Looking to Add a New Exercise? Try Sledgehammer Training

Sledgehammer training is not for the faint of heart. Once you read about this routine you might think I'm crazy; my neighbors probably think I'm crazy and if you listen to me your neighbors might think you're crazy too. Regardless, you will be in better shape if you try sledgehammer training.

In the effort to get fit you don't have to just rely on standard types of fitness equipment and traditional methods of training. Dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells are great, but there is other non-traditional equipment that can be used to improve your overall physical fitness level.

Which brings us to the sledgehammer; a large, heavy hammer to be wielded with both hands. While there is not much technique involved, there is the need to exercise caution. Don't go and swing away at something for 20 minutes the first time you try this kind of training. A gradual routine is important to acclimatize your body to the overall demands that sledgehammer training will put on your body.

I wish I could say I thought of this program all by my lonesome, but alas it is not true. For this I give credit to a Mr. Reinhard Engels who has come up with a simplistic yet brilliant approach to the indoor use of the sledgehammer. He has worked out a simple yet effective total body routine that can be performed indoors in a small area in about 15 minutes, with a 10-pound sledgehammer.

Completing Reinhard's "Shovelglove" routine is the prerequisite for embarking on a full-fledged, out-doors, bash-the-heck-out-of-a-tree-stump training program. Once you are ready for this program, check out my website to see a video routine.

And here's a quick note on the concept of "hardcore" as it applies to working out. Hardcore is a state of mind, in that a person is willing to deviate from convention and use all the tools and knowledge available in order to come up with an interesting, fun and effective way to train.

Hardcore isn't going to a gym and struggling and straining and making loud noises in order to do curls or leg extensions or the bench press. Being big or wearing old, ripped, tattered workout clothes don't make someone hardcore. If you're hardcore, you don't train with belts, wrist wraps or spend most of your time on machines.

Don't be intimidated by the concept of hardcore, embrace it.

Once you've spent a month or two with the "Shovelglove" you can venture outside and seek out an old tree stump, log or railroad tie or score an old tire from a local auto repair shop. All you need is a 10-pound sledge, safety goggles (to prevent anything you hit from shooting into your eyes) and the willingness to work hard. This kind of training is great for every part of your body from your fingers to your toes, and especially works on your core. Core training is all the rage these days and nothing will work your core like 20 minutes swinging a sledgehammer.

The first time you head outside, after you warm up with some "Shovelglove" moves, spend only 10 minutes actually hitting something You will be generating quite a bit of force so you don't want to overdo and suffer an injury. Working on terrain, and not on a level gym floor, will force your body to move in ways that you probably aren't used to, which is another reason that you don't want to do too much right off the bat.

Do yourself a favor and take your time, as the best approach is to "sledge" for about 10 minutes at a time three times per week. From here, you can add time to your sessions until you can go for about 25 minutes at the most.

You will be amazed at how sledgehammer training will improve your physical fitness. Buy a sledgehammer now.

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Dwayne Johnson Training - Dwayne Johnson's Transformation

Have you ever wondered what Dwayne Johnson's training routine is? I know I have. I remember seeing "The Rock" on TV in his early wrestling days, coming out of college football as a bulky 280 pound defensive lineman.

Now he graces the silver screen at a lean and ripped 225 pounds.

So what is Dwayne Johnson's training regime that has enabled him to get so lean?

Well as you could imagine, Dwayne's training has changed a lot since his football days. Back then, his training was all about becoming bigger, faster and stronger. Big heavy lifts and eating like an animal. He jokingly referred to himself back then as "The Samoan Michelin Man".

However, once he became a wrestler, Johnson's training routine changed, because he realised his flabby 280 pound body just wasn't going to cut it, in the "superhero" world of pro wrestling. So he tightened up his diet and changed his training to lighter weights for higher reps with supersets and very little rest between sets to get the heart rate up and burn fat.

Doing this he dropped 20 pounds, and got down to 260.

Then as he was about to leave wrestling and pursue his acting career, he knew that being bulky is definitely something Hollywood frowns upon.

So he hired a new trainer, and managed to slice his body fat in half in 4 and a half months, going from 260 pounds, to a lean 245.

Here is Dwayne Johnson's training regime during this time.

(Note: Taken from Men's Health Magazine April 2004)

Monday, Wednesday, Friday-Resistance training:
Chest, back, biceps, calves: 5 sets, 15-20 reps, 30 second rest periods
Cardio: 5-minute warmup, 12 minutes at high intensity clip, 5-minute cool down.

