Redefining boundaries

The come back

2012-01-10T23:19:00.000+08:00

It has been 6 months since I left this blog totally untouched.

And for the past 6 months, I did no lifting whatsoever.

Truth be told, I've lost the motivation to lift. Why? Because, ironically, I was making so much progress within a span of a month that I wanted to lift more for more progress but I simply couldn't, and then I didn't want to.

The 3 reasons were:

- I was only able to lift during the weekends
- I spent half of my weekends lifting and the other half resting, which had affected my social life and I had to put a stop to my obsession with lifting (and then I spent more time hanging out)
- I was only able to lift during the weekends because I was still scouting for a job then and didn't have the funds for a gym membership

And then I stopped blogging. And then I stopped managing MPG, a page which I had initially spent so much time on trying to popularize powerlifting in Malaysia.

But never had I had any plans to stop powerlifting. The loss of motivation was just a temporary set-back; in fact, it's a pretty huge set-back for me as I've physically degenerated into my old, former scrawny self. Don't be surprised if I told you that I only ate 2 meals a day, some days.

Those days, from today henceforth, are over because I finally own my own gym membership (which took me aeons to get one). I'm gonna start lifting again tomorrow.

For personal motivation purposes, I'm going to attach a video of me deadlifting 110kg for 5's at a body weight of 61-62kg last June. I've to admit that the form wasn't perfect as my hips were a little too low and used too much lower back power instead of hip drive. Could've one-rep-maxed a 122kg pull but didn't do so as I didn't and still don't have a proper lifting belt. I did however attempted 130kg rack pulls for 5's, which felt pretty awesome for a supplementary work after a 5x5 routine.

There's plenty for me to catch up, definitely.

Magic number 5

2011-06-06T21:09:00.004+08:00

Five is a really magical number in lifting. If you've been or are currently on a 5x5 program, you would know what I mean. Ever since switched to 5x5 and started lifting five times a week, I've been setting PRs every week - that's the power of 5x5. Though, I'm not too naive enough to think that this linear progression will go on with no end. Things will get tougher every week as I progress, and it's important that I get well rested so that I'm mentally and physically prepared for heavier weights. Gotta delay all possible plateaus for as long as possible.

Physical preparedness is done at home, ie. getting well rested and eating sufficiently; mental preparedness is done in the gym. I've got to admit that I sometimes wish I have a training buddy to give me back slaps (or face slaps, really!) to get me all amped up. Sadly, I've yet to come across any like-minded gym goer who can kick me in the ass when I'm feeling like crap or begging for mercy. Ever since I started strength lifting, I've been doing it alone. It's not really tough, but it would be a real sweet bonus to get kicked and slapped once in every while. Slapping myself would look way too awkward, and how the heck am I supposed give myself back slaps?

-

Today's a squat day, and I just had the most intense session, ever (bolded, underlined, italized, colored & size-upped, rawr!). You know you've been given a taste of hell when pain follows you in just whatever you're doing, whether it's standing or sitting or not doing anything at all - that's what squatting in hell feels like. My ass and hips felt so painful that I cannot alleviate the pain no matter what I do (it's not an injury, mind you). Add that to the fact that I had to cycle back home from the gym, going uphill wasn't really a pleasant experience; I think I just sunk into the second layer of hell at that moment. Yes, my pre-workout and post-workout cardio - cycling to the gym and back.

If what I'm currently squatting already feels like
hell, I wonder how would 300kg feels like?

But well, through the pain comes the gain, in lifting that is. And every second spent squatting heavy is worth it for the progress. I really hope I can reach my target goal of a minimum 140kg for the deadlift, 130kg for the squat and 90kg for the bench press by the end of the year. I would be so happy that I'd most likely shit in my pants if I score 150kg, 140kg and 100kg respectively.

Let's see how this works out.

The first week after the break always sucks

2011-05-25T21:03:00.003+08:00

I hate training breaks.

I know that it's essential to lay off from training once in awhile but every time I get back to training, my form is crap and this week is no exception. It's as if I've forgotten how to deadlift or squat. Poor muscle memory? Well, to be fair (to myself), my form wasn't abysmal but it wasn't on par either. It still sucks. The good news or rather the normality is that the following weeks will be better. Can't wait to get over with the current week.

As for training, I recently purchased a Fitness First 30-day pass for RM30 and will get to train 6 days a week. The following is my temporary workout plan for the next 30 days:

Monday - Heavy squat, 120%RM static holds

Tuesday - Heavy bench press, 120%RM static holds

Wednesday - Heavy deadlift, and maybe rack holds at 120%RM. Rack pulls will tax my CNS too much on a heavy day so that's a big no-no. Still undecided on the rack holds though.

Thursday - Light squat, light bench press

Friday - Light deadlift

Saturday - Light squat, light bench press

My squats and bench presses are weak so the additional light work sets are needed to improve form. For static holds, I'm doing no more than 3 sets, no more than 8 seconds per set. I'm not competing, but I'd like to play with the overloads to see how they will help with my training.

Seriously, I can't wait to get stronger.. and bigger. I'm looking to gain another 9kg within a 12-month period, without the help of a weight gainer this time. So, next year, this time, will I weigh 70kg?

I wonder.

Malaysian Powerlifting Group

2011-05-11T16:35:00.001+08:00

I've created the Malaysian Powerlifting Group page on FaceBook.

Want to find out more about it? Click on the 'Malaysian Powerlifting Group' tab above.

The good kind of pride

2011-04-28T02:09:00.004+08:00

I was just looking through some of the Dr. Hatfield's pictures on Facebook which he uploaded, mostly old ones during his earlier days as an active powerlifter. For those of you who don't know who Dr. Hatfield is, he is also known as Dr. Squat, the co-founder of the International Sports Sciences Association. In his earlier years, some of Dr. Hatfield's more notable contributions to the fitness community consist of the zig zag diet and the ABC bodybuilding program. What's most impressive is that he earned the nickname Dr. Squat when he squatted a whopping 1,014lbs (460.9kg) at the bodyweight of 220lbs (100kg), which is 4.6x his own bodyweight.

During the time in which he pulled off that impressive feat, he was only in his 40s; he is currently 69 this year. Speaking of his pictures, I get a feeling that he takes huge pride, the good kind of pride, when he looks back at the old pictures and talks about them. I know that I'd like to feel such pride when I grow into my golden years, to look back at all of the great achievements I did (or about to do) in these younger days. It's a sort of pride that I know I'll live with along the remainder of my years, and something that I'd also take to my grave when the time comes.

The glorious image above fronts the magazine cover of an old Powerlifting U.S.A. issue after Dr. Hatfield succeeded in his 1,000lbs squat. Dr. Hatfield had a similar picture on his FaceBook page, and it reminded me that life is too short to spend my limited time belittling my own potential. I once set a 200kg life time goal for both the squat and deadlift because I thought that it was naive to set the bar any higher than that. But as the saying goes: the sky is the limit. In truth, as ironic as it may sound, I was actually being naive thinking that I couldn't do better.. much better.

I know better now.

Get creative with bodyweight workouts

2011-04-24T01:20:00.003+08:00

DIY tools and equipments

2011-04-22T11:07:00.014+08:00

Back in the days when I was still actively drumming, I was a pretty active member of a certain drummers forum. Then, there was a post on how to reuse cracked cymbals instead of disposing them. A member of the forum demonstrated how he used a cutter machine to cut off the cracked portion of the cymbal and shaped it into an ice bell, a simple DIY idea of reuse that most people did not think of. Another good DIY example would be on how to make your own suspension trainer at a fraction of the cost instead of paying for about USD$250 or RM1,088 in Malaysia for just straps in a box.

Do a Google or YouTube search and you'll be surprised to find DIY guides on just about almost anything, mostly by westerners. I have always admired the tenacity, the initiative and the willingness to take risks in westerners by building their own version of tools and equipments.

Check out some cool DIY equipments that I came across:

I've decided.. I think

2011-04-21T22:16:00.008+08:00

A year ago, when I was told of how much my friend's cousin was paying for a gym membership in the United States, I was in absolute awe and I wouldn't believe it. I forgot the exact amount, but it was after that time I became skeptical over getting my own personal gym membership locally. Take a look at the gym membership prices in the U.S. that I just found out about.

