A Battle To The Death Workout Mindset
The way you workout is directly related to your mindset. Some people have a mindset that drives them to do so-so workouts and others train so intensely that it’s a wonder they can still walk out of the gym without any help.
To burn lots of body fat and build lean muscle, you need to be one of the guys who gives it their all. You need to have the mindset of a warrior in a Battle to the Death type of situation. Sort of a duel to the finish. Only this time, there’s only one guy in the duel and it’s you. You’re figthing yourself.
Perhaps a better way to put it would be that part of you is doing battle with another part. The first part is the one which is hungry for results, the one who wants the chiseled and sculpted body, the low body fat, the rippling muscles. The other part is the one who’s okay with the way things are and doesn’t want to work too hard to change. You may call this part lazy or just complacent. Either way, this is the part of you that must be overcome.
When you’re into a battle to the death type of situation, you leave nothing to chance, you simply have to give it your all. Otherwise, you might end up on the losing end and it’s bye-bye to you.
This is what you need to do in each and every workout: give it your all. You need to go into that gym with a mindset as keen as that of a martial arts fighter, a kill or be killed type of mentality.
When you’re armed with such a mindset (and it is a weapon), you will train like never before. You will go the extra mile it takes to get phenomenal results. You will push yourself harder and faster until you have nothing left to give. You will do what it takes to achieve your goals. You will realize your potential.
How to acquire Such a Mindset
To get to this kind of mindset you need to prepare yourself. Before every workout, I want you to imagine the gym as a battlefield. It sounds silly but it works. Just picture in your mind how you’re going to war and you have to win. Silence that part of you which says that you can take it easy because you can’t. You need to workout hard to get results.
Note: you can’t do crazy things which will injure you. You need to stay within the limits of your abilities. However, don’t let yourself off easy. A workout should push your body hard, as hard as you safely can.
If you go into the gym and commit to doing a battle-like workout each and every time, you will achieve faster results than ever before.
Be a warrior.
ManicMuscles Recommends
Tacfit Commando is a program for warriors.
Based on work done with military units, martial art fighters, and law enforcement personnel around the world, this is a program that takes your body into whole new realms of ability.
Turn your body into a leaner, faster, more flexible, and more athletic machine with some of the most advanced bodyweight workouts you’ve ever seen.
While not a muscle building program, this is a plan that is highly recommended for developing physical ability.
What Kind of Body Do You Want?
Before you even go to the gym, before you lift a dumbbell, you need to ask yourself one question: what kind of body do you want?
Seriously, did you even stop to think about it or did you just go to the gym with some abstract notion of being fit and hot?
Just as you don’t get into your car without knowing where you want to go, don’t start training before you know your ultimate goal. If you do, you may train in a way which will actually make it harder for you to achieve it. Just like driving in the opposite direction from your destination will lead to an awfully long trip.
Most guys who start lifting weights (and read blogs such as this about muscle building) general have one of the following 3 body types in mind:
Let’s begin with the one to the left. I call this the “bigger the better” sort of muscle growth. These are guys who want to get big. They care less about toning up or keeping their body fat down (at least for the time being). They just want to get huge. To achieve this kind of body you will like make use of a particular workout plan using heavy weights in a medium-high rep range to produce more Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy. Good programs for this kind of body development include the Mad Scientist Muscle plan.
What’s nice about being huge is that you look very impressive. People tend to respect big people (who are not fat) as they associate this kind of size with strength. Building muscles is something that, I believe, nearly everyone can do (to a certain extent, of course).
The guy to the left has different goals. Some would call his style of body development the “hollywood look” (a term which Rusty Moore uses). This is the kind of body which does have some muscle growth, though none of the muscles are very big. There is more focus on muscle tone and keeping everything tight. There’s no doubt that a lot of women dig this kind of body, which is why many men want it.
This kind of body development is more concerned with reducing body fat. Your muscle growth is moderate in size and includes more Myofibrillar Hypertrophy. A good fitness plan for this kind of body development is Visual Impact Muscle Building by Rusty Moore.
The middle picture shows the kind of body which is hardest to achieve. This man is a real bodybuilder, achieving both remarkable size and a very low body fat percentage. This kind of body requires an immense investment in time, effort, and funds. Just the cost of the supplements these guys use is more than you may realize. These are people who spend hours at the gym, often on a nearly daily basis and they dedicate their life to the development of their body.
A lot of guys thing they want to be bodybuilders but they aren’t really ready to turn this into their primary life pursuit. Only go down this road if you’re really determined. I’m not trying to discourage you just to make sure you’re ready to go all the way if this is the kind of physique you’ve been dreaming about.
It is up to you to decide what kind of body you want to have in a year, 2 years, and 5 years from now. Take a day or two and figure it out. Then, research what it takes to get there. Get a workout plan that is suited for this goal and take action as soon as you can.
You can work towards each of these body types. Just don’t start on a road with a destination you don’t really want to reach.
Show and Go Training
I’ve just finished going over my copy of the Show and Go Training Program by Eric Cressey and I want to review it here.
