Back to Basics Workout

Back to Basics. This one is made up of classic compound movements that has been packing on muscle for decades. Some of them for all of human history really.

Forget the swiss balls. Forget standing on an unstable platform and pressing light weights. Forget 1000's of crunches and bicep curls. Forget the treadmill and spinning classes. Skip the high intesnity intervals that have you doing 20 different exercises a min with bad form. Forget arms day, and legs day. 

Let's move some weight around with basic, time tested movements and work on one part.

You.

I'll walk you through this workout with links to instructional videos one movement at a time, then lay out the entire workout for you at the end. 

First lets start with a warm up to get your blood flowing and your body warm to prime you for the workout and avoid injury.

Warm up: Pull ups and Bodyweight Walking Lunges. Superset. 5 reps each.

Ah pull ups. Such an underrated movement. Muscles Targeted :Lats, biceps, grip, rear deltoids, core

Perhaps the greatest exercise to work and build your back. Plus it's such an important and classic movement. Pulling up your entire body weight from a dead hang. Humans have been doing this for all of history. 

Superset these with walking lunges to warm up your lower body

Walking Lunges. Muscles targeted : Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, calves, core

Too many men skip these in favor of squats and leg press, but if you want strong, functional legs. walking lunges are a must.  Warmup Video Here: Warmup

And now the workout. 

First up, The Deadlift. 5 sets of 1-2

Muscles Targeted: Core, Lower Back, Hamstrings, Glutes, Quads, Lats, Shoulders, Traps, Biceps,Grip. 

Arguably the greatest exercise due to the mass amount of muscles worked and the simplicity of the movement. Picking up heavy objects off the floor from a dead stop. We've been doing this since standing upright. Technique is crucial in this movement to avoid injury and get mass results. And yes, only two reps. Make sure to come to a DEAD stop (dead lift, get it?) in between reps and DON'T bounce the weight. That's cheating. Here's a video link: Deadlift

Next up, the Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 5

Muscles Targeted: Pecs, triceps, shoulders, grip, core

Everyone's favorite and unfortunately along with curls the only thing some young men do. 

Pressing something away from your body is such an instinctual and for some reason pleasuring movement. 

I prefer the Dumbbell Bench over the classic barbell bench due to the reduced stress on the shoulder joints and more emphasis on the pectoral muscles. Less risk for shoulder injury and more chest involvement? Win.

I prefer to do this movement on a slight incline. About 30 degrees 

Here's a video link: Dumbbell Bench Press

Next, Standing Dumbbell Military Press 3 sets of 5

Muscle Targeted: Shoulders, Triceps, Core

Such a neglected press movement nowadays in favor of lateral raises and bench pressing. Foolish. There was a time when a heavy 1 rep max on the military press was much more respected than a big bench number. Besides being the best way to build larger stronger shoulders, lifting something over your head is such a primal movement. (Also a great way to work your core as well. )

Here's your video link: Standing Military Press

The Front or Goblet Squat 3 sets of 5

Muscles Targeted : Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, lots of core

The squat is widely considered the King of All Lifts among most fitness buffs and with good reason. It's such a natural total body movement that works SO many muscles and burns plenty of calories to boot. 

I chose the front squat here due to it's increased emphasis on the the quads and core over the back squat. 

Also, the front squat and goblet squat can be done without access to a squat rack and for inexperienced lifters, holding the weight load in front of you tends to force your spine into a more upright position that is difficult to teach beginners to do on the back squat.

Most workout put squatting first, but I followed the advice of Bodybuilding Legend Steve Reeves (Look him up please!) and put them last, to keep the legs fresh for overhead pressing and deadlifts. Here's your video link: Squats

And now that we've completed what is often known as the Big 4, (Deadlift, Bench, Overhead Press, Squat), lets finish off with a superset of Dips and crunches.

Dips 3 sets of 5

Muscles Targeted: Triceps, Traps, Shoulders, Lower Chest. 

Essentially the opposite movement of a pull up, the dip is a great often over looked movement to build the triceps as well as your shoulders and lower chest.

And yes, Crunches

Muscles Targeted: Abs. Duh. 

I know, I know. Modern Fitness LOVES to hate on crunches and get you to do anything else instead. 

