Search
-
My Feed
Follow Me
Find Me
Watch Me
Recent Posts
Tags
Categories
Recent Comments
Blogroll
Recommended Links
logout
FACT:
A lot of gym rats might be able to load up the bar with hundreds of pounds for endless sets of the bench press but can’t even do 10 correct push ups…
I don’t think you have any business bench pressing if you can’t properly perform 20 perfect pushups.
If you can’t handle your own bodyweight, how functional is it to lie down on a bench and press additional weight?
Don’t get me wrong, the basic barbell bench press is a great upper body exercise for building muscle, but it’s depended on WAY too much to build a strong chest and shoulders.
Most people consider Pushups and Bench Presses both chest dominant exercises. But there is a big difference between the two…
The bench press is an open chain exercise and the pushup is a closed chain exercise.
The “chain” just refers to the kinetic chain of your body, which simply means that all of your body’s muscles are inter-connected in a “chain” and therefore the movements you make are also part of a that kinetic chain.
Open chain exercises allow your feet or hands to move freely like in a bench press, dumbbell curl or leg curl.
Closed chain exercises keep your feet or hands in a fixed position like on the ground during pushups or squats and even chinups.
Closed chain exercises are safer and more effective for real world functional strength because they allow your bodyweight to move through space in a full range of motion while distributing muscular stress through many muscles instead of isolating and stressing single muscles.
A big reason why so many bench press addicts develop shoulder problems is because of not the shoulders directly but due to the lack of movement in your upper back when pinned to a bench during bench presses.
The muscles in your upper back surrounding your shoulders blades and scapula play a crucial role in stabilizing and allowing movement of your shoulder girdle during pressing movements.
Pushups eliminates this problem by allowing your upper back to contract in a full range of motion when you lower yourself to the ground.
Plus for busy dads bodyweight exercises are great because they can be done anywhere without any equipment!
(here is my favorite pressing exercise)
So if you want to incorporate a simple but intense pushup workout into your workout routine give the 100 rep pushup workout a try.
Once or twice a week at the end of your regular workout aim for performing 100 pushups and time yourself to see how long it takes you.
Do as many reps as you can and do however many sets it takes you to reach 100.
For example if you can do 20 pushups at one time before failure start with 20 but as you fatigue you will probably drop down to sets of 10. You will obviously need more rest between sets as you get closer to 100.
Take as much rest as you need to get at least 10 reps for each set until you reach the 100 rep mark.
Most guys in pretty good shape will be able to complete 100 reps anywhere between 5-10 minutes.
Don’t worry how long it takes you. Just record your time and push hard to beat it the next time around.
Before you know it you will join the pushup century club and have the perfect pecs to prove it!
Perfect Pushups Tips
*Keep your abs braced tight and your hips in line with your body.
*Tuck your chin in like a “double chin” and look straight down at the floor to form a straight line from your head to your toes.
*Push your elbows and upper arms back in a 45 degree direction opposed to straight out to your sides.
PS. Be sure to check out my training article in the April/May issue of Inside Fitness magazine!
One of the most common questions I get asked about working out is
“What do YOUR workout routine look like?
Well ever since I created The Dad Fitness System I would just point them to www.DadFitness.com where they can get their own copy of The Ultimate Fitness Plan For Busy Dads downloaded instantly to their computer.
It works for me and it’s working for other busy dads all around the world.
But this year I have been improving the Dad Fitness workouts to better fit MY busy lifestyle and for all of YOU living the Dad Fitness lifestyle as well.
You see, being a busy dad and husband working a full-time job and running a business on the side doesn’t allow me to spend 5-6 days a week working out at the gym to stay fit.
I will be honest though, I LOVE working out at the gym, especially our little dungeon of a gym here in town. No lineups, no machines, just torn up benches with some rusty barbells and dumbbells. I guess you can call me “old school”.
But as much as I would like to I can’t always get there as often as I wish as I spend most of my days off from working shift work staying home with my 19 month old daughter while my wife is at work.
Some weeks I find it hard to get to the gym even 3 days a week so I had to adapt and tweak the Dad Fitness workouts.
So I designed a workout routine that focuses on 2 gym workouts a week and one bodyweight workout a week, totaling 3 short but intense workouts a week. …Which is all most of us really need to get in great shape anyway.
I have been loving this routine as I can get in 2 intense gym workouts a week and have no problem getting in the 3rd bodyweight workout as it can be done at home with minimal equipment, at the gym or even at my local playground when the weather permits.
Now that’s the way workouts should be, they should fit around YOUR lifestyle, not the other way around like most programs you might find in the magazines.
I am building muscle, gaining strength and staying lean like never before and it’s all because of the intricate design of these workouts.
Every exercise, Every rep and Every set is specifically selected and has a scientific reason for being in the program.
This gives you the complete “Training Triangle” to build muscle, gain strength and burn fat all in minimum time and in one simple 3 day a week workout routine.
