Fitness

MISTAKES OF EXPERTS

Your success is in my best interest. I blog and write to give direction to those in need. So the goal is to provide the set of eyes scanning this page with something to take home.

Top “X” lists are one of the worst ways to do this.

WHY LISTS ARE NO GOOD

Draeger’s Market is an upscale shopping center that sells everything from cheesecake to flowers to wine to cooking classes. Let’s just say you have to live a comfortable life to shop there, and shelling out a few extra bucks isn’t a bank breaker.

Two consecutive Saturday’s, a booth was set up that handed out free samples of jam. One Saturday, six jams were available. The other, twenty-four.

When the twenty-four jams were on display, the booth drew a bigger crowd by 20%. More selection is appealing, of course. But the Saturday six jams were available, 600% more sales were made. Maybe less is more?

WHY LISTS EXIST

Top “X” posts are rampant for three reasons. First, they’re easy to write. Second, they get the most hits. Third, they’re easy to digest.

But big lists make it less likely for a reader to take action. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Imagine reading two posts about the best muscle building exercises. Say the first one was: Top 50 Exercises to Build Muscle. Certainly appealing. Hell, I’d click the link. But after reading it, I’d forget the content in a matter of minutes. You would too.

Compare that to a “Top 3 Exercises to Build Muscle” post that went into great detail on the three exercises and really boulstered their effectiveness. You would be more likely to incorporate one—if not all—of the exercises.

It’s just like Tetris. Too much too soon makes it difficult to compartmentalize and fathom, so it gets lost. Game over.

RAPID INFORMATION

We live in a fantastic world. Information is instantly accessible. Questions rarely go unanswered. But there’s a problem: we don’t know what to do with all of the information. We know how to store it. But we just don’t know the next step. This is one of the reasons I err on more of the lifestyle design aspects of fitness and athletics—which ties into my concept of athletic physical culture and athletic lifestyle design.

Based upon the answers to the questions asked after last week’s blog post, most people don’t suffer from a lack of knowledge. They suffer from a lack of implementation and self-doubt.

This isn’t surprising to me. And here’s why: I haven’t “truly” read a fitness or athletics book since 2009. Yet since 2009, I’ve made my best training progress. (And that includes a six month period of not training because of a broken foot.)

When I launched the Skinny-Fat Ectomorph series, my first article wasn’t about training or nutrition. It was about lifestyle.

With a lot of my clients, my job isn’t training or coaching. It’s talking them through tough times and giving them faith that they’re on the right path. That’s why I call it a mentorship. Honestly, I get paid for what I exclude from a program more so than what I include.

PSYCHOLOGY AND LEARNING

I want everyone to reach their athletic and fitness pinnacle, which is why I don’t often make list posts. It’s wasted information. But I don’t anticipate a wave of change anytime soon, so here are some tips for assimilating information online in a way best suited to your long term progress.

First, disregard high numbered list posts. You can read them, sure. But you aren’t likely to remember or take anything away. If you’re hunkering for ice cream and the store only sells two flavors, your decision is much easier when compared to a selection of fifty flavors.

Second, have a why. Everything in your program — including the program itself — should have a purpose. And everything should relate back to it.

Third, create a “for later” folder. If you come across compelling information that might distract you from your current program, put it in the “for later” folder and read it when you’re grounded and less likely to waiver in your programming conviction.

REAL WORLD EXAMPLE

I want to get my shape on, so I create a program with the basics — some lifting, some aerobic work, and some hiking on the weekends. One day, I happen to be browsing the internet for weight loss tips. Conveniently, I stumble upon Shape and their Top 50 Fun Ways to Lose Weight This Spring.

I get about ten slides in before I realize I’m clicking arrows with minimal mental egagement, but I keep going anyway. After I finish the vibrant slide show, I can’t even recall five of the top fifty. Wonderful. But the good news is that it didn’t motivate me to program hop or lose focus.

The next website I come across, however, is from this dude named Anthony Mychal. He has those post entitled The Infamous Clean Bulk – How to Gain Muscle Without Looking Like A Poster Boy for Krispy Kreme. But if I read it, it might make me question my foundation. I’ll put it in my “for later” folder and wait a few weeks to read it. That way, if I’m already seeing some progress I’ll be less likely to make impulsive changes.

I LOVE ME SOME QUESTION

So what do you think? Do you suffer from under-knowledge or under-application? Do you feel like you’re on the 150th level of Tetris? What’s the highest level of Tetris you ever made it to? What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? What do you struggle with when it comes to the implementation and mentality aspect of training? As usual, I’d love to hear from you.

Oh, one more thing — what phrase do you like better in regards to something that encompasses this website: athletic physical culture or athletic lifestyle design?

PS – I know you’re upset that this wasn’t a Top 10 Post. You were looking for an easy read, weren’t you?

How to Sketch Strength and Performance [Free Stuff Inside]

When I was a youngling, I wanted to be a concept artist. I was never really good at drawing, but I held high ambitions after falling in love with Joe Mad’s Dragonkind pieces. (And if he does a Zelda comic, I might just pass out.)

Like most wannabe artists, I expected every drawing to be a masterpiece. But I quickly learned that becoming a better artist meant becoming a better sketcher. And becoming a better sketcher meant dealing with dissatisfaction.

Sketching is unlike drawing in that it’s an unrefined adventure of loose lines that somehow flow harmoniously.

Most training sessions are sketches—learning processes with a lot of “feel” and “flow.” Just like an artist can’t expect continuous masterpieces, athletes can’t expect continuous personal records and doing everything “right” the first time around.

Show up and put in the work, no matter how dissatisfied you are with the results.

Don’t be the person that sketches for one minute, gets frustrated, and starts over. (Or even worse, stops.)

Sketch consistently no matter how bad you perceive the short-term result. You will get better.

KEEP SKETCHES SKETCHY

Don’t try turning sketches into masterpieces. Masterpieces require time, detail, and preparation. They are predetermined greatness.

Sketches are different. There are no expectations. They are open to the feel, composition, mood, flow, and attitude at the time of work.

Sketches provide a way to practice and improve your craft without insane emotional investment.

A FINE BALANCE

Sketching is important. But completely foregoing masterpieces in favor of sketches is a smooth path to mediocrity.

From personal experience, I sketched my way through tricking. And to this day, I continue sketching. Training is a standardized process to retain and (hopefully) regain skills slowly. This is why I never realized my tricking potential.

Masterpieces require standing up and saying, “I’m going to do something great,” and then blocking off time to follow through with the idea. This can be an eight week hypertrophy stint. Or an eight week fat-loss crush. The main idea is that you’re increasing expectations, effort, and attention to detail.

But be careful. Taking this mindset too frequently does two things. First, it abandons the subtle benefits of sketching. Second, not all masterpieces pan out. And when they don’t, it’s frustrating.

The wrong way—albeit common way—of dealing with these frustrations is to immediately try creating more masterpieces. The right way is to go back to sketching for a while to refocus.

LOVE YOUR SKETCHES

A sad truth is that few appreciate their sketches. They’re crumbled and tucked away in the garbage.

It’s normal to think your sketches suck. But don’t undervalue them. Your sketchbook is the coolest and most interesting thing about you. It shows your progression and maturation over time. It caps your unique style.

Sketches are personality.

So while the masterpieces are nice, the sketchbook is even nicer. So keep at it because sketching strength and performance separate the good from the great.

You’re not going to be very good at first. You will program hop, even though I tell you that it’s worse than clubbing baby seals. But that’s OK. It took me six years catch on. It would have been easy to quit after year three. But I didn’t. And now I not only get to live the stuff, but also write about it to the world. So stay consistent. Produce work, no matter how great. Try for a bigger production here and there. And over time, you will find yourself.

242 Program Update & FREE Stuff

I just wanted to thank everyone that took the time to read and critique my upcoming eBook, The 242 Method. It’s still being edited and I’m deciding its ultimate direction. But thank you for picking out spelling errors and offering feedback. (For those of you lost, this all went down on Facebook. Should have either been following or been paying closer attention to my feed, fools.)

