Ask somebody in really good shape if they look at exercising as a chore. They’ll tell you “it’s not something I do, it’s just a part of who I am.”
It’s a great feeling, and I want to help you get there. I’m a firm believer that a person in great shape will go farther in life and have a better chance of being successful than somebody who doesn’t take care of himself. Sure it’s probably not fair, but it’s certainly true; good looking people get more breaks! Although you can’t control your genetics, you can certainly control the rest of it: look good, have more energy, and live longer. These three things are yours for the taking if you’re willing to work for it.
Now, more important than how you look is how you feel. Sure, you could take tons of supplements and steroids and get really strong really quickly…but who knows what that will do to your life expectancy. Or, you could just lift weights all day, get strong, and have NO endurance. Instead, I try to promote efficient workouts that help you be well rounded and actually have some fun with it. You won’t “look like a bodybuilder in just 12 weeks!” but you’ll have a level of fitness that’s sustainable, doesn’t take up your whole day, and won’t burn you out.
Let me take you through my current routine. Click on each of the links if you want a further explanation of what I’m doing on these days.
Week 1
- Monday: Full body Workout
- Tuesday: 20 minutes of high intensity running
- Wednesday: Olympic Lifting
- Thursday: 20 minutes of high intensity running
- Friday: Full body Workout #2
Week 2
- Monday: Full body Workout
- Tuesday: 20 minutes of high intensity running
- Wednesday: Circuit Training
- Thursday: 20 minutes of high intensity running
- Friday: Full body Workout #2
My routine is a combination of lean muscle building (full body workouts on Monday and Friday), endurance and fat burning (Circuit Training), and complete strength building (Olympic Lifting). Each of these routines work my muscles in a different way, keeping them guessing and keeping me from getting bored. If you do the same thing every single day, it can get boring very quickly and you’ll probably give up on yourself. Also, your muscles can adjust and adapt when you do the same thing over and over, bringing you decreasing marginal returns. By mixing up your routine, your muscles are getting stronger and bigger in different ways. You know how you’re always told in business to diversify your portfolio? Your body is no different. Mix it up, have some fun, keep your muscles guessing, and you’ll be ready for anything and everything.
Now, this looks like a LOT of exercising and many of you are probably saying “I don’t have time for that amount of exercise.” Stop making excuses. Each of my workouts (on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) are done in 45 minutes, and my runs on other days are done in 20 minutes. Factor in travel time, stretching, etc., and I’m only exercising about 3.5 hours each week. I guarantee the amount of time I spend exercising gives me enough energy to require 3.5 hours less sleep each week. For those of you who say you don’t have time to exercise: look what you can accomplish in 30 minutes a day if you keep the intensity at 100% and really push yourself. Efficiency is key.
To summarize: don’t concentrate on just strength, size, or endurance. Mix up your routine so you (and your muscles) don’t get bored, you get to have some fun, and you “diversify your portfolio.”
-Steve