Comparitively, the price which commercial gyms in Malaysia charge for a membership is pretty ridiculous. My dad, a member of Fitness First, pays about RM170/month. My brother on the other hand is a member of True Fitness and he pays about RM86/month but has to pay the lump sum of two and a half years in advance. Then I came across a non-commercial gym around my living area that charges RM60/month for a 1-year membership subscription - even cheaper, I thought. But when it comes down to the numbers, I believe that hardly any standard gym in the U.S. would charge USD$60/month for a membership.

Besides non-commercial gyms in Malaysia, what totally did not cross my mind was the existence of Gym Rakyats (public gyms). Walk-in customers are charged on a per-entry basis of RM2. If you workout 5 times a week in the Gym Rakyat, you'd spend RM10/week and slightly more than RM40/month - so damned much cheaper compared to commercial gyms. The difference is akin to that of day and night.

Overtraining - should you, or should you not? (and my new training routine)

2011-04-20T23:14:00.022+08:00

I used to think that the same training program can be used for almost as long as forever, but I was dead wrong. The only thing that is constant is change.

But that is not to say that one should change his or her workout program as often as changing between clothes. Now this is important, so listen carefully: although no one training program should be regarded as the 'holy grail', if it works for you, stick to it for as long as it works. If you've started to show signs of plateau, change and switch things up. If the new changes work for you, stick to it until it no longer does and then switch back to the previous training program. It is that simple.

In regards to switching programs back and forth, I'd personally look into the aspect of overtraining. Now, there're different school of thoughts here when it comes to whether should one overtrain, or not. I'd personally suggest that you try both ways.

Here's what I'd personally suggest:

Of bench press and a shoulder problem

2011-04-20T13:43:00.014+08:00

I was at the GNC-Optimum Nutrition event today which was held at the The Curve at Mutiara Damansara. During the Q&As session with the pros, some audiences asked about the bench press and how should they perform it to avoid feeling the pain in the shoulder that they are currently experiencing. They also added that they had paid visits to chiropractors in hopes to remedy the problem but to no avail.

I've experienced a similar problem before, and the pain originated from somewhere between the neck, shoulders and traps. Massaging was of no help as it was really hard to pin-point where the pain was felt - it was somewhere 'deep', close to the neck, shoulders and traps.

Awhile later, I figured out what my problem was.

Take-home messages from Pavel Tsatsouline and Alexander Faleev

2011-04-16T18:02:00.008+08:00

Source: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/12/18/pavel-8020-powerlifting-and-how-to-add-110-pounds-to-your-lifts/

If you are into strength training, then the above article might be of interest to you. The article in Tim Ferris' blog, which was written by Pavel Tsatsouline, talks about Alexander Faleev's training as well as the application of Pareto's Law into strength training.

Here's a list of important points that I've learned from the article. Do keep in mind, however, that the items below are based on strength and powerlifting training, and not training for hypertrophy:

1. ) Don't rush your sets - take longer rest times between sets, ideally 5 minutes or more. Pavel states that "Power loves rest and does not tolerate rushing."

2.) Don't be greedy and never train to failure. Don't attempt a rep if you know that you won't score one. “Save your strength for the next set,” insists Faleev.

3.) Stretch post-workout and get out of the gym.

4.) Give up the additional work. "Get rid of the excesses and just do what is necessary… When you give up the secondary exercises, you will feel that you are not training enough. You will be leaving the gym totally fresh. This is it, the energy for an increase in the load in the basic lifts. This reserve is what will enable you to ‘shoot out of the gate’!", Faleev stressed.

Whether it's a total elimination or partial limitation of the additionals, you should only include exercises that are most conducive towards your strength training goals. Limit the number of workouts you do in a single session (maximum 2), but most importantly, ditch the bicep curls.

I've made changes to my training program based on the above concepts. Prior to this, due to limited access to the gym, I'd cram 3-4 different exercises into a single session which lasts for more than 90 minutes. The result to that is that I'd rush through my sets with little rest in between and I'd end up feeling all drained that the only thing I look forward to after my lifting session is sleep.

I've given the new training program a try and managed to wrap things up iin less than an hour all the time. I stretch post-workout, take my shower and then walk out of the gym feeling refreshed and wanting to do more, which is the way it is supposed to be.

ps. check out another article also by Pavel in Tim's blog about deadlifting

Hiatus

2011-03-25T20:03:00.003+08:00

I've been taking a break off blogging and I won't be blogging anytime soon in the coming weeks. There are tons to blog about, even on the new blog which I've just created not too long ago (which is still void of entries). But work is piling up and I've been traveling a lot lately. Well actually, the amount of traveling is constant but the work load is increasing - I've only had 3 hours worth of night's rest for the last 48 hours. I'm also taking 2-weeks off from training because males are such poor creatures when it comes to dividing our attention.. well, not all, but most of us are.

For those of you who are still lifting, continue to lift hard.

Today's training

2011-03-08T20:52:00.003+08:00

Chin ups

4 sets of 7s
1 set of negatives @ 5 reps - I didn't land properly after each rep, resulting in a painful stress on my left shoulder. Bailed out just 2 reps short of 7 as I didn't want to risk injury.

Dips

4 sets of 7s
1 set of 10s

Sprint/jog

In order:
Slow jogs/warmup @ 1st minute
Sprint @ 70% of max effort for 30 secs (for 3 sets, did 4 yesterday)
Very slow jogs/active rests @ 2 minutes
Repeat until 3 sets have completed
Cool down with brisk walks

Total time sprint/jogged: 8m 30s

The variables here are basically time, intensity and sets, not including distance.

Here're my goals, in order, for the coming weeks:
1.) 4 sets of sprints/session for this week and the next
2.) 5 sets of sprints/session, thereafter, for 2 weeks
3.) 5 sets of 40 secs sprints/session, thereafter, for 2 weeks
4.) 4 sets of sprints at maximum intensity @ 30 secs with 4-minute breaks in between for a week (try out)
5.) We'll see how it goes

Squatting the front squat

2011-03-07T20:25:00.007+08:00

I've always been impressed with people who can perform a heavy set of front squats, with good form of course. Probably it's because you don't see someone who can front squat more than 300kg very often, while there are dozens of lifters out there who can squat and deadlift more than 300kg. Andy Bolton has already set the record by being the first person to deadlift 1000lbs (~454kg), and Lee Moran on the other hand was the first person to squat 1000lbs back in the 1980s.

Will we ever get to see a 1000lbs front squatter anytime soon? Probably.. in the next two decades or so when the front squat becomes a powerlifting sport, which should be in my personal opinion. I mean, why not?

Which brings me to a question. Is the posterior chain actually much stronger than the anterior chain? Are they designed that way? Or is the anterior chain simply just way more underused (and undertrained) compared to the posterior chain? A quick youtube search showed that the current heaviest front squatter does it at 320kg; not even close to 400kg.

While front squatting 320kg is an impressive feat, nothing beats front squatting at 200kg with good form. If you're gonna FRONT SQUAT parallel or above parallel, that isn't going to impress me; it would impress some kids though. I'm pretty particular about form and, well, just as long as it is not bad form, because if you're going to sacrifice form for a crazy amount of weights, you're not going to set a good example to other lifters out there and worst, you're gonna break your back.

But of course, when it comes to anterior chain work, weight lifters benefit the most from the exercise and they have spent a great deal of time perfecting their technique on the front squat to help better their clean and jerk performance. ence it is only natural that they are better at it. Lean weight lifters also have a set of thick abs that they get mostly from compound work. Wouldn't you want real abs like that? I would. In fact, I get most of my ab work done through deadlifts, squats, front squats and pull ups - that's like killing 4 birds with one stone.

Take a look at Konstantine's core. And it ain't
hardcore if you've never bled from deadlifting!

I know some lifters wouldn't bother doing 2 different kinds of squats; they'd just go with the high bar squat - that's it. Me? I'd prefer to work on my anterior and posterior chains separately with 2 separate workouts. It's personal, but I think that's how it should be.

A major training update

2011-03-06T19:28:00.021+08:00

I think I've plateaued.

The lastime I plateaued was when I stuck to the 6x5 training method for months; that was last October/November. The 1RMs helped with multiple breakthroughs, for about a month or 2. My last 1RM deadlift PR was December last year and the 3RM (100kg) record was on January. I was being stupid to attempt 110kg today (I've been setting increments of 10kg ever since I started to include 1RMs into my training). Guess what? You guessed the obvious - it didn't budge. Then I attempted 105kg and I could tell that my CNS was too burnt out from previous lifts because it didn't budge too. I could try to push it if I really wanted to, but why risk the chance of getting a back or hamstring injury?