If you want to be added to the VIP List to get early access to the 242 Method (which should be released within the next month), make sure you sign-up for my newsletter. My friends always get first priority, and I love every single last one of them. So if you aren’t signed up, you can either scroll to the top of the page and put your name and e-mail into the cool graphic or you can just use the form below.

BUT ABOUT THE FREE STUFF…

Here’s the deal: my web designer funked out on me. This is good because I get to contemplate my redesign further. This is bad because, well, I have no designer. So since I have the time, I’m asking for your help (once again). If you answer the following six questions, I’ll e-mail you an advanced copy of The Death of H.I.I.T – Fatal Fitness Myths, and How They Shortcut Your Body’s Potential. But you have to follow the two rules: 1) you must reply to this post, 2) your answer must contain more than 1,000 words. So don’t get all upset if you don’t hear from me after giving baby answers. There isn’t room for stupid people here. So don’t be stupid.

1) What are your biggest programming hang ups? (You can copy this from Facebook if you already answered over there.)

2) What are your biggest reasons for set-backs?

3) What, personally, gets in your way of satisfactory progress?

4) What “brand” do you think I occupy in the fitness world?

5) What kind of name would you give said “brand?”

6) What’s your opinion this website from both a design and content standpoint?

What am I lacking?
What do I have that you enjoy?
What do you want to see more of?

BONUS

7) Know any designers on the cheap? Drop their name. If it works out, I’ll send you a free copy of An Athlete’s Guide to Chronic Knee Pain. If you create an awesome branding position for me that I fall mega in love with, you will also get a free copy of An Athlete’s Guide to Chronic Knee Pain.

Is Research Useless? Why Sitting Might Not Be Killing

I’m beginning to think research is useless. Not because it’s actually useless, but because people believe what they want to believe, regardless of research. This is especially true in the health, fitness, and sports space.

When a study about red meat being unhealthy pops up, no one cares. Everyone knows the study is flawed and is quick to debunk the methodology. Red meat is natural. Caveman ate red meat. There’s no way it is detrimental.

When a study about half squats being inferior to full squats pops up, no one cares. Everyone knows the study is correct. No one cares about the methodology. Full squats are obviously superior. Even babies squat. Never mind that they are babies and we are grown adults. Maybe we should start pooping at will and vomiting on ourselves, too.

With the red meat study, there’s outrage. It’s contrary to our beliefs. Something must be wrong.

With the squat study, everyone stands in the “I told you so” line. It’s congruent with our beliefs. Something must be right.

Anytime a study confirms beliefs, we don’t care if it was done “correctly.”

The correlation and causation grenade is quickly thrown these days, especially if the study isn’t in line with our beliefs. To give you an example of correlation and causation, imagine that everyday you wake up and order a large Starbucks at 8:00AM.

At 10:00AM, your bowels explode.

And let’s just say this happens every day.

We can then say that because your bowels explode at 10:00AM, the time 10:00AM is responsible for your unfortunate condition.

But that’s just a correlation. What’s actually expelling last night’s dinner from your intestines is the venti triple shot expresso americano.

By the way, has anyone really taken a look at the recent coffee studies? Why is the magic bean suddenly a superfood? Ten years ago it was the plague.

Hell, I know I haven’t looked at them. I like coffee. And if I hear it’s good, I don’t want to argue my mild addiction. I want to live in peace knowing every morning I’m doing my body good.

But if a study is published putting coffee in a negative light, prepare for uproar. “It’s a correlation,” we’ll say.

Yeah, only because we (or, I guess, “I”) want it to be.

And that’s the problem. I’m fairly convinced that, no matter what, we only believe what we want to believe.

Natural food? It must be good. Acai berries? Sign me up for that shit. Poison ivy tea leaves? Natural? Must be good. I’ll take some of those, too.

PERHAPS SITTING ISN’T KILLING

Has anyone really questioned the relationship between sitting and killing?

From stand up desks (I’m standing up right now, so I’m basically talking to myself) to anti-fatigue mats (standing on one of those too), the stand up work space industry has boomed. That neato inforgraphic floating around only helps their cause.

But is this relationship correlation? Or causation?

Not that anyone cares. Our minds already decided.

But apparently those that watch TV for three hours every day are going to die. And quick. But why? Is it because they happen to sit when they watch TV? Or is it because they might be snacking? Eating buttered popcorn? Or that modern television is about as educational and as stimulating as watching bread turn into toast?

And apparently if you watch three hours of TV per day, it doesn’t matter how much you exercise. You’re still fat. Fancy that.

Sitting is bad because it forces us to hunch. But wait, aren’t we meant to squat? Do we hunch when we squat?

And, most importantly, are we forgetting that people that sit through most of their day hate their job, have stressful commutes, eat junk, and live a lifestyle that is, overall, poor to a healthy mind and body?

Nah.

It’s too late. Sitting is bad. Correlations and causations aren’t valid in this case.

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

There are going to be two kinds of people that read this post.

The one kind is going to read this and say: “I knew I hated research! That Anthony Mychal is right, research sucks blah blah blah.”

The other kind is going to read this and say: “That Anthony Mychal is a bastard! Research is king! Is he stupid? Some kind of animal?”

And this dichotomy further illustrates the point that people believe what they want to believe, regardless of what research says.

But where do we go from here?

I wish I had a better answer, but I’m not sure I do. Here are a few observations.

Beware of people proving a point. They are quick to cite studies that, from the exterior, verify their ideas. But who knows what’s on the inside? Just look at my sitting example above. Seems compelling right? That’s because I only took what supported my side of the argument.
Beware of those that only cite abstracts. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Beware of those that back their opinion with “natural-ness.” I think the world is wonderful and that natural, most times, is better. But using it to defend an opinion is silly. You should try the goji infused poison oak tea though. Good stuff.
Beware of arrogant dogmatism. The best way to be mediocre is to always land in the middle. So I understand dogma to a point. But I think it has to come with humbleness. Those without it quickly jump on things that support their case. But who knows if they actually do.
Beware of research being fed down through different feeds. With social media, it’s a game of telephone. Who knows what the original message was?

But, even then, try to open your arms a little bit. Try to hug more things. Don’t immediate cite correlation and causation. Check out the study and find out what good might have came from it, regardless of the design. And don’t hop on a moving train just because it’s moving. You might get run over.

Most importantly, ask yourself: Do I believe what I believe because I want to? Or because it’s true?

The Philosophy of the 242 Method (And How to Conquer Writers Block)

On Sunday, I wrote The Origins of the 242 Method. When all is said and done, I wanted the 242 Method to be an eBook about my “go-to” program. And after I wrote the first part Sunday, my mind was whirling with ideas. But when I opened up the Word document Wednesday morning, I was blank. Completely. Blank.

After whining and throwing temper tantrums for an hour, I did something I should have done from the get-go: I breathed, I read Rework, and I simplified.

Rework is my baby because it reminds me that compelling need not be complex. And that there’s no harm in breaking down individual thoughts into individual sections. And that one sentence in itself can be one small idea, not necessarily conjoined to its surroundings. And that starting a sentence with “and,” even if three in a row, is quite alright.

So instead of trying to architect a grand piece of prose, I simply broke each of my thoughts down and said what needed to be said.

The organization is a bit skewed. Some ideas are repeated. But I kind of like how it turned out.

The Philosophy of the 242 Method

The downfalls of choice

Every week, I try a different coffee because I can. Because the selection is available.

When it comes to training and hopping from program to program and exercise to exercise, even the littlest bit of equipment gives multitudes of choice.

This past year alone I program hopped. Yeah, me. The same guy that once compared program hopping to clubbing baby seals.

We can’t run from choice, or our desire to try different things, without causing problems. Instead, embrace it.

The fitness industry’s problem

The fitness industry has a problem. Not an information problem, but a direction problem. There are so many paths; the paths themselves are overwhelming—even though they all lead to the same place.