So here is the breakdown of what I like to call Dad Fitness 2.0
- 3 workouts a week consisting of 2 gym workouts and 1 bodyweight workout.
- The workouts rotate on a 2 week cycle meaning there is a Week 1 of workouts and a Week 2, before you repeat the same workouts.
- Each routine is followed for 8 weeks allowing each weekly workout to be completed 4 times.
This keeps my motivation high and prevents the dreaded training plateau by rotating exercises every 2 weeks instead of every week like most programs.
So here is an example of just of ONE of the weekly workout routines in the upcoming yet to be released Dad Fitness 2.0 Fitness Plan.
Day 1, Week 1, Gym
Chest, Shoulders and Triceps
Decline Barbell Bench Press, 2 sets of 4-6 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press, 2 sets of 4-6 reps
Standing Triple Threat Dumbbell Lateral Raise Superset, (side, front and rear) 2 sets of 6-8 reps each
Lying Flat Ez Bar Tricep Extensions, 2 sets of 4-6 reps
Tricep Cable Pushdowns, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Cable Crunch, 2 sets of 8-10 reps
Day 2, Week 1, Gym
Legs, Back and Biceps
Barbell Squats, 2 sets of 4-6 reps
Dumbbell Lunges, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Weighted Pullups, 2 sets of 4-6 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Standing Barbell Curls, 2 sets of 4-6 reps
Standing Dumbbell Curls, 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Standing Calf Raise, 2 set of 8-10 reps
Day 3, Week 1, Bodyweight
One Leg Squats, 3 sets of max reps
Medicine Ball Pushups, 3 sets of max reps
Inverted Pullups, 3 sets of max reps
Dips, 3 sets of max reps
Parallel Grip Pullups, 3 sets of max reps
Front Plank, 2 set of 60 secs
Side Plank, 2 sets of 45 secs
I don’t have an exact date yet for the release of Dad Fitness 2.0 but I am working hard to get it complete so it can be YOUR favorite workout of 2010!
and let me know your favorite workout of 2009 by posting a comment below…
Whatta’ weekend!
Friday night we had to take our 13 month old daughter Matea to the emergency room after a gust of wind blew the front door of our house that was open, unfortunately hitting her in the front of the head.
Sporting her bruise like a champ!
She started to get a huge bump right away so we played it safe and took her to the ER just in case. Thankfully the swelling went down rather fast after we applied an ice pack and it was only a minor boo-boo and she hardly cried afterward, she’s a trooper!
Then Saturday night my wife and I had date night and we went out for some fine dining. I had the wild mushrooms to start and then ordered the herb crusted rack of lamb that was fall-off-the-bone delicious.
That's some good eatin'...
Sunday brought on more fun, food and family with a BBQ at the in-laws house. I enjoyed a burger, more ribs, and a couple Cuban beers that Kathy’s parents brought back from their vacation awhile ago!
Almost as good as our Canadian beers!
If you want to know how I eat what I want on the weekends and still stay in great shape year round as a busy dad.
Click Here To See My 24 Hour Diet.
==>http://www.Seans24HourDiet.com
If you want to see how I workout on the weekends when I have a busy week and can’t get to the gym, READ ON…
The Weekend Workout.
Is a 2 day workout plan that only requires 2 back to back workouts on Saturday and Sunday. This program also requires that you are willing to dedicate time on your weekends to 2 intense workouts.
Yes…I did say intense because what you miss in QUANTITY, you will make up for in QUALITY. These workouts will not be your 10 minute fluff workouts using soup cans.
These 2 workouts will take at least an hour each and require some real-man hard work and intensity, so don’t complain or make excuses, after all, you have all week long to get over it!
I also recommend that you workout in the morning if at all possible for mainly two reasons.
#1 . You won’t have any chance of blowing off these workouts if things come up during the rest of the day. These are your only scheduled workouts for the week so you have to make them count.
#2. You want to take advantage of maximizing your metabolism early in the day so your body will be primed for burning fat and building muscle all weekend long. So if you are going to be a weekend warrior, you have to save your energy for your weekend workouts, so staying out late at the bar with the guys from work when you finish up on Friday isn’t going to put you onto the path to being the fittest dad on the playground .
A man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do. So it’s time to step up to the plate and knock out the excuses with the Weekend Workout…
Out of all the different workout routines I have done over the years there is one that I keep coming back to, the one that never fails me don’t matter how many curve balls life throws my way.
It’s called the AB Split.
It’s simple and effective and best of all it is easy to work into any busy dads schedule.
You just have two different workouts where you train half of your body one day and the other half the next.
Now the beauty of The Weekend Workout is that you can workout on back to back days, in this case, Saturday and Sunday because you are not annihilating and isolating specific muscle groups.
You will be using the classic compound exercises that work many of your body’s largest muscle groups revving up your metabolism to burn fat and increasing Testosterone to build strong dad muscle.