I've not been progressing through the deadlift.. for months now. It is finally confirmed - that's a green light to make some changes into my current training program. The squat was a different story. Hit 90kg @ 1RM 2 weeks back but ironically I could lift 80kg for 5 reps - a huge difference in weight between the 1RM and 5RM. I feel that 90kg was as far as I can go at the moment if I were to focus on 1RMs. That won't do.

On the front squat, my 1RM is currently at 60kg but I no longer see the point of doing 1-reps because I haven't solidify the smaller numbers ie. getting better at doing 5-6 reps for a few sets, yet (and then there's this whole stability issue). So my focus today was working up to doing 6 sets of 5 (50kg), which I had to water it down to 5 sets of 4 because it felt soooogodamn stressful like how it felt the first time I deadlifted. The fact that I'm front squatting less than my own bodyweight is another harsh reminder that my anterior chain is still. bloody. weak. Gonna attempt 5x5 the next week.. or maybe 5x6. Bench press on the other hand was terribly weak. Not only did it not improve, I've gotten weaker in the lift. In January, I was able to lift 70kg @ 1RM. The present? 60kg @ 3RM. I think the lack of overhead presses, push ups and dips (I've not been consistent with bodyweight workouts these days) may have attributed to the weakness. I'm okay with getting more consistent with bodyweight workouts. Afterall, dips are really going to help with the bench work, a hell lot.

Overhead press? I think I'll let it take the back seat for now - too damned lazy to work on it. Or maybe, just maybe, I might work on the 5-6 rep range just like what I'm currently doing for the front squat. Gah, how I wish I have access to the gym 4 days a week. Better yet, 6 days a week so I can train my deadlift, squat and front squat 2-3x a week. On chin up/pull ups, I think the number of reps I can do pretty much tells about my upper back strength. On the first set if I were to go all out (90% @ deadhang to spare some room for the joints), I can pull off 7-8 reps worth of moderate width pull ups; 10-11 reps worth of chin ups. On the second? I'd get 5 on a good day, but usually 4 reps; 6-7 reps of chin ups. It's evident enough that the upper back has been much neglected in favor of lower body strength as I spend most times working on the posterior and anterior chain. For a change, I'm gonna work on chin up/pull ups 4 times a week. I believe this change will help me reach my goal for the year - 20 solid reps worth of pull ups.

Well, that's pretty much it for an update. It's pretty much to remind myself to work in the 5-6 rep range the following 3-4 weeks and thereafter proceed to sets of 3s the next 3-4 weeks and then finally going back to working on the 1RMs for another 2-3 weeks. I'll be the first to admit that my training has somewhat become linear over the past few months, and it's not a bad thing that I have plateaud because it is times like these that make me realize it's time to review my training program. I think it's time that I start to play around with tempo/speed, techniques (supersets, pauses, static holds etc.), reps and sets instead of only sticking to progressive overloading with weights. Those aside, I came up with a new training program to work on my upper back 4 times a week and also train a total 6 days a week.. and not forgetting to spend less time completing workouts in the gym. That last one - yeah, I'm always guilty about it. It'd be ideal if I can complete my workouts within 60-75 minutes. As a closure for this entry, here's a motivational picture for all you serious lifters out there:

Boundary: redefined, #3.2

2011-02-16T21:08:00.005+08:00

Front squat - 60kg x 1

I'm pretty surprised with my performance last week as I was actually feeling terribly weak through out the CNY weeks. Pretty happy that I got a new front squat PR and that my deadlift and squat numbers remained. Bench press? It was down 10kg. I have no friggin' idea what's with the huge drop in strength.

Well, that's that. I think I have much bigger issues in the front and back squat - sweaty palms. I tried using gloves but it only helps just a little. Thinking of getting some chalk but they aren't allowed in commercial gyms. If I can get rid of the sweat, I'd be able to up the squat and front squat numbers.

Maybe I'll smuggle some chalk in and use some without causing any mess. Hmm..

Boundary: redefined, #3.1

2011-01-22T16:38:00.008+08:00

Bench press - 70kg x 2

That was actually last week's performance and also the only new PR that I've gotten. Can't wait to move up to 80kg. Bench press aside, I only squatted on Saturday and skipped my deadlift, front squat and overhead press session on Sunday because I was feeling very weak the entire week due to lack of sleep. I actually forced myself to squat and bench on Saturday but the burnout was too great that I woke up feeling like utter crap the next day and decided not to lift.

This week's training was fairly okay. I benched and squatted the usual numbers, but was rather weak on the deadlift - the heaviest I did was only single reps with 90kg. I've also spotted a minor error on my deadlifting technique so I might work with lower numbers in the mean time to improve my form.

As for the front squat and overhead press, I'm resetting all PRs that I've achieved thus far. The issue with the front squat was pretty obvious - as the numbers climbed, my form was getting from bad to worst. I figured that I was probably adding too much weight too quickly, and that the bodybuilding/cross-arm version of the front squat wasn't suitable for me as I progressed for some reason. For a change, I front squatted with the conventional stance at a very light weight and placed greater focus on form. It was also an opportunity for me to get my wrists used to the tilt while having the elbows up and parallel to the floor - not something easy to do for front squat beginners like me.

The overhead press on the other hand did not cause that many problems like that of the front squat. The only problem I had was that my lower back can be seen with a pretty serious lordotic curve at 35kg onwards. I might need to drop the weight and slowly work my way up on the press strength. I'm actually not too concerned over the overhead press as it is a secondary work, unlike how I see the squat, deadlift, front squat and bench press.

On an unrelated note, I now have access to a pay-per-entry gym on Thursdays so I get to get an additional day over the week to work on the deadlift, front squat and squat! :D

Three simple, pre-lifting tips

2011-01-12T11:43:00.014+08:00

So you just got home and had a really tiring day at work. The fact that today's a lifting day does not at all make you feel any more better than you are already feeling at the moment. So what do you do? Skip training because you're feeling completely helpless at the moment? Absolutely not!

The following tips that I'm about to share with you have helped me tremendously during lifting days where I feel pretty damned lethargic to lift even a cup. These methods work like magic:

Eat prior to training. Since my ultimate goal in training is to increase overall strength, I can never go to the gym on an empty stomach. If I don't eat enough, my lifts will be undoubtedly weak. 3 slices of wholemeal/wholewheat bread with cheese/butter and a cup of Milo/milk will provide me the calories I need for lifting fuel. I never overeat or bloat myself and then head to the gym for a workout; I usually eat until I'm 60-70% full. Gauge the food intake as well as food choices yourself as everyone is different and what may be filling for me may or may not be as filling for you. I'd usually wait for a good 60-90 minutes before I start lifting. So what do I do while I wait?

Power nap of course! I'd usually wait about 30 minutes after meal before I take a short nap of 15-30 minutes. Any more than that and you're most likely to fall into a state of deep sleep and miss your workout since you are already very much tired to begin with. Use 2 or more alarm clocks to wake you up if you're a deep sleeper (like me). You may not feel instantly refreshed or revitalized the moment you wake up, but most of the time you are guaranteed to feel the gradual rebound of energy.

Drink lots of water prior to training. Nothing much needs to be said about this one. Research has shown that a decrease of just 10% of water level in the body can affect athletic performance, metabolism and focus. Keep yourself well hydrated at all times.

And there you go. Just two very simple pre-training tips that you ever really need; no need for pre-workout supplements. These tips aren't only exclusive to days where you feel all helpless and tired, but will also greatly boost performance on days where you don't feel tired at all.

Boundary: redefined, #3

2011-01-09T19:59:00.015+08:00

To be honest, I got wee bit bored of posting a Boundary: redefined post every week so I think I'll just stick to posting new PRs whenever I get one.

My new PRs for the week:

Saturday

Bench press - 65kg x 3 (attempting 70kg next week)

Squat - 80kg x 2!
*was close to doing good mornings at the 2nd reps though

Overhead press - none

Sunday

Deadlift - 100kg x 3
*attempted 110kg x 1 today for 2 sets. Failed.

Frontsquat - none (this was absolutely horrible. Will explain more in my next post.)

