You are the Solution

 

My dear and ever-so-faithful collegestuds and collegebabes,

It has been far too long since I posted last and let you all know of my exploits. The last two weeks things have been extremely hectic. I don’t think two days have even been remotely similar in the last two weeks. It’s good to have variety, but maybe there was a little too much anarchy going on. 

First, I want to apologize. No, not to you. Yes, I have made myself responsible to impart knowledge unto you, my dear collegebabes and collegestuds, yet ultimately it is your responsibility to find your inner motivation and crush the competition. In the end, the ultimate competition is yourself and what you are doing to bar yourself from accomplishing your goals. So, guess who I am apologizing to…drum roll… 

Myself

I have been so busy that I have neglected doing a good workout in the last two weeks. This is regrettable. Regrettable because if I had not stopped working out continuosly in the last two weeks, my body would be a whole two weeks stronger than it is now. Training for a better you is all about the math. More hours in the gym doing the right workout geared toward your specific goals yields a better, more strong and confident version of you. 

I made lame excuses like “I have no time to workout” or “I’m tired”. I really thought those things. Then, I realized something dreadful. Instead of working out during that one hour of time I had nothing to do, I played a computer game. I realized that not working out was also making me more tired. I felt lethargic in the last two weeks. Even worse, the lack of physical activity made me stressed. 

It’s a good thing to study. In fact, I have been doing exceedingly well in my classes so far, and of that accomplishment I think anyone would be proud. Still, at what cost are you willing to hole yourself in a room and study nonstop and completely forget about feeding your body and working out. Sometimes, it is better for your soul and body to just drop the books and just run.

I did that tonight. I just ran. I ket on running. After some intense running I ran by the gym and decided to go in there to see what was going on. I didn’t really feel like weightlifting so I jumped on the treadmill and continued my run. I watched other people workout in the gym while I was mindlessly running. I cannot even begin to describe how inspired I was by those people. 

My workout consisted of a roughly 6 mile fast paced run and 2 rounds of traditional tabata back to back. Afterwards, I jogged back to my room on the other side of campus. 

After my workout I felt completely destressed. All of the little nagging feeling i had had before simply vanished. I had become myself again. I looked at myself in a mirror as I walked towards my room. I thought back to my Kinesiology lecture earlier in the day. A statistic was brought up that stated that by 2030 50% of the citizens of Minnesota would be Obese. Not overweight, Obese. 

Now, my dear friends, look into the mirror with me. Think about what is important to you in your life. Do you have a family? Do you have a significant other? Do you want to feel empowered and confident? Do you want to avoid health problems that could potentially ruin your life?

Join me. 

Be a part of the solution, not the problem.

CollegeStudatUMN

 

Be Strong and Hold the World on Your Shoulders

 

Hey there collegestuds and collegebabes,

No. Stop guilt tripping me. I did not go to workout today. 

Please! Keep reading! 

I actually am going to go play football with the fraternity I am pledging in about half an hour so that takes care of my intense physical activity for the day. I would usually take the idea that me not working out is not so terrible because I am substituting it with another form of leisurely activity, but today I would rather focus on a different topic. 

I think every decision we make inherently has many combinations of outcomes available to us. What determines whether our decisions lead to a positive or negative outcome primarily has to do with our ATTITUDE. 

Many people focus on the difficulty and gravity of certain decisions and end up taking the low road because they simply aren’t sure if they will be able to accomplish what they wish to achieve. I’m telling you right now, collegebabes and collegestuds, that whatever it is that you want to do, be it improve your grades, get in better shape, learn a new language, join a frat or sorority, get more involved socially, you are absolutely capable of accomplishing any of those goals. 

Now, the road is never easy when you are trying to grasp something that you want like nothing else. But hear me out when I say that anything is possible. Anything is possible as long as you don’t set a limit to yourself. Your mind is capable of expanding infinitely if you just let it. So, step 1, don’t set limits to what you want to accomplish. 

Step 2. After you have rid yourself of your limits, take a look at yourself. Get rid of your inconsistencies. Find your true self. In finding your true self you have accomplished something great already. You have discovered your inner essence and what you truly find meaning within. 

Step 3. Take the combination of your complete consciousness of what is meaningful to you, and expound on those things. Now take a seconds and think what is meaningful to you. How can you build on that? What limitations can you rid yourself of that will improve your quality of life? 