But I'll tell you what. If you use good form and concentrate, you don't have to do very many, maybe 3 sets of 5. Really. That workout you just did already annihilated your core, and if crunches are good enough for Arnold and the legendary abs of Bruce Lee, they'll do for you too. 

Here's your video link :  Cooldown

This workout is really an effort to simplify things and show you that you can do straight sets of classic moves that are time tested to produce results. It's all natural movements, and can be completed in about 30 min. 

Total Body workouts worked for Steve Reeves and they can work for you too. They've definitely worked for me. Anyway, here's the entire routine written out:

Warmup: Pull ups and Walking Lunges- 3 sets of 5

Workout:

Dead lift-4 to 5 sets of 1-2

Dumbbell Bench Press-3 sets of 5

Standing Dumbbell Military Press-3 sets of 5

Goblet or Front Squat- 3 sets of 5

Cooldown: Dips and Crunches-3 sets of 5

This is a workout that can definitely be your go to workout when you want to hit the weights, and will work for beginners or advanced lifters. Stick to it for a while, focus on quality, focused reps, and you will see some results.

Focus on the Big Four! 

-Tom

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Best Oatmeal Ever

I hear way too many people complain everyday that they can't eat healthy because it's too expensive, or they can't eat breakfast because they don't have time. What a load of malarchy. 

Here's on of my favorite cheap, healthy, muscle buidling breakfasts that easy and quick to make.

I call it the Best Oatmeal Ever.  Try it and tell me I'm wrong. 

All you need plain old oats that come in the giant cylinder container from the grocery store, regular or steel cut, blueberries, your preferred type of milk ( I prefer whole), and glorious peanut butter. 

These are all healthy, cheap, and calorie dense ingredients. Protein from the peanut butter and milk, carbs and grains from the oats, and anti oxidents from the blueberries. 

Forget measurements, just make it to match your appetite. 

Pour oats into a microwaveable bowl

Toss in a handfull of bluberries

Add as much PB as you like (I opt for a fistful)

Add milk to desired thickness. 

Microwave for 90 seconds

Mix well.

Enjoy

Milk and Eggs

Milk and Eggs. Some the healthiest cheapest things to include in your diet, yet everyone seems to have this conception that milk will get you fat, and whole eggs will give you heart disease.
Well, this is just flat out malarchy.

Let's start with milk. It really does do a body good.
For starters, it's an excellent source of Casein (slow digesting) and Whey (fast digesting) Protein. I really don't need to explain the importance of protein in your diet.
As far as calories and weight loss go, any study will show you that people who drink more milk in there diet tend to way less.
You already know milk is loaded in Calcium and Vitamins A and D, but did you know it's also a great source of sodium and potassium which are the most abdundant electrolytes in your body?
And of course, Carbs. Yes Carbs. Everyone thinks Carbs will make you fat but that's just not true. In fact, you NEED carbs for energy, which is why most people on atkins are generally cranky and lethargic.
Here's five reasons courtesy of Stronglifts.com why you should drink milk post workout:
1. Muscle Gains. Research shows a mix of fast and slow digesting protein is superior for muscle repair, and milk has both whey and casein.
2. Fat Loss. Dairy Calcium increases fat loss. The Fat in milk keeps you full longer which keeps you full longer. (Plus animal fat is the healthiest source)
3. Recovery. Milk is superior for rehydration post workout to water and sports drinks due to its NATURAL not SYNTHETIC electrolytes.
4.Cheap. Duh. Have you priced protein powders?
5. Easy. Zero prep. Open gallon. Pour in Glass. Or skip glass if no one's home ;)

(ps, the GARBAGE AND WASTE OF TIME THAT IS SOY MILK WILL BE A WHOLE SEPARATE ARTICLE >:()
Now onto eggs...

Guess what? There has NEVER been a real link between eggs and heart disease. Never. While it's true the yolks contain all of the fat and cholesterol, guess what? It's the kind that raises your good cholesterol, and has virtually ALL of the nutrition in the egg! Plus recent studies have shown that it's not cholesterol from animal sources that cause cardiovascular disease at ALL, but in fact it's sugar that's the culprit.