Farmer's walk - ~26 steps with 27.5kg dumbbells for 5 sets

-

I think you may have noticed that I've switched the days which I squat and front squat. The reason is quite simple actually. Both the deadlift and the squat work heavily on the posterior chain. I can spend a good 30-40 minutes on deadlift being the first exercise and when I switch over to the squat, I won't be able to squat at my peak since I've exhausted my posterior chain. DOMs wouldn't be an issue as I almost always get them only 2 days after training.

Speaking of the squat, I was actually ~~quite~~ very happy with the new PR. Before yesterday, I thought that I was squatting correctly, until I stumbled across this video by Mark Rippetoe, which helped me to lift better and stronger. My problem was that I didn't 'sit back' enough to engage more of the hamstrings during the lowering phase and that I also broke at the legs first instead of the hips during the lifting phase. It would really help if there's a coach to train me, or if I can have someone to record my performance so that I can review it later and make corrections. This other video gave me a better idea of how it should be done with bars and weights. I think Mark Rippetoe was fantastic in describing the squat.

As for the deadlift, I find it easier to pull off at 100kg now, and it is that fact that prompted me to stack another 10kg worth of plates onto the bar. I did manage to lift 110kg to lockout, only to realize that the bar was slipping out from my left palm at that point. It wasn't sweaty or anything. I then tried lifting with the hook grip, but as I was new to the technique coupled with the fact that I was using a thicker bar than usual and couldn't make use of the hook grip in proper, the same thing happened. The problem was clear - my left arm's grip is weak, and if this problem persists I know that I will have a hard time progressing.

Of course, I couldn't let that happen. Instantly, I thought up of a solution - trading off the bicep curls with the farmer's walk. I did that after the front squats and I absolutely loved it, as it not only works on the forearm but also the core; I'm a big fan of core strength work.

All in all, the weekend workout was awesome for me. I'll be coming back stronger than ever.

Why I hate buffets

2011-01-08T23:39:00.006+08:00

Buffets. Everytime I have buffet/steamboat/BBQ/eat-all-you-want dinners, I always end up with diarrhea the next day. I'm starting to think that I've got a bad digestive system.

I was down with diarrhea last week after a Christmas buffet dinner (brother's treat) but was still fine to train on Sunday. And then it got worst on Monday. It was so bad that I had to skip my weekdays training. That, plus the fact that I couldn't eat as much as I usually would and had limited food choices to prevent the stomach from further upset. I lost 1kg of muscle that week. *whinewhinewhinelikewtf*

Continued training on New Year's day (happy new year by the way) but only with seated dumbbell shoulder presses, chin ups and pull downs instead of the usual regime because I was training in a hotel gym (they only have dumbbells and machines). I was also weak, so that explains the watered down version of my regular regime. Resumed training the following day and felt utterly weak and helpless with every lift I make; only did deadlifts and squats at 5 reps tops with lower weights than usual. It was one of the worst Sunday training sessions. Ever.

Today was different though. Strength came back and I got a new squat PR (will update later). It was ecstatic, I tell you. My only complaint was that I was weak with the chin ups. Gonna deadlift, front squat and do some arm work tomorrow.

Retiring for the night now. *yawns*

New year's resolutions?

2010-12-29T21:04:00.006+08:00

To be honest, I'm pretty sick of seeing new year's resolutions (NYR) written all over the internet - Facebook, Twitter and blogs. I have the perception that almost 90% of these 'public declarations' are individual whims that stem from a sudden surge of wishful, hopeful, positive thinking. Or, maybe it's just a fun new year's thing to do, to hop on the NYR bandwagon at the end/start of every year. Pretty fad-like, I think.

I don't make NYRs; I make a lists of wants.

Here's a simple list of things that I want (fitness-related) to achieve by the end of 2011:

- I want to have my own personal gym membership by the next half of the following year.

- I want to be able to deadlift 2.5x my bodyweight by the end of the next year.

- I want to be able to squat at least 2x my bodyweight by the end of the next year.

- I want to be able to bench and front squat 1.5x my bodyweight by the end of the next year.

- I want to be able to lay down 20 reps worth of pull-ups and 30 reps worth of bodyweight dips.

- I want to get rid of the obvious layers of abdominal fat. I'm not looking to get slabs of rock hard 6-packs, but as long as my ab muscles can be seen, that'd be a real sweet bonus.

- I want to join more 10K marathons and finish them at better timings.

- I'd *like* to try rock-climbing.

I think these wants are pretty alright; not too far fetched or unrealistic to achieve. I'm pretty confident to nail down at least 80% of them.

Boundary: redefined, #2.1

2010-12-24T19:59:00.014+08:00

Here's an (late) update of last week's work done. Performance wasn't good enough for this post to be labeled a '#3'.

- Saturday -

Bench press

20kg x 10
30kg x 8
40kg x6
50kg x3
60kg x3
70kg x 0 - FAIL (a little too ambitious here..)
65kg x 2 (PR), x1
55kg x5, x4 (sub-par form)

Overhead press

15kg x 10
20kg x 8
25kg x 6
30kg x 3
35kg x 3
40kg x 3
45kg x 1, 2 sets (PR)

Front Squat

20kg x 10
25kg x 6
30kg x 6
40kg x 3
45kg x 3
50kg x 3
55kg x 1, 3 sets (PR)
40kg x 5

Chin ups

4 sets of 10s

- Sunday -

Powerlifting squat

20kg x 10
30kg x 6
40kg x 6
50kg x 3
60kg x 3
70kg x 1, 2 sets - no breakthrough
50kg x 5, 3 sets

Deadlift

20kg x 10
40kg x 6
50 kg x 6
60kg x 3
70kg x 3
80kg x 3
90kg x 2
100kg x 1, 2 sets - no breakthrough

*Bad performance here. At 90kg my lifts were sub-par. At 100kg, I rounded my back.

Bodyweight dips and biceps curls

4 sets of supersets

What it truly means to be healthy

2010-12-17T11:56:00.012+08:00

Eat right, rest right, exercise on a consistent basis - if you're interested in living a healthy lifestyle, that's the most basic advice you'd get, firsthand.

But I've got a question: even if you get all 3 of the above right, are you considered healthy? Technically, you are, but only physically healthy.

Health, consist of both physical and mental/emotional health and you'd only be getting it half-right if you are physically healthy. I'm saying this because I'm living through some really tough and challenging times that wears me out mentally that I silently scream in pain and agony. I call this phase of my life grief, and it is affecting me physically as well.

Anyway, let's take look at how a mentally/emotionally weak and unhealthy mind can affect one's body:

Rest

The good habit: I've recently acquired the habit of sleeping before 12 a.m. these days, and my sleeping time is usually between 11 a.m. - 11.30 a.m.

The problem: Two days ago, I went to bed at 11 a.m. but only managed to slip into sub-consciousness an hour later. Prior to that, my mind was clouded with problems like resilient parasites that I find so ungodly hard to shake off. I was also sweating in bed for that reason.

Nutrition

The good habit: I've acquired the habit of eating at least 5 meals a day on a timely manner.

The problem: My appetite can be so bad that not only I don't feel like eating, but any food ingested feels like it was force-fed that I feel like throwing up thereafter. It's also one of the reasons why I delay my meal time until my appetite gets better so I can eat normally.

Exercise

The good habit: I weight-train at least 4 times a week, run at least 3 times a week and get enough of proper rests.

The problem: It begins when the supposed DOMS feel like sharp pains, as if I've gotten an injury from training when I did not. Then I'd feel all lousy and drained when I did not even overtrain to begin with - these aren't the usual overtraining training symptoms. I've got no choice but to skip training in such a condition.

-

As you can see from the above, my mental/emotional health is really affecting my physical performance in all 3 aspects of the basic health advice. It really goes to show that if a person wishes to be truly healthy, he/she needs to have a balance of both a healthy mind and body as they can have profound effects on one another when the balance is broken.

Boundary: redefined, #2

2010-12-13T11:59:00.011+08:00

I named this blog Redefining Boundaries for a very good reason, and it is that very same reason that makes me write a Boundary: redefined blog post every week.

The weekend workout wasn't fun at all because I didn't get quality sleep prior to Saturday and Sunday. Surprisingly, that factor did not really affect my performance, particularly Sunday - the deadlift and squat day.