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday -Resistance training:
Quads, hamstrings, shoulders, triceps: 5 sets, 15-20 reps, 30-second rest periods
Cardio: 5-minute warmup, 12 minutes at high intensity clip, 5-minute cool down.

Sunday-OFF

Nowadays he weighs in at 225 pounds and here is what Dwayne Johnson himself says about his training...

"My workout is my cup of coffee in the morning, my sanctuary. I do a lot of cardio...I keep that consistent, because I like having my heart rate between 120 and 130 for the entire hour and 15 minutes. I combine cardio with resistance training, weights and core training. It is all non-stop and the goal for me is to challenge myself every day with different workouts,"

Now although he works his butt off he wouldn't have lost a pound of fat if his diet was messed up. His diet staples are protein shakes, beef, chicken breast, and vegetables.

So here is his diet taken from the April 2004 issue of Men's Health.

Meal One- 10 egg whites, scrambled, 3 servings cream of rice or 1 cup oatmeal, 3 rice cakes, 24 oz water
Meal Two- 6-oz skinless grilled chicken breast, 1 cup grits, 6 oz yams, 1 cup of steamed asparagus, 24 oz water
Meal Three- 6-oz water-packed tuna, 1 cup brown rice, 1 sliced cucumber, 24 oz water
Meal Four- 6-oz perch fillet, 1 cup barley, 6-oz baked potato, 1 cup steamed green beans, 24 oz water
Meal Five- 6-oz pork tenderloin, 1 cup brown rice, 6-oz sweet potato, 1 cup peas, 24 oz water
Meal Six- 10 egg whites, scrambled, 3 servings cream of rice or 1 cup oatmeal, 24 oz water

Now if you are anything like me, you have probably just looked at his diet and thought "Screw that!".

I remember seeing this, thinking "Damn The Rock must have some discipline!"

Nothing but super clean foods like brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potato, and lean, fat free meat. I remember back when I was dieting obsessively and I got to the point where I was struggling not to vomit as I chewed through my egg whites and tuna!

Yuck!

But it is good to see that Dwayne Johnson is human. Here is what he says about his diet.

"My diet is simple and very clean. I stay away from fried foods and fast food. But every third or fourth day, I do give myself the opportunity to completely gorge and I indulge in a little gluttony. I eat pizza or whatever I feel like. I do like a drink or two."

I also remember Peter Berg, the director of The Rundown say that once a week, Dwayne would have half a dozen boxes of donuts to his trailer. He would share half of them with the crew and eat the other half himself!

Now that's cool.

Dwayne Johnson still loves all those everyday "bad" foods that so many of us love. He just has them sparingly.

Well what if I told you could lose as much fat as you want, without EVER having to give up the foods that you love?

You could get as lean as you want, all while eating absolutely whatever you want every day, even if it was pizza, chocolate, ice cream, donuts, burgers or cereal.

In fact I have been overweight my whole life, and spent 7 years dieting obsessively trying to eat super clean like the Rock. But no matter how hard I tried I failed because my love for the "forbidden Foods" was just too much to stand.

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How To Choose Men's Workout Apparel And Training Gear

We are all after the effects that workouts give us such as being more fit and lean but we shouldn't only be concerned about looking good from working out but we should also want to look good while we are exercising. It pays off to know what we wear when training is both stylish as well as practical for the workouts we are doing. If you arm yourself with this knowledge you will find exercise clothing that will make the workouts that much more comfortable.

In any exercise program the first concern with the apparel you choose should be that of comfort while you are working out. This is why one needs to be practical when choosing exercise apparel and not go for looks and style alone. You want to be sure that the clothing you choose doesn't bind you when you are playing basketball, doing aerobics, or lifting weights. I have had severe skin irritation from wearing t-shirts that bound and chafed when they became wet while I was weight training.

Staring at the bottom, your choice of shoes is absolutely crucial to the success and comfort of your workouts. You will want to be sure that in addition to being comfortable and fitting well that the footwear you choose also have good support and stability. If you choose the proper high quality footwear they should come with some kind of cushion inside that will make your exercise routine more comfortable. An improper choice of shoes can result in injuries in many cases.