Step 4: Remember to be mindful of others as you climb to reach your goals. Never forget the respect you must show others and yourself by not cheating your way to the top. In doing so, you will live a meaningful life. 

There is nothing that is beyond you. There is nothing that is beyond you. There is nothing that is beyond you. There is nothing that is beyond you. There is nothing that is beyond you.

Remember where you came from, who you are, and how you wish to empower yourself.

Good Luck.

 

Collegestudatumn

 

THE BOY HAS NO GAME!

 

(If you haven’t seen this movie, you haven’t lived life…)

Hey there collegestuds and collegebabes,

The weather out here is awful right now and it feels like the last traces of summer are finally gone. Sad.

Moving on. Yesterday was a long day. I felt a little stressed so I decided to go to the gym with my friend Misha. We decided that we wanted to do a chest and bicep workout so I pretty much thought one up on the spot. It was pretty good. You know how I know it was good? BECAUSE MY ARMS ARE DEAD. 

So, we worked our asses off! Whatever. Wait, not whatever. How did we manage to push ourselves so hard? Neither of us felt very mentally determined to kick ass before we got there. In fact, I feel like I practically gave Misha a speech about motivation during the first few sets of the workout. With that pump up, and the ending of the initial anxiety that a difficult workout may bring on, we soared through the workout and successfully tore up our chest and biceps. Baller!

I basically told Misha that everyone can end up at the gym. Then I asked (rhetorically) who actually benefits from it? Then I went on and said that motivation is not truly external but it is most definitely internal. True motivation comes from within, from an internal goal one has set for oneself, and from the beast from within that WILL NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER! Throughout the entire workout I was screaming under my breath at Misha to keep him motivated. Misha did a great job with the workout today. If he comes to every workout from now on with that attitude, he will be ripped in no time. 

What’s the first lesson of today? The lesson is that the act of strengthening your body is 90 percent mental. You can come to the gym, but do you have the motivation to push the weights that will truly strengthen you? Do you have the mental fortitude needed to pump weights that cause you to uncomfortably teeter totter between failure and success? Fight, because without fighting one never would achieve anything great or wondrous. 

The second lesson of the day has nothing to do with the workout, so let’s discuss the workout first!

Warmup: Tabata Protocol (with pushups to warm up the chest)

1. pushups for 20 seconds
2. 10 seconds of rest
3. high knees for 20 seconds
4. 10 seconds of rest
5. floor sprints for 20 seconds
6. 10 seconds of rest
7. jumping jacks for 20 seconds
8. 10 seconds of rest

Crazy, Intense, Monstrous Chest and Bicep Burner: (pectorals, biceps, triceps)

1. Standar Barbell Bench Press: 185 lbs, 185 lbs, 165 lbs, 165 lbs, 155 lbs, 145 lbs, 145 lbs, 135 lbs (3,3,5,5,6,6,6,8)
2. Machine Chst press: 100 lbs, 110 lbs, 100 lbs (15,10,10)
3. Heavy Bicep Curls (dumbbell in each hand): 50 lbs, 45 lbs, 45 lbs, 45 lbs (5,8,8,6)
4. Hammer Curls (dumbbell in each hand): 35 lbs, 35 lbs, 35 lbs, 35 lbs (10,10,8,8)
5. Machine Full Arm Bicep Curl: 100 lbs, 90 lbs, 90 lbs (5,6,6)

Post Workout: Tabata Bookending

1. burpees (without pushup) 20 seconds
2. 10 seconds of rest
3. high knees 20 seconds
4. 10 seconds of rest
5. floor sprints 20 seconds
6. 10 seconds of rest
7. jumping jacks 20 seconds
8. 10 seconds of rest

Done!