- Saturday -

Bench press

20kg x 10
30kg x 6
40kg x6
50kg x3
60kg x 3, 2 sets - No breakthrough, yet again
50kg x 5, x 6

*There is always a lingering fear that this might happen to me (OUCH!). I was pretty weak at the bench rack the other day. It was pretty hard to lift the bar off the higher-tier rest at 60kg 3RM as I felt a slight pain and weakness at my left upper back/shoulder/rotator cuff - don't exactly know where the pain originated. Managed to get the bar off on the first set but I had to start at the lower-tier rest for my second set. No attempts of 1RMs made as I didn't want to push my luck.

Overhead press

15kg x 10
20kg x 8
25kg x 6
30kg x 3
35kg x 3
40kg x 1, 2 sets
40kg x 2 (PR)
30kg x 5, 2 sets

Front Squat

15kg x 10
20kg x 6
25kg x 6
30kg x 3
35kg x 3
40kg x 3
45kg x 3, 2 sets
50kg x FAIL
50kg x 1 (PR)
40kg x 5, 2 sets

*The first attempt on 1RM was a huge FAIL - went all the way down and the bar started rolling off my delts. Somehow, I was too slow to notice that and when I stood up (stupid), it was about to roll off my elbows this time. But I haz quik reflexes - I rolled back to the squat rack and rerack the bar before it could come off my hands completely. The second 1RM attempt was somewhat a success, though I have to admit that the form was sub-par. My form was still alright during the initial lift off but I was leaning forward past the mid-way point and even at the top. Gotta constantly remind myself to keep the elbows high up all the time.

Post-workout cardio

No cardio work.. again. I forgot why I didn't hop on the threadmill.

- Sunday -

Deadlift

20kg x 10
40kg x 6
50 kg x 6
60kg x 6
70kg x 3
80kg x 3
90kg x 3
100kg x 1, 3 sets (PR!!!)
80kg x 3

*I was ecstatic! I finally hit my first 3-digit (in kilograms) PR on the deadlift, which is also my heaviest lift among other exercises to date! There's a personal standard that I set for myself when it comes to the deadlift and squat - if I'm lifting anything lower than 100kg for any of these exercises, I'm terribly weak; if I'm lifting 100kg and above but below 2x my body weight, I'm fairly weak; if I'm lifting 2x my bodyweight and above but below 2.5x my bodyweight, I'm average; if I'm lifting 2.5x my bodyweight but below 3x my bodyweight, I'm better than average; if I'm lifting 3x my bodyweight, I'm fairly strong. That puts my deadlift under 'fairly weak' and my squat under 'terribly weak'. There's more work that needs to be done.

Powerlifting squat

20kg x 10
30kg x 8
40kg x 6
50kg x 3
60kg x 3
70kg x 1, 2 sets (PR)
50kg x 3, 3 sets

*Squatting is.. not easy. The attempt on 1RMs was only so-so; legs were already tired at that point but I decided to push it. That was also one reason why I used a lot of my lower back to assist with the lift.

Bodyweight dips and biceps curls

Supersets of 5 x 8s

Post-workout cardio

I've decided to take cardio off the plan for Sundays as it requires at least 90 minutes to get all the above work done.

-

Pretty satisfied with my performance last week. 1RMs do help a lot with breakthroughs (I swear by them now), but I should also be working more with lower weights and higher reps of 3-5s. The reason for this is to strengthen the lighter weight lifts, as neglecting them creates a higher risk of injuries at a much heavier weight (like the 1RM, but not limited to).

ps. More than 4-months ago, I created my own 2-day, full body workout regimen and someone asked whether would it actually work. Technically, it does work especially well for beginners, but not so much for advanced lifters. I reviewed the regimen again months later and came out with a revised version of it that's still being continually revised even till today. Due to limited access to the gym, I have no choice but to work my ass off during the weekend where it'd take me about 4-5 days to fully recover; many people I know squat and deadlift 2-3x a week and they'd do so in a manner that allows them to recover for their subsequent sessions. My progress for the past 2 weeks is proof that the new regimen does indeed work. However, do bear in mind that I'm training for strength instead of size with the exception of abs and biceps.

Boundary: redefined, #1

2010-12-05T16:30:00.022+08:00

Training sessions were awesome these 2 days as I was able to hit new numbers in the gym. They aren't big numbers, but it's still an achievement.

I recorded the training outcome in the gym, and you can find a reproduced version of it below.

(Got this idea from fellow friend and blogger, Kirksman who writes at lifthard.com)

- Saturday -

Bench press

20kg x 8
30kg x 8
40kg x6
50kg x3
60kg x 3, 3 sets (Not a PR)
50kg x 5, 2 sets

*A year ago I was able to pull off 60kg at 6-7 reps, with the help of creatine. I've come off from creatine for months now. Looking to pull it off at 70kg the next week; it may end up as a 1RM though. And the thing about bench press is that if you fail to pull it off, you will get squished. Anyone wants to be my spotter?

Front Squat

10kg x 10
15kg x 6
20kg x 3
30kg x 3
40kg x 3, 3 sets (PR?)
30kg x 5, 2 sets

*This is my first serious attempt for front squats. Very small numbers. Very weak 3RMs. "An indication of very weak quads", in Kasey's words. The front squat can also be a little challenging at a heavier weight as the bar has a tendency of sliding off the front deltoids. Takes some effort to keep the elbows up high to prevent that from happening.

Overhead press

10kg x 8
15kg x 6
20kg x 3 (identifying 3RM..)
25kg x 3 (not there yet..)
30kg x 3 (still not there..)
35kg x 3, 3 sets (finally!.. PR?)
30kg x 5, 2 sets

*This one's in a little bit of a mess as I was trying to identify my 3RM. Also my first serious attempt. Kinda underestimated meself I think. Hopefully I can hit 40kg the next week. Also, you may have noticed that the increments come in 5kgs instead of 10kgs. It's not easy to pull off 10kgs increments when it comes to overhead presses.

Post-workout cardio

None. Because I was lazy.

- Sunday -

Deadlift

20kg x 10
40kg x 6
50 kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 3
80kg x 3, 3 sets
90kg x 1, 2 sets (PR!)
50kg x 5, 2 sets

*A week ago, I was only doing 5 x 6s at 75kg. Now, my 1RM PR is 10kgs away from a 3-digit, heh! Took a hugeee breath in for that one. Fried my lower back at the end of set..

Powerlifting squat

12.5kg x6
20kg x 6
30kg x 6
40kg x 3
50kg x 3
60kg x 1, 2 sets (PR)
50kg x 3, 2 sets
40kg x 4
40kg x 6 (6, because it was supposed to be 5 reps the previous set..)

*The powerlifting squat uses so much more of the lower back to lean the torso forward, keep it straight from rounding and balance the bar at the rear deltoids; it wasn't a good thing that my lower back got fried from deadlifting. This forces me to engage more of my abs to aid my lower back for support. Taking in large amounts of air helped prior to lift helped too. Again, my squats were small numbers but I have a new PR at 60kg. Doesn't look right, does it? No? Scroll back up to see how much I can bench, then scroll back down to see my PR - I can bench more than I squat. Not good, not good at all.

Bodyweight dips

5 sets x 8

Post-workout cardio, abs and obliques work

None. All the above took me 90 minutes to complete, and I couldn't allow my body to go into further stress. I did some ab work when I was squatting and deadlifting, anyway.

-

All the work done each exercise is 40 reps or more - it's somewhat a standard that I set for myself. I might also need to include 1RMs in my routine as I've read they are great for pushing through boundaries.

Also have to read up more on potentiation and greasing the groove and how they can help for my routines.. Hmm..

Are you a hard gainer?

2010-12-04T16:24:00.014+08:00

I've been a hard gainer myself for years now. I stand at 174cm tall but weigh only a measly 62kg (136.4 lbs) and I've been staying at that weight for some while now. A huge contributing factor to my current weight actually comes from my daily caloric intake, which has always been pretty much consistent throughout the year - I'm an eat-to-live kinda guy, most times. I'm such a hard gainer that even when I don't exercise and don't watch what I eat on a consistent basis, I still weigh the same. The difference? Is that I only appear differently in the mirror than how I used to - I simply look fatter.

