5k!

So randomly in the last week or two my wife and I decided that we are going to start to train for a 5k run sometime in the fall. Some of you may be thinking "but to train for that you'll have to do cardio!" Yes that is true. Most of the time you'll hear that if you're a hard gainer you should do as little cardio as possible so you don't lose any additional muscle. But I also remember when reading Arnold's book that he recommends doing quite a bit of cardio no matter what mainly for overall health. So as long as I don't overdo it there shouldn't be any problems.

To train for this 5k we're using a plan called the Couch-to-5k Running Plan. No, I'm not exactly a couch potato but I still decided on using this plan mainly because it's been a long time since I have done any serious real running (not on an elliptical or treadmill) so I felt it would be best to gradually work my way into. We've been doing this for 2 weeks now and its a pretty good plan!

More Interesting Advice

I read some other interesting advice from another column by Vince DelMonte (read here). He makes an interesting comment that if you can't even control your own bodyweight you really have no business lifting heavy. While it may sound a little harsh I think he makes some really valid points.

Vince recommends shooting for the following goals:
60+ Pushups
20+ Wide Grip Pullups
40+ Dips
20+ Chin Ups
10+ One Leg Squats (deep)
and if you're really ambitious 5+ Handstand Pushups

Can you do those? What about for 2-3 reps? Sounds like a good goal to shoot for no matter what just for functional training!

Skinny Guy Article

I read a good article from Vince DelMonte that gave some good advice to us skinny guys and hard-gainers. Check it out!

Defeat Your Skinny Genetics and Own 2007

Wednesday Morning Workout

Another good workout this morning. Since it looks like I'll actually be able to work out 3 times this week I'm doing a bit more of a normal 'split'. Monday I focused on the chest (still threw in some squats, but the focus was the chest), and today I focused on the back and arms. So Saturday will be some type of a leg focused day.

Today for the arm workout I did a curl tri-set. Basically what you do is three different curl sets together for one set. It looks something like this:
Barbell Curl: 6-10 reps
Hammer Dumbbell Curl: 6-10 reps
Reverse Barbell Curl: 6-10 reps

That's one set! Do about 3-4 sets of that and you'll feel a really good pump in your arms!

Chest Intensity Workout

Yesterday I read about a great chest intensity workout from Tom Venuto and it was such a good workout that I wanted to pass it on here!

Essentially you end up doing 12 sets of different dumbbell presses disguised as 4. Each group is done at a different angle, so you really get to blast all different angles of the pecs. But that's not all (heck, that alone would be a really good workout), after doing all of that you then go and hit an isolation exercise like the pec deck, dumbbell flyes, etc. for 3 sets of 20-25 reps each. Talk about a pump! After a workout like that, you feel like you just added an inch to your chest in 15 minutes!

Here's a link to the workout, check it out and give it a try!

Build A Bigger Chest In 3-4 Workouts Or Less.

Deadlifts Revisited

So lately I've been experimenting with the different ways of doing deadlifts to see which one I like better. I'm mainly experimenting with just using a regular barbell and using one of those special bars where you can actually stand in the middle of it for your deadlift. So far I'm not sure which one I like better. I figure I'll go back and forth between the two for the next couple of workouts before I make my final decision. Either way, its good to have a couple of different options to mix it up from time to time.

I've also been working on getting myself in the habit of doing at least some pushups every morning before breakfast and every night before I go to bed. Its been a great way to at least get in some exercise every day since I don't have time to go to the gym more than twice a week. Now I just need to find a good way to do bodyweight squats or something like that.

Keeping Motivated

It seems that one of the biggest things that defines someone who is successful in something versus someone who isn't is motivation. Who knows, it could be the single most important factor! One thing that I've noticed is that when I'm excited and motivated about something I do it with more excitement and tend to do much better at it. So what does one do to keep their motivation up? I don't have all the answers about this, but I do have a few ideas:

1- Keep your eye on the goal

Do you have a goal? Do you keep you eye set on it? It seems that in every book I read about achievement they always talk about setting a goal and then going gang-busters for it. Goals are essential to achievement.

2- Set yourself up to win

Maybe you need to change some habits or friends, but don't put yourself in situations or with people who won't help you reach your goals. Do everything you can to keep yourself on top of your game.

3- Follow a plan

I believe its a good idea to leave room for some flexibility, but you've gotta have a plan to reach your goal. Without a plan, how do you know what you're doing?

Anyway, there's a few thoughts on keeping motivated. I'm mainly writing about this today because over the last few days I've noticed my own motivation lacking somewhat. These are all things that I've done in the past, so its time to put them back into action!