Moving on up, you will also want to choose a good pair of pants that will not bind while you are training. One style that is in is that of the baggy workout pants, but regardless of whether you choose baggy pants or more conservative workout shorts you want to be sure that they do not interfere with any movements or so loose that they may be caught in machines. If you choose training pants constructed of a good micro fiber this will help keep you cool and remove moisture while you are training.

For your choice of exercise shirt you will want to choose one that is also as comfortable as everything else you have chosen. Regular t-shirts are a very popular choice, just be careful with them if you are doing upper body weight lifting. Tank tops and sleeveless shirts may be a better choice since they don't bind in the shoulder area.

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Alternative Training (Part 3 of a 3-part Series)

Many people work in an office and complain they don't have the time to workout. Invariably, some people actually work in a tall building but never think to climb the stairs. What they don't realize is all they need is a stability ball, light dumbbells, $20 worth of exercise tubing and some stairs. Some won't climb because it will make them sweat. Here's a way to beat the traffic: exercise for an hour after work, let traffic die down and then breeze home.

The height of a stair is normally eight inches. Bleachers are usually much taller. If you're climbing stairs in an apartment building, just climb two at a time. The height of the building doesn't have to be more than four stories. The higher the building, the more options.

Regardless of your goal, I think you should start by warming up. Get into your work out clothes; get into your workout "mind frame." Don't start exercising in the same environment you've been working in all day. There will be too many distractions. "Change gears" and go to the stairs. Start climbing, slowly, maybe a step at a time. As you climb, feel your joints move under you. Think about where your foot hits the ground. How does your knee move when you climb? Keep your joints stacked. When you push off, your hips should be square and your knee should be over your toe. Climb fairly slowly for about ten minutes. If you can, climb a little faster, but always descend slowly when warming-up.

Now stretch. Start with the head and move toward your feet. Bend the head forwards, backwards and to each side. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds each.

Move to the lats by lifting both hands over your head and reach for the sky. Keeping the arms stretched overhead, start to move the arms downward towards your sides, maintaining the arms straight. When your arms reach a little past 90E at your sides, extend your outstretched arms backwards and try and draw your elbows together. This will stretch out your chest muscles. Your lats and chest will be tight if you work in an office or a seated position all day.

Now for the hip flexors. Stagger your feet, one in front of the other. Tilt forward and bend your front leg, like you are thrusting a sword. Keep your back straight up and down and tuck your butt under in a posterior pelvic tilt. The hip flexor you're stretching is attached to the back leg. Remain in this position and try to straighten out your front leg, grab the ankle of your front leg and try to pull your trunk forward stretching your hamstring. If your leg starts to tremble, ease up and just slightly bend your front leg until it stops shaking. Don't forget to do both sides.

Stretch the quads by standing on one leg, (hold on to something, if you need to balance), bend the other and hold the ankle of the bent leg. Gently move your ankle towards your butt.

For the calves, stagger your stance again, one leg in. front of the other and just sink back into your back calf. If the leg is straight you'll emphasize the Gastocnemius, if the leg is bent you'll be emphasizing the soleus. Put your legs back together, slowly bend over and try to touch your toes. This is lower back stretch. Slowly, return to the standing position by rolling upwards one vertebrae at a time. Now you're ready to perform some resistance training.

Let's start with the lower body. You'll need some weights. Call Future Fit at 800-778-6060 and order a set of 10lb, 15lb, 25 lb dumbbells, 4 strands of yellow tubing with a door adapter and a stability ball. The cost will be less than $100 dollars. They'll deliver them right to your office so you won't have to lug them. Go lighter or heavier depending on your strength. If you're 5'7 to 6'4, a 65 centimeter ball should be sufficient. If you're taller, go with a 75 centimeter ball and, if shorter, order a 55 centimeter ball.

General Guidelines:

For all motions keep the correct alignment in your spine. You may lift the weights quicker than lowering them. Always lower the weights slowly. You muscles are slightly stronger eccentrically, (the negative) part of the motion as opposed to the concentric (positive). It's also easier on your joints. Perform at least two sets of each of these exercises.

LOWER BODY

SQUATS: Grab only one dumbbell with both hands and perform squats "sumo" style. Keep your rep range below 50 repetitions. Remember, you still have 20 -30 minutes of stair climbing at the end of the work out.

LUNGES are next. Grab the pair of dumbbells and alternate each leg. 15-20 reps per side. Slower on the way down; faster when extending or rising

CORE (Lumbo-pelvic complex)

SUPERMANS: (Butt and lower back) Lie down on you stomach. Extend your arms in front of you and straighten out your legs. Imagine you're âEUR~Superman". Hold this position for sets of a minute at a time. When you can hold it for four minutes, it will be time to change.