The popular Muscle Juice by
Ultimate Nutrition

One day, 2 years back when I was still underweight at about 56-57kg, I decided that I'd want to gain as much weight as I can in the shortest time and so I ramped up my food intake. It then came to a point where I had some extra money to spend, and I spent them on weight gainers. And now I can gain weight in no time, I thought. In about 2 months, my weight jumped to 67kg - I've gained muscles along with lots of fats. Getting the gainer was a decision that I regret making till this very day.

A weight gainer, as I perceive it, is a supplement that provides a short-cut to weight gain in bodybuilding. The ads and packaging of weight gainer products can be really eye-catching and beckoning to a skinny individual looking to grow some size, but unlike the muscularly ripped and cut men depicted in the ad posters, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but you will not end up looking like them. Oh, gain muscles you will, but you will gain just as much fat that will form part of your new weight.

Nutritional content of the
Muscle Juice 2544

When it comes to weight gainers, what you should know is that they are actually a mix of protein (whey), lots of carbs (usually sugars) and fats which equate to hugeee amount of calories in the mix. Protein is always important when it comes to muscle building, while carbs are of less importance unless you are bulking up - high G.I. carbs are especially important if you have a specific program such as the ABC program. While it is good advice that you do not avoid all fats (except trans fat), you shouldn't be adding more fat than necessary in your diet on purpose. If you really need a weight gainer, you can make one yourself at a fraction of a price - buy a box of whey protein, some household sugar and mix them together. That way, you can not only cut cost, but also decide on how much protein, carbs and calories you want in a serving.

Now, if you have been paying too much attention to the numbers on the weighing scale, I suggest you kick that habit - I was once like that, thinking that I don't weigh enough and tried to gain weight the improper way. On the other hand, people are often misled that if they lose weight, they will end up looking slim and slender. That's not likely to happen because weight gain is the cause of muscle weight gain OR fat weight gain OR muscle and fat weight gain. If you find it hard to gain weight like I do, forget about gaining weight and focus on balancing your body fat and muscle ratio - by cutting fat and building muscle. If you can get your body fat level down to 6-8%, you wouldn't even bother about the weight anymore, let alone gaining weight. And the best tool to monitor your bodyfat level? The ever reliable mirror. You don't need electronic body fat monitor devices to do the job. They aren't accurate anyway most times and are a waste of money. What about the weighing scale? It's good to keep one at home and weigh yourself every 6 months or so, but it simply gives you the numbers on your weight - that's about it. It is not an ideal tool to measure your body fat percentage.

Well, my advice to all the hard gainers is this - never, ever take the short-cut to gain weight. If you're light and thin, it's really better if you gain mass gradually with exercise and proper nutrition. It's not easy to lose fat once you get them in areas you don't want them to be in. Take my word for it.

Ways to improve grip strength

2010-11-09T01:01:00.012+08:00

There was a time when I find it pretty hard to improve the strength of my grip, as well as pack on some size on both my forearms. I often read advices that tell people to squeeze whatever you're holding onto as hard as you can in every lift to work on forearms; I did that, but nothing changed. Another important advice which I now find useful was to do the deadlift, but back then I had a programming error problem as I did not include the deadlift, pull-up and squat in my routine.

Determined to get the best of both worlds - both strength and size, I decided to spend time doing dumbbell/barbell wristcurls as well as the reverse version of them. I gained some size with the exercises, but it did nothing for grip strength. Today, I realized that wrist curls are a waste of time. I'm not saying that they are entirely useless, but the time spent doing wristcurls in the gym can be spent doing something more productive.

I have actually become more of a functional strength first, looks second kind of person, so I was always looking for ways to increase my grip strength. I was reminded of the hand exercise grips when I read about the Captains of Crush, and thereafter proceeded to get myself a pair of deluxe hand exercise grips - for only RM12, which is a dirt cheap, good investment. They have since then helped tremendously as my forearms don't really jerk like how I used to when it comes to lifts that demands much of grip strength and stability. They especially helped with lifts that require one to leave the bar at a hang position, albeit the deadlift or the upright barbell row. I actually have future plans on going for the adjustable hand exercise grips which tension can be adjusted to up to 50 lbs.

The hand exercise grips are big time savers as you can exercise your grip strength anytime, anywhere, and everyday at your own convenience. It is an effective, simple tool which is pretty affordable.

Aside from hand exercise grips, there are also many other methods to boost grip strength. The Farmer's Walk (picture above) is a traditional strong man event/exercise that demands tremendous forearm and core strength. Participants are required to hold huge heavy weights (kettlebells, barbells, anvils, slabs of concrete etc.) on each hand and walk as far as they possibly could. This really looks interesting and I've yet to try it out.

Rock climbing is also a very good exercise to train not only grip and forearm strength, but also helps to build a strong core and upper back. A friend of mine who rock climbs told me that he got his six pack and strong forearms from rock climbing instead of gym workouts.

Placing Fat Gripz on the bar of a barbell or dumbbell is another way to get bigger forearms. Though I have not personally used them before, it's common sense that the Fat Gripz would work as intended - a larger, thicker surface demands more work for palms to hold and secure bars in place. You can probably make one yourself if you have the right materials to do so as it doesn't look too hard to make.. I think.

The grip strength is never to be overlooked as it can seriously (srsly) help with all forms of lifts from bench pressing, deadlifting, pull-ups, to dipping. A stronger grip is also capable of keeping wrists straight when lifting, preventing them from possible injuries. I think that it is one of the fundamental aspects of strength which one should place the highest priority in improving.

Simple, yet awesome

2010-11-08T18:12:00.026+08:00

I'm feeling rather creative this day and I am also in luck to have found a sturdy, empty box of SciVation Whey 10lbs, which thankfully wasn't disposed of yet. Somehow, I knew in my gut feeling that the box would prove to be really useful, though I didn't know how it would serve me, at least not until today.

More than 2 years ago, I bought a pair of 6kg (13.2lbs) Kettler dumbbells which I still use today for some high reps, maintenance workout once in every while. They are the heaviest acrylic dumbbells which I could find in my area at the time.

Found this box lying around in the front porch of my house and it reminded me of the original dumbbell box, and how I could house my current dumbbells into this box, fashioning it into a ghetto plate (some sort). As you can see, the box was heavily fortified with duct tapes in hopes to slow the process of wear and tear.

The dumbbells fit really well inside the box, with some additional space on the top that can be filled with some rags or newspapers to prevent them from shifting about from within when being used.

Added four 'flap locks' to secure the top cover and prevent the weights from falling out of the box. They hold really well!

Take a look at the pictures below to see what I can do with the 12kg (26.2lbs) weight:

This was what I initially wanted to use the
'ghetto plate' for..

But then this came into mind.. (it's pretty stable at
my back FYI.. and I know that my entire body
wasn't straight in line)

And then there was the bi-lateral
front delt raises..

And the bi-lateral triceps extensions..

Wide-legged deadlifts..

Squats!

And when tied with strings..

It makes side bends possible

Oh, I can also do some bicep curls with them. No picture for that one.

-

Simple design, yet so awesome. They aren't very heavy though when it comes to squats and deadlifts, but I could at least get some work done when I need to.

If you have any other ideas on what else I can do with the ghetto plate, do let me know at the comments section below.

The perfect dipping spot

2010-11-08T13:06:00.012+08:00

Just minutes back I was scoping the entire house for a suitable spot to do bodyweight dips, and I haz found one!

Puurrrrfect for dips, eh? Except that I got to do it with my wrists bent, but whatever. Better than paying to get a dip apparatus of some sort.

I actually found a better spot upstairs, and I'll let the pictures below explain why I wouldn't want to dip there.

I actually did some dips of death here at this spot and it scared the heck out of me. It wasn't so much of falling to my death that I was afraid of but more of..

.. falling and not dying.

The perfect waist

2010-10-18T18:55:00.013+08:00

There's always a certain degree of sex appeal in our eyes when it comes to the human waist, be it that of male's or female's. We men certainly love some nice curves over a lady's waistline, and them girls would definitely drool over a man's solid waist. After all, who in the world actually likes those layers of kuih lapis (layered cake) that form the love handles?

My idea of a perfect waist for men (which also translates to 'what I wish to have') would be, of course, love handles free, along with some deep, lower oblique/abdominal lines which are a must have, just like Allan Wu's.

Now, girls, wouldn't you go crazy when you see a waist like that? If I were a girl, I knew definitely would. But since I'm a guy, I'd like to have a waist like that to make girls go crazy instead.

