Dad Fitness » Warmup

Warmups For Your Workout

Sean Barker — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:58:28 +0000

I CRINGE every time I see some clown stroll into the gym cold off the street and start loading up the bar without completing a proper warmup.

Coincidentally it seems the same people who neglect this important part of their workout are the same people complaining about shoulder pain or back pain and wrap themselves up like a mummy before their workout with wrist wraps, elbow wraps, knee wraps and the infamous weight lifting belt for EVERY exercise so they can manage to get through their workout.

Even though I don’t recommend the “old school” warmups of walking on a treadmill for 5 minutes and then static stretching before your workout, (which I will explain in a future post) it is still a lot better than doing nothing at all!

What I do recommend is a Dynamic Warm-Up before you workout, so here is my current warmup I do before EVERY Dad Fitness workout to enhance muscular activation and increase joint mobility.

Give this one a try or let me know what you do for your workout warmup by leaving a comment below…

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Einstein Workout

Sean Barker — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:25:29 +0000

E=mc²

You might remember this from your old high school math class.

It was Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

Despite Einstein’s well known brilliance, what amazes me even more was he was also a busy dad of 3 kids.

Einstein was known for challenging the status quo and I think if he was alive today he would tell us busy dads who continue to waste time on long boring workouts that leave us even more exhausted to smarten up and fly right!

Einstein doing his interval training

So let’s do the math…

A typical workout may look like this.

Pushups, 3 sets of 12-15 reps, rest 60 secs
Deadlifts, 3 sets of 6-8 reps, rest 60 secs
Bicep Curls, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, rest 60 secs
Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 8-10 reps, rest 60 secs

With each set taking almost a minute to complete and resting a minute in between sets this workout would take you about 30 minutes on paper.

But in reality, this workout would take even longer as you would have to move around the gym setting up each exercise and changing weights, not to mention actually getting to the gym.

Even a 40 minute workout is not bad compared to most endurance type workouts found in the muscle mags on your local newsstand.

What if I could show you how to get this same great workout using all the same exercises in half the time and without all the equipment?

Would you be interested? If your a busy dad, you should be.

Enter the Dad Fitness Theory of Efficiency, which is
E=Dad ^Fit

I am so smart…SMRT

Where E is Efficiency, Dad is well… you!, and Fit is what you will become using this workout routine

So it’s time we pulled a General Motors with our workouts by getting rid of the excess junk and focusing on what works…no offense Saturn owners.

Check out this video to see the same Dad Fitness workout using the exact same exercises done in all in one movement but without the wasted time.

Plus all you need is a simple set of dumbbells!

Click here to view the embedded video.

*Warmup with 10 reps of bodyweight burpees.

Dumbbell Pushup, no rest, go directly to
Dumbbell Deadlift, no rest, go directly to
Dumbell Bicep Curl, no rest, go directly to
Dumbbell Shoulder Press, rest 60 secs

Complete this circuit 8-10 times before resting, and repeat the circuit 3 times.

Total workout time is about 15 minutes. How’s that for efficiency?

So lets get smart with our time and put the “work” back into our workouts so we can spend less time with the dumbbells and more time being a dad…

Fit and Fast Medicine Ball Workout

Sean Barker — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:08:12 +0000

I can’t believe summer is winding down already. At least here it is anyway.

Summer is great though: taking the kids to the beach; getting some exercise outdoors, and firing up the grill and sitting out on the deck just because…

Plus I really like Bud Light’s new summertime lime beer! Goes great with this Chicken Taco recipe.

For most people though, the thought of the days getting shorter and the air getting cooler represents the slowing down of the summer season.

But, this doesn’t have to mean that your workouts has to slow down.

As the fall season draws in learn to welcome the heat generated by some intense workouts.

So with the changing of the seasons, maybe it’s time you changed up your workout program.

Here is an awesome new Medicine Ball Bodyweight Workout that I am really enjoying!.

You can do this at the gym, at home or during a sunny fall day at the playground with the kids.

All you need is a medicine ball and use any monkey bar attachment for your chinups.

*Warmup with Medicine Ball Squat To Overhead Press, 2 sets of 10 reps or just push your kids on the swing!

1. Medicine Ball Overhead Lunge, 3 sets of 10 reps, rest 60 sec

2A. Medicine Ball Close Grip Pushups, 2 sets of max reps, go directly to:
2B. Medicine Ball Chin-Ups with ball between feet, 2 sets of max reps, rest 60 sec

3A. Medicine Ball Mountain Climbers, 2 sets of max reps, go directly to:
3B. Medicine Ball Ab Plank, 2 sets, hold as long as you can

Try this new busy dad workout and let me know how you like it by leaving a comment below!

