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Keep your surf boards for the beach dudes, I have a better wave for you that will build muscle and strength faster than you thought possible…
I started a new muscle building Dad Fitness workout routine yesterday.
Yep, this routine is specifically geared towards muscle hypertrophy, which is just a fancy name for muscle-growth…
After getter leaner and more athletic this summer with my training I am now going to focus on building some solid muscle mass over the next few months.
I am still only training 3-4 hours a week but these workouts include more sets and reps and some advanced training techniques like partial reps,double contraction reps, or iso-dynamic contrast reps.
Yesterday’s Chest and Back workout was a doozy because I am using this one weird training trick that I have found to work better than any
other when it comes to building bigger and stronger muscles.
Just by applying this ONE technique in your training I am sure you will increase your strength the very FIRST workout!
Ride the Wave
I was first introduced to Wave Loading years ago by strength coach Charles Poliquin. Wave loading refers to a lifting technique where the weights and reps change with every set within a wave. A wave is usually a group of 2-3 sets. Normally 2 waves are performed when training for muscle size, while 2-4 waves can be used when training for strength. The goal is to try to use heavier weights with each new wave.
Over the years I have found this to be the BEST method for building muscle and getting stronger INSTANTLY in the gym.
Wave loading works by activating your body’s nervous system, which is basically your body’s information superhighway for sending signals to your working muscles.
It simply tricks your mind and body into lifting heavier loads, which in turn can lead to more muscle.
For example, you might be able to bench press 5 reps of 200 lbs normally, but after doing a wave load you would probably lift at least 210lbs for 5 reps in the very same workout!
The opportunities to use wave loading are endless for size and strength but here is an example from my currrent muscle building routine.
A1) Incline Dumbbell Press
Wave 1 (1 x 7 reps @ 60lbs, 1 x 5 reps @ 70lbs, 1 x 3 reps @ 80lbs)
Wave 2 ( 1 x 7 reps @ 65lbs, 1 x 5 reps @ 75lbs, 1 x 3 reps @ 85lbs)
90 seconds rest
A2) Parallel Grip Pullups (bodyweight with additional weight)
Wave 1 (1 x 7 reps @ 10lbs, 1 x 5 reps @ 20lbs, 1 x 3 reps @ 25lbs)
Wave 2 ( 1 x 7 rep @ 15lbs, 1 x 5 reps @ 25lbs, 1 x 3 reps @ 30lbs)
90 seconds rest
Don’t do more than a couple wave loaded exercises in one workout as it puts a lot of stress on your nervous system and pay attention to getting enough recovery between workouts with proper nutrition and a good nights sleep. Probably not a good workout routine for sleep deprived new dads!
But if you are sick of slaving away in the gym for months trying to add more plates to the bar, give wave loading a try and get bigger and stronger faster than ever before…
These maybe the dog days of summer but it doesn’t mean you should be laying around the house like your favorite pooch.
So here are 3 new fat loss strategies that I followed this summer that allowed me to get leaner and stronger without the effort of dieting or doing long boring cardio.
Fat For Fuel
This first one happens in the kitchen not the gym. Say goodbye to grains for your breakfast and start the day with a meal consisting of proteins and fats only. The protein and fat will help keep you full and more alert during the morning without the mid-morning carb crash. It also supplies muscle building protein and fat to fuel your workouts. Try some Omega 3 eggs scrambled with scallions and cheese or go classic with steak and eggs. Don’t be afraid of fat, it was around long before bread!
HIIT The Hills
You keep hearing that HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is the fastest and most effective cardio to burn fat. Now it’s also super convenient, thanks to Hill Sprints. Being outdoors it requires only you and a pair of running shoes. Sprinting up hill in short bursts of around 20 seconds seems to almost frighten the fat off your body and anyone can try it because the nature of sprinting uphill is more self regulating due to the increased resistance than sprinting on flat ground. The recovery is also built in as you walk back down the hill. This means there is less chance of injury and a greater chance of intensity, which is the real secret to burning fat.
Track Your Time
I might of mentioned this before but it bares repeating because I still hardly see anyone doing this in the gym. Track your time in between your working sets with your watch (not in your head). Most properly designed workout routines should dictate specific rest periods anyway, so follow them, they are there for a reason! Very rarely should you be resting more than 90 seconds in between sets, unless you are competing for the world’s strongest man. For fat loss the shorter the better. Resting only 30-60 seconds in between sets keeps your heart rate up and your mind on the muscle so you can be on the fast track to fat loss.
So follow these Laws of Leanness this summer so you are even fitter this fall…
With the Sun hanging in the sky a little longer it naturally gives you more energy to do some spring cleaning inside and outside the house.
Just opening up all the windows in your house after the long winter months will awaken your senses with fresh new energy…
So it’s time to spring ahead with your workouts as well and clean up some of the bad habits that you may have picked up during the winter.