So, that was a sick workout. Very basic and very efficient. Here is lesson two for the day. As we were walking out we had to make a stop behind one of the rec workers to grab our stuff from one of the cubbies that we were using to store our belongings. While we are doing that, this college(not)stud walks up to the collegebabe and asks straight out of the blue, “What’s your name?” Hell, it was so awkward my feet practically glued themselves to the floor. She was caught off guard but quickly replied (I don’t remember her name, I’m such a bad blogger). He then tried ot awkwardly start conversation and you could tell from the look he was giving her that there was only one thing on his mind! Oy, nasty man. Misha was sort of laughing so I kind of bumped him and told him to be quiet. I knew this encounter wouldn’t last for more than 5 seconds longer. I was right. It got so awkward that the guy kinda just walked away, Oy. So, me being me, and having to understand what the hell happened, I walked up to the girl working the stand and asked her if she gets that a lot. She said no and we kinda just laughed for a second. Then I said thank God and she laughed a little more. Then, (because I’m genuinely curious and am not a big fan of superficial conversation) I asked how she got a job at the rec center. She said it was easy and that applications were all online. KACHING! MULLA! After that, we said “have a goodnight to each other” and more importantly I didn’t creepily ask her her name! 

So, friends, what is lesson two? 

THE BOY HAS NO GAME!!!

COLLEGESTUDATUMN

 

Lucifer’s Second Coming (Part 2 of Lou’s Leg Combo)

 

(That’s chump change yo…)

Dear Collegestuds and Collegebabes,

Regretfully, I must inform you all of the double homicide of left leg and right leg. They both died to day in a freak accident called SUPER INTENSE WEIGHTLIFTING! WAAAAAA EXTREEEEME!

Now, if you understood any of what I just said, you should have gathered that today was devoted to strengthening my legs. What do leg muscles look like? Just take a second to look at the picture of professional weightlifter Jay Cutler above…Yeah, take it in…Wait, just a little longer…Okay it isn’t happening. What’s not happening? Oh yeah, your legs won’t ever look like that. Stop Crying.

It was a chilly day here in Minnesota (normal) and I found myself pretty busy. There was about two hours in the day that I knew I didn’t have anything to do so I decided to go to the gym. Today, I went solo. Going solo isn’t a bad thing though. Sometimes you need to do your own thing. Sometimes you need to keep your thoughts to yourself. Sometimes all you want is pure and utter efficiency in your workout. A second opinion in the weight room is always worth hearing but sometimes you just need to put your foot behind the wheel and drive. Oh, and I drove like hell today.

Now, being the collegestuds and collegebabes that you are, you all probably have heard me (multiple times) screaming out at you from the computer scream how monstrous I felt in the gym on any given day. Today was for sure my best workout day (for my legs) yet I didn’t feel like a monster. I simply felt committed. I felt at peace with the fact that I was by myself and that what I was doing at the gym was beneficial to my health. So, I pushed. I didn’t grunt or roar like I sometimes do during an intense workout. Instead, I simply focused. 

What gives you the focus to get through your day? It doesn’t have to be a workout. It can be anything. So long as it preserves your mental and is not harmful to your physical health, proceed. 

Ladies, here’s the workout for today:

Warm up: Tabata Protocol (basically preforming short bursts of moves all out for twenty seconds each)

1. Burpees with a pushup 20 seconds
2. 10 seconds of rest
3. high knees 20 seconds
4. 10 seconds of rest
5. floor sprints 20 seconds
6. 10 seconds of rest
7. jumping jacks 20 seconds
8. 10 seconds of rest

Repeat entire cycle once more for a total of a four minute warm up. HELL YEAH.

Lucifer’s Second Coming: An all out heavy lifting leg workout. High sets, high weight, high motivation!

1. Back Squat (Barbell): 185 lbs, 200 lbs, 225 lbs, 250 lbs, 250 lbs (10,10,8,8,6)
2. Leg Press (like the picture with Jay Cutler): 360 lbs, 360 lbs, 450 lbs, 500 lbs, 500 lbs (10,10,8,6,6) (I got to 500 pounds kids!)
3. Smith Machine Barbell Calf Raises (Ouch): 135 lbs, 225 lbs, 275 lbs, 275 lbs, 325 lbs (20,15,15,15,15)
4. Leg Extensions (the icing on the cake…): 130 lbs, 130 lbs, 150 lbs (25,25,25)

Post-Workout: Tabata Protocol (again but slightly different)

1. Pushups 20 seconds
2. 10 seconds of rest
3. Floor Sprints 20 seconds
4. 10 seconds of rest
5. Jumping Jacks 20 seconds
6. 10 seconds of rest
7. High Knees 20 seconds
8. 10 seconds of rest

Did you notice anything interesting? I did Tabata as a warmup and post-workout. The idea here is to “bookend” your workout with high intensity cardio activity in order to boost the metabolism and improve your overall cardio function. You can bookend a workout with any kind of cardio activity such as jump roping or just about anything. Use your imagination, Stupidhead. 