Go With Your Gut

Sean Barker — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:54:17 +0000

By “going with your gut” I don’t mean you should accept that beer belly hanging over your belt.

What I mean is that sometimes you have to go by how you feel if you want to stay motivated with your exercise program.

I have no workout scheduled for today so it’s my wife’s turn to hit the gym as I stay home with our baby daughter Matea for the afternoon.

It’s a cool rainy day here so I guess we will have to keep things inside. I hope Hokey Pokey Elmo can keep up!

I am looking forward to tonight though as it’s “date night” with my wife and Matea will spend the night with her nanny and poppy.

Not sure if we will go out or cook dinner at home…

Yesterday I went to the gym for a busy dad workout but when I got there I wasn’t really in the mood to do the workout I had planned.

I just wasn’t up for heavy deadlifts and I wanted to just do whatever I felt like doing for a change so I threw my training journal back in my gym bag and did whatever exercises I felt like doing.

This is something I rarely do so when I have days like this I know it’s time to change up my workout.

So here is what I came up with after my warmup.

Dumbbell Pushups off hexagon dumbbells supersetted with Inverted Barbell Rows.

3 sets each, 12-15 reps

V Bar Weighted Pulllups with a 10lb plate attached to a dip belt.

6 reps, 2 sets, with a 20 sec negative lowering for the last rep

Bulgarian Split Squats

8 reps each leg, 2 sets

Standing Dumbbell Curls/Hammer Curls

I supersetted a set of dumbbell curls with a set of hammer curls

2 sets each

Seated Calf Raises

2 sets of 10 reps

Ab Wheel Rollouts

2 sets of 10 reps

I really enjoyed this workout, I got a great pump, worked up a good sweat and it was mentally refreshing to just “wing it” at the gym for a change.

I have been doing the same Dad Fitness workout routine for the last 4 weeks so I will design a new workout program and start Sunday or Monday.

The Barbell Belly Blaster Workout

smbarker — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Are you a busy dad who likes to go to the gym for a quick fat burning workout but hate encountering a crowd of regular gym goers who hog workout equipment while yapping on their cell phone?

If so, The Barbell Belly Blaster Workout is for you.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you are lucky enough to have an Olympic Barbell in your home gym, you can also do this workout without ever leaving your house.

Lock Up dvdrip This is primarily a fat loss workout as it elevates your heart rate while supersetting exercises using your bodies major muscles.

But by using your major muscles you are building strength and endurance in those muscles which will also help to build lean muscle in beginners to intermediate lifters.

This is also a great alternative to long boring cardio and can be done at the end of your regular weight training workout to burn extra calories and lose bodyfat.

To increase the muscle building effects of this workout you can add additional weight to the bar but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have a few years of training under your belt.

For absolute beginners who find that the 45lb bar is too much, you can use a lighter bar like the EZ curl bar which is around 25lbs or even a broomstick.

This workout only requires the empty 45lb Olympic Barbell for the entire workout so you can grab a barbell and head off to an empty corner in the gym so you can get a great fat burning workout and be free of any distractions.

You will be using the barbell to complete a Complex, which is just a series of barbell free weight exercises that you will do without rest while keeping the bar in your hands the entire time.

Perform 10-15 reps for each exercise. Complete all exercises without rest, then rest 60 seconds and repeat the circuit 2 more times.

*Warmup with 12 Burpees.

Jump down onto the floor in the bottom of the pushup position and jump back up with hands in the air reaching for the ceiling.

1A Barbell Pushup

Perform regular pushup with hands on the barbell. Brace your abs hard so that you do not roll the bar on the floor.

2A Barbell Squat

Pick barbell off the floor and press overhead and rest the bar across your shoulders. Pushing hips back squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

3A Barbell Shoulder Press

After squats, press the bar back overhead and in front of your shoulders with shoulder width grip press the bar straight up overhead.

4A Barbell Bent-Over Row

After shoulder presses, bend over with bar hanging straight down. Using your elbows pull or row the bar up to your belly button.

5A Barbell Mountain Climber

Place bar back on the floor and get in top part of the pushups position. With abs tight hold that position while you bring one knee to towards your elbow and alternate each leg

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

The Best Way To Relieve Muscle Soreness

smbarker — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Ahhhh…f$%* that hurts!

That’s how I felt this morning as I bent over to pickup my baby daughter off the floor this morning.

After getting back to the gym after a week off and doing my first lower body workout in almost 2 weeks yesterday my legs are pretty sore and stiff!