1. Watch Your Watch
With summer just around the corner you are probably more concerned with getting light and lean than big and bulky so sitting around for 3-4 minutes chatting with the guys about last nights game in between sets isn’t going to do anything to awaken those abs. Rest no more than 2 minutes in between heavy squats or deadlifts and only 30-60 seconds for other lifts. Supersetting opposite muscles like chest and back or bicep and triceps without any rest is also a great way to build muscle AND burn fat.
2. Movements Not Muscles
Spending 20 minutes working a muscle the size of a baseball isn’t the best use of your time unless you have Mr. Olympia trophies on your mantle. But that’s just what most guys do to get arms like Arnold. Think movements, not muscles when you workout. To work your body and your biceps try combining exercises into one motion like a lunge, curl and press or a chin-up with a leg raise.
3. Complex Cardio
Despite what the name might say burning fat isn’t so complex when you use this form of cardio. Complexes are forms of high intensity cardio that continues to put those magazine reading sessions on the treadmill to shame when it comes to blow torching bodyfat. It only takes 5 minutes to add a complex to the end of your weight workout to convince you that this is the answer to maximum results in minimum time. Use just the empty barbell to perform a series of exercise circuits without rest such as a squat, clean, press, lunge and row. Pick yourself up off the floor and repeat 3-4 times.
4. Muscle Massage
Imagine how hard it must be on your car’s engine starting it over and over during those cold winter mornings. Well that’s just how you have been treating your body all winter. Wether it’s being rushed and skipping your workout warmup or jumping out of bed to shovel out your driveway so you can get to work, your muscles need time to wake up. Dynamic bodyweight movements are great to get the blood flowing but a little muscle massage will go a long way to break up those tight spots that build up over time with improper lifting and bad posture. Use a foam roller and tennis ball to roll out those tight trigger points like your mother rolled out dough. Doing this loosens up the tissue in and around your muscles to keep you strong and pain-free.
5. Goodbye Gym
Save a month’s worth of membership and take advantage of the extra daylight while getting some free vitamin D by bringing your workouts outside. Even if you love the atmosphere of training in a dark and dingy gym, the opportunities are endless for outdoor workouts. Take a set of dumbbells to the park or do a playground workout while the kids have their fun. Sprints, sports and strongman lifts are also better outdoors. There is just something primal about lifting heavy stuff off the ground under the mid day sun.
It’s unfortunate that some guys will spend more time washing their car this spring than taking care of their body!
Use these 5 Ways To Spring Clean Your Workout so you can take care of your body and the people who depend on it…
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!
*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…
I hope you and your family are staying well during this swine flu craziness.
We have been having some late nights with our little daughter Matea as she has come down with a runny nose and a tough cough which is keeping her up at night.
There is nothing worse than seeing your child sick and there is not much you can do but keep them comfortable…
If you are getting too comfortable with your workout routine, remember that there are ONLY 8 weeks left in this year!
With the Dad Fitness System, 8 weeks is plenty of time to get in shape for the holidays.
The key is to try to get better EVERY day with your workouts and your healthy eating.
Here are 5 Tips For Faster Fat Loss.
1. Break Records
Push for progress and not perfection and challenge yourself by pushing for one extra rep or a couple more pounds every week in your workouts. Use the smallest plates you have available, (usually 2.5lbs) to keep stimulating fat burning muscle.
2. Fun Food
Experiment with a different fruit or vegetable each week by eating the colors of the rainbow. Get your family together and try different recipes, some you will love, and maybe some you won’t. Keep food fun by trying new recipes with foods you haven’t tried before because no one gets fat by eating more fruit and veggies.
3. Faster Not Further
Increase the INTENSITY in your fat burning cardio intervals… not the duration. Don’t just record you weight workouts. Record your cardio intensity and try to beat it each week. If you sprinted at level 7 this week shoot for 7.1 next week.
4. Fail Proof Your Fridge
Make healthy eating “Fail Proof” by picking up only the groceries you need each week. If you have no junk in your house, chances are you won’t be eating junk. Then before you put your food away, chop up your veggies and place them into containers or ziplock bags to make meal preparation super quick and easy.
5. Step Away From the Scale
Don’t get obsessed with numbers by weighing or measuring yourself everyday. I recommend to step on the scale once a week first thing in the morning because it is normal for your bodyweight to fluctuate up to 5lbs during the day due to fluid and food intake.
These 5 tips might seem like little things, but they make a BIG difference!
Stay focused and cross off each day on your calendar and ask yourself before you go to bed each night.
“Did I do everything I needed to do today to get closer to my fitness goals?”
Let’s, hope you have a lot of yes’s!
Got any fat loss tips of your own? Feel free to post a comment below!