Popular set exercise programs

Most programs out there are three or four day per week training routines centered around the squat, bench press, overhead press, and deadlift.

They are popular because they are safe, reliable, and generally decent programs. For an average person, they are almost fool proof.

If I recommend one to you—a popular practice—and you don’t see results, you’re at fault. Not me. So they are always recommended to people looking for programs.

It’s just like any recommendation. It better be reliable. No one recommends a crapshoot. No one refers a friend to a new restaurant unless they visited it themselves and have verified its worthiness.

Program hopping

People hate choice. But they love thinking they have the ability to choose. So even if a program has choice built in, no one really wants it.

They want to know what rowing variation to use. They want to know the best bench press assistance exercise. They want to know how many sets and reps to do.

They want to do what’s best. And since they trust the program maker, it’s the maker’s job to take decisions out of their hands.

People want reliability. They want their chocolate chip cookies to be the same as everyone else’s. They want to fit in with the masses.

But this is short lived.

Initially, no one really wants choice. They just want the feeling of having choice. But eventually, everyone wants the actual choice. Safe and reliable programs are only appealing for a little while. And when that little while ends, riskier “new age” becomes appealing.

The same thing that attracts eventually repels.

Traditional scheming

The classic four day per week template—regardless of the specifics—is usually an upper and lower body split with one main focus daily. Assistance work and other shenanigans are thrown in to enhance the main exercise. So all four days end up being rather exhaustive.

Take an overhead press day, for example. After doing overhead presses, assistance exercises like upright rows, lateral raises, dips, and skull crushers fill in the rest of the workout. But because they are designated as “assistance,” they are usually taken to failure.

But assistance work is assistance for a reason. Does it make sense to expel so much muscular and nervous energy performing it?

Rethinking traditional scheming

On most four day templates, each day has some mentally stressful or boundary pushing exercise, whether it’s repping out a main lift or taking an assistance lift to failure.

There’s also exercise overlap. Rows and chins intertwine with front squats and deadlifts. Just because something is “upper” and something is “lower” doesn’t mean they are mutually exclusive.

So there’s mental recovery and physical recovery issues on most four day programs.

Rethinking assistance work

If assistance work is nothing more than assistance, should it be taken to failure? Or is going through the motions with some intensity and meaning “enough?”

Wouldn’t training it exhaustively turn it into a main exercise?

From a mental and energy expenditure perspective, most people put more stock into assistance lifts because they aren’t as physically demanding. Is it sensible?

If turkey is the main attraction on Thanksgiving, shouldn’t it get the most prep attention?

What if the turkey was left to burn in favor of concocting a slew of mashed potatoes? And the mashed potatoes were awesomely presented in massive proportions? (I’m not sure I would complain about this.) Wouldn’t the potatoes—a usual side dish—now be the main attraction?

Shouldn’t the side dishes compliment, and not exhaust, the main dish?

The concept of main lifts

I think the concept of main lifts is a bit dysfunctional because everyone associates “main lift” with barbells. Why can’t a chin-up be a main lift? A dip?

The popular answer to this is: they can’t be loaded or progressed as easily, readily, or tangibly.

So?

Does that automatically bump them down to a second tier of care?

By the same logic, using front squats as a main lift over back squats freaks some people out. But does it matter if the back squat can be loaded more?

The front squat can be overloaded by the same mechanism (barbell and plates) and it’s still a squat.

Isn’t that what matters?

All about the weird

The fitness industry is in a mass rut. Go to any beginner forum and see how many people recommend either Starting Strength or 5/3/1.

Hint: it’s a lot because they are safe, reliable, and easy choices.

If you can’t progress on these program, well then that’s your problem. After all, everyone else progresses.

But do they?

And what did people do before these programs existed?

Sadly, I’ve even fielded questions like, “is it possible to get strong without Starting Strength?”

Of course it is. But everyone (or so I’m told), in today’s world, does Starting Strength.

But I’m not interested in everyone anymore. I’m interested in those that are willing to de-conceptualize the idea of main and assistance lifts.

I want to talk to those that have weighted muscle-ups as their “main lift,” because they’re bold enough to break away from the pact and create new methods.

Rescheming

Even assuming a traditional four day split centered around the bench press, overhead press, squat, and deadlift, why are each separated on their own day? Can’t they be tiered?

For instance:

Day One – Squat, Bench, Best Squat Assistance, Best Bench Assistance

Day Two – Deadlift, Overhead Press, Best Deadlift Assistance, Best Overhead Press Assistance

That way there’s only two big mentally and physically taxing days per week.
Of course, the question then becomes, “What do I do the other days of the week?”

My response: “Does it matter?”

High level athletes

Go heavy or go home.

That’s the modus operandi of most lifters. But perhaps it’s why Pavel and Mark Reifkind can joke about something they call the “tough guy cycle”: Heavy, heavier, even heavier, injury, light…(this originally appeared on Tim Ferriss’s blog).

Some people are adverse to “light” days.

But nearly all high level athletes have “light” days. Sprinters jog and do aerobic work when they aren’t sprinting at max speed.

“Light” days promote blood flow and recovery to tissues stressed the day prior. Even though the same muscles are trained, the lower intensity work becomes somewhat stimulating, meaning they feel better after having done it.

Rethinking recovery

The 48 hour rule states a muscle needs 48 hours to recover.

The 48 hour rule needs to die.

What if I do one set of squats at 60% of my max weight for 50% of my max reps? How much recovery do I need?

How do I walk up steps after a heavy squatting session if my muscles need 48 hours to recover?

Lighter workouts

Lighter workouts are side dishes to the main course. Sometimes, they just need to be there. And most times, the meal is never ruined by their presence, but rather enhanced.

The big problem

People want cookie cutter. They want to fit in with the masses. That is, until they see someone with a gigantic unique cookie and get jealous.

It’s like learning how to drive. When you first learn, you can’t look anywhere but the immediate road in front of you. One year later, you’re texting and mooning school busses.

Set programs only work as long as we’re comfortable with the settings. The fact that the program works is secondary.

Although contradictory, people rarely want something that works. They want immediate progress.

How many people abandon ship after realizing that doing 5/3/1 and starting at a 10% drop off means it will be months before any sign of progress is had? A lot. And one of the many reasons people don’t start at the 10% drop.

And since no program, unless you’re a beginner, yields immediate results, long term results are irrelevant.

Any set program, no matter how well constructed, gets boring.

This quest for immediate progress fuels program hopping. New exercises lend themselves to immediate results and instant gratification, so everyone wants to incorporate them into previously set programs.

“When should I do “x” exercise in “y” program.”

In nearly every case, however, progress isn’t a result of assistance exercise. The assistance work is there only because it’s expected to be there and it gives a semblance of choice.

You can’t have a hotdog stand without hotdogs. But most hotdog stands have condiments. Are condiments necessary? No. But they’re there.

New designations

Instead of having “main lifts” and “assistance lifts,” it’s better to have three categories:

Best – A select “forever” lifts—the one’s you never want to stop doing. It could be as little as two or as many as four.

Better – A pool of useful lifts that interest you that you wouldn’t mind regularly doing without as much focus as the Best category.

Good – Where most things are, especially those things that don’t readily interest you.

A better program

Consistency is one the most important aspects of any program. So the best program is one that promotes consistent training with the Best lifts.

Having four mind blowing days is a tough operation because four days of the week you have to be “on.” What if you slept bad? Had to stay up late? Had bad eating patterns?

And you have to show up. What if you can’t make it to the gym one day? Bye bye consistency.

So on most programs, four days consume your week. Hair cuts are rescheduled. Doctors appointments, cancelled. And before you know it your entire week is shot because your schedule revolves around four days that have to be perfectly planned to maximize results on each day.

A note on frequency

I’m looking at hockey schedules right now—one of the most grueling sports, schedule-wise—and more often than not, there aren’t more than three games per week.