This isn’t your ordinary muscle building program, although I have no doubt that you can build a lot of muscles and burn a lot of fat by following it. This is a strength and performance program, so the focus is more on improving your physical ability and reducing risk of injury then to just get you to look bigger.
In a recent talk I had with Eric Cressey, he told me that the name of the program, Show and Go: High Performance Training to Look, Feel and Move Better was meant to portray the fact that this is a program which isn’t for the “All show and no go” kind of weight lifter, but one for people who actually want to be more athletic, strong, and capable.
In this review I will tell you what this program teaches, talk about who Eric Cressey is, and help you decide whether this program is really for you or not.
Who is Eric Cressey
In this case, knowing who the author of this program is can help you see why this is an exceptional fitness plan.
Eric Cressey is a specialty fitness coach who usually works with athletes to improve their perfromance. He is a well known author who has co-authored 5 books which sold around the world, and his writing has been featured in such publications as Men’s Health, Boston Globe, ESPN, Men’s Fitness, Boston Herald, and so on.
Cressey is not just a coach. He is a powerlifter in his own right, holding various records in his weight class. His competition bests are 540 lbs squat, 402 bench, 650 deadlift, and 1532 total in the 165-pound weight class. This is a guy that is an athlete, not just a coach. He knows what it takes to build strength.
Click here to read more about Eric Cressey and reports of people who trained with him
What is the Show and Go Training Program
The Show and Go program is a specialty strength, mobility, and movement program for experienced gym trainees. You can use it as a beginner, but you will need to take it a bit slower and use smaller weights. Having access to a gym is recommended, but the program does include variations that can be done in a home gym.
I found that there are 4 main foundations in Show and Go Training:
1. Strength building – This is one of Eric Cressey’s specialties and it’s the main focus of the program. If you’re looking to increase strength for bench presses, squats, deadlifts, or any other weight lifting, this is a program that will deliver results (if done right).
2. Injury Prevention – This is one of the main benefits of the program. Eric Cressey decidates much of the program to mobility and flexibility exercises that will help you improve muscle and joint conditioning and reduce risk of injury. You need to this kind of information if you plan on working out for many years more.
3. Mobility and movement – Being strong isn’t enough. You need to be able to move properly and to have the right kind of joint mobility in order to be more athletic and to support your increases in weights.
4. Versatility – Although the Show and Go Program advocates training 4 times a week with a lower-upper body split, there are also variations of the main plan if you prefer training just twice or three times each week. In addition, many of the exercises are presented with possible alternatives in case your gym doesn’t have a particular piece of equipment or you just don’t like a certain exercise.
Click here to learn more about ShowAndGoTraining
Note: this program can be tweaked for faster fat loss or for more rapid strength and muscle gains as you wish.
The Resources in the Show and Go Training Program
1. Main manual – This is the center piece of the Show and Go Training program which explains the entire concept of the plan and how the program is set up. What struck me as unusual about this plan is that most of the main manual is dedicated to questions people had about the plan and answers that Eric Cressey provides. I believe that working with people one-on-one gives Cressey a more intimate knowledge of the challenges people face than many other online fitness authors have.
2. Video Exercise Library – The program includes 175 exercise videos (accessed online) in which Eric Cressey demonstrates how to perform each and every one of the exercises in the program. Expect some exercises that you don’t know.
3. Five Fantastic Finishers – Here are five excellent exercises to finish your workouts with in order to accelerate your progress.
4. Innovative Soft Tissue Strategies – As part of the injury prevention part of the program, you will learn various techniques to improve the condition of soft tissue including self-myofascial release.
5. Show and Go Training Templates – The same templates Eric Cressey uses with his one-on-one clients. You take these templates with you to the gym and workout with them there.
6. Top Five Glutes Exercises – 5 killer lower body exercises to work on your glutes.
7. Exercise modifications manual – This manual shows you many variations of the regular exercises in Show and Go to give you more choices.
In Conlcusion
If you want to build strength, become more athletic, protect your muscles and joints from injury, and train similar to how athletes do, you can do no better than using Eric Cressey’s program. The Show and Go Training plan is an excellent program to help you become stronger, leaner, more muscular, and more athletic.
Homemade Protein Bar Recipe
In this article, I want to share an easy recipe for homemade protein bars. Protein bars form a regular part of the diet of many bodybuilders. They are a great snack to help you fill up on protein without stuffing yourself full of sugar and unhealthy fat.
The problem is that buying protein bars can become quite expensive. This is why being able to make protein bars yourself can help you to save money and get ripped at the same time. Not bad for a couple of minute of reading, right?
This protein bar recipe is brought here courtesy of Dave Ruel, of Anabolic Cooking, a bodybuilder and nutritionist. However, I take his recipe and add many suggestions of my own to allow you to create variations which may be more to your taste. You can either read the recipe, or watch a video of Ruel making protein bars in his home. I suggest that you do both. Check out the video below:
This is a great video and it shows how quickly you can make homemade protein bars. I will now give you a list of ingredients that Dave Ruel uses in this video and will offer some other options you can use.
Ingredients for 5 Home Made Protein Bars
- 8 scoops of protein powder.