Collegestuds and Collegebabes, be well and enjoy the beginning of school while you can! Looking forward to post again soon! Spread the blog to your friends!

I’m not crazy.

CollegeStud (at The University of Minnesota)

 

Sprinting, Stretching, and Partying (It was a wedding guys…)

(Usain Bolt)

Hey there collegestuds and collegebabes,

Sorry about the hold up. The last couple days I have been outrageously busy. My cousin Sam just got married and I was at the ceremony and party. Needless to say my friends (but I’ll say it anyway) the party was off the hook. I literally danced for six hours straight. No joke. NO JOKE.

That brings me back to the whole notion of plain simple physical activity. Do you all remember what physical activity is? Physical activity is an intended movement made to accomplish a given goal. What am I getting at boys and girls? I think my pain stricken legs will attest to the amount of energy I exerted last night. six hours of dancing definitely cancels out the drinks I had as well. So what do you get in that situation? A double whammy! No saddlebags on this collegestud! (I’m getting carried away here…) 

So why the hell do I have a picture of the best sprinter of all time attached to a post about a crazy wedding party and dancing? (Do I need to mention I got a lot of compliments on my moves?) Well let’s think about it… Oh yeah because I did a sprint workout earlier in the day before the wedding.

I wanted to check out the University of Minnesota Track so I dedicated yesterday to a nice good old fashioned speed workout. I did a warmup of about two miles on the track and stretched out. Remember to stretch. Also know your limits! People overtrain all the time. After the warm up I decided to sprint it out! I shredded the track up. Hell, there was smoke jetting out of my shoes. 

The workout was very difficult. I managed to sprint the entirety of the track about 8 times with a cool down lap between each sprint. By the end I was absolutely dead. I could not even imagine dancing like I did last night after being crushed by the track. 

Lesson’s of the day? Don’t overtrain. Stretch. Stretch. Work hard but listen to your body and bring an “I can do it” attitude to every training session.

Oh yeah. This is college. Have fun.

CollegeStudAtUMN

Back and Bicep Blowout!

 

(Rafael Nadal’s bulging left bicep)

Hey there collegestuds and collegebabes,

Today was an intense day. To tell the truth it really wasn’t supposed to be so crazy but I went to the gym with Fleisch again and we seem to compliment each other well in the weight room. If I ever let up and get lazy he yells at me and if I see him cheating on a rep I scream right back at him. There’s no rivalry between us, rather we have a shared motivation towards personal success. 

Today, we worked the biceps and back. Okay, we didn’t just work the biceps and back. WE SHREDDED THEM. I don’t think my arms have truly been this sore since my first weightlifting workouts ever. That’s good though. In order to increase in performance or strength one must always be ready to challenge themselves in new ways. 

Anyways, here is the workout for all you suds and babes out there:

Warm Up: Stationary bike at sprint speed for a total of four minutes.

Back and Bicep Blowout: (biceps, forearms, entire back)

1. Wide Grip Pull Ups: (8,8,8,8)
2. Barbell Upper Back Rows: 90 lbs, 90 lbs, 115 lbs, 125 lbs, 135 lbs, 135 lbs (12,12,10,10,8,9)
3. Seated Cable Rows: 110 lbs, 115 lbs, 130 lbs, 145 lbs, 150 lbs (10,10,10,10,10)
4. Lat Pull Downs: 115 lbs, 115 lbs, 130 lbs, 135 lbs (10,10,10,10)
5. Standard Bicep Curls (Heavy) w/45 lbs dumbbells in each hand: (10,10,8,8,8)
6. Hammer Curls w/40 lbs dumbbells in each hand: (10,10,10,10)
7. Preacher Curls (machine): 75 lbs, 90 lbs, 90 lbs, 100 lbs, 100 lbs(12,10,8,6,5)

Post Workout: Run for ten minutes at a 6:53 mile pace

 

That workout was insane and it’s even difficult to write this out right now. Anyways, all of you should have a great weekend and stay tuned for the next post.

Peace out kids. 