Yet we choose to have four heavy, mind blowing sessions per week. We’re afraid of training the entire body in one session and we’re afraid of foregoing our wonderful assistance exercises. And the only way to accommodate both is to spread the workload over four days.

Power of two

Sticking to just two “heavy” days per week—not to be confused with two total training days per week—does a few things.

It means we only have to be “on” and “in the game” half the time.
It promotes consistency. Bring it twice, that’s all.
It’s easy to work around schedule conflicts.
It makes recovery easier.
It promotes experimentation.
It keeps the focus where it should be.
It gives you time to have fun and experiment with other things.
It means you only have to have two perfectly planned days instead of three or four.

The other days

What about the other one, two, or three days of training? What should be done on those days?

Whatever you want.

CONCLUSION AND THANKS

The finalized 242 Method will be rolled out within — fingers crossed — the next month (with a new website). And I wanted to say thanks.

I take each comment to this blog seriously, and I respect everyone’s opinion. Rarely does a comment go by that doesn’t get my reply, holding true to Facebook, Twitter, and even email. I can’t thank you enough for participating and sharing your opinions. It’s an honor to get to know all of you more and more simply from your participation.

I’m going to release the 242 Method for free if enough interest is sparked. Is there anything that YOU would want in a book about a specific training method? What areas of programming are lacking coverage in the fitness world?

Enjoy this article? See the first one in the series -> The Origins of the 242 Method (Why Cheese is Like Exercise).

The Origins of the 242 Method (Why Cheese is Like Exercise)

Every Sunday— my “cheat day”—I enjoy a cup of flavored coffee. Drinking coffee in itself isn’t anything out of the ordinary, as I drink it daily. But the flavoring adds a twist, and it’s a decision not taken lightly.

Like a pig being roasted, the K-Cup tower is slowly rotated. My eyes scan the packaging. I’m a sucker for good branding and design. Whatever catches my fancy is thrown in the Keurig, is brewed, and is mine to savor.

But there’s something that always prevents a fairy tale ending: 97% of the time, I hate the flavoring.

I like my coffee, or, even better, my Americano, just like my metal: black. (Mindless Self Indulgence, anyone? No? Fine.)

So if I’m continually disappointed by the failure of artificial flavoring’s ability to massage my taste buds, why do I return every week?

I have no idea.

Because it’s kind of fun? Kind of adventurous? (Great life I live, right? Getting a kick from drinking flavored coffee.)

And I can’t help but think this is how the majority of people construct training programs. They already have something solid—their black coffee—yet they’re compelled to extend their tentacles into different areas.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, NOTHING FOR ALL

Unless my coffee adventuring gives me cancer (from the plastics or artificial flavoring), being dissatisfied every week isn’t a big deal. But when it comes to exercises and programs, getting caught up in mass selection leads to failure.

There’s something out there for everyone. But everything isn’t for everyone. Exercises, exercise methods, and programs are personal.

THE STRIP DISTRICT

Here in Pittsburgh there is a part of town called the Strip District. It’s a bunch of vendors, shops, and stores located on a centralized street.

About a year ago, I was on a quest for cheese. So I went to the Strip District, and went into this big Italian shop that sells over one-hundred varieties of cheese. One. Hundred. Different. Cheeses.

When my number was called, I was lost in a sea of choice. The monger asked me to name three cheeses I liked.

Mozzarella, provolone, and muenster.

Within thirty seconds I was out of the store, cheese in hand.

One cheese out of over one-hundred. (It was Alta Badia, by the way. And it was fantastic.)

It’s easy to see a big selection and want samples of everything.

“Ooh, hip thrusts.”
“Ooh, good mornings.”
“Ooh, incline flies.”
“Ooh, squeeze presses.”

Oohs and ahhs can last a long time. A lonnng time.

The reason why the selection is so vast is because everyone has different tastes. The backing behind the 242 Method and Program is to find what you enjoy most and narrow exercise selection into, at maximum, two lower body lifts and two upper body lifts.

FINDING YOURS

Finding your own Alta Badia is tough. It’s why the majority of people can’t write a program for themselves.

I couldn’t pick out a cheese myself. The monger did it for me based on what I liked. Without him, I would have been lost. But he delivered and that was it. I didn’t question him. I didn’t wonder about the other cheeses.

This all, of course, has relevance, and the 242 Method never “fully” hit me until I took a long look back at both my own training and my coaching client’s training.

THE ORIGIN OF THE 242 METHOD

A few months ago, I evaluated my training evolution across the six-and-change years that I’ve dabbled in this space. And, although embarrassing, I’m not afraid to spill the beans.

In 9^th grade, a girl told me I had boobs. And that hits a self conscious kid hard. So over my training career, I obsessed over my chest because my lower pecs have always dominated my upper pecs.

At first, I listened to powerlifters and benched. My lower chest grew further out of proportion, leading me to more unhappiness. So I switched to a different angle press. Then after feeling weak, I hopped back to benching. And then benching did the same thing it did before, so I searched for another exercise. After that, another. Another. Another.

To this day, my pressing strength is awful—one of the reasons you never see me write much about pressing. (Outside of my dumbbell floor press article, which was my Alta Badia last year during softball and frisbee season as my shoulder was a wreck.)

In six years, I’ve gotten nowhere with my pressing exercises. Yet, from a muscular standpoint, I’ve surely gotten somewhere. So I looked back at the exercises I have progressed on, strength wise. To my surprise, there’s really only two: the deadlift and the chin-up.

Sure, when I first started I could only squat 95 pounds and have since squatted 405 (even though, both times, I hurt my back). But outside of the mileage put on my body with the sheer volume of exercise, the two primary drivers behind where I am today have been the chin-up and the deadlift.

The sad part is, lately, my deadlift is down because of the 20 Rep Squat Journey I went on. (For those that are unaware, it came to a halt because the nerve pain in my foot returned.) But the very fact that I went on the 20 Rep Squat Journey illustrates my dysfunctional in-search-of-cheese mind.

THE BIG QUESTION

If two exercises were the primary drivers of my own personal physical gains—from a strength standpoint—why are we worried about finding, testing, and using something that likely won’t work as well as what’s been shown to work for years?

So while I finish the second article in the series, I have some important questions for you:

1) What two exercises have been the primary drivers of your success?

2) What’s your favorite cheese?

3) What’s your favorite coffee?

4) What are your four money exercises?

Enjoy this article? See the next one in the series -> The Philosophy of the 242 Method.

Become Superhuman, The World of RedBull, Essense, and Emotional Blogging Advice

Stan Lee thinks superhumans are genetically mutated humans with astonishing abilities—superheroes, in every sense of the word. But breaking down “superhuman” into its two root words gives a simpler concept, defined as “more than or above human.” Any of us can become superhuman, not just those that hit the luck of the genetic lottery.

Becoming superhuman, to me, means living a life that’s greater than that of an average person. I think my first step into this world came in 2001, when I started tricking. At the time, I could barely cartwheel. Every trick seemed impossible. But after years of practice, my walls of possibility pushed further and further. Granted, I was far from the best. The important part, however, was that I kept going, eventually building myself into something I never imagined being.

Call it enlightenment, but this entire experience changed the way I walk in the world. Breaking tricking barriers showed me that I was capable of something more than I dreamed possible. Basil William Maturin in his book, Self-Knowledge and Self-Discipline, describes this perfectly:

And yet the man who has caught but a momentary glimpse of that vast unknown inner life can never be the same as he was before; he must be better or worse, trying to explore and possess and cultivate that unknown world within him, or trying—oh, would that he could succeed!—to forget it. He has seen that alongside of, or far out beyond the reach of, the commonplace life of routine, another life stretches away whither he knows not, he feels that he has greater capacities for good or evil than he ever imagined. He has, in a word, awakened with tremulous awe to the discovery that his life which he has hitherto believed limited and confined to what he knew, reaches infinitely beyond his knowledge and is far greater than he ever dreamed.

That attitude has since stuck with me. Tricking is a game. It taxes not only the physical but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual confines of your mind. It’s forever struggling with the conception of possibility.