You see, while it was once though that eating dietary cholesterol meant it went directly to your arteries to form plaque, we now know that dietary cholesterol doesn’t play much of a role in plasma cholesterol…or heart disease for that matter.

In fact a study published in 2007 fed participants eggs daily, upwards of over 6 per week (so around 1 or more per day) and they concluded that “regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.”

 Here's a table that compares the nutrients in the yolk vs the nutrients ( or lack of ) in the whites.

You're missing a lot of valuable vitamins by skipping those yolks.....

Nutrient	White	Yolk	% Total in White	% Total in Yolk
Protein	3.6 g	2.7g	57%	43%
Fat	0.05g	4.5g	1%	99%
Calcium	2.3 mg	21.9 mg	9.5%	90.5%
Magnesium	3.6 mg	0.85 mg	80.8%	19.2%
Iron	0.03 mg	0.4 mg	6.2%	93.8%
Phosphorus	5 mg	66.3 mg	7%	93%
Potassium	53.8 mg	18.5 mg	74.4%	25.6%
Sodium	54.8 mg	8.2 mg	87%	13%
Zinc	0.01 mg	0.4 mg	0.2%	99.8%
Copper	0.008 mg	0.013 mg	38%	62%
Manganese	0.004 mg	0.009 mg	30.8%	69.2%
Selenium	6.6 mcg	9.5 mcg	41%	59%
Thiamin	0.01 mg	0.03 mg	3.2%	96.8%
Riboflavin	0.145 mg	0.09 mg	61.7%	48.3%
Niacin	0.035 mg	0.004 mg	89.7%	9.3%
Pantothenicacid.	0.63 mg	0.51 mg	11%	89%
B6	0.002 mg	0.059 mg	3.3%	96.7%
Folate	1.3 mcg	24.8 mcg	5%	95%
B12	0.03 mcg	0.331 mcg	8.3%	91.7%
Vitamin A	0 IU	245 IU	0%	100%
Vitamin E	0 mg	0.684 mg	0%	100%
Vitamin D	0 IU	18.3 IU	0%	100%
Vitamin K	0 IU	0.119 IU	0%	100%
DHA and AA	0	94 mg	0%	100%
Carotenoids	0 mcg	21 mcg	0%	100%

At Home Casino Royale Workout

Thought I'd put a fun little variation on the popular Casino Royale Circuit that can be found online. Go ahead. Google Daniel Craig Casino Royale workout and you'll get the same basic circuit everytime:

Clean and Press

Weighted Hanging Knee Raise

Weighted Step up

Weighted Pull up

Push up with feet elevated

Weighted Dips

It's a pretty beast circuit.... but how could you do it at home with no weights?

Simple. Grab a door mounted pull up bar, a couple of bar stools, and a resistance band and apply my five min protocol to the following:

Overhead band press - Max Reps in five min

Hanging Knee Raise - Max reps in five min

Step up - Max reps in five min

Pull up - Max reps in five min

Push up with feet elevated - max reps in five min

Dips - Max reps in five min

Bam. Done. Try this. Did it today myself, and I gotta say.... whoah. Have water close by. 

5 minute protocol/5 minutes in hell

5 minute protocol disclaimer: Do not attempt unless you're feeling like the Dark Knight himself on this particular day, or unless you've borrowed some of Bane's Venom.(or you could just have a cup of coffee, be fully hydrated, and completely fresh and not still sore from a previous endeavour.)
The method is simple. You can use it for one body part OR apply it to a full body workout to get your ass handed to you.
Here's the basic explanation: Pick two exercises for whichever body part you're working, something like bench and flyes for chest, and use a weight you can complete ten reps with. Then keep working the two exercises back and forth for 5 minutes completing as many reps as possible with as little rest as possible.
The first couple sets will be easy. 10 presses, then 10 flys. No rest. Repeat. A couple of minutes in you may find yourself only able to complete 5 reps of each and have to rest a few extra seconds. Towards the last 2 minutes you may only be completing 2-3 reps for each and resting a few extra seconds. But when that five minutes is up you WILL feel an AMAZING pump. Set a timer so you don't have to keep watching the clock, and don't even worry about counting reps. Just keep a glass of water nearby and complete as many reps as possible within the five minutes resting as little as possible to complete reps with good form.

