Category Archives: Exercise

Exercise

More about my Wonder Smoothie recipe

I got a really good question about my Wonder Smoothie recipe this morning, one that made me wish I would have included the info right in the original post. The question was:

“I was wondering if you would do a breakdown of your post-workout shake (reason for specific ingredients, e.g. baobab, alkaline water, methylsulfonylmethane, suma root etc.)”

To that effect, here are the main reasons I put each of those ingredients into the mix:

  • Chlorella/Spirulina: detox and protein
  • Mesquite: vitamins, minerals and lysine
  • Gynostemma: strength, endurance, digestion
  • Baobab: antioxidants, vitamins and minerals
  • Suma Root: muscle building, endurance and healing
  • Triphala: digestion and cardiovascular functioning
  • Rose Hip: antioxidant
  • MSM: joint health
  • Coconut Butter: healthy fats, metabolism booster
  • Hemp Seeds: healthy fats, bioavailable protein
  • Sesame Seeds: minerals
  • Alkaline Water: detox and recovery
  • Raw Honey: immunity, healthy sweetener
  • Raw Protein: high quality bioavailable protein from plant sources such as brown rice, pea, hemp, amaranth, quinoa and more

As you can see, my Wonder Smoothie is packed full of goodness to nourish the body, help it heal after workouts and support its growth.

I have to tell though, if you don’t get the recipe right, it’s going to taste awful. So play with the recipe until you get it to the point where you can drink this and then always make it the same way.

Drink the smoothie right away after making it — this isn’t one of those drinks that keeps for hours. It spoils after a half hour. And don’t drink it too often, otherwise you’ll tire of its taste and won’t want it anymore. Once or twice a week is enough.

Here’s to your health and continued growth!

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Exercise

A high-rep back workout

I wanted to share a video from a recent back workout with you (it’s from this past Saturday). I know I haven’t posted workout videos in a few months, so that was one of the reasons I made this video. Another was to show you what a high-rep workout looks like. The popular opinion is that you need to lift heavy with fewer reps in order to work the muscle and put on mass, but that’s not true. You can also go for higher reps at 50-60% of your max, focus on form, proper contraction and extension, go for the pump and you’ll still work the muscle beautifully (two days later I’m still sore) and still put on mass.

What happens when you focus on heavy workouts is two things: you run the risk of injuries constantly because when you’re constantly at the limit, you don’t know what’s going to give (a joint, a muscle, a bone) and second, you will over-exert yourself and over-train. Some people say there’s no such thing as over-training. There is. You can recognize the symptoms easily: lack of power, lack of energy, hitting plateaus frequently, extreme fatigue and soreness after workouts, desire to sleep constantly, injuries (small or serious ones) and so on.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should never do heavy workouts. But it pays to alternate, to do a few heavy workouts until you feel you’re reaching your training limits, then step back and focus on lighter workouts at anywhere from 40% to 80% of your 1-2 rep max on each exercise. How do you know when to step back? You need to listen to your body. As long as you’re feeding it and resting it properly, it’ll give you the proper feedback and results.

A third reason I wanted to make this video was to show my progress. I posted this photo a couple of weeks ago but a video shows how far I’ve come much better. If you still can’t see it, you need to look at one of my early workout videos, like this one for example.

Alright, here’s the video and the workout routine is below:

  • 5 sets of pull-ups: as many as you can on each set, start with palms forward, wide-grip, do as many as you can then switch grip to palms toward you, shoulder-width or so and again do as many as you can to finish the set.
  • 4 sets of T-bar rows: 50-60% of your 1-2 rep max, 20-25 reps per set.
  • 4 sets of close-grip pull-ups: use a parallel grip and pull some extra weight for some of the sets, do as many reps as you can on each set.
  • 4 sets of deadlifts: 40-50% of your 1-2 rep max, 20-25 reps per set.
  • 5 sets of standing high cable rows: this is an exercise I’ve adapted from Athlean-x, who does it with dumbbells attached with rubber bands to a power rack. I did it with handles and a chain attached to a cable and pulleys, works just as well.
  • 4 sets of seated wide-grip pull-downs: 40-50% of your 1-2 rep max, 20-25 reps per set.

Hope this helps you!

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Exercise

Year-end progress report

I thought it’d be worthwhile to take a photo from December 2012 and put it side-by-side with a photo taken this month (December 2013).

Bodybuilding Progress 2012-2013

If you’ll remember from a previous post, I am a raw foodist. I was also slowed down for a couple of months by an ankle fracture which required two surgical interventions. And yet, this was my progress. I’m satisfied with it.

I plan to grow even more. There are certain measurements I want to reach. I am so glad I started bodybuilding again.

Here’s a triptych where I included a shot taken in March of this year.

Bodybuilding Progress Triptych 2012-2013

Happy New Year!

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Exercise

A killer 8-hour arm workout

Edited 4/9/24: I’ve been getting a steady stream of traffic to this post and I thought I’d post an update. The video featuring Rich Piana has been made private and can’t be watched anymore. If you’re here for the video, sorry. Whoever’s controlling his YT channel at this point made that decision. At least you still have the infographic that I made.

I’d like to show you a marathon 8-hour arm workout that is not for the weak of heart (or body). If you think that this is too grueling, too taxing, or that it can’t be done without steroids, then do not do it. For those of you that do end up doing it, be prepared to stop when your body tells you it can’t go on. Listen to your body! It’s one thing to push through a plateau or to go on when you’re tired, and it’s quite another to tear a muscle or a ligament in a misguided search for vain glory at the gym.

We all reach certain stages in our workout routines when we need to shock the body and this workout will definitely do the trick — if you can get through it, and most people can’t. I couldn’t. I tried it and got through five hours of it before I had to call it quits.

You’ll understand it best once it’s explained to you in the video I’ve embedded below [which has since become unavailable]. The bodybuilder in the video, named Rich Piana, published all sorts of informative bodybuilding videos in the years before he passed away, possibly due to his overuse of steroids. At least he was open about his usage, unlike (virtually) all other pro bodybuilders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_rb0FMJ3E4

Following the instructions in the video, I made an infographic, a guide to help you out. Just print it out and you’ll be set.

Remember, stop this workout when you feel you can’t go on. This is an insane amount of work for your arms and if you don’t heed the signs, you may end up with a torn ligament or muscle.

8-hour Arm Workout
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Exercise

Chest and Back Workout

This past weekend, I recorded portions of a chest and back workout I did. It marked an important point in my plan to add muscle mass. During the past month, I’ve started to feel the pump during my workouts. A pump, for those who are uninitiated, is a feeling of well-being, of swollen muscles that occurs during your workout. It’s a great motivator and it helps with the pain one normally feels during the sets. You don’t get a pump unless theres a certain amount of muscle mass on your body. In other words, you could be working out for years and still not get a pump unless your muscle mass grows to a certain point where every time you work out, you start to feel your muscles grip your bones like armor plating. It’s pretty nice. Getting the pump is a mile marker, it means you’re well on your way. So it’s good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ld0mLy1dyqY

Enjoy the video!

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