got “left behind” a bit over the last 8 weeks. And I’m keeping my pushing volume down quite a bit while upping the pulling volume.
Danny
Nice.
Number 21 was an awesome reminder that I will pass on.
Thanks. Nice to see your name around here and Facebook. Look to see more from you.