Now like I said, you could just do this for ONE body part in your workout, or you could apply it to a total body workout like this:
Chest: 5 min of push ups and flys
Back: 5 min of 1 an 1/2 pull ups and band rows
Shoulders: 5 min of overhead press and lateral raises
Legs: Bodyweight pause squats and walking lunges
Abs and arms: 5 min of crunches, do triceps pull downs the first 2:30 and Biceps curls the second 2:30

This is an INTENSE full body workout that should not be done EVERY workout, and it WILL leave you exhausted. But when you're feeling up to it give it a shot, and you'll be packing on the muscle and burning fat fast! (PS maybe don't drink the night before this unless you want to see your breakfast again;))

Static Contractions and 1 and 1/2 Pull ups!

Let's cover static contractions. Static refers to lack of movement, but believe me, in static contractions there's a WHOLE lot of stimulus. The ideal time to use a static contractions is when a muscle is working it's hardest, at a sticking point, the top of a movement, or half way. An example would be holding the weight at the top of a dumbell bench press and really squeezing your chest hard and holding that position for 5,10, or more seconds. You could also do it at the half way point of a curl. Or Pull up. Maybe the top of a lateral raise. The posibilities are endless. I like to tack it on to the last rep of a set and follow with a slow negative.

What are the benefits you might be asking? Well, when you force a muscle to stay contracted at its hardest working point, you are forcing it  to stay under maximum tension for MUCH longer, forcing more blood into it and spurring gains in strength and muscle growth. Try it yourself. On your last rep of pushups, hold half way up for 10-20 seconds. Hold half way down your last pull up for 10 seconds. Maybe hold half way up your last rep of curls for 10 seconds, or hold that squeeze at the top of a chest fly for 10 seconds on the last rep. Want a real challenge for your shoulders? Hold the dumb bells or cables at the top position for 5 seconds on your last set of lateral raises. It will burn. 

And on a similar subject that works perfectly with static contractions, 1 and 1/2 pull-ups. The idea is simple. And the video demonstration is below.(sounds complicated but it's not!) Start at the bottom of a pull up or chin up, pull all the way up, go half way down, pause for 1 second, back to the top, then all the way down. Repeat as needed. And on the last rep, when you go halfway down, pause for 5-10 seconds for a static contraction. AND make sure to use slow negatives. This exercise combines full and partial range of motion, static contraction, and negatives. The massive time under tension will BLAST your back, biceps, and forearms, and give you an IRON grip to boot. Try em!

1 and 1/2 pull ups on youtube !

Plug and Play Workout

The plug and play workout is essentially a template to create your own workout. It could be the same for a few weeks, or you could vary the exercises and repititions depending on your location or available a equipment. Or maybe you're just looking to mix it up a little week to week!
The goal of this workout is to enable you to craft a total body workout anywhere, with whatever exercises you're comfortable with on the particular day. Furthermore you can use this template indefinitely if you really wanted! Win!
The Plug and Play Template:
Legs
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Abs

Simple? Kind of. Here's a further explanation. Basically you insert an exercise or two for each part listed. For example:
Legs: 3 sets of Squats
Chest: 3 sets of bench or pushups
Back: 3 sets of pull ups
Shoulders: 3 sets of military press
Abs: 3 sets of leg raises

Or maybe something like:
Legs: 3 sets of lunges
Chest: Pushups superset with chest flyes
Back: Rows superset with chinups
Shoulders: Handstand pushups superset with lateral raises
Abs: Planks

Get the idea? Simply insert any exercise for the body part into the template and get to it! Here's a list of possibilities :

Legs: ANY squat or lunge variation
Chest: Bench press, push ups, chest flyes, cable crossovers
Back: Pull ups, Chinups, Seated Row, Bent over Row, One Arm Dumbell Row
Shoulders: Handstand pushups, Military Press, Clean and Press, Lateral Raise, Front Raise,
Abs: Crunches, Situps, Leg Raises, Planks, Knee Raises, Windsheild Wipers.....

That's it! Give it a shot! The combinations are endless!