Ah, crap.. I can already feel the estrogenic built-up in my body from looking at too many of Allan Wu's topless pictures. To counter this effect, let's look at some womanly curves below.

And I feel much better now.

-

On a more serious note, I'd really like to know what you girls think about men having those deep oblique/abdominal lines. Are they a turn on, or a total turn off?

Why I hate to squat

2010-10-17T16:26:00.009+08:00

Today's a Sunday and I usually do a few sets of deadlifts, dips/triceps bench presses.. and squats, the most fearsome sort of exercise ever invented (technically it wasn't really invented, since we humans have been doing squats as a basic bodily movement since ages long, though, as an exercise.. it's a different story). As if pairing deadlifts and squats and doing them on a same workout day isn't bad enough, one of them just had to be squats.

Squats.. I loathe doing them. I don't like just how much pressure the weights atop my body put over my legs, having to breathe and grunt harder than any other exercises with each lift I make. Honestly, I'd rather trade off 4 sets of squats for another extra 4 sets of deadlifts atop of the usual 4 sets that I do today. It's ironic when you come to think of it that I love to deadlift so much (yes, I do!) but I hate to squat; though they are somewhat different, both use some tremendous leg strength to pull off a lift.

So, now you might be thinking why in hell would I still stick to my usual squatting routine despite of all that hatred for it? Well, that's because I -know- that the squat is the king of all leg exercises that works on more important muscles like the lower back, quads and hamstrings, as compared to bicep curls or wrist curls. And how are the mentioned muscles actually more important?

First, the legs are used mostly for mobility, as they move us from one place to another; we'd still be able to reach our destination even without our hands. Can you imagine walking up to your apartment at the 10th floor through the stairs because the elevator's down with a weak pair of legs?

Second, think of the deadlift, and think of a 50kg box that you'd like to move from one place to another. If you know how to deadlift with proper form, you'd certainly choose to deadlift to move the box, as opposed to the bicep curl when the biceps can only tolerate so much weight - it is generally accepted that one can deadlift up to or more than two times his/her bodyweight (Lamar Gant, a powerlifter, was able to deadlift -five- times his own bodyweight). If you don't know how to deadlift, your biceps would most likely not be able to lift the box.. or you might be able to, but you may end up with a backache or tears in the biceps. Or you can probably just push the box, but you'd end up expending too much energy, depending on what sort of ground the box is placed.

Third, stronger lower back muscles would help in stabilizing and keeping your back straight, thereby correcting posture; stronger biceps do nothing in that aspect.

-

Despite all that I've mentioned, I still hate squats. I am, however, well aware of why I feel as such. The weight in which I can deadlift overshadows my squat numbers in -TWO- folds, something which i have yet to fully understand. Also, my form used to suck big time, and I couldn't squat heavy (still can't). Though I've seen improvements in my squatting form, I still struggle with every squat.

But hey, it's reality check time - in life, when we learn/do/adapt to something new, a learning/adaptation curve will always be present. My feelings of hatred is no different compared to those who just hate to exercise, because it seems so ungodly hard for them to exercise, like it's the worst thing ever to do in the world that they think there are far better things to do instead of that stupid chin-up, or that slow, painful jog around the neighbourhood. But, if only they could understand that if they get up the couch and start moving around, they'd certainly see the benefits of working out in a whole new light. In time, so in love with their newly shaped selves, they might even love to workout. And in time, I know that I'll come to love squatting when I can stack another 10kgs worth of plate on both sides of the bar.

I usually don't talk about things like wellness, because I'm not going to spend the entire day talking about how I feel that someone should live his/her life or try to instill habits in them, but I think it's critically important to understand how and why one feels in a manner stated above. If you can first see the benefits of something and secondly work your way through it, you'd definitely have it easier the next time around. You'd probably even end up loving what you do.

My 2-day, full-body workout regime

2010-08-04T02:08:00.021+08:00

I understand that most people want to achieve maximum gains out of the hours spent a week in the gym. After all, who would actually like to spend 3 hours in the gym, 5-6 times a week when they have better things to do in life. I mean hey I friggin' love to lift, but the obligations in life do not grant time to do so on hours end. Besides, getting adequate rests between workouts are also important for recovery and growth.

I'm also not the type who mingles around in the gym after my workout. I am certainly not the kind who stares hard into the mirror for 5 minutes, thinking just how big my mini biceps are after the first set of dumbbell shoulder presses. In my opinion, all these acts are unnecessary waste of precious, productive time.

With a shorter workout time in mind, the next question can you get a full-body workout done in just 2 days, less than 1.5 hours each session? Absolutely!

Here's a simple break-down of my weekend workout regime:

Saturdays

1.) Chests - bench press x4 sets + warmup set

2.) Shoulders - Overhead barbell/dumbbell press x4 sets + warmup set

3.) Upper back - Bodyweight pull-up/chin-up - x4 sets + warmup set

Sundays

1.) Legs and lower back

Squat x4 sets + warmup set

Deadlift x4 sets + warmup set

2.) Triceps - bodyweight dip x1 set, weighted x3 sets

* For cardio work, I run around the neighbourhood for about 30-45 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A few things I'd like to point out which helps you understand how I design my 2-day routine:

1.) I don't include the bicep exercise because shoulder presses and pull-ups work them biceps indirectly.

2.) The above isn't an aesthetics workout regime - it isn't made to work smaller muscle groups like side/rear deltoids and calves to pop out like that of a professional bodybuilder with 5% bodyfat level. It has a huge focus on building strength and simply keeping one in shape, not shredded.

3.) Bi-lateral exercises save time as they work both left and right muscle groups simultaneously.

4.) I believe that the squat and deadlift are the kings of all leg exercises and they are the only leg exercise that I do; I don't care how my calves look like because it would mean nothing if I have calves bigger than my thighs when I can't even squat and deadlift a bare minimum of 100kg.

5.) I believe in the importance of triceps strength, as a strong pair of triceps will certainly help with a heavier bench press and overhead press. Bodyweight dips are a good measure of triceps strength.

6.) I keep the workouts in under 90 minutes, though it's actually better if I can do it all in an hour; shorter resting time would mean working yourself harder, reaping more benefits of every workout.

7.) I mix things up every 3 weeks by including supersets, tri-sets & drop-sets. I also play around with sets, reps, speed and most importantly, weights.

8.) Getting quality sleep is very important for me to perform for my weekend workouts, especially when I'm squatting and deadlifting on the very same Sunday. So what constitutes a quality sleep? Getting at least 8-9 hours of early rest before lifting day is, but sleeping at 3 a.m.- 12 p.m. and 11 p.m. is not quality sleep. Ever heard of the phrase sleep early, rise early?

And there you have it - 2 days worth of full-body lifting back-to-back, followed by 5 days worth of rest before next lifting sessions.

Of chest press and supporting muscle groups

2010-05-22T23:29:00.030+08:00

I remember when I first started off with chest exercises, I could often be seen using machines in the gym doing chest presses. I used to prefer the machines over the bench rack because they were somehow able to help better engage my chests as I motioned. I was also doing dumbbell chest presses and wouldn't feel any chest sore but would have ended up exhausting my triceps after only 2 sets.

I figured out that I was lagging from weak triceps and was then determined to strengthen them by performing overhead tricep extensions, tricep pulleys, dips etc. My arms not only grew, but also got much stronger in the process. It was then I decided to proceed to the bench rack and realized that the bench is the most suitable chest exercise for building size and strength for me due to the fact that the bar is horizontal, which makes it easier to feel the direct 'pressure' that engages and work on my pectorals. The bench press differ from that of the dumbbell chest press in terms of motion, as hands tend to be locked in the same place on the bar to stabilize it - unlike the dumbbell chest press, hands are not drawn side-by-side to one another at the top when bench pressing, and I personally feel that is the reason why it helps to engage the chests better.

Stronger triceps also meant a higher fatigue threshold, not forgetting better control which leads to improved stability to prevent one from jerking about. The reason why a muscle group gets fatigue is because it gets worked on. Just imagine if you were to bench press with weak forearms and triceps; the work done will probably be equally distributed among the chests, front deltoids, forearms and triceps.