Note: While Dave Ruel uses chocolate protein powder, you can use practically any taste that you like. You can also use a plain powder as you will be using honey which will give the bars its sweetness.
- 1 cup oatmeal
Note: You can use any type of oatmeal here. I often bake the oatmeal for 20 minutes before making the bars.
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
Note: The key word here is Natural. Don’t use any kind of peanut butter. You want one which is devoid of any artificial chemicals and ingredients, so use a natural butter. You can also use other types of butters. Almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts are my favorites.
- 3 Table spoons of honey
Note: I use raw honey. You can use a bit more for extra sweetness, although it does add calories to the bar.
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
Note: Use 1% fat milk for a reason. It simply adds a bit of taste and body to the bars. A 0% fat milk is a big weak for me.
- 3 table spoons of crushed peanuts
Note: You don’t have to use peanuts (especially if you want to add another taste to the butter. You can use pistachios, almonds, or any other nut really. This will give the bars an extra crunchiness.
Instructions
Just put all these ingredients into a bowl and mix them. After you’ve got a mix, pour it into a pan and spread the mix out evenly in it. Put the pan in the fridge for 2 hours until the entire mix becomes hard. Cut the mix into bars and enjoy.
In Conclusion
Making protein bars at home is not hard and it doesn’t take too much time. You can easily make a big batch and have bars for 2 weeks at a time. I hope that you found this recipe for home made protein bars useful. Enjoy.
For more muscle building recipes visit: Dave Ruel’s home made bodybuilding recipes
Mark Wahlberg Workout For the Fighter
Mark Wahlberg always had that physical muscular look which a lot of guys want. Ever since his early modeling years, through his various movie roles, it seems like this guy never gets out of shape.
In his new movie, The Fighter, which is nominated for 7 Oscars, it seems like Wahlberg is looking better than ever. He packs on a lot of muscle but his body fat is so low that his abs look tight with a visible six pack. In addition, Wahlber doesn’t look bulky but athletic, the kind of Hollywood look at lot of ladies go for.
In this article I want to go over the workout routine he pursued for his role in the Fighter and what you can learn and take away from it to implement in your own workouts. I will also recommend some fitness programs which may be a way for you to train. However, these programs are endorsed by me, not by Mark Wahlberg himself. His workout routine is different as you will not see…
The Mark Wahlberg Workout Routine
According to an article on Men’s Health, Wahlber spent over 2 years preparing for his role in the Fighter. For a long time, it wasn’t clear whether this movie is ever going to be made. This movie is one which Wahlberg wanted to do for a long time so he kept training for it, even while working on other movies, wishing to be ready whenever it eventually got made.
This is the first thing you can learn from this: it takes time to build a super lean and muscular physique. You can get quick results with a lot of programs, but to get that perfect look and to combine it with real ability take time and practice.
What I like about Mark Wahlberg is that he actually loves boxing. He took his role so seriously that a great part of his workout routine is actually made up of boxing exercises, sparring, and mitt conditioning, If you’ve never done any boxing exercise, I highly recommend that you do so. It’s a great way to burn fat, work your entire body, and improve functionality. Check out some boxing workouts here: Mitt Cons 690. This is part of what makes this movie so great.
Wahlberg’s workout routine consisted of boxing exercises and weight lifting. Following a warm up with a jump rope, he does about 45 minutes of boxing exercises using a speed bag, double-end bag, heavy punching bag, and general mitt exercises, and sparring. If you’ve ever done any boxing workouts you know that by the time you get to 45 minutes (if you get there), you’re wiped out.
Following the boxing routine, Wahlberg proceeds to do a session of weight lifting. He does the entire workout in super-sets with very little rest in between. This is a split workout routine:
- Day 1: legs, biceps, and back
- Day 2: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Day 3: Legs and biceps
- Rest for 2 days and repeat.
As you can see, this is an intensive workout routine with no long duration cardio or targeted ab exercises. Wahlberg trains his entire body for movement, strength, stability, and power. Obviously, it works.
Tips and Takeaways
It’s obvious that Wahlberg has the time and the facilities to train at home with a vast array of equipment. The rest of us mortals may not be so lucky. Be that as it may, a lot of gyms have punching bags you can train with and you can also buy one for your home (click here for a good deal). Boxing workouts are an excellent addition to any workout routine, especially if you’re looking to develop actual ability and not just size. I believe that working on functional muscle growth gives you the best body.
You can see that without traditional cardio or ab exercises, Wahlberg still has an awesome six pack (check out trailer below). The truth is that you can indirectly work your abs through motion exercises and a lot of strength training exercises to. You can burn the excess belly fat without having to do cardio (the boxing workouts take care of that). An intense strength training session will melt away the fat.
One more takeaway from Mark Wahlberg’s Figther workout routine is to really push yourself. Doing supersets like Wahlberg does makes sure that you’re making use of every workout second.
Finally, the key to getting a Hollywood body is not to work for size alone. It is to get a lean, sculpted, and athletic body that is actually fit and doesn’t just look bulky. If this is the kind of body you want for yourself, check out this workout program: Visual Impact Muscle Building For that Ripped Hollywood look.
Here is the trailer (and go see the movie):