Chillness + Responsibility = Gold

Hey Collegestuds and Collegebabes,

Here’s the memo: College is chill. Did I work out today? No. 

What did I do instead? I stood for a couple hours straight representing an organization at a student groups fair and socialized. Am I okay with the fact I didn’t workout? Well….

People make all sorts of excuses for not working out during the day. It’s usually the “I don’t have time” or even that they simply have no interest in working out. Now, when I say workout (I am assuming that you, my dear reader, have been following this blog and have looked at my workouts so far) I expect that you would think I mean something overly intense and something that will make you sore for the next couple of days. Well, for me sometimes my inner demons get fired up and that is exactly what a workout can be.

On other days I don’t feel completely motivated. Somedays, I simply want to do my homework (if even that), eat, nap, or chill in a friends room. I am going to be the first advocate of fitness to say “Go ahead and Fu#$ing do whatever you want!” It’s totally fine with me.

There is still a problem though. Some people take advantage of that statement and literally sit on their gluteus maximuses all day and do nothing. I am here tell you that if you feel like sitting around and doing nothing everyday then you need to rethink your priorities. If anyone tells me that my mind is more important than my body I will laugh at them. How can you have peace of mind if you are not even comfortable with your body? Everyone should strive to be the best that they can be and that includes physically being proactive in order to lead a healthy life. 

Now here’s the kicker: What if I don’t like working out like Collegestud at the University of Minnesota?

I’m a kinesiology major. I am just starting up but I can already tell you the dead obvious. This country is going in the wrong direction. People definitely know that there is a rapidly rising obesity rate which is great. The problem is that the facts are marketed and a lot of people get pulled into diet pill fads, meal replacement fads, and all sorts of fads the world over! The only kind of fad that I approve of is a workout video. Those at least cause you to engage in physical activity.

Now that we are talking about physical activity…What is physical activity? A broad answer that a Kinesiologist would say is an intentional and voluntary movement in order to accomplish a certain goal. How easy is that to do? Stop scratching your head and think about it. If all you have to do is say to make significant long period health gains is “I’m taking the stairs today” what is stopping you?

Now lets take this in a different direction. What sport do you enjoy? What scenery do you enjoy? Do you like to socialize? I played a good old game of football today with some frat guys. Ka Ching! There’s my physical activity for the day. I biked around the city or along the river and saw my favorite sights today. Ka Ching! There’s my physical activity there! I just joined a workout class or joined a running club. Ka Ching! There are other people out there who will engage in physical activity with you and it will surely elevate the experience beyond the physical sphere of existence. 

I can tell you straight up that some of my best friends reached that status within my mind because they were with me blowing off steam in the weight room or running hills endlessly during cross country practice. That’s because during the time you workout the world around you seems to pause and for a short period of time the only people in existence are you and your workout buddies. 

Ultimately, what I am preaching here is that it doesn’t matter what you do to engage in physical activity as long as it is meaningful to you. That is why I will never say in one of my post to do exactly what I do in my workouts. People are truly invited to adapt them or create their own workouts inspired by my own but in the end what people do must be something that they enjoy doing. I can also confidently tell you that there are plenty of different activities for people to partake in that it literally would be impossible for someone to hate all forms of physical activity as defined above. So, just remember that its perfectly okay to have a chill approach to personal fitness but that holding yourself accountable for it is of utmost importance as well. 

Thanks for reading this guys and be ready for a killer workout tomorrow. 

Be Strong and be at Peace

Rising From Hell With a Vengeance

 

(I hope I look like this when I’m all wrapped up for scientific research)

 

Dear Collegestuds and Collegebabes,

Regrettably, I was not able to post in the last few days. Trust me, I wanted to. Sometimes certain things go wrong and you have to ask yourself about your priorities and what is right and what is wrong. The last couple days, to put things very gently, did not go my way. People have to go through tough times all the time. I was still able to complete a few small workouts in the meantime like a 5 mile run and a short chest workout but nothing worth posting. It is worth posting though that staying physically active while under an extreme amount of emotional stress can heighten your senses and lead you to a much more clear conclusion, even if it is a hard one to come to grips with. 