For the best way to relieve muscle soreness check out the video below.

We have all experienced this one time or another, muscle soreness or what the exercise geeks (me included) refer to as DOMS.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness…

This can occur whether you have been working out for years or are just starting to exercise.

Basically its the microscopic tearing of your muscle fibers that causes the inflammation and swelling of the muscles putting additional pressure around the surrounding joints.

But I bet what you really what to know is how to avoid it or even relieve muscle soreness when you do get it.

To prevent it, try not to do much too soon and ease into any exercise program wether its lifting weights, running or your favorite recreational sport. Whatever workout routine you are starting, just do half of the exercise volume to introduce your muscles to the exercises.

Warmup properly BEFORE you workout and stretch AFTER you workout to remove the lactic acid from your muscles and start the recovery process.

To help relieve it when you do over do it from doing too much or doing something new, get some “active rest” by going for a walk with your family or playing with your kids at the playground (lying on the couch watching 24 is not considered active rest!).

Also take rest days from your workouts which means don’t work those sore muscles with heavy weight training until the soreness subsides.

Make sure you are eating high quality protein throughout the day to provide your body with the nutrients it needs for muscle repair and stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.

Vitamin C has been shown to aid in muscle recovery as well as hot saunas and deep tissue massage.

Getting lots of omega 3 fats in your diet through fish oils, mixed nuts and avocados will also help to scavenge free radicals and reduce inflammation in your muscles and throughout your entire body

These recovery tips all help…

But for the BEST way to relieve muscle soreness watch this quick video.

Sean Barker, CPT

Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com

Bodyweight Workout In The Snow

smbarker — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:53:00 +0000

There is never an excuse to skip a workout no matter where you are or how little time you have.

Here is a quick bodyweight workout you can do even outdoors before you go for a walk with your family.

It can serve as a great warmup or even a challenging workout if your just starting out with your Dad Fitness exercise program.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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

Leg Workout For Dad & Baby

smbarker — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:49:00 +0000

I finished off Craig Ballanytnes TT For Meatheads workout routine this morning.

Mostly leg work today with some traps and abs mixed in.

My baby daughter Matea then had her leg workout.

After her warm-up of laughing she was ready to go!

I really enjoyed this program the last 4 weeks. The workouts are short, usually around 45 minutes including warmup and cooldown.

This is mostly from the short rest periods and in a lot of cases no rest periods at all with some intense supersets. The arm superset gives you a crazy pump as you do a lot of work in a short amount of time.

The program is designed to be short burst, bodybuilding workouts.

Craig has created another awesome workout program for us guys who want to inject some fun back into the gym and enjoy getting a good pump while building lean muscle in a short time.

The only drawback I found was that due to the really short rest periods it was hard to increase the weights due to limited recovery.

But this is not a strength focused program so I understand.

Overall I would highly recommend this workout routine for busy guys who want short, bodybuilding style workouts.

For more workouts like these click here: short bodybuilding workouts

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

Whatta Workout!

smbarker — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:06:00 +0000

Started Craig Ballantyne’s TT For Meatheads workout this morning at the gym.

Man oh man! I certainly under estimated how intense these short, bodybuilding workouts are.

Some basic barbell squats supersetted with DB shrugs started off this intense workout.

Then it was on to more leg work and ab work. The short rest periods combined with these muscle building movements had me dripping in sweat and gasping for air!

You don’t need long boring cardio to lose fat and build muscle.

I was out of the gym in 40 mins including my warmup and stretching cooldown.

Looking forward to workout B on Monday.

Remember, building muscle is all about QUALITY not quantity;-)

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

Burn Fat Fast With Interval Training

smbarker — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Do you want to burn fat 9 times faster than most people in the gym?

Well, doing short interval cardio workouts have been proven in studies to burn 9 times more fat than long boring cardio.

Who has an extra hour anyway to spend walking on a treadmill like a hamster while reading a magazine hoping to burn enough calories to melt off those excess pounds?

Reading these magazines while working out has been shown to make you feel worse about yourself according to this article on MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25291978

With the Dad Fitness workouts you build muscle and burn fat in the same short workout.

Today was my off day from the gym, but I decided to do a fat burning interval session on my home treadmill. After only 15 short minutes I was soaked, and I drove my metabolism into high gear all day.

Here is how I did my Interval Cardio workout today on the treadmill. I used a one minute sprint paired with a 2 minute recovery walk.

5 mins-Warmup of walking
5-6 mins- Sprint
6-8- Walk
8-9 Sprint
9-11 Walk
11-12 Sprint
12-14 Walk
14-15 Sprint
15-20 Cooldown walk

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