CRUNCHES ON THE BALL: Anchor your feet under your heaviest pair of dumbbells. If the dumbbells aren't heavy enough, hook your feet under your desk or a couch. Flex your trunk and crunch all the way up. Perform as many repetitions as you can.

UPPER BODY

General Guidelines:

In some cases you can stand, lean or sit on the ball.

You'll be working antagonistically. Whatever motion you'll perform pushing, you'll then use the antagonistic muscles and pull in the same plane. There are advantages to both. For this workout you will use light to medium dumbbells. This workout will not make you big.

DUMBBELL MILITARY PRESSES: Stand or sit on the ball. Perform 15-25 repetitions.

LAT PULLDOWN: Anchor the tubing in the door about one foot off the ground. Lie on your back and then perform a lat pull-down. 10-15 repetitions

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESSES: Sit on the ball with the dumbbells in your hand and roll your feet forward. Press your back into the ball and stabilize with your feet and legs. 15-25 repetitions.

HIGH ROWS: Sit on the ball, face the door; anchor the tubing high and row towards you, keeping your elbows up, parallel to the ground. As you get stronger you might have to lean back in order to stabilize your body. 15-25 repetitions.

PUSHUPS: Perform them on the ground or on the ball. As many repetitions as you can.

SEATED ROWS: Sit on the ball, anchor the tubing right in front of your face. This time keep your elbows close to your sides. 15-25 repetitions

CURLS: You can perform them standing or seated with the dumbbells, tubing or a combination of both. 10-15 repetitions

TRICEPS PUSH-DOWNS: Stand and anchor the tubing high up on the door. Face the door stabilize your elbows at your side and the extend or straighten at the elbows. 10-15 repetitions.

STRAIGHT ARM PULLDOWNS: I like to perform this exercise last because it tightens the entire posterior scapular musculature. After working all day, this is the perfect exercise to end with. Stand facing the door with the tubing anchored in the top position.

Keep your arms nearly straight and step back about 3 paces. You should have no slack in the tubing. Maintaining upright posture, pull your arms straight past your sides.

Perform 15 -25 repetitions.

Now go back to the stairs and resume your stair climbing. Go as long as you can. The longer the better. Now you have no excuse, you're going to sit in traffic any way. Just make it happen. When you get home, have a sensible dinner. Enjoy!

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Strength and Conditioning Tips For Training For a Triathlon

Brutal as the triathlon itself, training for a triathlon means that it is high time you up your training to the new level. To train well enough for the triathlon, you should be physically and mentally prepared. As a triathlete, you'll cover 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 mile ride in a bike and 26.2 miles of marathon. Looking at the distance will surely ignite your senses. But will also make you ask, "Can I do it?". Yes you can as long as you undergo the best and safest training to help you become a triathlete and of course, shake the triathlon.

Since you'll be covering long distances of different events it is logical to train the three aspects of the game.

The swimming phase. Like the rest of endurance sports, gradually cover the distance of the maximum mile you'll take on the triathlon. This will help you gradually adapt to the long distance of swimming. Here's what you should know:

• Pierce through the water and do not go against the current. Imagine slipping yourself inside a mailbox.
• Keep your head in parallel with your body to avoid sinking. Breathe by rolling your body altogether to avoid losing your rhythm.
• If you'll be swimming in a suit, train using the suit so that you could adapt to the changes as you wear the suit. You may feel slow while using the suit but youll get the hang of it.

The biking phase. You may want to practice transitioning from swimming to getting on your bike. Here's the guidelines:

1. Start at high gear and gradually increase your phase. It would also be helpful to strengthen your abdominals to avoid straining the back during the long ride bike as you do training for a triathlon.
2. In training for a triathlon, assess if the race will be on a tough road. If the race will be, then you should also train yourself to bike on a dirt road covering the distance gradually.

The running transition.

• It may also help to stretch your calves as you transition from bike to the road. Ion training for a triathlon, remember that this could be the defining moment.
• Keep your torso straight and maintain proper from. Keep your strides short to avoid immediate tiring and exhaustion.

On the race day, be sure to use the same clothes and the sports drink that you used in training for a triathlon to prevent irritations, unnecessary weight and stomach disturbances.

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