When I shifted from tricking to fitness in 2005, I took that mentality with me during a body recomposition expedition. Truthfully, I couldn’t imagine being “fit,” just like I couldn’t imagine doing fancy flips, kicks, and twists. But I pushed through and accomplished the recomp. Somehow. And even now, as I quest towards a lean 225 pounds, I have my doubts. But I should know better. This superhuman mindset follows me and has since rolled over into nearly every aspect of my life. Being average isn’t good enough. It never has been.

Even though I went to college have an average job and live an average life, higher powers had other plans I guess. After six months of teaching, I was furloughed. No job prospects lived. Once again, I pushed for something I felt was out of my reach in writing for fitness magazines. And then later, writing an eBook: An Athlete’s Guide to Chronic Knee Pain (which, by the way has gotten such a positive response that I can’t tell you how much it warms my heart).

THE WORLD OF REDBULL

If you ever took a look at my about page, you would see that I declared love for RedBull. Yet I only drank RedBull twice in my life. The first time was before my high school talent show (my friends and I tricked—it wasn’t a good showing). The second time was with an abundance of Jägermeister, subsequently leading to a night of bad decisions.

I don’t love RedBull because of the beverage itself. I love RedBull because of the brand. I love how they took the concept of “wings” and expanded its meaning to include doing superhuman things and living a superhuman life. So when you hear, “Welcome to my world, the world of RedBull,” you know something off the wall is about to happen.

BE SUPERHUMAN

Don’t discount your ability to be superhuman. Ever.

I’m not the best trickster. But you better damn believe I’ve poured my heart out on the grass and landed on my neck a few times trying new moves. I’m not the strongest person. But you better damn believe I’ve struggled under the bar. Hell, I’m not even a coach anymore. But you better damn believe I work hard at perfecting my writing craft, experimenting, and learning to continue my career. I’m not a millionaire. But you better damn believe I have enough confidence to think I’ll have more than enough money while simultaneously doing work I love. I’m not the most well rounded person in the universe. I struggle making eye contact with strangers. But you better damn believe I’m always striving to become above average.

So I’m not superhuman. But you better damn believe I’m working on it.

A GOOD START

The Art of Manliness, one of my favorite blogs, gives some superhuman insight:

Becoming superhuman involves reaching for ever greater heights in all areas of our lives: physical, mental, moral, and spiritual.

The average man spends his days as a sedentary lump; the superhuman man strives to keep himself in peak physical condition.

The average man rarely cracks open a book after college; the superhuman man is dedicated to lifelong learning, constantly feeding his mind with books, magazines, and newspapers and studying a wide variety of topics.

The average man cheats and fudges here and there; the superhuman man makes his word his bond and lives every day with integrity.

The average man is content with surface pleasures and material goods; the superhuman man explores the greater depths of life through meditation or prayer.

From the top of my head, here are my additions. Feel free to add your own insights in the comments section. I’ll gladly include what deserves to make the cut as I want this list to grow.

The average man has no emotion or meaning in his work. The superhuman strives to find more meaning and enjoyment in his work.

The average man is afraid of escaping comfort zones. The superhuman knows life begins where comfort zones end.

The average man is afraid of authority and making eye contact with those he talks to. The superhuman knows his worth and looks everyone in the eye.

The average man lies to get out of binds. The superhuman would rather tell the truth than live with the burden deception.

The average man settles. The superhuman strives to reach his peak in every aspect of life and is always learning and growing.

The average man dreams. The superhuman acts.

What are your strengths? Weaknesses? What can you do to become superhuman? What can you work on starting tomorrow to live a happier life?

FINDING YOUR ESSENCE

Aspiring writers and bloggers e-mail me occasionally. Their most common concern is that they don’t know what to write about. Most times I tell them not to worry, and just write. And I can do this confidently because, well, that’s exactly what I do. I open up Evernote and let things go.

But I think the concern is more about getting lost in the shuffle. They want to know how to stand out. How to get noticed. It’s not an easy question to answer. For six months the amount of views on my blog was paltry. But I didn’t care. I was just getting my thoughts out there. Even to this day, I don’t often look at my little Jetpack Plug-In.

For anyone that’s followed me for a respectable amount of time, you know that I bounce around a lot. Truthfully, I feel I’m as lost in the shuffle as any shuffler can be lost.

When I first started blogging, I was still focused on my coaching and teaching career. Blogging was a side interest. Getting paid to write was a fantasy. So most of my content was suited to athletes and coaches alike. For instance, I had a huge four part series about strength imbalances. My swagger was that of hate and disdain for the fitness industry. Over time, I met and talked to some integral people and my attitudes and beliefs shifted. I’m more humble that I have ever been and more respectful of everyone in the industry. But like a lot of aspiring bloggers and writers, I’ve always felt lost because I’m ever-changing. I began as a cocky coach that thought everyone should be forced to read Supertraining and like-texts. Slowly, I evolved into a humble writer that has no problem admitting deriving more enjoyment from eating chalk than reading Supertraining. (I should note, however, that I did read it and did learn, so I don’t regret it.) But I just can’t get enough of it and my respect grows daily for everyone within the industry.

Almost every night, I ask myself what I can be doing better. And when my alarm clock goes off the next morning, I try implementing whatever it was that ended up in my sketchnotes. That’s why I update the about section countless times. It’s all about the people that read this blog, and what I can do to make their stay better. When I find something that I really like, I run with it. The way I see it, I’m just amassing bricks on my house.

You don’t try to build a wall. You don’t set out and say ‘I’m gonna build the biggest, baddest, greatest wall that has ever been built’. You say ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid’. You do this every single day, and soon you have a wall.

- Will Smith

But with that, I think a lot of people that try to get involved in the online space try being someone they aren’t. Look, if you don’t coach that’s fine. Just own it. Some people may discount your voice, but others won’t. Nerd Fitness is a great example of this. On Steve’s about page, he has this bolded: I am NOT a fitness expert.

Be yourself and do great things. Everyone wants to hear from those that do great things. But the moment you fraud is the moment you lose. Charlie Sheen tells everyone he does drugs and when he gets caught doing drugs, everyone loves him. Tiger Woods portrays a saint and savior, and when he cheats on his wife he’s the devil.

As trite as it sounds, if you’re wondering what kind of person to portray in the online space, you’re failing. Portray yourself.

As far as what kind of things you should write about, think about your essence. Essence, as described by Steve Jobs, is something that, if not fulfilled causes sadness. Essence drove the success of Toy Story. The creators of the movie believed all toys had one singular essence: they wanted to be accepted and loved by a child. Without their essence, their existence is incomplete.

So if you don’t know what to write about, find your essence. If taken away, what would make you incomplete?

As a self reflection, I think it’s time to own up to who I am. I’m not an “in person” coach anymore. I’m a writer and online coach—just a guy that’s striving to live each day better than the previous one by pushing the boundaries that are arbitrarily conceptualized by the confines of my mind.

And my essence? Well, I think I’ve found it: become superhuman. Truly, I’m not sure if I have a choice. As Basil William Maturin mentioned, I saw the light. I know what it’s like on this side. And I’m not sure if I can go back. Will you join me?

Become Superhuman – Learn How to Kip-Up

You consider yourself an athlete. I get it. Regularly showing up at the gym and moving some heavy things isn’t exactly easy. I know, I know.

But, really, how athletic is a squat? A deadlift? Now a clean and jerk or a snatch is a different story. Mark Rippetoe once said that a snatch is gymnastics with a barbell, and for good reason. But with the traditional lifts, how athletic do you need to be?

Anyone from a neighborhood computer programmer to a professional athlete can learn the basic barbell exercises. A cartwheel, though? Different story.

Hitting the gym isn’t making you athletic if you’re all about squatting, deadlifting, and benching. What’s that doing for your movement capacity? Your coordination?

By all means, keep getting bigger and stronger. There’s something to be said about a big guy that can move well. And if you want to be that guy—that superhuman feeling kind of guy—start here.