Saturday: Workout A
The Barbell Squat, 5 sets of 5 reps
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press, 3 sets of 8 reps
Bent Over Barbell Row, 3 sets of 8 reps
Close Grip Bench Press, 3 sets of 6 reps
Front Abdominal Plank, Hold for 30-60 secs
High Intensity Interval Cardio:
Use a treadmill and perform intervals for 6 rounds of 30 secs sprint, 60 secs walk
Sunday: Workout B
The Barbell Deadlift, 5 sets of 5 reps
Chin-Ups, 3 sets of 8 reps
Standing Barbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 8 reps
Standing Barbell Bicep Curl, 3 sets of 6 reps
Standing Calf Raise, 3 sets of 10 reps
High Intensity Interval Cardio:
Use a stationary bike and perform intervals for 6 rounds of 60 secs fast, 90 secs easy
*The Mid Week Bodyweight Booster Workout
Yeah I know this is supposed to be a TWO DAY a week workout plan. You CAN make progress on this plan if you only have 2 hours a week to dedicate to some serious lifting.
BUT, if you can find another 15 minutes sometime during the week, do this Mid Week Metabolism Booster Workout with just your own bodyweight to boost that metabolism and get the blood flowing to your recovering muscles that you trashed on the weekend. I would recommend you do this short workout on Wednesday preferably to allow for maximim recovery from your weekend workouts. This bodyweight workout can be done anytime anywhere so it’s hard to find a reason to not squeeze in this little workout that can make a big difference in burning off that gut and buidling some strong lean muscle despite your busy schedule.
Prisoner Squats
T-Pushups
Lunges
Cross Body Mountain Climbers
Burpees
Do 10 reps of each exercise without rest. Then rest for 1 minute and repeat the circuit 3 times.
I would love to hear about YOUR weekend workouts!
Leave a comment below and tell me about your weekend workouts…
Thanks to my wife, I got to workout at the gym today.
She came home from work for lunch and watched Matea while I was at the gym. She even cooked me a tasty postworkout meal of an omelette and potatoes, shes awesome! ( I just booked an Aqua massage for her for Valentines Day)
The rest of the day I am playing Mr.Mom and staying home with Matea.
I had an awesome Dad Fitness workout, one of the best in a long time!
Here is the rundown:
Flat BB Bench Press,1 max set of 3-5 reps
Flat DB Bench Press, 4 sets of 6-8 reps
Bent Over DB Row, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
Rope Face Pulls, 3 sets of 15 reps
BB Russian Twist, 3 sets of 8 reps
For times that you can’t make it to the gym here is
How To Build A Home Gym
by Sean Barker,CPT
You don’t need to buy an expensive gym membership so you can use all those complicated machines to get in shape. People were building muscle and burning fat long before any of those strange looking machines were invented.
Also a treadmill or stationary bike would be a bonus for cardio exercise but not necessary as you can still do cardio exercise with your body weight, some light dumbbells or outdoors.
As long as you have enough space to fully extend your body vertically and horizontally you can setup a small home gym. You can get a set of adjustable dumbbells up to 40lbs which would be enough for most people at your local Walmart or sporting goods store for around $40. Stability balls are also inexpensive at around $20 as well as a mat for $10. An adjustable exercise bench will run over hundred bucks but most sporting goods store have previous used ones for half price. So for convenient exercise on a budget you can setup your own home gym for under $100 bucks and if your are really determined but tight for cash, you can get a great workout with just your body weight.
Here is a great body weight workout that can be done anywhere at anytime. Plus it won’t cost you a penny! Do tens reps each with no rest, then repeat the circuit 3 times.
Bodyweight Squats
Pushups
Forward Lunges
Abdominal Planks (hold for 30-60 sec).
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
Range of Motion is Critical For Building Muscle
By Sean Barker, CPT.
If your not sure what I mean by ROM, its Range of Motion. This is the complete range of movement that you perform every exercise from start to finish.
But how many people get carried away with increasing the weight they lift only to sacrifice the proper exercise execution in which the exercise should be performed. A good many, and I admit I have done it in the past as well.
We all like to load up that bar giving us the feeling that we are super strong by slapping plate after plate onto the barbell. But doing this only builds your ego, not your muscles. It also greatly increases your chance of serious injury when performing exercises without a complete range of motion.
Increasing your poundage’s over time is the cornerstone of getting bigger and stronger in the gym. But not if it comes at the expense of doing the exercise with improper form. Whether it’s bench presses, squats or any exercise that requires you work the muscles over a complete range, people have a tendency to slowly develop bad training habits of limiting the range in which they complete the exercise.
This might enable you to use a heavier weight, but its not maximizing muscular overload it’s limiting it as the muscles are only getting half the stimulation that they should be. Plus, your joints and ligaments are picking up the slack, which is provoking injury.
Adhere to proper weight selection that allows you to work the intended muscle with your desired number of reps. Always remember that your weight should be chosen based on how well you can perform the exercise, not the other way around…
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com