Small Steps Lead to BIG GAINS

paintedgrrl !!!  She got the EXACT answer!  I could not believe it.  I pushed my BUCKLE exactly 4,784 times per minute in that workout…(BUCKLE weighs 4 oz.)

I bet she has a BUCKLE just like mine!

To read the question see my blog here… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/wallyj/2007/09/17/buckle-trivia-how-many-buckles-can-a-wood-chuck-chuck/

To read my last blog, 11 nutritional tips click here… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/wallyj/2007/09/18/11-nutritional-tips/

Thanks Everyone for playing BUCKLE trivia!

thnax for visiting me and my blog and your kind comments.  If you ever have a question feel free to drop in

All the BEst,

Jeff

ok.. so last week I mentioned the 3 circuit routine I was doing…one day we measured how many pounds I pushed in the 50 minutes it took me to finish the circuit 3 times. In 50 minutes I pushed 59,800 pounds, or 1,196 pounds per minutes.  I weigh 230 pounds, so another calculation tells you I pushed my body weight 5.2 times per minutes (59,800lbs / 50 min/ 230 lbs).

ok.. big deal.. how does THE BUCKLE tie into this?  Well, I know exactly what the BUCKLE  weighs in at.  I want to know HOW MANY BUCKLES  did I push per minutes based on the above info and your best guess as to what THE BUCKLE weighs????

I’ll pick a winner later tonight… Closest answer GETS A REALLY COOL WORKOUT SHIRT  as seen on THE BUCKLE, paintedgrrl, ChickenTuna and other cool and powerful bodyspace rockstars!

and by the way… this type of training is awesome for anyone looking to build muscle endurance and burn fat… it will transform your body.  I refer to it as volume training and it is all about intensity.

don’t forget to sign up for my FREE fitness/nutrition newsletter at

All the Best!

jeff

This week was weight training Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Tues,Thursday and Saturday being interval cardio training finishing with abs.

The weight sessions were the same 10 movements from last week done in circuit fashion again…had to choose weight to maintain 20 reps again also, only this week was 3 circuits back to back, as quickly as possible.  I think the best I did was 40-45 minutes to finish. 

This pushes you to the edge of being sick if you are not properly rested, hydrated and nurished.  I don’t think those interested in body building would care much for this routine, but those interested in building endurance, Lactic threshold workouts and cranking up metabolism and turning on the fat burning machine may want to look at this.  In fact, last night I was so revved up i could not fall asleep..i had to get up at 2 a.m. to eat a few slices of turkey…then I fell asleep.  So obviously my system was revved up and unfortunately i probably did not eat enough during the day and i also struggled today because of lack of sleep.

The crazy thing about this workout is it messes with your head…for example, if you are capable of doing one-arm dumbbell rows with 80 pounds for 20 reps you tend to want to start with that, but by the time you get to it in the 2nd circuit you probably cannot do the 20 reps…and forget about the third.  So you have to suck it up, go down in weight to be sure to get the reps out and finish the 3 circuits..no matter what.  Guess what?  I did curls with 25 pounders in my last circuit!  I could barely move..  my entire body was pumped.. I had veins in my arms!!!!  I never had that in my entire life! 

Next week is yet another version of the same movements but 3 sets same body part in a row.. we’ll see if that is even more difficult yet!

…..Remember..small steps lead to BIG GAINS!

….It does not matter whether you are the lion or the gazelle.  When the sun rises, you better be running!

All the Best,

jeff… THE BUCKLE

link to pic

We all were affected on September 11, 2001, some more than others.  For me ,I lost my cousin Marty as well as a few other people I knew through business… others lost much more.  The experiences of this day are so personal that I almost did not want to post this, except I wanted to honor Marty and tie into how it changed my life for the better.

I stepped onto the streets of NYC that morning and it was one of the most beautiful days I could remember..really!.. that thought actually entered my head because it was a perfect day.  I had a big dinner with a big client and things were good, I was making money and I probably thought I was quite the bigshot.  I was also 300 lbs or so, with high blood pressure and type II diabetes, but none of that mattered…because I was a big shot…. a few hours later that all changed.

Long story short, as I absorbed the pain and tried to figure out what to do with my anger over the months that followed, making frequent visits to the smoking pile of rubble at ground zero the re-wiring of my brain and priorities began.  Over the next few years I worked to figure a way to re-shuffle my life to be more in line with my new priorities.  I opened a trading desk in NJ, 1 mile from home, so hours of my life were not wasted each day commuting, this gave me the time to start my fitness routine as well as see my family and friends more often.  I tried to “lighten” up and enjoy life more, I tried to not place so much priority on the money aspect of things, because it doesn’t buy happiness or health and you can’t take it with you.

So here I am am 6 years later with great progress in health and fitness and inspiring others to do the same.  I still have work to do..but it is being done, and I am happier and enjoy my relationships more now than ever before.  In part I need to thank Marty for this because in his absence I became more aware of his zest for life and appreciation of it.  He “LIVED” life and so should we all.

Everyone be well and be happy.

In Memory of Marty

9/11/01…NEVER FORGET

ok, so I mentioned this week I started a new routine that’ll take me through the end of the year.  This week is setting me up for the next progression.  I am only 3 days into it and it feels good.. I will probably want to eat about 4500 calories tomorrow.  Anyway, here is whatI  am doing for 6 days in a row, which sets me up for next week.

warmup (as long as it takes)

complete the following moves as quickly as possible choosing a weight that I can get 20 reps with.  If I fall short /over on reps weight is adjusted the next day.  Complete withing 30 minutes, then stretch. (cardio not included here)

1. dumbbell squats -  20 reps / 70 lb dumbbells
2. deadlift                  20 reps/ 70 lb dumbbells
3. 1 arm row(on stability ball)  20 reps/ 70 lb dumbbell
4. shrugs                   20 reps / 60 lb dumbbell
5. Chest Press (on stability ball) 20 reps / 70 lb dumbell
6. upright rows          20 reps/ 35 lb dumbbells
7. Shoulder press(seated on stability ball)   20 reps/ 30 lb dumbbells
8. bicep curls (seated on ball)  20 reps/ 30lb dumbbell
9. tricep kickback (1 arm at a time leaning on ball)-  20 reps/ 35 lbs dumbbell
10. calf raise   20 reps/ body weight (1 at a time)

heart rate is way up and I am dripping sweat at this point… I had about 5 minutes left.. next few moves go for 45 seconds each

1. squat-hammer curl-shoulder press move with dumbbells
2. bent over flies(work shoulders/delts.  seated on ball)
3. decline pushup using ball
4. raise hip using stability ball(lying on floor, feet on ball.  works back of leg)
5. hook ball under leg and do reverse crunch on floor
6. oblique crunch

stretch.

This was an intense workout .  3 more days of it, then a day of rest and onto the next progression!

All the Best!

Jeff

www.bFit247.com