So when do you make a comeback? When do you rebuild your mental barrier and fight back against anxieties everlasting onslaught against your soul? There are times when a decision must be made, and if one is not made during that period the worst is likely to happen. The decision to do something about stresses or about problems pertaining to one’s own life is purely up to one’s initiative and mental fortitude to push forward and fly into a new frontier. 

Today was the day. Today I broke through the darkness. I came out of hell and decided to kick some major ass. This workout was simple, but the intensity of it was enough to bring some of my self-confidence back. The only way to bounce back from the brink of a spiritual death is to unleash all of your guns and not be afraid to be hit back. If you are afraid to be hit where it hurts you won’t end up trying in the end anyway, and that in itself can close a whole slew of doors that can lead to the most wonderful of experiences. 

Today wasn’t about doing a large variety of exercises. Today was about overcoming demons with sheer weight and pushing beyond where I have dared venture before. Remember, even in the darkest of places, a man is still capable of holding his weight against the shattering world around him and give birth to whole new positive experiences. All that man needs is faith.

Here’s the workout for today:

Warm Up: 15 minute run on Treadmill. Start first two minutes at 7.5 mph. After two minutes increase the speed to 10.5 mph. Keep on alternating between the two until 15 minutes has expired. 

The Confidence Comeback: (works the entire leg)

1. Back Squat: 135 lbs, 185 lbs, 185 lbs, 230 lbs, 230 lbs, 230 lbs (12,10,10,8,6,7)
2. Leg Press: 360 lbs, 450 lbs, 450 lbs, 450 lbs, 450 lbs, 450 lbs (10,10,10,8,8,8)
3. Calve Raises (55 pound dumbbell in each hand): (25,25,25)

Today’s workout was amazing. I relearned my back squat form and I truly tested the limits of my strength in my legs. When I workout really hard I sometimes feel my inner-beast roar. When that happens I feel practically invincible. Hopefully I break through the 300 lbs mark on the back squat fairly soon and also the 500 lbs mark on the leg press. I regained my confidence and I know that neither of those monstrous goals are impossible for me. Just remember collegestuds and collegebabes that if you don’t ever shoot the ball it won’t ever go in the hoop.

Have a sweet night and stay tuned because I’m back with a vengeance.

Jake Levine

 

Anti-Gravity Core Construction

(Not me and this guy has clearly had his abs painted on him…still a good picture showing the abs)

Hello again my enthusiastic collegestuds and collegebabes,

Well, Another bites the dust! Today was supposed to be a more chill day but the workout actually turned out to be very challenging. Believe it or not, my body is very sore from the past three days of utter intensity and I was hoping that this workout would be a little bit easier. I can definitely say it was easier, but truthfully not by much. I would still classify this day as challenging. I definitely am going to take a well earned rest day tomorrow. Anyways, I just bought season tickets to see the Gophers play some football so I’ll replace blistering hours spent in the gym by tailgating instead with the fraternity next door. 

Right now I’m listening to some Arcade Fire (no, I’m not a hipster) while writing. It’s strangely relaxing. I almost feel like I’m entering some sort of trance (which will undoubtedly assist my writing…). I’m just chilling, with a sore whatever you can name and a very optimistic attitude. If I could make it through the past four days of sheer intensity than I honestly think there is nothing that will stop me in attaining my goals. Still, one must remember that in the end it is not only the intensity that transforms one into a more powerful being but also the consistency in which one approaches his or her workouts. 

I wrote four workouts from scratch and they all tore me to shreds. With a little research, anyone can create their own workouts tailored to what they want. Me? Me you ask? My desire from these Thirty Days of Hell has yet to materialize. It is not exactly clear aside from inspiring people and writing workouts what I am trying to accomplish from this. I do feel the need to prove something though, and prove it I will! There is truly nothing more fulfilling than the feeling of raw personal accomplishment. 

Four days are over and there are still a solid twenty-six days left of Hell. It surely will be an uphill battle. Still, aren’t we all intrigued by the notion of the underdog overcoming his greatest challenges? I plan on smiling the entire time I climb this damn hill.