Working on getting stronger forearms/grip, front delts and triceps will help a lot when when it comes to the bench press, as these supporting muscles will not only up the numbers you can bench, but also help a great deal to stabilize the weights as you motion.

Nutrition: purpose before options

2010-04-21T22:38:00.021+08:00

When it comes to food, most of everyone that I know 'live to eat'. Living a life like that sure brings about a lot of joyful moments when one is satiated with a full tummy of good tasting food. The problem is that the feeling of satiation is only a temporary one, and if you constantly seek 'happiness' out of a meal, that will lead to a huge (no pun intended) problem for your waistline, especially when you have a fitness goal that 17721371 people have and that is to stay fit.

Nutrition is an important aspect when it comes to any fitness goals, and unless of course you already have the habit of eating everything in moderation or eating clean most times, you won't see changes in your current fitness status. When it comes to fitness and food, one needs to focus on the 'eat to live' principle. I know that you are already picturing of mundane diets when 'eat to live' comes into mind, right? But did 'eating to live' and 'living to eat' at the same time ever crossed your mind?

First, you identify the purpose of your fitness goal. What is it? Is it weight loss? Fat loss? Are you bulking up? When you have a purpose in mind, you will know what you should take (highest priority) and what to avoid or have less of it (lowest priority) in every meal. For example if your goal is fat loss, then you might follow a few simple examples here: choose foods that are baked or steamed, not fried; choose to use non-hydrogenated cooking oils like virgin olive oil; consume lean protein sources like a piece of chicken meat with the skin removed, or the chicken breast instead of the drumstick; or you simply consume less carbs in a day - you get the gist. With your purpose identified, it will act as a limit as to what you put on your plate.

Now, just like you (I hope not), I (still) don't know how to cook, and I once thought that the combination of a delicious + healthy meal is often impractical and expensive if taken on a regular basis. If you'd like some ideas on how you can whip up a healthy meal, you can take a look at the Prograde Nutrition's e-cookbook that contains 197 healthy recipes you can make at home for just the price of $4.95! Alternatively, you can pay Gourmet Nutrition a visit and check their stuffs out. They offer a free e-book that contains a few recipes in which are worth trying out at home. Or, you can check out Anabolic Cooking and get the free stuffs that the author gives out (yay, more free stuff to love!). And here's another blog post that's worth checking out when it comes to a healthy nutrition that fulfills your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals without deflating that already fat wallet of yours.

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Okay, so now let's head back to the topic of 'purpose' as I'm not quite done yet.

Having a real picky tongue can hinder one's quest in fitness. I've got a friend who dislikes the taste of vegetables and I classify his case as severe - whenever he ordered a plate of fried rice filled with little cutlets of vegetables like little carrots blocks, peas and corns, he would take the time to remove them one-by-one till the very last one of them get out from his dinner plate. That's.. really a horrible thing to have witnessed. I mean I didn't know anyone else who hates vegetables that bad!

One should never exclude vegetables in their diet as they provide the following benefits: 1) they contain essential vitamins; 2) they contain fibers which ease bowel movement and prevent constipation; 3) they balance the pH in our bodies and are especially important for people who are on a high protein diet because protein sources are acidic while vegetables are alkaline. Fruits have the same exact properties too, but replacing vegetables to fruits entirely is not practical for a fat loss plan as fruits contain more calories due to sugar content. But don't avoid fruits though; eat them in moderation. In fact, you can replace whatever sweet snacks you have by consuming fruits and that helps to prevent sugar cravings (works for me). You can also make smarter choices by choosing fruits that rank lower in G.I. (glycemic index). Berries like raspberries, blueberries and cranberries are usually known for its low G.I and antioxidant properties, so they'd really make a good fruit choice to include in your diet. Apples which are cheap, widely available and fare pretty low in G.I. too.

Speaking of picky tongues, I used to be like my friend at one point; I used to hate eating carrots, celeries, bananas and apples even. It was when I learnt of the benefits of these vegetables and fruits that I made it a purpose to eat them. It was a little tough at first but it didn't take me long till I get adapted to the taste. The 'purpose' I'm talking about here in this latter context of the entry is to make it a point to eat your vegetables and fruits. Of course, if the taste of a particular green makes you feel like throwing up, opt for something else. There are so many choices for vegetables and you need not stick with those you do not like. Just eat your vegetables and fruits!

So folks, always remember that a better, healthier nutrition comes about when you place your purpose of eating before options.

The problem with personal trainers

2009-12-23T21:29:00.020+08:00

I've stayed silent for too long and feel the need to voice out my concerns about non-professionally certified personal trainers a.k.a. your average personal trainers (PT) in commercial gyms.

While I was in the gym last Sunday, there was a woman beside me working out with a PT. Judging from visual references, the woman did not look fit - she has either not lifted a single weight in her entire life, or she hasn't lifted in ages. The PT was guiding her through a set of dumbbell chest presses, with 17.5lbs weights on her sides. Let me stress that again for you - 17.5lbs dumbbells on an unfit woman.

With the dumbbells on her sides, the client's form was very poor - she had her hands tucked to her sides and her wrists tilted back towards her body even with the PT supporting her as she motioned. Can you imagine just how heavy it was for her?

What's the deal with PTs and heavy weights, anyway? Is the human ego involved in this matter? It's like doing a visual assessment just by looking at a client's physique and telling them 'you can handle these and don't worry, I'm here to support you'. Shouldn't they start off with moderate weights, weights which that the client is able to handle at least 80-90% themselves with good form, while a PT supports the rest of 10-20% behind? And the client should also at least be able to do 6-8 reps themselves before requiring any form of assistance for higher reps?

A PT guiding a client with poor form is akin to causing direct injury to him or her. It doesn't take a fitness professional to understand that one should not sacrifice form for weights. These so-called fitness trainer who had undergone a 'fitness course' before becoming a 'qualified' PT under commercial gym standards should have known better. Which leads me to a question in mind: just what standards do commercial gyms have for their PTs? It really makes me wonder as I have heard that it's NOT a requirement for these PTs to even know how to perform CPR.

People who are new to the fitness scene looking for help tend to fall prey to the wrong PTs most of the time, which help them kickstart their fitness journey in the wrong direction. To top it off, these newcomers are wasting hard earned cash to these so called 'professionals' who would care nothing more than their cash flows. However, it is to note that not all commercial gym PTs are like that. I've seen a few pretty good ones that pay full attention to the client's exercise form instead of spacing out when some chick passes by, or picks up calls when the phone rings.

Hiring a PT is an investment which should be done wisely - hire the right one, and you'll yield good results and the right knowledge will stay with you forever. Be sure to do some research yourself before forking out any amount of cash to get a PT to work with you. In fact, if you are a newcomer, the best way to kick start your journey is to work out with an experienced gym partner where you can get exposure at a much quicker rate. You'll then have a better judgment in discerning the good PTs from the bad ones when you're ready for a personal training session. A fitness certification worth checking out is the KB Fitness course, created by fitness and nutrition specialist Kasey Brown.

The importance of pH levels in foods

2009-11-24T15:21:00.016+08:00

Why do Americans, being the largest calcium consumers in the world suffer from poor bone health? What are acidic and alkaline foods? Are lemons and lime acidic or alkalic? Do diet sodas really have zero-calories?

Watch the video below to find out about what the everyday foods that we eat can do to our body:

"Sorry, but I'm in a rush."

2009-10-03T16:26:00.021+08:00

In an entry dated all the way back to 2005, DailyMuscle wrote that 'more than 50% of the guys in the gym are gay…'. Today, I finally witnessed the ugly truth.

I was in the men's changing room today while I was preparing my protein shake before I head out for my workout. All of a sudden, this Indian dude came over and talked to me. This was what transpired:

Indian dude: Hi, there...

Me: *suprised* Hello.

Indian dude: Have you taken your shower yet?

Me: *!* Err, not yet.

Indian dude: Want to join me for sauna?

Me: *!!!* Sorry, but I haven't worked out yet...

Indian dude: Oh, never mind that. You can workout after the sauna session with me. Come...

Me: *OI WTF!?!!* Sorry, but I'm in a rush...

Indian dude: *dissapointed* Oh...

Me: *BIG SIGH OF RELIEF*

My first gay encounter in the gym. Oh my. And you know what's the bad thing about looking good? It's attracting the same sex!

So, guys, what's the moral of the story?

Answer:
Attraction doesn't discriminate (sexually).