A BIT OF TRICKING HISTORY

In 2001, I came across “tricking,” which is a mesh between martial arts and gymnastics. Back then, it was a small group of teenagers jumping, kicking, and flipping in their backyards. No equipment. No shoes. No formal training. No safety precautions.

Not exactly parentally advised stuff.

Although tricking seems chaotic, there are foundational movements from gymnastics and martial arts. Things like cartwheels, kip-ups, handstands, and rolls are gateway drugs for tricksters.

Call me crazy, but I incorporate some of these movements into my “regular” training routine, as discussed in The Jackedthlete. You never really forget where you came from, right?

It’s amazing what a cartwheel reveals about someone. Are they coordinated? Are they confident? Are they mobile?

We are on the dawn of a new training age. Nothing is static anymore. It’s about movement patterns that intertwine flexibility, mobility, and coordination.

Of the skills mentioned above, the kip-up is the flashiest to the Average Joe. It’s a total body explosive movement that uses the arms, abs, and legs, requiring flexibility, mobility, and coordination. If that doesn’t catch your attention, perhaps being on par with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee will.

HOW TO KIP-UP

The kip-up is the quintessential way for a martial artist to rise after being knocked down. Generally, it’s done lying face up on the ground with the hands next to the head. The legs kick in the air and hook underneath of the body to land in a standing or squatting position.

Before trying your luck with these, understand a few things. First, expect sore abs. Second, warm-up. A few rollovers, wrist rotations, fingers pulls, and neck work do the trick (see video). Third, crashing is expected. Especially on your back. Land gently. Fourth, you won’t land this on your first try. Many won’t land it within the first week. Or month. Or months. (It took me five months, I think.) Don’t get discouraged. Fifth, have fun.

Step #1: Initial Position

Lay flat on the ground with the palms of your hands next to your head. Knees can be straight or bent at 90°. If lacking wrist mobility, tilt your body to the side to position your palms flatter.

Step #2: The Chamber

The next step is the chamber. Bring your legs off of the ground and towards your head so that your weight is on your mid-upper thoracic area. Don’t shortchange the chamber; it’s what provides the recoil and explosion. Think of it as the dip right before a vertical jump.

Step #3: The Kick

Welcome complication. Once chambered, kick your legs straight in the air towards the sky. Pick a spot that’s directly above your eyes so that you have a target. The harder and faster you kick at the target, the easier it will be.

People go wrong because they kick out and not up. This is the only chance you have to get height. Everything goes up.

Step #4: The Push

The kick is the powerhouse, but the arms are important too. The timing is what makes the move difficult. The arm push happens after the momentum from the kick propels you in the air. Press off after the kick in one small explosive burst.

Step #5: The Hook

To this point, everything was vertical. The hook, however, brings the body around so that you land on your feet.

Immediately after the arm push, hook the legs underneath your body and violently raise your torso upright. At first, your hook will be out of sync and you’ll land on your back. As you get better, your feet will hit first, but you won’t have enough momentum to stand. Eventually, you’ll land in a deep squat.

Hello mobility work.

Step #6: Stand Up

Well, stand up.

MAKING IT EASIER

Before you spam the comments with questions about prerequisite strength and power numbers, know this: there are none. When I learned this, I was an out of shape teenager.

Coordinating the movements is key. More is never better, so I’m apprehensive with this tip. But if you’re struggling, try rolling into the chamber from a standing position to give yourself extra momentum.

MAKING IT CLEANER

Tricking is an aesthetic blend of flips, kicks, and twists. Looks matter. Making a trick flawless is known as making it clean. To make your kip-up clean, land as upright as possible—preferably standing.

To land standing, abandon the hook. Instead, hollow after the kick. Squeeze the glutes and arch the lower back. When the feet hit the ground, use your abs to stabilize the torso and keep the body upright.

LOOK MA, NO HANDS

The next progression is learning the no handed kip-up. It’s much more difficult, however, because the timing changes. Everything needs more speed and precision to cover for the decreased air time.

Since the hands are taken out of the movement, the head is responsible for the last push off the ground. So beware: your neck will take a beating. Warm-up and expect soreness. Here are the adjustments when going to no hands:

#1: Synchronize the arms and legs. They mimic each other through the entire motion. They rise together, chamber together, and push together.

#2: Your neck becomes your arms. In the regular kip-up, the hands push right after the kick. In the no hand kip-up, the neck pushes after the arms and legs fly in the air.

#3: Aim for the tip toes. Forget about landing straight up. Height is scarce, so plan to land in a deep squat position on your tip toes. Hook extra hard.

KIP-UP CONCLUSION

The kip-up is a great athletic move that can be used in any training program. Mesh it with other skills to form badass combinations. How about a clapping pushup, to groiner, to kip-up, to vertical jump? Or a kip-up to the knees followed by a forward rolling kip up?

It’s not only a gateway to tricking, but also a gateway to both training and fun. It’s not totally superhuman. But it’s a damn good start.

Photo Credit: Nanna Ward

The Best Tricking Inspired Warm-Up

Being a trickster, flexibility is kind of a big deal. Before foam rolling’s conception, us tricksters used a sensible warm-up that increased dynamic flexibility and, quite simply, did the trick. Get it? Trick? …Well? Yeah, I kill myself. (The beauty of the blog—informal writing lulz.)

Since then, new age warm-up tactics like soft tissue work have taken center stage. And it seems like some sort of activation drill is needed for every muscle the body because apparently they’re napping at all hours of the day. Whatever. Nothing, nothing, beats the warm-up routine that I’ve cultivated over the past ten years. But be warned: no foam rolling allowed.

A NOTE ON FOAM ROLLING AND SELF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE

In the grand scheme of fitness, foam rolling is a baby. And a misunderstood one at that. While I think it can be useful, there are issues with using it as a warm-up tool.

Foam rolling doubles as a massage by sliding around soft tissue. Pressure is added on “hot spots” to break up supposed adhesions, freeing junky tissue to physiological paradise. This all sounds great in theory. But the mechanism behind meaningful massages lies in how touch and pressure mingle with the pain receptors in the body.

There are two main pain receptors: a dull one and a sharp one. The dull one is responsible for most chronic pain. Your aching knee is sent signals from these dull receptors and, what do you know, your knee ends up hurting. Most massage, by contrast, activates the sharp pain receptors by virtue of pressure. Activation of sharp pain receptors inhibits the dull pain receptors. So the momentary intense pain bullies the chronic dull pain, forcing a retreat.

There are a few issues here:

Dulling much of anything before a workout isn’t a good idea. Didn’t static stretching get the ax because of this?
It’s masking pain by creating pain. So it’s not really fixing much, it’s just blanketing the problem.
It’s ignoring the fact that you’re in pain. Pain rarely blossoms for the fun of it. So by inhibiting it, you might be doing harm during your workout without knowing it.

So foam roll if you want to. But not during a warm-up.

TRICK SPECIFIC WARM-UP

Although the origin of this warm-up is rooted in tricking (martial arts, gymnastics, tumbling), it’s adapted into a generalized total body mobility routine. But beware: you may develop Chuck Norris-like kicking ability.

If your dynamic flexibility sucks, I recommend doing a “mini” routine every morning. Do both the first and second tier before breakfast (or while coffee brews). Not only will it wake you up and skyrocket your flexibility, but in just ten minutes you prime your body for an entire day of activity, greatly reducing warm-up time before scheduled trainings.

FIRST TIER WARM-UP

The first tier of the warm-up is a total body fun fest of joint rotations. Work from head to toe, moving each joint about its range of motion. This can be back and forth, side to side, in circles, whatever. Just move them all a few times each direction through their range of motion so they loosen up and lubricate. This shouldn’t take more than two minutes.

Neck in all directions
Shoulder rolls
Flex and extend elbow
Rotate the wrists
Circle the hips
Circle the trunk
March
Butt kick
Ankle rotations

SECOND TIER WARM-UP

Working from head to toe again, the second tier tests total body dynamic flexibility. It need not be exhaustive. In fact, stopping at max stretch is an important facet of the warm-up. Stimulate. Don’t fatigue.