Here is the workout for today,

Warm Up: 3.5 mile run across the Mississippi River (Decided to take a break from Tabata today)

Anti-Gravity Core Construction: (A method of using weights to tear your core apart)

1. Side Bends w/45 lbs Dumbbell in each hand: (30,30,30,30)
2. Deadlifts w/45 lbs Dumbbell in each hand: (12,12,10,12)
3. Dumbbell Swings (like a kettlebell swing): 25 lbs, 30 lbs, 35 lbs, 35 lbs (10,10,10,10)
4. Leg Lifts w/10 lbs ankle weights on each ankle: (15,15,15)
5. Bicycle w/10 lbs ankle weights on each ankle: (30,30,30)

Post workout: Taking off the ankle weights!

So there you have it studs and babes. This surely won’t be the only core workout in the mix. I just felt that it was necessary to use the weights to go along with the theme of the last few days. I will write some workouts that don’t require weights later on. Anyways, tomorrow is a rest day but still stay tuned for another post tomorrow! Everyone should always remember how important rest is! Mmmm sleep sounds good ZZZzzzzz…

Shattering Shoulder Saga

 

(That is not me…)

“Though this be madness, yet there is method is’t.” -William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Hey there collegestuds and collegebabes,

Some of my friends call me insane for some of the workouts I do. I love it when people think I’m crazy for what I do.  In fact, I embrace my insanity. Sometimes you need to find that primal energy to push you beyond your limitations and into a new frontier full of wonder.

Today was the hardest day so far of the Thirty Days of Hell. I could feel a rage within myself to push to a new level. I cannot tell you that it was an angry rage full of passion. More so I could say it was a rage to satisfy my appetite. I cannot even explain how much just writing this blog has pushed me to start writing my own workouts and soar to the next level of personal fitness. This blog, for me, serves as organization for my workouts. That in itself is one of the early successes of this blog. 

Studs and Babes can truly benefit from writing down their plans. I would compare it to crafting a blueprint to success. If you record something into your schedule you are much more likely to do it. Bottom line: organization is key. 

After my American Literature class today my brother Dan sent me a text asking if he could come over to my place. Obviously, I told him of course and that I would be back there in ten minutes. We met up at my room and soon Fleisch came over and peeped his head in the door. Fleisch wanted to work out again. I put my business face on and quickly asked him when we should get moving. I also told Dan that he should join us. 

So what’s better than having a workout partner that pushes you? Having your workout partner and your brother that introduced you to weightlifting (my brother was the first person to hand me a set of weights) along for the ride! Damn I was pumped!

We got to the gym and it was almost like I knew that today was going to be Hell. But let me tell you, Hell just wasn’t enough for me today. 

All in all, the workout lasted an hour and a half. That entire workout was focused on one small muscle…The Shoulders!!! (I’m getting a little carried away here)

Here’s day three of The Thirty Days of Hell!

Warm up: Tabata (kickboxing edition)

1. 20 seconds push ups
2. 10 seconds of rest
3. 20 seconds switch kicking (alternating legs and kicking so fast you are practically jumping)
4. 10 seconds of rest
5. 20 seconds of a hook with a 180 degree jump squat
6. 10 seconds of rest
7. 20 seconds of jumping jacks
8. 10 seconds of rest

Shattering Shoulder Saga! (Literally every part of your shoulder)

1. Barbell Military Press (standing): 85 lbs, 95 lbs, 105 lbs, 115 lbs (10,10,8,5)
2. Sitting Arnold Press (sitting military press with a twist when raising the dumbbells above your head): 30 lbs, 35 lbs, 35 lbs, 30 lbs (10,10,6,10)
3. Lateral Side Raises : 15 lbs, 15 lbs, 12.5 lbs, 12.5 lbs (8,8,10,10)
4. Dumbbell Upright Rows: 40 lbs, 40 lbs, 40 lbs, 40 lbs (10,10,10,10)
5. Extreme Front Raise (w/dumbbells): 12.5 lbs, 12.5 lbs, 12.5 lbs, 12.5 lbs (10,10,10,10)
6. Shoulder Shrugs (dumbbell in each hand): 55 lbs, 55 lbs, 65 lbs, 65 lbs, 65 lbs (10,10,10,10,10)

Well, that workout was insane. I managed to get through it though and now I have a whole new set of limitations. Remember that you only have limitations if you set them my friends. Have a goodnight and stay tuned for the next of The Thirty Days of Hell!

Post Workout: I fist bumped my bro and Fleisch. After that we decided to see how many pushups we could do within sixty seconds after a marathon of a workout. I managed to do 65 pushups.