How to get Jacked without a Gym

What should you do if you want to stay in shape and rip off some body fat, yet can't make it to a gym?

Try body weight exercises: 

www.elitefts.com has a great exercise index to show you how to do these exercises.

Here is what to do on Day 1 if you have never done these exercises before:

Circuit 1:  Do these exercises back to back with no rest:

10 body weight squats

5-10 pushups

10 body weight lunges

5-10 push ups

Then repeat this 3x with 2 minutes rest in between each circuit

Now, if you are like Ben Bolanos, a man who thinks he is a veteran in the weight training world,

you should do this:

Advanced Bolanos Circuit:

20 Body weight squats

20 pushups

20 body weight lunges

20 close grip push ups

repeat 5 times:  2 minutes rest  in between

Ways to Progress the circuit:

- Each week try to cut the rest period by 15 seconds in between each circuit

- Add another circuit - so do it 6 times 

- Add reps to the exercises - make it 30 squats instead of 20

You can do these workouts before work.  Get it done early!  They will wake you up and get your body on fire for the whole day.  You will feel like a furnace and you will know you are stripping away body fat by the minute!

Are you hungry after breakfast?

A friend of mine, Ilan Mochari (www.ilanmochari.com) just got access to some Rice Protein Powder.  

So, he has been putting the Rice protein powder in his coffee.  His usual breakfast was a bowl of oatmeal and coffee.  So, I asked him if he has noticed any difference since using the protein powder in the morning?

His answer:  You know, the oatmeal would tie me over for an hour and then I would be hungry again.  Now, since the addition of the protein powder, I don't get hungry till later, it ties me over for much longer.  

There you go Ilan! The days of just cereal are over

Why Protein?  

Eating Protein secretes hormones that signal your brain that you are full.  It also helps balance blood sugar so you avoid low blood sugar following a meal which can make you feel really hungry.  

To feel satisfied after a meal, combine foods together.  For Breakfast, try not to have just carbohydrates (oatmeal) alone.  Throw some peanut butter (fat) in the oatmeal, and have some eggs (protein and fat) on the side.  

All 3 (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) help you feel full in different ways.  Eat all three together, and you maximize your chances of feeling satisfied after a meal (and not the need to eat an hour later)

In the morning, for protein, you could have eggs or cottage cheese on the side with your morning cereal. 

Wow!

I want to discuss a Question on Elitefts's website.  It was a question to Jim Wendler.  And this question kills me!

A person says:

I notice on your log you went 540x8 and then 570x7 and then 550x8, did you lose strength? If you got 570x7 and then 2 weeks later after deloading you got 550x8 that would mean you lost strength.

Jim replies: Yep.  Getting weaker. All part of the plan.

This person obviously has never experienced 531 and also does not GET training at all.  As anyone who truly does 531 knows, the 555 day (you do 3 sets of 5 reps) can be hard as hell.  Hell, the last set is always hard.  Some days you are just happy to get the 5 reps on the last set and other days you can hit an insane rep PR. 

Another situation I'd like to discuss: 

I was at my gym the other day doing Good Mornings (GMs).  I was doing 5 sets of 10 with 95 pounds.  This guy comes up to me and says, "Man, I'm jealous, I used to do good mornings all the time, then I tore my glute medius."  Then he needs to justify his training to me, so he says, yeah, I used to squat 385 and good morning 225."

(This guy was like 6 '2 and probably around 240. )

So, I say to him "you know, I get a lot more out of good mornings by going lighter" and this guy says "I was goin just as deep as you"  He clearly didn't get my point.

The point is, that when you do GM's, and have a slight and I am mean real slight bend in your knee, and push back with your hips (so that your toes almost come off the floor), you get so much more out of the movement than when you load the bar heavier, do a half squat Good morning, and miss the benefits of the movement.

If you Deadlift heavy (531 style), do you really need to do GM's heavy and do them as a half squat??  Leave your ego at the door.  Get results!