Beginners will need more sets and more reps. Start at two to three sets of eight to twelve reps. But once you develop the flexibility, only one will be needed to maintain.

Arm swings in every direction
Arm circles
Light trunk twists
Standing side bends
Side arm throws
Front leg raises
Back leg raises
Side leg raises (pending good form)

If you aren’t a martial artist in any capacity, side leg raises will be funky. It’s OK to omit them and substitute them with active side split reaches, but if you’re feeling ambitious, give the side leg raises a try. Just remember two things: the base leg points in the opposite direction of the leg lift and the edge of the lifting foot should be parallel to the ground.

Now, if I were tricking, I’d do more kick-specific drills, but this suffices for most everyone not risking their joints in an orgasm of acrobatics.

THIRD TIER WARM-UP

The third tier, if used, consists of light activation exercises. So hit a set of scap pushups, bird dogs, and maybe cossack squats to further wake things up if you feel so compelled.

For those that are doing some intense athletic activity, I highly recommend an ankle specific warm-up be done here.

Think of the third tier as bridging the gap between a general warm up and a specific warm up.

FOURTH TIER WARM-UP

The fourth tier brings the specificity. So if you’re lifting weights, hitting some calisthenics and then moving into the barbell is perfect. But if you’re about to leap over a building in a single bound, things get a little tricky. Yes, I used “trick” as a pun again. Winning.

Start with bunny hops or jumping jacks, working primarily at the ankle. Transition into tuck jumps for a few reps. Again, don’t fatigue yourself. And now is also a good time to use any off the wall nervous system wake up tactics like seizure hops.

Finish off with a James-Smith-The-Thinker inspired skipping sequence: butt kicks, a-skips, high knees, b-skips. Do each skip for 5-10 yards, once or twice.

FIFTH TIER WARM-UP

The fifth tier warm-up is for those going on to practice a high intensity event seriously. In this case, the warm-up needs to be very specific to the event. So if you’re sprinting, do some build-ups. If you’re throwing, do some low intensity throws. If you’re tricking, do some basic tricks.

There aren’t many guidelines for this tier. Just go until you feel great.

VIDEO COMPASS

CONCLUSION

While this warm-up may not be revolutionary, it sure is damn efficient. To create the best scenario for flexibility, do tier one and two every morning when you’re starving for caffeine. You will be rusty and tight at first. Just keep with it. Also be sure to stop any warm-up drill before fatigue sets in. The last thing we need is to be tired before doing anything meaningful.

YOU?

You know how I do it here, drop your suggestions, love, and hatred below. Additions? Subtractions? How would you structure it differently? Do you like hot sauce? Does it give you as much gas as it gives me?

The Jackedthlete – Aerobic Work That Doesn’t Suck

When I was twelve, I wanted to be Goku from Dragonball Z. Too much to ask? I didn’t think so either. But higher powers had other intentions.

Something more than the fantasy of being a jacked anime guy drew my interest to the character. I wanted to do incredible things. After coming to terms with the impossibility of flying and creating balls of energy (despite what the internet told me), my sights were set on random feats of atheticism and, of course, saving the world from unforseeable disasters and villians. So when I found tricking, my heart oozed into lava.

In a sense, I’m lucky. Although I let myself turn into a pile of slop, I was always athletic. And I never doubted my ability in sports.

Athleticism was my survival skill. And survival skills often become strengths. My case was no exception. Being picked first in Phys Ed class and being recruited to play basketball, baseball, football, and track kept me away from swirlies. After all, I did like Dragonball Z so I had to cling onto something that made me “cool.”

When I started in fitness, aesthetics weren’t enough for me — a fact that showed through on the title of both my first and second blog — Simply Strong: The Age of Athleticism, and More than Muscle: Bridging the Gap Between Athletics and Aesthetics.

For a long time, tricking filled my performance void. Being long removed from competitive sports, it was my reason for training. In my heart, I was a trickster first (albeit a bad one), and a lifter second. Eventually, I adopted a die hard athlete mentality. Like, “if you’re not a professional athlete I don’t want to talk to you,” die hard.

But now I realize few “serious” athlete peruse blogs for training tips. Most people are average guys interested in looking good. Also dear to me, however, is feeling good and moving good. Some people call this mesh between athletics and aesthetics, “athletic bodybuilding.” Initially, I referenced it as Beast Mode Training. In an effort to claim new ground (it makes me feel special), I’m calling this breed Jackedthletes.

JACKEDTHLETES

Jackedthletes, of course, want to be jacked. But they also want to be incredibly athletic. So here are the adapted rules of Beast Mode Training to suit the Jackedthlete, which are principles that I currently abide by.

The warm up is the workout.
Strength is developed using a few basic movements.
The focus is on steady progress over time.
Tricking, gymnastics, and tumbling isn’t optional.
The lower body is trained for strength and explosiveness.
Selected compound lifts are arbitrary. Front squat instead of back squat? I’m not complaining.
The “X” look is the ideal physique.
If it’s important, do it every day.

Right, I know none of this makes sense to you. Over the next few weeks, however, I’m going to be rolling out some recommendations for the Jackedthletes at heart. Today’s information is about hitting aerobic work that isn’t the same old mind-numbing treadmill hoofing junk you’re used to.

JACKEDTHLETIC AEROBIC WORK

The aerobic system is grossly underrated. (This is especially true with tricking.) As explosive bouts are repeated over time, the aerobic system becomes more important with each successive go. (A trickster with good aerobic capacity can trick longer and with better mental clarity, lessening the chance of injury. The same goes for athletes of similar sports.)

But distance running sucks. Not only does it take forever, but it also zaps the legs of energy that is otherwise used to gain strength and explosiveness. So I’m all about creating upper body circuits that incorporate lifting weights, gymnastics, and tumbling. It sounds hectic, I know, but here’s an example to bring some clarity.

A1) Planche Work :20
A2) Dips
A3) Handstands :20
A4) Right Shoulder Rolls x 5
A5) Left Shoulder Rolls x 5
A6) Forward and Backward Rolls to Handstand x 5

Note: If you haven’t done rolls before, start with the kneeling version and keep the volume low. If you don’t, you’re apt to get headaches. Also, using incorrect rolling mechanics can put you at risk to hurt your shoulder blade. You’ve been warned.

And please, don’t knock my gymnastics form. I’m a trickster at heart so I’m used to watching, then doing, then tweaking. I don’t claim to be a gymnast expert.

Repeat this sequence three or four times with little to no rest between exercises. If you want more add inch worm walks, bear walks, crab walks, cartwheels, or any other unconventional locomotor movement. If you’re a sciency person that tracks hear rate, stay within 120-150 beats per minute.

YOUR THOUGHTS?

Aerobic work that’s actually fun? Is it too good to be true? What the hell is a Jackedthlete? Have any other principles that you think a Jackedthlete would follow?

Drop your questions and comments below.

Give the circuit a try and let me know how it goes. What would you change? Any additions? Subtractions?

I’d love to hear your opinion.

Solutions for the Skinny Fat Ectomorph Part I – The Basics

Since writing 11 Training Tips for the Skinny Fat Ectomorph, I’ve been bombarded with questions that go something like this: “Hey man, what you said in that article describes me perfectly. What routine should I go on?”

Big news: escaping the skinny-fat fate is more than performing a sequence of exercises, it’s living a certain lifestyle. So to help my skinny-fat brethren, I’m introducing the “Solutions for the Skinny Fat Ectomorph” series. What you’re reading now is Part I – The Basics. It’s not flashy, but it’s a necessary first step in a long journey. There’s no “routine.” No “diet.” Those things come later. Right now you need to know the why behind the how.

