This Was One Tough Workout!

High intensity outdoor workouts, kettlebell training, and more...
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist

The other day I was in the mood to mix things up a little with my workouts and it was a nice sunny day, so I decided to skip the gym and take my workout outside for the day.
So I packed up my two 53-lb kettlebells and my 70-lb kettlebell, and headed to a local park that also has a nice hill that a some local people go to for running hill sprints.
I've gotta tell you, the workout I came up with was pretty simple, but thoroughly kicked my a**!  If you're interested in a high intensity workout that'll strip off body fat fast, keep in mind the format of this workout and use the same or similar exercises based on what you have available.
Note: I used kettlebells, but you can also use dumbbells if you don't have kb's.
Here's what I did:
The workout was done in circuit fashion where I moved to the next exercise with little to no rest.
1a. kettlebell double clean & presses (both arms simultaneously)
1b. 1-arm kettlebell snatches with each arm
1c. kettlebell 2-arm bent over rows
1d. kettlebell 2-arm swings
1e. hill sprint up/down

8 reps of each exercise; repeated circuit 8X

I did 8 reps of each exercise and moved almost immediately to the next exercise in each circuit. After each circuit, I rested about 2 minutes until I caught my breath and felt ready for the next round.
I kept repeating this circuit until I did 8 sets total of each exercise. All said and done, I think the workout took me about 45 minutes... and holy crap was I drenched in sweat and whooped!
Warning: unless you're in top shape, do NOT attempt 8 sets of this type of workout... it is VERY tough and that's a high volume of work unless you're already accustomed to higher intensity workouts.  Just attempting 3 or 4 sets the first time you try this will usually whip most trainees.
By the way, if you don't have kettlebells yet, I highly suggest getting at least one or two to have at your house. They are very convenient to use when you don't feel like going to the gym and just want to blast out a quick workout at home or outside. My Kettlebells were definitely one of the best investments I've ever made in training tools that will last me for life.

Another recent review of the Truth about 
Six Pack Abs Program
I continue to receive some great reviews coming in with the awesome results customers are getting using the techniques in the Truth about Six Pack Abs package. Here's another that came in the other day:
"Mike:  
Thank you for changing the way I workout. After years of fooling myself into thinking I was getting a good workout, your book, The Truth About Abs, has revitalized not only my workouts but also my life. Working out regularly for over 10 years, I became increasingly frustrated at my lack of progress.
Despite doing over an hour of cardio at least three times a week and lifting three times a week as well, I wasn't in good shape. In fact, I was having trouble getting my wind when I played my weekly hockey games. Also, despite my workout attempts, I was also getting what you have termed as the "skinny fat" appearance.
Seeing no outward or inward results, I sunk into such a rut I was ready to quit exercising. That was when a friend recommended your ebook.   After only a month-and-a-half of doing the routines diagrammed in your book, my physical appearance has improved dramatically. Not only that, but my endurance has increased to the point that I can handle a full hockey game and not get gassed. In fact, I get stronger as the game goes on. Just that alone was well worth the $40 I spent. 
Following your diet tips has also given me more energy throughout the day. I no longer "crash" halfway through my work day and no longer crave the sugary foods I used to. The belly I have been trying to battle is shrinking by the day. After years of working out, I am only now finally getting compliments for how "toned and ripped" I appear.  
Once again, thanks for giving me that boost I so needed in my workouts and for improving my quality of life. I would (and have) recommended your book to anyone stuck in the same situation as I was just months ago."  
-John Crawford, Collingswood, NJ

You can find more info and frequently asked questions about the Truth about Six Pack Abs package
 

Have a great week! I'll be back soon with more Lean-Body Secrets workout and nutrition tips. Til then,
Don't be lazy...be lean.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Founder - TruthAboutAbs.com
PS - feel free to copy/paste the link to this page to any friends or family that might be interested in these workout ideas

Read More

Tired of the Old 3 Sets of 10-12? Well, So is Your Body!

Break Through Your Plateau by Training Drastically Different… a Look at Training Variables.
by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

Everyone will inadvertently hit a frustrating plateau in their training at one time or another.  You’re cruising along for a while, gaining strength, losing fat, looking better, and then all of the sudden it hits. Suddenly, you find yourself even weaker than before on your lifts, or you find that you’ve gained back a couple of pounds.  It happens to everyone.
Most of the time, these plateaus occur because people rarely change their training variables over time. Many people stick to the same types of exercises for the same basic sets and reps and rest periods with the same boring cardio routine.  Well, I hope to open your mind and bring some creativity to your workouts with this article!
There are many ways that you can strategically modify your training variables to assure that you maximize your fat loss and/or muscle building response to exercise. Most people only think about changing their sets and reps performed, if they even think about changing their routine at all.
However, other variables that can dramatically affect your results are changing the order of exercises (sequence), exercise grouping (super-setting, circuit training, tri-sets, etc.), exercise type (multi-joint or single joint, free-weight or machine based), the number of exercises per workout, the amount of resistance, the base of stability (standing, seated, on stability ball, one-legged, etc.), the volume of work (sets x reps x distance moved), rest periods between sets, repetition speed, range of motion, exercise angle (inclined, flat, declined, bent over, upright, etc), training duration per workout, and training frequency per week.
Sounds like a lot of different training aspects to consider in order to get the best results from your workouts, doesn’t it?  Well, that’s where a knowledgeable personal trainer can make sense of all of this for you to make sure that your training doesn’t get stale.  Below are a few examples to get your mind working to come up with more creative and result producing workouts.
Most people stick to workouts where they do something along the lines of 3 sets of 10-12 reps per exercise, with 2-3 minutes rest between sets.  Booooorrrrring!!!!  Here are a few examples of different methods to spice up your routine.

• Try 10 sets of 3 with a medium weight, resting only 20 seconds between sets.
• Try using a heavier weight and complete 6 sets of 6 reps, doing a 3 minute treadmill sprint between each weight lifting set.
• Try using a near maximum weight and do 10 sets of 1 rep, with 30 seconds rest between sets.
• Try using a lighter than normal weight and do 1 set of 50 reps for each exercise
• Try a workout based on only one full body exercise, such as barbell clean & presses or dumbbell squat & presses, and do nothing but that exercise for an intense 20 minutes.
• Try a circuit of 12 different exercises covering the entire body without any rest between exercises.
• Try that same 12 exercise circuit on your subsequent workout, but do the entire circuit in the reverse order.
• Try your usual exercises at a faster repetition speed on one workout and then at a super-slow speed on your next workout.
• Try completing five 30 minute workouts one week, followed by three 1-hr workouts the next week.
• Try doing drop sets of all of your exercises, where you drop the weight between each set and keep doing repetitions without any rest until complete muscular fatigue (usually about 5-6 sets in a row).

Want more ideas? There are many more ways to continue to change your training variables.
This was just a taste of your possibilities.  In order to see how to incorporate various strategies into effective routines, give the programs in my internationally best-selling ebook
The Truth about Six Pack Abs a try.

Read More