Let's talk about three great things: eating, napping, and lifting!
Nursing an injury with a bunch of correctives can get dangerous quickly. Don’t give your injuries too much power. Always look for a way to continue training in a way that is close to how you want to train!
The number of times I say “grind” in this episode makes the title fitting. It took me 2 separate clips to get my thoughts out to answer a question I received a while back, essentially asking how quickly you could expect to add X amount of weight to a particular lift.
It’s only natural to pace yourself when lifting, but doing this may actually work to your detriment. Every rep of a set should demand all of your focus, and all of your effort. Only after your first rep do you prepare for rep #2. Using this approach will make for more efficient lifting. Yes, it goes against what feels natural. Yes, you have to train yourself to lift this way.
I don’t approach a max-out session in the same way I approach the process of working up to a single. A true max-out session can be great and important, especially if you follow a percentage-based training program, but I prefer working to a high single for most trainees because this can be done at a higher frequency, and I find it to be safer. Maxing-out is rugged - lift a weight, add weight, lift again (and continue until you either fail or die). Working up to a single requires more strategy - you don’t want to actually fail (or die), you want to work up to a little before that point, and then move on. I explain the differences in how I view a max-out session vs. a “work up to a single” session in this episode.
Confidence is having a deep understanding of your strengths and abilities, then it is not getting too high when people praise you and not getting too low when people criticize you. You shouldn’t feel confident or not feel confident based on feedback from others.
People who lift weights want you to lift weights too! Your level of strength and your capabilities don’t matter. They are pumped to have new and more people into what they’re into.
When you feel like your progress has stalled, work on making sub-maximal weights feel more routine.
If you’re trying to kick a bad habit, you have to stay busy.
Decide what you’re after, then decide to what level you need to be committed.
The goal is to keep adding weight to the bar. If you’re uneasy about making a 20 or 10lb jump for your next attempt, and would rather make just a 5lb jump - using 2.5lb plates, you’re giving the weight too much respect. You’re not confident enough in your strength.
Get stronger, have fun, everything else will follow!
I recently wrote an article going over the typical procedure I like to follow for a max-out session. I have some follow-up thoughts on the topic for this episode. Here is the link to the article: https://www.drewmurphystrength.com/stuff/testingyour1repmax
Reducing the load of an exercise will allow you to train the exercise with higher frequency. You cannot load a front squat as heavy as you can a back squat, but the lighter weight needed for a front squat will still give you a good training stimulus. A heavy front squat will not tax your body quite like a heavy back squat will.
There is a roadmap to your desired goals laid out for you. Follow the map and you’ll get to where you want to be. Don’t become distracted and start venturing off the path.
Don’t pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.
How much variety do you need in your workouts? Actually, very little, but if you do insist on incorporating a lot of variety, be sure to vary up the right types of exercises.
I eat in extremes...it’s either really good or really bad. I’ll never eat a cupcake on the same day I eat chicken and vegetables!
You have time to do whatever you want to do. The things you choose to do are really just the things you prioritize over other things.
2:14 Why I don't use kettlebells 4:35 How to deal with shin splints 9:22 My thoughts on kipping pull ups MARCH 30 DAY CHALLENGE: no chips, potatoes, ice cream, fast food, fried food, chocolate, white breads, soda or juice, cakes or donuts, cookies or candy.
Today I am answering 2 listener questions, as well as going on a couple loosely related tangents! Let me know what questions you have so I can answer them on a future episode. 1:34 Is spot reduction possible? 3:18 "Burning fat" 4:47 Eating around your workout 16:13 A special announcement!
If you want your body to work well, you have to continue to use it. Things will start to fall apart if you fall into sedentary habits.
I'm not into counting calories. Simply eating quality foods, to begin with, takes care of many of the problems you are trying to solve by counting the number of calories you consume.
Did you start any new habits on Jan 1? No? That's fine, make today day 1 on day 17.
What I have in mind for 2018. What do you have in mind? Let me know.
It's all perspective. Are you being reactive or thoughful?
Don't feel nervous about going to the gym. More times than not, the people you are most intimidated by are actually glad that you're there.
This should be everyone's "Step One," no matter what it is you're doing!
Pick a few exercises that you want to improve on or maintain and do them at a light intensity for your warm up every single day.
A quick story of what happened to me a couple weeks ago in the bathroom.
There are no rules. I grew up on a farm. I wasn't supposed to listen to rap music but I still blasted DMX all day, every day. Today I own a gym. I'm supposed to have a niche carved out but I don't. My life has always been uncategorizable. My gym is now uncategorizable. I don't care that I don't fit into a category, and I don't care if you understand or not. I have no reason and no time to explain.
You are your biggest critic. Don't let the fear of how others view you hold you back.
I've talked about this before...on days you're not feeling 100%, don't over-do it trying to get back up to speed. Instead, implement one to a few small things that you can be successful with. Then you will be prepared to do a little more on the days to follow.
Thanksgiving is just a few days out...make sure to enjoy it with no restrictions!
For my first Q & A show I answer these questions: 1. Is soreness indicative of a good workout? 2. Should you take a rest day, or do something every day? 3. How do you know when you are ready to progress/take your workout to the next level?
According to Parkinson's Law, you will get a task done in whatever time you have to do it- whether it be 20 minutes, or 2 hours.
Just a quick message as I cruise in for another Squat Saturday with the squad.
I wasn't able to do a pull up until after high school. It took me to take lifting seriously (and to start practicing them daily) to be able to do them. It wasn't pretty at the beginning but I slowly accumulated more and more repetitions, and therefore more and more pull up strength. Today I am willing to challenge (and confident that I can beat) the majority of the people I come across to a pull-up contest. You can do this too. You just have to get started with a small task and build from there.
If you want to learn how to do a movement or get better at any particular exercise, why not do it every single day? If you are always waiting around for your body to feel good enough to train a movement, you're never going to improve at it. High-frequency training! Every day kind of stuff! Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyXPrm7ae78
Take a small step today to set yourself up for a bigger step tomorrow.
What do you need to do to get excited to work out? Drop $300 on some new workout gear? chug a gallon of pre-workout? Whatever it is, do it!
There should be no need to look at the Nutritional Facts label on the foods you buy because the foods you buy shouldn't even come with a Nutritional Facts label. Eat more one-ingredient foods and less foods that come in a package with an ingredient list and nutritional information.
Today I am repeating the workout I did yesterday. Just because I feel like it!
You don't need to spend hours at the gym each week and you don't need to be utilizing a ton of different exercises. In fact, I would rather see you perfecting a few exercises rather than getting wrapped up in trying to use too much variety in your workouts. For reference, I only do about 10 exercises over the course of all of my workouts in a given week. Keep it simple!
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