THE USUAL SUSPECT

Here are the defining skinny fat ectomorph traits:

Apparently thin in clothes, but bare skin reveals otherwise
Small wrists
Tall(er)
Weak and non-muscled arms
Love handles, lower stomach, and lower chest are main areas of fat accumulation

Before moving on, I have a confession: I was once a skinny fat ectomorph. (I’ll show pictures of my own journey soon enough.) I suffered through the talks of being “lanky.” And, by the way, the world should know the word “lanky” is a verbal knife for a tall and skinny person wanting to bulk up, even if it has complimentary intentions. “Bob’s not fat! He’s lanky!” Meanwhile, Bob is wallowing in sorrow, succumbing to syringes full of steroids. This is why life as a skinny-fat is tough. We’re at the mercy of lanky and the reality of chubby.

Most of my life, I ignored my unique body composition while questing for the holy grail of training programs. Anytime I saw a jacked dude I was hooked. I needed to know his routine because I thought a magical sequence of exercises was going to cure my problem. But during my expedition, I noticed something: most figureheads that undergo massive transformations are very lean beforehand. Here are some examples:

Now, I have tremendous respect for the people listed. What they did, regardless of the starting point, takes hard work and dedication. But their prior body composition can’t be ignored. They can follow normal “bulking” rules because they aren’t likely to store fat. So when these people load their plates with pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and see amazing results, it’s no wonder this advice gets passed down to those on the lower end of the genetic totem pole. Yet if we follow a similar plan, we end up looking like dirty bulk kid.

WHERE SKINNY-FATS GO WRONG

I’m going abstract here and saying that skinny fat ectomorphs aren’t hindered by a lack of training and nutrition knowledge; they are hindered by a lack of psychological togetherness. Skinny-fats carry large emotional baggage about themselves and their body composition. They don’t stand a chance.

From a nutritional standpoint, skinny fat ectomorphs are a wreck. They will do damn near anything to get rid of their “pouch.” A skinny-fat asked me for tips on Facebook the other day. He gave me his daily food intake:

My diet right now is:

Breakfast: 6 egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal

Snacks: 2 scoops protein

Lunch and Dinner: Shrimp and broccoli

Let’s break this down:

6 egg whites ~ 120 kcals
1/2 cup oatmeal ~ 300 kcals
2 scoops of protein ~ 250 kcals
Shrmimp and broccoli x 2 ~ 300 kcals x 2 = 600 kcals

So we have a young, handsome lad eating a paltry 1000-or-so kcals per day and failing to lose weight. I’d guess this person is either very under muscled or obsessing over the tiniest bit of fat around their lower abs. Both showcase the dysfunctional mindset and damaging habits skinny-fats carry.

LIFESTYLE & PSYCHOLOGY

I don’t mean to go all Dr. Phil on you here, but understanding the stress response is an important part of understanding how to optimize physiology for muscle growth and fat loss. If you’re a constant subordinate filled with inadequate feelings, you’re losing out. This is troublesome, as skinny-fats often feel this way.

Worrying about the perfect routine. Worrying about losing weight. Worrying about gaining muscle. Worrying about what others are doing. Worrying about what others are saying. Worrying about their current body composition. Worrying about girlfriends. Worrying about gossip.

Sound familiar? Trust me, I get the e-mails. I know how you think. But this is a double whammy. Not only does it screw with your immediate physiology, but it also lessens your chances to follow through with, and dedicate yourself to, your training.

“I’ve been on this program for two weeks and nothing is happening!”

It takes longer than two weeks, Honey.

So on the lifestyle front, find a group of loving people to be around, whether it’s your family or friends (that don’t push you to get shitfaced three nights every week). De-stress yourself. Meditate. Take care of other people. Get a little cocky too. Don’t be an arrogant alpha-male. Just have a quiet confidence. Most of all trust in the process.

Do yourself a favor and pick up Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. It’s one of the best training texts you can read, even though there’s no mention of training. It’s a book about stress and adaptation. And lifting weights, getting stronger, losing fat, and increasing performance—everything you want this article series to be about—is rooted in stress and adaptation. It’s important stuff.

TROUBLESOME TRAINING

In general, we get fat from eating more energy than what our body needs. (There are a lot of other things that affect this situation, but we’re simplifying.) The body is stingy. It won’t waste extra energy. So it stores the energy as fat just in case the rapture actually comes to pass. The body cares only cares about survival. If you want to be muscular with a low body fat, you have to live a lifestyle that trips the body into thinking, “the only way I can survive is if I have capable muscle with little excess weight.” Most people miss this.

Living a sedentary life tells the body that carrying around sacks of fat won’t damage its immediate ability to survive. But start running hill sprints—a reincarnation of primitive hauling ass from a chasing lion—and carrying those fat sacks suddenly hinder survival.

Excuse me while I go on a quick broscience rant:

Exercise, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t burn many calories. Most people can easily forego the Tastykakes and see the same net caloric reduction. So here’s the question: Does exercise cause fat loss because it burns calories? Or does it cause fat loss because the body recognizes that weighing less is better for survival? After all, we lift weights—which “burns” calories—and yet our muscles grow. So just because something has a metabolic cost doesn’t mean it’s all in the name of fat loss and catabolism. If our muscles grow to better survive the external stressor (weighted barbell), couldn’t our fat also “shrink” to better survive the external stressor? Let’s paint this.

Say you run ten hill sprints. Sure, you’re burning calories. But, to your body, what do the hill sprints mean? From a primitive standpoint, they probably mean you’re either escaping danger or trying to catch food—two things essential for survival. I doubt the Aztecs ran up and down mountains in the name of “hardcore” hill sprints and getting a visible six pack. So does fat loss come from the body’s attempt to better survive the stressor? Or from the calories it uses for energy?

The other side of the equation is nutrition. No matter how many sprints you run, the body isn’t going to lose weight if you’re consistently overstuffing yourself. From a primitive standpoint, overfeeding probably means a hibernation is near. So your body thinks you’re overfeeding for a reason—that it’s going to need the energy down the line because food won’t readily be available. The opposite of this—grossly underfeeding yourself—isn’t optimal either because the body assumes famine. It’s going to hold, and be efficient with, what energy it has for as long as possible, never knowing when proper nourishment will come. This is why very low calorie diets don’t often work for anyone but the morbidly obese.

Signed, Anthony Mychal M.D. Ph.D. Program Coordinator at Broscience University

</broscience rant>

Ahem, back to reality. Gaining muscle is also a survival mechanism. It doesn’t want to be squashed meat under a barbell, so it gets stronger. This adaptation can happen in two ways: improving the nervous system or improving the muscular system. If the right hormones are floating around, these adaptations happen simultaneously. Muscle, however, is metabolically expensive. The body won’t build it unless it knows it has the proper nutrient flow. But I’ll save this discussion for later.

PUMPING IRON

Skinny fat ectomorphs need to help on three levels: mindset, nutrition, and training. Hopefully, after reading this article, you have better grasp on how to carry yourself and live your life. It’s about time to break through and recreate your hormone profile, as your current one gives Aunt Tilly a run for her money.

So control unnecessary stress, gain some confidence, have some faith in what you’re doing, and find a caring network. When you see the guys in Pumping Iron living the good life seemingly without stress, ordering 12 eggs and a pound of steak for lunch, lounging and relaxing by the beach, being idolized by women, and growing into a tightly connected group of friends, it’s no wonder they were successful (steroids aside).

******

Check it out: soon, I’m going to start doing LIVE chats and Q & A’s on Google+. Yeah, yeah, I know. Google+ is for losers and whatnot, but it’s a cool platform that allows group video chats with ease. So here’s what you need to do to get in the running for a live chat. First, you need to be apart of my newsletter service. If you’re not, fill out the information at the top. This just works better for me because I can fire out an e-mail to the subscribers and have them reply with interest for certain dates and times. Second, and obviously, you have to add me on Google+. So to recap: sign up for my newsletter, add me on Google+, and await my e-mails. I look forward to speaking and meeting with you.

Addendum: Since writing this, I found out that Joel Marion was indeed a skinny fat ectomorph. I apologize for that little screw up. He has been removed from the list.